Wordless Wednesday

Singing Bowl

Begin the song exactly where you are,

Remain within the world of which you’re made.

Call nothing common in the earth or air,

Accept it all and let it be for good.

Start with the very breath you breathe in now,

This moment’s pulse, this rhythm in your blood

And listen to it, ringing soft and low.

Stay with the music, words will come in time.

Slow down your breathing. Keep it deep and slow.

Become an open singing-bowl, whose chime

Is richness rising out of emptiness,

And timelessness resounding into time.

And when the heart is full of quietness

Begin the song exactly where you are. 

- Malcolm Guite

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Shout for joy to the Lord, all the earth,
    burst into jubilant song with music;
make music to the Lord with the harp,
    with the harp and the sound of singing.

- Psalm 98:4-5

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One Word

Long before January 1 rolled around I had chosen my one word for the New Year.

The one word I wanted to make mine for 365 days, plus one for the leap year.

The one word that I hoped would become a revolution in my life rather than just a positive thinking, try-hard resolution.

The one word was, and is. . .

Intentional.

Intentional may seem like an odd word, certainly not very spiritual like many friends I know tend to choose, but this word was so strong on my heart and mind as 2015 was waning to a close, I knew it was the change that my life sorely needed. (And oddly enough, my word for 2015 was change)!

I’ve always been the type of person to live life as it comes and not worry too much about tomorrow. It makes me crazy to have more than two events on the calendar in one week. I think this is partly due to the fact that I’ve been working mostly full-time outside the home since I was 18, so those 40 hours make up the majority of my time during the week and if I have too many other things going on I feel like I don’t have enough time to breathe, then suddenly, it’s Monday again.

It’s always worked better for me to just go-with-the-flow rather than fill up every minute of my day and week with things to do. Well, I don’t know if “worked better” would be the right terminology though, since I’ve never really tried it any other way.

As I look back on my life now, however, I see how this way of living has often filled my days with good intentions, but for so many reasons, (not any good ones I might add), through doing things this way I’ve unintentionally let all kinds of things fall through the cracks and it seems, with them have slipped tiny pieces of my heart.

Much too often I intend to send that card, to clean that closet, to pay that bill, to read that book, to be a better friend, wife, mother, worker, co-worker. . .   I’m sure you get the idea, but I fail to follow through and just intend to do it another day.

And thus, I acknowledge with every missing piece of my heart that has fallen through those cracks filled with good intentions, I need to become more intentional.

I knew this was not going to be easy for me and so I prayed, asking God if this should even be my word for this year. I wondered if He might choose a different word for me, one more spiritual perhaps --- like peace, or hope, or grace, but He made it abundantly clear to me that this was indeed to be my word.

Change is hard, but I also know that regrets are harder and in the end, more painful.

So with God’s help, my intent for 2016 is to be more intentional.

I’ve already found this is not going to be easy. I’ve failed many times in just these few weeks of January, but I will not get discouraged. This is what my Father in Heaven wants for me and He knows what is very best for me. He always wants to bless us and grow us in our faith and knowledge of Him.

And when I think of it, I realize that God is so intentional. Everything He does is for a reason, a very good reason!

So I will pray every day that this year He will help me to be more intentional.

It actually is a really good word

and the one He has intended for me.

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Do not conform to the pattern of this world,

but be transformed by the renewing of your mind.

Then you will be able to test and approve

what God’s will is—

His good, pleasing and perfect will.

- Romans 12:2

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Linking this post in a monthly blog circle with some fabulous friends!

The theme we are writing about this month is:  Beginnings.

What kind of new beginnings are you discovering in this first month of a new year?

Please click on the links below to visit each of my friends 

and feel free to leave comments.

Connie at: Live, Love, Laugh, Hope

Marty at: What Marty Sees

Patricia at:  Pollywog Creek

Born Again

It is a wonder…

How new life sleeps silently below the surface, just waiting...

Just waiting for the day when bright rays of sunlight reach deep into the soil to touch the tiny face of each slumbering seed with an awakening kiss.

Something stirs within…

And soon, there’s a twisting and turning and then a breaking through.

Slowly, determinedly, a tiny shoot reaches up through the darkness to a place that’s full of light.

Hope rising.

Just beginning its journey to become what it was always meant be.

Fully alive.

Always reaching up to the Light.

