Now at the Sheep Pool in Jerusalem…were crowds of sick people- blind, lame, paralyzed-waiting for the water to move…

One man there had an illness…when Jesus saw him lying there, he asked: “Do you want to be well again?”   John 5:2-7

St. John describes the chaotic scene at the Sheep Pool that day. All around the water were five porches filled with sick people. Only the first person to enter the water after “the Angel of the Lord came down to the pool” would be healed. Every time the water moved, the crush of all those people straining to get to the pool must have been overwhelming.

One man in the crowd “had an illness” for thirty-eight years. His specific problem is not recorded, but whatever it was, it kept him from getting in the water at the right time.

The sick man tells the Lord that getting to the pool first is impossible. He is losing hope of ever being cured.

To The Rescue!

What I would have done if the man had told me his story? This poor guy has been suffering for thirty-eight years. The Sheep Pool was his last hope.

I think I would have called all my friends (I would have called you!) and gotten them down to the Pool. I’d call Eyewitness News to get some PR, and hopefully a few local gladiators would come down to block for my friends and me. Maybe the Fire Department would donate a stretcher.

That’s what I’d do.

So isn’t it interesting that when Jesus heard the story, with all it’s sorrows, he didn’t do anything like that.

Jesus Empowers

Jesus stood there surrounded by twelve guys in pretty good shape too. He could have had the Apostles move the man to the water. But that wasn’t the plan.

Jesus wanted to cure this man, but he wanted the sick man to participate. This healing wasn’t going to just ‘happen’ to the invalid.

Jesus tells him “Get up, pick up your sleeping mat and walk.”

Faith is shown in prayer and hope, but its crowning achievement is action. Jesus is telling this man that he can be cured, but he’ll have to convert his faith into walking. He can be cured without the waters of the pool. But he’ll have to make that first step.

Picking Up My Mat

Jesus wants me to step out sometimes too. He knows that when I want my circumstances to change, I first pray for that change. And then I hope he will send the right person to help.

I waiting for him to move.

I’m really asking for a change to ‘happen’ to me. People will help me. God will help me. I’ll just sit over here and wait. Well, sometimes it works like that.

But most of the time, the Lord wants me to pick myself up off my mat (or sofa) and get started. I’m a very important part of the change I seek.

Just like the sick man at the Sheep Pool, I’ve already prayed and hoped for help. And now Jesus is asking me to stand up and walk.  Am I going to sit there and tell Jesus I can’t do it?

The Lord healed the man at the pool when he decided to move.

Now it’s my turn to convert faith to action. It’s time to get up and walk.

“Babies are bits of stardust, blown from the hand of God”

~Baretto

Linking today with: Still Saturday

I recently participated in my first “Tea Cup Exchange” with Stephanie at The Enchanting Rose. I have known Stephanie for a long time, she was one of the first followers on my blog: “Evangelize to Me.” I never really understood how an exchange worked, but I was always curious. When she offered this opportunity, I decided to try it.

After submitting my name and address, Stephanie paired me with Kitty at Kitty’s Kozy Kitchen . I sent her a little package with a cup and some goodies too. Kitty has a blog that includes arts, crafts and recipes. She sent me an email with a photo of the things I sent her, and a written thank you note too. What a lovely person! I am so happy to have met her.

Then a package came to my door! Anne from Stuff and Nonsense sent me some lovely things, and I am so happy to share that with you today.

Anne sent me a beautiful and colorful cup and saucer. Where I live, it’s still cold, and I have been drinking tea almost every night. This cup will cheer up those chilly evenings. The jam is amazing, and maybe you can’t see the name of it, it’s called “Four Fruits Preserves.” My husband has been eyeing it every since it came! And she sent a ceramic spoon to use with it too.

I love the journal. What blog-writer isn’t reaching for paper to write down ideas, or work out a thought? This journal will be my companion at teatime. And if I don’t have any ideas to work on, I have this little pack of amazing prints of the Biltmore Estate. This Estate is located in North Carolina, and is owned and operated by the family of George Vanderbilt. The photos are so beautiful. They are the perfect thing to view while I sip my tea.

Anne’s blog is a mash-up of lots of things. She writes book reviews, interviews authors, posts photos and poetry, highlights crafts and participates in Random 5 Friday. I hope you’ll visit her!

