Abundance

By Jeannette Doran

In summer we rejoice in the abundance.

We take time to enjoy all that our God has so graciously

given in the fruit of our labors. As our hearts are filled we

share out of plenty. Gifting others with our overflow of

tomatoes, cucumbers and other garden fruit.

We give from our spiritual bounty as well our material

profusion. How true it is that as we give to others we always

seem to be left with a sufficient amount. We find that not

only are our needs fulfilled but our desires are often satisfied

as well. With the virtue of gift giving the reality becomes

that the more we give the more we actually do

receive. As we learn to trust more and not save for the

future want God will provide for all our needs and even our

desires. May we each grow closer to God as we learn to trust

abundantly in God’s loving generosity.

Summer’s Beauty

By Jeannette Doran

In Iowa, the corn grows, and the fields green.  Summer’s beauty enfolds us in God’s love.  We breathe in our Creator’s presence which surrounds us.  By mid-July, the corn reaches to the sky straight and tall as it stretches for the light. After the long days of  relentless heat leave the land parched, the summer storms are welcomed with their streaks of lightning which stir up the necessary nitrogen to nourish the roots. The corn’s roots sink deep down searching for life-giving water and nourishment in the rich black Iowan soil.  The leafy stalks gain strength swaying in the wind.

Just as the light and rain storms grow and beautify the corn, so our souls need the light of God’s grace and waters of daily compassion.  As our Creator cares for the corn, we, too, are provided for abundantly.  All of creation grows in the balance of sunlight and darkness, summer’s heat and thunderstorms to water the parched land.  In our busy lives, we also thirst for intervals of deep silence and listening .  We crave the space to sink into that silence of our inner being to listen to the whisper of God’s presence, letting the light spill over the shadows of yesterday’s tears.   The warmth of God’s love intensifies our experience of our Creator, which deepens and expands as we spend more time in quiet prayer.

When we sit still in the warmth and light of the divine presence, we nurture a deeper confidence and intimacy with our Creator, who is always with us, calming our fears.  Light, warmth and rain storms are needed to cultivate the corn in summer, and we need the warmth, light and rains of the Holy Spirit to wash over and envelop us each moment.    God’s compassion is new each morning and is always there for us.  Take time to hold onto God who waits in silent spaces, and joy and peace will pervade your day.  Breathe in Jesus and breathe out mercy.  In contemplating the rich beauty of the cornfields in summer, recall the necessary stages of growth it has experienced along the way, and the care it has received. 

Believe in the divine tender love and mercy surrounding you.  Live in the consciousness of this tender presence through your own experience of God’s unconditional love for each one of us.   May we all grow in grace, washed in the Spirit and bathed in God’s everlasting and compassionate love.

WHAT ARE YOU DOING THIS SUMMER?

By Narola Grady

Several  years ago, I had a camping experience that changed my life.  It was sponsored by a group called CFO, which stands for Camps Farthest Out.  It is a nondenominational organization where people go deeper in their walk with the Lord…literally, farther out than they have been before.  This blog gives you a taste of what it’s all about.

The other day I thought about my first CFO camp experience.  Friends invited me for three years, but I always said no.  It was 1999 and money was tight in Davenport.  I was trying to hang onto my ‘togetherness’ when it was falling apart.  A vacation sounded wonderful, even if it meant visiting Cedar Falls, Iowa.  That’s how I said yes to CFO.  Thank God for scholarships!

All hell broke loose the week before.  The transmission went on the car.  A friend tried to commit suicide, so I spent time in the hospital with her.  Someone loaned me a car so my son, Sean, and I could go.  Forget the Martha Stewart approach.  I threw clothes in a suitcase, grabbed the sleeping bags, and we hit the road!

My picture of Christianity focused on Bible knowledge and faithfulness in duty.  It was important to know the right answers for any situation.  Doing instead of being.

CFO didn’t fit that mold.  My mind worked overtime trying to figure this place out.  In the midst of that struggle, people were accepting not only me, but each other.  My spirit was soaking in the love, but my brain wanted to nail down every jot and tittle.  Intrigued, I kept coming back.

Every time I found the same mix of ingredients:  All kinds of people, an emphasis on prayer and kingdom living, and unconditional love from Spirit led folks.  And every time I went, I found myself changing.

For several years, I struggled to explain this experience.  Finally God gave me the right words in a letter to my brother.  “People from all different backgrounds come to CFO, but that’s not really important.  What is important is being the Body of Christ together.  I had to drop my title as Bible expert and realize it’s not my job to change everyone.  Instead, we all focus on Jesus and let the Holy Spirit be our teacher.  For me, it’s like stepping into Jesus’ world instead of trying to squeeze Him into a small corner of my existence.  I learn to actively practice His presence all day long.

As we focus on the Holy Spirit, the place comes alive!  In prayer groups, we adore the Lord in His beauty.  We are the Body that washes His feet with our praise and admiration for who He is.  When needs come up, we find the basis of our unity is a love He has poured into us.  We in turn pour that over the person in need.”

Are we perfect?  No, not by any means.  Sometimes the needs are great, but as we humble ourselves before God, He fills us with healing love.  We learn with others through a practical show-and-tell way what it’s like to be children in the Kingdom.  You get simple.  You drop pretenses.  You laugh a lot.  We share intensely what God is doing in our lives.  There is no TV or radio to break the rhythm, so we can focus on ‘Emmanuel’ – God with us – and practice what is to be the daily tenor of our lives.

CFO is a recipe for healthy Body Life in God’s Kingdom.  At a Winter Retreat, I wrote: “I feel at home in Your Body, Lord.  I haven’t always felt at ease in my physical body, but that’s changing.  Now I marvel as I watch each person ‘be’ who You made them to be in Your presence.  It’s so rich.  Thank You that in CFO, there really is no place like home.

(For more information about Iowa CFO, contact me and I’ll send you a brochure.  My phone number is 563-381-3980.  You can also go to www.acfona.org  for a list of 2012  camps and retreats in the U.S.

Cure for Cabin Fever?

By Sharon Wilhite

With each passsing year, January becomes a harder month to endure. I don't do well anymore with long, dark days, freezing temperatures, winter driving, and cooped up children. (Please, someone, bequeath me a beach front home in Florida!!!) To take my mind off January's chill, here are some of my favorite pictures from glorious summer to share.

THE BUSY BEES/BE'S OF SUMMER

By Sharon Wilhite

Buzzzzzzz...Like the industrious bees buzzing around summer's blooms,
I buzz busily from duties to deadlines to summer activities, etc. etc.

Bees have instinctive rest times,
while I have to choose to slow down, to be calm and not habitually frenetic.

God reminds me that to"BE" spiritually minded is life and peace. (Romans 8:6)

He tells me to "BE" still and know that He is God. (Psalm 46:10)

To not "BE" weary in well doing (Galatians 6:9) I have to draw close to God and renew my strength daily from Him and His word. 

Let this be our best summer ever.
Busily "BEE-ING" Christlike...
quietly "BEE-COMING" Christlike.

(good website for slowing down and contemplating: aholyexperience.com.)