Bring the rain

Our Daily Bread
As I mentioned many times, songs speak to me when words alone can't through this silly head of mine.  While mindlessly listening to my iPod, I focused on the words to Bring the Rain by MercyMe.  Wow!  I try to live my life by the message in those lyrics, but sometimes I cry "no mas!" (no more!). 

Today is the first day of Spring, so the devotional is timely.  Rain is a necessary part of Spring as the plants and trees come alive again.  It is not always pleasant for us as we try to til the land or manage our landscaping.  Rain is necessary all the same.  It is also necessary at times in our spiritual life.  Like the weather, the rain in our spiritual life helps us grow roots in our Lord and Savior.  Like we can praise God for the rain that enables the plants to grow, we can praise God for the rain in our spiritual lives that enables us to grow!

Lord, Rain or pain or sun, bring whatever it takes to help us praise you and give you glory.

Wellness Wednesday
Meditation
The most common response I get when I ask someone if they have tried meditation is "Who has time for that?".  From what I read, Jesus made time to pray and meditate!  I guess I can find time in my busy schedule!  So what does it mean to meditate?  I found a decent article on it this week that I wanted to share.  As the article says, you can use these five tips whether the meditation is for spiritual reasons or just for relaxation.

Learn to calm your mind by following these five simple steps:

1. Set an an alarm clock to help keep track of the time. Begin with three minutes, and work up to five.

2. Find a comfortable, seated position (feel free to sit in a chair if you're not comfortable on the floor).

3. Sit up tall, rest your hands in your lap and close your eyes. Your palms can face up or down. Simply choose the one that feels the best.

4. Take a few moments to relax and settle in. If any part of your body feels uncomfortable, mindfully shift to a new position.

5. Once you feel relatively comfortable, redirect your mind to your breath and begin counting your exhales. Set an initial goal of counting a total of 21 and build up to 108 with practice. When your mind wanders, refocus by drawing awareness back to your breath, and begin the count again.

When I try this, I usually keep an LED candle in front of me, open my eyes, focus on it for a few seconds, then close my eyes again.  I also use some phrases like "Jesus is Lord" or "Lord Jesus Christ, have mercy on me a sinner" or "I am a beloved child of God" to focus my thoughts on God.

Give this a try in your busy life.  It helps me when I make time to do it!


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u r a bcog  u r fawm  Now believe it!