Laurie Hopkins

July 22 2019

Community – The Antidote To the World We Find Ourselves In

Community - The Antidote to the World We Find Ourselves In

In today’s world there seems to be a lot of people who can find a lot of things to disagree on. But I believe we can all agree on one thing; that overall, the current vibe is a bit chaotic and quite negative. In the midst of it all are, what I like to call, the 3 d’s: discontentment, disconnection and division. This week I’d like for us to consider: Community- the Antidote to the Word We Find Ourselves In.

The Week Is New

The week is new! If you have been joining in regularly you know the drill. For those of you who are new to us, grab your favorite mug and drink and set aside a few minutes to sit and chat! You may have noticed it has been 2 weeks since we last sat together. Going forward this will be the new schedule. Every 2^nd Monday morning you will find a new blog post right here!

Be sure to check in regularly. I miss you when you don’t show up! Even better, to ensure you don’t miss any postings, see the directions to subscribe to receive this blog in your email on the right hand side of the page. If you are reading this outside of the website, click here to go directly to the website.

Step 1- Considering Community

What do you think of when you hear the word “community”? How would you define the word “community”? In contrast to the 3 d’s mentioned above: discontent, disconnection and division, community speaks of similarities, support and unity. A community is a group of individuals who gather together. That gathering can, but doesn’t have to, take place in the same physical space. Individuals in some communities may have never physically met one another, but are connected none the less. Communities have similar interests, visions and/or goals. They gather for the purpose of having a united voice. Communities also gather to support and encourage one another.

What Do Your Communities Look Like?

We are part of many communities. Our families, our social groups, our churches, our work places, the people we hang around with, groups that we find ourselves interested in, hobby groups, and sport groups are all examples of communities. They all represent people with common interests, coming together, with a united voice and purpose, supporting and encouraging one another. What communities are you a part of? Can you identify the common voice and goal of each of those communities? How do you support and encourage one another?

My Hope And Vision For This Community

This blog can also be a community. Although we are not physically together as I write and as you read this blog, my hope and vision for this time and space is that through it we can build a community; a real sense of being together. My hope and vision includes a two way dialogue that is more than me writing and you reading. I want to hear your voice, answer your questions and talk about topics that are of interest to all of us. Over time, I want us to grow together, supporting and encouraging one another, as we share our hearts, thoughts, vision for our lives and the lives around us, our dreams and the goals we will put in place to get us there.

Together, In This Time And Space, We Can Build Community

Did you know that we can actually chat back and forth through the comment section? I welcome your comments, questions, suggestions for topics of discussion and your thoughts. Your heart is what I want to hear! I want to hear all about your big dreams! Be the one to start the conversation and someone else will be more likely to join in. As well, you can always be in touch with me through email or on my Facebook Business page. Let’s make this a two way conversation!

Step 2 - Community And The World We Find Ourselves In

“The world we find ourselves in.” There is something about this statement that doesn’t sit right with me. I believe it is the sense I get, as it rolls off my tongue that we have allowed life and the world to happen to us; it has impacted us, but we have not moved in such a way as to impact it. We are meant to take an active role in life and the world around us. Sitting back and allowing life and the world happen to us, puts us in a situation where the 3 d’s have full control over us and maximum impact on us. Discontentment, disconnection and division; this is not the direction we want to be headed in. Discontent = lack of satisfaction or contentment. Disconnection=to detach or terminate a connection. Division=separation and disunity. The 3 d’s involve the breaking apart of connections and the resulting lack of contentment.

Step 3 -Community As An Andidote

I believe that the antidote can be found in the building of community. An antidote is something that remedies or counteracts. What are we counteracting? We are counteracting the fact that we have allowed the world to impact us, rather than impacting it. The 3 d’s of discontentment, disconnection and division that have resulted in a negative and chaotic atmosphere also need counteracting. Now what? It is time to build community. Remember, community is about connection; connection around common interests, vision and goals; connection that happens when we support and encourage one another. This connection is an active process. It requires a decision, on our part, to become part of a community, to work to grow within that community and to help build that community. Connection counteracts disconnection. The active process counteracts the inactivity of allowing life and the world to happen to us.

