T'was The Night Before Christmas, When I Was A Child . . .

"And Ruth the Moabitess said unto Naomi,

Let me now go to the field,

and glean ears of corn after him

In whose sight I shall find grace.

And she said unto her, Go, my daughter."

Ruth 2:2  KJV



Memories of Christmas past have been filling my head for the last couple of weeks . . . more specifically of Christmas Eves spent with the Jena family.



1055 Riverside Drive

Jena family tradition had us gathering at 1055 Riverside Drive in South Bend . . . this address will be well known to my family, for the rest of you this was Grandma and Grandpa Jena's house, aka my dad's parents. Those attending would be Uncle George & Aunt Caroline, Brenda, David, Scott and Bruce; Uncle Max & Aunt Sue, Michelle, Vicky, Penny and Debbie; my dad & mom, my brothers Tom & Doug and I. It would be a treat if Aunt Nancy & Uncle Bob, Karen Sue and 'Little' Max were able to join us. My dad's younger sister, Aunt Carol & Revered Uncle John, Tammy and Tim didn't come since Uncle John had to be at his Church for services, since he was the Pastor.

When we arrived we'd carry in the gifts and put them under the huge tree, which was in the sunroom. There would always be piles and piles of gifts, but then again there were a lot of us gathered - at least eight adults and eleven grandchildren! My favorite ornaments on the tree were the old German candle holders with the candles, I don't remember ever seeing them lit, but I was fascinated with those candles! I don't know the history of those candleholders and candles, but expect they had been passed down through the family. And I remember the lights - the bulbs were huge and the color scratched off in places giving them some character and making them seem to shine ever so brightly!

Dinner was always delicious, seems that sauerbraten and spaetzle were on the menu. Dessert was some sort of frozen 'pink stuff,' can't tell you exactly what it was as I didn't like it, so I didn't eat it . . . but everyone had a serving of it - mine got passed around the children's table and my cousins enjoyed sharing it. After dinner the tables were cleared and for many years Grandma and the moms would put the leftovers away, wash, dry and put away the dishes and then join the rest of us in the living room. When us granddaughters got older we got to help in the kitchen!

Now, these weren't just any dishes that we ate off of during family meals, I found out when I was in high school or college that my Grandma painted all the china! Which maybe explains why there were so many place settings, seems never ending. When we were all together there would be twelve adults and fifteen grandchildren . . . that's a lot of dishes, cups & saucers, glasses and silverware not to mention serving pieces to go with!

When we were all in the living room we would sing several Christmas carols - including 'Silent Night' and 'O Christmas Tree' in German! Grandma and Grandpa both spoke fluent German. Grandpa would read the Christmas Story from Luke 2:1-21, King James version, of course! As the grandchildren turned 13 years old, Grandpa turned this reading over to us! When your turn came, Grandpa would pull you aside when you arrived, hand you his Bible and show you what he wanted you to read, so you had time to read it over a few times and ask how to pronounce some of the words. After the Bible reading there may be another song or two and then . . . it was time for the gifts!

I also remember back when we were really young, at some point, all of us grandchildren were taken into the room off the living room, behind the fireplace, as we had to 'hide' so that Santa could make his  special delivery! This meant that our dads had to quietly run upstairs - to the third floor, to grab all the 'Santa' gifts, bringing them down stairs, saying 'Ho-ho-ho,' and place them around the tree! The third floor was a safe place for these 'Santa' gifts as it was off limits 99.9% of the time! I remember this as the most exciting part of the evening!

OK on with it - for many years Grandpa would get up out of his chair and walk over to the tree, which was in the 'sunroom' just off the livingrom, and one by one would pick up a package call out who it was 'To and From' and the dads would deliver the gifts. At some point the dads took this over and if memory serves me right some of us grandkids got to do this in later years. NO gifts were unwrapped until ALL the gifts had been passed out and Grandma or Grandpa said it was time! Grandpa then went around and handed out our $25 savings bonds and Grandma would call all the granddaughters to come and get their little box with their Christmas 'Add-a-Pearls.' Funny as we all knew that once we looked at our savings bond we were to give it to dad, and once us girls opened our pearls and saw them that box went to straight to mom! Grandma and Grandpa sat in their chairs and delighted in watching us open our gifts, and it was only after we had all opened our gifts that they would open theirs.

