In the Steady Flow of the Spirit

A Note from Beth: Please take a few minutes take a few minutes to give me some feedback on The Uncluttered Heart. Click here to take the survey. Blessings and thanks, Beth

Prayer

Great God of life, your Spirit flows around me and over me every moment. Help me open myself to your presence, that I may join with you and be carried along in the steady flow of your Spirit. Amen.

Carry These Words in Your Heart Today

Carry me in the steady flow of your Spirit.

Today's Picture

Sometimes being carried along by God's Spirit is a swift, cold ride like this stream. Other times, the God's Spirit is more like the calm meandering of a broad river. I took this picture below Long Lake in the Indian Peaks Wilderness area in Colorado (one of my favorite spots on the planet).

Question

We've nearly come to the close of our journey. What has gone well for you? What has been challenging? Share your thoughts on the question or on today's entry in the book.

Book of the Day

Wrestling with Grace
Robert Corin Morris

The subtitle says it all: "A Spirituality for the Rough Edges of Daily Life." This is Morris' first book with The Upper Room. In it, I learned a lot about Robert Morris; I learned even more about me. This is a book for ordinary Christians who want to learn to be better -- more connected, quieter inside, facing the internal challenges of depression and anger. I'm grateful to Bob Morris for this gift in the pages of a book. More about the book.

Sing Your Prayer

Open My Heart - All four verses. Listen.

Comments

[SJ]

This holiday was challanging for me in many ways. However the major difference was, this is my first Christmas been divorced after 20 years of marriage. The possibility that I have lost my best friend after 42 years:( . The good part was I could cry out to HIM and he would cover me with a PEACE that I knew could only come from HIM. Tough but looking forward to a wonderful & blessed 2012 as I will continue to trust Him each and every day.
PS: Would like to send a picture for next round of devotion.
Thanks and have a wonderful year.

[Daria]

My challenge has been (a.) making time and (b.) getting out of my own way.

What has helped me is the integrated photo, text and audio, what I'd call the Devotional Trifecta. This combination has made the daily reflection both joyful and near-effortless. The real work for me is weaving the message into the fabric of my life. And the big bonus has been, unquestionably, the comments of other participants. :)

This prayer lept to mind while I was reading today's reflection:

Breathe in me O Holy Spirit, that my thoughts may all be holy;
Act in me O Holy Spirit, that my work, too, may be holy;
Draw my heart O Holy Spirit, that may I love what is holy;
Strengthen me O Holy Spirit, to defend all that is holy;
Guard me, then, O Holy Spirit, that I may be holy always. Amen.
~ Prayer of Saint Augustine

[Lynn]

I think that what has gone well for me is just the awareness of Advent and the need to slow down and prepare my heart for God. I cannot say that I've done better this year, in terms of slowing down, but I can say that I've heard God's voice more, and that is a very good thing.

I hope to continue to carve out time for daily reflection and meditation as well as stopping to look for God in my daily routines.

Today is a hermit day for me to reflect but to also look forward and see what God has planned for me.

Thank you, again, for offering this space as well as your words, music and photography. They, and you, are wonderful!

Thank you, Daria, for sharing the prayer of St. Augustine. It appeals to my soul.

Be blessed everyone as you go forth into a new year.

Lynn

[Jerry Adkisson]

One of the first things I do in the morning is to read your thoughts for today. It gives me an uplifting that goes with me through out the day. I also enjoy seeing your pictures. Some I have seen first hand but seeing them with your reflections is really moving for me. Keep up the good work.

[Beth A. Richardson]

Thank you all for your sharing. I've experienced such richness from you each day. Your presence here has brought me many blessings.

I've been working on breathing and staying in the present. I'm not an expert at it by any means, but I'm practicing it ... and it makes a difference.

Blessings to you this day,
Beth

[angie]

It has been hard for me to slow down in some ways but loved these being in my email when I did - Love the reflection that Daria wrote - must write St Augustine down and read it every day.
Thanks so much for doing this, Beth and thanks to all of you who have writtien comments - I feel I have grown just from reading them -

[LR]

This is the second year I have participated in The Uncluttered Heart Advent Study online. I use the term "participated” lightly because though I read the email daily, this is only the second comment I have posted; though I read and enjoy the comments everyday and am saddened to see it end. This is a difficult time of year for me. My dad suffered a stroke two years ago on Christmas morning and passed away on New Year's Day 2010. Being part of this study has helped me cope the last two years, especially since I am not a "people" person and tend to keep things to myself. Please know that each of you have touched my heart, encouraged me think, cry and smile.

Beth, your photography is inspiring!

[Genie]

I've looked forward to the daily emails and enjoy the discipline of writing comments. Sometimes it's very frustrating when comments end up "unable to post" Are there guidelines re length, content, etc?

[terry]

i have your book, beth, and have read it daily. i have come to this site almost daily, but have posted only a few times. this is my third year to join with you and others on this advent journey, and each time around it's a blessing in many different ways. what you and others share here speaks to my heart and moves me closer to that still place where i find our holy God. it's one of the few times that i don't feel pulled in a thousand different directions, when i can honestly feel uncluttered and just be. i'm currently reading The Practice of the Presence of God by Brother Lawrence. what a beautiful soul he was. i hope i -- all of us -- can learn to live more in the presence of our Father, doing everything only for the love of Him.

thanks to you all, and God's abundant blessings to each of you always.

[Beth A. Richardson]

Hi, Genie,

I'm sorry about the comments -- I didn't know that they weren't posting correctly. I've had some problems working the CAPCH forms this year. They are so secure that I have trouble getting the letters put in correctly. (These are to weed out the spammers posting and I don't have control over the forms.) Do you know whether that was the problem? As far as I know, there are not any restrictions on the length of comments, etc.

Feel free to email me directly if you like, to continue the conversation: beth@betharichardson.com

Blessings,
Beth

[Beth A. Richardson]

Terry,

Thank you for posting and letting me know of your experience. I love Practicing the Presence of God. It's so helpful in reminding me to live in the moment.

Thank you for your presence here -- even if you were not posting. Many blessings to you in this new year.

Beth

[Molly]

I love the picture and the comment about it.
"Carry me in the steady flow of your Spirit." Perhaps the Spirit's flow is steady and we create the turbulence in a variety of ways.
Anyway, it is my prayer that we all know this carrying by the Spirit in every day of this coming year.
God bless you Beth, and everyone.