soulperblog

SPS Sabbatical

2009-09-02T01:00:00.000-05:00

It appears that Kona with Jonah is not going to arrive from Amazon in time for us to do a SPS study without crossing over in to the holidays. As a result we are canceling this SPS study.

The delivery delay by Amazon has moved to the forefront something that the SPS team has needed for a while --a sabbatical.

We've been doing the blog for five years and it's been good, but we all recognize a couple of things.

We're all stretched pretty thin. Even though I quit my job over a year ago with intentions of giving SPS a makeover from head to toe, other priorities took over. It's been a year of great personal healing: my husband was laid off, there have been five deaths of friends and family, and my father was diagnosed with cancer. Although an extra paycheck would have been nice during this time, not having the responsibility of a job allowed me to deal with everything else.
We all agree that SPS is stalled. It either needs a makeover or a retirement. It's time to look at SPS and decide where it goes from here. It's definitely not where we imagined it would be by this time. If we move forward with SPS, it will be a huge undertaking.

Considering these factors, we've all agreed that it would do us tremendous good to step away from SPS for an eight- month sabbatical and get some perspective. We each have more things stretching us for our time and, if it isn't going to evolve then, SPS is just going to be a drip-drip-drip drain on us mentally and physically.

We've appreciated your participation and interest and hope you've been enriched.

Carry on.
Rhonda ♥

Sandi♠

Erin ♦

♣

Winner! SoulPerSuit Kit

2009-08-31T10:36:00.003-05:00

Congratulations go out to Abby, winner of the SoulPerSuit artsy kit and CHOCOLATE!

We'll be sending your prize out to you directly. :)

Gallery Wednesday - Worship

2009-08-26T01:00:00.001-05:00

""Restore My Soul" - by The Choir

I've been thinking a lot about how my decay inspires me to worship God, the divine. This was a rather easy card to put together. I mean how can you make depravity presentable? I really let myself get sloppy and it only added to the effect.

The lyrics to this song by The Choir are full of imagery:

"I crawl to you with 10 fingers blistered from turning the pages of sin...

With my vertebrae twisted from dancing with creatures of night...

Restore my soul.""
- Erin

See all of the Worship Gallery.

Song for the National Parks

2009-08-24T20:17:00.002-05:00

Isaac Watts was born in 1674, and he is best known for penning the words to the Christmas carol, Joy to the World. Yet one of his lesser-known songs, I Sing the Mighty Power of God, has been running through my head in the past few weeks since my family took out 5,700-mile loop through six National Parks.

In all our travels I never once saw a BankofAmerica, but I did see osprey babies in a nest, watch a badger dig (impressive!), boars fighting, wild horses grazing, bison snorting... Nothing makes me worship quite like waterfalls and wildlife.

Take a moment to worship as you think on Isaac Watts's words:

I sing the mighty power of God, that made the mountains rise,
That spread the flowing seas abroad, and built the lofty skies.
I sing the wisdom that ordained the sun to rule the day;
The moon shines full at God’s command, and all the stars obey.

I sing the goodness of the Lord, who filled the earth with food,
Who formed the creatures through the Word, and then pronounced them good.
Lord, how Thy wonders are displayed, where’er I turn my eye,
If I survey the ground I tread, or gaze upon the sky.

There’s not a plant or flower below, but makes Thy glories known,
And clouds arise, and tempests blow, by order from Thy throne;
While all that borrows life from Thee is ever in Thy care;
And everywhere that we can be, Thou, God art present there.

Why not go a step further and sing it? Here's an instrumental background for you:

We Have Winners!

2009-08-24T06:46:00.000-05:00

The winners of the drawing for free copies of Kona with Jonah are Kelley and Katybug.

But that doesn’t mean we’re finished offering freebies!

Want to be prepared for the next round of SoulPerSuit? Rhonda is giving away an SPS kit that includes these goodies: a journal, craft paper, clip art sheets, stickers, tags, a Sharpie pen, glue stick, playing cards and (the drum roll please) M&Ms.

