Category: adventures

Advent{ure} Season No. 2

And God said, “Let there be lights in the vault of the sky to separate the day from the night, and let them serve as signs to mark sacred times, and days and years… (Genesis 1:14 NIV)

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My sister, J. Gillian, with her surprise Christmas gift!

At times during this season, I have felt behind schedule. I didn’t decorate my house is one full swoop. I bought presents and wrapped them right up to and including December 24th. I could have berated myself, but a still, small voice, reminded me:

“It’s not too late.”

And my friend, Jody Collins’ voice, gently encouraged me,

“Start small. Start now.”

Earlier this year, Jody Collins announced that she was publishing a book to guide us into the Christmas season. To slow down the rush, to re-calibrate with a different calendar, to observe sacred days with a new sense of wonder. I had the honor of being part of Jody’s launch team, so I read her book early, and it set my inner compass. Her words kept the holiday season from overwhelming me.

A few weeks ago…

I planned to write regular posts during Advent to reflect on this season. To rekindle a sense of adventure in the cold, dark nights of winter was my intent. Instead, I chose to live in the moments. Asking the Creator of the Universe how to celebrate this particular sacred time, over and over, as the days unfolded.

One morning, my sister and I were talking about what kind of things could stave off boredom in our lives. We recalled pursuits that brought us joy.We thought about how play could be incorporated into our lives to push back the blues of winter.

On a cold, wintry day, my friend and I strolled through the Botanical Gardens. We turned off the path into a warming meander through the Climatron. She remembered how her sister had wanted to go to film school. I shared my recent insight, “It’s not too late.” Maybe her sister could still go to film school. We both felt a lift in our spirits, just thinking about the possibility of doing something now, starting small, but not giving up on our dreams.

Some time earlier this year . . .

I believed that I had achieved most of my dreams. I finished my English degree in 2011, and at the same time self-published a little book of devotions. The past several years, my husband and I have traveled on our little boat, a dream come true, a dream we didn’t even know we had until we bought the boat. I imagined our sons growing up, and leading successful lives. And they are living happy, successful and love-filled lives. I often thought about opening a small coffee shop, which hasn’t come to be, but I do have a coffee machine, and a home art studio/classroom. Space where we come together and build community and share our hopes and dreams.

As I pondered these dreams, I had a sinking feeling that I didn’t have any more dreams to fulfill. Then I thought again. A dream for happiness, a dream for love, a dream for sharing life with others, a dream of trying something new, or a dream of rekindling an old love may seem impossible. But as I pondered anew, what it meant to dream, my hopes soared.

This year . . .

I have had the joy of witnessing a handful of friends bring their dream to life. Each one followed a similar path, a path to self-publish a book. And their tenacity and hope, kindled in me a desire to re-publish my little book on createspace.

It’s not too late. Check out these labors of love, and cherished dreams:

Jody Lee Collins (Living the Season Well: Reclaiming Christmas)

Cecelia Lester (Times of Trouble Bring Rays of Joy: Thoughts of God and His Word)

Dawn Paoletta (Journaling for Discovery and Delight: Creative Journal Prompts for Your Journey)

A. R. Stanley (Dandelion Jane: Strawberry Jelly)

And my little dream . . .

Kel Rohlf (Defining Moments: Overflowing with Living Words)

 

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Spiral: Circling Around a Central Point

Silence is praise to you
    Zion-dwelling God,
And also obedience.
    You hear the prayer in it all. (Psalm 65:1 The Message)

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Happy New Year! I love saying that this time of year, because you probably think I can’t read a calendar. But in the realm of the church calendar, it is the greeting to expect. The liturgical year begins with Advent.

We often associate Advent with counting down the days until Christmas. Many novelty and craft stores offer Advent calendars with pockets for notes or miniature doors with chocolate candy behind them. (I used to get the candy ones for our boys. Last year they agreed that they might be a little too old, seeing that they are in their mid-twenties. And they admitted the chocolates weren’t that tasty.) So we put a tradition to rest.

As a family, each year our Advent observances would vary. We had a wreath with the traditional purple, pink and white candles. One year, I bought a wrought iron candelabra for our Advent centerpiece. And a couple years ago, I spied this wooden spiral wreath crafted by a young man in Canada,which I would have purchased, except my husband thought he could replicate it. I agreed to give him the pleasure of crafting one for our family.

I don’t know why, but the spiral design intrigues me. It evokes movement. The spiral reminds me of a path that leads me along on a journey. A journey that looks like shepherds, flocks, angels and kings and a holy family. A holy family that invites me to take the pilgrimage to the interior landscape of my soul.

My soul being the place that longs for connections. Connections that intertwine present day expectations with memories of the past. The past cries out for me to hope into the future. Life can spiral out of control, yet the spiral circles around  to the central point.

