Psalm One Update - August 2019

“My soul waits in silence for God only; from Him is my salvation.” (Psalm 62:1)

This summer I was so blessed to take a prayer pilgrimage, “The Jesus Trip”, as I call it. Alone with Jesus. 18 days. 3300 miles. No television, no streaming, no social media, no phone calls except to Mom. A Bible, journal, and camera. Extended, uninterrupted, unhurried time with the Lord.

• Enough time to let the dust settle.

• Enough safety to let go of the tiredness, grief, stress, and trauma of the past twelve months.

• Enough silence to hear that still, small, but oh so powerful voice.

• Enough solitude to rest on the foundations of the Cornerstone alone.

• Enough creation to focus me on the Creator.

• Enough kind people to assist me and cheer me all along the road.

The Jesus Trip strips away all the trappings of man’s answers and leaves me in the arms of God and God alone. It’s not a vacation. It’s not easy. But it’s worth it. It’s a struggle to respond as deep calls to deep. It can be very hard, very lonely, very raw, very tough to be laid bare. If we let Him, the Lord continually sweeps away our scaffolding, leaving us with nothing to lean on except Himself. And He is more than enough.

“This hope we have as an anchor of the soul, a hope both sure and steadfast and one which enters within the veil, where Jesus has entered as a forerunner for us.” (Hebrews 6:19-20)

I spent most of my time out in the wilderness, but in the Lord’s infinite wisdom, love, and hilarious orchestration, I ended the trip in a family, among friends (whom I had never met before), in a community of faith. Psalm 68:6 says, “God makes a home for the lonely” or literally, “God places the lonely in families”. In an area where few people claim to follow Christ, the Lord placed me in a family of wonderful friends who love Jesus and loved on me.

As I journeyed and prayed, God poured out pages upon pages into my journal.

• Whispers

• Truths

• Remembering

• Questions

• Challenges

• Reassurance

• Celebration

• Training

• Strengthening

• Praise

• Gratitude

Those 18 days passed in a flash, but I’ll be unpacking this list for the next several decades…

I have learned that for me, because of what I do and how God leads me, this is not a luxury. This is as necessary to me as oxygen. From time to time, I need to pull away from the “muchness and manyness” (as Richard Foster calls it) to:

• Clear my mind

• Sort my heart

• Reexamine my priorities

• Refill my tank

• Hear fresh words

• Prepare for what lies ahead

• Renew my strength

Could you use any of this? I realize most people cannot pull away for 18 days (and most people would not want to!), but perhaps you would be rested and refilled by an hour (for a Bible study or other input) or six hours (for a Day of Refreshing) or a weekend (for a Refocus and Refuel Retreat or other soul care). My hope and prayer is to extend a sip—or a cup—of the renewal that only comes from time spent with Jesus. What a joy to link arms with others hungry for the Lord. Come join us for your own Jesus Trip.

Grace and peace,

Linda

Psalm One Update - June 2019

“Your ears will hear a word behind you, ‘This is the way, walk in it’, whenever you turn to the right or to the left.” (Isaiah 30:21)

How do we learn to discern the voice of God in the midst of the noise and clatter, in the midst of the muchness and manyness? We’ve been studying the Holy Spirit through 1 Corinthians and I’ve been challenged and encouraged in a fresh way by the comfort, guidance, and power of the Holy Spirit.

"I have many more things to say to you, but you cannot bear them now. But when He, the Spirit of truth, comes, He will guide you into all the truth; for He will not speak on His own initiative, but whatever He hears, He will speak; and He will disclose to you what is to come. He will glorify Me, for He will take of Mine and will disclose it to you. All things that the Father has are Mine; therefore I said that He takes of Mine and will disclose it to you.”  (John 16:12-15)

Next week I am pulling away for a “Jesus Trip”, a Prayer Pilgrimage, so I can have time in silence and solitude to let the dust and debris settle enough to really listen to the Lord. I have a marquee on my forehead that says, “Tell me your story”, and complete strangers all over the world do just that, so I need to head somewhere with fewer humans. I am so glad people feel they can be open with me. But for a little while, I need to be open to God, and God alone.

My soul, wait in silence for God only, 

For my hope is from Him. 

He only is my rock and my salvation, 

My stronghold; I shall not be shaken.

(Psalm 62:5-6)

I’m thankful for a board who understands why I need this prayer pilgrimage. With the ministry God has entrusted to me, this is a necessity, not a luxury. How can I invite people into silence, solitude, and deeper intimacy with the Lord if I am not doing so myself? How can I coach men and women to slow down and listen to the Holy Spirit if I am not making space for God in my own life?

As I go away for this prayer pilgrimage, please pray for: 

• Provision for all aspects of the journey

• Protection as I travel on my own

• Time in the Word as the scaffolding and foundation of my prayer

• Ears to hear…

Six times in Scripture, Jesus says, “If anyone has ears to hear, let him hear." Please especially pray for me lean into God with: 

• Ears to hear

• Patience to wait

• Discipline to listen

• Courage to obey.

