Sandra Heska King

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Still Saturday: How to Seek the Kingdom of God

April 25, 2014 By Sandra Heska King

seek first

What should we do to pursue the Kingdom of God?

“Then in a certain sense it is nothing I shall do. Yes, certainly in a certain sense it is nothing, become nothing before God, learn to keep silent; in this silence is the beginning, which is first to seek God’s Kingdom.” ~Soren Kierkegaard

“And so I urge you to still every motion that is not rooted in the Kingdom. Become quiet, hushed, motionless until you are finally centered. Strip away all excess baggage and nonessential trappings until you have come into the stark reality of the Kingdom of God. Let go of all distractions until you are driven into the Core. Allow God to reshuffle your priorities and eliminate unnecessary froth.” Richard J. Foster in Freedom of Simplicity

Everything we do should flow from the Core.

 

seek first2

Don’t forget: On May 1 we start our study of

Making Manifest: On Faith Creativity, and the Kingdom at Hand

by Dave Harrity.

Learn more here.

In the stillness,

Sandy

Sandra Heska King - Still Saturday

Welcome to the Still Saturday Community where we pause after a busy week, move in quiet pilgrimage, maybe linger a while in some still place, and soak in the beauty of images and reflect on the depth of sparse words. We’d love for you to join us. Grab the button and link up below. We all love to hear if something especially speaks to your heart, but please don’t feel pressured to comment. Simply take some time to gaze long and drink deep.

An InLinkz Link-up


 

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Filed Under: Blog, Still Saturday, stillness

Comments

  1. Sharon says

    April 26, 2014 at 1:34 am

    Your quotes really spoke to my heart. It’s so hard these days to be still and quiet before the Lord. But, it’s the first step in getting to really know Him. Sometimes the Lord just wants us to stop *doing* and enjoy *being* in His presence.

    GOD BLESS!

    • Sandra Heska King says

      April 26, 2014 at 9:08 am

      I’m glad these quotes were meaningful to you, Sharon. We forget that just being is also a good work. 🙂

  2. Patricia @ Pollywog Creek says

    April 26, 2014 at 6:59 am

    Beautiful….my beautiful friend. Seeking the Kingdom of God with you. xoxox

    • Sandra Heska King says

      April 26, 2014 at 9:08 am

      The journey is so much more fun with you along… 🙂 xoxo

  3. Natalie says

    April 26, 2014 at 7:40 am

    Unnecessary froth. Now that’s an image I’m thankful to have encountered. Thank you for sharing it with us today.

    • Sandra Heska King says

      April 26, 2014 at 9:09 am

      I know, right? I read that over and over…

  4. Martha Orlando says

    April 26, 2014 at 11:02 am

    Such deep and meaningful quotes. May we, in silence, let His kingdom come.
    Blessings!

    • Sandra Heska King says

      April 26, 2014 at 11:09 am

      Yes, let’s. Shhhh… 🙂

  5. Jason Stasyszen says

    April 26, 2014 at 12:33 pm

    Distractions. There are so many. Competing for attention and focus, they want to take away from the expression of the Kingdom. Great reminder here, Sandra. One I need often. Thank you.

    • Sandra Heska King says

      April 27, 2014 at 8:50 pm

      Even good distractions. I need this reminder, too, Jason. Have a great week!

  6. Urailak (Living for God) says

    April 26, 2014 at 7:44 pm

    I love your pictures! I posted something about that same verse today.

    Sorry, I linked up before I realized that you want blog posts with a few words. My post probably has too many words :). So sorry about that!

    • Sandra Heska King says

      April 27, 2014 at 8:56 pm

      So delighted to see you here, friend. And yes, we do try to share some brief but meaningful words to ponder in the stillness.

      But there’s plenty to ponder in your post.

      I love this:

      “I think we can all agree that worrying is wasteful and doesn’t work. It weakens us and makes us weary. It weighs our heart down, causes our mind to wander aimlessly, and withers our soul. It ain’t worth it!”

      And I love the Charlie Brown cartoon. (Sometimes I like to think of worry as a way to stop bad stuff from happening… chances are if I worry about it, it won’t happen. 😉 )

      See you next week?

  7. Joanne Viola says

    April 27, 2014 at 5:16 am

    The photos are stunning! And the quotes spoke to my heart. In doing nothing, we do everything needed. Thank you so much for both this morning! Have a blessed Sunday!

    • Sandra Heska King says

      April 27, 2014 at 8:57 pm

      “In doing nothing, we do everything needed.” Like Mary–choosing the better part. Blessings on your week, Joanne.

  8. Sheila Seiler Lagrand says

    April 27, 2014 at 4:26 pm

    That austere, bare, splendid, perfect core. Yes.

    Thank you, Sandra.

