Jana Spicka and Women Getting Real Ministries
Posts tagged desires
A Great Light
Dec 10th
I was adding ornaments to my tree this morning. I had to laugh. They look like miniature disco balls. But they also looked liked mosaics. Broken shards delicately placed together to form a whole new piece of art. And when the little white Christmas lights hit them, “Voila!”
Sparkles. Colors. Reflections bouncing everywhere. Grabbing color from the tree and other nearby ornaments, it became so much more in the light.
You were made to reflect the light. Not be the center or source of light, but close enough to reflect and bounce and dare I say it, dance in the light.
No wonder then that Jesus is called the great light that has come into the world. No wonder the darkness can not overcome Him. No wonder we look and feel so much better when we are close to Him. He came so we could reflect Him. Brilliantly, beautifullly, eternally.
And just as an exclamation point to this thought, I came back to the tree a little later in the morning and the sun was shining on the tree…talk about glowing!
So shine baby, shine.
“Blessed is the people who know the joyful sound;
they shall walk, O Lord, in the light of Thy countenance.” Psalm 89:15
Remind me…
Nov 10th
Remind me who I am.
This has been a week of loving reminders. God created or stirred, from all directions, a message of loving determination. His determination to show me love. From butterflies (in November?), to emailed heart photos, to texts with prophetic scripture, to even a powerful dream through another person, God has been ardently, annoyingly, persistently pursing me. Why annoyingly? Because when I am mad, or whining, or feeling sorry for myself, His acts of affections draw me out of my drama. And sometimes, sadly, I want to STAY in my drama. At least it feels that way. But finally His love broke through. His continued reminders of past promises and His faithfulness today, His repeating of my pet name, His beauty for my ashes, these God touches broke down my walls.
My heart opened again and I breathed in His intimate tenderness. Oddly enough the whining and self pity slipped away. They can’t stand in the face of His grace. It truly is “His kindness that leads us to repentance.” Here is the kicker…Right before I got ready to teach the WGR class, my friend handed me card, sheepishly. “He told me me to give you this, ” she said.
On one side it read: He told me to “remind you.”
On the other side were words to a song. I began reading them and casually dismissed them, ‘Oh, this is a Bethany Dillon song.’ But as I kept reading, a sob caught in my throat. I quickly left the room and went to the hall so I could cry in private.
In a moment I was transported back in time. I could see the sun, and feel the wind off the beach as I re-read them. The written words were my words. Or rather, His words.
You sing over me, You sing over me
You wave your hands and dance around
Sing of dreams, desires all over me
washing, rolling, wondering over me
There’s no love better than yours
It was a song we had written together a year before. And the over-arching message of that beach trip was His delight. Could I, would I be willing to do life with the only measure being His delight? It was the perfect touch after a hard week of questions and hurting.
How beautiful is our God?
I am putting the song below for your listening. Read the lyrics and soak in the truths. They are for you too. And my take-aways this week, among many, are listen and DO the prompting of God. Every one of these touches came from people who thought they were crazy to reach out. But God used them to help me. Finally, receive. Look, believe, receive the beauty, the tenderness, the truths of God. They surround us always. “There’s no love better than yours.”
My Pleasure
Here I am. Waiting. Listening
Wanting to feel your Holy touch
Need to hear your words flood my soul
Feel your pleasure Lord
There’s no sound, better than yours.
Here I am. Hungry, Eager.
Believing that you’re smiling too
Glad that I’ve come to be with you
You love to hear my voice
there’s no sound better than worship
You sing over me, You sing over me
You wave your hands and dance around
Sing of dreams, desires all over me
washing, rolling, wondering over me
There’s no love better than yours
We’re here again. Mingling. Meshing.
Loving the oneness of two
Drink in the wonder of You
I love your presence Lord
There’s no pleasure better
than yours
Jana Spicka, Real.Life Worship CD
Women Getting Real Weekly Class
Apr 5th
This is a great place to go deeper into relationship with Jesus and other women. Both seem scary we know. But this is a place where we talk about real life topics and look for God to show up in the middle of our lives. 
