Resonating With God

Welcome to my new website! I decided to create a site that is dedicated to lessons God is teaching me as I go about my life. My other site has tons of family updates and I wanted to be able to share with others without them needing to sift through my family photos first. So, I copied some of the stories I wanted to share from my family blog and re-posted them here. I'm planning to post on my talk "Gardening With God" over the next few weeks.

Why Resonating with God? The word resonate has been on my mind this year. Here's the definition-
res·o·nate (rěz'ə-nāt') Pronunciation Key v. res·o·nat·ed, res·o·nat·ing, res·o·nates
1. To exhibit or produce resonance or resonant effects.
2. To evoke a feeling of shared emotion or belief
3. To correspond closely or harmoniously: "Symbolism matters, especially if the symbols resonate with the larger message" (William Greider).
v. tr. To cause to resound. [Latin resonāre, resonāt-; see resound.] res'o·na'tion n.

I was reading the Velvet Elvis by Rob Bell (highly recommend) and I have to share this with you because it's one of those times when God confirms something and it just makes me laugh at how connected and obvious it is.

pgs. 76, 88, & 92
He's talking about a couple whose wedding he is going to perform out in a beautiful place in nature who didn't want any "Jesus or God or Bible or religion to be talked about. But they did want to make it really spiritual." (Sounds like a lot of people in Santa Cruz if you ask me.) When he asked them why they wanted to get married in this beautiful place the groom said, "something holds this all together". Rob Bell was able to then be a "Tour Guide" and point out to them "the creative, life-giving God who is already present in their midst." Through that they were able to see God. He then went on to say, "When they resonate with the peace and harmony of unspoiled nature, I believe God made it unspoiled by speaking it into existence. And Jesus is the life force that makes it possible. So in the deepest sense we can comprehend, my friends are resonating with Jesus, whether they acknowledge it or not."

People all around us are already RESONATING with God whether they acknowledge it or not... I think God is asking us to be "Tour Guides". pg 87 "It is as if Paul is a spiritual tour guide and is taking his readers through their world, pointing out the true and the good wherever he sees it."

Maybe part of our mission right now is "See God where others don't, and can point Him out." pg 88 "So the issue isn't so much taking Jesus to people who don't have him, but going to a place and pointing out to the people there the creative, life-giving God who is already present in their midst. It is searching for the things they have already affirmed as real and beautiful and true and then telling them who you believe is the source of all that."

I experienced this when I was getting a massage a few months ago... we were talking about astrological signs. It was an interesting and wonderful experience because I didn't try to talk her out of what she believed but I did ask her who she thought the creator of the stars and the signs was and we were able to have an amazing conversation about God. I wasn't able to process all of that until just now. God is continually amazing me!

What's on the reading list

The other day I realized how much my temporary bookshelf reflects what is going on in my life. It's temporary because I know if I add these books to any of my bookcases they will be forgotten. In fact I just realized that a few of my parenting books have been miss shelved and they haven't gotten much attention lately. If you can tell from this collection... I LOVE to read. Thanks Mom & Dad for paying me a dime a chapter to read when I was little. It's a priceless gift. If you're looking for a great deal on books check out http://www.half.com/ . I found that sight recently and my bookshelf has grown a lot recently. I've got a back up of books and not enough time to read them.

In this photo you'll see that building our addition is on our list. So is our adoption, church stuff, my book club. Book in different locations include my gardening books which are currently outside being used. We expanded and planted our garden this past weekend. The South Beach diet is in the kitchen... yes, I'm going to start that diet but not until after Easter. My parenting books have been moved back to the temporary shelf. My many magazines are in my favorite reading spots. I love Sunset, Family Fun, Lasting Moments (CM) , and Better Homes and Garden. My bible and study on the life of Daniel are in my book bag ready to take out to the sunshine to study and pray.

You know what is missing??? Travel books! Those are all in the permanent book shelves... but we do have a lot of them and we do plan to do something this summer to celebrate our 10 year anniversary.

Talking about all of these books and magazines makes me want to get outside and read... bye bye.