one idea for [SEEing] this season!

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What are you looking at? Today - what is your focus?

Tis the season to stare at lists. Both physically and mentally! If you aren’t looking at a physical list - your view might be the lists you are making inside your brain!

It is so hard to SEE the Child of the season!

And isn’t that what we really want… to see and celebrate and get to a place of worship!?

If you look at the words of Matthew 2 - you will notice the relationship between seeing and worship.

As we get closer to the day of Christmas - schedules get even more crazy.

I have one simple idea for you and me. An idea that can easily turn our eyes.

This will take little effort, but will have supernatural results!

We need a physical sign to look at… even in the parking lots, shopping lines or in a few stolen moments alone.

Just like the star was a sign to the magi. The magi SAW the star and it led them to the Child.

  1. Read these words below from Matthew 2.

  2. Write them down in a journal, notebook or on any piece of paper you can carry with you.

  3. Carry the paper around with you - purse, pocket, bag.

  4. Throughout the day - LOOK at it. Turn the phrases to prayers as you go through the days leading to Christmas.

  5. Pray these phrases for those around you this season!

  6. Keep coming back to these words on your paper! Marinate in them! See where they take you.

  7. Let these words lead you into the new year!


Read the words below from Matthew 2 and then decide whether you will write them down, carry them with you and in you.

Remember - this will only take MOMENTS here and there. You don’t need to carve out one big piece of time to experience communication with God this season!

Slowly read and picture the words. Notice the verbs and the progression.

It is the progression that all of us want to enter into this season.

Turn your eyes on these words - they WILL lead you to SEEing the Child.

Matthew 2:2, 9-11

“For we saw His star in the east

and have come to WORSHIP Him.”

… they went on their way.

And there it was - the star they had seen in the east!

It led them

until it came and stopped above the place where the child was.

When they

SAW the star

they were overjoyed beyond measure.

Entering the house,

they SAW the Child

with Mary, His mother,

and FALLING to their knees,

they WORSHIPPED Him.

They OPENED their treasures

and PRESENTED Him with gifts.

I pray that you would ENTER in.

SEE the Child.

Fall down and WORSHIP.

And then communing with Him in conversation -

Open your treasures

and present your gifts!

Merry Christmas!




In November - Partake in all the [GOOD] - [TOGETHER]!

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This month -

GOOD

A word we use a lot and yet it’s one we find hard to wrap our minds around.

GOOD

Many times, a hard word to swallow and believe.

GOOD

It is the FIRST thing recorded that God SAW!

He SAW GOODNESS first!

What? Yes… Look at it. Read slowly. Take this in.

Then God said, “Let there be light”; and there was light.

And God SAW that the light was GOOD. Genesis 1:4

He chose that word for some reason.

Clearly He is fond of this word/concept. It is used thousands of times in scripture!

Angels declare GOOD tidings of great joy! Apostles describe their message as GOOD news!

Jesus uses the word to self proclaim who He is, saying, “I am the GOOD shepherd.”

It is EVERYWHERE in scripture. Everywhere in creation. And it is IN US. (Galations 5!)

But…

We say it and hear it so much we don’t think about the weight that GOOD carries.

Our everyday consists of…

“How are you?” “Good.”

“How was your day?” “Good.”

“Good morning!”

GOOD is loaded. Take this month and give it the space to speak and FORM you. See where this word takes you in conversation with God & others.

We invite you to PARTAKE of this word and its GOODNESS - TOGETHER.

It’s just a hunch. But I think if we can abide in the word GOOD… it will bring us to another level of gratefulness as we celebrate Thanksgiving. His goodness will manifest = appear = be made visible! We will remember His goodness toward us. And the good, perfect and living Words we find… will form our conversation and mindset.

An invitation to experience the word GOOD - [TOGETHER]!

I have TWO invitations for you to help you experience GOODNESS in the coming days & weeks before the crazy of the Christmas holidays!

An invitation to be TOGETHER!

And every day they devoted themselves [to meeting] TOGETHER in the temple complex, and broke bread from house to house. They ate their food with gladness and simplicity of heart ——Acts 2:46

(Read all of Acts 2 if you can!)

TOGETHER = Greek word- [metalambano]

  • to partake

  • root word - [meta] = to change after being with

  • other root word - [lambano] = to aggressively take or receive

  • properly, to lay hold of with initiative which prompts “a change afterwards”

Think about that. Write it down. Scribble it somewhere. Make it stick - because it is IMPORTANT. Something happens when we are TOGETHER.