We always gave Grandpa a dozen raisin cookies and his 'hard tack' (made from an old family recipe from Germany - his Grandmothers maybe, I don't remember how far back that goes) wrapped up in foil with curling ribbon on it and a picture of a telephone wrapped up in a little box - this was to remind Grandpa that my dad & mom were paying for the extra phone extention in his office at the photo studio. And for Grandma a nightgown and other assorted items.

Along with all the other gifts, each family took home a foil wrapped stollen and other baked goodies.

After this, it was time to clean up all the wrapping paper and put it in trash bags, gather all the gifts and carry them out to the cars and all head over to . . .

Zion United Church of Christ for Christmas Eve candlelight service. Lots of poinsettias and candles filled the sanctuary. There was lots of singing, scripture readings, a message and then lighting all of our candles, what an amazing site that was . . . all that candlelight as we all stood in a circle around the sanctuary with the choir in the middle isle!

After Church it was tie to head home and jump into bed and right to sleep . . . so Santa would come!

Memories of Christmas Eves from my childhood . . . feeling blessed!

Family Christmas Card
with my brothers
Tom - Doug - Luanne

This Christmas Eve I am remembering how things were back then and missing . . . Grandma & Grandpa Jena, Aunt Nancy, Uncle George, Aunt Sue, Karen Sue, my mom, dad and younger brother Doug.

'He's Still Working on Me . . .'

"And Ruth the Moabitess said unto Naomi,

Let me now go to the field,

and glean ears of corn after him

In whose sight I shall find grace.

And she said unto her, Go, my daughter."

Ruth 2:2  KJV

 

During Meeting for worship this morning at least two Friends made the comment "He's still working on me."  I thought at the time a rather odd comment to make, but this very quickly brought to my mind one of the songs, yes another post about a song, we sing with our Weekday Religious Education (WRE) classes:

 

'He's still workin' on me

To make me what I ought to be

It took Him just a week to make

The moon and the stars

The sun and the earth

And Jupiter and Mars

How loving and patient He must be

He's still workin' on me,

He's still workin' on me!'

 

Every time we sing this in our WRE classes it makes me stop and think about me, personally. To know that God is still working on me - this makes me feel good about who I am and where I am.

 

During class, as we sing this song, I point to myself when I sing the word 'me.' This usually gets questioning looks from at least some of the children . . . and occasionally some smiles from them! I'm willing to let the children know that God is still working on me and my hope is that this will let them know that God is also still working on them, too! Showing them that no matter how old we are God is always working on us, that He is always with us. For some of the children in our classes this is huge, as so many of them come from homes and families where they feel that no one cares about them . . . that everyone has given up on them.

 

To know that God only spent a week, OK, only six days, creating this wonderful world that we live in seems amazing! There's so much that He created. But to know that He is 'still working on me,' that He is spending so much time on me, on each one of us . . . that's amazing! To me this just shows me how much He loves me, loves us. That He cares so deeply for each and every one of us. That He's still working on each one of us - making sure that we are all that we can be, that we have all the right gifts and talents, that we have everything we need to do His work here on earth.

 

This year I think God has put in a bit of overtime on me . . .

 

As He prepared me in so many ways to go on the Pilgrimage to Ireland/Northern Ireland this summer;

As I worked with the 2013 BSA National Jamboree Faith & Beliefs committee;

As I worked to help coordinate and keep other Scouting Friends up to date with what was going on with the BSA National Jamboree - in regards to the Friends display and approving Friends in various staffing positions;

As I served as a counselor up at Quaker Haven Camp;

As I served during USFWI/QMI Triennial in several areas;

As I learned to serve as a District Unit Commissioner for the Boy Scouts;

As I served as the archery range officer during Cub Scout Day Camp and again during the Fall 'Shoot-O-Ree';

As I'm now learning to serve as a District Cub Scout Roundtable Commissioner;

As I work with a leader from one of my Cub Scout Packs on their re-charter;

As I traveled with and among Friends in Ireland and Northern Ireland;

As I continue to try to make sense of those 'little scraps,' the little bits and pieces, that I learned while on the Pilgrimage;

As I work on sharing what I saw, learned and experienced on the Pilgrimage;

As I work on my quilting/sewing projects - getting closer to maybe perfecting some skills and in learning or better understanding others;

As I helped make apple butter at Church;

As I serve as an assistant teacher, District Director and Representative from my Meeting to the Weekday Religious Education Program and Board;

As I continue to serve as a wife, mother, sister, niece, cousin, daughter-in-law and sister-in-law;

As I learn to serve as a grandmother and great-aunt;

As I learn to let go of some responsibilities in order to begin working on others, OR to give other responsibilities more time OR to just let go and move on;

As I continue to serve as a F/friend;

As I continue to grow in my faith and share it with others;

As I work through seeing and understanding what I do as 'ministries;’ and

As He helps guide my words for my blog posts.

