Lisa notes

My day in December

By LisaNotes December 6, 2013 Life updates 11 Comments

I am reading . . . this free eBook from Desiring God of daily readings for Advent, Good News of Great Joy

Good-News-of-Great-Joy

The “No Vacancy” signs over all the motels in Bethlehem were for your sake. . . . Yes, God could have seen to it that Jesus have a room at his birth. But that would have been a detour off the Calvary road.
– John Piper

I am wondering . . . what speed the news traveled of Jesus’ birth compared to how fast our words travel today (for this December series on Do Not Depart)

Good-tidings-in-modern-times

I am praying . . . about possible knee surgery for Jenna over the Christmas breakallegiant-veronica-roth

I am enjoying . . . Allegiant, the last book in the Divergent trilogy

I feel like myself, strong and weak at once—allowed, at least for a little while, to be both.
– Tris

I am thankful . . . Jeff and I got to watch the Iron Bowl in Auburn last Saturday in the basketball arena for free since we didn’t have tickets for the stadium (and it was AUsome!)

auburn-arena

I am remembering . . . how totally, totally excited everyone was during the last second, ourselves included! We’ll never forget it. Neither will Jenna and her friends.

iron-bowl

[if you don’t see the video, watch here “Auburn Beats Alabama, Everyone Goes Nuts“]

I am looking forward to . . . the SEC Championship football game this Saturday between Auburn and Missouri

I am hearing . . . a beautiful new Christmas song written by one of our worship ministers that we learned in choir this week

I can hear heaven singing
I can hear the angels’ song

I am thinking about . . . attending the Songwriters’ Showcase on Sunday night to hear 12 new songs from 12 people in the worship ministry (amazed that they can do that; reminiscing about good times altering lyrics with a gifted brother)Hiding_Ephesians-1_in_my_heart

I am hoping . . . I’ll pull it together to finish memorizing the last 3 verses in Ephesians 1 this week and next; it’s gotten incredibly hard

I am pondering these words . . .

We tend to forget that our real gift is not so much what we can do, but who we are.
– Henri Nouwen

I am creating . . . the remainder of my Christmas shopping list while failing to mesh it with those words above

A few plans for the weekend . . . a cold Outdoor Church on Saturday morning at Manna House and watching football Saturday afternoon in my warm living room

One of my favorite things . . . an impromptu shopping trip this week with my s-i-l, niece, and great niece to buy our m-i-l’s gift

A picture to share . . . this sweet girl I get to spend time with (who is a much less whiny shopper than me!)

baby-face

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What’s happening in your day today?

The Simple Woman’s Daybook
…where every day is a blank page

The Simple Woman's Daybook

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The Needs of 3 Women

By LisaNotes December 5, 2013 Community, Encouragement, Homeless, My stories, Trust 19 Comments

Jehovah-Jireh

WOMAN # 1
“I just need a sleeping bag.”

That’s what she told me last night. And maybe a cushion of some sort, any kind will do.

I grabbed a sleeping bag from the clothing room and threw a throw pillow into a bag.

     But she needed more.

Her eyes gave it away.

I scooched beside her on the steps and asked permission to pray a blessing over her because she looked like she needed one.

She cried a little more, “Yes. Please.”

I thanked God for our warmer December weather because how cold it must get sleeping in a tent outdoors. I asked him to send provisions to this woman, fresh out of jail, with a broken foot and a more broken life. I praised him for loving her to Manna House tonight so we could love on her a little, too.

Then her man friend walked up, kissed her on the lips, and gathered her stuff. She picked up her cane and followed him out the door to walk back to their camp under the bridge.

I’ll probably never see her again. But the Lord will see.

He knows her needs. And it’s more than a sleeping bag and a cushion.

     And he will provide.

WOMAN # 2
She looked tough on the outside. Dreads. Piercings here and there. A bit of attitude on her face.

But her voice cracked when I asked her what she needed, “Just whatever you have,” she said. “Some tissue, maybe some shampoo . . . ”

She was grateful for the toiletries I handed her, gathered from the donations in the back of Manna House.

     But she needed more.