The class is for all ages and does not require perfect attendance. Or homework.
Join us in person at Fellowship Church on Middlebrook Pike, Knoxville,TN every Tuesday night from 7:00pm – 9:00pm (childcare is provided for those who register).
For specific details around the class please feel free to email us at info@womengettingreal.com.
We meet three weeks on and one week off. Dates of class are listed below. We are planning to Livestream at least once month. So stay tuned for those details. Be sure to sign up for RSS or Facebook alerts so you don’t miss out on “Monday Snack Time with Jana”, its a weekly vlog.
Class Dates for Spring Semester 2011: April 5, 19, 26; May 3, 17, 24, 31
(new class location coming soon, stay tuned for details)
To hear audio from classes up until now check out our archived classes
It Leads Only to Evil
Dec 30th
Talk about a wake up call. I was reading Psalm 37 and although I have read this Psalm a hundred times, I saw a line I had never seen. But first a little background. I was stressed out, striving and sick about it. I needed help and wanted answers, NOW! Guess what? God doesn’t always have “NOW” on His clock, so I was really upset. I went to the scripture for comfort, for perspective. And sure enough Psalm 37 delivered both.
”Trust in the Lord and do good;
dwell in the land and enjoy safe pasture.
Delight yourself in the Lord
and he will give you the desires of your heart.
Commit your way to the Lord;
trust in him and he will do this:
He will make your righteousness
shine like the dawn
the justice of your cause like
the noonday sun.
So rich is the word of God. Trust, delight, commit, shine. He will do this. The next passage is about being still and waiting patiently for Him. Yes, it was a comfort. It was a God perspective that I needed.
But then came the cold water splashing in my face. “Do not fret — it leads only to evil.”
Just look at those words. Say them out loud. Do not fret. It LEADS only to evil. It leads ONLY to evil. It leads only to EVIL. I have never considered it before, but it’s true. Fretting leads to gossip, manipulation, deception, stealing, striving, quitting, settling, doubting, coping, addiction, etc.
This is not what God wants for us. Honestly it is not what we want for us but it is what our minds lead us to if we are not centered on trusting God. He promises us rest and hope, “For the Lord upholds him with His hand.”
Focus on the face of God and not on the circumstances. Allow yourself to feel His hands holding you instead of wringing your own. Be mindful of your mind. Ask the Lord to keep you.
A Patient Expectation
Apr 19th
Play along. Imagine you drive up to a restaurant. Even before you walk in the door, you are hungry. The door swings open and you are washed with a flood of aromas — breads, spices, warm and inviting. Your stomach agrees with your selection and urges you on.
Now you are seated at the table, and the server hands you a menu. Your eyes take in all the possibilities. Choices, options, suggestions, pairings and combinations of flavors, textures and details.
Another rumble and you find you want to hasten the process. You just desperately want to actually be eating and not reading. You want the food to be in front of you, not on a page. Somewhere in this moment is the notion of sustenance, the notion of what you “need” to eat, what would be good for you.
But the first and primary urge is on what you “want” to eat. You desire the desirable.
So finally, the order is placed, your stomach is tense and waiting, waiting. You are so hungry you almost feel sick and then you…
get up and walk out of the restaurant.
A feast is being prepared for you, and you left the building.
Your stomach is in shock. Your server is stiffed, and your body has been robbed of much needed fuel. You are angry and unsatisfied.
Now suppose you turn around and say, “the restaurant didn’t answer your request.”
When you come to the table of God, come with a patient expectation. Come hungry, and come with a willingness to believe that He is preparing a feast for you. He knows and responds to the desires of your heart and the needs of your heart to keep you well fueled. Come to the table. And wait for the meal to arrive. Don’t get up and leave and say God doesn’t answer you. Wait and expect. Ask and receive. Though it tarry, wait for it.
But as it is written, “No eye has seen, no ear has heard, and no mind has imagined the things that God has prepared for those who love him.” 1st Corinthians 2:9