Who Is Your Community?

Where do you find community? How to you connect and grow in a community? We are already connected to many communities by the very nature of communities. We are human beings – we have interests, visions and goals. By the very nature of that we have a connection to communities that are already established. As human beings, we were created to connect. We are meant to be in relationship, not just with God but with one another. Communities are natural places for us. However, in the midst of the world we have found ourselves in, many of us have become discontented, disconnected and divided. There is no judgement in that statement. But it is necessary to state, because until we become aware of our current condition, we won’t be able to make a decision to change that condition.

Step 5 – Communities: Identifying Where You Need To Grow and Build

So, now for the fun part; it is time to find your tribe and start connecting. As mentioned earlier, this is an active process:

1) You need to make a decision to have an impact on life and the world around you, rather than just letting it happen to you

2) You need to identify your community

3) You need to commit to growing as an individual within that community

4) You need to commit to helping build that community

Do you have some communities in mind that you can step into and start growing in and helping to build? Or do you have a community on your mind or in your heart that you haven’t yet come across; a community that you believe is yours to build? Now is the time!

Step 6 -Community: You Can Start Here

This blog is a community waiting to be built. Although we are not physically together as I write and as you read this blog, my hope and vision for this time and space is that through it we can build a community; a real connected community. I can’t emphasize it enough, I want to hear your voices, answer your questions and talk about topics that are of interest to all of us. Over time, I want us to grow together, supporting and encouraging one another, as we share our hearts, thoughts, vision for our lives and the lives around us, our dreams and the goals we will put in place to get us there.

Community: What's Next?

Together, in this time and space, we can build community. Drop some comments in the comment space below. Let me know how you feel about what we are talking about. Throw in some suggestions for future chats.

Also, you can always be in touch with me through email or on my Facebook Business Page. Let’s make this a two way conversation! Let’s build a community.

Until Next Time

Communities happen in many different times and spaces. Step out today and identify at least one community to really commit to. Jump in with both feet and see what amazing things happen. I would love to have you actively join and begin building this community as well. Let’s see how many comments we can drop in the comment space below!

Well, it is that time again! I’m out of tea and so it is time for me to go. So happy you dropped by! Remember, if you are on my blog, there are directions to subscribe to receive this blog in your email, on the right hand side of the page. Otherwise, click here to go directly to my website.

Also, since we are building community, share the blog posts with your friends. By clicking on the symbols below the blog you can share with your friends, via email, Facebook, or Pinterest. Or direct them to the blog at https://www.laurie hopkins.ca

If you are interested in more Devotional reading, head over to my Facebook Page where you will find a Weekly Devotion early every Monday morning. Click here to go directly to Weekly Devotions with Laurie.

From my heart to yours!

Laurie

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July 8 2019

Why Do You Need To Make One More Trip Around This Mountain? Murmuring and How it will Keep You Stuck

Good Morning, Good Morning! It is that time again! Grab a cup of something fabulous, set aside a few minutes so we can sit together and chat and let’s go! This week I spent a far bit of my devotional time reading through the books of Exodus and Numbers. I’m fascinated with the story of the Children of Israel and their journey from Egypt, through the desert, to the Promised Land. This week I was particularly struck by their murmuring. What I would love to share with you this week starts with a question? Why do you need to make one more trip around this mountain? Murmuring and how it will keep you stuck.

Checking In

Before we get started I always like to check in! How was your week? How did you do with anchoring your moments and being more intentional about your time? It is a process, so don’t get discouraged if it didn’t work out so well this week, stick with it and it will come in time!

There is a Rumble

Murmuring; there is something about the word itself that has a feeling of disruption or unsettledness. Merriam Webster defines a murmur as a low indistinct but often continuous sound (retrieved from: https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/murmur). Murmuring happens when we don’t have or choose not to use our courage to muster up our assertive voice to bring forth our complaints; instead we lower our voice, turn our head slightly towards one who will listen and begin to voice our opinions. Murmuring has the feeling of a low continuous rumble. Not enough to make a change, but just enough to unsettle the masses.