The hesitation in her voice gave it away when I asked, “So, how are you tonight?”

We hugged and I told her I’m sorry and asked is there something we could pray about?  She said she needed blessings so she could give blessings back out. So with closed eyes and spoken words we sought God’s favor on her life.

She cried a little more and said she needed that. That she needed more strength. Courage. And patience. And I added in “Hope.” We all need hope.

Then she left.

I’ll probably never see her again. But the Lord will see.

He knows her needs. And it’s more than a roll of toilet paper and a bar of soap.

    And he will provide.

WOMAN # 3
She arrived frustrated, tired, whiny. He asked her what she needed, although she didn’t hear his voice to answer. If so, she probably would have just said, “I need my Christmas shopping done and appointments scheduled quicker and less demands on my time.”

     But she needed more.

He poured out his riches on her last night at Manna House. He gave her a homeless woman’s hand to hold in prayer on a staircase. And a broken woman’s shoulder to embrace as they asked him for a better day tomorrow.

She got in her car to go home and cried a little more. “Thank you, Lord!”

He knows my needs. And it’s more than a completed shopping list and a good night’s sleep.

     And he will provide.

For Woman # 1.
And Woman # 2.
And for this Woman # 3.

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What do you need?

Give yourself permission to ask the Lord to meet that need and any deeper need underneath it.

He is Jehovah-Jireh, “the LORD will provide.”

The practice of pronouncing blessings

By LisaNotes December 2, 2013 Spiritual disciplines 25 Comments

All I’m saying is anybody can do this.
Anyone can ask and anyone can bless, whether anyone has authorized you to do it or not.
All I’m saying is that the world needs you to do this, because there is a real shortage of people willing to kneel wherever they are and recognize the holiness holding its sometimes bony, often tender, always life-giving hand above their heads.
That we are able to bless one another at all is evidence that we have been blessed, whether we can remember when or not.
– Barbara Brown Taylor

God-bless-you-sneezeOffering blessings is a spiritual discipline to practice. Maybe all we know so far is to say “God bless you” when someone sneezes.

But as believers, we have so much more to offer.

As we receive our own blessings from God, we then can share them with somebody else.

What happens when we do?

1. We come nearer to the heart of God

When we consciously choose to speak God’s blessings into the lives of our friends, we press in closer to hear His heart so we’ll know what to offer. Listen to His blessings the apostles’ wrote:

May grace and peace be multiplied to you.
1 Peter 1:2

May the God of peace equip you with everything good to do his will.
Hebrews 13:20-21

We can use theirs to create our own blessings based on truths we’ve learned from the Lord:

May the love of the Father awaken you; may the presence of the Son enliven you; may the breath of the Spirit empower you, to hope in His grace and to follow His will today.

2. We exercise our priestly duties

Are we qualified for this? Yes! We are a royal priesthood (1 Peter 2:9), uniquely positioned to remind others of the gifts prepared for them by our good Father (James 1:17).

We’re not called to spectate as others give blessings; we’re called to participate. To bless and be blessed (1 Peter 3:9).

3. We feed a world hungry for God

By deciding to bless others as a spiritual discipline, we become more aware of those around us needing our Savior’s sweet touch.

Who could use a blessing from you this month?

  • A teacher: “May the Lord bless your work as you pour knowledge into the minds of children.”
  • A friend traveling: “May your presence be light and salt in every city you enter.”
  • A troubled sister: “May the Lord grow your peace by leaps and bounds and fill you with strength to endure every trial with hope.”
  • Your child: “May you grow in wisdom and understanding to see God’s love for you through my love for you.”
  • Your parents: “May you be richly replenished throughout your golden years for giving me life and teaching me to love the Lord.”

Say it. Pray it. Write it. Type it.
In person, in a card, in an email, over the phone. Just do it.

Friends don’t let friends live unblessed. Don’t let yours go until you bless them (Genesis 32:26).

The LORD bless you and keep you;
the LORD make his face to shine upon you and be gracious to you;
the LORD lift up his countenance upon you and give you peace.
Numbers 6:24-26

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When have you received a blessing from someone? Who can you bless this month?

