Category Archives: Spiritual Formation

Loving Matters

By Judy Villanueva

1 John 4:7 Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God, and whoever loves has been born of God and knows God.

I tiptoed into my children’s rooms, one at a time and kissed them goodnight. With mixed feelings I stared at their beautiful sleeping faces, so sweet and peaceful. All I could think of was how impatient I’d been that day when all three needed me at once, and how much I longed for quiet during the afternoon play hours. Ugh! Guilt. How would these children survive me, such an imperfect mom? I remember sitting with my dad one day, confessing my short-comings as a mom and asking for his wisdom. His input was unexpected but so life giving. He said, “Just love them! You’ll make lots of mistakes in parenting. It’s impossible to get it perfect, but you can love them…and that makes all the difference. Loving matters.”

The truth of these words has stayed with me over the years and guided me faithfully through many situations where I have felt inadequate. Entering the prayer room, counseling office, or even having breakfast with a friend, I always wish I had more to offer in the way of wisdom and healing “know how”. Do you ever feel that way? Listening to stories feels very sacred and as tears flow and heartaches are shared my first reaction is always to want to bring immediate relief. If I could, I would waive the wand to relieve suffering, but since I cannot I follow compassion to the cross and look up for help!

There in its shadow, I hear God speak a familiar refrain. “Just love them. I Am doing what you cannot but you can love…and loving matters!”

Let us love one another! It will surely cost us our comfort and may be inconvenient. Most of the time, it won’t feel like enough and every time our hearts will ache to do more, but loving matters and is the closest some people ever get to the heart of God. When we join another in their suffering, when we share a burden and offer love, we give and are given a priceless gift.

Loving, even when done imperfectly, touches pain with our presence and ushers people into the arms of God.

“Thank you, God, for your love. How I need You and depend on Your presence to love well. Give me courage to bear burdens and share suffering. Fill me with Your love, fresh and mighty for each new day. Amen.”

What about you?

Do you ever feel inadequate when face to face with another’s deep need?

Do you also need courage to bear burdens and share suffering?

Would you rather fix something or love someone?

Have you felt the power of love carry you into the arms of God?

“Let us love one another…for Love is from God!”

Click here to buy Listening for Love Kindle Edition

Worship

https://youtu.be/e_bj6mjUj7k

Cultivating Joy!

By Judy Villanueva

Psalm 16:11
You will make known to me the path of life; In Your presence is fullness of joy; In Your right hand there are pleasures forever.

We reached the top and stood facing a full view of the Rocky Mountains iced in snow! The wind was blowing and the air was a warm 63 degrees…spectacular! Have you ever felt joy sweeping you up through your senses? As we walked down the hill I savored the feeling of the sun on my face, the sight of my husband walking slightly ahead of me, and the sound of pines as they sifted the wind. It soothed my soul and placed my worries in a larger context, a joyful one held securely in the hands of God. If I ever need convincing that God is kind and good I need look no further than how He designed us to share in the beauty and glory of all that He has made!

One of my favorite questions to ask a new friend is “What gives you joy?” “What delights your soul?” “What draws you into the goodness of God?” Problems and challenges seem to find their way to the forefront of our awareness because, like the prick of a needle, pain demands our attention and, unfortunately, can be rather hoggish about it.

Being present to joy amidst and alongside life’s struggles, however, helps us remember that God is good.

Witnessing His love and kindness through the joys that a day offers inspires hope and shifts our attention to the reality of God with us. He is with us!

When my daughter was little we used to play a game on vacations or wherever we happened to be when we bumped into beauty! I would say, “Stop! Now, freeze this moment. Take a mental picture and never forget…” the aspens we were hiking through or the lake we were sitting by or the feel of the wind blowing through us!

Cultivating joy is a powerful spiritual exercise, not to mention its potential to transform our perspectives and enlarge our capacities to see God in and above, before and behind all of life.

