Category Archives: Spiritual Formation

Gethsemane

By Judy Villanueva

Matthew 26:26-36

Then Jesus went with his disciples to a place called Gethsemane, and he said to them, “Sit here while I go over there and pray.” He took Peter and the two sons of Zebedee along with him, and he began to be sorrowful and troubled. Then he said to them, “My soul is overwhelmed with sorrow to the point of death. Stay here and keep watch with me.”

Going a little farther, he fell with his face to the ground and prayed, “My Father, if it is possible, may this cup be taken from me. Yet not as I will, but as you will.”

Then he returned to his disciples and found them sleeping. “Couldn’t you men keep watch with me for one hour?” he asked Peter. “Watch and pray so that you will not fall into temptation. The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak.”

He went away a second time and prayed, “My Father, if it is not possible for this cup to be taken away unless I drink it, may your will be done.”

When he came back, he again found them sleeping, because their eyes were heavy. So he left them and went away once more and prayed the third time, saying the same thing.

Then he returned to the disciples and said to them, “Are you still sleeping and resting? Look, the hour has come, and the Son of Man is delivered into the hands of sinners. Rise! Let us go! Here comes my betrayer!”

It was dusk and the desert landscape was quickly changing from shadows to black night as we drove east toward the Colorado River. I was only twelve years old and had been invited to join a friend’s family on their spring break. In the light of day it seemed like an exciting opportunity, but as the sky darkened I held back tears and longed to be home with my family. When I read this passage and imagine Jesus in the garden, I am dumbstruck at what He must have felt lying on His face, overwhelmed to the point of death. I’d always thought that it was the anticipation of the cross that was the cause of His troubled heart, but I have come to believe that what Jesus smelled in the garden was far worse. I think it must have been the impending loss of home that stole His peace. Never, for even a millisecond, had He known existence apart from His beloved Father. They had forever shared a perfect, blessed, loving community of three… but a time was drawing near when Jesus would experience being torn from His Father.

It strikes me that this scene is the only one I can think of where Jesus is troubled and, literally, doubled over with sorrow. Can you picture our Lord with His face to the ground? Try. It isn’t how we are use to seeing Him, but there in the garden beneath the Mount of Olives, He bends over with a desperate plea! “Father, take this cup.”

He faces off with a moment of truth…a beautiful, terrorizing, extravagant, horrifying and holy moment!

Imprisonment, false accusations, a thorny crown, beatings, nails, a spear, mocking, humiliation, scorn and the full weight of man’s sin await Him. THEN, the loss of His most precious treasure, the Love that had been His smile since forever…His Abba, His Dad would turn away!

“Your will, not mine.” Alone in the garden, with his friends fast asleep, Jesus prays three times that this cup should pass and, each time, submits to His Father’s will. Finally, He wakes up His friends with what looks like refreshed strength and determination, “Rise! Let us go!” He is no longer bent over in sorrow with His face to the ground. No. Jesus has been with the Father, accepted His will and now moves with faith and hope to the cross! He knows what is coming but we don’t see Him hesitate anymore. I wonder what THEY talked about in the garden. Was it us they talked about?

Did their Love inspire a gift so great that the Godhead re-uped for being ripped a part in order to carry us home… so that They might become our warm and loving family for all eternity?

Oh beautiful love of God!

“I can’t even fathom this kind of Love, Lord! I am grateful! Help me, Jesus, to pray with a submitted heart…to ask for what I want, but trust in what You will! Thank You for making a way for me to come home someday and share forever with You. Amen.”

What about you?

Are you in a garden of Gethsemane? Are you struggling with God in prayer over something He is asking of you?

Is there a cup you would like to pass?

Where are you in terms of the crucifixion of your will? Are you able to say, “Your will, not mine”?

Have you received this gift of love, Christ’s death on the cross, that delivers us from sin?

Can you trust in the Father’s love to deliver you home safe and sound?