A year’s worth of Spiritual Disciplines from Barbara Brown Taylor’s book, An Altar in the World:

revised from Let’s Mean It – “God Bless You!”

On the blog—Nov ‘13

By LisaNotes November 30, 2013 Archives 2 Comments

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My reading list November ’13

By LisaNotes November 26, 2013 Books I Recommend 15 Comments

These are the books I’m currently reading and have just finished from last month. Every 4th Tuesday we share our nightstands.

JUST STARTED

mockingjayMockingjay
by Suzanne Collins

Because we saw Catching Fire this weekend, I’m indulging myself this week with a re-read of Mockingjay (part 3 of The Hunger Games trilogy). I don’t recall it being my favorite book of the three, but I am enjoying it tremendously so far, especially since I have faces from the first two movies to go with the characters this time.

kisses-from-katieKisses from Katie
A Story of Relentless Love and Redemption
by Katie J. Davis and Beth Clark

Finally reading this. I’ve heard so much about this amazing true story of a young lady who left middle-class America to go live in Uganda, and subsequently adopted girl after girl (she’s up to 13 daughters). The book chronicles her path, with many pages taken directly from a journal she kept. Her blog is here.

sitting-at-the-feet-of-rabbi-jesusSitting at the Feet of Rabbi Jesus
How the Jewishness of Jesus Can Transform Your Faith
by Ann Spangler and Lois Tverberg

Since this is my year of One Word 2013: Jesus, this book is a great follow-up to Walking in the Dust of Rabbi Jesus. It takes you back to first-century Israel, seeping you more in the culture that Jesus walked in and ministered to. Consequently, it makes stories in the New Testament more vibrant and meaningful.

Everyday_Prayers_scotty_smithEveryday Prayers
365 Days to a Gospel-Centered Faith
by Scotty Smith

This is a book of 365 short prayers centered around one scripture passage per day. They’re personal from Scotty Smith’s life, but are applicable to anybody. I’ve had this on my Kindle for awhile but decided to do the daily readings/prayings specifically for November and December.

on-becoming-a-writerOn Becoming a Writer
What Every Blogger Needs to Know
by Denise J. Hughes

I haven’t gotten very far yet, but I’ve heard good things about this book. Denise is a writer I’ve been reading for awhile and I know she writes well and with insight. Her book is not just for bloggers, but for anybody who likes to write, whether just for yourself or also for others.

STILL READING

Transforming_GraceTransforming Grace
Living Confidently in God’s Unfailing Love
by Jerry Bridges

Bridges is a master in sharing the beauties and transforming power of grace. All his books that I’ve read have the overriding theme that grace is free–it’s not about our performance or entitlement–but we get to participate in receiving it and walking it out. I’ve been settling into this book for several months now, and I’m getting close to the end. Bridges is not an author I want to rush.

FINISHED FROM LAST MONTH’S NIGHTSTAND

catching-fireCatching Fire
by Suzanne Collins

I just had to re-read this before I saw the movie. Even though a lot of it came back to me as I was re-reading, it was just as good the second time around. And the movie? Loved the adaption! They could have explained a few things more clearly for those who haven’t read the book, but overall it was great. If you’ve seen it, too, what did you think?

the-burgess-boysThe Burgess Boys
by Elizabeth Strout

I admit: it was the name that got me. Being married to a Burgess boy myself, I felt I needed to read this just because. (And also because I’d seen good reviews of it.) I did like it. It was very contemporary, addressing a particular hate crime pertinent to our times. But I’m glad my personal Burgess boy is very different from these . . .

carry-on-warriorCarry On, Warrior
Thoughts on Life Unarmed
by Glennon Doyle Melton

If you don’t already read her Momastery blog, hop over there and get started. She’s brutally honest. And witty. And insightful. Her book is the same way. I was pleasantly surprised to run across it in my public library a few weeks ago and immediately snatched it up and devoured it. Good stuff here.

heres-the-bright-sideHere’s the Bright Side
Of Failure, Fear, Cancer, Divorce, and Other Bum Raps
by Betty Rollin

My sister loaned me this from her personal library since I was focusing on The Practice of Pain last month. This book was a a memoir of sorts from former NBC News correspondent Betty Rollins. She fought more than one round with breast cancer and other adversities in her life, and shares here what helped her keep going. She also sprinkles interesting facts throughout the book on research of how others deal with “bum raps.”

