Category Archives: Spiritual Formation

Welcoming the King!

lake LouiseBy Judy Villanueva

“Say to Daughter Zion, ‘See, your king comes to you, gentle and riding on a donkey…”

The disciples went and did as Jesus had instructed them.  They brought the donkey and the colt and placed their cloaks on them for Jesus to sit on.  A very large crowd spread their cloaks on the road, while others cut branches from the trees and spread them on the road.  The crowds that went ahead of him and those that followed shouted,  “Hosanna to the Son of David!”  “Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord! “Hosanna in the highest heaven!”

This Palm Sunday was very different from all others in my life.  The sun rose with the reminder that a threat hangs over our world and the morning news repeated the alarm to wake up and be careful lest you, too, are touched by Covid-19.  In addition, my husband and I woke up stuck in a familiar misunderstanding.  You know the kind where you talk and talk and end up in the same tangled place.  We decided the best way through the intensity of the hour would be to move forward, move along,  just move!  So we did!  He packed us a picnic, I grabbed our jackets and off we drove to a nearby lake that always offers us its beauty and a place to remember that we are not alone or abandoned in our troubles but  HELD — always HELD

 by the God who made Heaven and earth — and bumble bees, full moons, and Springtime!

As we hiked, a beautiful frozen lake encircled by snow covered peaks came into view.  Exhale!  And, what’s this?  A broader perspective!  There, on the waters edge we sat in stunned silence as God ministered peace to us.  It felt like we’d been painted into the middle of His masterpiece and invited to celebrate His company.  And, that is when we heard the familiar echo of Palm Sunday!  The exuberant declaration that the King has come!  And, as we remembered we felt our hearts soften and enter the wonder and miracle of Palm Sunday — in the midst of a misunderstanding and in spite of a world pandemic, 

Jesus is King and His arrival into our days always makes a seismic difference! 

How would our thoughts be impacted if we lived inside of the reality that Jesus has come and is here now?  Are you expecting Him to arrive today and are you ready to welcome Him?  These are the questions that challenged my husband and I to wake up to  the presence of Christ in our very real lives– whether sitting in the middle of a masterpiece, weathering a storm or struggling toward love.  I want to welcome Jesus every day and I want His presence to initiate a seismic difference in my mind and heart.   I want to be part of the announcement that the King has come, and I want to celebrate all that He has done!  The love of Christ hung — and, hangs over our world to remind us that He has OVERCOME —  yesterday, today, and forever!  

HOSANNA !

“Thank you, Jesus, for being my King!  For entering my life and  clearing the way into your presence.  I welcome you!  Help me to watch for you today and notice all the ways you come to me.  Amen.”

What about you?

Are you watching for Jesus’ arrival today?

Are you ready to welcome Him?

How would seeing Jesus entering your day change the way you think and feel about your life today?

King Jesus is here!  Let’s celebrate!

Worship

 

Want God?

fullsizeoutput_2e3eBy 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 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 open my eyes 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

Sparrows

DSC_0345By Judy Villanueva

Luke 12:6-7 

Are not five sparrows sold for two pennies? Yet not one of them is forgotten in God’s sight. But even the hairs of your head are all counted. Do not be afraid; you are of more value than many sparrows.

That God does not forget one sparrow is a great consolation to my soul, for there is nothing more troubling than to feel forgotten.  Sold for less than one cent, sparrows were considered practically worthless and yet, Jesus testifies that not one is unknown to  God.  Do you ever feel forgotten?  I do at times.  To feel invisible is something that will pull the rug right out from under me.  It might happen when I don’t feel heard, considered, or remembered.  It might occur after a long period of waiting in prayer for provision or relief from a trial.  Whatever the catalyst, feeling forgotten wants to suggest that we do not matter and strikes a harsh blow to our faith and perception of God.

I think that Jesus knows that all of His children have a question embedded in the deepest part of their souls.

Do I matter?

Is my life of value and am I on anyone’s radar?  In this passage, Jesus addresses our need to hear and know how God feels about us with an emphasis that is unmistakable!  His words are a revelation of  God’s divine nature designed to help us know Him better.  Jesus tells us that God’s heart is such that He keeps track of little sparrows and even counts the number of hairs on our heads.  Yes, we matter to God!  His care for us goes far beyond knowing our names and where we live.

God’s love is intimate, personal, and particular!

When I read this morning that God does not forget even a sparrow, I felt my hope wake up!  It’s easy to feel lost in the crowd down here on planet earth–one life among millions over the centuries.  When trouble comes and stays for a long visit, it’s tiring and a little tempting to wonder if prayers have been overlooked or forgotten. This little verse helps me hear Jesus, all the way from the twenty-first century, reminding me that God has not forgotten me or my prayers!

