Litenuf Logo
 
Why Sabbath?
March 9, 2018ArticlesComments Off on Why Sabbath?

Many of us are burned out, soul-weary.  Our relationships are shallow and dissatisfying.  We’re distracted, depressed and fragmented on so many levels. We feel chased down and breathless. We long to exhale and simply be. Jesus offers us that pause.  He offers us Himself.   

 BUT, the Sabbath is an old Jewish tradition that Jesus TOTALLY disregarded during His ministry, we object. It’s one of the 10 commandments and Jesus set us free from the Law, didn’t He?

The rhythm of 6 days of labour and 1 day of rest comes from way earlier than the Law of Moses, that’s why when Moses fetched the 10 Commandments the one about the Sabbath begins with the word “Remember”. It’s a reminder.

The Creator God Himself instituted it in Genesis not because He was weary, but as an example, an age-old invitation.   “And by the seventh day God completed His work which He had done, and He rested (ceased) on the seventh day from all His work which He had done. So God blessed the seventh day and sanctified it [as His own, that is, set it apart as holy from other days], because in it He rested from all His work which He had created and done”. Genesis 2:2&3

He sanctified one day and set it aside as holy. The opposite of “holy” is ordinary.  Common.  Same as.  So one day out of seven was to be different from the other six.  Six days we labour, one day we don’t! The Sabbath, like all the other laws, is a gift.  Not a freedom-stealer, but a freedom preserver!

Sabbath is a celebration. It begins with the recognition that we belong to God.  A good God whose kindness extends to the righteous and unrighteous.  A God whose witness includes “giving you rains from heaven and fruitful seasons, satisfying your hearts with food and gladness.” Act 14:17

What’s not to appreciate? A God who gives the kitchen staff a whole day off each week!  Exodus 16:23 In effect he says, bake and boil all you need for today and tomorrow, for tomorrow you rest. It’s a reminder that you’ll have to put in some planning and preparation, if you’re to enjoy and benefit. It’s not the day you catch up on all the things you didn’t get done in the week.  It’s a day we acknowledge that God is good and what we have from His hand is enough.
A day of grateful, happy, pause.
Jesus didn’t disregard the Sabbath, but He did redefine it.  He reminded people that God is not served by the keeping of the Sabbath, but that we are! “The Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath. Mark2:27. That’s why He did some of His finest work on the Sabbath. Healing and restoring.  I believe He still does.

Because Paul reminds us that this matter, like food preferences, is a personal matter of your conviction (Col 2:16 and Romans 14), it should never be a measure for judgement and anytime you’re tempted to, DON’T!  We don’t have to Sabbath.  We get to!

Everyone’s Sabbath will be tailor-made to pause you and your household.  There’s no prescribed way to do it, I think that’s what made the rule-keepers crazy in Jesus’ day.
Hang out with your “easy people”.
Eat and visit, sleep and read.
Savour God.


Heed the invitation of Jesus.

Come to Me, you who are weary and heavy burdened.
I will give you rest.

Matt 11:28

Journaling
November 1, 2016ArticlesComments Off on Journaling

I have valued journaling as a spiritual discipline since the early 80’s, shortly after coming to faith in Jesus. I was a “gutter rescue” in The Father’s house and the process of sanctification and healing was written up in my daily journal. It was a messy process but the Holy Spirit used this practice to create in me an awareness of my inner life (seriously messy!) and to keep a record of the process of Him shoveling out the garbage and uncovering the treasure.

For this reason, one of the “pillars” of the 40 day LIGHTEN UP journey – in fact, TIGHTEN UP and even BRIGHTEN UP too – remains, keeping a record of your 40 day experience.

It’s a practice that creates mindfulness.  It has been used to stir gratitude – remember Ann Voskamp (http://onethousandgifts.com/a-letter-from-ann) who dared thousands to live FULLY, right where we were.  Arthur Burk, John Piper and Sam Storm (http://www.samstorms.com) , were all used in my journey to confirmed and give explanation to a deep conviction that all men are created by God with a JOY BASE.  The capacity for joy and the desire to find joy is written onto every human heart!  Life, sin and wounds can damage that inner JOY BASE CAMP to such an extent that it will take quite something to find it again, to clean it up and to then service and maybe even extend it!  Thankfully, God is not afraid of messy and is committed to the restoring all His vandalized works of art!

his-workmanshipA Jesuit of the 1500’s, Ignatius Loyola (another messy life!) taught a discipline called EXAMEN.  It involved 4 basic steps in reviewing your day with God and then praying forward into the next day. Reading about it reminded me of the dinner-table tradition in our home called High’s and Low’s.  At dinner each evening, every member of the family had to share their best moment and their worst. It was an opportunity for connection, compassion, celebration and certainly discipleship.

There’s no right or wrong way to keep a journal, it just needs to work for you.  I’ve always favoured the old fashioned, write it down in longhand kind of way. The slowness of the process is valuable to me.  It helps me uncover my thinking, but recently I have been using a brand new method called DAY ONE.  It’s not new – been around since 2011, but I’ve been testing it as another option to those who value the whole idea of journaling but find themselves unable to consistently practice it.
It’s an app on my phone.  I’m able to celebrate WONDER by putting in a picture of my highlight. The immediacy of the entry is nice for me.  A song, a “key” SMS – all these I can enter immediately.  In the evenings I can savour, review and prayerfully process my day. My appointment book or diary and my journal have always been one book, because my everyday life is the matrix through which God’s kingdom either comes or doesn’t. This app lets me enter appointments in the future and edit past entries as needed. And storage is so much simpler. You might want to take a look. http://dayoneapp.com/

One of the things I discerned directly from journaling, was some of the nuances in my relationship with TIME.  One of the early patterns I found was the nightmares that occurred only at full moon.  With no real understanding I was still able to sever myself from whatever caused that destructive pattern. Those who attended our CHRONOS and KAIROS retreat will have done similar work on their timelines.