Worship

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vMX9CNgRJCM

His Voice Down the Hallway

March 13, 2014Knowing God, Spiritual Formationheyjudeev5@gmail.com

By Judy Villanueva

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. I can do all things through Christ who gives me strength. (Philippians 4:12-13)

“Nana! Nana! Are you there?” my little grandson yelled down the hallway during some quiet playtime. “I’m here. You’re ok. Go ahead and play. You are fine.” I replied. He really was fine, but at that moment he needed reassurance that I had not left, he was not alone, and I was…just down the hallway. As I prayed this morning I heard myself echo a similar cry, “Father, are you there? Can You hear me? I feel alone. Are You still with me?”

Dark and narrow hallways must be walked one step at a time and as I look back on various trials, it is clear that God has been with me every step of the way. He has been faithful and I have experienced His strong hand of deliverance over and over again. Why then, when a new trial comes, do I find myself calling out again for reassurance that God is near? There is something about sensing God’s presence and hearing His voice down the hallway that calms my fears and strengthens me to wait…not just endure…but wait in peace and with great expectation.

Paul had learned the secret of contentment in every situation, and his “situations” were far more strenuous than anything I’ve ever encountered! He seemed to live with the reality of “Christ” always at play and brought His presence into every moment! He lived his life with God whether in prison or free, well fed or hungry, in plenty and in want. Jesus was his strength and his place of residing contentment! So, as the sun comes up, I am starting the day a little wobbly but also reminded that through Christ, I can do all things. I can give today to God, be weak, trust hard, and pray. I can watch for Jesus and listen for the sounds of His voice down the hallway that whisper to me, “I am here. You’re ok. Go ahead and live your life. Rest…I am with you.”

“Father, how I need to hear the sounds of You in my life. Your presence is everything I need and I’m not sure why I get nervous and lose hold the reality that You will never leave me, but sometimes I do. Help me today to rest in Your presence and trust in Your love. Amen.”

How about you?

Do you need to hear God’s voice down the hallway today? Do you need reassurance that he is near?

Have you learned the secret of being content in all situations?

Where do you need Christ’s help and strength today?

God is here. Always! He will not leave or forsake you.

Loving Like Mary

March 8, 2014Spiritual Formation, Worshipheyjudeev5@gmail.com

By Judy Villanueva

John 12:1-11

Six days before the Passover, Jesus came to Bethany, where Lazarus lived, whom Jesus had raised from the dead. Here a dinner was given in Jesus’ honor. Martha served, while Lazarus was among those reclining at the table with him. Then Mary took about a pint of pure nard, an expensive perfume; she poured it on Jesus’ feet and wiped his feet with her hair. And the house was filled with the fragrance of the perfume.

But one of his disciples, Judas Iscariot, who was later to betray him, objected, “Why wasn’t this perfume sold and the money given to the poor? It was worth a year’s wages.” He did not say this because he cared about the poor but because he was a thief; as keeper of the money bag, he used to help himself to what was put into it.

“Leave her alone,” Jesus replied. “It was intended that she should save this perfume for the day of my burial. You will always have the poor among you, but you will not always have me.”

The first time I read this passage I was drawn to Mary on her knees pouring expensive perfume on Jesus’ feet and wiping them with her hair. I find myself staring at the scene as though I am in the room watching. The fragrance fills the air and the beauty of the moment starts to wash over me. This woman’s love for Jesus touches my heart with a deep yearning to learn how to love like Mary. She threw it all down, gave all she had to love Jesus. Spending a year’s wages on a pair of feet may have seemed a foolish extravagance, washing the toes of a guest was servant’s work and unbinding one’s hair in public was undignified. It’s as though she could not help but use everything at her disposal to love her dearest friend.

The second time I read this passage, I heard Jesus say “Leave her alone. It was intended that she save this perfume for the day of my burial.” A hundred thoughts go through my head as I let the power of these words speak! Jesus doesn’t say, “Oh no, Mary, it’s ok. Use the money on the poor. I’m good.” He lets her love Him! He receives her worship! Do my acts of love today become places of knelt adoration to Jesus? Do they matter and actually bless Him? Jesus understands that the best thing I can ever do is to love Him! It is what my soul most needs. And, that He protects and receives my gestures of love feels like an enfolding of grace and a sweet return of fragrant Love. Oh Lord, help me to love you like Mary.

