Happy New Year!

Happy New Year Manorwood Sisters!

I am very happy to report that we have 23 ladies all signed up and ready to go for our new study which begins THIS TUESDAY!  Now I am going to warn you—it is going to be cooooold on Tuesday!   The weatherman says that it will not go above 27 degrees in the day time.  Thank goodness Margie has TWO Keurig machines to keep us toasty and warm!  Resist the urge to stay in your jammies at home!   Just speaking a little truth here!! LOL!

It has been a kind of lazy week for me.  Honestly, I haven’t known what to do with myself without work or my college classwork.   It’s been nice.  I did get a few things done to get myself ready for the New Year.  One of the things I have been taking action on is the places where I am stuck.  

God has made it really clear to me that I do not like anything that is painful. ( who knew?? haha!)  I like to dance around the oceans edge and stick my feet in the water but I do not like to take the plunge.  As soon as it gets uncomfortable or painful I run back to the shore to "safety".  This year, He is telling me to TAKE THE PLUNGE.  

I was reading Kelly Minter’s book, Water into Wine~ Hope for the Miracles in the Struggle of the Mundane this afternoon and I came across this quote with scripture:

“King David, when looking for a place to build an altar to the Lord, insisted on purchasing the altar site even though the owner offered to give David the property as well as the sacrifice and wood for the fire.  David graciously responded with a bold, yet touching expression, ‘ I will not sacrifice to the Lord my God burnt offerings that cost me nothing’ ( 2 Samuel 24:24, emphasis added)”. 

Kelly goes on to say that submitting to growth and discipleship is costly.  It will be painful.  It is handing it all over to Him—whatever “it” is, and submitting to the process of growing up, letting go and going on.    

Since I have been doing a lot of reading (and ok…. eating a lot chocolate) today, I will also pass on to you the January 1^st reading from the excellent devotional book, Jesus Calling:

“Come to me with a teachable spirit, eager to be changed.  A close walk with Me is a life of continual newness.  Do not cling to the old ways as you step into a new year. Instead, seek My face with an open mind, knowing that your journey with Me involves being transformed by the renewing of your mind (Romans 12:2).  As you focus your thoughts on Me, be aware that I am fully attentive to you.  I see you with a steady eye, because My attention span is infinite.  I know and understand you completely. My thoughts embrace you with an everlasting Love.  I also know the plans I have for you: plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you a hope and a future. (Jeremiah 29:11) Give yourself fully to this adventure of increasing attentiveness to My Presence.”

Are you ready to take the adventure to becoming “un-stuck”??   Doesn’t it give us comfort to know there are friends on the journey with us?  Our circumstances may not be exactly the same and our stuck places may be different , but we are all journeying to become more like Jesus.  This is a journey that many of us shy away from.  It is so much easier to glean what someone else has discovered than to discover the Lord on our own.  It is definitely more difficult to be a disciple than to be simply a follower of Jesus, but the reward is maturity, freedom and JOY. 

I’ll end here with a verse the Lord brought to my attention on New Years Eve,

“Blessed is the man who trusts in the LORD, And whose hope IS the LORD. For he shall be like a tree planted by the waters, which spreads out its roots by the river, and will not fear when heat comes; but its leaf will be green, and will not be anxious in the year of drought, nor will cease from yielding fruit” (Jeremiah 17:7-8).

Much love to all of you!  I will see you at Margie’s on Tuesday night at 6:45 for munchies and chat and 7-8:40 for the study.  We will resume our small prayer groups from 8:40-9:00

Love to all-

Laura

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