Prayer: Finding Your Voice in the Psalms ~ Elizabeth j Canham Author

Preparing my reading for Sunday,

final day of the Bout of Books Read-a-Thon.

I have entirely enjoyed the motivation to choose reading

over lesser activities when I had the choice

and the outcome has proven itself

in this being my 10th book in 6 days

[plus having reviewed most as well as having read!]

Here's my first book choice for today ~

Finding Your VOice in the Psalms:
An Invitation to Honest Prayer

- by Elizabeth J Canham author

Released April 1st 2013 

Published by Upper Room Books who introduce us to the book:

"Discover the beauty and power of the Psalms as you 

* hear God's word in stillness and silence 

* find stability in God's faithfulness 

* deal with disappointment, anger, and pain 

* rest in God's grace 

* celebrate creation 

* discover the holy in the ordinary 

* experience joy and learn to praise God"

Canham describes her reason for writing this book:
"I want to share my delight in the Psalms and offer models for praying with them.
I write for all the heart-hungry people of God
who must live and pray in the midst of very busy lives."

From the Goodreads intro,

"This book will help readers bring all of their emotions to God, 

including joy, anger, desperation, and yearning for God. 

A Leader's Guide is included."

Sounds like a great read to share with FHC blog readers.

I'll be back to add my thoughts once I've completed it.
Here they are...

I loved this book by Dr Canham.  Personable and practical.
It makes the Psalms available and applicable ...

The Psalms are ancient Hebrew prayers addressing our
experiences in life even today.
Heartfelt responses of joy, sorrow, lament, praise,
they encourage free expression by example set.
Music, dance, movement, all are part of worshipping God.
In reading another's open heart toward God,
we discover God's open heart is turned toward us.

Dr. Canham models praying with the Psalms
 including the silent pause that begins the reading
and ends each line,
making room for hearing the Voice of Holy Spirit
and dwelling in God's nurturing Presence.
Moving from our own voice - allowing for God's transformative work.

Lectio Divina is beautifully outlined and explained
for readers instruction and use.
A process for creating our own Psalm in response to our life's
hope, joy, need, gratitude, desire, loss, injustice, grief...
 either individually or in a group, is also described.

Written with insights gained whilst living
 in a Benedictine monastery,
accessible writing style for instruction and understanding,
it is an invitation to intentional living in awareness, present to God.
Moving counter-culturally from constant restless 'doing' to rest -
to 'being' - still -  living at rest.
Ps 116.7  'Return, O my soul, to your rest'
the place of restoration - the still waters and pastures where
'He restores my soul' Psalm 23.3

'Finding Your Voice in the Psalms: An Invitation to Honest Prayer'
is an invitation worth accepting.
Highly recommended!

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*Thank you to Upper Room Books for the opportunity to read and review
'Finding Your Voice in the Psalms' without obligation.

Prayer, Wonder, Transformation #LiveWonderstruck

When we choose to faithfully pray for wonder, we can’t remain the same.

A challenge from Margaret Feinberg, author of
Wonderstruck: Awaken to the Nearness of God

A prayer for wonder invites God to begin transforming us from the inside out.[Tweet this]

When we pray for wonder and live eyes wide open to wonder,
the tone and tenacity with which we live our lives changes.
We become expectant to catch glimpses of God in ways we’ve never seen Him before.
We begin dismissing mere chance and embracing divine appointments.

Some people live as if they’re looking for Satan under every bush.

I’ve always thought:
Why spend time looking for an enemy
when you could live your life in hot pursuit of the Savior? [Tweet this]

Praying for wonder invites you to turn your eyes on God.
A prayer for wonder invites you to look for God under, in, and behind every bush. [Tweet this]

A prayer for wonder puts you on high alert for God and His handiwork
and join to God in the great plan of redemption He’s unfolding
throughout the earth. [Tweet this]

The truth is, praying for wonder will change you. Forever.
And that’s a good thing.

Join me in praying for wonder today - praying that God will transform us. Praying that we will experience and find God in all we do, everyday! 

Praying God's intended blessings on you as you pray !

{and #livewonderstruck}

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LInked with more inspy at Pamela's Sheltering Tree 

The Lord's Prayer : Transformative #liveWonderstruck

Another opportunity to #LiveWonderstruck
from author, Margaret Feinberg:

Not only does God give us a voice, 

He invites us to use our voices with Him anytime, anywhere. 

Through prayer we are given access to approach 

the One who holds all things together—

a breathtaking invitation, indeed. [Tweet this]

When asked how to pray, Jesus provided a specific prayer as a model
known as The Lord’s Prayer. 