“Thank you, Jesus, for your amazing grace! Forgive me for selfish wants and fill me with Holy power to love you well. I am awed by Your love and grateful for Your Word today that convicts and teaches me. Draw me to Your feet and receive my acts of worship today. Amen.”

What about you?

As you read this passage, what are you drawn to?

How do you love Jesus? How might you show Him love today?

God protects and receives our acts of love, and loving God is what our souls most need. Love God and others today!

Dusty Thoughts

By Judy Villanueva

Psalm 51:17 The sacrifice of God is a broken spirit: a broken and contrite heart you will not despise.

Psalm 103:14 As a father has compassion on his children,  so the Lord has compassion on those who fear him; for he knows how we are formed,  he remembers that we are dust.

As I sat down in the pew I could feel a deep sigh coming over me. My mind had been occupied with many things and it felt good to sit in a quiet sanctuary and slow down. I have many memories of Ash Wednesday services growing up, including the post-smudge contest where ashen forehead crosses were compared, the darkest ones the envy of all. It still makes me smile! Today, as I listened to the Word invite me to a broken and contrite heart, I felt the Holy Spirit moving through the room with light and grace. I became conscious of my dusty origins and aware that part of my preparation for the risen Christ involves taking inventory of my heart…and the secrets it likes to keep hidden from me.

What does it mean to remember that we are dust? It feels strangely relieving to not have to be perfect, to freely know that I am who I am…even if who I am struggles every day with pride, fear and a lack of faith.

It’s hard work to keep from knowing my failings but I suspect that it is in the knowing that my heart becomes contrite and freed to need Jesus.

Living conscious of God’s love gives me the courage to let go of my pride and acknowledge my sin. It makes me wonder if at the center of humility, where God is God and we are dust, our souls find a place to rest.

Aren’t you grateful that God remembers we are dust and is not thrown off course by our failures and fickle faith? Even when we cannot bear to know the dusty truth about ourselves, He always knows us as we are…and loves us.

Here is the amazing Grace our hearts long for, the Light that draws us out of our fears and the Power that beckons us to come!

There is no sweeter place of belonging, no kinder companion when looking into our hearts…and no One else who knows just how to form our dusty lives into beautiful and fragrant offerings.

“Father, thank you for knowing me as I am and loving me anyways! Give me the courage and humility to know the parts of my heart that need your love and grace. Help me to remember that I am dust and need You every, every day. Amen.”

What about you?

Do you know that God loves you?

What does it mean to remember you are dust?

Are you willing to sit with God and let Him show you the hidden places of your heart?

Are you free to need Jesus?

Take time with God to know your heart. Let His grace lead you to proper sorrow and to His love that covers and frees.

Worship

Dissonant Notes

By Judy Villanueva

“I love You, O Lord, my strength.”
The Lord is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer,
My God, my rock, in whom I take refuge;
My shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold.
I call upon the Lord, who is worthy to be praised,
And I am saved from my enemies. (Psalm 18:1-3)

I came to faith with great energy to hope in God — to wait with expectation for what God would say and what He would do! Young and full of faith, I climbed out on the proverbial limb and watched for Jesus but, answers to prayer lingered and unwelcomed outcomes arrived instead. Disappointment in prayer began to undermine the song I wanted to sing from the branches and before I knew it I was on the ground dusting myself off and kicking aside the cracked branch next to me.

Dissonant notes. They are notes that play on the base clef of our souls. On the treble clef we hear the melody of faith, joy and peace. We believe God’s word and trust Him. But, if we listen closely we may become aware of dissonant notes that are also playing, the ones a little off-key that remind us of disappointments, losses, and our wounded souls. Did you know that it is possible to feel hurt by God? Now, that may sound irreverent , but I’ll suggest it’s just honest. It is what happens along our faith journeys in this fallen world when we don’t understand the unexpected things that happen in life. We believe that God is faithful but we cannot make sense of pain, sickness, and suffering in this world.

