Dating God

 I wrestled a little bit about what title to give this post.  I thought, if I say "dating God" some readers might think that this post is about finding a sole mate.  And in a sense they would be right.  

Dating means getting to know someone at a deeper level.  It means going beyond the acquaintance phase and learning what someone likes or dislikes. Learning what brings them happiness and what grieves them.  And I know I'm not alone in thinking that dating means looking for someone you want to spend the rest of your life with.

That's the kind of relationship I'm seeking with God.  Now of course, I'm not seeking a human experience with Him.  But I don't mean to say that God can't be romantic either.  I mean He created love so He knows a thing or two about romance and relationships!

But I'm veering off the point.  The other day a group of friends and I decided to do something we had never done before.  We decided to get together at one location and split off to be alone for four hours.  During that time we challenged ourselves to bring no distractions but to solely relate to God.  Basically we were each going to go on a four hour date with God and then regroup to share, if we felt comfortable to do so, what He might have shared with us individually.

The idea of being alone with God was nothing new to any of us.  We each have devotions and pray to Him each day but to do so for a long stretch of time without interruption was not something we have the luxury of doing every day.  So it was a great opportunity to see where we were in our relationships with Him.

In preparation for this "date" I brought my Bible, a Bible Commentary and Concordance, a list of topics for prayer, and something to write on.  I readied my heart and got a good night's rest before the big day.  

When we all arrived some of us had brought guitars and mentioned that during the moments we might not know what to do we could sing worship songs to God.  It was a great suggestion and something anyone could do even if there was no instrument available.

So we split off and it took me a few minutes to get used to the fact that there would be nothing for me to do or think about accept God.  And then I spent another few minutes questioning whether-or-not I had any clue how to relate to Him non-stop for four hours.  So at the end I decided to start off with prayer and I asked God to help me.

And He did.  He started bringing to mind people and issues while I prayed so that I ended up praying non-stop for nearly forty minutes.  Then I opened my Bible and read a few Psalms that God has used in the past to encourage me.  And that brought up more things I wanted to pray about.  And then I felt a strong desire to read Revelation and study the symbols and creatures and find other locations in the Bible that talk about the return of Christ.

And so four hours went by quickly.  I was so engrossed in reading the Bible and praying that I actually went over four hours by a bit!  And I wasn't the only one.  Nearly everyone who had participated ended up going over four hours!

When we finally regrouped we all had smiles on our faces and we felt a great joy.  And today, some of the things I had prayed about are already being answered.  I am greatly humbled.  

You see, although I learned more about God's word during my date, I also learned more about Him.  God desires relationships.  He wants to spend one-on-one time with me (and you).  He wants to prove His love by calming our worries and answering our prayers.  But most of the time we don't realize or experience those amazing blessings because we don't take the time to be with Him.

And God is no fool.  He will not expend extra efforts or blessings on those of us who don't give Him the time of day.  I mean, do we spend time with people who ignore us?  No.  So why do we act like God is any different?  He sees our hearts.  He sees our thoughts.  I want to challenge you readers to purposely pursue your relationship with God.  Its never too late to do that.  Start today.  If you fail try again, and again, and again.  Don't give up!  

If you decide to do something similar to what my friends and I did, either with others or by yourself, let me know.  I would love to hear how God blessed you.  And if you want to try this but don't know if you can, then start small.  Maybe just forty minutes and then build up to longer stretches of time.  

May God bless your efforts to be closer to Him and may He fill your hearts and minds with joys you haven't even imagined!

" You will seek Me and find Me when you search for Me with all your heart." 

~  Jeremiah 29:13

  

The Mystery and Wonder of Dreams

Dreams are a wonderful and mysterious thing.  Poets and wise men of centuries past have often written about them.  And there have been people from all cultures who talked about their dream experiences.

It hasn't been until more recent centuries that mankind has been able to give some scientific explanation to the purpose and mechanics of dreams.  For instance, we know that there are five different stages of sleep.

These stages have been categorized into two main types:  NREM (Non-rapid Eye Movement) and REM (Rapid Eye Movement) sleep.  REM is the deepest level of sleep where dreams occur.  And depending on how long someone is able to rest REM sleep can be experienced for up to an hour.

Although everyone who achieves a good night's rest experiences dreams, not everyone can remember them.  Yet there are people who always remember their dreams and can recount them to others with vivid detail.  My mother is one example.

Many times her dreams are so vivid that she not only remembers them but acts on them.  For instance,  one night she dreamt that thieves had entered our home and were standing in the doorway of her bedroom.  In her dream she tried to awaken my father but he could not be roused.  So she dreamt that she whistled loudly to get his attention.  In reality her body reacted to what her brain was telling her was a true threat and she rolled over and whistled, the type of whistle you make with two fingers, directly into my father's ear.