Set three alarms throughout the day. Consider 9AM, 3 PM, and 6 PM. 

When each one goes off, pray the Lord’s prayer aloud. 

Each time you recite, write down what changes you can make in your prayer life 

to more replicate Jesus’ prayer life.

“Our Father in heaven,

hallowed be your name,

your kingdom come,

your will be done,

on earth as it is in heaven.

Give us today our daily bread.

And forgive us our debts,

as we also have forgiven our debtors.

And lead us not into temptation,

but deliver us from the evil one.” –Matthew 6:9-13

Wonder Challenge: 

Share the Lord’s prayer with others throughout the day 

on Facebook, Twitter,  Instagram using the hashtag #LIVEWONDERSTRUCK.

Example: Your kingdom come, Your will be done. #LIVEWONDERSTRUCK

See MORE at my #LiveWonderstruck Pinterest board 

We get a glimpse into the prayer life of Jesus throughout the Gospels. 

Download a free copy of the Wonderstruck by the Prayers of Jesus eBook, here.

- See more at: Margaret Feinberg's site


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Joining Michelle DeRusha at

Hear it on Sunday Use it on Monday

Angie's Knick of Time Sondays

Your Transformative 'Word' for 2013 ?

Have you discovered your Word for 2013 ?

In ancient times, wise men and women fled out into the desert to find a place where they could be fully present to God and to their own inner struggles at work within them. The desert became a place to enter into the refiner's fire and be stripped down to one's holy essence. The desert was a threshold place where you emerged different than when you entered.

Many people followed these ammas and abbas, seeking their wisdom and guidance for a meaningful life. One tradition was to ask for a word –  this word or phrase would be something on which to ponder for many days, weeks, months, sometimes a whole lifetime. This practice is connected to lectio divina, where we approach the sacred texts with the same request – "give me a word" we ask – something to nourish me, challenge me, a word I can wrestle with and grow into.  The word which chooses us has the potential to transform us.

• What is your word for the year ahead? A word which contains within it a seed of invitation to cross a new threshold in your life?

A free 12-day online mini-retreat to help your word choose you. . .

This year  Christine of Abbey of the Arts is offering all Abbey newsletter subscribers a gift: a free 12-day online mini-retreat with a suggested practice for each day to help your word choose you and to deepen into your word once it has found you.

Sign up here and you can start your mini-retreat today. Once you subscribe you will receive a confirmation email with access to the mini-retreat content
(and you are free to unsubscribe at any time). 

Subscribe to the Abbey newsletter for your free gift.
Share the love with others ~ invite them to join us and participate... 

When you subscribe to regular Abbey soul nourishment, you join more than 5000 others and receive regular reflections on the integration of contemplative practice, creative expression, and the wisdom of the seasons straight to your in-box, as well as updates about new Abbey offerings.

When you subscribe to the newsletter you will have an opportunity to participate in a free 7 day e-course in transformative living through contemplative and expressive arts.  It is Christine's gift to you as a way of saying thank you for visiting the Abbey of the Arts. 

Sharing the 'Current' of Life with Sarah Macintosh

Wonderful !

Glad you're here with me today !

A long time since we've shared a musical moment together..

 I've received a newsletter with clips of 

Sarah Macintosh's

latest cd, 'Current'.

In her own words, 

"It’s a current of thoughts, 

drum beats, guitar strums, melodies, vocals 

all swirling together 

in an attempt to capture 

the towering highs and plummeting lows of life. "

I'm sharing the title cut as I find it so seamlessly conveys this sentiment ~

Here's the stunning vocal intricacy of Sarah for your EnJoyment ~

" Just waiting to share about my great God, 

how he’s revealing himself to me, 

what he’s done for me, 

and what he promises to continue to do."

~ Sarah Macintosh





More Music Shared
at Amy's 




* Quick Reminder of 
Digital Worship CD 'My Foundation'
 Giveaway Here

Open Int'l ~ Ending 6/26

 

what are we thinking?

how are we approaching our lives?
passively or intentionally?
what are we thinking?...

 

Pentecost glory ...

Jason Upton's inspired call for
Holy Spirit wind to blow
glory and honour fall
Holy Father rest in this place....

celebrating  Pentecost
Acts 2. 1-41 + Joel 2.28-29

stepping into our identity...

do we know who we are in God's eyes?

here's Graham Cooke's inspiring and inspiriting
thoughts on stepping into our truest identity ~

from God's perspective...

be inspired with
 many more of Graham's resources
from Brilliant Book House

hope that inspirits ...

i am seriously loving my Theology of Worship course. 

so much so, i'm sharing a bit of it with you today. 

if you have a cuppa in hand,

here's something to munch on from today's readings. 

