Lectio Divina

This last week was our family's sort of "spring break."  The kids were off school and Matt determined to take time off of work even if we couldn't go on vacation.  So, we enjoyed the benefits of staycation.  Some big ones:  no days spent packing and unpacking, no fussing over what to take/leave behind, no days spent en route.  And a good friend of ours suggested there is great benefit in determining to enjoy in the surroundings where you live, rather than always escaping, just to return and see home only as the place of responsibility and duty.

So this week, we enjoyed our days of playing board games, reading new library books, going on picnics (at the Dairy Barn), playing with friends, de-cluttering the house, transplanting bushes, exercising, walking and, my favorite, daily nourishing our souls with the heavenly manna.

Matt made a new spot in the kitchen for our times of reading, meditation, journaling, emailing and writing.  It's perfect!  Right next to a window that overlooks our woods and wild field, with the perfect amount of light shining through.  I spent many mornings there this week.  I've been doing the practice of lectio divina, or sacred reading, which has been so nourishing.  You can read about it elsewhere, but a quick description...

1. Read out loud.  Pick a passage of scripture.  It shouldn't be too long.  Sometimes, it may just be a phrase; other times it can be a few paragraphs.  Read it out loud (this is important!  there is power in speaking it out loud, there's something to hearing your voice say the words, feeling them on your lips); read it out loud over and over again.  One part may jump out at you; if it does spend time there.  Don't try to figure out the meaning with your mind.  This is not a time for grasping mentally (you can do this another time with study); this practice is to nourish your spirit.  Believe that this is happening even if you don't understand what you are reading.  Remember the Word of God is ALIVE and ACTIVE.  It makes a difference in your life and heart.  It is always working, always renewing.  Treat it like a meal that you are getting for your spirit.  Reading the words over and over is like chewing.  
2. Meditate on it.  If you've been reading the passage over and over, you have already begun this step.  Now, take it a bit further by visualizing the words.  Use your senses to imagine everything you can about them.  Sing them, write them, speak them; whichever you feel led to do.  This gets the words and meaning deeper into your soul.  Meditating is like swallowing.  
3. Respond to what you are reading.  You may be moved to a time of thanks for the promises  you've read; you may be moved to a time of prayer, praying for something in the passage that you want but feel you don't have.  You may be moved to a time of repentance if the Word has exposed something insides of you that you want to change.  You may just want to worship at the revelation of love the Lord has given you.  All of these have happened for me this week in my response time.  One time I responded by dancing.  Maybe you'll respond by painting, or writing, or making music.  Everyone is different and each time is different.    
4. Rest.  This is the hardest part, as we always tend to want to be doing something.  Just rest.  Once you've spent time entering into His presence, just rest there for a minute.  Imagine yourself on His lap, or on the Potter's wheel... imagine He is massaging your heart, healing it, forming and shaping you, and you aren't doing anything but resting.  You are completely trusting Him to do a work in you.  You have entered into His rest.  

So I know this all sounds a bit mystical.  Yes.  I'm okay with that, I think we need more of it in our western Christianity.  The ancient Hebrew culture was rich with this kind of tradition, and we would do well to reintroduce it to our faith communities.  This has been blessing me more than I can say all week... my soul and spirit are alive.  His Word and presence does that!!!  If you want to discover more about Lectio Divina, some great resource are:  

• "Come To the Feast" by Marchiene Vroon Rienstra.  Excellent!  It's not just about Lectio, it has so much more to it and I love this book.  
• "Be Still" DVD (so good!  I saw this at a recent retreat and was SO inspired).  

Be careful though with some books on Lectio Divina, as some authors use this practice with other faith texts (Qu'ran, new age texts, etc).  We want to open ourselves up to the Holy Spirit of God through the path of Jesus Christ, not other spirits disguising themselves as angels of light.  There is a red carpet to God, laid down by the blood of Jesus, and if we try to go any other way we open ourselves up to all manner of spirits that will ultimately wreck us (and not in the good way!!!).  

We took a lot of pictures this week, which I will post as soon as we find our camera cord...  

Spring Break 2013 - Day One

Isaac's last day of school was Thursday.  We started our spring break right, by going over to visit again the new baby girl in the family, Gracelyn Jean Felten.  We brought dinner to Troy and Christina and joined them for the meal.  Thai Coconut Pineapple Chicken with quinoa and moroccan carrots.  Yum!  Food was good, but the best part was just being with family.  Life in community.

  

Fires, food and fellowship.  A great way to start our spring break.