She really hung in there with me. The first time she sent my package, it was returned to her…wrong address! Thank you again Anne for clearing up the problem and resending the box. I love it all.

Maybe you’d like to participate in an exchange some day. It’s a fun way to meet new bloggers, and get something in the mail that’s not a bill. And you don’t have to be a blogger to participate!

Dear Friends,

Amy, from God’s Grace Overflows has asked for our prayers. She lives in rural Colorado, where they are suffering through a significant drought. The topsoil is so dry that it’s blowing away in the wind. The dirt also blows into homes, causing all kinds of clean-up challenges.

Would you keep Amy, her family and neighbors in your prayers? And please pray for rain to fall in her region. I know she will appreciate all your efforts. Thank you so much.

Visit Surrounded by the Spirit on Facebook .

The girl looked to be about ten years old. Slowly, she rose from her chair. Putting one hand on the back of the chair, and one hand at her side, she began to hop from one foot to the other.

Her smile gave birth to a grin as she warmed to the dance. Her parents swayed and clapped out the time, smiling their encouragement.

I was in an Irish restaurant on St. Patrick’s Day. My sister made reservations well in advance and we had a prime table. We were right in front of the stage. A three-man Irish band played fiddle, guitar and tin whistle while Irish dancers clicked out the beat with their hard shoes.

But the real show was at the table behind me.

The music and dancing was so infectious that the shy little girl was transformed. She knew she wasn’t like the pros on the stage, but that didn’t matter. It was impossible for her to sit still.

Her jubilant dance rippled over to her parents who encouraged her steps. Losing herself in the rhythm of the fiddle, her joy washed over all of us.

That’s the power of joy.

Every life has this power. Every soul has this joy.

I have a choice. I can cooperate with the grace of joy that fills me, or ignore it. How I choose will not only make my life a dance, but it can also bubble over to everyone I meet.

We all have people who look to us. We have families, friends, co-workers, and church friends. The number of people doesn’t matter. It matters that I realize that there are people who will be affected by my attitude and spirit.

Everyday, good things happen and bad things too. The challenge is to decide to be an inspirational song, no matter what is happening. And my choice won’t just affect me. My actions and words have power. There are people watching.

That’s a lot of influence, isn’t it?

But God only has you and me to encourage another person (or a whole room) to dance with joy. He is hoping that I will allow others to see his gifts in me, and give him praise.

It’s easy to be negative; it’s easy to just sit. But that’s not what God calls us to do. We’re supposed to be like his Son. Although Jesus faced challenges, his joy radiated to everyone he met. Always on the move, always available to pray; his life inspired and healed.

The same power of the Spirit that was in Christ rains down on all us every day. And it’s renewed every morning.  The grace of joy is a gift, but not to own. It’s to share.

Every morning, I have a choice. Do I get up and dance to the tune of joy, or do I stay mute in my chair?

I think I’ll let that ten year old lead me. I think she’s got the right idea.

Visit Surrounded by the Spirit on Facebook . I’d love to see you there!

I am still on blog-break until 3/24, but something great came up and I wanted to share it with you.

My first “officially published” essay is on FullFill Magazine’s Weekly ReFill blogsite!

FullFill Magazine is an on-line Christian publication. It has a blog contribution section, which publishes one blog entry a week on it’s blogspot.com site. I have been a subscriber for many months, so I thought I’d try to submit a piece. And they accepted it! Yay!

Although there is a comment section after the blog piece, Fullfill does not publish comments. So instead (if you have the time), you can come on back here after you read it, and tell me what you think.

You can view the essay by clicking here . I’m so glad you came by to share in my news!

(If you have trouble using that link, you can go directly to: www.fullfillmagazine.blogspot.com)

Please come and visit me on my Facebook page . I hope you’ll ‘Like’ it!

I am leaving today to visit my Dad for a while. Lucky for me, he spends the winter in Florida! I’m flying down to meet my sister at the airport in the Sunshine State, and then we’re driving together to where he lives.

I’m looking forward to getting away from snow and ice, seeing my sister (who lives far from me), and catching up with my father.

If you would, please pray for a safe trip.

I’ll be back blogging on March 24th. See you then, ok?

Blessings to you all. See you soon!

Ceil

Check out my Facebook Page!

It’s been a harsh winter. Even as I write, the snow still carpets the grass. The sun shines, but its rays are weak. I’m not sure if the temperature will break the freezing point today.