Finally I want to say that I know many people who live deliberately, who represent Jesus very well in this life and who do not journal. As with most spiritual disciplines – they have no value in and of themselves unless they position us before God more receptively.

To those who criticize the practice, I remind you that the scriptures on which we base our salvation came through about 40 “journallers” or scribes, who left us our sacred foundation.

What’s in the Pipeline? BRIGHTEN UP!
August 26, 2016ProductsComments Off on What’s in the Pipeline? BRIGHTEN UP!

BrightenUp - Presentation - Page 1BrightenUp - Presentation - Page 2

 

 

 

 

Sample devotional from TIGHTEN UP!
August 24, 2016ProductsComments Off on Sample devotional from TIGHTEN UP!

TightenUp - Presentation - Page 3 TightenUp - Presentation - Page 4

 

Click on the text to enlarge.

Sample devotional from BRIGHTEN UP!
August 24, 2016ProductsComments Off on Sample devotional from BRIGHTEN UP!

BrightenUp - Presentation - Page 3BrightenUp - Presentation - Page 4

 

 

 

 

Click on text to enlarge.

Break your weight plateau with INTERMITTENT FASTING
October 24, 2015ArticlesComments Off on Break your weight plateau with INTERMITTENT FASTING

All the greats of the Bible were fasters.  Actually MANY world-changers in history, were habitual fasters. And for those of you who are doing all you can, (see the website www.litenuf.co.za for the 7 basics of wellness) BUT your weight is not shifting and you are still a distance from your God-given “original design” – I want to suggest that THIS might be your missing key.

Discussed in the LIGHTEN UP journal on day 21, intermittent fasting is the biblical two-meal-a-day pattern.  Another very effective introduction to this concept, is to keep fasting until lunchtime.   Hopefully you’ve replaced “breakfast is the most important meal of the day” in your head, with “eat only when hungry”, but the 16:8 pattern, which is keeping your night fast for 16 hours and then resuming normal, healthy REAL food eating for the other 8, is in fact another simple way to break a weight plateau. Keep drinking water.  Add a squeeze of lemon if you like.  I even drink the odd cup of coffee to kick start my day, but no solid food. Ideally your fluids should be without calories, but even with a milked coffee, the results have been good.  

Warning: If you are still addicted to sugar then this is not recommended.  (PF) Partial Fasting ie full abstinence of sugar, is the 101 of FASTING and should not be preceded by (IF) intermittent fasting.  Your hunger and cravings will just be enhanced! This is exactly why we only introduce it in the LIGHTEN UP program on day 21, once your sugar dependence is broken. But if you’re free of your sugar addiction, give IF a go and let me know how you get on!
God bless your efforts to be the best version of YOU as you partner with The Holy Spirit.

This article was extracted from LITENUF news Sept/Oct 2015Fasting (resized)

LITENUF & FIT FOR PRAISE RETREAT 2015
July 16, 2015EventsComments Off on LITENUF & FIT FOR PRAISE RETREAT 2015

The weather was bitterly cold on the 4, 5 and 6 June 2015 BUT the company of The Holy Spirit was warm, as was the fellowship with the 20 delegates who gathered at The Stable-Studio!

 

We looked at TIME (chronos: seconds, minutes, hours etc AND
kiaros: a God appointed moment) and discussed how to live in CHRONOS with our hearts set to KIAROS.

We also looked at the 3 appointments GOD booked annually with His people as a clue to what they reveal about The Father, Jesus and The Holy Spirit.

Thanks to the team who served seamlessly –
I loved teaming with you!

THANK YOU HOLY SPIRIT FOR YOUR EXQUISITE COMPANY!!
You taught us and led us into an encounter –
lest our knowledge make us religious!

Grateful. Again.

New EDITION 2015
June 26, 2015In The News, TestimonialsComments Off on New EDITION 2015

After 7 years we have had opportunity to upgrade the original journal in English. Here’s a peek inside at day 1’s devotion.

Spring Retreat: 31August & 1September 2013
July 23, 2013EventsComments Off on Spring Retreat: 31August & 1September 2013

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Spring Retreat 2013

Discover your REDEMPTIVE design and maximize your kingdom effectiveness!
This is one of the most empowering teachings available to the Body of Christ.

Biblical teaching, good company and delicious refreshments.
Special rates for FRIENDS OF LITENUF.

Limited accommodation for out-of-towners.

Email Viv: vivienne@litenuf.co.za

 

Retha goes HOME. 20/06/2013
June 20, 2013In The News, TestimonialsComments Off on Retha goes HOME. 20/06/2013

God has apportioned us each a number of days. They were written in His book long before we even saw our first day. Psalm 139:16
Today was the expiry date of Retha’s earth-suit, but because of Jesus – His life, His death and His resurrection – she LIVES and so we mourn our own loss and celebrate her transition into the next world.

She was a friend and prayer partner in the pattern of Epaphras, Paul’s fellow-worker and friend. She was “always labouring in prayer for others…” that they “would stand firm and complete in the will of God”. Col 4:12

Pray for us who remain behind, that we would process our loss and pain IN and WITH God.

Until next time,
Viv