Slowly and Attentively

The last post began a re-introduction to us on this site Lord. The reason I'm back is that I want to focus more, be more attentive. So how about a new Forty Days. Not a fast, but a 40 days of focus. And the focus, to slow down and be more attentive. We'll start by doing that in our Scripture reading, but I want it to flow over into life as well. Stop my rushing, give me attention. Work it into the fabric of my life. Amen.

UPDATE:
On the way to work, I put my iPod on my worship playlist, and these are the songs that came up. It seems like even my music was supporting the new devotional theme:

"Do Not Move" by David Crowder Band
"Every Season" by Nicole Noordeman
"Still" by Roadside Monument

So that is two songs about stillness and one song about paying attention to how God speaks in every season. Think that supports being focused, slow and attentive? Yea... it is neat to see God at work when I do pay attention.

Not Always Finding

Lord, everyday as I sit to read the Scriptures I hope that You jump out of them straight into an application, something that moves my everyday life. It's happened so often, or You've connected ideas right in front of my eyes, or You've helped me see a situation in a new way. Well...

It doesn't always happen. There I said it. It's a frustrating reality, and I'm not sure how it fits in to faith. We had a great discussion at Sparky last night about our new ideas in forming a biblical community, our Exodus Community. I'm really excited about getting things about and moving. I'm excited to begin new relationships, meet people with different viewpoints but who mostly want to move in the same direction, towards You. I'm exciting about making my pillow (though I must think of a creative design).

This morning I really wanted to find some overarching theme that would just continue to build these thoughts and dreams and instead I read about Lazarus being raised from the dead. It seems strange to complain about reading a story of a resurrection, but it just felt, well, still dead. Even if it had captured me, I'm not sure it would have led me to immediately see how You are working in my life right now.

I have really appreciated the focus that I've already found in eleven days of searching. I've been proud to take the time to focus on You early in the morning. Maybe the times where I don't find immediate focus are to challenge me to think about You throughout the day, maybe they are because I'm doing something wrong in seeking You, maybe because You don't immediately want me to find You. I don't know. I just kwow that there are times when I am not always finding.

Forty Days of Focus

Heavenly Father, I'm confronted with really interesting ideas today. There are a million ideas about You just floating around in my head. I've been struggling to figure out what to write about now that my forty days of silence and study ended this weekend. I haven't even been back to consult with You. Now I'm already two days into my next forty, and I still don't know what the focus is.

Actually I do. As I sit here and think, pray, meditate on You and Your will, I think You've revealed to me that my next forty days need to be forty days of focus. Forty days of prayerful meditation on Your will. That's the focus.

Forty Days of Focus. I kind of like that idea, but it's daunting. It's daunting because it will require even more of my time won't it? Because, I won't be able to sit down and just write and read. I'll have to take time to pray, to confess, to listen, to honestly be quiet in spirit before You.

But let's start right now. Instead of a long blog entry this morning, how about a long, prayerful walk. Help me to focus Lord. Amen.