Focus on the Moment
Recently I was talking with my granddaughter Madison about her 12th birthday. I said, “Madison, just think, next year you will be a teenager” Her quick reply was, “GJ, let’s just focus on the moment!” I still smile as I think about it.
Staying in the moment can be easier said than done. Life has a way of moving at such a quick pace and the demands for our time, our thoughts and our attention often seem to run counter to the very things that stir in our hearts. Let me give you an example.
The Spirit moved powerfully at our Worldwide Conference.
Just four weeks ago, many Aglow men and women gathered from over 103 nations for our Worldwide Conference in Louisville, Kentucky. The Spirit moved powerfully and there was such a strong stirring of God’s Presence.
Speaking personally, when I come away from this kind of an event, I find myself wanting to “just focus on the moment.” I want to feel the lingering reality of His Presence, the tenderness of His voice, the hovering of His Spirit. I want to soak in the power of it all and let it go deep into my spirit.
Even as I spoke of the wedding celebration in Cana of Galilee in my last blog, there was a lingering at that joyous celebration. The guests were not rushing away. Had they left, they would have missed the best wine, which had been saved for last!
I believe this is a time when we need to not only savor the moment, but to linger in His Presence. We need to learn how to sit quietly with Him. To court Him as a lover would court the love of his life. We are too quick to rush on. We often talk away His spirit rather than quietly bid Him to come closer.
He waits. He wants to be wanted. Yet, he isn’t one to talk loudly, or to try to be heard over the din and noise of our many activities.
Remember, this is not a time when God is giving us a vision for the functionality of ministry. He is giving us Himself. What a treasure. What a gift.
Intimacy must be cultivated, learned, enhanced. A.W. Tozer says it this way:
God has allowed His heart to be emotionally identified with men. Self-sufficient as He is, He wants our love and will not be satisfied until He gets it. Free as He is, He has let His heart be bound to us forever!*
He wants us to move to a closer place of intimacy with Him.
Let’s focus on the moment!
*A.W. Tozer, The Knowledge of the Holy, 1961
Dear Jane, Sorry I am a little late responding to this blog so I don’t know if you will receive it at this late date but I thought I would give it a try. My first response when I read your blog was actually about your Grandaughter. about 12 or 13 was about the age that Jesus (Yeshua) was in the temple about His fathers business many are in agreement that this was probably when he made His Bar Mitzvah. when my grandson was 13 the Lord told me to give him a Bar Mitzvah this was very strange to me as we had never done this before? I did the best that I could with the Lords help and on His 13th Birthday with my daughters permision I anointed His hands and covered him with a tallit (prayer shawl) prayed the prayers as instructed by the Lord and he became a Son of the commandments. This is a good age for a young man or woman like your granndaughter if they know Jesus to renew their commitment to live their life according to His commandments. It is a great time to focus on the moment an opportunity to become a talmidim, a disciple of Yeshua (Jesus) our Messiah Its not just a Jewish thing its really a Jesus thing. May the Lord greatly bless you and your grandaughter may he make her like the matriarchs of Israel like Leah and Rachel Rebecca and Sarah may she help build the Kingdom of God for the salvation of the World.
Lev Eloheim (From the heart of God) Shalom (peace to you from the Prince of Peace in the Name of Jesus. Marie Tralongo Coral Springs FL,Lighthouse
Thank GOd for modern technology to spread HIS GOSPEL of HIS KINGDOM to all the world…enjoyed your blog!
Thank you for a very word spoke in due season !
All Glory to Jesus for all the work he did on the cross! As we approach Christmass (and thankyou all for the reminder) I want to focus on celebrating His goodness, faithfulness and timely provisions and the many many answers to prayers not only in my life but in the lives of people we have joined hands in prayer.
Trully, it is biblical that we the saints are to pray and be the channels of his will here on earth. It is indeed an honour and it less daunting whe we ‘trust, obey and pray.’ I want to take this special moment to bless all my sisters in Aglow, in particular in Fiji and here in New Zealand where I’ve just moved in July 2009, to say thankyou for the prayers, wisdom, seeking and understanding and the opportunities to minister to some of you and bless you.
recently, I met Joy and Judy in our Auckland retreat.after Kentucky and they were on fire too like yourselves.
In response to what really is a ‘ personal relationship with God,’ My living testimony is God restoring and repositioning who I was and my (and husband’s) role in the marrige. I thank God for revealing to me a fundamental truth and foundation that my love and worship for God must be first and is NOT in competion with my love for my husband. Also, that I need His love to be able to love and forgive my husband and vice verser. Thirdly, the marrige is His instituion so ‘i need his principles and his love’ to be able to enjoy peace in the marriage!WOW i surrender, Jesus reigns! His love is suffient and the greatest love of all i can testify it is more than enough for both my husband and I.
Please pray and reach out to those women who come to join Aglow because they are looking for love and affirmation.
