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Sacred - Just As I Am

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Some of my favorite places to walk are cathedrals or temples when they are not in use. There is a feeling I cannot find anywhere else but there and in nature. The space holds a stillness and quiet that’s unmatched. It can feel vast with its arches, windows, pillars, and light. It can fold me tightly in its comparable smallness to God. There are few man-made things that give me that feeling. One such church is the Chartres Cathedral in France. I was able to visit during Easter weekend one year and it really was spectacular. There were so many things that gave it a feeling of comfort for me. So many features that brought my attention back to my Creator and just set my heart at ease. I felt peace…. Just peace. Many of us have heard that our bodies are a temple. This scripture is often quoted, spoken on, and for me can be a constant reminder of how poorly I care for my physical and mental being, but it shouldn’t be. Or at least that’s what God wanted me to hear to day.  " Don’t you kn

Choose Your Focus

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My daughter sounded concerned about a friend who was posting what seemed to her to be a bit weird. I told her to send me one of the posts and then we could talk about it. Great mom-move, right? I was expecting to read some super cult jargon and procedures for scary rituals. What I got, however, was a spiritual check. The post was simply "super churchy" as I described it. Her friend was sharing a unique way of believing in God and following His way. Even saying that (His "way") makes me cringe a bit because it sounds churchy. But why does that bother me? I grew up with the Psalms-like romantic view of God and His working in my life and I still feel that way now but I shut it down. I have always wanted my kids to know God in that deep, "God is everything to me" way but I worry that I have not done well. Hearing my daughter's take on this post felt like confirmation of my failure.  This interaction was still fresh in my mind when I started my quiet time t