Long Time No See

I've had trouble logging on and adding to this blog lately. So, I'll try to bring you up to date as quickly as I can. 

Kim (my husband of 33 years) and I were in Italy the last part of September, and part of October, celebrating our anniversary. It was a whirlwind, two-week trip, involving entirely too many towns, hotels, and museums. And frankly, lots of gelato. Mmmm good.

Since we've been home, I've done a retreat at the Firs in Bellingham, and worked hard on the new fiction project. It's due in three and a half weeks. If you're of the praying sort, I could really use the prayer support.

And, here's what I want to share with you. It comes from a friend of mine in Portland, who's been following Jesus for a long time. Her relationship with the savior is different than mine, but we often challenge one another to grow in Christ. 

Her latest discovery is a new approach to her quiet time. Kerrie is a random, artist type personality. She has trouble reading the Bible sequentially. It doesn't stick that way. She reads, but doesn't leave it with any real growth. So, the Lord seems to have led her to a new style. I thought I'd share it with you. I've been working at it for a while, and I've been excited by the change in my quiet times. See what you think:

She started with a three ring notebook. She added dividers labeled, "Questions," (what she wants to know more about. She has topics like "What moves the heart of God?" "What does generosity mean?" "What are the principles of the kingdom?") "Bible" (meaning answers to the questions she's asking) "Speaking" (meaning she writes what she thinks God is telling her about her own life and prayer concerns) and lastly "Prayer" (meaning her list of prayer concerns for her own life and others)

The cool thing about the approach is that she starts every day with a question for God. Then, she either listens as he leads her to scripture, or she uses a traditional tool, like a concordance or index to look for answers. Anything that she feels she learns, she writes down in actual quotes from the text. (Bible section).

I've been doing it too, only I use it while going through my traditional approach to reading scripture. For instance, one of the things I've noted going through the book of Proverbs is a list of the things that delight God. I've wondered, what does that mean? To delight God? To tickle him? To make him warm and fuzzy? I don't know, exactly but I'm learning. I'm thinking. I'm asking.

But the list is amazing. It includes honesty. The prayer of the righteous. Keeping your word, and a bunch of other simple ideas. 

You might try a notebook. You can add pages wherever your notes fill up a page. You can change direction at any time. And best of all, it's interactive. It's a way to really include God and wait for his leading as you spend time with him. Try it. And let me know what you think?

Bette