To enter, leave a comment that includes your favorite kind of chocolate. Are you a Nestlés girl or a Godiva guy? Dark or light? With peanuts or without? Babe Ruth or Butterfinger? Let us know and then make sure to check back on August 31, when Erin announces the winner.

(SPS specifically disclaims all warranties with respect to the SPS-kit winners, their web pages, or your use thereof, express, implied, or otherwise. Materials presented in these pages are the views and research of individual authors of the documents. Tax, title, and license separate, according to the Surgeon General’s office. Win at your own risk.)

Jonah - coming in September

2009-08-21T01:00:00.001-05:00

June, July, August 2009
* We've only got one week left in our mini-SPS this summer on Worship.

Please send us your art so that we can post it on Gallery Wednesday. You can also link to your blog or web site from the comments. Next Wednesday's Gallery has not been assigned yet so submit anytime up to midnight on Tuesday.

September 7 ??, 2009 - Kona with Jonah
We'll start a full SPS in September. We're excited because we'll be going through Sandra Glahn's new Coffee Cup Study "Kona with Jonah". It's available for free shipping when you purchase $25 so now's the time to bundle your order with the new "Frappé with Philippians" and another Coffee Cup you've been wanting.

*Amazon says that I should get my book by September 2 so we should still be o.k. to start by Sept. 7. We'll keep you up-to-date here.

* I just received an update from Amazon again today. My "Kona with Jonah" may not arrive until Sept 25! This is a discouraging pattern. I think we may have made a mistake in scheduling a new SPS so close to the book's release. We will have to regroup and decide what to do. Thanks and stay tuned.

* There are three more days left to leave a comment on Sandi's post for a chance to win a free copy of the book!

Speaking of Amazon, anytime you order, we recommend that you do so by going through the Amazon link provided in the left hand column.

Sandi's husband, Gary, is Special Projects Manager for the East Africa team of East West Ministries International. If you place any of your Amazon orders through theAmazon link in the left column a portion of your order will benefit Gary's efforts! How easy is that!

Check here on Fridays for other news and scheduling updates.

Gallery Wednesday - Worship

2009-08-19T01:00:00.001-05:00

"I absolutely love the garden. My husband and I... worked feverishly the past month to put in a perennial garden. It was such hard work! We live in an area that is filled with huge rocks and stones so digging even the smallest holes was a challenge.

I feel this way a lot of times about my relationship with the Lord. My heart is the earth filled with so many hard rocks and stones that are so difficult to work with and remove. The Lord is so gracious though - with His love for me, even as a sinner - He plants those seeds within us and as long as we are willing to nurture them and care for them by living by God's plan, in time, we will grow with much wisdom and love and in our own right become the beautiful flowers in our Father's garden." - Trinh

See all of the Worship Gallery.

Art Cements People

2009-08-17T14:30:00.004-05:00

The first impression from this video was amazement at the artist's skill and the simplicity of her medium. Sand on a light table... sheer genius!

As the video progressed, I was drawn into the story Kseniya Simonova wove and the response of her audience. The recognition in their eyes, the tears being wiped away as they collectively remembered a dark time in their country's history.
The entire studio audience was brought together in their understanding of her references. Ukraine shares Simonova's story line.
All of Europe can partake in the telling of this story.
Around the world, we all share in a portion of her tale- life in this fallen world is rife with pain.

Ms. Simonova's piece illustrates well how art transcends language, time and place and speaks a language common to all of humanity.

Gallery Wednesday - Worship

2009-08-12T01:00:00.000-05:00

"I wanted to create (a card about) the names and characteristics that I use to describe my God." - Dena

See all of the Worship Gallery.

FREE! Kona with Jonah Giveaway

2009-08-10T08:02:00.001-05:00

Starting September 7, 2009 we'll start a full SPS using Kona with Jonah, the latest in my Coffee Cup Bible Study series, due off the press next week. And that means now's the time to think about a couple of giveaways with winners to be announced August 24. Here's how you enter for the drawings: Write a few lines about a storm you remember. Here's mine to get you started:

When I was three years old, a terrible storm blew through Oregon's Willamette Valley on Columbus Day. We lost power for a few days and my dad was out of town, so a friend of my parents rode his bike out to our rural home to make sure my mom and five kids were okay.