But, it requires our engagement and sometimes our willingness to confront old patterns of thinking. God has designed us to share His life and see His glory in the midst and alongside our real lives. He is present in warm winds, sweet fragrances, good friends and countless other secret plans to sweep us up with joy and help us along our way!

“Father, thank you for the gift and grace of our five senses and the way they allow us to take in beauty, sounds, flavors and the feel of Your love around us. Awaken me to the day’s invitations to joy and help me to tuck away your goodness and remember Your history of faithfulness to me. Amen.”

How about you?

What gives you joy?

What draws you into the goodness of God?

How might you cultivate joy today?

Can you receive His joy today, however it may come to you, in the midst and alongside your real life?

Click here to buy Listening for Love Kindle Edition

Worship

Contentment

By Judy Villanueva

Philippians 4:11-12

I am not saying this because I am in need, for I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances. I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want.

“As soon as God comes through for me and heals ‘this’ area of my life or provides ’that’ answer to prayer then, I’ll be content! I’ll never doubt Him again and I’ll finally be happy!” Sound familiar? Tying contentment to circumstances can be a slippery slope. If you are anything like me, my favorite solution to any and all angst usually involves getting what I think I need now. But, IF I’ll make a little room for my discontentment to do its work, I just may find myself tripping over my truest and deepest longing, the one that is always reaching for God and touched by His presence!

The secret of contentment that Paul speaks of seems to be unraveled by the imperfect and discontented places of life.

They remind us that our souls ache to be filled! I’ve often wondered if God didn’t create the five senses so that we can physically experience a foretaste of fullness. Good food, sweet melodies, and inspiring vistas help us to know what it is to be satisfied. Likewise, feeling hungry or empty, bored or lonely can motivate us to reach beyond the here and now for the ONE who is able satisfy our souls deep cry for love. We were made for His presence and in His company we find the secret of contentment.

Today, as I shoveled snow off the driveway, I looked up and noticed I was being showered with the fluffiest, most beautiful snowflakes! In this unexpected midlife moment, I felt like a child playing outside, caught up in the beauty and magic of what felt like a living snow globe! I looked over at my husband, who was also helping to relocate millions of snowflakes, and felt Grace enfold me. It drew me into an acute awareness of God’s goodness and seemed to sift out worry and offer me a cupful of joy!

All of a sudden, I felt lucky and aware of what IS blessings my life, rather than what ISN’T.

I stood there with my face toward heaven and my arms stretched out, so as not to miss one ounce of the Grace that was falling all around me!

“Father, thank You that You want to be my place of deep and residing contentment. Help me to follow my longings to Your heart that waits for me. Thank you for always waiting and reaching for me. Amen.”

What about you?

When did you last feel full and content?

Where and how are you now discontent?

What helps you feel close to God?

Have you experienced the secret of being content?

Click here to buy Listening for Love Kindle Edition

To Live is Christ

By Judy Villanueva

For me, to live is Christ. (Philippians 1:21)

With my eyes closed, I soaked in the beauty of the worship ballad being sung over the congregation. It was a sweet melody that offered an enfolding of love so scrumptious that I felt I could stand under it all day long. Suddenly, a jarring noise from across the aisle pierced the song and shook me out of my blessed trance. Feeling my peace disturbed, I glanced over in search of the source of these discordant notes and felt my breath catch as I found it! There, across the aisle, was the most beautiful face lifted upwards and a little boy singing at the top of his lungs. With one hand on his walker, he stood and belted out his perfect gift of worship with a smile that I believe lit the heart of God. I wiped away tears, deeply touched and taught by this pure and holy offering of love.

The experience felt like a sacred moment where God was pointing to purity and saying, “Look!” I’ve been praying lately about my fickle heart that, in one moment flows with love and, in the next, with self-interest and impatience. I don’t like that. It feels jangling and yet, reminds me of my great need for Christ and the fact that, while saved by grace, I am still a “creature in-process” of becoming holy.

