Archive for the Category »Interview «

Jan

Photo of Debbie Fuller for Holy in the Daily blog

The amazing Debbie Fuller

Really—I’m not kidding! Your hobby can become a way to communicate your spiritual legacy. My mother-in-law gave us a handmade quilt when Tom and I married. She had created it from scraps of clothes once worn by members of the family. Each scrap had a story to tell, and I wish I had written the stories all down, but I didn’t. My bad. I still have the quilt, but I only remember a few of the stories.

Not everyone is as shortsighted as I am. My friend, Debbie Fuller, took her hobby of collecting keys and turned it into a creative means of communicating part of her spiritual legacy.

Debbie and her husband, Foch, live in Vallejo, California. She’s the mother to 3 young men, mother-in-love to three wonderful young women, and grandmother to three gorgeous and brilliant grandchildren. She and Foch have co-pastored North Bay Foursquare Church for the last 22 years.

Besides serving Jesus with an amazing bunch of believers, Debbie says, “My personal passion is photography. I’ve always been our families’ historian. I think I may have taken the job a little too seriously over the years. We have thousands of pictures documenting every birthday, celebration, and accomplishment!”

I recently interviewed Debbie about using her passion for photography and her key collection to create a beautiful, new book titled Unlocked. Welcome to Holy in the Daily, Debbie, and thank you for doing this interview.

What inspired you to write a book about keys?

“It wasn’t my plan to start collecting keys. Years ago I purchased a key as a reminder of my grandmother’s house which held for me many wonderful childhood memories. After that, whenever I came across a unique key I found that I wanted to keep it.”

“God always spoke to me about a specific aspect of the authority He entrusted to us with each key I collected. Over the years people have given me keys knowing I collect them.”

How would you describe this book project?

“I wanted to do something with these keys that would treasure the lessons learned upon receiving each unique key. So I set out to photograph and write about them.”

Who do you hope reads this book and why?

“People who want to grow in their personal relationship with God will glean from this book. The pages beckon the reader to action. Our walk with Jesus is not simply an escape from hell’s fire, but rather it is a growing vital relationship. God has entrusted the keys to His kingdom to us! We need to know what they open and how to use them.”

What do you hope people walk away with after reading your book?

“I hope people walk away feeling personally challenged to use the keys that have been entrusted to us. I also hope the reader will do away with fear and intimidations that keep us living small and hesitant to take risks.”

How does someone approach a particular hobby as a way to communicate a spiritual legacy?

“God places desires in our hearts. I think those desires are given to reveal more of who Father God truly is. He’s more personal than we realize. In every little aspect of life, God is speaking to us. We just need to tune in and listen to Him.”

“I would suggest that you ask God to open your ears to hear what He’s saying to you through your personal passion(s). He will speak to you the way you hear—in your language! Enjoy the journey of growing in love with your creative Creator.”

Thanks Debbie for sharing. You’ve combined your passions for photography and keys to create a beautiful book that leaves a legacy with your children, grandchildren, and the folks you serve.

Click here to preview Unlocked, Debbie’s beautiful book. Once you have landed on her Unlocked book page, click the bottom right corner to enlarge the book for better viewing of each page. The appealing photos give a face to each key and story of Debbie’s message. (Unlocked is also available for purchase, just in case you were wondering.)

Now it’s your turn: What hobby do you enjoy that might become a means of communicating something of your spiritual journey? Have you shared it with others and if so, how?

Susan Gaddis, Helping you build your spiritual legacy

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Category: Interview, Legacy ideas, Mission, raising kids Tags: build a legacy, create your legacy, creating a legacy, Jesus kingdom of heaven, keys to the kingdom of heaven, North Bay Foursquare Church, Unlocked

Jan

Final Interview Segment With Liz Babbs, Author of Celtic Treasure

Susan Gaddis

Today is the final segment of my interview with Liz Babbs, author of Celtic Treasure and fellow pilgrim on the path of Celtic spirituality. Liz is the author of ten books and four CDs. Many of her books have been translated into other languages.

Liz, the Celtic Christians were known for their love of the Creator and his creation. This was reflected in their art and worship. Can you tell us how this has influenced your relationship with the Lord?

Creativity is a gift given to us by our Creator Father and so is a part of our spiritual health and well being. Taking time alone with God as Jesus did, fuels my passion, directs my creativity and deepens my relationship with God. I’m so fortunate that being single means that I have the freedom to travel. I love visiting places for great natural beauty or of religious significance, because this allows my spirit to soar into God’s presence, without the baggage of everyday life.

I have written poems in Wordsworth’s garden in the Lake District, whilst sailing round the Scottish Isles and many of the prayers in Celtic Treasure were written on Lindisfarne. The prayer “Lord make me an island,” in the last post was written on St Cuthbert’s—the tidal island alongside Lindsifarne, where St Cuthbert had his prayer cell.

You have written other books on Celtic Christianity. Can you share with us a little bit about them?

My first Celtic gift book was The Celtic Heart (Lion 2003) and remains my best-seller to date. This color gift book is slimmer than Celtic Treasure but has a free CD of original Celtic music in the back. I’m amazed by how popular this book and CD have been. Churches have used the material in outreach for healing services, sacred spaces etc. Even my local gym uses the music and reads out sections from it during relaxation classes!

You’ll see several Liz Babbs videos on YouTube that have used material from my book and CD together with visuals and these have been used in alternative services, Cafe church, for the Alpha course etc. The Celtic Heart has even been translated into German where it is called Oase des Friedens. In the next few months I plan to work on a music and spoken word down-loadable album to accompany Celtic Treasure.

To find out more visit:

www.lizbabbs.com

www.celtictreasure.blogspot.com

Thank you, Liz, for giving us a window into a part of Christianity that is little known or explored. We’ve appreciated your guided tour. Keep up with Liz at her website and her Unearthing the Riches of Celtic Spirituality blog.