(photo credit:  Matt Shaw)

Mentors Matter

A friend of mine, Karen Trigg, has this beautiful ministry called Ruth's Hope.  She is passionate about pouring what she has learned in her walk with Jesus into others in a very transparent, refreshing and thought-provoking way.  She disciples young women and opens her home to become a safe place for many.

She recently asked me to write a guest post on her blog about my own experience with being mentored.  I am including the first few paragraphs of my post here, then you can head over to Ruth's Hope if you're interested in reading the full piece:

Since my earliest memories, I remember longing for Jesus.  I don’t know why or how, but somehow I just knew that I was for Him and He was for me.

It is one thing to long for Jesus, and another thing entirely to live for Jesus.  That was going to take more than just a feeling.  I knew I needed help in this journey to really flesh out the desires in my heart to live and breathe for Him.

For much of my life that help has come from books.  Authors, ranging from the first century to modern day, have become my in-house mentors, always there for me at a moment’s notice.  That sweet gift that has helped me through many seasons, and is one I still utilize and cherish today; however in my reading I began to long for a face-to-face person to talk to about the specific issues and questions I was facing in life.

So, somewhere in my college years, I began praying for a mentor...

I invite you to head over to my friend Karen Trigg's blog for the rest of this post!  

Isaac's Made-With-Care Valentines

A list of 21 classmates. He added a few extras. And on Saturday he began to go down the list, handcrafting a card with a personalized design based on what he knew each kid liked, or based on what he desired to draw for them. He wrote their names on each one, and all I did was attach candy. He worked on this studiously, tirelessly crossing off names and selecting colors and making piles. For hours, basically all day on Saturday. He did something similar last year.

For his friend Demari, he crossed out two valentine pink hearts and drew red and yellow ones instead :)

monster truck

dog named "Biscuit" 

running horse, the kind of brown that is red

shooting ball gun

Matt wrote a limerick :)

It Shall Not Be Taken Away From Me

Tears fall like cleansing streams.
This my heart, open before You.
Do your thing.
Trading my Martha now for this Mary moment.
Sitting. Still. One moment can be worth years with You.
I believe this moment, quiet hidden moment, matters more than I know.

Choose Your Risk

photo credit: Corban Shaw

"Then the time came when the risk it took to remain tight in the bud was more painful than the risk it took to blossom." - Anais Nin

Happy Birthday Haley

Today is my sister-in-law Haley's birthday.  Oh I love her so!

She is so much fun in so many ways.

She is adventurous.

She plays games (while wearing cool shirts).

She is entirely WAY too good at foosball.  

She is silly, never taking herself too seriously.

I remember when I first met Haley.  Matt and I had been dating for a bit and we decided to drive up from Chicago to his hometown of East Jordan, Michigan, to meet his family before they moved to the Philippines.  What I remember about Haley that night was her smile.  It was big and warm and I felt at home because of it.  She was excited about what was ahead, even though she was leaving her friends and spending the rest of her high school time in an entirely new place and culture.  One look at Haley and Mary, and I knew I had sisters.

We've experienced a lot of fun times together.  She just feels like home to me.

Not to mention, Haley is cool.  Yeah, I want to be like her.

Ridiculously athletic. 

I usually want her clothes. 

Haley loves.  

So chic. 

Haley is someone I can laugh with, play with, be silly with, call for prayer, cry to, listen to as she cries, talk with for hours.  I am constantly amazed at her character and abilities.  She is a fierce intercessor, she has a huge heart of compassion, she likes a good book, and her journals amaze me (seriously!  they're works of art with intricate drawings and color).  I love it when I get anything homemade from her.  Like this frame she made for us one year:  

It was quite special when Haley met the man she would spend her life with.  I was lucky enough to be in Chicago with her family when he proposed to her.  They were glowing in the aftermath.  

She picked well.  We love Seth too.  And we especially love the way he loves her.

Haley and I got to be in each other's weddings.  Mine back in 2003 (!)...

That's Haley faithfully fixing my train.

 And hers in 2011...

She was a glowing bride.  

Haley, thanks so much for being so many things to so many people.  Thanks for being a great sister to my husband,

A wonderful aunt to my kids...

And a sister-in-law that is also a dear friend.  I love you so much!!!

Happy birthday my Haley Jane.  I added this last shot just for you, since I know how much you coveted that red jumpsuit.  

May your upcoming year bring you more rich harvest and sweet fruit.  Can't wait until Christmas!  

Photos by Deb Shaw, Corban Shaw, Mary Shaw, Matt Shaw, Lana Shaw and Jada Bowden, in no particular order.