How it all Started

In the book of Exodus we read about the Children of Israel who were being oppressed in the land of Egypt. God sent Moses in to set them free from their oppression and to lead them into the Promised Land; a land He had prepared for them. In the process of setting them free, the Children of Israel witnessed many miracles through the hand of Moses. Obviously their faith grew through the process, because when it came time for them to leave Egypt, they packed up their belongings and followed Moses out into the desert.

They Developed Their Faith at the Red Sea

The Lord led them out of Egypt with a pillar of fire by night and a cloud by day. He led them out into the wilderness by the way of the Red Sea. God was intentional about where He was leading them. Their faith was about to be strengthened! The time had come to see the Hand of the Lord move in a mighty and miraculous way. The Egyptians realized their mistake in letting the Children of Israel go and followed hard after them. When the Children of Israel looked up they saw the Red Sea in front of them and the army of Pharaoh behind them. They raised up their voices and cried out to the Lord.

Do Not Be Afraid

Moses said: “Do not be afraid. Stand still, and see the salvation of the LORD, which He will accomplish for you today. For the Egyptians whom you see today, you shall see again no more forever. “The LORD will fight for you, and you shall hold your peace.” (Exodus 14:13-14 (NKJV) – Now the LORD spoke to. Retrieved from https://www.blueletterbible.org/nkjv/exo/14/1/s_64001).

Faith rose up in the Children of Israel! When Moses stretched out his hand, the sea divided before them and the Children of Israel moved forward in great faith and crossed over!

And Then Came the Murmuring

The Children of Israel were given a mighty victory over the Egyptians. They were now on their way to the Promised Land! Given the cloud that went before them by day and the pillar of fire by night and this great victory granted them at the Hand of the Lord, we could assume that the story of the Children of Israel and the remainder of their journey into the Promised Land would be one of faith and continued victory. But the Children of Israel became stuck. They are well known in the Scriptures for their constant murmuring. That murmuring and lack of ability to activate their faith and learn the lessons needed, kept them stuck in the desert 40 years. How many times did they round the same mountains again and again wondering when they would finally see the Promised Land?

What was all the Murmuring About?

As we read further we can see that every time the Children of Israel faced a challenge, the murmuring started. There are many instances, but in looking more closely, they seem to be grouped into three main categories.

1) When they choose not to activate their faith

2) When they didn’t distinguish between their needs and their wants.

3) When they were trying to run someone else’s race

Activate your Faith

1) Three days into the wilderness, after the mighty miracle at the Red Sea, they came to Marah where they found water but discovered it too bitter to drink. It was time to activate their faith! If the God that went before them could part the Red Sea so they could cross, surely He could provide water to drink. They had the measure of faith they required – they had activated it at the Rea Sea when they stepped onto the dry land between the separated waters. But the Scripture tells us that they “complained against Moses.”

Perhaps they were tired of traveling, worn down by the desert heat or distracted by the uncertainty of their future. However, this was the time they needed to activate the measure of faith placed down inside of them. Instead of doing so, they choose to murmur. God still provided the water, but their faith missed an opportunity to be activated and the lesson wasn’t learned. Several times they choose not to step up and activate the faith that was within them. Each time I believe their faith was weakened.

Finally as they Lord prepared them to enter the Promised Land, when their spies were sent in to survey the land, their faith was so depleted that 8 came back with a negative report with only 2 of them encouraging the people to go forth into what God had for them; what was already theirs! As a result of this unwillingness to activate their faith, they Lord caused them to wander 40 years in the desert until that whole generation had died. Because of their murmuring and their depleted faith, they never appropriated the very promise God took them out of Egypt to obtain.

Needs vs. Wants

2) The Children of Israel were many and as we can imagine it would have required a lot of food to keep them fed. When they murmured about the lack of food, God provided Manna, bread from heaven, that fell fresh like a heavy dew on the land each morning. It was to be gathered each day, not to be saved or stored. What was provided daily was sufficient to meet all their dietary needs.

And yet, after a time, they tired of the daily bread from heaven; the daily bread that was meeting all their needs. In Numbers we read that the murmuring started once again. They wanted meat. Again, God met their need; He brought flocks of quail into the camp for the Children of Israel. But as they feasted on their meat, they failed to understand that once again they had not learned the lesson. They hadn’t recognized the difference between their needs and their wants. Their needs were being met. Their needs and wants would both have been met in the Promised Land had they stopped their murmuring and waiting on the plan the Lord had for them.