 

Some of the above has not been easy to do, or not do. But I've done or am doing them. And I feel truly blessed for all of the opportunities that God has given me to serve Him and others around me.

 

Yes, God's still working on me and I'm so glad He's still with me each and every day and that He hasn't given up on me!

 

One of these days . . . I hope that I will hear Him say to me "Well done, good and faithful servant!" Matthew 25:21

 

Feeling rather blessed!

 

 

 

 

 

I'm Thankful For . . .

"And Ruth the Moabitess said unto Naomi,

Let me now go to the field,

and glean ears of corn after him

In whose sight I shall find grace.

And she said unto her, Go, my daughter."

Ruth 2:2  KJV

Thanksgiving is now just a few days away and as I've thought about it this last week, I couldn't help but think that something seemed to be missing . . .

Then it hit me, for the last several years one of my friends would post one thing that she was 'thankful for'  on her Facebook page every day in November. I realized that she hasn't done it this year . . . and I've missed it. Seeing her posts got me to think about what I was most thankful for that day, and I would post that to my page. It was always interesting to read the variety of things we were thankful for. Sometimes the list continued beyond November 30th.

A couple of days ago, I thought maybe I would blog about what I'm thankful for this year instead. So, here I go, here's my list, in no particular order, of things that 'I'm thankful for . . . '

 

2nd Jena Family Reunion 2012

I'm thankful for my family - including my parents, brothers, grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins, in-laws, children, and my granddaughter . . . including 'all those aunts, uncles and cousins,' you know the ones I'm talking about here - the ones that I have always called my aunt, uncle or cousin, that are actually my mom & dad's cousins and those friends of the family that aren't related to me in the least and their kids! I was taught to 'respect my elders' as a child, so calling them 'aunt and uncle' was a sign of respect. It would have been weird to call Aunt Mary & Uncle Weir, Auntie Corinne & Uncle Lee, Auntie Elsie Ann & Uncle Paul and Auntie Pearl & Uncle Walt anything but aunt & uncle.

I'm thankful for freedom of religion . . . my Meeting/Church - the place I go to worship God, to share my faith and engage in fellowship with Friends. That I have a choice of where and how I worship and with whom I worship.

I'm thankful for the amazing opportunities I've been blessed with this year to gather with Friends (I'm talking Quakers here), new and old, for worship, fellowship, conversation, sharing, camping and travel . . .

· Friends Committee on Scouting and all my Scouting/Guiding Friends. For the opportunities that we have to get together for our annual meetings, and through emails, Facebook, phone calls and postal mail. For their support, guidance and Friendships over the years. For their dedication and commitment to our Young Friends and the youth around the world. You're all such a blessing to the Scouting & Guiding programs! HUGS all around!

· Friends World Committee for Consultation, Section of the Americas and the opportunity to be able to speak in front of the Section and members of the Central Committee - to publicly thank the three translators who took our US program materials and translated them into Spanish for us and the Friend in Jamaica who inspired us to write a new curriculum that we took global. To present one of our Scouting Friends with the Friends Emblem award for his service. I so enjoyed surprising these Friends! And then to have the opportunity to host a small group, the chance for us to talk with other Friends about what it is that we do and to answer their questions.

· Quaker Haven Camp - I'm thankful just to be able to be able to go up to Quaker Haven and enjoy the beauty that God has blessed us with. An added bonus is the opportunity to be able to 'serve' as a counselor and work with the campers, CIT's, the other counselors & the directors for a week in the summer. The opportunity to worship with Friends at Dewart Meeting from time to time. The opportunity to attend the USFW Fall Retreat with Friends from other Meetings/Yearly Meetings. And I can't leave out the QH staff . . . they take such good care of us and are such a blessing to all who come to QH. Thanks!

· To have been able to be a part of USFWI/QMI Triennial (United Society of Friends Women International/Quaker Men International) and help with registration. I had also been asked to work with the elementary aged children, but God seemed to have other plans for me! I've said it before 'God has a plan for you and me . . .' So, instead I did more registration and some hospitality of sorts. I didn't mind. I really enjoyed hanging out at the registration table answering questions and standing at the door to the dinning room taking meal tickets . . . I met so many new Friends this way! I was blessed over and over each day by the Friends I came into contact with and the conversations we had. And I made a lot of new Friends that weekend . . . including several from Kenya.