On a different not please include Fiji and/or choose Fiji as a prayer for the nation. love you all and blessings of Jesus
What is it that you know and that I want to know?
@Rev Lois Blei
Good advise. It gave me a refreshing when I read it and brought me right into His arms.
THANKS JANE. FOR BEING THERE AND FOR YOUR WISDOM. THE CONFERENCE WAS AWESOME. SUCH PEACE. CONNECTING WITH MY SISTERS. LIVING IN THE MOMENT.
SHALOM,
ROMA
… for what it’s worth, today was an opportunity of the moment to go to a christian book store in Shreveport, hear the Spirit of God say to go to a certain isle in the store and buy a certain book. This same book is the “The Works of Josephus”, just to come back to my apartment and scan thru over 1300 emails to find this one from Aglow, just to hear what the Lord spoke to Jane, and Aglow, just to find out that the same book that He had me purchase today is attached to this page. I have not known of A.W Tozer or Josephus , but I will soon find out. Truly He is reconciling me unto Himself, He is drawing me with His Great Love, Oh How He Loves Us!!! I Love Aglow, Jane, Kay and Sande!!
Greetings, In the Name of Jesus:
Although I have not been able to keep up with computers and modern technology, today as I followed the directives of the Holy Spirit, I am overwhelmingly blessed at the site and hearing of this good news of the Kingdom and what the Lord God is speaking by His Spirit expressly: Let me say that as I have been hearing the sound of worship and oneness, William Murphy in the cd entitled “The Sound” sings the exact same thing that Jane is proclaming from this conference. I am glad to hear what you have heard the Spirit of the Lord saying to the church in this season of our lives. Blessing of His Peace be unto you all!
Jane,
This is my first visit to your blog and I must say I have enjoyed every minute of it. Our lighthouse meeting was last night. Our speaker was a missionary that ministers in a predominately muslim culture. It is amazing how the Lord speaks to us all individually and yet the message is very much the same. Our speakers main point was that ” Ministry is where we are at the moment because Christ lives in us.” We talked about how we can be overwhelmed with the “functionality of the ministry” and miss many opertunities to serve and minister to those who need the truth. Also, we discussed how we may not be in a place, or role that we normally minister in but if we are sensitive to the Spirit, God will give us an opportunity to minister and the out come will amaze us. We truly must “focus on the moment” and take in all that He has for us so that we will have “ears to hear” what the Spirit of the Lord is speaking to us and be quick to obey in whatever situation or place we are in. Thank you for all that you do!—Fleeta Dickey
Amen! and I thought I was the only one still savouring the delights of Conference, KY! Jane, you had said that each WWConference manages to be better than the last and I wondered how KY09 could top 07(the 40th Anniversary) but it sure did!…
I loved the stage design – it had a simple but ethereal ‘heaven to earth’ ethos.
The transparency exhibited by the leadership at Council meeting was breathtaking and truly liberating.
The messages were indeed ‘incredible and interwoven’, reminiscent of Nashville05 but how wonderful to have Asher Intrater return from 05Conference and to be the one to (Masterfully) bring revelatory synthesis to our 3 mandates…Awesome. Is it a ‘God-incidence’ that Asher and Aglow Int’l share the same initials?!!
Thank you for having Brian Ming and Julie Meyer lead in ‘abandoned’ worship. Julie’s ‘Paintbrush’ song caught my heart as it speaks of Testimony, the theme for 2010.
Kudos to the Transformation ministry! I was mightily blessed and empowered as I volunteered for the local outreach.
All glory to God as Diane Moder and PAstor Khalil revealed the truly remarkable extent of the changes in the Muslim world.
Lastly, thank you Jane for your passion, your leadership and your beauty. How very precious it was to ’see’ you through your granddaughter’s eyes ~ it gloriously exemplified the message of relational intimacy. I love the moniker “GJ” – you’ve given me yet another reason to look forward to granddmotherhood! Truly, you are a pioneer in earthly things as well as the spiritual..
This Christmas may we all focus on the KY moments and accept the gift of His presence instead of functionality in ministry and indeed before all else!
Hello Jane,
I just sent a note out to Glenda expressing my need to set still and let myself think and experience all God did here on our ranch these past few days. So reading your blog made me smile. God desires us to do much, but also set still and just enjoy the moments with him. I am going to do that for I have found it keeps me able to do the doing.
blessings,
Lynda
Love this Jane and our grand-babies can bring us to reality quicker than the blink of an eye.
@Shirlene Pope
Our 2010 conference is in San Jose, CA, Sept 30-Oct. 3. See you there!! Kay
Love you Jane and all your great servants.
I so needed this reminder, especially at Christmas time. We get caught up with caring for our loved ones that we miss the moment. The blog is important to me because I am missing so many gatherings I treasure of Aglow activities. I will focus on the moment and there will come a time I can gather with others again.
He Alone is God….watch the next 30 days!!
