Liz Babbs, UK author, teaching on Christian Meditation
I recently heard speaker and author Liz Babb say, as she is visting from the UK this week, "It's as easy to meditate as it is to worry."
How many times have we heard the following?
Psalm 19:14 Let the words of my mouth, and the meditation of my heart, be acceptable in thy sight, O LORD, my strength, and my redeemer.
Or this?
Joshua 1:8 This book of the law shall not depart out of thy mouth; but thou shalt meditate therein day and night, that thou mayest observe to do according to all that is written therein: for then thou shalt make thy way prosperous, and then thou shalt have good success.
Or maybe this?
Psalm 119:48 My hands also will I lift up unto thy commandments, which I have loved; and I will meditate in thy statutes.
But just what is meditation? Giving prolonged consideration, contemplation, reflection, attention, thought to something.
That's "thought TO something," as opposed to New Age and others' emptying of the mind. We are admonished to love God with all of our mind, not without it.
To Christians longing for a deeper walk with God, she recommends using the name, "Jesus." Inhaling slowly, deeply with the first syllable. Exhaling slowly on the second syllable. Eyes closed, relaxed.
"Jesus." In His presence.
"Jesus." In who He is.
"Jesus." In His love.
In secular venues, such as (New Age) Body, Mind and Spirit Fairs in England, she says people come in, clutching their little angel cards, desperate to find truth. She teaches them meditation for stress reduction, and recommends meditating on a concept, peace, for instance. And when possible, she moves on and recommends the name of Jesus, and teaches them about His love and salvation.
And if this meditation is done to soft Celtic music, so much the better.
As I write this, I hear the music from Liz's little gift book and CD, "The Celtic Heart" with its gorgeous photographs and meditations from the Bible, quotations, prayer, poetry. One of the thoughts comes from St. Columba of Scotland: "See that ye be at peace among yourselves, my children, and love one another. Follow the example of good men of old, and God will comfort you and help you, both in this world and the world which is to come."
The CD comes tucked in the back of the book with soft, meditative music composed and played by internationally acclaimed Simeon Wood on flute, bass flute, pan-pipes and Celtic whistles.
Liz and Simeon present concerts based on the same material in the book and CD.
Liz also tells how she once suffered from CFS- Chronic Fatigue Syndrome also known as CFIDS - Chronic Fatigue and Immune Dysfunction Syndrome or ME - Myalgic Encephalomyelitis, until she was gloriously healed by the power of prayer.
You can find her wonderful books, CDs and thoughts on ME on her website.
Now, she uses her talent in writing and in dance for evangelism and for leading Christians into a more intimate walk with Jesus.
My heroine needs this walk. But she turns to other sources for peace and for answers and finds herself deeper and deeper in enemy territory. And I mean enemy. There is danger. There is fear. There is certainly much loss of her sweet playfulness and sense of humor. At one point, after she hurts her devoted mother-in-law with harsh words then storms out of the house, the flabbergasted housekeeper says, "I guess, before you can be old and wise, you have to be young and stupid." The mother-in-law just laughs. She does have the peace that only comes from an intimate relationship with Jesus Christ. She believes He will redeem the heroine and restore her peace and good nature--and everyone else's in the process.
She leaves the room and writes a prayer in the form of a poem.
Sort of like my friend, Liz Babbs.
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For another lovely experience in meditation, click here, relax, sit back, close your eyes and listen to the Father's Love Letter to you.
2 comments:
You're funny. Great minds think alike. I have the same blog template! Great stuff here, btw.
I love your green template. We did have the same one. But the writing space was narrower and my sidebar kept goin' south, so I switched to this one.
Glad you like the stuff. : )
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