So, Davene, Are You Arising?

Been waking up every day for your time with God?  Hopping out of bed when your 7:00 alarm rings?  Lingering under the covers until the chimes go off repeatedly?  Forgetting to even turn on your alarm clock?  Is your one-word goal for 2012 making any difference at all for you??

I'm so glad you asked!  ;-)  Actually, this week has been a smashing success as far as getting up on time and consistently having time with God first thing.  I realize that just because I've made it eight days with this new habit does not mean that I'll easily make it 18 or 80; the euphoria of a successful beginning does not necessarily lead to long-term victory.  But it IS a victory, and I'll take it.  :)

As I look back over this week, I'm actually surprised--in the very best kind of way--by how easy it's been to get up every morning.  I have found such joy in this!  To get up before the boys, quietly come downstairs, maybe get a cup of hot tea, settle onto the couch with my Bible and devotional book, and dig into God's Word--oh, it's been wonderful.  Several days, Josiah woke up soon after me; but he, too, quietly came downstairs and got his Bible.  "Can I sit next to you?" he's asked; and of course, I make room for him on the couch and enjoy the preciousness of having my firstborn soaking up the Word while I do the same.  A time or two, David has awoken before Josiah; and when he comes down, he is eager to snuggle with me (such a cuddle bug!)...and I enjoy the preciousness of those moments, too.

If I remember correctly, only once this week did I miss getting up at the first ring and didn't arise until the second one.  One day I didn't even consciously hear the first ring, but Jeff did, and he kissed me, and then I woke up and arose from my bed.  :)  Two mornings, when I've been especially tired, I've gotten up, had my quiet time, then laid down on the couch and gone back to sleep.  I always feel a little sheepish when that happens; and when Jeff discovers me snoozing, I want to insist, "But I did have my quiet time!!"  :)

So far this week, I've read two short books of the Bible that I studied in more detail last year:  2 Timothy and Malachi.  Besides that, I've been reading some Psalms and have been using those prayers as inspiration for my own prayers for my children.  And what's more, I did indeed start reading Ordinary Faithful People and studying the book of Ruth.  I am loving it!

Amazingly, I actually look forward to my 7:00 a.m. wake-up and feel almost selfish and jealous when it comes to my time with God.  I want to guard it like a pirate guards his treasure.  I'm not sure how this discipline so quickly transitioned from something I was dreading to something I'm enthralled with, but I'm guessing the Source of All Strength had something to do with it.  ;-)

This is what I look forward to each morning:

 This is my time; this is my place; this is my refuge; this is my garden where refreshment is served and growth occurs.

When I think of the word "arise," the verses from the Bible that immediately pop into my head come from Song of Songs 2: 10-13, where the beloved woos his chosen one.  To my delight, I feel as if God has been using that word and those verses to woo my heart closer to His this week.  As you can imagine, it feels so good.

Have you heard Michael Card's rendition of these verses?  I love this song so much that I even chose to have it in our wedding (fortunately for me, Jeff didn't have much opinion about what music we had in our wedding, so I got to fulfill my musical desires there--even including a piece in German and one in Hebrew).  :)  My talented sister-in-law Lori sang this song; and because it's my 2012 theme verse, I've been hearing it in my head a lot this week.  Here it is on YouTube; but don't be alarmed if no pictures show up during the playing of it.  Apparently there are no pictures with it, just the audio.


So, to answer the original question, I am, by God's grace, indeed arising.  And I can hardly wait to do it again tomorrow morning.  ;-)