Life Journey Series, Introduction

Introduction to Life Journey Series.

They say, misery loves company.

There’s some truth to that. People like to commiserate about whatever bothers them or is not quite to their liking. Negativity, though, may stem from submerged anger and such. To escape such thinking is something akin to taking a refresh ‘pill.’ Healing takes a whole lot of dealing with your yucky stuff. But it can be done. Troubles can relate to unpleasant past experiences in our personal history.

Word curses, abuses received, improper behavior directed at us, bullies’ aggressive attacks, wrong-minded thinking of our own perceived worthless ‘less than,’ ‘not good enough,’ or  ‘you fill in the blank’ harmful beliefs about self. These can cause a lot of emotional damage. We may be scarred in our own self-perceptions by their residual damage. It is kind of like we’ve taken a soul-hit. Damage to our emotions, the end result of harsh treatment, plague so many.

What can we do?

Why does it matter? It’s this simple and this complex. You matter and God matters. The two blend together in one amazing, interwoven, elegant tapestry of God. God likes to make masterpieces, and we get to be a part of His craftsmanship. We show up and God shows us where our unique path to spiritual life leads. Lived in the fullest, the journey will prove to be an unconventional one. No two spiritual journeys are the same, nor should they be. Here is the secret to your life journey: God.

Where it started.

A year ago I gave myself a task to compile a list made up of topics related to my life where God has touched me and transformed me. These items quickly flowed from my mind to pen and paper. The list showed itself to be rich in substance, both positives and negatives, praises and challenges: Whether hard or easy, spiritual or secular, each one was used by God to minister truth to me.

Fast and furious I wrote about these areas, topic by topic, during every spare minute. The midnight oil burned more nights than not. Emotional pain to spiritual freedom, the subjects chronicled a journey of pain to joy.

A month later I stopped.  Life got complicated. I got distracted. And there it sat, partially finished.

Then I took it up again and titled it, Life Journey. Every subject in this blog set relates to the challenges and joys of spiritual living in the daily grind. The cool part is that for every hardship there is a corresponding blessing often seen as a lesson learned.

  • Pain teaches us endurance.
  • Life teaches us universal truths.
  • Confession teaches us humility.
  • Suffering teaches us acceptance.
  • Sorrow teaches us compassion.

I am giving out of what I have been given over the years as if you were seated across from me at Starbucks and we were discussing the said topic.

  • I believe Christ is the answer.
  • I believe God loves us, and He has a vested interest in all aspects of our being.
  • I believe God is in the miracle business, and we are the miracle.

Please, won’t you join me? Take the journey with me.

God Bless You,

Norma

LIFE JOURNEY HOME PAGE

INSTALLMENT 1  EMOTIONAL PAIN

 

Becoming Real in Your Spiritual Life (1)

Spiritual life is developed over time and cannot be rushed. Persistence and obedience are important facets of spiritual growth. Those who have not nurtured spiritual living will begin at a different place than the more defined Christian believer. Even they will find there are levels of secret sins such as attitude and arrogance of which they are unaware until God brings it to their attention during the meditation process.

Spiritual awareness often starts with a prayer like “Show me what is in my heart?” God then begins a process of revealing what is in your heart. It may take minutes or it may take days. It takes a cultivated sensitivity to the Spirit to discern these things as they unfold from God to you.

The outcome is also dependent on your willingness to “go there” with God. Emotions can limit or defeat the progress and stoicism and stubbornness can block access to the hidden truths of spiritual living. It truly is up to you how long and how far this will go. You must keep close to God in order to gain spiritual benefit in you time alone with God.

Like a seamstress—who buys the material, pattern, and supplies; cuts the fabric according to the pattern; sews the dress by following the instructions; and then wears her lovely creation—you are being given a pattern for creating your own quiet alone time with God. The materials are up to you, but they should fall within certain guidelines.

Once you begin to spend consistent time alone with God in meaningful meditation and worship, you will begin to “wear” your creation. Other people will observe the beauty of it, and they will be curious. The truth is, you cannot meet with God and remain unchanged. Not possible. And that’s the beauty of it.

An excerpt from Silent Sacred Space