So, what do we do with our dissonant notes? First, it is helpful to listen and allow them to help us understand the hurts inside of us.

In listening we come to realize how pain may have warped our image of God and interfered with our ability to trust Him.

Rather than ignoring our hurts and disappointments, we can offer them a place to heal. In God’s Word we find powerful and reorienting Truth that creates melodies of hope within us and purifies the way we see and know God. Taking time to rest and be still aids in quieting our souls and fosters a sense of God’s presence. Here we learn to accept what cannot know or control and trust that God is faithful and able to watch over our lives. Finally, in worship we learn to sing alongside our off-key notes with melodies of grace that invite them into the larger songs being written through our lives by God — songs of His faithfulness, redemptive power, and everlasting love!

“Lord, I am so aware of my off-key notes, especially when I am discouraged or disappointed. Thank You that all my notes find their place in the song You are writing through my life. Help me to wait and watch for Your faithfulness. Amen.”

What About You?

Are you aware of the notes that play in your soul? Contented and off-key?

Have you taken time to listen and understand them?

Can you bring your soul full of notes (joys and sorrows) to Jesus…to rest and be loved?

Worship

Washing Feet

By Judy Villanueva

John 13:3-8
Jesus knew that the Father had put all things under his power, and that he had come from God and was returning to God; so he got up from the meal, took off his outer clothing, and wrapped a towel around his waist.

Can you imagine what it would be like to know to the core who you are, where you came from and where you are going? What would it feel like to know with confidence to Whom you belong and Whose power fills you? I read this and felt awed at the freedom Jesus experienced to live fully aware and assured that He came from God and would return to God. It empowered Him for whatever God would call Him to do next, whether that would be washing feet, raising the dead, or hanging on a cross.

I love what comes next! Jesus knows that all things are under His power so, He gets up and wraps a towel around His waist!

Is this what is at the center of Divine Love and infinite power — a foot-washer?

Rather than POWER initiating any sort of domination, it inspired Jesus to bow before His creatures and wash their feet! These were not the feet of kings or conquering warriors. They belonged to young men still figuring themselves out and often, clueless to the One in their midst. I guess they were feet much like yours and mine.

I remember the first time that someone washed my feet. It was at a retreat and all of the participants sat in a circle waiting for…we did not know what? Then, the priest entered with a bowl of water and a towel and I, like Peter, wanted out of there! My heart wrenched and my insides cried out, “No! Don’t wash my feet! They are dirty. I’m not worthy!” And, then I heard these words, “Unless I wash you, you have no part with me”…and it hit me! If I cannot let this man of God wash my feet, how will I ever let Jesus die for me? So I sat back in surrender and as my feet were washed and wrapped, the grace of God enfolded me and the pride within me broke! Tears flowed and my heart filled with gratitude! Then came the realization that this is where I’ve come from and where I will return one day…

to a God who kneels before me to wash my dusty feet, and Who, with all things under His power, hung on a cross to cleanse the whole of me with love.

“Lord, I can hardly contain my tears at the thought of Your love! I feel so far from being like You and it makes me sad. Fill me with foot-washing love so that I might love you back…and love others with the same power and assurance that comes from knowing that I came from You and will return to You, someday. Amen.”

How about you?

How would you feel having your feet washed by Jesus?

Do you feel any hesitation?

Do you know where you came from and where you will return?

Jesus can give you the peace your heart seeks and can be your full assurance that you are loved. Let Him wash your feet.

Worship

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. I love that God made us with eyes, ears, a nose, mouth and skin so that we can literally take in His creation! Genius! 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 shifts our attention to hope and 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 and 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!

Catching and cultivating joy is a powerful spiritual exercise, not to mention its potential to transform our perspectives and enlarge our capacities to see God in, through, 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 with 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?