Stay in your own Lane

3) The other moment of murmuring that stood out for me was when the people rose up against Moses and Aaron and their leadership. In Numbers 16:3 we read: “They gathered together against Moses and Aaron, and said to them, You take too much upon yourselves, for all the congregation is holy, every one of them, and the LORD is among them. Why then do you exalt yourselves above the assembly of the LORD?” (Numbers 16:1 (NKJV) – Now Korah the son of. Retrieved from https://www.blueletterbible.org/nkjv/num/16/1/s_133001).

The people were headed towards the Promised Land. The cloud went before them by day and the pillar of fire by night. Throughout this journey God spoke to Moses, the leader He had chosen. Moses intervened on their behalf many times with the Lord. And yet, these people felt that they should be leaders as well. Instead of focusing on their own day to day responsibilities, activating their own faith and gaining entrance to the Promised Land, they began focusing on what Moses and Aaron were doing. And the murmuring ensured.

The murmuring about Moses and Aaron was just a continuation of the murmuring that had taken place all along. At this point they had chosen not to enter the Promised Land as the Lord had intended. In all the instances of murmuring they had depleted their faith and because of that they found themselves stuck in the desert.

What About Us?

It is wonderful to talk about the Children of Israel and their murmuring and what they should have done differently. But I wonder how many times we ourselves get caught up in the same patterns? How often has God asked us to step up and activate our faith and we have found ourselves murmuring instead? When was the last time we murmured about not getting what we wanted, rather than being grateful that our needs were being met while God prepared us for a time and place where we wouldn’t have to worry about either? How easy is it to become focused on the race others are running rather than ensuring we are running our own race well? And the murmuring ensues.

We are not unlike the Children of Israel. God has performed mighty miracles in our lives and had granted us a measure of faith to be activated. We often choose not to activate that faith, get caught up in our wants vs our needs and don’t keep our eyes on the prize. Murmuring, intentionally or unintentionally becomes a way of life. Murmuring is contagious. The masses get unsettled. And we all find ourselves stuck in the desert wondering why we are taking turn after turn around the same ole mountain again and again.

The Cure for Murmuring-Rejoice!

Rejoice in the Lord always. Again I will say, rejoice!

Let your gentleness be known to all men. The Lord is at hand.

Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God;

and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus. Philippians 4:4-7

(Philippians 4:4 (NKJV) – Rejoice in the Lord always. Retrieved from https://www.blueletterbible.org/nkjv/phl/4/4/s_1107004)

When you acknowledge your tendency to murmur, choose to turn aside from murmuring and began to actively replace it with gratitude and rejoicing, you will find that lessons are learned more quickly, faith is more easily activated and one or two turns around that mountain will be sufficient before moving onto the Promised Land. You will not be stuck any longer!

Until Next Time

This week, begin to recognize the rumble of murmuring in your life! Make the decision not to stay stuck, wandering around the same mountain and in the desert because of murmuring.

Well, it is that time again! My cup is empty and our time has come to a close. I’m so happy you stopped by!

Until next time,

From my heart to yours!

Laurie

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July 1 2019

When time is Slipping through Your Hands- Why You Need To Learn To Anchor Each Moment!

When Time is Slipping Through Your Hands - Why You Need to Learn to Anchor Each Moment

Do you find time slipping through your hands? There is a solution! Let’s talk about learning how to anchor each moment! How was your week? I spent a lot of time pondering time! Right now, I know that it is that time again; I have looked forward to this all week! Grab your mug and set aside a few moments and let’s chat!

I know we shared about time as a mindset just two weeks ago, but in my experience, time is a topic that has many facets and therefore is rich for discussion!ch

Make Room For the Breath

In the quick pace of the week past, the question that kept coming to mind in my quiet time was, “how do you make room for the breath in the day?” How do you mark moments so they will stick in your mind rather than allowing time to slip through your fingers as grains of sand? Is it possible to move through at a quick pace and still feel like we have breathed and were truly engaged in all that we have done?

