Ascension Day

Ascension Day 2019

May 30, 2019

Luke 24: 44-52

This post is a day late-

 the electricity went out for 14 hours yesterday into today

 with a major storm that came through Northern Virginia.

So just now finishing this up.

This day might have just slipped by on your calendar.

Many churches that used to hold worship

 on this day now observe it 

on the previous or next Sunday.

The resource from the Visual Faith Ministry 

website helped me to stop a moment 

and reflect on the Ascension.

In what could have been a very sorrowful day-

 of losing the presence of Jesus- 

became a day filled with joy and praise.

There was something his disciples 

were beginning to understand about His presence.

Jesus was with them-

 even when his physical presence was not.

They left Bethany 

"and they worshiped him 

and returned to Jerusalem with great joy,

and were continually in the temple blessing God."

How much of my day do I spend in worship

 and blessing God?

Such an outright challenge to priorities.

So fitting that on this rather unobtrusive day

 on the calendar-

that a few moments are spent reading

 this section of Scripture.

I love the section right before the Ascension 

when Jesus "opened their minds to understand Scripture."

Lord, 

this is my prayer -

open my mind.

Take me further, 

push the boundaries,

take me higher.

By the power of the Holy Spirit.

Amen.

Supplies:

Visual Church Year printable
childrens-bulletin-luke-2445-53019-ascension
Water colors

Colored pencils

Junk mail cutouts

Foolish Easter

The Lamb The Lamb-

on this April Fool's Easter.

The New Life Recreation 

that is the work of the Holy Spirit. 

 An April Fool's gathering of

flowers, music and worshipers.

  The fool says in his heart,

 “There is no God.” They are corrupt, 

they do abominable deeds; 

there is none who does good.

Psalm 14:1

 But, we know and remember-
"He is not here; he has risen,
 just as he said. 
Come and see the place where he lay."
Matthew 28:6

Anytime that I am foolish enough 

to believe that anything

is my own good accomplishment-

let me REMEMBER.

 As a claimed heir to the Kingdom-

and by the work of the Holy Spirit-

it is ALL GRACE.

"And with great power the apostles 

were giving their testimony

 to the resurrection 

of the Lord Jesus, 

and great grace was upon them all."

Acts 4:33

May we be powerful witnesses to this 

resurrection story,

even if the world sees us as foolish.

Photos taken at 
Prince of Peace Lutheran Church-
 Springfield Virginia
April 1, 2018

An Easter Prayer

An Easter Prayer

Lord, send me a surprise.

One that catches me off guard 

and makes me wonder.

Like Easter.

Send me a resurrection

when everything looks dead and buried.

Send me light 

when night seems too long. 

Send me spring

when the cold and frozen season

seems endless.

Send me an idea

when my mind is empty.

Send me a thing to do

when I am just waiting around.

Send me a new friend 

when I am alone.

Send me peace

when I am afraid.

Send me a future

when it looks hopeless

Send me Your resurrection

when I die, Jesus.

Herb Brokering

Hosanna- Now Save us!

O Jerusalem, O Jerusalem 

Thinking of the walls 

and gates of the City-

 this Palm Sunday.

Thinking of the streets of the city.

O Jerusalem.

So they took branches of palm trees 
and went out to meet him, 
crying out, “Hosanna! 
Blessed is he who comes in the name
 of the Lord, even the King of Israel!”
John 12:13

Lent and Easter Words- Tag Booklet

Some photos of the 

Keep the Faith Project-

 Lent and Easter Words-

the Tag Booklet

Shrove Tuesday, Ash Wednesday

Lent and Holy Week

Palm Sunday, Maundy Thursday

Gethsemane and Good Friday

Golgatha, Tenebrae

Strepitus and Hymn 

 John 14:1-4,  Holy Saturday

Easter and Resurrection

 Christ the Lord is Risen today!

Alleluia!

A favorite hymn

The project can be downloaded

 in Resources on the

Visual Faith Ministry website
lent-and-easter-words-tag-booklet

Supplies:
Scrapbook paper 
Old Hymnal
Fibers and ribbon
Washi tape
12 #8 size manila tags
Assorted die-cuts
Distress ink
Thrift store Bible
Paper Clips

VaLENTine's Day

Bible Marginalia Series- #281

Ash Wednesday and Valentine's Day
 on the same day.
How often does that happen?

This year Ash Wednesday 

and Valentine’s Day

 are overlapping for the 

first time since 1945.

So this is the first time in my lifetime.

The two dates have also overlapped

 in 1923 and 1934 

and will coincide again in 2024 and 2029.