It’s a whisper and a clap of thunder that arrives with an armful of hope for my heart today.

It refuels my faith and reshapes my wounded perception of the God who remembers me, who has utter, complete and perfect knowledge of my life — always!

“Lord, I feel refreshed today that You remember me, my hair, and my story.  Thank You for knowing me intimately, personally and particularly.  Heal  my false and wounded images of You and help me to trust in Your good heart.  Amen.”

How about you?

Do you ever feel forgotten by God?

How might you feel today, in your life right now, if you were convinced of God’s utter, complete and perfect knowledge of you?

Have you heard God say to your soul that you matter?  You do!  You matter.

God loves you and you are on His radar.

Worship

Do Not Worry

IMG_3473By Judy Villanueva

Philippians 4:6-7
Do not worry about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

I opened my eyes this morning to find a bunch of worries staring back at me! It was like they had been waiting for me to wake up so they could all talk to me at once. Can you relate? I hadn’t even had my coffee! They had my full attention for a couple of hours and before I knew it my tummy hurt and I felt overwhelmed with worry! As I anxiously drove to my first appointment, these words came to mind, “Be anxious for nothing…pray…be at peace” — and I began to talk with God.

What would happen to our worries IF when we prayed, we could physically see the King of Kings sitting across from us listening? How would we feel IF as we told Him all our troubles, we saw the tears well up in His eyes and His head nodding in understanding? These are the questions I asked myself as I laid out my burdens one by one and, THIS is the God I remembered as I made my requests known to Him.  Do you know what happened next?  I felt His peace begin to guard my heart!

In prayer God helps me remember “the real Him,” the Father who stoops to hear my voice, who cares about the things that trouble me — the One who is never too busy to listen, and who, by the way, is the most powerful Being in the universe!

And, even though nothing in the physical world around me immediately changed, I was able to lean back and exhale because I felt His peace surrounding me and I was reminded that the One who holds all things together, also holds me!

“Father, thank You for loving me. It means everything to me that You hear my prayers and care. I feel so lucky that I can talk to the King of Kings! Thanks for listening today and for calming my heart. Help me to trust You with tomorrow. Amen.”

What about you?

Are you worried about anything today? Are you feeling anxious?

Have you experienced God listening to you? Have you talked to Him about your troubles?

Do you need God’s peace to guard your heart today?

Take some time today and tell God your cares.

Worship

It’s Personal!

IMG_6759 By Judy Villanueva

Behold, I stand at the door and knock; if anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and will dine with him, and he with Me. (Revelations 3:20)

“Just as the Father has loved Me, I have also loved you; abide in My love.” (John 15:9)

I am writing this for a special friend of mine who recently asked me to explain what it is to have a personal relationship with God.  This woman is someone I consider a lifetime mentor, someone who has walked with God since her childhood.  She is someone who loves God deeply.  On the day she called me she had heard a sermon that urged the listener to have a personal relationship with God.  “What?” She considered. “What is he talking about?  I can’t be the only person who doesn’t understand what he means.”  She explained to me that in her faith tradition, God is King.  He is Other.  He is to be revered and awed, bowed to, sung to, prayed to and esteemed… but, to call him friend, or use the word “personal” to describe her relationship with Him, felt like it crossed a boundary of respect.  The notion was unfamiliar and somewhat uncomfortable, but it had, nonetheless, caught her attention!

What is a personal relationship with God?  It sounds presumptuous at the very least, and might even feel audacious or fairytale-like.  But, think about it for a minute — Isn’t the idea spectacular?  

Doesn’t it feel intriguing and beautiful and exquisite to consider that it is possible to have a mutual and intimate friendship with God?  

We can tend to be intimidated by the “otherness” of God and miss all the ways His love reaches out to touch us.  Every.  Single.  Day.  Could it be that the love of God feels more familiar than we recognize?  The formality of church invites us to worship and adore the God who is hallowed and majestic but consider, that this same God calls us children and friends.  Doesn’t the fact that God is Love mean that WHO He is — IS personal?

Love is always personal.  

The fact is, we could never hope to be friends with God if it were up to us.  It would be like strolling into a castle and taking a casual seat next to the king.  “Hey, buddy!”  NO!  The king must summon us — and He did!  Relationship was God’s idea and before we dared call Him friend, He called us children.  But, that’s not all!  The cross demonstrated the lengths God will go to prove His love for us.   And, yes, the sacrifice of His only Son was audacious and spectacular and exquisite and indeed, the TRUEST tale of LOVE ever told! 