· Western Yearly Meeting - it's always a blessing to gather as a Yearly Meeting for worship, fellowship and to share and learn from one another. And a blessing to have some traveling Friends return from other Yearly Meetings and to have our missionary Friends stop by and share what's going on.

·  Now for the biggie, and shouldn't come as a surprise to anyone, the opportunity I had to 'travel in the ministry' on a Pilgrimage to Ireland/Northern Ireland with and among Friends for two weeks! What a blessing this was for me . . . I still wish I didn't have to leave and come home when I did, but someone told me I had to, it was time. The Irish Friends, the un-programed worship opportunities, the fellowship, the 'tea & biscuits,' the shared meals, the sites, the stories, the whole of the experience . . . WOW! I'm thankful and most grateful to the Friend who shared this on her Facebook page, way back on February 1st. I'm thankful to the Friend who gave me so much of her time to help me be able to go. I'm thankful to the Friend who shared her flight information with me so that I could get on the same flights over and back with her and another Friend and for answering all my questions. I'm thankful to have had the opportunity to spend the time traveling among the Irish Friends with the other Friends on the Pilgrimage and getting to know each of them, and the Friendships that I've made. I'm blessed! I'm thankful to all the Irish Friends I met along that journey - for their Friendliness, their love, their support, the conversations we shared and for their listening ears. I'm even thankful for the rain that kept us on our toes! And thankful that God, along with our guide/leader, kept us safe during our travels - especially while in Northern Ireland.

I'm thankful for the gifts and talents that God has given to me, that I may share with those around me . . . even if I'm not sure which are gifts from the Spirit and which are natural gifts and talents.

I'm thankful for my fabric stash . . . and all the possibilities it holds! Gifts for family and F/friends as well as items for the Church Bazaar. Some of that stash was used to make the folded star hot pads, small totes/gift bags and luggage tags that I put in the Market Place during Ireland Yearly Meeting this summer. And speaking of luggage tags . . . I made and gave away about 75 of them this year - to my Scouting Friends, the girls in my cabin at Quaker Haven, the Friends I was on the Pilgrimage with and other Friends I met this summer.

From my front flowerbed

I'm thankful 'for the beauty of the earth!' You didn't think I could do this list without including at least part of one song now, did you? Thankful for all of the wonders that God has given us to look upon and be in awe over. Amazing!

 

I'm thankful that I have the opportunity to vote, although we didn't have anything to vote on around here this year. I'm thankful to have the opportunity to be able to voice my opinion.

I'm thankful for the sweet innocence of children! Their questions, their unconditional love and their innocence.

I'm thankful for the Weekday Religious Education program - for the awesome opportunity that we have here in Morgan County to spend time with so many of the 3rd & 4th graders each week and share with them about God - His unconditional love for them, His creation and His Holy Word - through scriptures, stories and songs. Thankful that I am able to be a part of this program - as an assistant teacher in the classrooms, as an elected Director on the Board and as the representative from my Meeting to the Board.

I'm thankful for laughter! And for all my F/friends and family that make me laugh. Thanks!

I'm thankful for clothes, especially those that keep me warm and dry especially during a week like what we've had this week.

I'm thankful for food, that nourishes my body.

I'm thankful for my good health and the good health of my family.

I'm thankful for my home, shelter, a safe place to live and raise my family.

I'm thankful for my neighbors, their friendly greetings, their smiles and their helping hands from time to time.

I'm thankful for those who have made mistakes and are willing to make them right . . . and those that are willing to keep trying until they do.

I'm thankful for all the 'little things' that come my way!

I'm thankful for technology . . . that allows me to communicate with F/friends and family all over the world with such ease, OK most of the time, so that we can keep in touch with each other and share those funny stories & pictures and news.

I'm thankful for Scouting & Guiding programs. For all the youth that are a part of these programs and for all the adults who so unselfishly give of their time to teach them how to be good leaders and citizens. And for all my Girl Scout and Cub/Boy Scout friends.

And I'm thankful for all my F/friends! Your support and friendships mean a lot to me, too!

I'm thankful that I'm not too old to learn and experience new things! I've learned a lot of new things this year, including this blog. I got a passport and traveled overseas for the first time in my life . . . I never thought I would have such an opportunity!

I'm thankful! I'm blessed! I'm overwhelmed!

So, now it's your turn . . 

