Dear Readers,
Due to various technical issues, I am now blogging at Know-Love-Obey God’s new location:
http://monicasharman.wordpress.com
I continue to welcome you here; perhaps you’d like to browse the archives. Please be aware, though, that new posts will be at the new place. Hope to see you there!
Monica Sharman
I found out that real joy—the “joy made full” that Jesus puts in me—doesn’t come when I get what I want. It comes when I do what God wants.
I’ve found that the deepest joy is borne by obedience.
Just as the Father has loved Me, I have also loved you; abide in My love. [...]
There was something about the word “confidence” that I didn’t like. It sounded too, well, confident—too much like “arrogant” or “self-sufficient” or “independent.” Shouldn’t I, as a Christian, be humble, recognizing I am completely dependent on Christ who is my sufficiency?
I was in college when our friend Walter helped me understand this. [...]
A Random Act of Poetry for Marcus Goodyear’s prompt at The High Calling: “write a poem about one of your struggles, but be gentle with yourself.” (See Marcus’s entire post here.)
These dunes are really a horde of orphans,
every grain of sand abandoned, dropped off here
by its mother, wind, who only carried it
as far as [...]
There are at least two meanings for “ask”:
1. To make a request or petition of
2. To inquire
I ask (#1) God for many, many things.
I ask for pruning. (“Lord, purge anything that You don’t want in me.”) I ask for death to self. (“Lord, may it truly be not I, but [...]
In the snow
a million flakes running
with me,
some swirling a curl
just ahead, teasing,
“Catch up!”
others running back
coming to meet me
because I was far
behind,
others jogging
just apace
right beside,
right
beside me.
This poem originally posted in March 2010, reposted because last week I ran with the snow again. This time I realized I was running with Laura’s cousin.
It can be good
to look back,
analyze,
wonder why,
learn.
But after seeking
the explanation or cause,
I turn to look
forward and ask,
“Father, how
do You want me
to respond?”
After the Why, Lord?
comes the What now?
(For the One Word Carnival on “Reflection” hosted by Peter Pollock. Visit Peter’s place on Dec. 28 to read more posts on Reflection!)
“Worship Christ, the newborn King!”
I had spent the past decade or so—more than 25% of my life and about 50% of my Christian life—immersed in music ministry (or “worship team”). Worshipping God with voice and instrument had been my driving passion, not only on Sunday mornings with the congregation but all the time.
I sang [...]
For today, just a photo and a quote—because that homesickness is flaring up again.
Our unknown home calls to us continually, sending impassioned messages full of clues and yearnings . . . Sometimes it happens at sunset. Or it may come, unexpectedly, as you hear a combination of musical notes or read some phrase that [...]
They’re called Geofix. Have you ever seen them? Years ago our boys’ Great Grandpa bought them while he was vacationing in Australia. Geofix is a clever connecting toy made of plastic geometrical shapes that snap together. I had just stored away the Geofix box in the basement, waiting for the next [...]
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