    • Sandra Heska King says

      April 27, 2014 at 9:00 pm

      While everything about us spins crazy wild, there’s calm in the core…

  9. Nina says

    April 27, 2014 at 4:35 pm

    Beautiful and thoughtful quotes, Sandy!
    The sermon today was about receiving the Kingdom of God 🙂

    • Sandra Heska King says

      April 27, 2014 at 9:01 pm

      I’m hearing holy echoes today… 🙂

  10. Kel Rohlf says

    April 27, 2014 at 8:17 pm

    Sandra- Love the quotes and the reminder to seek the Kingdom! I am looking forward to the May 1st launch of the study…I bought the ebook and ordered a used copy of the paperback…just knowing that our journey will begin soon has primed my writing pump again! Thanks-Kel

    • Sandra Heska King says

      April 27, 2014 at 8:49 pm

      Awesome, Kel! I’ve set up a FB page so we can all touch base during the week.

      https://www.facebook.com/groups/1417300595199035/

  11. Laurie Collett says

    April 27, 2014 at 10:05 pm

    He is all we need. Thank you for the reminder & for hosting & God bless!

Trackbacks

  1. Yeah, Little Girl: Take Two | Along This Road says:
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I’m Sandra, a camera-toting, recovering doer who’s learning to be. still. Read more…

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Cutting tonight’s walk short. Stupid blue jay. N Cutting tonight’s walk short. Stupid blue jay. Not this one. A different one. But still. (My niece believes blue jays are a visitation from Grandma—my mom.) 
My shirt says “Walk in love. But I’m not feeling very loving. And if it WAS my Mom AKA Mother Mary Esther of the Order of Perpetual Birdwatchers, I’ll bet she’s having a good laugh. A passerby said she heard it was good luck and I should buy a lottery ticket tonight. In other news, I also banged my hip bone against our bed’s footboard and gave myself a mighty bruise. Then I burned my arm on the top of the grill. I did manage to wash all the knives without cutting myself and didn’t start any fires. So how was your day?
And now… “From the rising of the sun to the pl And now… “From the rising of the sun to the place where it sets, the name of the Lord is to be praised.”
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When we were in Israel last month, we visited @yad When we were in Israel last month, we visited @yadvashem - the World Holocaust Center in Jerusalem. There wasn't enough time to spend nearly enough time. 

The Valley of the Communities was very moving. It's a labyrinth of stone from which there seems no way out. Our guide said It gives an idea of the endlessness of the horror. His parents emigrated from Vilna (the Jerusalem of Lithuania), before the Holocaust. In 1935, thirteen of his family members still remained there. By 1945 only one--an uncle--had survived. He wrote a book about them from a bundle of old letters. "One story out of millions."

"This memorial commemorates the Jewish communities destroyed by Nazi Germany and its collaborators, and the few which suffered but survived in the shadow of the Holocaust."
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"It happened, therefore it can happen again: this is the core of what we have to say. It can happen, and it can happen everywhere.” ~ Primo Levi

From a post I wrote for @tspoetry after a visit to the @holocaustcenter.

https://www.tweetspeakpoetry.com/2016/07/27/regional-tour-holocaust-memorial-center-farmington-hills-michigan/
Stunning tree I parked near at Bible study yesterd Stunning tree I parked near at Bible study yesterday. I was in a rush and failed to snap the whole tree. I need to run back before the flowers fall. I think it’s a jacaranda? I want one.
Speaking of birds... bluejay in my backyard this a Speaking of birds... bluejay in my backyard this afternoon. I thought he was hurt, but I think he was just trying to cool off. (Maybe it's a young one.... unless it's the light?)
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“But the angel said to the women, ‘Do not be afraid, for I know that you seek Jesus who was crucified. He is not here, for he has risen, as he said. Come, see the place where he lay…’”~ Matthew 28:5-6

Many wonder if this tomb, which lies just a few yards west of Golgotha could be the place where Jesus lay and rose. I wish we could have lingered longer here in this garden and in the tomb itself. It was easier for me to imagine the events of that weekend happening here than in the heavily incensed, decorated, dark and crowded Church of the Holy Sepulchre… though my hairdresser said her old boyfriend “got chills”’when he entered that tomb. We did not go inside that one because the line was way too long. 

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#Israel2022 #GoodFriday
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Gethsemane means “olive press.” Jesus was pressed to his very depths that night.  He knew what was ahead. He could have run far away. But he went where he knew Judas would look for him. 

“And he withdrew from them about a stone’s throw, and knelt down and prayed, ‘Father, if you are willing, remove this cup from me. Nevertheless, not my will, but yours, be done.’ And there appeared to him an angel from heaven, strengthening him. And being in agony he prayed more earnestly; and his sweat became like great drops of blood falling down to the ground.” ~ Luke 22:41-44

Garden of Gethsemane and Church of the Nations

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Food truck night and a supper guest. Food truck night and a supper guest.
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Ibex (wild goat) 🐐 “The high mountains belong Ibex (wild goat)
🐐
“The high mountains belong to the wild goats” Psalm 104:18
🐐
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A crow for @meganwillome #crow #greycrow #israel A crow for @meganwillome  #crow #greycrow #israel #jerusalem
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