I Know My Sheep…

By Judy Villanueva

John 10:14
I am the Good Shepherd; I know My sheep and My sheep know Me.

John 10:27
My sheep hear My voice, I know them, and they follow Me.

It was the day of our reindeer excursion and as we hiked behind a young, red-haired Scot, I realized that this was not going to be the petting zoo I had expected! When we finally arrived, we found ourselves atop a thousand-acre preserve overlooking fields of grass bowing under the force of the highland winds and littered with the last blooms of heather. After some instructions about what to do and not do around wild reindeer, Zach, our guide and reindeer shepherd, put his hands to his mouth and drew a deep breath! The sound of the call that he bellowed over the landscape gave me the chills and we all stood in silence watching for what would happen next. One after another, reindeer were running toward the sound of their shepherd until close to a hundred magnificent creatures had gathered in anticipation of a morning snack! Zach began telling us their names, their position in the herd, and about their specific personalities. He pointed out Hamish, the dominant male, and Elvis, the young up and comer. He told us about the baby albino and, literally, the number of hairs per square inch that made up their coats!

This experience gave a whole new meaning to Jesus’ words, “I know My sheep.” We aren’t just one of the herd! He knows our names, what we look like, our quirks and unique personalities. He recognizes my crooked smile and your funny toes! Jesus knows us intimately! He knows our strengths, our weaknesses, and the number of hairs on our heads. He knows the parts of us we like to show everyone and the parts that we hide and protect.

He listens for our voices, contented or disturbed, so that He can attend to our needs, guide us and be our place of shelter.

He keeps track of us and knows where we are at all times. He watches over us and protects us, even when we feel alone and on our own. Jesus calls to us in the middle of our days to come to Him…and be fed. The question is, do we hear His voice?

Recognizing the voice of our Good Shepherd is no great mystery, although it sure can feel like it at times! Like all relationships, we grow in familiarity by spending time together. Hearing God may seem ethereal, but His voice becomes clearer, more discernable as we regularly read the Word, pray, and learn to pay attention to ordinary revelation.

We tend to only “count” extraordinary revelation (lightning bolts and the miraculous) but the reality is, God is always speaking and learning to tune in to His voice around us can become a gift of His presence all day long!

The sun rising and setting becomes a declaration of His power, order and goodness. It’s comforting. The Word written on our hearts becomes a whisper that directs us toward truth and God’s will. It’s guiding. Worship music bypasses thinking and sings God’s love over our soul. It’s nourishing. And, the prayers we pray alone or alongside a friend become experiences of talking with God and learning to hear His voice. Pay attention to daily revelations of God’s love, run toward His voice wherever you hear it, and rest…knowing you are known and watched over by our good and faithful Shepherd.

“Jesus, thank you for being my good Shepherd. It touches me to think that you actually know my name, my goofy smile and what is important to me. I want to recognize Your voice in my days. Help me to hear You calling to me through all the ways You’ve created. Help me to stop, listen and run to You. Amen.”

What about you?

Do you know the sound of the Good Shepherd’s voice? Do you recognize His voice when He calls?

How does it feel that God knows you and all your ways?

Where and how do you hear God best?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-ZjxY0iL2xcGod knows your name and cares about you. Talk to Him and learn to hear His voice.

Longing for Spring

By Judy Villanueva

“Arise, my love, my fair one, and come away; for now the winter is past, the rain is over and gone. The flowers appear on the earth;  the time of singing has come…”

Our faces were turned toward the screen and our eyes squinted as we strained to decipher the image hidden within the black and white background. “Yes, there it is!” the doctor announced. Tears and joy filled the room! It had been six years of praying, hoping and disappointment. “Only one?” my friend asked. “What? Well, I only see one but let’s check again.” the doctor complied. “Here’s the one and let’s see…oh my, yes, there is another! You are having twins!” Springtime! Have you ever been with someone when their spring arrived? I was lucky enough to be in the room at the moment when my friend’s winter turned to spring in an instant. Warmth, color, sunshine and the sweet fragrance of life had blown in a new season and, from one moment to the next, it became spring!

