Lent 2025 ~ Palm Sunday

"Fear not daughter of Zion;
Behold, your King is coming,
Sitting on a donkey's colt."  John 12:15 NKJV

This prophesy was foretold by the Old Testament prophet Zechariah, but those looking for the Messiah must have forgotten this part. They did not truly recognize the Messiah riding a donkey into Jerusalem as the crowds waved palm branches shouting Hosanna! Blessed is He who comes in the name of the LORD! The King of Israel.  

Those who had longed for the Messiah, their King, anticipated much more pomp and circumstance, more grandeur and more power. They thought the Messiah would rule on earth. Instead, God's plan called for Jesus to enter Jerusalem on a donkey with His disciples following but not understanding. Often times God's plans for us come in unpredictable ways, like on a donkey, and we do not understand at the time.

Like the people then, we miss the bigger picture, the better plan. Sometimes we don't recognize Jesus, as we wave our own agendas! We overlook the opportunities He gives us to worship him while we anticipate our big plans. We miss God’s purpose when we look passed the tattered clothes of the homeless or the tears of an abused child, the hunger in a distant land or the loneliness in an empty life. Like the disciples then, we don't always understand while drowning in our own disappointment or even during our personal celebration parades. Only afterwards, only after we set aside our desires can we recognize Jesus and the Providence and Grace of a loving God.

“When did we ever see you hungry or feed you? Or thirsty and give you anything to drink? Or a stranger, and help you? Or naked, and clothed you? When did we ever we you sick or in prison, and visit you?… Jesus replied, When you did it to one of the least of these, you did it to me.” Matthew 25:37-40

consider this!

• The crowd was shouting words from a Psalm. Read Psalm 118 and find the words.
• When DID the disciples understand?
• As you read the verses, imagine yourself standing in the crowd. How might you react?

Faithful Father ~ Your Wisdom exceeds my best ideas. My heart's desire is that You find me faithful. Help me see You in all things. Amen.  ~dho

All rights reserved, copyright 2009, Donna Oswalt, BreathingRoomForMySoul.com 

Lent 2025 ~ Alleluia

 

Sing a new song to the Lord! Let the whole earth sing to the Lord! Sing to the Lord; praise his name. Each day proclaim the good news that he saves. Publish his glorious deeds among the nations. Tell everyone about the amazing things he does. Great is the Lord! He is most worthy of praise! He is to be feared above all gods. The gods of other nations are mere idols, but the Lord made the heavens! Honor and majesty surround him; strength and beauty fill his sanctuary. Psalm 96:1-6 NLT

In A Year With God, Living Out the Spiritual Disciplines, Richard Foster writes this about the spiritual discipline of worship, "When we pour worship out over our daily lives, we grow ever more sensitive to God's voice and presence." In describing some of the praise psalms, he calls them "poetic proclamation". Worship is an essential aspect of faith. Being alert to and recognizing the holiness of God feeds our minds and souls. A heightened awareness of the beauty of creation reveals the majesty of the Creator, opens the heart to God's perfect design. Summing it up with St. Augustine's words, "A Christian should be an alleluia from head to foot." Sing a new song to the Lord! Let the whole earth sing to the Lord! Sing to the Lord; praise his name. Alleluia! Amen! 
-dho

All rights reserved, copyright 2017, Donna Oswalt, BreathingRoomForMySoul.com 

Lent 2025 ~ New Vision

[Then they came to Jericho. And as He was leaving Jericho with His disciples and a large crowd, a blind beggar named Bartimaeus, the son of Timaeus, was sitting by the road. When he heard that it was Jesus the Nazarene, he began to cry out and say, "Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!" Many were sternly telling him to be quiet, but he kept crying out all the more, "Son of David, have mercy on me!" And Jesus stopped and said, "Call him here." So they called the blind man, saying to him, "Take courage, stand up! He is calling for you." Throwing aside his cloak, he jumped up and came to Jesus. And answering him, Jesus said, "What do you want Me to do for you?" And the blind man said to Him, "Rabboni, I want to regain my sight!" And Jesus said to him, "Go; your faith has made you well." Immediately he regained his sight and began following Him on the road.] Mark 10:46-52 NASB

Jesus is always calling to us; He desires that we have a relationship with Him. I wonder how many of us are really like this blind man? Do we desire the mercy that Jesus offers? Is our faith truly evident? And maybe most of all, I wonder, do we really KNOW what we want from Jesus? And, if we know, do we boldly ask? When Jesus answers us, do we respond like this man with new vision?