How do we have a personal relationship with God? 

We start by saying “yes” to the King’s invitation to come and then we take our place at His table.  We let Him be our Father, and one day at a time, we learn to recognize His voice, notice His presence, and delight in being His child — named, known and deeply loved.

“Thank you, Father, that you call me friend— that You know my name and are acquainted with all my ways!  Keep reminding me that you are a close and personal God.  Help me  feel the reality of your love.  Amen.”

What about you?  

How do you respond to the the idea that God knows your name and loves you personally?

What is your relationship with God like?

Would you like to feel closer to God?  Ask Him to draw near and help you feel His love.

God loves you right now and always — no matter what.  I pray you will say “yes” to His invitation to come.

Worship

Wiggle Room

DSC_1301By Judy Villanueva

It was for freedom that Christ set us free; therefore keep standing firm and do not be subject again to a yoke of slavery. (Galatians 5:1)

I watched my little grand daughter enter the swimming pool with a kind of excitement that spills out of children when they are enveloped in favorite things!  Her smile reached out from the water with a gentle power that seemed to float over and declare the blessed truth that “There is a God and He is fun!” Suddenly, I saw her expression change as her foot left the last step and she could no longer touch the bottom of the pool! I knew her water wings would hold her up but she did not believe this and began to panic. Her body stiffened and what was magical a minute ago was now frightening. “You’re ok,” I assured her, “Your wings will keep you safe. Stay calm. Breathe.” How fast the shift can be from faith to fear, joy to panic — from freedom to the prisons  that confine our hearts and dictate how we live and feel.

Where do you need some wiggle room? What are the places in your life where you feel stuck or confined? It might be an emotional pattern that leads to an outburst or shutdown. It might be a tight place where you find your heart narrowed or cut off from love. Has fear tightened its grip? Has despair closed in?  We can usually put our finger on it by considering the circumstances where we feel hemmed in and without much power to be what we wish — the place where we lack freedom in Christ.

Freedom to trust God, freedom to love, and freedom to act from grace rather than out of the pressured places of worry, fear, and anger.

In moments of truth, how do we find the internal space to NOT DO what we usually do and DO something better instead?  To be someone better, one moment at a time.

I love the story in John 18 where Jesus identifies himself to the soldiers, officials, chief priests, and pharisees who have come to arrest him. They ask, “Are you Jesus of Nazareth?” and when He declares, “I AM He”  they all draw back and fall to the ground!  The reality of Christ is powerful and it is in Him that we find our wiggle room!

The challenge is to notice what has come to arrest our freedom and then to pause and pray for His power and a little space to do and be something better!

I want to live OUT OF the reality of the great I AM, don’t you?  I want to stop in front of the tight places of my life and take a deep breath!  I want to confront confinement and speak truth to my heart. “There is a God and He is mighty!”  I want to trust that His wings will hold me up and give me the courage and power to live free.

“Lord, help me live the reality of the great “I AM”. Thank you for your commitment to my freedom!  Be my strength and courage and wiggle room in the tight places.  Amen.”

What about you?

Where do you need some wiggle room to live differently?

What are the places in your life where you feel stuck or confined?  Where you feel locked into one way of being?

Does fear or worry ever steal your freedom?

What might it be like to live out of the reality of the great “I AM”?

Worship

Act. Love. Walk.

IMG_0409By Judy Villanueva

He has shown you, O mortal, what is good. And what does the Lord require of you?  To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God. (Micah 6:8)

The most important thing about your life is not what you do;  It’s who you become.  That’s what you will take into eternity.” (D.Willard)

Who do you want to be?  How do you want to be?  

The year past has been a blend of satisfied dreams, dreams in process and those dashed on the rocks of disappointment.  Yet, for the Christian whose goal is to grow in holiness there is, alongside every outcome and, in the midst of all the in-between spaces, a DIVINE  hand that faithfully and lovingly shapes who we are becoming.  The pressure is precise, purposed to root out behaviors that deplete and disintegrate us — AND aimed at shaping His image in us. 

There are few places in Scripture that are as specific about God’s will for us as this verse from Micah 6:8.  What does He require of us here, there and everywhere?  To act justly or in other words, to do what is right.  To love mercy!  This is a little tougher.  There is an expression that goes something like this, “Grace for me and justice for you.” We want that second chance and definitely don’t want to be punished for our misdeeds BUT we don’t always want to forgive  those who have hurt us.  