To bring glory to the One who is the very giver of Life.

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And so it is with us, when we wake up from the dark winter of our lives and awaken to new life in Him.

Touched by His Light.

Moved by His Spirit.

Wonderfully  ~  mercifully  ~  born again.

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We were therefore buried with him

through baptism into death in order that,

just as Christ was raised from the dead

through the glory of the Father,

we too may live a new life.

- Romans 6:4

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Mystery In The Manger

Christmas Joy is never-ending

When humble hearts receive

The gift of cradle and the cross

The moment they believe

The Mystery in the manger

Was truly God made known

The eternal gift of heaven

Through the cross of Christ alone

©  Julie Jablonski

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. . .an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said,

“Joseph son of David,

do not be afraid to take Mary home as your wife,

because what is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit.

She will give birth to a son,

and you are to give him the name Jesus,

because he will save his people from their sins.”

- Matthew 1:20-21

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Mary's Son

Silent snow so gently falling

Peace within my spirit calling

Remembrance of a winter night

So long ago, star shining bright

Leading to a manger low

Winds of change began to blow

In heavenly peace, an infant sleeping

Adoring mother, softly weeping

Holding close the Holy Child

Blessed Savior, meek and mild

One day her heart will ponder why

For her sins too, her Son must die

Songs of angels fill the night

Lifting up their praise in flight

Holy, Holy is God of Heaven!

Unto man His Son is given!

Truth that echoes through the years

Transforming hearts, calming fears

Mary's Son, born to be

The Sacrifice to set us free

 ©  Julie Jablonski

Now there were in the same country shepherds living out in the fields, 

keeping watch over their flock by night. 

And behold, an angel of the Lord stood before them, 

and the glory of the Lord shone around them, 

and they were greatly afraid.

Then the angel said to them, 

“Do not be afraid, for behold, I bring you good tidings 

of great joy which will be to all people. 

For there is born to you this day in the city of David 

a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. 

And this will be the sign to you: You will find a Babe 

wrapped in swaddling cloths, lying in a manger.”

And suddenly there was with the angel 

a multitude of the heavenly host 

praising God and saying:

 “Glory to God in the highest,

And on earth peace, goodwill toward men!” 

So it was, when the angels had gone away from them into heaven, 

that the shepherds said to one another, 

“Let us now go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has come to pass, 

which the Lord has made known to us.” 

And they came with haste and found Mary and Joseph, 

and the Babe lying in a manger. 

Now when they had seen Him, they made widely known 

the saying which was told them concerning this Child. 

And all those who heard it marveled 

at those things which were told them by the shepherds. 

But Mary kept all these things and pondered them in her heart.

 - Luke 2:8-19

His Arriving

Christmas is a time that always finds ways to inspire me. 

Often that inspiration comes from witnessing more peace, more love, a little more goodwill toward men in the days of December, and the repeating sound of joy all around us as we walk through the weeks of Advent.

There’s a whisper that comes on the wind gently reminding, “He’s coming.” 

A whisper, that brings a thrill of hope to me and to so many in this tired and weary world.

The hope, joy, and songs of the season can cause many thoughts to whirl around in my heart and mind and sometimes I just feel the need to release them – to piece them together in a way that gives at least a glimpse of the wonder that was stirring deep inside.

Quite a few years ago, I began to think deeply about these words from a favorite Christmas hymn…

“Joy to the world, the Lord is come!

Let earth receive her King.

Let every heart prepare Him room,

and heaven and nature sing."

Can you imagine the wonder of it? Of the earth that God created, receiving her King once again with joy, and then all of heaven and nature singing and rejoicing along with her?  

The thought of it just makes my heart beat a bit faster and sends so many pictures tingling through my mind.

God is such a beautiful mystery! 

The unexpected wonder of Him becoming small, coming to live with us, so that He could die for us, to rise again, and then live within us? 

That is jaw-dropping, heart-stopping, amazing truth, that will for all ages cause men, including me, to fall down on their knees to worship Him and to continue to sing all about the “wonders of His love.” 

