Lent, one of my favorite listening to God seasons, begins with Ash Wednesday, Feb 22. Lent is the season before Easter lasting 40 days, not counting Sundays. It is a time to reflect and remember our relationship with God. This time presents an opportunity for us to focus and draw closer to our Lord. One Lenten practice is to read a particular book/devotional during the season. There are many great ones available, even one written by me a few years ago. 40 Voices – A Lenten Devotional captures the words and settings surrounding Jesus the final week of his human life. We hear the stories with new insights for us today and showing us the transformational power of the cross. Each devotion ends with an image, a question, and a prayer. Here is an excerpt from one chapter: “Hosanna! Not the most common word in our everyday language. I have said it during church services and sung it in hymns. I’ve read it in the Bible and heard it proclaimed on Easter morning. I assumed … [Read more...]
Pondering the Pillars of a Healthy Spirituality – Be Awake!
What are the pillars of a healthy spirituality? In 2023 I plan to explore different building blocks, components, the essential nutrients that support a vibrant strong life with God. I hope to learn, study, and share thoughts about these various aspects and hope they bring fresh insights to all of our earthly journeys as God continues to shape our souls. This week I am pondering being awake. Being awake “Just being awake, alert, attentive is no easy matter. I think it is the greatest spiritual challenge that we face.” Diana L. Eck Anthony DeMello tells this story:“A group of tourists sits in a bus that is passing through gorgeously beautiful country; lakes and mountains and green fields and rivers. But the shades of the bus are pulled down. They do not have the slightest idea of what lies beyond the windows of the bus. And all the time of their journey is spent in squabbling over who will have the seat of honor in the bus, who will be applauded, who will be well … [Read more...]
Four Somethings
Four Somethings is a regular blog post where I feature bits of wisdom in four categories. Gathering Four Somethings makes me aware of all the blessings often hidden under busyness, worries, and distractions. These “somethings” become markers in our spiritual journey. With so much pivoting and uncertainty in our lives right now, being grounded in a simple practice like this guides my way. As I began this practice last year, I listened to my heart and to God and narrowed down my four categories and use them to frame these life lessons: Each one reminds me to pay attention to these qualities in my life as gifts from God. Something Wise Kate Bowler shared this New Year Blessing on her web page. So fitting for all of us and a wonderful prayer to accompany my words of the year: Honor the thirst deep within. A blessing for when you want to change God, I carry around this incompleteness, this drive for fulfillment that always seems just around the … [Read more...]
The Power of Writing Things Down
When you write things down, articulate your dreams, goals, and prayers, struggle to find just that right word or phrase that describes a deep desire, God breaks in with power beyond our understanding and our lives become more meaningful. I noticed again this power in writing things down as I prayed, discovered, wrestled with my word of the year. Then I sense its presence in my annual rereading and summary of my journal and the listening and recording of where I felt God leading me in 2023. God appeared in sticky notes of ideas and in notations in my Bible and journal. I felt his strength and clarity as the ink dried and with each click of the keyboard. Is it my muse or the Holy Spirit? I like to think of them as one source.“This is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says: ‘Write in a book all the words I have spoken to you.’” Jeremiah 30: 2. Writing things down invites God’s wisdom and clarity to how we think, speak, and live. I am the type of person who doesn’t … [Read more...]
Word for the Year Wavering
My word for the year wavers this year. I have done this practice of exploring and pondering one word throughout the year for more than 10 years. A word for the year is a rewarding, deepening, guiding discipline. But I struggled this year with discovering the word that best fit my soul. I started in November listening, watching for words that shimmer, resonate with potential to be guiding stars. The list grows, then narrows to a few candidates for prayer and “second interviews.” Does the word stretch my imagination, contain enough mystery to invite me deeper, touch a hunger within my soul? I read what others were discovering and learning. Listening, looking, seeking a new word for 2023. The past few years spoiled me with a clear winner. A strong word that taught me lessons and brought me closer to God. This year that hasn’t been true. Yes, I watched for key words. Yes, I wrote out a list. Yes, I began to narrow the list down to a few possibilities. … [Read more...]
Declutter
Declutter is one of my favorite chores at the first of a new year. A new year stirs up the cleaning bug within my heart. I want to start the year right – with a new calendar, a decluttered office, and a sense of control over at least something in my life. In January I like to ready, rearrange, and rediscover. Readying Don’t you love the old phrase, “I am readying up the house?” This phrase comes from a blend of Scottish, Irish, and German slang and means to tidy and declutter a space. Readying our surroundings involve decluttering, cleaning, and straighten up what is left behind from the previous year or season. In early winter I tackle cupboards, drawers, closets, and shelves. Those inside jobs that often get neglected. I take things to be recycled or donated. Rearrange Next, I rearrange those cupboards, drawers, and shelves once they are cleaned and put them into order. One big project I just completed was reorganizing all my bookshelves in my home office. … [Read more...]
Moving from Christmas to the New Year
Some of us are still celebrating with family. Some of us are already packing away all the holiday decorations. Some of us are still on vacation mode not quite ready to go back to work. Some of us, pastors, law enforcement, EMT’S, nurses, never got the day off. (Thank you!) Some of us are still eating. Some of us faced the reality of the scale already. Some of us can’t quite grasp the end of the year. Some of us can’t wait to get rid of 2022 and move onto 2023. But we all look at the calendar and see 2022 quickly ending and December almost gone. I found this great song by Matthew West that seemed very appropriate for this week of in-betweeness. So take a moment, hit the pause button and listen to these lyrics. Such a great reminder. “Day After Christmas” Here comes the letdown Christmas is over Here comes the meltdown, there goes the cheer But before we have a breakdown, let us remember The light of the world is still … [Read more...]
A Christmas Blessing
God grant you the light in Christmas, which is faith; the warmth of Christmas, which is love; the radiance of Christmas, which is purity; the righteousness of Christmas, which is justice; the belief in Christmas, which is truth; the all of Christmas, which is Christ. Wilda English From my house and heart to yours: Merry Christmas! … [Read more...]