Loving mercy is a pursuit that releases something of divine beauty into our souls.  

Mercy begets mercy and the gift of being forgiven wants to make us merciful people, thankful forgivers!

Lastly, it is required that we walk humbly before our God.  This is a disposition  of mind and  heart!  It is waking up grateful because God has given us breath.  It is praying before each meal, each shower, each experience of goodness because God has provided.  

It is an inner posture of readiness to listen and obey, repent and turn, receive and worship.  

It is living in remembrance of the CROSS and standing before the MAN that we want to look like as we make decisions, put others first, suffer losses, and celebrate victories.  In humility, Jesus walked to Calvary carrying a cross and there, a mighty fusion of justice and mercy occurred where we received OH such amazing GRACE — as the King’s love for mercy acted out justice and died to set us free.

“Thank you, Jesus, for living a life that shows me what it looks like to act justly, love mercy and walk humbly before our God.  Fill me and form me and make me more like you.  Amen.”

What about you?

Who do you want to be?  How do you want to be?

Can you feel the Holy Spirit’s invitation to act justly, love mercy, and walk humbly before your God?

What might that look like today in your thoughts?  Feelings?  Actions?

When was the last time you stood before the cross and looked up?  Take it in, the beautiful love of Christ.

Worship

Magic Rain

IMG_4517By Judy Villanueva.

Your love, Lord, reaches to the heavens, your faithfulness to the skies.  Your righteousness is like the highest mountains, your justice like the great deep.  You, Lord, preserve both people and animals.  

How priceless is your unfailing love, O God!  People take refuge in the shadow of your wings.  They feast on the abundance of your house;  you give them drink from your river of delights.  for with you is the fountain of life;  in your light we see light. (Psalm 36-7-9)

It was our 25th wedding anniversary!  My husband packed a picnic for us and at 5:00 pm we headed out for a hike on a new trail.  As usual, he was excited for a new adventure and, as usual, I was nervous about encountering a lion, tiger or bear!  We found the trailhead and hiked together through a beautiful cavern, a lush green meadow and finally, the edge of a beautiful river where  we sat down to share our anniversary dinner.  There, we reminisced about a quarter century of life together until something beautiful and unexpected began to sprinkle down around us! That was the moment I discovered “Magic Rain.”  Well, I didn’t actually discover it but I noticed and named it!  Magic rain is when the sun is setting and it starts to rain!  Each droplet catches the sunlight as it falls and sparkles with delight!  I absolutely know when I see it that God is good and beautiful — and, that I can trust Him with all that is my life.

I asked a young friend recently what God was speaking to her about in the last few weeks.  She was dubious about whether or not God speaks with us specifically about our personal and real lives.  I encouraged her that God does indeed speak, all day and all night, about everything we can imagine and about infinite things, unimaginable.  I told her that I believe God desires to speak into every aspect of our lives and cares deeply about the things we care about. 

He is aware of us — every part of us — all the time.

He made us and promised to love us forever with a faithfulness that won’t ever, ever quit. His commitment to us is strong and deeply true, truer than anything we’ve ever known.  This is the God who watches over us and this is the God who speaks, yes, even through magic rain!

You see, magic rain isn’t just beautiful. It splashes us with evidence of a present and happy God! 

Noticing God’s goodness and beauty in the life around us is a way of tuning into His presence and connecting to His love. 

He IS the magic amidst the mundane, the Giver of light-filled drops from Heaven, along with countless other blessings that surround us, awaiting our notice. 

A fire in the fireplace, the loved one who sits across from you, a colorful sunrise, or a cup of hot cider are all invitations to Divine presence.  They sparkle and speak of the God who is with us.  Emmanuel.  The prayer of noticing and naming His wonders is a way that we enter into His delights and become part of the laughter that celebrates His goodness.   

“Thank you, Father, that you are the fountain of life and in your light we see light.  Help me notice you in the life around me today.  Let your goodness and beauty pull me into the middle of your delightful presence.  Amen.”

What about you?

Can you hear goodness and beauty say to your soul, “God is with you!”?

Do you listen for God’s voice?  Do you expect to hear Him speaking to you?

How do you do at “noticing and naming” the wonders of God around you?

It goes without saying that just beyond those sunlit droplets is a rainbow waiting to be noticed!

Worship

With!

DSC_0213By Judy Villanueva

In the sixth month of Elizabeth’s pregnancy, God sent the angel Gabriel to Nazareth, a town in Galilee, to a virgin pledged to be married to a man named Joseph, a descendant of David. The virgin’s name was Mary. The angel went to her and said, “Greetings, you who are highly favored! The Lord is with you.”

