Meditation Week!

Hey what up folks! 

Not too long ago I sent y'all some notes on meditation. Since then I've been feeling a need to fast for a bit, a sort of a spiritual recharge and search for clarity. So that's what I'm going to do this week. 

Of course because I'm a rather extreme person this means it will also include a fast. The last time I did this i did the master cleanse and abstained from TV and the internet. That was pretty crazy but it definitely yielded great results, this blog being one of them.

This time it won't be as extreme from a dietary perspective, but it will be a focused week of meditation and time with God. And of course I will write about it on the blog, so stay tuned and check in with me! 

If any of you feel so inspired to get down with me on this fast/meditation week I can use all the moral support I can get! You don't have to do what I'm doing. Maybe there is something that you want to give up for a week. Or maybe there is something you have wanted to do but haven't done: exercise everyday, pray everyday, call a family member every day. I'm sure there is something you can think of, even for just a day or two. 


THE RULES OF ENGAGEMENT! (for me): 
No TV
No Internet (yikes)
Meditate everydayYeast Free Diet. 

Hopefully I'll make it. 

Why the yeast free diet you might be wondering? Well, because it is super healthy and I need a physical cleansing as well. And because I do not feel inspired to do the master cleanse this time around.. I tried the yeast free thing before and couldn't hack it. Let's see what happens this time. 

In general I will spend the time I would usually spend on the internet (Netflix) and TV in meditation. Readings books are ok. I will also tweet the ideas that don't make it to the blog at http://twitter.com/aconvowithgod


So please wish me luck, pray for me, flip a coin or whatever it is you do. Also feel free to share with us your thoughts and ideas here at the blog!

I'll be in touch. 

Clarence

Gotta Get Away

After the people saw the miraculous sign that Jesus did, they began to say, "Surely this is the Prophet who is to come into the world." Jesus, knowing that they intended to come and make him king by force, withdrew again to a mountain by himself. John 6:14-15

Today’s Reading: 1 Chronicles 4-6; John 6:1-21

I’ve always enjoyed my personal, quiet time.

I wrote a post a while ago about one of my bus adventures. When I’m not talking to my guardian angel on the bus, the bus is one of my quiet sanctuaries.

But it is more than just the bus.

The bus stop is about an eight minute walk from my apartment. I enjoy the quiet solitude of a walk, observing passersby as they walk, jog, run and drive to their next destination. I sometimes say hello and strike up conversations, but more often than that I just enjoy the experience from a distance. Sometimes I even create fictional life stories for them. I give them people to love, obstacles to overcome, and goals to achieve.

I’ve always had an active imagination.

And on the bus too I am provided the quiet time necessary to get completely lost in thought. When I read through the Bible the second time it was primarily done on the bus. In addition to the Bible I have read countless books, articles, and stories. I have also said countless prayers and spent many hours meditating.

We all need that quiet time alone. Often times it is hard for us to get it at home when there are so many people and things vying for our attention. If it isn’t one of the random commercials on a constantly running TV set trying to manipulate you into buying their goods and services it’s someone at home asking us to do something.

Home may be where the heart is but good gracious if only they’d just leave you be some times!

In the excerpt above folks were pushing up a bit too hard on Jesus and he had to go ahead and bounce to a mountain top. And you know what, I’m not mad at him.

Sometimes we gotta prioritize self. Otherwise we get caught up living life on other people’s terms instead doing what we have to do to achieve our own dreams.

Clear Vision

"Listen to my words:
"When a prophet of the LORD is among you,
I reveal myself to him in visions,
I speak to him in dreams.

But this is not true of my servant Moses;
he is faithful in all my house.

With him I speak face to face,
clearly and not in riddles;
he sees the form of the LORD.
Why then were you not afraid
to speak against my servant Moses?" – Numbers 12: 6-8

This story starts off with Moses’ brother and sister, Aaron and Miriam, talking smack about Moses because he married a Cushite (Ethiopian) woman. God hears it and then calls the three of them to him and says what is quoted above.

Then ZAP! He put that leprosy on Miriam.

Rough game.

Then Aaron begs Moses to pray to God so that God would forgive her. He does, and after seven days outside the camp she is healed. During that time Israel could not move forward. That is some serious public shame.

There are several interesting things about this story to me.

First of all… score one for interracial marriage! God wasn’t having any smack talking about Moses and his choice of wife. I think this says a lot about how important marriage is to God. It’s a permanent spiritual bond. When it is attacked, God is not pleased.

The next thing is the mention of how special Moses was. He wasn’t merely a prophet. He was the most humble man on earth! And as a result of his humility and faithfulness God spoke directly to Moses and revealed his form to him.

When we look back at all of the preparations that the high priest must perform before going into the holy of holies on the Day of Atonement, this says a lot.

The priest had to be ritually cleansed so that he could be in the presence of God and live to tell about it.

That’s just a Tuesday afternoon for Moses.

Here again are the recurring themes of faith and humility. The more faithful and humbly we live our lives, the more God reveals himself to us.

But also there is a flip side to this. God is always with us. But when we are blinded by selfishness and arrogance we cannot see outside the prism of our own interests.

Faith and humility allow us to see life much more clearly. The longer one walks that path, the clearer the image of God becomes.

Today’s Reading: Numbers 12-14; Mark 5: 21-43