Sane, Simple, Sacred: Belonging

Belonging

(I've learned that Joan Didion is an American author best known for her novels and her literary journalism,).

This quote, introducing a section of home makeovers, jumped off the page of the September Country Living magazine the minute I read it!

I mentally reread it THIS way and sat in wonder: "A person belongs forever to whoever claims him or her hardest...wrenches him/her from him/herself, shapes them, renders them, loves them so radically that He remakes them in His image."

Isn't this what God does for those He has redeemed? How amazing to have been remade. Wrenched from myself! Shaped and loved so radically! How breathtaking to belong forever to Him who claims us "the hardest"!

♫Jesus, my Lord will love me forever,
From Him no pow'r of evil can sever,
He gave His life to ransom my soul;
Now I belong to Him;
Chorus
Now I belong to Jesus,
Jesus belongs to me,
Not for the years of time alone,
But for eternity.♫

(I doubt that Ms. Didion had any of this in mind when she wrote her words...but I'm curious. I think I'd like to explore one of her novels. Not sure I've read any of them. Have you?)

11 comments:

Terra August 9, 2011 at 5:53 PM
Oh, I love your misreading of this, and I know who has claimed me, our King of Heaven and earth.
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no spring chickenAugust 9, 2011 at 7:53 PM
I haven't read any of her work but I'm curious too. It seems too spot on to not be referring to the one who remade her! Let us know what you find out!!

Blessings, Debbie
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DianaAugust 9, 2011 at 8:13 PM
I've not read her either but when I read that quote I immediately thought of all of the work and money that we've put into this old house!!
Sorry! Love Di ♥
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BeautifulDeesAugust 9, 2011 at 8:49 PM
Oh what a lovely article...I am amazed at all that he has and does for us continually. I just need to be more mindful of his greatness.Thank you for your inspiring post's,I also thank you for your lovely comment's.
Love,Debbie:)
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Lady FarmerAugust 9, 2011 at 10:52 PM
Amazing indeed! That polishing, refining, remaking us into His image is often hard and rarely a pleasant thing, but oh, the beauty in reflecting Him!
:~}
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Janie FoxAugust 10, 2011 at 5:05 AM
I have not read her either. I love your re-reading of her words. I would really love it if the magazine would print your version!
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JackieAugust 10, 2011 at 2:34 PM
A beautiful quotation, Rebecca. I hummed the song as I read the words you posted below it.
Thank you for sharing your wisdom, my friend.
J.
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DeboraAugust 10, 2011 at 6:51 PM
What a wonderful thought...I know Jesus has had to 'claims me the hardest!' He's been claiming me for some 38 years now to my amazement!
Thanks for visiting and following my blog.

Debora
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http://bitsandpieces-sonja.blogspot.com/August 10, 2011 at 7:23 PM
Rebecca:

I'm so glad I hopped over, haven't been here in awhile and your blog looks so beautiful! You have a creative gift and it shows on your page. I love this thought today!

xo
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elaine @ peace for the journeyAugust 11, 2011 at 9:42 AM
A beautiful thought with which to shade my day! Also... like the background. You are so creative.

peace~elaine
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PamelaAugust 12, 2011 at 8:04 PM
You know I love quotes and this is certainly a beautiful one after you changed the word. Perfect song to put with it.

I read "The Year of Magical Thinking." I think I'll check out some of her other books, too.
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"We simplify, not just to be less busy, even though we may be right to pursue that. Rather, we simplify to remove distractions from our pursuit of Christ. We prune activities from our lives, not only to get organized, but also that our devotion to Christ and service for His kingdom will be more fruitful. We simplify, not merely to save time, but to eliminate hindrances to the time we devote to knowing Christ. All the reasons we simplify should eventually lead us to Jesus Christ!" (Donald S. Whitney)

Dedicated to my sister-in-law, Beth--a TRUE home manager....

"I work for a King. He has put me in charge of his home. When He comes to see how I have managed His possessions and His children, I do not want to be found wanting. I want to do my best. Everything I have is on loan from Him. I have room and board and a job to do, but it is all for Him. Therefore I want to dress my best and do my best in all my work. I also want to be creative, for this is a sincere attempt to glorify Him and His beautiful creation. How I manage my home is a form of worship to Him." --Lydia Sherman

"A man should hear a little music, read a little poetry,
and see a fine picture every day of his life,
in order that worldly cares may not obliterate the sense of the beautiful which God has implanted in the human soul."

~Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

Contentment makes poor men rich.

-Benjamin Franklin

"What I am gradually discovering is that in the writing I come in touch with the Spirit of God." ~ Nouwen

~~"Reading without reflecting is like eating without digesting."~~Edmund Burke

C.S. Lewis: "To trust Him means, of course, trying to do all that He says. There would be no sense in trusting a person if you wouldn't take his advice. Thus if you have really handed yourself over to Him, it must follow that you are trying to obey Him."

"To live content with small means; to seek elegance rather than luxury, and refinement rather than fashion; to be worthy, not respectable, and wealthy, not rich; to listen to stars and birds, babes and sages, with open heart; to study hard; to think quietly, act frankly, talk gently, await occasions, hurry never; in a word, to let the spiritual, unbidden and unconscious, grow up through the common--this is my symphony." William Henry Channing

“Finish each day and be done with it. You have done what you could. Some blunders and absurdities no doubt crept in; forget them as soon as you can. Tomorrow is a new day; begin it well and serenely and with too high a spirit to be encumbered with your old nonsense.” – Ralph Waldo Emerson

The Apostle Paul: "But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus." (Philippians 3:13-14)

"It's a good thing to have all the props pulled out from under us occasionally. It gives us some sense of what is rock under our feet, and what is sand. It stops us from taking anything for granted. It has also taught me alot about living in the immediate moment. I am somehow managing to live one day, one hour at a time." Madeleine L'Engle

FIVE CERTAINTIES
WITH WHICH TO
START YOUR DAY

God holds you. Each day he carries us in his arms. Psalm 68:19 NLT
God sustains you. THE LORD is my Shepherd [to feed, guide, and shield me], I shall not lack. Psalm 23:1 AMP
God covers you. He will cover you with His pinions, and under His wings shall you trust. Psalm 91:4 AMP
God pours His love upon you. Through each day the Lord pours his unfailing love upon me. Psalm 42:8 NLT
God will not fail you. The unfailing love of the Lord never ends! Lamentations 3:22 NLT

THE BLOGGER'S PRAYER Lord, help me to learn to spell without spellcheck, manage to visit all that visit me, and post regularly - all in 5 minutes a day, so that I can clean house and take care of my family. Help me to not look at every occurrence in my life as a blog post, and to quit taking pictures of weird things to share as well. Please Lord, help me to stop talking about my blog friends as though they are next door neighbors or someone I have known all of my life. And help me, dear Lord, to think of something witty and wise to post tomorrow.
Love, The Dust Bunny Hostage

Sane, Simple, Sacred

Mercy

Belonging

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Writing a Song a Week #3