The discord in my heart alerts me to the choices I have throughout the day to either turn to the Holy Spirit for help to live well or follow the impulses of my heart.

Without this tension, I’d likely become complacent and step out of the flow of grace that is meant to wash, refine and carry me into the likeness of Christ.

I want to live, love and worship from a pure heart and truly mean it when I say, “For me, to live is Christ!” Today, as I prayed for God’s help, I became aware that Jesus had drawn near and was, once again, pointing to something and saying, “Look!” There was a hush in my soul as I turned my attention to my dearest friend who gently and lovingly drew my eyes to the cross.

There, beneath the echo of love’s purest song, I could feel my heart surrender and all preoccupation give way to joyous gratitude!

Can it be that simple? In the shadow of the cross my heart is inspired, filled up and set free! Love’s purest gift made a way once…and once and for all.

“Jesus, thank you for the cross and for belting out your purest gift of love so that I can be set free. Help me remember that my job is one of receiving this gift and letting it empower me to live well. Thank you for that little boy who gave me a picture of a heart freed to love! Amen.”

What about you?

What does “To live is Christ” mean to you?

Do you want what you want?

Can you discern the discordant notes in your soul that are meant to help you feel your need for Christ?

Have you felt the power of the cross wash over you?

Stand still and look up at your dearest friend…on the cross…pouring out love’s purest gift to set you free.

Click here to buy Listening for Love Kindle Edition

Worship

Practicing His Presence

By Judy Villanueva

Psalm 5:3

I say this prayer to you, Yahweh, for at daybreak you listen for my voice; and at dawn I hold myself in readiness for you. I watch for you.

“He does not ask much of us, merely a thought of Him from time to time, a little act of adoration, sometimes to ask for His grace, sometimes to offer Him your sufferings, at other times to thank Him for the graces, past and present…the least little remembrance will always be the most pleasing to Him. One need not cry out very loudly; He is nearer to us than we think.” Brother Lawrence, The Practice of the Presence of God

The sound of happy squeals filled the living room on New Year’s morning. The Rose Parade was on in the background while the foreground enjoyed an eruption of four-year old giggles! Our grandson stumbled into a game where he would jump behind grandpa on the couch, and eagerly wait for him to lean back! “Stop, Papi, stop!” he would cry, and Papi would then lean forward so that our little one could squirm free. It amazed me that each time he got squished was a new moment of fresh joy…over and over again! I quietly marveled at the beauty of presence and the capacity of children to free-fall into the middle of it!

As the year begins, like most of us, I find myself thinking about fresh starts and living more “on purpose”. Watching my grandson makes me hungry for the freedom to get lost in present moments…to welcome and not hurry them away. It reminds me of Brother Lawrence’s experiment where he endeavored to practice God’s presence throughout the day. His goal was to live in expanding awareness of God.

Our lives are lived entering and exiting divine awareness. We awaken to God one minute and forget Him the next.

Responsibilities and schedules tend to tempt our attention away from God incrementally, until sadly, we can find the day spent without much thought of Him at all. I wonder if the fullness of life that the Bible speaks of doesn’t have everything to do with

remembering God and allowing His beautiful presence to shower our moments with love and hope and wonder and blessed expectation.

And, I wonder if our capacity to free-fall into the middle of moments grows as we live with God in expanding awareness, play in His presence… and lose all track of time in the pleasure of His company!

“Father, help me to enter and re-enter awareness of your presence throughout the day. I am easily derailed by work and worry…good things and careless things. Thank You that Your attention is constant and real. Amen.”

What about you?

What would it be like to live a day ready and watching for God?

How do you do at “practicing God’s presence” throughout the day?

Do you experience “fresh joy” and freedom to lose track of time with God?

The practice of returning to awareness of God’s presence is a powerful and life-transforming prayer!