Hanging out in Psalm 51-
 in my Large Print Crossways Bible.
Using the printable margins 
from the Visual Faith Ministry website 
designed by Pat Maier.
ash-wednesday-margins

Prayer time devotions:

 mercy, steadfast, blot and transgressions

So I pray:
 There is NOTHING
 I can do to make up
 this great deficit in my life.
May YOU, O God,
come near. 
Create in Me a Clean Heart.
Restore to me the Joy of your salvation,
and uphold me with a wiling spirit.
Rework what needs to go,
and bless me with the gifts
 to be wholly and only your new creation,
Amen.

What a blessing to walk into my church
 for Ash Wednesday services 
and see some of the resources from 
Visual Faith Ministry
www.visualfaithmin.org 
ready for those that connect this way for LENT.

So, may we REMEMBER 
that on this day of ashes and turning back, 
that at the center of this great gift
 is the cross and the great LOVE
 our Father has for each of us.

Supplies:
 printable margin- visualfaithmin.org
colored pencils 
scrapbook paper
assorted die cut printables
fine-point Sharpie pen- non-bleeding

Visual Faith- Christmas Prayer Calendars

 I start some things that SEEM

 like a great idea for Visual Faith practices,

but don't always follow through.

Anyone else like that?

4 calendars-for Advent.

BUT, they were all so different 

and I DID have 4 devotionals

 I was anxious to read.

My friend-

 Bev Wicher designed this calendar.

I used a Frederick Buchner devotion called-

Moving Toward the Manger.

Remember -

 I pick out 4 colored pencils before I start - 

and those are the colors

 I use for the whole calendar.

  My friend - 

Sybil MacBeth designed this calendar.

I used a Henri J. M. Nouwen devotional called-

Jesus- God's Promise.

 Sybil also designed this calendar-

 I love all the space to add extra doodles

 and tangles in prayer time 

around each space.

 My friend- 

Pat Maier designed this calendar.

I read Chad Bird's Glory to God in the Highest.

For me this year- it was a bit different 

in a recovery mode with cataract surgery

 on both eyes and not driving anywhere.

So I had a bit more time to do 4 calendars.

Besides, 

don't I have great and talented friends?

 I loved the words, the prayer time,

 the readings, 

and the heart of Advent in this practice.

 Thanks Lord, for your blessing

 of faithfulness to bring it to completion. 

Advent- Week 2

Advent- Week 2

Loving the Advent devotions

 I am reading this year.

 They have been pretty timely.

 The word for today- Patience.

 I love that each calendar

 has a preset color palette.

Simply hold the pencils in one hand,

draw and color.

Helps me to keep my focus

 on the readings 

and the one word or phrase.

 Prayers for each day.

Gathered together.

Four calendars.

Four journeys.

One heart for Advent shaping.

Advent Eve

 A lovely event today -

Saturday, December 2, 2017

as we gathered on Advent Eve Day

at First Baptist Church

in Springfield, Virginia.
An Advent Brunch.

Time to reflect, pause and ponder as we 

Await the Wonder 

of our Advent- Christmas 

celebrations.

We talked about how the Christ Child 

meets us in the mess of life, 

as we struggle to find margin space for Him.

Our prayer is that as we take the time

 to adjust expectations,

 we will be met with grace at the manger.

 We explored some Visual Faith

tools and practices.

We tried some exercises

 that help us to slow down, 

pay attention 

and deal with distractions.

What might our Advent journey

 actually LOOK LIKE

 if we take the time to tell the story?

Can a simple Word a Day 

help us to see what 

the Spirit is nudging at our soul?

Can these experiments draw us

 into a richer prayer life ?

Or enfold us into the the narrative

 of the story of God's Word?

Each person must find their own plan,

 discipline and challenge.

Our own personal Spiritual Formation plan-

 IEP-

 Individualized Education Plan.

Some collected Advent devotions,

 coloring books and reflections.

(Most found on Amazon)

 This group includes 

The Season of the Nativity

by Sybil MacBeth,

 and a downloadable and printable devotion

 by Illustrated Children's ministry.

Devotion books from 
Creative Communications for the Parish.

Some of the Advent calendars
 and the ADVENT-urous tag project
can be found on the 
Visual Faith Ministry website.
visualfaithmin.org
 Check out the project section 
and the free resources.

A thank you to Julie Zimmerman
 and her team for such a well-planned
 and enjoyable time.
May their Advent walk be blessed.

Easter Monday Roundup

 Easter  Sightings at the Meiers

Jess and Dan and Jack

Mr. Jack

Blessed Easter 2017

 Easter at the Schumachers

 Christ the Lord is Risen today!

 Some vintage touches 
from "growing up years"

Joshua and Laura 

Griffin and Gordon

A lovely Easter Dinner-

We give thanks!

Papa with the Wilsons

 A special day out in the park!

Oh, we will feel the pain here 
on earth and the loss of loved ones.
But, we have been promised the eternal
blessing of life everlasting!
With Jesus.
Alleluia!