How one woman's blog is feeding my soul

I know that I write and speak an awful lot about Ann Voskamp here at Angela talks ... .

What many of you don't realize is what drove me to blogging ... journaling online.  I was dry.  Dry and parched was the state of this soul.  I had once tasted and saw that the Lord was good, but through life experiences I had become solemn and hard within.  My writing in the form of this online journal was just another outlet of my soul's anguish.  The soul that held on for dear life.  The lost soul trying to find the life she had once had.  I was searching for the "me" that I use to be.  The me that I'd once loved.

My heart was clenched and closing down!

As I began to blog I could feel myself coming alive again, but I was still pretty tight.  Thanks to the reading Ann's blog ... reading it as if it were a book, clinging to it night after night, falling asleep with it on screen even.  In this I'm relearning.  Being  retaught and I'm slowly opening up again.  I'm coming alive.

I've bought her recommended prayer books, am praying more now then ever before and am now trying to memorize the book of Ephesians ... living in His Word.

Fears are leaving, hope is returning and I know that God is good!  And I remember that I am loved and that His grace is ever abounding.

I believe Ann Voskamp's writings is to me what Kathleen Norris and others writings have been for her: a life line.

I thank God for the ministry of blogs and I thank God for many people who give of themselves and their talents through blogging.  Please do keep it up!

Anyway, I came across this post of Ann's on The Lord's Supper and wanted to share it with you.

‘Our Father who is in heaven,

Ours… You are all of ours (whether we acknowledge our lineage or not.) You are who we all have in common.

Our Father… we come to You, Abba Daddy, not to an unfeeling Master, but to You with a tender, Father’s heart.

Our Father who is… Someone sits upon the throne, directs this cosmic play. The universe does not haplessly careen. You are.

Our Father who is in heaven… And the heavens are not a far-flung corner of the extreme atmosphere where time clips eternity. The heavens are the sky that falls around, the air that touches our skin, the medium in which we breathe, fill our lungs with. That is where Our Father is… You are close.

Hallowed be Your name.

Hallowed is Your name, holy. Keep me from profaning, belittling, treating as common, all that is holy, because of Your name. May I live without shoes, for all this — everywhere You are– is holy.

Your kingdom come … not mine, not our plans, only Your kingdom come.
Your will be done… not my will, not our plans, only Your will be done. For this is the crux of living at Your feast table, of taking the cup, of following Christ.

On earth as it is in heaven… and in heaven the whole host of angels bow down and worship, give praise and thanks, crying Holy, Holy, Holy. Do I do that which is done in heaven?

Give us this day our daily bread… I trust that in this day, You’ll give me what is nourishing, what I need. Keep me from chewing at tomorrow’s worry, gnawing at yesterday’s regrets. Today, I will simply collect the manna You’ve given for this day, and know that what You rain down in this day is what is best. My daily bread. Cause me to give thanks and eat what You give.

And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors… We are indebted to You beyond accounting. For arteries that faithfully pump, blood that endlessly courses, neurons and synapses that perfectly fire. For sun orb that rises and warms, for a Cross beam that supports the universe, for this waterfall of mercy that washes away our stubborn pride stains. There is no end to our debts. And yet You, with a Father’s heart, graciously forgive the incomprehensible. How could we not forgive today? 

And do not lead us into temptation, but deliver us from evil… When we follow Your leading, we are delivered from the clutches of the dark and into the wide open spaces of light.

For Yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen.’ … always, only, utterly Yours. Amen. So be it.

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Participating at Courtney's today