I was only fifteen years old and a visitor to this odd little church where people stood up and shared publicly how they met Jesus.  My eyes were riveted on the girl who spoke because her story didn’t match her radiant smile.  I leaned forward and tried to put together the facts of her life that included being sixteen, pregnant, unmarried, AND full of joy!  I was unable to conceive how these realities could live together happily but,  I saw in her countenance a beauty that pointed beyond her circumstances to a God who loved her and filled her with so much hope that it spilled out onto all of us who sat listening!

Mary was very likely around this same age when the angel, Gabriel, visited her.  As I imagined the encounter this morning, the words, “The Lord is with you,” jumped off the page and onto my lap. Tears filled my eyes as I held and heard them for myself.  “The Lord is with you.”  Like a window that opened to welcome a fresh breeze, I felt the weary and dulled places of my soul being revived.  At the beginning of this day and, in the middle of my life,

I realize how much I need fresh announcements of God’s presence.

That God is with us means everything!  It offers sweet relief from worry and needed reassurance that we are not alone in an untamed world.

Before Gabriel disclosed the reason for his visit, he gave Mary the best news of her life! God is with you!  As I left the house this morning to run errands and visit a troubled friend, I reminded myself that wherever I go, whomever I am with, and whatever I will face today, the Lord is with me.

It became a personal annunciation of “Christ with me” in the middle of a very ordinary day and, it changed everything.

It filled me with joy and a sense of purpose. Think of it!  If God is with us, then, seriously, whom shall we fear?  And, if He is indeed with us then we can live this day beautifully loved, saved, pointing beyond our circumstances…and spilling over with hope for others!

“Thank You, Lord, for this morning’s announcement that You are with me. It gave me a needed shift in focus and truly revived my soul. Help me to recall Your presence daily, and please let the joy of it spills out onto others. Amen.”

What about you?

Do you need a fresh announcement that God is with you?

How does it feel to slow down and hear the words, “The Lord is with you” ?

What would it be like to live a day “with God” at your side?

God.  Is.  With.  You.

Worship

Thermal Soaring

DSC_0874 By Judy Villanueva

Even youths grow tired and weary, and young men stumble and fall;  but those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength.  They will soar on wings like eagles;  they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.  (Isaiah 40)

We huffed and puffed up the last of three inclines that make up our regular workout and just as we crested the hill my husband pointed to something that called us to attention.  There above us was an eagle soaring effortlessly, catching thermals and being lifted up higher and higher until we could barely make out its form in the sky.  God seemed to be speaking to us through this majestic creature, encouraging us to hope beyond gravity and all the things that tether our faith to the ground.  Expending very little energy, the eagle road the thermals  to amazing heights and a view that stretched out for miles!  

A thermal is a column of rising air created when the sun warms the earth and forms an atmospheric updraft.  Don’t we all need a little updraft to help us soar above our lives and catch a broader view?   

There is something about flying that speaks of freedom, of rising above the constraints of our circumstances  — and our tired and weary places.

Without hope we are earthbound and cut off from sweet dreams and bright tomorrows.  “BUT,”  as Isaiah declares, “those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength;  they will soar on wings like eagles!  They will run and not grow weary.”  And, there it is!  Our thermal! 

God is the eternal, immortal, invisible — atmospheric updraft of the soul! 

His love warms our hearts and lifts up hope within us.  But how, we might ask, how do we catch and soar on Holy thermals?  

Hoping in the Lord involves experiencing His love and learning to discern His movements around us.  This happens whenever we dwell in His presence —

when we slow down, calm down, and put down all our doing and reach for God instead! 

We enter His embrace when we read His Word and listen.  We stretch out our wings as we meditate on what we read and let the Truth become our fuel for flight. We find renewed strength when we sing His praises and rejoice in His love.  

We soar as we spread out our faith and let the Holy Spirit lift us up into hope — hope eternal and unfailing, hope that rests in the heart of God

—a sacred place with a view that stretches out for miles — and the very best launch pad for flight!

“Father, I thank you that you are a steady and faithful place of hope and hoping.  Help me to discern your movements around me.  Lift up hope within me.   Amen.”   

What about you? 

Are you tired and weary?  Do you need some encouragement to hope beyond gravity?

Are you cultivating a habit of slowing and quieting with God’s word?  It is a helpful and fruitful way to read.

Are there things you need to put down so you can reach for God?

Are you experiencing God’s love and learning to discern His movements around you?

Worship