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The Story behind our Calendar!
When we talk about the Plan, we are talking about a spiritual formation strategy for the Hagan family. We like to frame this plan around the calendar. But in the midst of the calendar we use, there is another calendar based on the story of our beliefs called the liturgical church calendar. Here is some background on the two calendars. Whether you knew it or not, we follow a Gregorian calendar. The Gregorian calendar (aka Western or Christian calendar) is the internationally accepted civil calendar. It was introduced by Pope Gregory XIII, after whom the calendar was named, by a decree signed on February 24, 1582. The reformed calendar was adopted later that year by a...
Read More“Press Play!” (sing)
Yesterday, Carson was working on an essay in the living room. We were all writing about the book we just finished – Pilgrim’s Progress. I had each of them take a theme from the book and create a paragraph explaining that theme and relating it to their world. We wrote the introduction together. Pilgrim’s Progress shows us through the characters of Christian and Christiana what to do in times of trouble. They are on a physical journey to Celestial City but teach us many things about our own spiritual journey. Through their experiences, they teach us to ‘remember, trust and pray’ when we have a problem. Maya had the great idea to include a...
Read More“My God card Prayer”
my prayer for today written in my journal: “I am grateful that you are my line leader, and I submit to your leadership. I am grateful that you are a creator, and I submit to your brush. I am grateful that you have eyes to see beyond my circumstances, and I submit to your vision. I am grateful that you weave and move and create opportunities that I would never envision, and I submit to your dreams. Father, help us move forward with The Peach. You desire to equip and encourage families and when we join you, we receive such joy.”
Read More“begin again . . . . ” (God card #6 – Christmas)
Father gave me this phrase in 2011. Not sure why or when. I just know that I began saying it over and over to myself in those moments that I needed it. “Begin again” is his whisper to me, his reminder of grace new every day, every hour, every minute. And so as I was thinking how to start this new year of study and exploration with my family, this phrase came to mind – “begin again.” We begin the next chapter of a new year in November with the beginning of Advent. Many people start thinking of the new year beginning in January with the turn of the year. But, the liturgical Christian calendar that has been kept for years and years begins with...
Read More“What do I do with Jesus?”
So, if a Whole Peach person is one who sees Father God and life for who and what they really are, if a Whole Peach person is one who seeks Father God and the “life” that only he can offer, and if a Whole Peach person is one who savors this “life to the full” above all things, then Brother Jesus must be our perfect picture of a Whole Peach person. In his own words, he said, “I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full” John 10:10. But I really don’t know what to do with Jesus sometimes. I resonate with Pilate when he said: “What shall I do, then, with Jesus who is called Christ?” (Matthew 27: 22). When I read the story of Jesus...
Read More“Ravi Zacharias’ Great Teaching on Parenting”
A note from my journal this morning . . . . Following a great dinner last night, Karla and I prepared for bed and picked up our end of day reading and listening. She is reading The Hole in the Gospel by Richard Stearns, and I listened to part 2 of Ravi Zacharias’ teaching on King David titled “Divided Heart, Divided Home.” It’s a powerful study, and Ravi is a great teacher. Within just a few minutes of reclining into these stories, we both heard from our glorious and personal Father. For example, the writer of The Hole in the Gospel (the CEO of Compassion Int’l) identified John 10:10 as Jesus’ personal mission statement. Are you...
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