Remember, winners will be announced August 24. You may enter twice.

Voice Like a Waterfall

2009-08-10T06:02:00.003-05:00

My family and I just returned from a 5,700-mile trip through the western USA visiting six of the national parks--The North Rim of the Grand Canyon, Yosemite, Crater Lake, Yellowstone, Grand Teton, and Rocky Mountain.

When we were in Yellowstone, we pulled over to a lookout point and saw a path to the vista point. As soon as I stepped out of the RV, I heard the rushing of water. It sounded really close, even though the pathway to my left and right looked long. Then I saw through an opening in the trees that I was standing about five feet from the edge of deep canyon, and I was within yards of an enormous rushing waterfall. Powerful. Magnificent. Overwhelming in its force.

Later that day I read in the Book of Revelation that when Jesus appeared to John, the prophet fell as a dead man because he was so afraid. But Jesus told him not to fear.

I trembled with awe at the thought of that kind of power.

Gallery Wednesday - Worship

2009-08-05T01:00:00.004-05:00

"I wanted a card to represent Christ and what sin did to Him on the cross. He was bruised for our transgressions. His body was beaten, torn, spit upon, hit and treated with utter disrespect."

"The scars are still there but He is healed. The visible scars remain for us to see but the bruising and violence of the cross are over. They are made right. " - Becky

See all of the Worship Gallery.

The Passionate Heart of Youth

2009-08-03T06:30:00.000-05:00

My three daughters went to dance camp last week. This is their recital performance.

As a child, I never knew the words "worship" and "dance" could be used in the same sentence.
I am grateful that my children have opportunities to express themselves at such a young age-- body, soul, and spirit-- in worship of the One they love.

(The whispering in the background is another dance mom and myself enjoying the seriousness with which our daughters approached this dance. They owned their worship.)

Gallery Wednesday - Worship

2009-07-29T01:00:00.000-05:00

""You Are Holy " - by Nichole Nordeman

This was one of my most difficult themes. The Trinity is so beyond my comprehension that I am indeed inspired to worhship.

I wanted to capture the essence of the Trinity without being cliché. In the end, I had a big pile of "visual gunk". I decided to scrap it all and go simple. And I'm much more satisfied.

I chose to do the triptych design to reinforce the idea of three parts making a whole." - Erin

See all of the Worship Gallery.

Ancient Hebrew Call to Worship

2009-07-27T07:15:00.000-05:00

Ascribe to the LORD the glory due His name;
Bring an offering, and come before Him;
Worship the LORD in holy array.
Tremble before Him, all the earth;
Indeed, the world is firmly established, it will not be moved.
Let the heavens be glad, and let the earth rejoice;
And let them say among the nations, “The LORD reigns.”
Let the sea roar, and all it contains;
Let the field exult, and all that is in it.
Then the trees of the forest will sing for joy before the LORD;
For He is coming to judge the earth.
O give thanks to the LORD, for He is good;
For His lovingkindness is everlasting.

(1 Chronicles 16:29–34)

Gallery Wednesday - Worship

2009-07-22T01:00:00.001-05:00

"This card is obviously chaotic and not very attractive. This is exactly the look I wanted in representing the chaos in my life right now. This also represents a difficult time in my life... there's too much to even mention. There were many times it was difficult for me to worship. Jason and I realized that these things were happening for a reason while our selfish desires and motives made it hard at times to believe this, we continue to pray for direction from Him." - Trinh

See all of the Worship Gallery.

The Un- God

2009-07-20T08:35:00.000-05:00

Last week my nine year old and I were thinking together about how God is The Uncreated Creator. No beginning, no end. He was there from the start, forming all that we know by His creative genius and might. The variety He has imagined is staggering.