Worship

Holding Jesus

By Judy Villanueva

Luke: 2:13
Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying, “Glory to God in the highest heaven, and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests.”

What would it be like to hold the baby Jesus? To cradle Him in your arms, your Savior and the King of glory? Can you imagine looking down at His face and into His eyes knowing what you know…having read the end of the story? See His little, dimpled hands, His chubby cheeks, and pudgy form! So small and innocent, the creator of the universe came as a helpless baby and was entrusted to human parents. Unbelievable! As I sat in church yesterday I found myself fixed on the nativity scene displayed on the altar and was aware of a gentle hope that emanated from the cradled King. Everyone gathered stared at Him with wonder and expectation. What do you need from Jesus today? Are there dusty hopes that you might like to take off the shelf in His presence as you let Him fill your arms and heart with wonder?

Holding the baby Jesus during Christmas connects us to His tender beginnings. It helps us remember the most remarkable moment in all of history — when the infant-God entered human life one starry, starry night! Holding Jesus for a day can change the way we live. Think of it! What would THAT day be like?

What would be on your mind and how might you act if, as you went about a day full of moments, you held the One who died for you?

Holding Jesus over a lifetime can transform us from the inside out! Every step, every word, every thought, every deed in the presence and in the service of the baby-King! Life shifts from “all about us” to “all about Him.” Cradling the baby who will grow up and give His life on a cross, who will be spit upon and cursed, beaten and pierced, and whose last words will blanket us with grace is staggering!

Holding Jesus is a Christmas prayer that helps us remember what is most worthy of remembering.

It is the best story ever told, hidden in all good stories. It helps us hold hope, and live out of the best of who we are because in holding Jesus, we feel his breath and heartbeat, we see His face before us, and are reminded of the best gift we’ve ever received!

“Thank you, Father, for sending us Your Son. Help me to hold Jesus this Christmas and beyond! I pray that with arms full of Love, I will be empowered to love more freely. Amen.”

What about you?

What comes to mind as you imagine holding the baby Jesus?

Have you received His gift of love?

What do you need from Jesus this Christmas?

How might you live this day as a gift to baby King?

Click here to buy Listening for Love Kindle Edition

Peace, Be Still

By Judy Villanueva

He told the wind to pipe down and said to the sea, “Quiet! Settle down!” The wind ran out of breath; the sea became smooth as glass. (Mark 4:39)

These things I have spoken to you, so that in Me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble, but take courage! I have overcome the world.” (John 16:33)

“I wonder if cows are glad when the sun comes up, after being in the dark all night.” My husband’s pondering made me smile as I tried to picture happy cows at dawn! We had been driving for some time and, as the sun began to rise, I realized that I, too, am glad for the coming of light each morning. So many faces flashed through my mind of loved ones who are waiting in the dark…worn out, discouraged and eager to be glad again. A broken heart, a tormented mind, a hope deferred, a dread realized…each one bearing a trial that disrupts peace, troubles the soul and threatens faith in a good and mighty God.

When I think of peace in tribulation, the image of Jesus sound asleep in a violent storm comes to mind. Can you picture that small boat tossed about on the Sea of Galilee and the disciples white with fear? I often read Scripture as though looking through a telescope, viewing a familiar story and watching it unfold up close. Coming upon Jesus, with His head on a pillow, fast asleep, helps me touch the peace of God. Look!

God’s reign over all of life blanketed our Savior with a Shalom that freed Him from worry…and allowed Him to sleep in the middle of a raging storm.

Jesus had no fear for His life because He knew His Father had it covered. Asleep on a boat or hanging on a cross, Jesus’ life was held securely in the hand of God. So is ours. It’s tempting to tie our peace to circumstances and outcomes that we cannot control.

Only Jesus fully grasps the cosmic triumph that happened when He overcame the world, but He did and because He did, we can take courage!