Dan Wilt's ebook *Stumbling into Mystery*.

"Shalom - the Hebrew word that we translate as “peace,” is a theological term packed with meaning. For worship leaders, artists and creative influencers in a postmodern world, it would serve us well as we narrate the Kingdom story to have a grasp on this term. Shalom speaks of a holistic peace, peace that goes far beyond feelings, or just the absence of war or pain. The peace that the Bible calls us to sing about, to put into words and poetry and songs and images, is the peace that is coming with the world completely put to rights.
In the beginning, we had shalom with God, with our environment, and with one another. We had healthy partnership between the sexes. We had meaningful vocation (callings) and work to which we could give ourselves. We enjoyed peace and connection with nature and the rest of creation all
around us..." 


but things changed when sin entered.  small word, big impact... 


"The players change across history, but the reasons for our internal battles do not. We want something, James says, but don’t get it – and so we fight one another to receive what only God can give..."


thankfully, we don't stop here.


"Shalom is entering the world through the Spirit of God, through the way opened by Christ, and we as his followers are participating in that bringing of wholeness to the world. Empowered by the Spirit of God, we bring peace to the situations that God has given us to influence. Peace of mind, peace of heart, peace of circumstance, peace of government, peace of society, peace of relationships – in all of these arenas we are Christ’s ambassadors." 


isn't that an awesome line of thinking to follow?


"As Christ’s ambassadors, every act of forgiveness, reconciliation and hope-giving is now a new creation act – an act of shalom-making, or peace-making. We anticipate the age to come every time we make a choice to act in love, in shalom peace, and not in hatred or bitterness. We welcome and exemplify the age to come every time we as a community gather around one of us who is weak and broken. We bear the age to come every time we participate in bringing beauty into the world, whether it be in a church building or on a pub stage. We participate in acts of the new creation to come when we pray for the sick, care for the poor, pick up the fallen, confront social powers that
dehumanize people, and on and on and on."


what amazing opps we have all around us to be bearer's of shalom - God's shalom.  bringers of hope - the hope with roots. roots that go down deep into the soil of God's love.  hope that inspirits.

let's take every opp available to us today to BE who we're called and created to be. 

blessings on your BEING and the DOING that will result...

talk vs walk ...

today offers a new challenge from our study of Len Sweet's *So Beautiful Study Guide*. thx for sharing your experiences with me and when you're ready, with other readers. it's an open door to inspirit one another and share the journey of faith... thx for stepping through that door! God bless you in it ...
Questions from *So Beautiful Study Guide*:

Scripture: James 1:22-25

1. "Doing the gospel is primary speech,
     talking about the gospel is secondary speech."
     Why is it easier for most of us to "talk" than to "do"?

may we walk this day in the enablement God provides through the power and presence of Holy Spirit..

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."*

curiosity ...

Becky Tirabassi's theme for this year has been called 'Give Yourself the Gift of Change'.  i'm loving her challenges today so they're re-posted below.  during my first trip to the uk, the results of a study on the length of life were released, revealing that 'curiosity' was a life lengthener.  having an attitude of interest and desire for learning actually added years to life!  this post offers some great sparks to light curiosity in your own life or pass along to include your friends in the fun!  you may just have them around with you when you're still having fun at 90! ...
*We all need help to be a better parent, eat better, be more efficient with our time, or grow in knowledge or skills. 
My challenge to you this week is to BE INQUISITIVE with someone whom you already consider successful in a specific field or area.  Here are a few suggestions of people who could give you a little good advice:
(1) A woman who has raised great children.  Ask her how she parented her kids during seasons of busyness in her own life.  Does she have one great bit of advice to give you for raising a child in this crazy culture?
(2) A married couple (of at least 3 years) whose relationship you admire.  What is one secret they have found that has kept them close to each other?
(3) A traveling friend who has somehow avoided the yo-yo weight-loss-and-gain routine.  What type of exercises does he or she do while out on the road? 
(4) A wonderful cook!  What is one recipe he or she would share with you?
(5) A person who exhibits excellent time-management.  What is one secret they would share with you?
Ask for just ONE TIP that has made them successful (so you don't exhaust them)--unless they want to keep on sharing!   Then modify their ideas to fit your life!

