LIFE CHANGING ENCOUNTERS 31.1.13

Liking today's challenge at  Friday Fives at RevGalBlogPals Self disclosure in sharing 'Encounters' as follows:
* In this week some of us are preaching about a woman who encounters Jesus at the well...
Name 5 encounters in your life  leading to unexpected results.
[They might include learning a new skill,  making a friend, falling in love, discerning a call  or anything around or far off from those ideas.] * The first one coming to mind began as online exploration. 1- Sharing my response to a fascinating website   Visions Alternative Worship in York UK became an invitation to meet the Spiritual curator,  Sue Wallace, and 'encounter' the Alternative Worship   in 'real life'.   *

* Two years later, 2- I was blessed with  [a result of another amazing 'encounter']  an overseas journey to the UK that enabled my real life 'encounter' at Visions York.  I experienced various worship services for a week and participated to the max.   Life-changing. . . This 'encounter' became the seed for a new life direction in ministry and ensuing 'encounters'. Studies and training at home in mission and pioneer ministry,  3- online with the Ridley Hall Cambridge pioneer ministry minister, Dave Male, 4- later to Scotland for the Mission Shaped Ministry C of E course with amazing instructors,   John and Olive Fleming Drane 5- On a weekend intensive in the Highlands I met the founders of the program the course is based on! All were a bonus outcome of one afternoon 'browsing'. Thanks be to God! * Thanks Rev Gals for the challenging post. I've had a great walk down a meaningful memory lane! Interestingly, it's re-lit a fire in my spirit ... *
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Anyone willing to share your life changing encounters  with FHC ? We'd love to hear from You... *

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INSPIRED SUNDAY
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Sharing with Katherine's Thursday Favourite Things 

living centred....

wordless wednesday

or 

wordfilled wednesday?

which option to choose?

i've spent 2 days writing my second submission to Cast magazine.

this time for its summer edition,

so i'm feeling 'worded' out!

reading Ann Voskamp's 'Walk with Him Wednesday'

i recognize how my article reflects my own response to some of her questions.

"How do we give our lives away?

Is that what it means to be centered on Christ,

the God who so loved, He gave?"

as i've previously written and posted,
as Christ followers,
as 'Marys',

our 'doing' results from our 'being'.

who we are in relationship with God through Christ,

having developed a relationship that hears His voice,

that sees from God's perspective.

when we are seeing and hearing

we can then choose, like Jesus, to be about our Father's business.

not filling our page with the scribbles of our own activity,

rather, making the mark God intends for us to make.

a quarter inch stroke?

an intricate celtic cross?

an imperfect circle...

the mark isn't what matters.

the obedience is.

for the one who loves Him obeys Him -

"Then my Father will love them,

and we will come to them

and live in them." Jn 14.23

and when God comes to live love in us

we begin to hear love and we begin to see love.

" He wakens Me morning by morning,

He wakens My ear to hear as a disciple -as one who is taught."

Is 50.4

when our ears are wakened as disciples who are taught

we willingly choose to obey.

out of love. 

on mission with God.

what matters is living in God's love relationship,

responding from a loved and loving heart.
there is no fear in love.
thus, no striving. no need to perform.
no need for it. no room for it. 

Eph. 3.19

[That you may really come] to know

[practically, through experience for yourselves]

the love of Christ, which far surpasses mere knowledge [without experience];

that you may be filled [through all your being]

into all the fullness of God

[may have the richest measure of the divine Presence,

and become a body wholly filled and flooded with God Himself]!

Amplified

here's to a lifetime of Living.
 Loved!...

Cheers!

 

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today's challenge ...

getting back to our missional track, here's another challenge from Len Sweet's 'So Beautiful Study Guide'. 
*Using a concordance, search for passages containing the word "go".  Record your impressions of the importance of being missional. What do you believe you could do personally that would stretch you in this area?
let's grow as Christ's disciples in the world.  In Dr. Sweet's words, "Scram.  Get out of here.
Go BE Jesus."*

thoughts from Henri Nouwen ...

 reflections of Henri Nouwen on God honouring leadership ...
from his book 'In the Name of Jesus'.
The Faith Communities Project.org is a missional project

monday's 'go be Jesus' challenge ...

Go be Jesus challenge:

 

Consider yourself a "missionary for a day". Go about your usual work as if you were a missionary in a foreign land. How would your attitude toward your work be affected? Toward those you come in contact with? 

 

Here's this monday's challenge #3 from Len Sweet's, 'So Beautiful' study guide.  i'd love to hear from you if you're taking the challenges and the responses you're experiencing.  exterior and interior..  blessings!

 

being Jesus ...

50th blog today !  care to join me in a cheer ?  yes, i'm blessed to be this far into something that was such a curiosity and strong impelling.  Bea of Moogaloo webdesigners called me with the simplest approach to blogging and i had my first posterous post in minutes.  WoW!  and now 2 1/2 months and unexpected viewings later i'm still loving the learning.  heart gratitude to God for His amazing understanding of what satisfies this heart, for providing the instructor that would get the job done ;) and for the opp to follow my bliss ...

to begin this new week, i'm wondering if we might take Len Sweet's *So Beautiful Study Guide* challenge to heart by putting it into practice.  is anyone else up for this first one?   i'd love to read your blogged results at week's end or your comments as to what resulted from your efforts ...
Go be Jesus challenge:   Look for opportunities to show mercy this week. Think of what your response will be when asked “why?”

follow the word ...

meaningful worship from my fave,
Maire Brennan [Moya pronunciation] Enya's elder sister ~
BE blessed!