I suspect that, rather than cursing the storms, we find peace as we join Him on the boat and put our heads on the pillow next to His. With Jesus, we are helped to bear our pain and trust the One who reigns — for the coming of Light in the morning and the power to make us glad again.

“Father, bring Light to our darkness and peace to our storms. Give us courage to trust You and reassurance that you are with us. Be our peace and gladness today and help us as we wait for the dawn. Amen.”

What about you?

Are you in a season of loss or trial?

What does it mean to you that Jesus has overcome the world?

Have you experienced the peace in Christ?

What is the prayer of your heart today?

The One who overcame is with you. Take courage!

Click to buy Listening for Love Kindle Edition

Worship

Favor

By Judy Villanueva

Luke 1:27-33

Mary was greatly troubled at his words and wondered what kind of greeting this might be. But the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary; you have found favor with God. You will conceive and give birth to a son, and you are to call him Jesus. He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his father David, and he will reign over Jacob’s descendants forever; his kingdom will never end.”

What does it mean to find favor with God? It’s a prayer I pray over my friends and family regularly and especially, when I want heaven to pour out its blessings of life, healing, provision and freedom! “Favor, Lord. Favor!” It’s a way of saying, “Look over here! We need You! Just say the word and it will be done.” Sometimes it is a desperate plea and other times a longing for an open door, a ray of light, or a “yes” from God. It may feel elusive, but His favor remains big, unbeatable and bursting at the seams for each of us!

When Mary met the angel, Gabriel, he quieted her fears with the words, “You have found favor with God.” He then, opened up Heaven’s heart and disclosed a divine revelation that would turn her life upside-down and change the world forever. It was an invitation to participate in the greatest act of Love, the most profound gift of grace and the best story ever told! What was the favor of God that found Mary?

She would be the first to receive Christ and would carry in her womb the One who would bring amazing grace to a needy world.

The favor Gabriel proclaimed that day had everything to do with bringing Christ to the world! It was Mary’s moment to jump into the middle of a Divine invitation, carried to her literally on the wings of an angel. And, now it is our turn to jump! We, who have believed and received Christ, are filled with His life and bear the potential of carrying Divine love to each moment, each friend and each invitation given us in the day.

God saw us and said the Word! He opened the door and became our ray of Light…and we became His favored ones, invited to carry Christ to our world.

“Father, I thank you for the privilege of bearing your Son and for the daily invitations to carry Him into my world. What a different way of serving and living a day! Fill me with Your Spirit and help me to follow as you lead me to love. Amen.”

What about you?

Have you received Christ? His free gift of grace is yours for the asking. “Lord, I need You. Forgive me. Come! Amen.”

Did you bring Christ to your world today? With whomever you were with and whatever you did…did you carry Christ with you?

Are you ready to jump with God into the next invitation to bring the love the Christ to your world?

Click here to buy Listening for Love Kindle Edition

Worship

Want God?

By Judy Villanueva

As the deer pants for streams of water, so my soul pants for you, my God.

You have made us for yourself, O Lord, and our hearts are restless until they find rest in You. (St. Augustine)

My eyes opened and I peeked out from under sleepy eyelids to see what time it was…5:00am! I should’ve gone back to sleep but all I could think of was hot, brown, yummy coffee with cream and sugar! I had awakened to the prospect of sipping a mug of “wake me up and make me happy” goodness, so drifting back to sleep was pretty unlikely. As I sat in the dark waiting for the beep that would signal “the best part of waking up,” I became acutely aware of a lacking in my hunger for God, or at least, a weakness of fervor compared to my morning passion for a cup of Joe. Yuck. I don’t want that to be true, but there it is…the whole, caffeinated truth of it.

How does the soul pant for God? We have been made for Him and even if we do not believe He exists, our souls know better!

There is a “sacred place” within us that longs for its Maker, remembers its true home, and yearns to be with God.

