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Imaginative Prayer-using The Joseph Story

Maybe you haven’t heard of imaginative prayer. Does it sound “woo-woo”?
Woo-woo to you-you seems like doo-doo?
Well, it’s not, unless you have zero imagination. A time of rich prayer using God’s word can inject vitality into an average or stale prayer life.

Here’s how I do it.

I’ve been using the story of Joseph, Genesis 37-50, to aid in my prayer time. As I carefully read and think about the story, I try to climb into it a bit.

I imagine (a.k.a. put my self in the place of a character/s) what it could be like to be sold by family members and taken hundreds of miles away, or be falsely accused and betrayed by the wife of an employer, and waiting helplessly in jail for 2-13 years. Through it all, never giving up on God and his love for me.
I pray with these images, feeling, thoughts, and various associations that strike my heart. I take them to God.

We (me and my Maker) share together in a close intimacy with this amazing reversal-of-fortunes story. I am inspired by Joseph’s story, because it shows my God as unfailing, redeeming unfortunate circumstances, and guiding the Story to his good ends.

Here’s your project.
1. Follow the Genesis link (above), and spend some time with the story. (You can use an old fashion paper Bible too. haha.)
2. Jot down themes, or ideas that come into view.
3. Ask yourself what this story says about God and his character.
4. Pray with your findings. Take them to God. (Don’t expect flashes of divine prophecy, or simple answers to your problems. Just enjoy and live with the themes and the story for a few…moments, hours (or days, depending on how you set to reading and reflecting on this.)

I’d love to hear your thoughts.
Thanks for reading.
May God bless you richly.

-Lisa

Art information-
Title: ‘Joseph, Overseer of the Pharaoh’s Granaries’
Painter: Sir Lawrence Alma-Tadema (1836-1912)
Year: 1874

Not dying in an EPIC PIZZA Fail.

package design varies in 14 years
1997 crust

What happens when you eat 14 year old pizza crust from Betty Crocker? We found out.

On January 1, 2011, in a short series of unfortunate events, my husband prepared a Betty Crocker pizza crust from a mix. It turned out terribly. We couldn’t figure out why. It was paper thin, and stuck so badly to the pan that it seemed to only come off in stamp-sized pieces, not to mention being brittle and tasteless.

I forced it down, and after the kids bemoaned their meal, I, being a proper mom, I had them finish most of it–by decree. It was only after I saw the varying package design of some just-bought Betty Crocker pizza crust, did suspect something was amiss. That little wave of electric panic fear went around on my back. This could be a long night in the bathroom, I thought.

Soon, it seemed clear that we ingested 14 year old crust mix from 1997. There was no expiration date visable on any package, but there were copyright dates. The new ones said ©2009. [Obviously the old one read ©1997.] Gulp. This was bad news. Really bad news. This is nearly double the age of my daughter. Who eats food twice their age, and gets away with it? Okay, babies. But who else?

The thought was sickening, but oddly the meal wasn’t, in a true sense. We were all fine. No harm done.

4 Proposals:
1. Betty Crocker Pizza crust is not food.
2. God spared us (because sometimes he’s wacky like that.)
3. Pizza crust couldn’t hurt us, even if it was 50 years old…’cause that’s how p.c. rolls.
4. We’ve just realized we are the real life version of  “No Ordinary Family”
Do you have any ideas?

It was a mysterious way to start the new year, and things have only gotten stranger since.

What the oldest thing you’ve eaten recently?
Or…What’s the strangest thing that’s happened to you so far this year?


HA! Poetry in Motion, Sumo Style?

750 lbs doing the impossible.

I know what you’re thinking, “I never realized the beauty of Sumo wrestling.” Or maybe you’re thinking, “This is pure poetry in motion.” Or perhaps you’re thinking, “I wish I could scrub my brain!”

Would you like me to make a spiritual connection here? uh. Yeah. Sure… No problem.

This photo illustrates fat spiritual babies. Even when doing great there is still a hefty…ahem…amount of observable foolishness. (Old timers may remember Amy Grant’s little ditty, Fat Baby. Age to Age album 1982. Can you hear this music in the background? Read the fascinating lyrics here. (They don’t write them like this much anymore.) Link to video of live performance here. It’s worth it to see the early 80s hairdos.)

Leave any thoughts or comments! :)


Photo source NBC Sports.

In 2011, I’ll read the Bible more.

For Christians, these are some of the most devotional resolutions. “I want to pray more,” or “I want to read my Bible more.”

This year I resolved to not make a New Years resolution. This was mainly because last year, I resolved to lose 20 lbs, and I think I found 20 instead. Now the romance is gone, and I’m done with that sort of thing, at least for 1 year…if I keep my resolution, of course.

If you’d like to read the Bible more this year, I recommend first starting out with the best book I’ve ever read to help one understand the Bible better.

I like it so much, that when I find an inexpensive copy, I buy it, just to give it away.
To celebrate the 2011 NEW YEAR, I’ll do it again. In the month of January, if you post a comment that you’d like this book, I’ll put your name in the hat. Even though it’s the Year of the Rabbit, a rabbit won’t come out of the hat, but one fortunate person will be picked at random to get this book mailed to them. (No strings attached.)

PS If a rabbit leaves gifts of chocolate covered raisins on your porch, don’t eat them. This is a trick they pull every 12 years. You have been warned.

Nothing Says “Happy New Year” like Old Time Babies Drinkin’ Booze!

U2 sings “Nothing changes on New Year’s Day”, and I think they’re right. BUT, over the years what was considered cute seems to have changed. A lot.

This vintage card is from about the turn of the 20th century. (1900-ish, for anyone who is confused). Maybe this is why they came up with the Constitutional Amendment forbidding alcohol, (prohibiting alcohol, Amendment 18, for those of you who are confused). It seems too many babies were celebrating New Years Eve, and perhaps other holidays, and drinking from huge champagne glasses.

Babies shouldn't drink, even on New Years Eve

In 1933 came the repeal of this ill-conceieved ban: the 21st Amendment. This repeal was basically so people could drink themselves into drunken stupors because The Great Depression (economic collapse) made everyone (except really rich people) really poor. I’m not sure if babies got in on the drinking at that time too, but most of them probably went off to war a few years later (December 8, 1941–September 2, 1945) to fight the Germans and the Japanese. Lots of alcohol was flowing then. And boom–no more Depression. Alcohol had solved everything.

Or maybe babies were just much, much smaller 110 years ago. The cork seems gigantic also. So, the mystery continues!

Any thoughts on this matter?

Any hopes for the New Year that you’d like to share?

Oh, and Happy New Year!