How often do we move robotically through our day, checking off items on our to do list, for the primary purpose of moving onto the next item, the next day, the next month, the next thing! I wonder if time would/could feel less slippery if we had a better awareness of how to find that breath and engagement in the day?

When What You Thought Were “Unimportant Distractions” Are Turned Into Important Framing Moments

As this swirled around in my thoughts all week, I took note as I painted

my toenails, noticed the cool of the kitchen floor on my bare feet, stopped and really looked at the flowers growing in my yard, took the time to sing along with the music on my car radio rather than using it just as background noise and found myself smiling and enjoying the bright yellow in my dress. They were small things, seemingly unimportant and not related to all to the things on my to-do list. At first they seemed like only unimportant distractions, but as I thought more about it I realized that these “distractions” became important moments that helped frame my time. As I sat and remembered these particular moments, I had more of a sense of what happened before and after these moments. It took away a lot of the “blur” of the day and the feeling of haste.

It was an interesting revelation. Not necessarily something that I hadn’t known before, but certainly something I haven’t been putting into practice.

What We Need to Know About Moments

In this moment there can be only today and now. There needs not be a before or after. If I chose to anchor in this moment I will truly live because when I anchor I honour the moment and my experience in it and that allows me to frame the rest of the time I spend.

How Do I Anchor The Moment? Intentionality and Reflection

There are many ways to anchor a moment.

1) Being intentional

Our time must be anchored. It must always be intentional and purposeful; in work or in rest, never wasted or allowed to skip by unnoticed. That doesn’t mean we always have to be busy. On the contrary, it gives us permission and space to acknowledge down times and rest in them. How are we intentional about our time? By acknowledging the moments. Being aware of what we are doing and how we are engaging in it.

2) Turning autopilot off

Getting out of the habit of moving on autopilot and into the habit of attending to what we are doing is very important. We can be thoughtful and reflective as we move, even when moving at high speed. This process will help to frame our time and take the “blur” out of the day. Each moment builds on the one before and a beautiful chain of living follows – like a lightning bolt that traces our path through time.

How Do I Anchor the Moment? Re-Framing and Gratitude

3) Re-framing our perception from one of getting through to enjoying in.

Life is not just about the end point. It is more like a game of connect the dots; each moment a dot in the overall picture. One moment not acknowledged leaves a gap in the image. We must commit to noting the moments. Time will pass by but you will have anchored it in the moments and a beautiful image of your experience with time will emerge. An image, not just for you to look back on but for others to see as you walk your journey.

4) Gratitude

Intentional gratitude is a wonderful habit to cultivate. When we are intentionally grateful we begin to see things that we have never seen before; or even better, we begin to see the things we have always seen, but in a new way. Gratitude is taking the time to stop and smell the flowers (literally), the time to stop and engage and truly listen when we ask someone how they are, the time to appreciate the small pleasures in life. We can also begin to find gratitude in the midst of situations we may not have planned or care to be in, by looking closely to find the lesson or the gift.

What I Know

We can anchor our moments and keep time from slipping through our hands, fully engaging and living our life through:

Making room for the breath
Allowing seemingly unimportant distractions to frame our time
Acknowledging that anchoring the moment allows us to honour our experiences
Acknowledging the moments
Being thoughtful and reflective, even as we move at high speed
Connecting the dots
Creating a picture of our journey – moment by moment
Being uniquely us
Enjoying the ride
Letting our hair down and letting the wind blow it where it will.

We are Children of God – we must let others see the joy that is in us, the joy that is uniquely ours and different from what the world has to offer.

Honouring Our Time Together

My cup is empty but my heart is full. Our time together each week is a perfect example of anchoring the moment, being thoughtful and reflective and intentional about how we use our time. I’m honoured that you have chosen to sit with me in these moments and I look forward to our time together again next week!

Until Next Time

This week, begin to anchor your time! Take the time to be intentional and grateful with your time. A few blogs ago I offered an Attitude of Gratitude download to use. Dig it out again and give it a whirl. Click here AttitudeofGratitudeMindMap to download it!

Until next time,

From my heart to yours!

Laurie

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