In Him together, Susan Gaddis

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Category: Celtic Christianity, Interview Tags: ancient, Celtic, Celtic Christianity, Celtic Treasure, Interview, journey, Liz Babbs, path, pilgrim, spirituality

Jan

Part 2 of an Interview With Liz Babbs, Author of Celtic Treasure

Susan Gaddis

This week I am interviewing Liz Babbs, author of Celtic Treasure and an authority on Celtic spirituality. Thank you, Liz, for joining us again today and sharing your insights with us.

The Celts believed that whatever the task or time of day, there was a special prayer to be said. How can Christians today practice this same devotion? Can you share with us one of the prayers you have written?

I’ve described prayer as “heart to heart communication with God” and relationships are all about communication. So I love the way the Celtic Christians naturally weaved prayer into the fabric of their daily lives, thanking God and remembering Him throughout their day.

The Celts believed that God was with them in every aspect of their lives. So whatever the task or time of day, there was a special prayer to be said. They didn’t just pray at meal times as we might today, but they had prayers for everyday tasks like baking bread, milking the cow or kindling the fire. As a housewife cut a cross in the dough she would bless it in the name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit.

Christians can practice that same devotion today by becoming prayerfully aware of the presence of God in the ordinariness of everyday life. By being thankful for the simple things we normally take for granted like our health, warmth, light, water, shelter etc. As well as thanking God for the advances in technology and using computers and cell phones in appropriate ways that serve God rather than exclude him. There are computer programs and phone applications that help you connect with God and study the Bible.

: The Isle of Mull

Lord, make me an island

set apart for you.

Where the rock of ages

rings out with praise.

Where the waters of your spirit

saturate my soul

And the fire of your presence

burns deep within.

Liz Babbs

(p.40 Celtic Treasure)

Community and hospitality were key elements in how the Celts practiced their faith. Can you elaborate on this for us? How might we embrace this spirit of hospitality in our everyday lives?

Invite people round for meals to your house, especially people who live on their own. It means such a lot to be welcomed into someone’s house. It’s a precious gift we can give each other and it helps create community and a sense of belonging. Having a meal together and the sharing of food and drink was central to Jesus’ ministry. The monastic tradition continues to practice hospitality even today, welcoming strangers and guests as though they were Christ. Now there’s a challenge!

Join me on Friday for the last segment of my interview with Liz.

To find out more visit:

www.lizbabbs.com

www.celtictreasure.blogspot.com

In Him together, Susan Gaddis

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Category: Celtic Christianity, Interview, Prayer Tags: Celtic Christianity, Celtic Treasure, hospitality, Interview, Liz Babbs, Prayer, spirituality

Jan

A Three Part Interview With the Author of Celtic Treasure, Liz Babbs

Susan Gaddis

Author Liz Babbs

Today I am pleased to introduce Liz Babbs, an authority on Celtic Christianity, author, spiritual director, and performer living in Nottingham, England.

I recently interviewed Liz about her new book, Celtic Treasure, and her personal journey along the paths of Celtic spirituality. The first segment of that interview is today’s post with additional segments planned for Wednesday and Friday. Welcome to Holy in the Daily and thank you, Liz, for doing this three part interview.

How did you become interested in Celtic Christianity? What draws you to this type of spirituality?

Eight years ago I spent some time traveling across Britain visiting Scotland, Northumbria and Ireland while writing my first Celtic gift book The Celtic Heart (Lion 2003) . Originally, this book did not have a Celtic theme, but during my trip across Britain, I found myself increasingly drawn to, and inspired by, the radical faith and lifestyle of the Celtic saints. They have left a lasting impression on the landscape, and have touched the hearts of countless people across the centuries.

When I sailed with friends by yacht to Iona, I felt an incredible sense of connection with these saints and their passion to make Jesus known. Even the difficulty we had anchoring, reminded me of the incredible dangers these monastic missionaries faced on the open seas—many dying sharing their faith.

But it was when I visited the stunningly beautiful tidal island of Lindisfarne (or Holy Island), that I realized I was no longer a tourist, but a pilgrim in search of ‘the ancient paths’. An inner transformation had taken place that deepened my faith and began to change the course of my writing.

What motivated you to write Celtic Treasure and what do you hope people learn from the book?

To be honest, I was not looking to write another Celtic book, but God had other ideas! He stopped me in my tracks and gave me a ‘picture’ of an ancient monastic archway, like the remains of Lindisfarne Priory on Lindisfarne. Through this archway, all kinds of people, who weren’t Christians, were coming to God. Some were even dancing and celebrating. And so Celtic Treasure (Lion Hudson 2009) was born and I’m delighted that it is being distributed in the US as well as the UK.

I hope people will be inspired by my book and that their faith will be strengthened through it, as mine was in writing it. Without these amazing passionate, monastic, Celtic missionaries risking their lives to share the Gospel, we would not have been a Christian country. I believe that those who have gone before us in the faith have much to teach us about becoming more devoted Christ-followers.

Something that captures my attention about the Celtic Christians is the simplicity of their faith. What can we learn from them as we face busy lives and complicated schedules?

I think we have much to learn from their love of life and passion for Jesus. Their joy was not based on achievement or material possessions, but in loving and caring for each other and in being grateful for all that God had created for them and blessed them with. I think we need to rediscover that sense of simplicity, thankfulness and wonder, perhaps by fasting from the things that shackle us or get in the way of our relationship with God.

Join me on Wednesday and Friday for the rest of this interview.

To find out more visit:

http://www.lizbabbs.com/

http://www.celtictreasure.blogspot.com/

In Him together, Susan Gaddis