Mid Afternoon Meditation 5-30-19

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Why have you broken down its walls
    so that all who pass by pick its grapes?
13 Boars from the forest ravage it,
    and insects from the fields feed on it.
14 Return to us, God Almighty!
    Look down from heaven and see!
Watch over this vine,
15     the root your right hand has planted,
    the son[e] you have raised up for yourself.

16 Your vine is cut down, it is burned with fire;
    at your rebuke your people perish.
17 Let your hand rest on the man at your right hand,
    the son of man you have raised up for yourself.
18 Then we will not turn away from you;
    revive us, and we will call on your name.

19 Restore us, Lord God Almighty;
    make your face shine on us,
    that we may be saved. Psalm 80:12-19

Why does God sometimes have to break down our defensive walls? Aren’t we supposed to keep our defenses up?

Evening Meditation 5-28-19

Restore us, God Almighty;
    make your face shine on us,
    that we may be saved.

You transplanted a vine from Egypt;
    you drove out the nations and planted it.
You cleared the ground for it,
    and it took root and filled the land.
10 The mountains were covered with its shade,
    the mighty cedars with its branches.
11 Its branches reached as far as the Sea,
    its shoots as far as the River. Psalm 80: 7-11

What are some of the nation sized problems between you and God’s dream? What if God removes them the way He removed the nations from before Israel? Are you up for that ride?

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Quotes From An Artist’s Reboot

Brenda and I are working through a book geared to reboot us as artist’s. We are writing extensively about it over at our other blog Notes From the Vicarage.

But I did want to share a few quotes from the book here:

“Every Child is an artist. The trick is remaining one as a an adult.” Pablo PIcasso

“It is solved by walking.” Augustine of Hippo (note this means if you have a problem take a walk!)

It is important to be very gentle with yourself, especially in the early days of a transition.- Julia Cameron

Morning Direction From Scripture 5-24-19

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Restore us, O God;
    make your face shine on us,
    that we may be saved.

How long, Lord God Almighty,
    will your anger smolder
    against the prayers of your people?
You have fed them with the bread of tears;
    you have made them drink tears by the bowlful.
You have made us an object of derision[b] to our neighbors,
    and our enemies mock us.

Psalm 80:3-6

What does the bread of tears look like?

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Evening Meditation 5-23-19

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Hear us, Shepherd of Israel,
    you who lead Joseph like a flock.
You who sit enthroned between the cherubim,
    shine forth before Ephraim, Benjamin and Manasseh.
Awaken your might;
    come and save us. Psalm 80:1,2

What does David mean hear when he asks God to awaken His might?

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