Give yourself the gift of change by being inquisitive!* 

Be encouraged by Becky or at her blog
 Little Changes Big Results™

gratitude ...

from the gratitude community at holy experience, Ann Voskamp has offered an invitation to a transformative life opportunity i'd like to share with you ~  it begins with developing a thankful heart, an attitude of gratitude.  then making the time to acknowledge our appreciation for what comes to mind.  i'm taking time sundays as the day to record.  it's inspiring wonderful contemplation that increases my worship of the Giver of all Good and Perfect Gifts.  as i reflect upon each gift, my worship increases.  it brings me to deeper revelation and relational intimacy.   use whatever day works for you.  get a unique notebook, start a new blog page, a flexible binder now that school supplies are everywhere, or ?  be creative.  this is your gratitude expressed to your Creator.  let's see what we notice of all the grace and goodness given.

i found Ann's quote from John Milton restated Faith Hope & Cherrytea's life statement so beautifully. * "Gratitude bestows reverence, allowing us to encounter everyday epiphanies, those transcendent moments of awe that change forever how we experience life and the world."
People who kept a gratitude journal reported feeling more joyful, enthusiastic, interested, attentive, energetic, excited, determined, and strong than those in the hassles condition. They also reported offering others more emotional support or help with a personal problem— supporting the notion that gratitude motivates people to do good.*

ready to begin? ...

*1. Pray that He may open the eyes of our hearts
2. Begin giving thanks for the daily washing in His fountain of Gifts--just on a scrap piece of paper or in a journal. Notice and write down from the obvious to little. And begin to feel more joy, less stress, better health, more connected in your relationships, and more delight in your everyday life. Praise is what we are made for!
3. I found setting a time goal of choosing to give thanks for a 1000 gifts over a course of a few months was beneficial --- kept me attending to all the ways in which He whispers "I love you." Some folks set a goal of counting ten graces a day, others spend one day a week intensely counting. But consider youself warned: counting gifts is addictive and becomes the happiest of habits that becomes a way of living praise!
4. I try to add to the endless list of gifts every Monday... to begin the week with a heart spilling with gratitude!*
5. If you'd like to add your blog to Ann's gratitude community blog list, she offers you the use of the 1000 Gifts graphic (see above)*

and ...
   if you are participating, would you take the moment to comment and let me know?  then grab a cup on me and add it to your blog post or page.  this will link us together and others interested, to join the pursuit of goodness and grace.  i am starting a new page, 'goodness & grace', to record my thanks and will look forward to hearing of your beginnings.  there is no obligation as to how many goodnesses you record or expected time limit to record them. this is about process and growth. depth. about transformation. more will be gained by meditating on what H Sp reveals than just crunching a gratitude grocery list.  peace be with you as you deepen your intimacy of relationship with your Friend of Friends...

let's celebrate this transformative step together!
and let's inspire and inspirit each other as we grow in faith, hope and cherrytea ~

here's an opp to link us with your goodness and grace post or page  ~

contemplative creative living ...

Abbey of the Arts
Transformative living through
contemplative & expressive arts

 
this invitation to intentional life choices from Christine [Abbey of the Arts], resonated with me and wondered if it would include you as well.  are these commitments you've already made?   or are they challenging you to it? 

Monk: from the Greek monachos meaning single or solitary, a monk in the world does not live apart but immersed in the everyday with a single-hearted and undivided presence, always striving for greater wholeness and integrity
 Manifesto: from the Latin for clear, means a public declaration of principles and intentions.
Monk Manifesto: A public expression of your commitment to live a compassionate, contemplative, and creative life.
1. I commit to finding moments each day for silence and solitude, to make space for another voice to be heard, and to resist a culture of noise and constant stimulation.
 2. I commit to radical acts of hospitality by welcoming the stranger both without and within. I recognize that when I make space inside my heart for the unclaimed parts of myself, I cultivate compassion and the ability to accept those places in others.
 3. I commit to cultivating community by finding kindred spirits along the path, soul friends with whom I can share my deepest longings, and mentors who can offer guidance and wisdom for the journey.
 4. I commit to cultivating awareness of my kinship with creation and a healthy asceticism by discerning my use of energy and things, letting go of what does not help nature to flourish.
 5. I commit to bringing myself fully present to the work I do, whether paid or unpaid, holding a heart of gratitude for the ability to express my gifts in the world in meaningful ways.
 6. I commit to rhythms of rest and renewal through the regular practice of Sabbath and resist a culture of busyness that measures my worth by what I do.
 7. I commit to a lifetime of ongoing conversion and transformation, recognizing that I am always on a journey with both gifts and limitations.

the second point is particularly reminiscent of Henri Nouwen's book, 'Reaching Out', which has deep insight regarding hospitality.  i'd love to hear your responses if you too were impacted by Henri's book and certainly your thoughts on the monk manifesto.  thanks!