Soon our conversation turned a corner and we contemplated how God is The Unmoved Mover. Nothing shakes, shifts or shatters Him. He goes where He pleases, when He pleases. He is a rock and solid foundation, charging Himself with keeping the rest of our universe held together and in motion.

Both Ellie and I were drawn into worship reflecting on these truths, and it made me wonder...
what other "Un"- words can be used to describe this God that we worship?

Gallery Wednesday - Worship

2009-07-15T01:00:00.001-05:00

"Simple and elegant.

Make it "pop out" as it should in my heart. Keep the visual close and I stay closer on my path. I wanted to add color and when adding the green, they reminded me of the nails - not pointed, not round - painful.

This card represents the brightness I can look for at the cross. The nails Jesus took for me are illustrated in the green paper." - Dena

See all of the Worship Gallery.

What Makes You Worship?

2009-07-13T05:42:00.010-05:00

Here are some things that caused me to worship last week...

Meaningful interactions with friends.

Sunrise near Neopolis on the Aegean.

A breeze, just when I thought I'd explode from heat.

A body that works well enough to walk and carry things and go up and down steps and swim.

Delicious food. >>>

Listening to Steve Green perform.

Seeing kittens.

Perfect timing... A group of photographers rose before six to catch a sunrise over Athens on film, and just as it looked like the sun would appear, a huge cruise boat blocked our view. Oh, no!

But after the boat crept past (it seemed to take forever), we discovered to our delight that the sun had not yet appeared after all.

Then there it came.

We snapped like crazy, and then another cruise boat blocked our view.

Still, the precise moment we needed the sea clear, nothing blocked us. >>>

What has caused you to worship?

Gallery Wednesday - Worship

2009-07-08T01:00:00.002-05:00

"I've heard it said that the blood of martyrs is the fuel for spreading the gospel. When we let go and allow God to consume us, all of us to the core of who we are, we are refined and we burn for others to see. How terrifying it is to say we are God's fuel - when a match is lit and it is near fuel, the reaction is immediate, explosive. What would it look like if we really lived as though we were God's fuel." - Becky

See all of the Worship Gallery.

Rufus M. Worships Well

2009-07-06T04:02:00.000-05:00

Our family recently got a dog. My three daughters have never had a pet before, so you can imagine the attention this little scruffy guy gets in our home. Someone is always ready to brush, hug, snuggle, feed a doggy treat, dote, or oooh and ahhhh over him. The girls fight over loving him, in fact.
Rufus M. is well-loved by all standards.

When he joined our family a month ago, Rufus M. attached himself to the leader of his new pack-- me. I'm his Alpha dog. I show him where to potty, when to eat, what furniture he can nap on, and where we're going to take our daily walk. He looks to me to help him understand and navigate his new environment. But I appear to mean more to him than a mere guidance counselor or food provider. My children are capable enough to lead him on walks, they fill his food bowl, they brush him and play toys with him: all (easily) 10X more frequently than I do every day. And yet, when I enter the room, Rufus M. is bounding away from whichever forlorn daughter of mine was mid-belly-rub with him and adopting his position right by my side.

The Alpha dog is the center of Rufus M.'s universe. The Alpha dog is where, for Rufus, meaning is found. The Alpha dog is his anchor.

I love this picture of worship found in the book of John:

"You do not want to leave too, do you?" Jesus asked the Twelve. Simon Peter answered him, "Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life. We believe and know that you are the Holy One of God."

John 6:67-69

To whom shall we go?

Where else is meaning found? Where else can we hear and taste the words of life?

Are we not already at the center of the universe? Why then should we leave? What's better out there than this?

In his book, The Cost of Discipleschip, Dietrich Bonhoeffer discusses following Christ for the benefits of being a Christian rather than following Christ for Christ. One is false worship, the other represents a true worshiper's heart. Do we claim the name of Christ because we want to get to heaven? Because we enjoy the Church so much? Do we pursue Jesus because we desire more grace and mercy? Is it the clean living and the feelings of righteousness that drive us in our faith journey?

