When I was young, our church hosted a summer camp every year. There’s usually a great speaker and we head home feeling really excited about our faith and God. However, after a few weeks, that excitement waned and our attentions were soon diverted back to the daily grind in life and ministry. Eventually, after a few years of this cycle, we began to wonder if our summer camp was really effective. It’s great to feel the conviction and initial excitement. If only we can keep the momentum going.
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Spiritual Life
Welcome to the Cafe…
sab-bath /ˈsabəTH/noun; a day of rest.
Hi there, thanks for stopping by. I started this site to help process my own journey. During that time, I was drawn to the idea of rest. That’s when the title, “Sabbath Cafe,” came to me. As sabbath is meant to be a time for rest and restoration, I hope Sabbath Cafe will bring peace and vitality to all who visit.
Sit back, relax and enjoy the view.
Your spiritual barista,
Michele
Prayer 201
I’ve been fascinated by the idea of “prayer” since young. The idea of asking or influencing an all-powerful being to change the world on my behalf felt very… powerful. It’s not a “pious” answer, but I think for most people, that is still the main reason why we pray. We pray because we want this being, (the most powerful being we know), to change something or someone when we feel powerless to do so. Continue reading
Quietness & Stillness
“You have made us for yourself, O Lord, and our heart is restless until it rests in you.” – St. Augustine
Quietness and stillness. Two words that are the antithesis to our ways of life today. Our lives are filled with the never-ending schedules and events. A good friend of mine once said to me, “I can’t stop. I’m a mom!!” 🙂 I’m sure we have all felt the same… just replace the word “mom” to something that fits your situation. Even at church, things are not all that different. We’re asked to serve more, pray more, share the gospel more.. but rarely do I hear anyone say… be still… more? Continue reading
Jesus loves me this I know??
For a long time, I found it difficult to admit to my Christian friends that I didn’t really feel that God loves me. Continue reading
Growing up
So I was watching this “makeover” show on TV tonite. And they’re trying to change an Asian-American college student from a “sportsy tom boy” into a more outgoing, assertive, sexy gal. They did everything from cleaning up her bedroom, giving her a brand new wardrobe, and making her jump out of air planes, just to get her out of her comfort zone.
They gave her a new hair style, make up and a new wardrobe. At the end of the show, she looked stunning. But, behind all that glamour still stands a shy little girl. They, and even her self tried with all of their effort to become an Adult. But I think what she really needed to do was to be more confident about herself. To achieve that, changing your look will only go so far. She will need to truly grow up on the inside. To become the fullness of who she is without trying to please others or be apologetic about it. To enjoy her strengths while working through her weakness. To know that the value of who she is does not depend on the opinion of society or family or a man. To become a woman uniquely her own – now that’s Beautiful.
Practice, practice, practice
I admit, I have a short attention span… from music to crafts to games or any hobby of the moment, i never stay interested on one thing for long. That’s why my mom never bought me a piano. She didn’t think I’d last long enough for her to invest THOUSANDS of bucks on the whim of a 5 year old.
Thank God for generous piano-teaching neighbors and piano store-rentals. ^_^
The major obstacle I face is that the fun of learning new things is completely drowned out by the feeling of…”being stuck.” That’s gotta be the worst feeling – no movement. Nada, zilch, zero. Or rather, the perception that there is no movement.
It’s weird, isn’t it? You’d think that creativity happens spontaneously. That’s why people say you’re “gifted”. That it seems to just happen like “magic.” Except that… it’s not.
Creativity is more like a birthing process… or rather, a PROCESS, period. It’s learning how to use the tools. Observing why the masters are Masters. Speaking a new language. And it…. all… takes… time. Time to adapt – time to learn – time to allow your brain to make the synaptic connections – time that me and my generation just don’t quite appreciate.
So practice it is! Practice, practice, practice! Practice my color combinations. Practice my finger exercises. Practice organizing my blubbering thoughts… and hoping – Expecting – transformation.
Surrender
You have been so kind, so gentle, time after time.
Of all of the years that I’ve come, You’re still the one to whom I run
When everything changes, You remain the same. When all around, the world is shaken,
You remain*
Finally broke out of that frustration, bad-attitude, pouting state today. Every once in a while, I get in moods like that. Mainly frustrated at God’s timing. And all it took, at the end of the downward spiral, was the simple realization – He is God.
He IS. At the end of the day, will I chose any other? no. To whom shall we go? Who else has the Word of life?
So I surrendered. and Peace rushed in.
*Lyrics from “Made to Love You” by Misty Edwards
WordPress, here i come!
Whew, walking away from the blogsite I’ve had for the past 5 years was *almost* a relief… Not sure if I can bring my old archive, but i almost don’t miss it. Like that great advice you get while moving… if you havn’t looked/opened/needed it for the past year… you don’t really need it. (Except for your financial/tax documentation!!)
It almost feels like shedding an old shell or getting rid of an old jacket that just don’t fit anymore. In all honesty, I’ve grown into a different person in the last few years. It’s rather refreshing to move on.
So hello WordPress! “Hello world!”… sigh, that is such a nerdy phrase to use. It’s the welcome message you get when you sign up here. Seriously, how many remembers your first programming assignment where you have to write a program to print “Hello world!” But I digress… 🙂 Off with the old and on with the NEW!
Sabbath Cafe Podcast 