PastrixPastrix
The Cranky, Beautiful Faith of a Sinner & Saint
by Nadia Bolz-Weber

My book review here

This spiritual memoir isn’t for the easily offended. You need to know that up front. But if you can look past the differences, you’ll probably gain as much from this book as I did. I love Nadia’s frankness and her ability to humbly admit that she’s still got serious issues. Don’t we all?

make-a-differenceMake a Difference
Growth in Leadership
by Dr. Larry Little, Melissa Hambrick-Jackson, David Rupert

My book review here

My blogging friend David Rupert at Red Letter Believers edited this leadership book. He did a great job compiling the gathered data from a variety of sources to show how anybody in any occupation can step up their game in being a more effective leader, employee, person. I recommend it whether or not you regard yourself as a “leader” type or not, because everyone does lead at some level.

a-wizard-of-earthseaA Wizard of Earthsea
by Ursula K. Le Guin

I’m not typically into the fantasy genre of fiction, but this was very good. I was slow getting hooked, but the more I read, the better I liked it. It has some great overarching spiritual lessons in it as well. And it was free online, which is always a plus. It’s been around awhile (originally published in 1968). Le Guin wrote more Earthsea novels, but I’ll probably stop while I’m happy with this one.

glorious-ruinGlorious Ruin
How Suffering Sets You Free
by Tullian Tchividjian

This is so worth reading. Here’s a quote: “It may be unintentional, but we make a serious mistake when we reduce the good news to its results, such as patience, sobriety, and compassion, in the lives of those who have heard it. These are beautiful developments, and they should be celebrated. But they should not be confused with the gospel itself. The gospel is not a means to an end, it is an end in itself.”

You'll Get Through ThisYou’ll Get through This
Hope and Help for Your Turbulent Times
by Max Lucado

My book review here

Whatever you’re going through–large or small–this book will help you gain a better perspective on it by giving you hope that God’s got this, he’s got you, and all will be well. Not necessarily easy. But by trusting in his faithfulness in the past, you can feel more confident about his help in your future.

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What’s a good book you are reading or want to read?

Whats-on-Your-Nightstand-at-_5-minut

My books on Goodreads
More nightstands

Thanksgiving volunteers

By LisaNotes November 21, 2013 Encouragement, Homeless 16 Comments

a-charlie-brown-thanksgiving

Around Thanksgiving and Christmas, nursing homes receive more visitors. Soup kitchens get more volunteers. Christmas charities collect more gifts.

And that’s good. All good.

Some people are once-a-year volunteers because that’s all they have time for, or because opportunities are more visible then, or because they desire to help in special ways during those seasons.

All good reasons.

Yet one of the beautiful things about being a once-a-year volunteer is that it can lead to more.

Sometimes dipping a toe into new waters entices you to see if a full swim might be even more fulfilling. Then one thing leads to another, and before you know it, you’ve uncovered a surprising new calling that was never a surprise to God at all.

I’m a toe-dipper. I don’t want to commit to anything until I’ve tried it out first. Sometimes for a long while. I was a Thanksgiving-only helper for several years at a local rescue mission. Then a twice-a-year volunteer at Manna House. But now I believe in the work so much that I want to be there every week.

My only explanation for that desire is the grace of God, not because I’m nice and not because I’m particularly needed. The “good works” I offer the poor each week aren’t that great.

I know God doesn’t need my good works either. Sure, he wants me to help the needy, but not just because they need help—but because I need help, too.

Not only on special holidays. Or twice a year. Or even once a week.

I need God’s help—and God’s heart—every day.

And if caring more about the poor will turn my heart more toward his, then I thank him for that grace.

As we each dip our toes in different things this Thanksgiving season, I’m thankful for new opportunities God might be leading us to, not just on Thanksgiving, or a special holiday, but any day, every day.

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