There are so many of these wonders we love to sing about at Christmastime and it was the words of the song “Joy to the World”, that were the inspiration for this poem:

With His glorious arriving

On the first Christmas night

The earth must have been glowing

Renewed by His Light

And radiantly beaming

Through the dark midnight mist

So long she’d been waiting

For her face to be kissed

With the light of His Love

As again God came down

Not to Garden of Eden

But to a small town

On this night like no other

She welcomed her King

Every mountain and valley

Lifting voices to sing

Their praises to God

The Almighty Creator

The Light of the World

And the One who had made her

With a joy bursting forth

From the rocks and the trees

And sweet music from heaven

Carried soft in a breeze

Oh so gently – she held Him

As only earth can

So amazed by her God

Who had made Himself man

Coming to save

Men He’d made from her dust

The Savior and King

Immanuel

God with us

©  Julie Jablonski 

   

Joy to the world ~ the Lord has come!

Immanuel ~ God with us!

I’ve written many poems relating to Christmas over the years and I'm hoping to share one here each week during this season of Advent.

If you missed the new short poem I posted last week, you can click here to read: 

Love Child

This week’s post is also part of a monthly blog circle

"Circle of Faith in Words and Image" 

I've had so much fun linking up with this wonderful group of friends and you may have guessed that our theme this month is Christmas. :)

For more Christmas wonder please visit their pages too:

Connie at: Live, Love, Laugh, Hope

Patricia at:  Pollywog Creek

Marty at: What Marty Sees

Love Child

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      Starlight ~

      On a silent night

      Piercing the dark

      Lighting a path

      To where wonder lies

      Sleeping

      Breathing

      Heart-beating love, love, love

      For God so loved

      Extravagantly

      Magnificently

      Loved

      That He gave

      Himself

      Wrapped Himself

      Small enough

      To be held

      To behold 
      His glory

      In the face. . .

      Of a child.              

            © 2015 Julie Jablonski 

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For God so loved the world that he gave

His one and only son, that whoever believes in him

shall not perish but have eternal life.

 - John 3:16

The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us.

We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son,

who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.

 - John 1:14

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Be Still

As we enter into the season of Advent,

This slow walk to Bethlehem where a brilliant star will soon appear over a lowly little manger pointing us to the greatest gift ever given,

I want these words to continue to resonate in my heart:

Be still . . .

Be still . . .

Be still before the LORD and wait patiently for Him.  

(Psalm 37:7)

Beautiful words ~ ancient and true ~ and I pray they will sink in deep --- so very deep.

How I long to be still this year and wait patiently for His coming.

And I will try to be still, but inside my heart there’s an increasing angst as I’m reminded that Christmastime can be so very loud.

The world will constantly tell me to shop, buy, wrap, add lights and bows and garland and tinsel, to bake sweet treats, and make the first 25 days in December sparkle like the prettiest things I can find on Pinterest.

Sadly, it can be a convincing voice, but I hope for this year to be different.

I pray that I will not give ear to this beckoning call to chaos, but will allow the sacred call to stillness to overwhelm me instead.

As I wrestle with this inner struggle, (that I feel guilty about having at all), I’m reminded of the story of Mary and Martha of Bethany, found in Luke chapter 10.

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As Jesus and his disciples were on their way, 

he came to a village where a woman named Martha opened her home to him. 

She had a sister called Mary, who sat at the Lord’s feet listening to what he said. 

But Martha was distracted by all the preparations that had to be made. 

She came to him and asked, “Lord, don’t you care that my sister has left me 

to do the work by myself? Tell her to help me!”

“Martha, Martha,” the Lord answered, 

“you are worried and upset about many things, 

but few things are needed—or indeed only one. 

Mary has chosen what is better, 

and it will not be taken away from her.”

(Luke 10:38-42)

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On this day after Thanksgiving, 

The biggest, craziest shopping day of the year, 

I did choose to be still. 

I did not leave my house at all, but took time to sit in quiet devotion, to read His word and listen to His voice, and I did not worry one bit about all of the preparations.

But this is just one day. 

There are many more days to come before I’ll be singing Silent Night by candlelight at Christmas Eve service, and Christmas morning is sure to arrive as well, when I do plan to have gifts to give my family and a lighted Christmas tree to place those gifts beneath.

Honestly, I know there will be times from now until then when I will be much like Martha, “distracted by all of the preparations”, and surely there will be instances when I’m, “worried and upset about many things”, but I pray I will still find many moments to be like Mary.

To choose the one thing that is needed.

Sitting still at the feet of Jesus and waiting patiently for Him.

For that alone is the one thing that can truly satisfy.

And it will never be taken away.