Of course none of those are offensive by any means, but what if those things were not a part of the Christian's "package deal"? Thinking of Rufus M.; is he constantly beside me solely for a scrap of bacon and fresh water in his bowl, or is there a deeper need inside him for a connection with his "source"?

Would we still be following Christ if the only incentive was Christ alone?

It's a sobering thought that can help me align my focus to worshiping the only thing, person and future that deserves it. Christ the Anchor, the Center, the Meaning.

I agree with Simon Peter, to whom shall I go?

Gallery Wednesday - Worship

2009-07-01T01:00:00.000-05:00

"Christ Before Me" by Margaret Becker

I made this card after a particularly rough couple of weeks in general. I was getting frustrated with the decay in my world and my inability to handle that decay in a godly manor.

I felt as if life was a pack of dogs nipping at my heels. No rest. No end. No resolution. And no one was going to "be nice" to me (according to my definition!). And I just kept fighting for my rights.

This is a powerful song about continuing to abide in Christ, to be filled with His power and to allow the Holy Spirit to change my perspective.

"Christ above me, Christ beside me, Christ within me, Christ behind me, Christ before me..."

If only I could learn to submerge myself in Him so that I can be His perfect bride. " - Erin

See all of the Worship Gallery.

The Who and Why of Worship

2009-06-29T08:33:00.001-05:00

As we launch into our SPS focus on worship, it’s important to consider who we worship and why.

Centuries ago King David prayed in the presence of the people saying, “Yours, O LORD [Yahweh], is the greatness and the power and the glory and the majesty and the splendor, for everything in heaven and earth is yours. Yours, O LORD [Yahweh], is the kingdom; you are exalted as head over all."

Why worship? Because our LORD is great and powerful and glorious and majestic and splendid. The Almighty made and owns everything in heaven and earth, including us. God is King and we are subjects. No other master is worthy of our worship.

We were not made to worship money or technology or our cars or morning coffee or other people or our pets or stars or any other created thing. We were made to worship our creator and offer thanks for created things. As Augustine wrote in Confessions, “Our hearts are restless until they find their rest in You.”

Worship with joy. The object of our worship is wonder-full!

Gallery Wednesday - Worship

2009-06-24T01:00:00.000-05:00

"I once did a bible study with two of my girlfriends called "Loving Your Husband" by Cynthia Heald. The author writes, "A wife rightly related to her Lord will be a wife rightly related to her husband." This card represents my love and commitment to my husband, Jason. He is truly such a gift from God and I adore him with all of my heart. But, as with any relationship, it takes a lot of communication and commitment. The same goes for our relationship with the Lord." - Trinh

See all of the Worship Gallery.

Summer and Fall Schedule

2009-06-19T01:00:00.001-05:00

June, July, August 2009
For the summer we're doing a mini-study on Worship. This was one of the very first SPS topics so it's a great time to revisit it. A mini-SPS is more self guided so it's totally up to your own interpretation. Please send us your art so that we can post it on Gallery Wednesday. You can also link to your blog or web site from the comments. Next Wednesday's Gallery has not been assigned yet so submit anytime up to midnight on Tuesday.

September 7, 2009 - Kona with Jonah
We'll start a full SPS in September. We're excited because we'll be going through Sandra Glahn's new Coffee Cup Study "Kona with Jonah". It's so new, in fact, that it's only available right now for pre-order on Amazon, due to ship July 27. It's available for free shipping when you purchase $25 so now's the time to bundle your order with the new "Frappé with Philippians" and another Coffee Cup you've been wanting.

Speaking of Amazon, anytime you order, we recommend that you do so by going through the link provided in the right hand column on Sandi's blog:

Sandi's husband, Gary, is Special Projects Manager for the East Africa team of East West Ministries International. If you place any of your Amazon orders through this link on Sandi's blog a portion of your order will benefit Gary's efforts! How easy is that!

I guess that's enough news for now. Check here on Fridays for other news and scheduling updates.