I come from Laughter... October 21

During our Going Live session through Stir The Water.. We did this exercise together...

Write down:  Psalm 63:8  My soul clings to You..

Practice Lectio Divina using that phrase and scripture... (See article below)

Realize where you do cling to Him.. Realize where you don't...  Journal.

Psalm 139
For You formed my inward parts;
You wove me in my mother’s womb.
I will give thanks to You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made;
Wonderful are Your works,
And my soul knows it very well.

Does your soul know it well? Where does it? Where doesn't it? Journal

“Always be on the lookout for the presence of wonder.”

 ~E.B. White

What I shared in our morning time together was about finding that place of wonder and the truth of wonderfully made in you.. I shared how I created a moment of wonder simply on the way to the bus stop this morning when walking with our 4 and 7 year olds I knelt down and looked them in the eyes and blew out breath into the cold morning air so that "smoke" would emerge.  Did I feel like making an extra special moment for them?  NO.. I was cold, and tired and had a lot on my mind. BUT in capturing that moment I created a moment of wonder for them and then in so doing created a moment of wonderment for me in the enjoyment and the laughter...

We will be posting the session for this morning soon....  There is an opportunity to grow into understanding of how wonderfully and fearfully you are made and how in each season of life whatever the circumstances or situations are that we find ourselves within .. We can cling to Him and He will uphold us... Learning to find that in the moment to moment aspect of our lives are so fundamentally important...

Be blessed upon your journey ...  Look for the posting from today's Going Live Session... (October 21, 2013

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Lectio divina is a slow, contemplative praying of the Scriptures. Time set aside in a special way for lectio divina enables us to discover in our daily life an underlying spiritual rhythm. Within this rhythm, we discover an increasing ability to offer more of ourselves and our relationships to the Father, and to accept the embrace that God is continuously extending to us in the person of his son, Jesus Christ.

Very often our concerns, our relationships, our hopes and aspirations, naturally intertwine with our meditations on the Scriptures. We can attend "with the ear of our hearts" to our own memories, listening for God's presence in the events of our lives. We experience Christ reaching out to us through our own memories. Our own personal story becomes salvation history.

How to Practice Lectio Divina 

Choose a text of the Scriptures that you wish to pray. Many Christians use in their daily lectio divina one of the readings from the eucharistic liturgy for the day (find the readings here); others prefer to slowly work through a particular book of the Bible. It makes no difference which text is chosen, as long as one has no set goal of "covering" a certain amount of text. The amount of text covered is in God's hands, not yours.

Place yourself in a comfortable position and allow yourself to become silent. Some Christians focus for a few moments on their breathing; others have a beloved "prayer word" or "prayer phrase" they gently recite.. For some, the practice known as "centering prayer" makes a good, brief introduction to lectio divina. Use whatever method is best for you and allow yourself to enjoy silence for a few moments.

Turn to the text and read it slowly, gently. Savor each portion of the reading, constantly listening for the "still, small voice" of a word or phrase that somehow says, "I am for you today." Do not expect lightning or ecstasies. In lectio divina, God is teaching us to listen to him, to seek him in silence. He does not reach out and grab us; rather, he gently invites us ever more deeply into his presence.

Take the word or phrase into yourself. Memorize it and slowly repeat it to yourself, allowing it to interact with your inner world of concerns, memories, and ideas. Do not be afraid of distractions. Memories or thoughts are simply parts of yourself that, when they rise up during lectio divina, are asking to be given to God along with the rest of your inner self. Allow this inner pondering, this rumination, to invite you into dialogue with God.

Speak to God. Whether you use words, ideas, or images--or all three--is not important. Interact with God as you would with one who you know loves and accepts you. And give to him what you have discovered during your experience of meditation. Experience God by using the word or phrase he has given you as a means of blessing and of transforming the ideas and memories that your reflection on his word has awakened. Give to God what you have found within your heart.

Rest in God's embrace. And when he invites you to return to your contemplation of his word or to your inner dialogue with him, do so. Learn to use words when words are helpful, and to let go of words when they no longer are necessary. Rejoice in the knowledge that God is with you in both words and silence, in spiritual activity and inner receptivity.

Sometimes in lectio divina, you may return several times to the printed text, either to savor the literary context of the word or phrase that God has given or to seek a new word or phrase to ponder. At other times, only a single word or phrase will fill the whole time set aside for lectio divina. It is not necessary to assess anxiously the quality of your lectio divina, as if you were "performing" or seeking some goal. Lectio divina has no goal other than that of being in the presence of God by praying the Scriptures.               This article written by:  Father Luke Dysinger