Tag: quest

Vision Quests & Random Journal Day

Walk with me and work with me—watch how I do it. Learn the unforced rhythms of grace. I won’t lay anything heavy or ill-fitting on you. Keep company with me and you’ll learn to live freely and lightly. (Matthew 11:29-30 The Message)

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Where did this year go? Where have I been? On a detour, and I must admit, I’ve been sort of lost. But thankfully detours eventually return us to the main road that leads to our destination.

A few years ago, I wrote a mission statement with six simple words: “Follow Jesus, generate ideas and write words.” When I feel lost, I return to these statements.

I want everything I do to honor Jesus, to be wrought out of love for Him. He has gifted me with a very active mind and LOTS of ideas. Writing is the main way that I process life and all those ideas.

Recently, I tried substitute teaching. My idea of how to make some extra cash to pay off some debt. It was hard work. It was valuable work. But it was not the work for me.

So I “resigned” and came back home. I returned to generating ideas and taking time for my creative pursuits. (Many of these ideas are flowing out of the work, I call souldare. Stay tuned for new workshops, new events and an etsy shop with journals made from re-purposed book covers and colorful papers!)

I’ve spent the past few weeks in my own journal, processing the perennial question: What’s next?

Journaling helped me to return to the vision of making time and space to encourage others to discover their created selves. I remembered that I work best in a collaborative environment. I realized that I enjoy students who delight in learning new things and making personal discoveries that lead to joy-filled lives.

Recently, I enjoyed the opportunity to partner with my dear friend and journaling revolutionary, Lynn Morrissey, for a day retreat. Through writing exercises and collage work, the Lord Jesus rekindled our passion for Him.

One of the exercises was to write “alpha poems” using the words, “my turnaround.” Here’s my offering from that day:

Mysterious,
Yet not so mysterious, how

Time after time, I neglect to
Understand that Your
Right path for me
Never leads me
Away from You, but
Right back to Your
Open heart, full of
Unfailing love.
Now again this
Day I return to YOU!

Linking with the Random Journal Day-ers!

What’s next for you? How is your vision quest going?

 

 

Posted on by kelrohlf 2

Back to Questions

When the cool evening breezes were blowing, the man and his wife heard the Lord God walking about in the garden. So they hid from the Lord God among the trees. Then the Lord God called to the man, “Where are you?” (Genesis 3:8-9)

 

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Last week, when I was mulling over the question of a theme for November, I landed on a quest of questions. My mind inquired, “What is the first question in Scriptures?”

I immediately thought of God asking Adam, “Where are you?” And this was the first question God ever asked of man. And I think He continues to ask the same question today:

Where are you?

 

A simple, three word question which can be translated in various ways:

Am I drifting? Am I hiding? Am I sheltered? Am I wandering? Am I lost? Am I found? Am I near? Am I afraid? Am I secure? Am I home?

Just a simple question. Will I answer?

 

How about you? How will you answer God’s first question?

 

Posted on by kelrohlf 4

Question: A Matter That Is Being Discussed

Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. (Matthew 7:7 ESV)

 

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After a month of meeting with God through collage, Scriptures and gleanings from Brother Lawrence, it was hard to leave the practice behind.

Then I thought, why should I leave the practice of using collage and Scripture to dialogue with God? Why not keep the conversation open? After all, isn’t that what Brother Lawrence encouraged us to do? Practice the presence of God, in whatever circumstance we find ourselves.

November arrived on a Saturday, filled with expectation and a quest. My dear friend, Tracy Flori and I had spent months, days and hours dreaming and planning a day retreat for women. She offered an interactive seminar on “What is in a Question?: A Learner’s Quest,” leading us to ask productive questions in order to build and sustain healthy relationships.

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“What makes you BLOOM?”

It was a God drenched day. Drenched with sunshine, great dialogue, new insights and the chaos of a roomful of women conversing and creating. I led the women in making mini-journals, and asked them to respond to this question: “What do you WANT?” They wrote their answers on the piece of paper that would become their journal. We used collage techniques for a fun little reminder of the day.

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As I was thinking about a topic for my November posts, I thought I might do some early reflections on Advent. But then, I came across this question in a magazine, which I added to a collage that I was designing, and a new direction emerged.

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I took this question two ways. And both ways would be great prompts for a journal prayer to God.

1) “Do you have questions for ME?” (God is asking me, if I have any questions for Him.)
 
or the more courageous way . . .
 
2) Do YOU have questions for me? (I am asking God, if He has any questions for me.)
 

Which direction will you take with this question?

Won’t you join me this month for a quest? A quest of questions. A discussion of things that matter. A dialogue with each other and our Creator. (And maybe even some more collage fun!)

Posted on by kelrohlf 8