Too often, we’re only interested in God rubber-stamping our plans. Pray for:

• God’s heart

• God’s agenda

• God’s power

• God’s love.

Pray that I may bring back a closer walk with God, a deeper love for Jesus, and fresh insights from the Spirit. I know not everyone can take the time away to spend an extended time alone with God, but I offer you opportunities to have a day or weekend away to deepen your connection with Jesus, to learn to discern the voice of God, and to care for your soul. I invite you to join us as we study the Word and seek the Lord. See upcoming events below. All events (except for the pastors’ wives retreats) are for men and women!

I can’t do this ministry alone! Will you help me?

• Prayer Team: Would you be willing to pray for Psalm One Ministries and for me? I need a team of friends who are willing to pray for us on an ongoing basis. I also need trusted people with whom I can share struggles and challenges as they arise. I need friends who will pray for me and fight the spiritual battle often involved in ministry. So much of what I do with people is (by necessity) private. I need people who can pray in confidentiality. I need people who can lift up events, needs, prayer requests, and praises as we see God at work. You have no idea what it means to me to know people around the world are holding me up to the Lord! I need my prayer team!

  • If you would be willing to be on the Prayer Team for Psalm One and me, please drop me a quick email and let me know!

• I need a bit of administrative/technical assistance! These shouldn’t be too tough, but I want to do it right.

• Do you know how to work with Outlook 365 and Microsoft Office Contact lists? I need some help combining lists, backing up, and handling gremlins. The contact lists are absolutely vital to what we do and I need to be sure they are set up and working properly.

• Does anyone know how to add PayPal or another secure online payment app to a website? We are still in the stone age, and I need help bringing us into the 21st century. (Or at least the 20th?)

Can you help me with either of these challenges? Even if you’re in a different country, can I pick your brain by phone, Skype, or remote desktop?

• If you can help me with Outlook or the payment app on the website, please email or call me (513-226-0025). Thank you!

Please pray for me as I at Jesus’ feet, and truly listen to that still small voice. “But Jesus Himself would often slip away to the wilderness and pray.”  (Luke 5:16) If He needed it, how much more do I?

Much love,

Linda

Psalm One Update - May 2019

What do I bring to the table?

Do you ever struggle with feelings of inadequacy? Or is it just me?

• Do you every feel like you can’t boil water? Everyone else seems so competent, confident, together. I can’t even get your laundry put away. My “to do” list keeps growing instead of shrinking.

• Are you ever intimidated by the size of the task? The entire world is hurting. The needs loom so large. Does anything I do make any difference at all?

• Social media will make you think everyone else has a better life, a stronger marriage, perfect kids, lots of money, a more effective ministry, more exotic vacations—and they have a side gig as a runway model. Comparison will eat your lunch.

One of the things God whispered to me during my last prayer pilgrimage was, “Bring yourself to the table.”

God does not call us to be Marvel superheroes. God will not ask me “How much were you like Moses?”, “How did you compare to Billy Graham or Mother Theresa or Wonder Woman?” 

Throughout Scripture, God asks us to bring whatever we have and put it in His hands.

• The LORD said to him, "What is that in your hand?" And he said, " A staff." (Exodus 4:2)

• Elisha said to her, "What shall I do for you? Tell me, what do you have in the house?" And she said, "Your maidservant has nothing in the house except a jar of oil." (2 Kings 4:2)

• "Now therefore, what do you have on hand? Give me five loaves of bread, or whatever can be found." (1 Sam 21:3)

• "There is a lad here who has five barley loaves and two fish, but what are these for so many people?" (John 6:9)

What do I have to place in God’s hands to be used for the Kingdom?

A staff, oil, bread, fish…?

Education, degrees, or training? Spiritual gifts, fruit of the Spirit, temperament, personality, vision, burdens, talents, interests, and experiences?

What do I bring to the table?

Could God also use my photography, my chocolate chip cookies, my love of remote places, my longing for open ocean, my wacky random connections with total strangers, or my “animal magnetism” that leads to close encounters of the wildlife kind? Doesn’t sound very spiritual. Could God possibly use these?

God doesn’t waste anything. My goal is to be able some day in some measure to say, "I glorified You on the earth, having accomplished the work which You have given Me to do.” (John 17:4)  How freeing it is to open my hands, surrender all I don’t have and all I am not, and give Him all I do have and all I am. The ordinary can truly miraculous in God’s hands. How I need to remember that! 

What do you bring to the table?

Next month I will head off for another extended prayer pilgrimage (The Jesus Trip, as I call it). God often calls me away from crowds, people, noise, and busyness to let the dust settle, sit at Jesus’ feet, and truly listen to that still small voice. I have learned that for me, this is not a luxury. This is a necessity. If my calling is to invite people into silence, solitude, and deeper intimacy with the Lord. “But Jesus Himself would often slip away to the wilderness and pray.”  (Luke 5:16) If He needed it, how much more do I??...

Please pray for me as I pull away from the muchness and manyness to be alone with Jesus…

Much love,

Linda