It is why, I believe, it matters to us that our lives have meaning. It accounts for the angst we experience when we are silent, or agree to sit still. In the spaces between moving around and being busy with this or that, we can feel our soul hunger for God. This part of us doesn’t believe for a moment that we “just happened” after a big bang, but retains the precious truth of our origins. Sadly, it is possible to ignore our soul and after a while, we can become impervious to its longing for God. I’m not sure there is anything more profoundly tragic than that a soul should forget that it belongs to God.

The image of a deer panting for water is a vivid picture of focused desire, not unlike my morning quest for coffee. “Wanting” so often is driven by habits and hungers, both real and imagined, so how do we tune into our soul’s desire for God? How do we learn to sit patiently next to Him, when everything in us wants to squirm away and fill up with temporal things?

I want to learn to follow my soul’s yearning into God’s presence and hold myself there long enough to experience His embrace.

I want to drink in the Lord more fully and not get up until my soul overflows. I need to slow myself down, linger in prayer, ponder God’s word, and savor the joy of belonging to God. His company is what I want to anticipate when I peek out from sleepy eyelids in the morning and He is what I want to fill up with each day.

“Lord, help me to pay attention to the hunger pangs of my soul and learn to want You, as I open my eyes in the morning. Call my soul to come and teach me how to enjoy Your presence more fully. Amen.”

What about you?

Did you pant for God today?

Are you aware and paying attention to your soul’s longing for God?

How do you bring your soul to God?

You have been made for God. He is your home and place of rest.

Worship

Click here to buy Listening for Love Kindle Edition

Standing on Tiptoes!

By Judy Villanueva

Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that you will abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit. (Romans 15:13)

When was the last time you stood on your tiptoes? How long has it been since you were filled with stretched-out anticipation at seeing wonder just the other side of eye-level? Abounding hope. Not meager or malnourished, but explosive, Spirit-empowered belief in things unseen! We see in children an unspoiled capacity to be awed, and a readiness to stand up tall and watch for magical moments. Bubbles and balloons, clouds and caterpillars, flashlights and fairy tales easily capture young imaginations with delight and grant a blessed sense that the world is good. But growing up can threaten our tiptoe potential and weigh us down with harsh realities that want to crush our joy and energy to believe. What do we do when we’ve lost our capacity to hope?

Jesus said that in this life we will have trouble and the reality is that disappointments, losses, and unexpected turns can suck the hope right out of us! If we are not careful, we may find that we’ve traded in our beautiful dreams for a life resigned to unmet expectations. You might be worn out or too discouraged to hope, but consider that

without the stirrings of believing beyond what we see, the colors drain out of our imaginations and life becomes a flat-footed trudge to the finish line.

If you relate to this at all, I implore you to fight…fight hard and look up!

God wants to capture our imaginations and reclaim our hopes! At His side, we can learn to look at our lives with Him and find our way back onto our tiptoes. He becomes our joy and peace in believing and, as we figure out how to want and enjoy Him, our hearts get rooted in hope’s best soil! Here, hope is set free with refreshed vigor! We can hope because our God is a hoper!

He hoped beyond our sin to the cross, past death to a resurrection, and He continues to hope us into His kingdom, redeemed.

God stands on tiptoes…hoping for us!

“Lord, I used to be a good hoper and I confess that life has made me careful in my hoping. But, I’m not ready to give up dreaming with You and believing You for wonders and magical moments. Teach me again to hope…cuz I know I could stand on tiptoes next to You! Amen.”

What about you?

Are you a hoper?

Do you experience the blessings of joy and peace in believing?

Has life made you reluctant to hope in God?

Are you learning to want and enjoy God?

“Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that you will abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.”

Click here to buy Listening for Love Kindle Edition

Worship:

ListeningForLove

Learning to Hear God's Voice

Category Archives: Spiritual Formation

Loving Matters

Cultivating Joy!

Contentment

To Live is Christ

Practicing His Presence

Holding Jesus

Peace, Be Still

Favor

Want God?

Standing on Tiptoes!