Amen

One of the young boys in our church asked me about "Amen."  I sensed he knew there was more to it than just being a punctuation at the end of a prayer.

The Hebrew word "Amen," sometimes spelled "aameen," comes from a word that means "truth" or faithful.  It is an exclamation that declares, "This is my truth." "So be it."

Some scholars says that in the first creation story, the phrase, "And it is so" is derived from the "Amen."

What are you saying "Yes" to in your life?  What are you affirming as your truth?  Are you talking about what is wrong with your life, your circumstances?  Are you complaining about others?  Then you are giving your "Amen" to negative, limiting circumstances.

God says, "Yes" to what we put our attention on. 

Let's keep our attention on God's healing power, "Amen!"

Let's focus on being God's joy in action, "Amen!"

Let affirm that we are God's love, always blessing others, "Amen!"

Let's listen to God's guidance and follow through, "Amen!"

Let's live from our oneness with God, "Amen!"

Breath of Spirit - Genesis 2

One can argue about whether or not  scripture is accurate or helpful or the literal word of God and miss the opportunity to let the scripture speak for itself.

In the second creation story [if you want to discover something, compare Genesis 1:24-26 and 2:18-19.  In what order were the animals and man made?] there is a verse that always inspires me and always calls me to a deeper connection with God.

Genesis 2:7 KJV "And the LORD God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul."

The story carries an important code that is found in the Hebrew words.  

"The LORD" is the "I AM" name of God.  It indicated the being-ness of Being wanting to express Itself through creative activity.  The coming into form is a pressing into shape.  The word here, "formed," would be used to describe what a potter does to clay.  God presses out of divine substance [dust] a form that becomes animated.  The form of itself is not alive.  It is the "breath of God," which could also be translated "spirit of God," that give live, animation, energy to the form.  The Spirit-breath is what gives us life.

Here are some questions for you to ask:

What has God shaped me to be?  Am I letting the Spirit-breath of God fill me and animate me?  Am I trusting that what God breathes life into has all that it needs?

MEDITATION:

I take this moment to breath the Spirit of God.  I let Spirit breathe me.  As I breathe in, I imagine God is breathing out.  As I breathe out, God is breathing in.  I am filled with the Spirit of God.  I breath out and release all that is not of the Spirit.  I let each breath be the activity of the Divine.

APPLICATION:

When we want to create something, this divine pattern is ours to use.  What is the form you want?  Do you let God inspire your vision, your desires, your plans?  Are you ready to breathe life into it? Are you going to fill it with your spirit?  Can you see the Spirit-breath of God filling it?  Animating it?  Giving it life?  If not, it will not have life.  

What is God calling you to give life to?

How is Spirit calling me to shape my life?

Can I breathe life, love and joy into it?

My prayer is that this blog will inspire you to expereince the activity of God in your life in a greater way.

Joyous in the Spirit,

Blair

The Spirit of the Lord is upon me!

This bold claim was made by many prophets, "The Spirit of the LORD is upon me."

When Jesus went to his hometown, he was not well received, but while in the synagogue reading from the scroll of Isaiah, he, in turn, made the claim that God was with him and working through him.

I invite you to make that claim for yourself.  AND then act as if God's Spirit is with you, guiding you and working through you.  Whatever you are facing today, God is more than enough to see you through.  Call on the Holy Spirit for wisdom, guidance, strength, energy, creativity and peace.

My prayer for you is, "You are energized and blessed by the Holy Spirit now!"





Isaiah 61:1-2 "The Spirit of the Lord GOD is upon Me, because the LORD has anointed Me to preach good tidings to the poor; he has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to those who are bound; To proclaim the acceptable year of the LORD, and the day of vengeance of our God; to comfort all who mourn,  (NKJ)