Findings in the File: Memoirs from days gone by
/First posted February 4, 2017
A few years ago, I did a series I called "Findings in the File." As I was making an attempt to clean out files (which still hasn't totally happened), I found treasure after treasure buried there. And just the other day, I had another "finding in a file"... ok, notebook, hidden in one of those infamous files. It was such fun to find.
Since I'm working on sharing my spiritual journey with a new Bible study group soon to begin, it was a delightful "trip into yesteryear" when I found this -- a "life story and favorite things." It was a presentation done with a small group of precious friends back in 2007, who shared their memoirs also. And then we celebrated each other's lives. What joy!
And so now I thought maybe I would just share my "outline"found in that notebook, in that file...just for fun of it and to encourage you to think about your own life with the "mind of Christ" and gratitude for the treasure that is YOU!
But first, something that came at the end of my outline, but I don't want you to miss if you have just a few minutes to read -- truths still most precious to me. I hope they encourage you too.
“KEYS” TO THE KINGDOM
All the hard things that have happened, especially being emotionally "left alone" in my health issues ... have been “Keys to the Kingdom" for me, so to speak, because now...
1. I know God’s unconditional love for me apart from my performance.
2. I know and embrace my helplessness and God’s strength in my weakness.
3. I know my Lord and God increasingly as a Person, not a list of performances.
4. I know God’s Word and God’s Spirit as my food and drink, without which I shrivel and dry up.
5. I know prayer to be merely inviting the Lord into “my boat” (whatever the situation is), letting it well up from within where the Holy Spirit dwells, instead of formulating it in my head.
Amen!
Now the rest of the outline ... thanks for reading along! Hint: scroll down for "My Sayings and mottos." You may still hear them coming out of my mouth or out of my "pen."
Jan's Memoirs
and favorite things
June, 2007
Favorite SCRIPTURES
Early life
1 Cor 2: 9 – my Mom’s verse (later I discovered verse 10!)
Adulthood
Hebrews 11: 6
Psalm 56: 3
Psalm 34: 4
John 15:5b – also entire passage
John 17: 3
John 7: 37-39
John 10:27
Col 1: 27
Col 2: 9-10
Gal 2: 20
Luke 12: 32
Hebrews 11-12 – my “worldview chapters”**
Hebrews 10 along with Jer 31: 34 & Ezek 36: 26-27 – the New Covt
2 Cor 3 - 4 - treasure in the earthen vessel
BOOKS & AUTHORS
Brother Lawrence – Practicing the Presence of Christ*
Mme Jeanne Guyon – Experiencing the Depths of Jesus Christ
David Seamands – Healing for Damaged Emotions
Jeff VonVanderen – Tired of Trying to Measure Up
Andrew Murray – Abide in Christ**; The Two Covenants**; Waiting on God; all of his books
A.W. Tozer – Pursuing God**
Oswald Chambers – My Utmost for His Highest**
Calvin Miller – Into the Depths of God
Brennan Manning – Abba’s Child; The Signature of Jesus
SAYINGS and MOTTOS / “Rhema"
“Resting in the sovereignty of God” – studying Philippians
“I’m just a branch!” – John 15:5
“Something is better than nothing” (my recovery from perfectionism and performance – it used to be “all or nothing”)
"It doesn't hurt to ask."
“Christ IN me" – intimacy”
“Invite Jesus into your boat.” – gospels
“Respect the Holy Spirit in other believers, including your children. They are little ‘temples’, little ‘holy of holies’.”
“You don’t fit anywhere, so you can fit anywhere.” (“Independent of all things, because totally dependent on God” – O. Chambers, I think)
“You are limiting what I can do through you by your negative attitude toward yourself.”
“Embrace your life today!”