Thanks Jane,
I sure did need this reminder! Conference was awesome! Still savoring it. His presence is available for us all the time, but we do need to wait and remain.
Sending love,
Judy Davis
@Shirlene Pope 2010 – US Aglow Nat Conf, San Jose, CA
I have been blessed reading the message in this blog. My question is where and when is the next International Conference?
Sp happy to read your blog. Your tongue is the pen of a skillful writer! (Psalm 45:1) I missed conference but listened to the CDs and they are awesome!
deep breath, long sigh, inner grin and a warm sense of hot apple cider comes over me as I read what you have written…home, yes it feels like coming home , soft, familiar, restful, safe…home, God’s heart – our heart – His time, our time…together home!
Dear Jane,
Your sharing causes me to share this with you,
Out of purposefully focusing on Him in the moment,
birthed a song in God’s City of Righteousness,
Bakersfield, CA
here are the words;
You are my Reward
You are my Reward
Jesus, You are my Reward
I lay my head down, on the Pillow of Your Heart
There is no end to You
I get lost in Your Ever-lasting Love
Heart-to-Heart
You are my Reward
Intently gazing at His Face, smiling on You.
Waterfall Blessings, Teri Johnson
Dear Jane – I find that wherever the lord places me to serve Him in Aglow these past 35 years – I not only needed Him in front of me, beside me and as my rear guard – but I missed golden opportunities if I got ahead of myself or lagged behind. It was only the moment that counted and the wisdom of Madison, (my Grandaughter is 12 also), and how you developed a pearl for us, from her statement, is a treasure that I will keep and re-read.
Thank-you for your consecration to our Lord Jesus and your love for Him and for his people.
We love you back! Barb Rich -Milwaukee, WI.
I am happy to see a blog from Jane and Aglow members. Just these past few days I have been thinking it would be so great to have an Aglow blog.
I loved the conference by web again this year but I know I missed His Presence that you describe. My fellow Aglow friend and I did feel the presence of God with all that He was pouring out in my home via my computer. It will be nice to have a West Coast, even better a CA location next year.God is so good.
I keep remembering that Mike Bickle said that they need Aglow. I also am so excited that the Holy Spirit broke out at IHOP soon after he spoke in KY to Aglow.
Jane,
I love AGLOW and everything in it!
The Conference was a blast!
GOD poured out what HE got for us!
This is my first Worldwide Conference and I was so fortunate to fly my Flag (Indonesia)!
Flying my Flag is the moment that I will never forget, as I walk the isle flying my Flag as high as I can, I saw many many hands been lifted and I heard many many prayer been said all are for my Country Indonesia! I was so overwhelmed as I knew my Country is blessed! HIS presence was so strong!
I agree that by focusing at the moment actually we are letting HIM do what HE love to do with us! enjoying this time with HIM and only HIM! until we give birth the generation of warrior that will conquer the earth!
We so need to be reminded of HIS beckoning, especially as the Christmas rush is upon us.
Thanks for sharing.
Dear Jane, As I just read your “blog”, I found myself thrust back to the first weeks after my precious husband left his earthly “tent” and his spirit was received by our LORD. Within, I was saying, “I’m so sorry, JESUS… I feel as though I have suddenly placed you on the back burner of my life!” It seemed that my thoughts were engulfed with a flood of memories of the one I was so missing and so dearly love!!! Now, I can witness to the fact that the most “comfortable place” for me to have run to and to have drawn even more close than ever before…has been found only in running to HIM!!! JESUS has been my eternal “first love” for a long, long time. Clay…my earthly “love of my life”. I rejoice in knowing our LORD was there…HIS Presence felt all the way through this…HE was compassionately understanding and so ready to begin healing this devastated heart. I cherish being “in the moment” with our LORD GOD ALMIGHTY!!! With much love and gratitude to you, Margus
Jane, what a great message. I choose to focus on the moment, with the Lord’s help. I’ve missed seeing my headquarters Aglow friends. Love, Linelle Kelley
What a powerful conference it was. As I came home, I found it hard to share with people what it was like. So many things happened and God moved so powerfully, you had to be there to get much of a sense of what it was like. As I listen to the CD’s of the speakers over and over again, I relive the conference and learn so much more from them. All the speakers and all the sessions and the worship were amazing. I usually have a favorite speaker, but this year, I can’t pick one that was better than the rest. From Jane’s opening message through Asher’s final words, I was inspired and challenged. If you weren’t able to go to the conference, I strongly recommend getting the CD’s or DVD’s to hear what was said. There were some very powerful words for Aglow spoken.
Sounds like the Conference was another time of soaking in the Holy Spirit and being encouraged and inspired. Although we count not be there it is great to be able to read the various reports from different sources. Every blessing and love from Australia, Stephen and Jeanette Whiting
Jane,
I so enjoy reading your blogs. What a great reminder to focus on the moment. Another great Madisonism. Miss you. Lots of love…Valerie