 |
| Lake Griffin, sunset view from dock back of lodging |
After a 10 hour drive from Chattanooga, TN, I arrived here in Fruitland Park, FL at the Life Enrichment Center for Session #4 of Academy #32.
On the drive down, I always have time for reflection and yesterday had some powerful moments of truth through song, thought, worship, prayer. It was a good preparation time for me.
The word for yesterday was "hospitality". And, when we gathered for worship, Jesus was there waiting on us. It's always good to see Jesus! Oh, I'd better explain in case you've not been reading my Academy posts. I'm referring to the Jesus Doll. Jesus takes on a physical presence. Now, spiritually, Jesus is here too.
Jesus, as host, has been preparing the place for each one of us-- just as Jesus prepared the fish on the shore for the disciples many years ago.
There are things in my own life that I can look at to verify that God has been preparing me for this week and preparing this week for me. I have begun to scale back on some responsibilities to open up time, space, and energy for God. This will also allow me to focus on my health since I'm anemic once again and focus on family and the Academy for the remainder of the Academy time. I look forward to seeing how God weaves Ordination workings into this as well. I will only take one class per semester in Seminary for the next couple of semesters. This will allow my brain to have a break and not read 12 books per 3-4 months.
Basically, I'm in a letting go time again by saying "yes" to God. It wasn't making sense to me at first. But after this morning's session, it started making sense. God was preparing me in advance so that I could and would be more ready to listen while here. Wow!!
So, here I am. Going deeper. Accepting the invitation. Trusting. Allowing that which is being prepared beyond my sight to be prepared without me having to know what it is, yet trusting that it will break through the soil and reveal itself when it is time.
If I were brave enough to go back and read my blogposts, my spiritual journey, I'd probably see a thread woven through them.... one of trusting, going deeper, risking, stepping out in faith, accepting the invitations, saying "yes', etc.
So, this week is already affirming those things for me.
Additionally, the morning topic is on spiritual direction, spiritual guidance. This is an area to which I feel called, as I have expressed. I feel called to be a guide to others through the wilderness. So, it's an area that I want to learn more about in head and heart.
It's great to be able to slow down, to have the silence and solitude time! In fact, I was looking forward to getting over to the Path of Silence this morning during the morning reflection time. My silence and solitude time has not been what I have needed these past several months. I have been out of balance and have had to create and carve moments into my schedule. This week I am blessed with lots of it.... starting yesterday on my drive down! Though that was more solitude, not silence.
I have even seen several alligators this trip already! So that promises to be a fun moment. ☺ I'll be taking pictures of the altars and Jesus and I'll write more later. I just thought I'd take some of my free time to write a brief post today.
 |
| Alligator sighting from Path of Silence |
I am grateful to God for many, many things and am truly blown away by my Creator's weaving things together in my life. Even weaving one of the Faculty members back into my life, Linda Douty, that I had met a couple of years earlier. God is good!
This is just the beginning of who really knows what?!?! Today's word?!?! MYSTERY!
Blessings on your journey!
~Debra
No comments:
Post a Comment