“I teach from a reservoir” (Dr Mayer)
“Everything is a picture of a deeper spiritual reality; we just don’t have eyes to see it all yet.” (viewing ice covered branches while driving along Sugarcreek)
“We become like what we focus on” – 2 Cor 3: 17-18; 4: 6 (summer vacation at LBI)
“I’m just a little child locked up in an adult body, trying to live an adult life in a adult world. The only way I can do that is to stay a child with my Abba Father.” (John’s trip to China; 1 John esp. ch 2)
MISCELLANEOUS
Music:
Steve Green – “God and God Alone”; “Beauty of the Bride”; “Symphony of Praise”; The Victor”; “Where Mercy Begins” etc. (I’ve been accused by my children of being a “Steve Green groupie”)
Hymns:
“Be Thou My Vision”
“Immortal, Invisible”
“Let All Mortal Flesh Keep Silence”
“Turn Your Eyes Upon Jesus”
Flowers: red roses, white peonies, purple hyacinths, hydraneas
Colors: pink, aqua, peach
Activities: deep conversations with spiritual friends, walking, playing with grandsons, cuddling and rocking, crocheting, reading, watching a good movie (true story is good)
Food: coffee (mild roast, unflavored) with half and half, Panera’s French baguette with real butter or as a sandwich, Oven roasted turkey (Sara Lee or DLM natural) and meunster cheese (TJ) with lettuce, tomato, onion, cucumber, mayo and a little spicy mustard, Mimi’s Café carrot raisin nut muffin with real butter
Fruits: cherries, apricots, blueberries, nectarines
Meal: Mexican buffet (like Chipotle)
[all somewhat allergy friendly}
Favorite QUOTES:
Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate.
Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure.
It is our light, not our darkness, that most frightens us.
We ask ourselves, who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented and fabulous?
Actually, who are you not to be?
You are a child of God.
Your playing small doesn’t serve the world.
There’s nothing enlightened about shrinking
so that other people won’t feel insecure around you.
We were born to make manifest
the glory of God that is within us…
And as we let our own light shine,
we give other people permission to do the same.
As we are liberated from our own fear,
our presence automatically liberates others.
Nelson Mandela
1994 Inaugural Speech
People are often unreasonable, illogical and self-centered.
Forgive them anyway.
If you are kind, people may accuse you of selfish, ulterior motives.
Be kind anyway.
If you are successful, you will win some false friends and some true enemies.
Succeed anyway.
If you are honest and frank, people may cheat you.
Be honest and frank anyway.
What you spend years building, someone could destroy overnight.
Build anyway.
If you find serenity and happiness, others may be jealous.
Be happy anyway.
The good you do today, people often forget tomorrow.
Do good anyway.
If you give the world the best you have, it may never be enough.
Give the world the best you have anyway.
You see, in the final analysis, it is between you and God.
It was never between you and other people anyway.
Mother Theresa
(quoted at University of Dayton honors assembly)
“KEYS” TO THE KINGDOM
All the hard things that have happened, especially being emotionally "left alone" in my health issues ... have been “Keys to the Kingdom" for me, so to speak, because now...
1. I know God’s unconditional love for me apart from my performance.
2. I know and embrace my helplessness and God’s strength in my weakness.
3. I know my Lord and God increasingly as a Person, not a list of performances.
4. I know God’s Word and God’s Spirit as my food and drink, without which I shrivel and dry up.
5. I know prayer to be merely inviting the Lord into “my boat” (whatever the situation is), letting it well up from within where the Holy Spirit dwells, instead of formulating it in my head.
[And last, the song that says my life...even today]
I thought while on this voyage long
My strength God would increase
And at some point along the way
My struggling would cease
I fought with boldness, wind and wave
And yet the skirmish lost
Exhausted, all provision gone
The channel still uncrossed
As lifeless I in stillness drift
Just strength enough to pray
It’s only then I feel the surge
That speeds me on my way
By His own hand and faithfulness
He steers me toward a distant shore
And the wind that billows in the sail
Is grace and nothing more
Yes, it’s grace and nothing more
I seek the bloom of holiness
He leads me deep within
Reveals the hardness of my heart
Unearths my hidden sin
My barren soul groans in despair
In brokenness I cry
Oh, God, I find no hope in me
A smile His sweet reply
For where the tears of brokenness
Have soaked the fallow ground
The tender shoots of holiness
Now spring up all around
Strength in my weakness
Joy through the pain
Hope when I’m helpless
Loss my greatest gain