Our sacrifice of praise ~

Ask Jesus for new vision ~ and follow Him on the road! ~dho

All rights reserved, copyright Donna Oswalt 2020 BreathingRoomForMySoul.com

Lent 2025 ~ Transformation

Since this is the kind of life we have chosen, the life of the Spirit, let us make sure that we do not just hold it as an idea in our heads or a sentiment in our hearts, but work out its implications in every detail of our lives. Galatians 5:25 MSG

The heart of Lent, a spiritual tradition beginning in the 4^th century church, creates another opportunity for discipleship. Focusing on self-examination and selfless giving can realign the Believer’s worldview. A time of less busy, of simplicity, of renewed hunger for the Word, of seeing with new eyes can refresh the spirit. This season of spiritual renewal is not required in the Scriptures, but its possibilities can enrich living God’s way, the life of the Spirit.

The world constantly bombards our minds with boredom and pride, grief and anger, ambition and regret. But what happens when we live God’s way? He brings gifts into our lives, much the same way that fruit appears in an orchard – things like affection for others, exuberance about life, serenity. We develop a willingness to stick with things, a sense of compassion in the heart, and a conviction that a basic, holiness permeates things and people. We find ourselves involved in loyal commitments, not needing to force our way in life, able to marshal and direct our energies wisely. Galatians:5:22-23/MSG When we truly encounter the Bread of Life, we will be transformed! The possibilities are endless.

Jesus, teacher and example ~ I long to live more like You! Stop the chaos inside my mind, still my hurried days, feed my hunger for more.  – dho

All rights reserved ~ Copyright 2016 by Donna Oswalt    

Lent 2025 ~ Stillness

 Be still before the Lord and wait patiently for Him. Psalm 37:7 NIV

The world is full of noise; it delights in its fullness of distractions. Time for stillness eludes us; it escapes our attempts at quiet. In fact, we have become so programmed to noise and multi-tasking several technologies at the same time, we rarely recognize these as distractions. Rather, we question the moments of quiet and stillness, "What, no WiFi? Is the Internet down? How long will the cable be off? Why is this download so slow? Wonder why no one is texting me? Did my cell phone die? Where is my Ipad?"

Nothing in all creation is so like God as stillness. Meister Eckhart

We value busyness; we do not respect stillness! We are afraid of the stillness; we are missing God in the hurry. We have grown accustomed to fast; we are drowning in distractions. Often patience or waiting feels like the enemy. This endless loop of busy and hurry interferes with our intimate relationship with Jesus we should be growing. Be still and wait!

Our sacrifice of praise ~
As our sacrifice of praise, we should slow down and seek stillness. We would discover we are not alone; rather, God is patiently waiting for us. ~dho

All rights reserved, copyright Donna Oswalt 2020 BreathingRoomForMySoul.com

Ash Wednesday - Journey of Renewal

 

“It’s tough in the desert. It’s bewildering.

It’s destructive. It’s hellish. Yet the testimony

of the Old Testament, and ever more strongly,

of the New, is that out of it comes new growth,

new insight, new certainty that a God of love

is at home among us." Charles Elliott

This day, Ash Wednesday, Christians around the world come to His altar to receive the mark of a sinner. It symbolically reminds us that God alone is Sovereign; God alone is Grace. We may search but can never find salvation or peace or eternity without Jesus Christ. It is His Forgiveness we need, His Presence we seek, His Love we offer. Today begins a journey of renewal, a time to reflect on our own individual faith-walk.

Read 1 John 1:1-10

If we claim that we experience a shared life with Him and continue to stumble around in the dark, we're obviously lying through our teeth - we're not living what we claim. But if we walk in the Light, God Himself being the Light, we also experience a shared life with one another, as the sacrificed blood of Jesus, God's Son, purges all our sin.  1 John 1:6-7 The Message

Consider this!

• Where does the "Light" originate?
• If believers are "forgiven" why do we still stand before God marked as a sinner?
• Does my living reflect Jesus?

Light of the World ~ You have come that we might love. We are sinners, but You are Grace. We confess You are Absolute Truth. Dress us in righteousness, forgiven and redeemed. May our words of living reflect the Word of Life. Amen. ~dho

All rights reserved ~ Copyright 2009 by Donna Oswalt    

Infused with Grace

some words from “Tintern Abbey” by William Wordsworth:

"And I have felt 

A presence that disturbs me with a joy
Of elevated thoughts; a sense sublime
Of something far more deeply interfused,
Whose dwelling is the light of setting suns."

Tintern Abbey in Wales, once home to Cistercian monks in the late 1200’s, was (and still is) an ecclesiastical ruin” that Wordsworth visited and inspired his thoughts. His poem “Tintern Abbey” is considered “one of the most celebrated verse reflections on the self, the countryside, and the gathering of wisdom in time”(1) in English Literature.

Wordsworth’s verses are about contemplation and communion with nature, merging the past and present, revisiting the old and the new. The beauty of nature, along with the feelings triggered, begin to infuse childhood and adulthood memories.