 

Sunset at Quaker Haven Camp

Do you take time daily, weekly or monthly to pause and think about all you have to be thankful for? Or do you just stop and think about it once a year, on Thanksgiving Day? Or only on occasion when something happens that makes you pause and give thanks?

What are you thankful for today? This week? This month? This year? Have you taken time to stop and thank God for all He has given you?

Why not stop right now and give thanks to God for all your blessings?



Severe Weather Ministry . . .

"And Ruth the Moabitess said unto Naomi,

Let me now go to the field,

and glean ears of corn after him

In whose sight I shall find grace.

And she said unto her, Go, my daughter."

Ruth 2:2  KJV



Sunday night as I sat in the silence, during a worship group I attend, I couldn't shake thoughts of the severe storms that had passed through Illinois, Indiana, Michigan and Ohio that afternoon. Although I was feeling very blessed that I was OK my thoughts weren't going  there, my thoughts were going in a different direction. It wasn't long before I began thinking of the ministry that I had been a part of that afternoon. After a bit the thought of blogging about it came to mind and then ideas of what to write started filling my head. I resisted getting a piece of scrap paper and a pen out of my pocket while I was there, putting off writing about it until I got home.

 



During the storm,
looking to the southwest
from the backdoor
of the church

For several days the news media had warned us of the severe storms, which would likely spawn tornados, that would hit Indiana on Sunday. And hit Indiana it did, but only after doing considerable damage in Illinois first. The heavy rain, hail, strong winds and tornados hit Indiana - from north to south and from west to the east.

 

Before and during the storm F/friends and family members were on Facebook, sharing information on the storm. They offered support and encouragement to one another. Encouraging each other to stay safe and get to a safe place. A lot of virtual hugs were sent as were prayers. Some reported that they were leaving one location and heading to another. While others posted that they had or were going down to their basements, some with family and pets. Some commenting about noises they were hearing around them.

 

After the storm, F/friends and family members still on Facebook, now reporting on damage or lack of damage in their area. Checking up on F/friends and family members. Venturing outside and taking pictures and sharing them . . . pictures of damage, the sky and rainbows.

 

And the F/friends and family members weren't always nearby . . . one of my Friends in another country posted a comment on her Facebook page, before the storms hit, 'Praying for all of our friends in the central states as the storms settle in; stay warm.' A Guiding Friend of in Canada saw a picture I posted on my Facebook page, after the storms, and asked how close the storms were to me.

 

After the storm passed -
looking west from the
backdoor of the Church

After the storms had passed, I sent an email out to four of my Scouiting Friends who also live in Indiana, just to check in with them and see if they were OK and to let them know I was OK. Concern for two who live in and near one of the towns hit hard by at least one tornado. The other two Scouting Friends live much closer to me, concern for them as well. Relief as replies came in from these Scouting Friends that all was well with them, no damage. One reported that he was just three miles from where a tornado struck and another had lost their power for an hour with some in his area still without power late Monday afternoon.

 

A comment made by an Indiana resident during the 11pm TV newscast Sunday evening was of gratitude for his neighbors . . . neighbors who came by after the storm had passed checking on their neighbors and seeing who might need help.

 

I'm feeling blessed that I was in a safe place as the storms passed through the area, that we didn't have any damage at our house and that my family and F/friends are all safe.

 

Sending prayers to those who suffered a loss, small or large and to those who lost family members - I have heard six died in Illinois and two died in Michigan.

The ministry here is in the reaching out to each other before, during and after the severe weather. It's the caring, concern, prayers, words of support and encouragement that are passed along from one to another - sometimes one-on-one and sometimes from one person to an unknown group. This kinda ministry is such an amazing blessing to all involved.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Spiritual Gifts . . .

"And Ruth the Moabitess said unto Naomi,

Let me now go to the field,

and glean ears of corn after him

In whose sight I shall find grace.

And she said unto her, Go, my daughter."

Ruth 2:2  KJV



Giant's Causeway
Northern Ireland



The last week or so I’ve been thinking about spiritual gifts, and I’m not exactly sure why this has been on my mind. Then the thought came to me, after a couple of days, that maybe I’m supposed to write about these gifts, so I started thinking a bit more purposely about this and making some notes.

 

I do remember participating in a spiritual gifts assessment in my Meeting several years ago, a topic I knew little about at that time. We talked about the different kinds of spiritual gifts and shared what gifts we saw in one another.
 

