Rain

Dear Lord,
Thank you for rain. You send rain to parch our thirsty souls. You send down the waters of baptism so that we might not dry up, but rather will have life, and have it abundantly. The waters soak us to the core, filling up those empty spots that cause us sorrow and grief. The waters change us, transform us, wash us clean so that we might start again in you. We see the waters, we know the waters, and while we fear our abilities to swim in them, we trust and love you for them. Teach us to swim, to bathe and play in them, to treasure the moments we have with you. Teach us to be holy as you are holy, to see this world as you do, through the lens of Christ Jesus our Lord. You are an awesome God, and the living waters, those waters that fill us forever, sustain us day by day, and amaze us with each breath.
Amen.

Romans 2:17-29

But if you call yourself a Jew and rely on the law and boast of your relation to God 18and know his will and determine what is best because you are instructed in the law, 19and if you are sure that you are a guide to the blind, a light to those who are in darkness, 20a corrector of the foolish, a teacher of children, having in the law the embodiment of knowledge and truth, 21you, then, that teach others, will you not teach yourself? While you preach against stealing, do you steal? 22You that forbid adultery, do you commit adultery? You that abhor idols, do you rob temples? 23You that boast in the law, do you dishonor God by breaking the law? 24For, as it is written, “The name of God is blasphemed among the Gentiles because of you.” 25Circumcision indeed is of value if you obey the law; but if you break the law, your circumcision has become uncircumcision. 26So, if those who are uncircumcised keep the requirements of the law, will not their uncircumcision be regarded as circumcision? 27Then those who are physically uncircumcised but keep the law will condemn you that have the written code and circumcision but break the law. 28For a person is not a Jew who is one outwardly, nor is true circumcision something external and physical. 29Rather, a person is a Jew who is one inwardly, and real circumcision is a matter of the heart—it is spiritual and not literal. Such a person receives praise not from others but from God.
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When I was in college, I always told people I was a Christian, but in reality my faith was like a nice sweater--I would put it on once a month or so, but most of the time I kept it in the closet where it didn't affect my life. I didn't go to church very often or remove the dust from my Bible. There was no integrity between what I did and what I said. My heart was not offered to God, but rather to myself, selfishly. While I now attend church regularly (some might be a little upset if I didn't!), I still struggle with matching my words to my actions. Faith is about what we do, who we love and who we serve. We need to continue to evaluate our lives to be sure Christ is who we love first, who we serve first, and that love is what we do.

Blessings

Napping. Good for the soul?

Naps enhanced recall of words after a 7 h and 20 min retention interval relative to both caffeine and placebo. Caffeine significantly impaired motor learning compared to placebo and naps. Napping produced robust perceptual learning compared with placebo; however, naps and caffeine were not significantly different. These findings provide evidence of the limited benefits of caffeine for memory improvement compared with napping.

(From Science Direct)

So naps are better for us than caffeine. I'm not that surprised. We are constantly struggling to come up with new and improved ways to live faster, with more and more packed into every hour. What if we simply stopped for a little while? This study shows that naps have more benefits than we could imagine. That's great if we could all stop and nap at work, but for those of us who don't have a cot and a pillow in our offices, perhaps we could realize that there is benefit in stopping, for whatever length of time, taking a deep breath and handing control over to God. If we could collect ourselves and allow ourselves to be led, perhaps we would find energies we didn't know we have, for in allowing God to lead we find our purpose, to glorify God, rather than trying to desperately rush to get things done to move onto the next task. Peace in God is preferable to frenzy for the sake of busy-ness.

Dawn

Dear Lord,
In these precious moments before the sunrise, remind me of the peace and order of your creation. I cling to the darkness, the chaos and disorder that was present before you spoke over the waters. In some ways it is as though I am still waiting for creation, for I am unable to understand how you have transformed me through the blood of Christ. I am still clinging to petty things, like greed and selfishness, when you have given such richer things for us to enjoy. Give me the strength and the courage to accept your love and to go through this day remembering your eternal and spotless love, love that ordered this world and claimed me as your own. To all whom I meet, may I offer a reflection of your love, your goodness and your mercy. May I who has been forgiven freely offer forgiveness and love to others, doing all things in your holy name.
Amen.