Replenishing....Tea and Tuesdays Edition

Replenish means: to make full or complete again, as supplying what is lacking; to supply with fresh fuel; to fill again or anew.

Ruminate on the definition for a minute….  Let’s do an exercise together….

Read the definition three more times.  Each time you read it a different word or phrase may jump out at you.  Write those words or phases down. 

As I read it this is what I see:

First time reading it, I saw “to make full or complete again”.

The second time I read it the phrase “to fill again or anew”.

The third time the word “anew” stuck out.

The last time (since I read it four times) the phrase “as supplying what is lacking” and the phrase “fresh fuel” both jumped out at me.

It is interesting and of note that something we may see the first time we may not see the second time around, but in fact see something totally different.  It is this way with sentences we read, people we meet, books we read, etc.  We can observe something in a new way even though we have encountered it before.  It is the same way with scripture – try reading a familiar passage of scripture multiple times.  You may see something new about what the scripture is saying each time you read it.

Jesus was speaking to the woman at the well when He said in John 4:13-14, “…Everyone who drinks this water will be thirsty again but whoever drinks the water I give him will never thirst.  Indeed, the water I give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life.”

Jesus was teaching about something that was lacking in the life of this woman who found herself alone with Jesus at the well.  She was in search of, in many ways, something to satisfy the lack in her life.  Jesus said everyone who drinks just regular water from the well would have to come back for more water, meaning they would still be lacking for water.  He then promised the water He would give would be a permanent solution to the problem of lack in her life (and in our life).

As stated earlier “replenish” means supplying what is lacking, bringing fresh fuel to a depleted place.  Jesus promises to replenish us so lack no longer exists!  Imagine – never thirty again; Never hungry again!  Wow!

I want you to sit with this for a while and consider your life today.  Are you still thirsty?  Are you hungry for something food or snacks cannot satisfy?  I’ve got just the thing – Jesus!  Only He can fulfill those deeper hungers and longings inside.  Allow Him to help you today.  It does not matter whether you don't know Him or have known Him all your life - He is still able to satisfy.  

I look forward to hearing your story if you will share with me.

Thank you – have a great week!  More “Re-“ words and stories to come….

Another Tea and Tuesday Edition - Musings and Variations on a Word

Tea is becoming a great friend to me.  There are so many blends, flavors, variations and colors.  Tea can be very colorful.  Tea can bring variety to one’s life.  Today’s tea is called Oprah Chai.  Yes, the same Oprah that we know – she partnered with a tea manufacturer to create her own tea and as far as I can tell it is a hit.  Oprah Chai is a black tea with a good blend of flavors that I believe remind me of a comfortable chair, a blanket and a cool day in the fall.  Drinking it brings me a certain amount of comfort and I appreciate this.  

In this moment a word comes to mind – this word is renewal.  Renewal generally means to begin again or start again, as in beginning a conversation that has already started at an earlier time.  Renewing involves restoring, replenishing or recovering something.  I have to put a pin here and share a personal note:  I absolutely love words!  I used to read the dictionary because I was so intrigued with words, what they mean and how they are used.  The words used in the definition of renewal are words that I love for various reasons: Restore, Replenish, and Recover.

I am sure this word “Renewal” has come to my mind for various reasons.  I am also sure that God is saying something to me in the midst of bringing this word to mind.  What do you believe God is saying to you in this moment?  How does “renewal” or “restoration” or “recovery” speak to where you are right now?  Are these words relevant to your current experience in any way?  Please share with me.

I will have more to say about renewal, recovering and replenishing next week.  This post is short but I believe thought provoking.  I want to give you some time to think about these words more.  Allow them to roll around in your mind a bit; ruminate on the meaning and possible implications for your life in general and in specific.  I look forward to seeing what you have to say.

Have a great night and a wonderful week – see you next time.

Checking on our talk with God

For the past few weeks we have been talking about God – specifically we have been talking about the relationship you can have with God and learning the ways in which we can connect to God through friends or just setting aside time for Him.

For those of you who have read some of my blogs you know the ways I have encouraged you to connect with God.  Some of us are looking for guidance and seeking wisdom.  We want to know the next step to take.  We want clarity for the road ahead.  We need to hear His voice, feel His presence or know that He is there even if (or especially when) things are going crazy.

There is a scripture passage I love which I believe to be appropriate at this point:  “I am the vine and you are the branches.  If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.” John 15:5

The context of this passage is Christ speaking to His disciples and in many ways giving His last pieces of encouragement before the real deal begins (that being the journey to the hill and Jesus’ death on the cross).  Jesus spends some quality time teaching and praying for the disciples (and us who will be the followers of the message the disciples will bring to the world).  He begins with the statement given above and in many ways sets the stage for what will be said later – He says, in essence, “You must be connected to me.  If you are not connected to me, you will not accomplish all that I desire for you”.  The connection has to be secure, has to be aligned properly, has to be intact, has to be sure….(Hopefully you get my drift). 

Many of us (including myself) have tried to do things on our own and failed, for many reasons.  Maybe the goal was too lofty, too high for you to get it done at this time.  You needed help, in some way.  Maybe you needed a ladder.  You might have needed more time to accomplish it but found yourself in a tight space when it comes to time.  Then there are things you just cannot do without help.  No matter how hard you try it becomes obvious the presence of another is key to getting the job done.  Period.  I have been there, have you?

Jesus is encouraging us today to know, first, He is there for us.  He has desires for you and me.  He has desires for you to accomplish wonderful things, things that look, on the outside, too big for you to do.  His response in those moments when you feel you can’t do it alone is this – “I am here, not just with My presence, but I am here in a REAL way to help you.  I am the solution to your problem but you must bring your needs to Me.  You must be connected to Me.”  (Never knew He was saying all this in that one verse, did you??)

Are you connected to God?  Is your connection secure?  Are there doubts within you now whether your connection to God is secure, safe or intact? 

Share with me your concerns – let me help!  Have a great day, and strive to feel good about who you are.  Accept who you are today – change can come once you first see value in who you are right now.  Have a blessed day!