Giant's Causeway
Northern Ireland

This week when I opened one of my Bibles to look up some scriptures on spiritual gifts I ran across several slips of paper with notes on them. A few of those were about spiritual gifts, including scriptural references and related topics. One of these notes was from June of 2009, my first year as a counselor up at Quaker Haven Camp. It seems that we spent some time that week talking with our campers, 5^th & 6^th graders, about spiritual gifts, as my notes included several scriptures about these gifts. The first scripture that I jotted down was Romans 12:6-8 NIV:



'We have different gifts, according to the grace given us. If a man's gift is prophesying, let him use it in proportion to his faith. If it is serving, let him serve; if it is teaching, let him teach; if it is encouraging, then let him encourage; if it is contributing to the needs of others, let him give generously; if it is leadership, let him govern diligently; if it is showing mercy, let him do it cheerfully.’

 

Giant's Causeway
Northern Ireland

I’ll admit although this isn’t the scripture that comes into my mind when I think about spiritual gifts, but it has gotten me to think about what it is that I do. Much of what I do fits into the gifts mentioned in this scripture – serving, teaching, encouraging and leadership, BUT do I have those spiritually? This then makes me wonder . . . if what I do is because I have been ‘gifted’ by the Holy Spirit OR if I’m just using my natural talents, abilities and skills OR some combination. I believe it's a combination between the natural and the gifts, but not sure I can separate between them.

What I do know is that there are a number of spiritual gifts and not everyone has been given one or more. Not having any of these gifts actually requires that you rely on others around you and the fact that no one individual has every gift means we are all dependent on one another. Spiritual gifts aren't something that we usually talk about, in everyday conversation that is - we don’t wear them and we don’t put them on display up on a wall or shelf. Rather we use spiritual gifts to benefit others around us, in our Meeting/Church and in our community, using them to do God's work.



Giant's Causeway
Northern Ireland

This now has me looking back over this last year and the journey that I've been on, all the new experiences and opportunities I've had including helping during the USFWI/QMI Triennial and going on the Pilgrimage to Ireland/Northern Ireland. When looking back I realized that I had not only seen and heard about multiple ministries but I also did some ministry. And this has now all got me wondering. Wondering . . . if I was called by God to help and participate in these two events to use the gifts He gave me OR just to give service. Wondering . . . if God called me to go to awaken new or additional gifts in me OR to more fully use my natural talents, skills and abilities and/or the gifts I already had. Wondering . . . if I was called by God to go to help others see and begin using gifts they had been given OR to encourage them in continuing to use their gifts.

 

One of the other scriptures I wrote down in 2009 that mentions spiritual gifts was 1 Corinthians 12:4-11 NIV:

 



Giant's Causeway
Northern Ireland

'There are different kinds of gifts, but the same Spirit. There are different kinds of service, but the same Lord. There are different kinds of working, but the same God works all of them in all men. Now to each one the manifestation of the Spirit is given for the common good. To one there is given through the Spirit the message of wisdom, to another the message of knowledge by means of the same Spirit, to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healing by that one Spirit, to another miraculous powers, to another prophecy, to another distinguishing between spirits, to another speaking in different kinds of tongues, and to still another interpretation of tongues. All these are the work of one and the same Spirit, and he gives them to each one, just as he determines.'

 

Wondering now if my blog is part of a gift that I’ve been given? Although not listed as a spiritual gift in either of these two scriptures, 'ministry' is a gift bestowed by the Holy Spirit, and the word 'ministry' has been used by some of my Friends several times when speaking of my blog posts . . . calling it a ‘writing ministry,’ OR a ‘teaching ministry,’ and the words ‘spiritual’ and ‘devotional’ have also been mentioned. And I’ve had more than one Friend welcome me into ‘public ministry’ this year. And the feeling comes over me that this is all intertwined – the spiritual giftedness and ministry.
 

Giant's Causeway
Northern Ireland

I believe it's good to pause every now and again, that is to stop and think, about where I am in and with my life - what I've done and what I'd like to be doing, taking a kind of inventory. Maybe it’s time for me now to pause and take inventory, to try and figure out exactly what is natural and what may be a spiritual gift OR gifts. And then look at how I'm using them or maybe more importantly IF I'm using them and how well I am using them.

 

So, I continue in my wondering . . . What spiritual gift OR gifts have I been given, if any? Why was I given this/these gift(s)? Am I using the gift(s) I've been given, the best I can? What are God’s plans for me?

And so that I’m not the only one left here wondering, I’ll invite you to wonder along with me . . . What spiritual gift OR gifts have been given to you? Are you using it/them the best you can? Are you helping others around you to nurture and use the spiritual gifts that they have been given?