I challenge you. Invite you. Implore you. Ask you…

#1

Get TOGETHER with a few to talk, pray and ponder the word GOOD.

  • Call a few and set 1-2 times on the calendar to get TOGETHER before the crazy of the holidays. This can be family, friends, old friends, someone you just met - anybody!

  • Meet in person or if necessary, get together via FaceTime, Zoom, Skype

  • Partake in words and pray them for each other.

  • Experience the exchange of giving & receiving as you DIG & DISCUSS!

Click the button/link below and tell us… you are going to Ponder-Together!

  • GOOD things happen when we know you are pondering out there! First off - someone on our team will be praying for you and your few!

  • Your name will be entered into a drawing! Yes! Christmas will come early! I want to give away a few of a my favorite books that will help you experience Words! ‘Tis the season!

  • We will connect you to people, resources and gatherings in your area - if you need some guidance on getting TOGETHER to ponder.

#2

I invite you into these verses surrounding GOODness.

Psalm 23:5-6 - GOODNESS - Follows

Exodus 33:14,18-19 - GOODNESS - Passes before

Lamentations 3:24-25 - GOODNESS - Waiting & HOPE

Psalm 65:11 - GOODNESS -Crowns the year! (Week of Thanksgiving!)

(Always, always… read the verses surrounding. Get the context to build the setting.)

Use one verse for each week of November as a springboard to other words and verses. OR choose one verse to stay on. OR find your own verses. It doesn’t matter. Just choose.

I will lead through one verse a week on Instagram. GOOD stuff all month @ponder.ing on Instagram. Stories & posts will give you CUES to keep pondering. Keep abiding! Dig in!

I pray that the God of all GOODNESS will speak loudly to you through His Word, His Sprit, His creation and His people!

May GOODNESS prepare you for the [GOOD TIDINGS of great JOY] coming in December - as we celebrate the birth of Christ!





[manifest]

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This word.

It is a prayer. It is a truth. It is the way God speaks to us.

At Round Top we found this word in the definition of the word TELL.

Jeremiah 33:3 - Read it now!

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There is an exchange that includes MANIFEST.

We cry out - He TELLS. He speaks. He manifests. He makes known.

In a world where God is understood as silent, this word contradicts the lie.

This month we are pondering the word [manifest]. That means… we are looking at it over and over again. Digging around in verses that use this word. Looking for Him. Talking to Him.

Pray this one word prayer. “Manifest!”

Pray it for the people you love and into every situation today. He does appear. He does make Himself known. He does answer our cries. We need only be aware. Give him space in your mind’s eye to appear!

We all need a little help to continue abiding in His words and continue conversation with God. The next 3 months we are going to experiment with a new tool! I will be using Instagram to lead people through One Word a month. The goal is to give consistent CUES to turn your mind back to living words and conversation with God! CUES will include scripture, music, experience cues, tips on looking up words, ancient prayers… a little of everything! Use these in your own conversation with the Lord and/or use them with a FEW.

Instagram stories are a great place I can communicate so much of what we do in person. So, follow along and be part of the conversation as pondering via Instagram morphs!

Join us on Instagram @ponder.ing

October word = [MANIFEST]

Jeremiah 33:3 - Manifest in conversation

Psalm 19:1 - Manifest in creation

Luke 24:31-32 - Jesus manifest to us

1 John 1:2 - LIFE is manifested in the senses

2 Corinthians 2:14 - Christ manifests through us

[TIME] for Round Top!

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ponder - round top

  • a space to experience

  • a place to be refreshed

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[re-fresh-ing]

Greek - [anapsuxis]

- a recovery of breath, a refreshing

- a cooling off

- properly, breathe easily (again)

- 'reviving with fresh air'

This word is one of the only words that describes the experience of Ponder - Round Top!

And the only time this Greek word is used is in Acts 3:20…

“that times of refreshing would come from the presence of the Lord...”
— Acts 3:20


[time]

Greek - [kairos]

-an opportune time

-derived from kara ("head") referring to things "coming to a head" to take full-advantage of

-a favorable moment

TIMES OF REFRESHING

FROM THE

[pres-ence]

Greek - [prosópon]

- face

OF GOD

JOIN US on September 20-22 in Round Top!

SAME unique space! NEW tools & experiences from PONDER!

Start your fall off with us and return home with tools for your own ongoing conversation with God… and new tools to help you keep pondering with a few, some, or many!