Have you forgotten how to play?

 

 

So....I'm doing this book study at my church called the Good and Beautiful Life.  It's the 2nd in a 3 part book series.  We are learning about how to become followers of Jesus and to fall in love with the God that Jesus knew instead of the one I have created false narratives about in my mind.  At the end of each chapter, the author, James Bryan Smith, asks us to participate in activities he refers to as 'soul training exercises'.  These are activities that allow us to put what we learned in the chapter into action.  For example, one week we needed to sit in silence - try and listen for God's voice...hear what He was telling us. 

 

This past week our soul training exercise was to have fun.  Let me explain.  A false narrative that Christians sometime believe is that we will not be able to experience Heaven until we die or until Jesus comes back again.  Bryan's belief is that Jesus did not exactly preach that, instead Jesus taught that if we are believers we can experience a piece of Heaven here...right now...on earth.  In fact, Jesus spoke of the kingdom of heaven over 100 times during His ministry.  During His time on earth He taught that if we believe in the one true God - He resides in our hearts immediately.  God equals the kingdom of Heaven, therefore we can experience Heaven right now.  The "spiritual exercise that can teach us about living in the kingdom of God" is play.  Bryan continues by saying, "God wants us to be full of joy, and play is a way to experience the goodness of God and the richness of life".  He believes that we as adults have "lost the ability to play". 

 

I tend to agree with that.  Life happens.  Responsibilities become greater necessities than relaxation.  We get busy being responsible adults that we have lost the playfulness of a child.  So, this is my question...what is fun for you?  Greg and I have been married for over 25 years.  I want to be able to still have fun with him!!  But in all honesty, we are VERY different people than when we said 'I do'.  Full disclosure... I don't know what is fun anymore.  I mean don't get me wrong, we enjoy going out...it's not like we're completely boring (unless you ask one of our kids), but I want to learn to do new fun things with him.  We like to go for walks and drives in the country (cue the snores, I know - but it's what we like to do! :)), we like to go to new places to eat and go to the movies.  We like to go to Barnes and Noble and get lost in books for a few hours (wow!  we really know how to have some fun don't we?!?!)  It's just we've done those things for so many years that I'd like some new ideas!!  So please, give me suggestions on what is fun for you to do?  Maybe next time you see us we'll be doing something crazy and FUN!! :) 

 

 

*side note...isn't he the cutest guy you ever did see?!?!  Just love him so!! :)

                                                                                                                                                                            

                                     

 

 

By Faith...Go...Obey

2017... a new year...new beginnings... new callings.  For the past 2 years, I've been enjoying sweet time with God.  He was very clear with His command to "come away and and rest with Me".  So, I've been spending time with Him in ways I never experienced before.  Already this year, His command to me has changed.  He has been telling me "by faith...GO...OBEY".  I see this as my marching orders.  The last 2 years He has been getting my heart ready to share my story.  This year He is wanting me to start writing.  Now, that may sound like a worthy calling, but it's one that scares me.  What if no one wants to read what I write?  What if I'm a horrible writer?  What if I never publish anything?  What will people think of me after they read it?  Then I heard someone say, "it's not about getting published, it's not about what people think, it's about the PROCESS of writing that God wants to teach me things". 

 

So, my goal for this new year is to begin writing my story.  It is going to be 10 years this November since Seth's death.  This is going to be my way of honoring that special anniversary.  This year I'm going to go back.  Back to 2007 to the pain...to the memories...to God's faithfulness...to His fingerprints on my faith.  I'm not kidding myself, it's going to be difficult at times I'm sure; but I am excited to see how He's going to make His presence known to me in new ways.

 

What He does with my story is His prerogative.....I will just, by faith...Go....and Obey.