Under all that snow and ice and frozen dirt lie all kinds of seeds. Suspended in sleep, they are frozen in time. Not growing, but not gone.

There are times when I feel as frozen as those seeds.

The winter of my soul captures me and holds me in place. My prayer life ices up and I am frozen in my spiritual tracks. The ice in my heart leaves me with nothing to grab. I am sitting in stillness, surrounded by unmoving and lifeless glaciers.

I’m not a big fan of weather extremes. I like a sunny day, about seventy-five degrees, thank you. It can rain when I’m sleeping, I don’t want my outdoor plans canceled. Basically, I want to be comfortable all the time. I don’t want to be inconvenienced.

My heart and soul feel the same way. I always want open communication with the Lord. When I pray, I want to hear his voice, thank you. If he must be silent, I’d prefer that happens while I’m ‘asleep’ going through my daily chores, or watching TV. I don’t want to be disappointed in prayer, or abandoned in my quiet time with him.

But where I live, winter is a necessary season. Without it, constant warmth would completely change the life cycle of nature. Trees would eventually die from the overgrowth of pests and mold that invaded in the summer. Farmland that would normally lay abandoned in the snow would become lifeless from overuse.

It’s the same with my heart and soul. In order for my faith to flourish and deepen, the winter must come. If I had a constant connection to the Lord, I’d get a little too comfortable. The overgrowth of self-reliance would begin to kill my spirit.

Thanks be to the God who wants to save me from my self-reliance. He leads me to seasons of stillness and quiet, and not because he wants to freeze me out. He is not abandoning me. He is challenging me to sit peacefully in the snow, in the emptiness of silence.

It feels like I’m alone. It appears that I am abandoned. But nothing could be further that the truth. He is always with me, but he wants me to be always with him. He wants me to desire him more and more, and to never be satisfied with my relationship with him.

So as I look at the frozen backyard, I realize that my desire for spring mirrors my desire for a new relationship with the Lord.

The winter weather will break into spring its own time. My spiritual winter will come to an end too, and the Lord will reveal himself to me again in his time.

The springtime in my soul will be a joyous rebirth of faith and reunion with the Father.

I can’t wait for spring!

My new favorite song these days is Better Than a Halleluja by Amy Grant. Not only is the melody beautiful, the words are just so mournful and true. If you haven’t heard it before, you can check it out by clicking on the song title.

I have followed Amy Grant for years and even saw her in concert with her husband Vince Gill. Her voice is so clear and warm; it draws me into her song every time.

Most of my favorite music is sung by individual singers.

But I do have a soft spot for harmony. Crosby, Stills and Nash sing a song called Teach Your Children . As teenagers, my two sisters and I would sit with our guitars in a circle in the living room. We’d play and sing that song, trying to recreate those heavenly harmonies. We sang it again at my daughter’s wedding.

Just like the songs of the soloist, the words and music are beautiful. But it’s the harmony that makes me soar.

Prayer is a lot like music.

Solo prayer is the communication between God and me alone. I speak with my own voice, telling the Lord what I am doing, how much I love him and tell him about my friends and family who need healing.

The lyrics of my prayer might be mournful, or they might be joyous. They express my faith and need in a way that is unique to me. Our Father loves this intimate song between Father and daughter.

He leans in close to hear my prayer. He looks at me and I recognize the expression on his face. It’s the same way I looked at my own babies. I see love shining in his eyes.

God loves harmonies too. He loves to hear his children singing together. That harmony comes from group prayer and praise.

It might be a small group, or a large congregation. The size doesn’t matter. It matters that God’s children are coming together to have a family reunion. And let me tell you, the Father loves family reunions.

The prayers we pray and the songs we sing together, as a community of faith, do come from individuals. But we are coming together to create a unity of believers.

As our prayers and songs are knitted together, they create a symphony of love. We do not only belong, as individuals, to God; we also belong to each other as parts of the Body of Christ. Family prayer becomes complete in union with our brothers and sisters.

And the Lord leans toward his family with eyes sparkling like jewels. His desire for peace and love between his children is fulfilled in his sight. And all that love just sounds like a song.

Solos and harmonies. Beautiful ways to express our praise. Both of these forms of prayer are loved by the Father. I don’t think God wants me to choose one or the other.

I think he wants me to love both. I know he sure does.

Surrounded by the Spirit Facebook Page …have you ‘liked’ it yet?