Similarly, these following words from 1 Thessalonians 3, verses 11-13 in The Message, express the soul's knowing of the Presence of God, of His strength and grace infused through the lives of those who share Christ and into the lives of others:

May God our Father himself and our Master Jesus . . . pour on the love so it fills your lives and splashes over on everyone around you, . . . May you be infused with strength and purity, filled with confidence in the presence of God . . . 1 Thessalonians 3:11-13

Sometimes, as Believers we reflect on our faith walk, a merging of the beginning and now, of something bigger than we are. Hopefully, we find increased wisdom in the journey, new spiritual growth, and God’s “grace infused” into us! Like Wordsworth, I desire to be disturbed by a joy deep inside my soul, a spiritual knowing of His Presence and Light and Strength that infuses my soul! - dho

(1) Interestingliterature.com 

Jesus is More!

 

My favorite Sunday School song between first and third grades was Tell Me the Stories of Jesus. We frequently sang it as we gathered in a large group before breaking into our respective classes. It's a song we rarely hear anymore, but the images of Jesus that it evoked have stayed with me over the decades. Thoughts of "things I would ask Him to tell me if He were here"  and His "words full of kindness and deeds full of grace" mixed with "scenes by the wayside, tales of the sea" while "the children stood around His knee"  filled my mind. I could almost hear the "stories of Jesus". Sweet memories of a simple time refresh my soul.

Now, life is NOT so simple, and Jesus is NOT only kindness and grace. Jesus is more! Jesus is holy and righteous, power and glory, peace and justice. Jesus is Perfect Love. As I have grown older and in my faith walk, my understanding of Jesus has grown deeper roots. While He is STILL the Jesus that told stories by the sea - Jesus is more! Jesus is rest for the soul, peace during the chaos, joy in the adversity. Jesus knows every heart, the deepest wounds, the greatest fears, the smallest hope! Jesus is the story we tell others. 

Yet, Jesus is MORE! He is all Hope and  the path to Everlasting Life. To recognize Jesus as the Messiah is to fully embrace the resurrected Lord, believing He will return as promised. When Christ returns, He will be All Power and All Glory! 

Then I say heaven opened, and behold, a white horse! The one sitting on it is called Faithful and True, and in righteousness He judges and makes war. His eyes are like a flame of fire, and on His head are many diadems, and He has a name written that no one know but himself. He is clothed in a robe dripped in blood, and the name by which He is called is The Word of God. From His mouth comes a sharp sword with which to strike down the nations, and He will rule them with a a rod of iron. He will tread the winepress of the fury of the wrath of God the Almighty. On His robe and on His thigh He has a name written, King of kings and Lord of Lords. Revelation 19:11-16

Holy, Holy, Holy - King of Kings and Lord of Lords ~
'Faithful and True,' You come as a warrior on a white horse marked as All Power and All Glory, Righteous and Ruler. Your robe bears witness to my soul's redemption; Your battle becomes my soul's greatest victory. Wordless, I lay face down before The Word of God, offering tears of praise and gratitude. You are Absolute Power, Perfect Love, Pure Grace. My soul whispers Holy! Holy! Holy! ~ dho
 

Unrevealed Until It’s Season

 

Hymn of Promise

words/music: Natalie Sleeth, 1986

In the bulb there is a flower;

in the seed, an apple tree;

in cocoons, a hidden promise: 

butterflies will soon be free!

In the cold and snow of winter

there's a spring that waits to be,

unrevealed until its season, 

something God alone can see.

There's a song in every silence,

seeking word and melody;

there's a dawn in every darkness,

bringing hope to you and me.

From the past will come the future;

what it holds, a mystery,

unrevealed until its season, 

something God alone can see.

In our end is our beginning; 

in our time, infinity;

in our doubt there is believing; 

in our life, eternity.

In our death, a resurrection;

at the last, a victory,

unrevealed until its season, 

something God alone can see.

The first time I heard this hymn was over twelve years ago, and this past Sunday we sang it again at my church. While this song is not new to me anymore, I love the words! In its simplicity there is great depth and meaning. The theme is repeated at the end of each verse ~ no matter the time, whether a time of beginning, of waiting, of doubting, God's promise to us remains. Through all the uncertainty that life brings, we can be certain of God's goodness. His tender love for us reaches through the difficulty, through the unknown. God has a plan for each of His children and desires a relationship with each of us. Even when we cannot see the reason, the answer, or the end result, God can. Trust is the key component in every relationship. Do you trust God with everything? 

Seasons of tragedy, disappointment, and uncertainty come in unexpected ways, at unpredictable times. In these moments, we must turn to God for comfort and encouragement, seek His unfailing love and faithful provisions, find His goodness and His peace! It must be enough that God alone can see!  ~dho

* previously posted on the blog/DonnaOswalt/2012