The central point being: What will I center my Christmas desires around this year? Will I embrace the silence or scramble to recreate outgrown traditions? Will I rush to make rash judgments about others or will I walk in joyful obedience to love others? Will I see both silence and obedience as forms of prayer?  To be honest I will weave in and out of these questions on a daily basis.

The spiral reminds me that I don’t have to waver, there is a path that leads to joy-filled days. (See Psalm 16:11) The spiral reminds me that God’s grace surrounds me every moment, clearing away the debris of sin and ushering in His mercy and peace and forgiveness.

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How does your life spiral these days: frantically veering out of control or joyfully twirling in the presence of God? What connections are you making with the past, present and future as we behold the coming of the King?

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Quests and ADVENT{ures}

He has shown you, O mortal, what is good.
And what does the Lord require of you?
To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God. (Micah 6:8 NIV)

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Each year as Advent approaches, I’ve come to expect some adventure with GOD. Will this be the year that Jesus comes again? Will my heart be in tune? Will I be attentive to His voice? Where will I spend Advent?

For ages, people have been asking all kinds of questions. And those seeking spiritual fulfillment, may be asking does God really care about me? Why all this fuss about a baby born in a manger? What does this mean for me?

If we search our hearts long enough, we realize we’re not always good. We make poor choices. We harbor resentment. We want to lash out at those who have hurt us and excuse our own hurtful ways.

And if we are honest, we want things to be made right. We might start asking:

What does God require of me?

As we enter the season of reflecting on why the baby was born, may the answer of the prophet Micah lead us to the one who acted justly, loved mercy and walked humbly with God.

Who was that you may ask?

That would be the grown-up Son of God: Jesus, Emmanuel, the one Sent to save us from our un-goodness.

I believe with all my heart that God loves ADVENT{ure}! And I hope you will join me, as I journey this December with questions and the retelling of the first advent of Jesus into our world.

(The posts this month will be regular, but not necessarily daily. My husband and are enjoying the great opportunity to be traveling by boat to Florida with our dog, Kokomo,  while we expirement with living on Intuition.)

What questions do you have about Jesus?

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Merry Christmas

Because of and through the heart of tender mercy and loving-kindness of our God, a Light from on high will dawn upon us and visit [us].

To shine upon and give light to those who sit in darkness and in the shadow of death, to direct and guide our feet in a straight line into the way of peace. (Luke 1:78-79 AMP)

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Mighty
Eternal
Redeemer and
Restorer of our
Yearning Hearts–

Come again;
Hear our cry.
Renew our spirits;
Inspire devotion.
Send your heavenly dove
To fill our hearts, souls and
Minds with
A fresh and deep
Sanctifying dose of your LOVE!

Posted on by kelrohlf 4

Unseen

Advent{ures}: Let’s Go to Bethlehem

Jesus said to him, “Have you believed because you have seen me? Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.” (John 20:29 ESV)


On this evening we remember our dear Savior’s birth. With candlelight, carols and children’s pageants, we turn our hearts back in time to a dark night in the little town of Bethlehem.

Tonight, in the simple sanctuary, we sang carols, repeated the sounding joy and read the Nicene creed together after watching the children playing angels, shepherds and the holy family as encounted by an Irish girl named Brigid.

Many centuries after Christ’s birth,Brigid was a shepherdess, so legend claims, who had a vision of herself in Bethlehem. She was working for the famed innkeeper who had no room. She offered her tattered blue cloak to comfort the shivering mother and child. When she awakens her cloak has been transformed into a new cloak, deep blue decorated with a myriad of golden stars.

A simple fable, but a moving story of a young girl who longs to be a part of the story, the pageantry of the nativity.

The opening lines of the Nicene creed moved me to tears tonight:

“We believe in one God, the Father, the Almighty, maker of heaven and earth, of all that is, seen and unseen…”

The unseen beckons. I try to imagine what I have never known. I want to see what human eyes cannot. I long to hear the voices of a thousand angels. I desire a heart that perceives the deeper truths of grace and mercy in fresh ways.

If the unseen God sees me, I am ruined. Yet He does see me, and He loves me still.

And like the child Brigid, I thank God for keeping me safe from the wolves of this world. And like humble Mary and faithful Joseph, I wait for the unseen One to burst into my life. And I will ponder and treasure this wonderment that God, the maker of all, made his way into our world wrapped up in the form of a human baby.

May the last two verses of the familiar anthem of the little town, be our lullaby tonight:

Where children pure and happy pray to the blessèd Child,
Where misery cries out to Thee, Son of the mother mild;
Where charity stands watching and faith holds wide the door,
The dark night wakes, the glory breaks, and Christmas comes once more.

O holy Child of Bethlehem, descend to us, we pray;
Cast out our sin, and enter in, be born in us today.
We hear the Christmas angels the great glad tidings tell;
O come to us, abide with us, our Lord Emmanuel!

(O Little Town of Bethlehem! words by Phillip Brooks)

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