As I write this, I am watching a winter storm blowing in and while it looks harmless enough, it is bitter cold outside and it won’t be long before all the land is covered in white. Before spring arrives, we must endure the quiet and cold of winter when life lies dormant and it can feel unending at times. What does it mean to wait with faith and how do we surrender to winter with hope? It blesses me how God made the seasons to reflect the rhythms we experience in life so that we’ll be helped to remember that after a long winter comes a warm and fruit-filled spring!

There is life buried beneath blankets of snow and resting in trees that appear dead, and we must hope while we wait for our springs to form.

I wonder if God doesn’t use winters to slow us down and help us long for Him. The truth is, we want the comforts of spring, but need the love of our Father and it is often during cold winters that we finally relent and reach for Him. God does not leave us without hope during long, cold seasons and, if we pay attention, we will hear the melody of spring even in the thick of winter. Remaining open to God’s presence through His word, people, beauty, and love is sustaining and helps us in our waiting. Reach for God in the winter and listen for His songs that want to fill our hearts with hope and wrap us in His love. Rest in His arms and trust that He watches over the seeds of life that wait to flourish in the spring.

“Father, help me to want You. I love springtime and I get impatient during long winters. Thank you for quieter and even, emptier seasons that help me to reach for You. Draw me into awareness in the winter of your springtime songs around me and help me to wait while my spring forms. Amen.”

What about you?

Are you in a season of winter, longing for spring?

What are the longings of your heart?

Are you able to reach for God?

Do you know that He is with you and longs to fill the empty places of your heart?

Wanted!

January 22, 2014Disorientation, Knowing God, Spiritual Formation, Worshipheyjudeev5@gmail.com

By Judy Villanueva

Jeremiah 31:3 I have loved you with an everlasting love;  I have drawn you with unfailing kindness.

Isaiah 43:1 Do not fear, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by name, you are mine.

We belong to God! What could be more life-giving than knowing that we are loved with an everlasting Love? Sadly, in this world we do have trouble and when the pressure is on, we can lose hold of this beautiful truth. Disappointments, losses and hopes deferred can cause us to feel unloved and unwanted by God. If that is what you are feeling today or ever, then let it sound an alarm to your soul! It’s not true. Don’t believe it! Lean in and lean hard into the Father’s voice! It may not be easy, but do it because God is speaking, always speaking! “I want you….I always want you. I love you. You are mine.”

We, each one of us, were created to feel wanted and loved. I believe it crushes the heart of God when life in this fallen world causes us to forget, doubt, or worse, stop believing that we are named, redeemed…and His! It makes sense, I suppose, that this is where we are often disturbed and thrown off our feet, spiritually and emotionally. If we doubt that our lives matter…that God keeps track of our smiles and tears, then we may find ourselves tossed about by the wind and whim of circumstance.

Hearing God whisper “I want you” pierces our souls with light! What else can compare? It calms our fears, gives us courage, and becomes a place of residing joy within us. Read what God says, “I have loved you with an everlasting love;  I have drawn you with unfailing kindness.” “Do not fear, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by name, you are mine.” We must hold these words close to our hearts as if we are pressing the truth of them into our very bodies and, should we ever feel shaken and unwanted, we need not fear. Instead, we must remember that independent of our feelings, God remains faithful! He is with us and we are His!

“Father, how often I am fearful and forgetful that You are ever-faithful! I want You to be my place of residing joy and freedom. Thank you for Your unfailing love…and that You always want me. Help me daily to hear Your voice calling my name and leading me to Your heart. Amen.”

What about you?

Have you ever felt unwanted?

What gets in the way of believing that God wants you/loves you?

What helps you hear God’s voice of love?

ListeningForLove

Learning to Hear God's Voice

Category Archives: Spiritual Formation

Gethsemane

His Voice Down the Hallway

Loving Like Mary

Dusty Thoughts

Dissonant Notes

Washing Feet

Cultivating Joy!

I Know My Sheep…

Longing for Spring

Wanted!