As you can imagine he woke up very quickly, as did my mother!  They couldn't get back to sleep because they were laughing too hard.  It is a favorite story we tell to friends and relatives. :)  But the point I want to make is that dreaming seems very real  until we realize we are in a dream.

This level is often referred to as Lucid Dreaming.  Lucid dreaming is when something in our dreams triggers our logic to kick in and we suddenly realize that we are in a dream.  It is often at this level of sleep, between dreaming and waking, that we are able to control what happens in our dreams and it is the best time to remember them.

Recently I have become more aware of when I enter Lucid Dreaming.  I am a musician and have composed pieces in the past for one instrument, mainly piano.  But over the past year and a half I have started experiencing dreams filled with music so vivid and beautiful that I would still remember it after waking from sleep.  And I've discovered that if I am quick to write down the melodies I can return to the musical composition and recall the other instruments for whatever I have written down.

I was reluctant at first to say much to anyone about my experiences, fearing that people would either not believe me or think I'm looney.  But after doing some research  I've learned that there are, in fact, many people who hear music in their dreams.

In a scientific study performed in 2006 at the University of Florence, Italy, it was discovered that musicians have a higher propensity to experience music in dreams than non-musicians.  And the study concluded that musicians who were exposed to musical education at an early age had even higher chances of vivid dream music and the experience of creating music that has never been heard before.

So science says it is possible to create while we dream.  But science can't explain how our minds know to be logical.  It can't explain why our brains create while resting or why music impacts the emotions so strongly to the point that we remember even after waking.  But I know that God loves to fill our lives with good things and that once we become his children there is nowhere we can go where He cannot be.

Dreams, music, our minds... they are all free gifts from God. And what can be better than creating something beautiful to offer Him as worshipful thanks?

Its getting late and I'm getting tired so I will be heading to bed soon.  But before I check out for the night let me wish you a good night's rest.  May you have sweet dreams.  And who knows... maybe God will sing to you a lullaby.

Psalm 103:5  " He fills my life with good things. My youth is restored to me like the eagle."

2006 Study of Music in Dreams

A Hand Picked New Year

Happy New Year!  Another new year has begun.  2012 will be filled with many new experiences.  And it is with a mix of wonder and excitement that I peer into the foggy future coming my way.  Will it be a year that sees dreams come true?  Will this be the year that Christ returns? Who knows what will happen!  Anything is possible!  What I know for certain is that 2012 will change each of us.  Hopefully for the better.  

For me 2011 was memorable, filled with trials and tests.  That's not to say the whole year was difficult.  I had great experiences too.  But the last events of 2011 left my family and I exhausted.  My closest uncle, one I love deeply, nearly died from a burst appendix only a week before Christmas.  But by God's grace he survived the operation and doctors have called his case unexplainable.  By all accounts he should have died.  By the time he went to the ER his appendix had already burst and had been spreading infection for 6 days.  But he felt no pain.  He simply felt a bit nauseated and had a slight fever that wouldn't go away.

When the surgeons opened him they found gangrene in his colon and had to remove several centimeters of his large and small intestine.  Their prognosis was grim.  But we had an army of Christians praying for my uncle.  And although God could have taken him anyway I believe that my uncle still has work to do on Earth for the kingdom.  

My mother had taken a flight to be with he and his wife during that difficult time.  I remained at home finishing obligations at work, caring for grandmother, and preparing all the meals for the whole family.  Things were a little-bit crazy at the time because Christmas was also approaching and there were many preparations and performances I had to give.

By God's grace things worked out.  But two days before my mother was to return, on her anniversary day no less, her favorite cat died.  We did everything we could to keep it alive for her but the poor little guy just couldn't do it.  He was 22 years old.

After all the craziness was over there was an incredible peace that settled over all of us for Christmas.  We realized that the funeral we had in 2011 for a beloved cat could have been for a beloved uncle and we counted our blessings.  Pets are like family too, especially if they've been around for so long, but nothing compares to the loss of a human life.  And so I am very grateful that God did not allow that sorrow to overshadow our Christmas.

So, 2012 looks bright with promise for me right now.  I have a lot to be thankful for.  God is sovereign in all he allows.  

On the radio the other day I was listening to Joni Eareckson Tada.  She has an amazing testimony. Joni said many wise things but her final words touched me.  She said:  " God hand picks our trials."

How true.  He doesn't just let things happen to us randomly. He plans and prepares every trial, big or small, in our lives.  That brings me a level of comfort because I don't know what will happen this year.  But I do know that God is in control and caring for me and you.

"' I know the plans I have for you,' says the Lord. 'They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope.'" ~ Jeremiah 29:11