[contact-form][contact-field label="Name" type="name" required="true" /][contact-field label="Email" type="email" required="true" /][contact-field label="Website" type="url" /][contact-field label="Message" type="textarea" /][/contact-form] The Van Gogh Museum in Amsterdam announced Monday, the discovery of a newly identified painting by the artist. The landscape is titled "Sunset at Montmajour." What is so unusual about the discovery is the painting laid neglected in an attic for many years. The painting was first thought to be a fake and worthless but after study, research and perseverance, the truth was revealed. Truth often isn't obvious at first. One has to take time to study and know. We hurry past the real stuff to consume easy, convenient and artificial flavors of the world. We swallow the first analysis or opinions instead of letting the facts unfold and emerge. The van Gogh painting, banished to the attic, unknown to … [Read more...]
Praying ‘Round the Clock
Is clock watching a curse or a blessing? I used to think mostly negative things about my relationship with Father Time. I quit wearing watches years ago. Time became the enemy. Time took the form of a stubborn toddler having tantrums. When I wanted time to move quickly, it dragged its feet in defiance, become spineless and lay unmoving right before my eyes. Then I woke up one morning, another decade older, looking at winkles and brown spots on the face in the mirror. Moments dissolved and vanished. Children once babies and giggling in my arms, now mother kids of their own and manage mortgages and careers. I researched and read every book ever written on time management. My expertise led me to even gave presentations full of tips about time. But it was a losing battle. The hours mounted a mutiny with my common sense, minutes evaporated and seconds flashed by quicker each year. My war with time focuses most often on what I think I can get done within a … [Read more...]
Refresh my Heart in Christ – Lectio Divina
Refresh my heart in ChristPhilemon 1: 20bLord, I read your words for this Sunday. Lessons from Deuteronomy leading me to "Choose life...by loving the Lord your God, walking in his ways and observing his commandments."Lord, I choose you.I sing praises along with the Psalmist's lyrics and drink in your delight in "the law of the Lord...meditating on God's teaching day and night."Lord, I choose you.The Gospel teaches us the high cost of discipleship. Though it is difficult and I often relapse, I surrender all attachments - house, finances, ego, family, dreams, ambitions - to cling only to you, Lord. Lord, I choose you.In Paul's letter to Philemon, our New Testament lesson this week, Paul prays for Philemon and closes with the words, "Refresh my heart in Christ."In Christ, I find refreshing waters to fill me with strength to persevere on my path.In Christ, his spirit enlivens my spirit and cleanses the dirt from my heart.In Christ, I am restore to God's original beauty and purpose.In … [Read more...]
When One Door Closes…
When One Door Closes When one door closes, another opens; but we often look so long and so regretfully upon the closed door that we do not see the one which has opened for us. Alexander Graham Bell I have often heard this saying and love how Bell adds a new dimension to this thought for us to ponder. When one door closes too often we do cling to the old and become paralyzed to move onto the new possibilities. Our eyes are blinded by the what if's, the can't do it's and the ego wanted control ways. I think we do need time to grief, time to honor, and time to say good-bye to a closed door. But then we nod and say time to move on. What do you think? What helps you close those doors, accept the end of a path and more onward, exploring new open doors? PS. Sometimes it is hard to choose between doors we have before us: maybe this post about choosing between good and great will give you some guidance: … [Read more...]
Celebrate Hildegard of Bingen
A few months ago I surveyed many of you to help me select a woman of faith to study. The winner was Hildegard of Bingen. I was excited to read about her again and was surprised by a few comments that some have never heard of her. September 17 is Hildegard of Bingen's commemoration day so I think this would be a good time for a short bio about her and some interesting links. Hildegard of Bingen was born in 1098. The tenth child of a noble family, she was dedicated at birth to the church as was the custom of the day. At age eight she was sent to live with Jutta, an anchoress, so she could get her religious education. An anchoress is like a religious recluse who spent most of her days in prayer in her tiny private cell. When Jutta died years later, Hildegard became prioress of the Benedictine convent. Famous for her “illuminating” visions and spiritual wisdom, Hildegard wrote nearly 400 bold and feisty letters to bishops and kings, books about medicine and … [Read more...]
Perseverance and Diana Nyad and Reaching for the Stars
Sixty-four year old Diana Nyad completed a life long dream yesterday through perseverance. She swam all the way from Cuba to Florida, becoming the first person to do so without a shark cage. This was her fifth try to accomplish this feat in the treacherous waters of the Gulf. Now that is what I call never giving up. Perseverance! She first started this dream in 1978 and now 35 years later at the age of 64 she is trying again. I find this so encouraging. She keeps trying and adjusting her technique, learning from the past and trying again. Another trait of perseverance. Her words inspired me as she acknowledged to the CBS reporter that past attempts have brought physical pain and emotional heartache but also gave her clarity. You shoot for the stars and when you are up there in the heavens, playing around, trying to touch those stars, you get a lot of satisfaction and do tap your potential." No matter your age, you still can stretch yourself … [Read more...]
Hospitality – Lectio Divina
Let mutual love continue. Do not neglect to show hospitality to stranger, for by doing that some have entertained angels without knowing it.Hebrews 13: 1-2 Hospitality Lord, when you assigned gifts to people sealing them with your fingerprints and planting them deep within our souls, did you forget to give me the hospitality gene?Of all the love I see in others, the gift of welcoming others as Christ lies dormant. Is that seed even there or have I neglected it? I really don't know.I am ashamed that I don't even see the opportunities when faced directly with the chance to offer my warmth to a stranger or even a hurting friend. I tend to be critical and unaccommodating to others. I need you to open my hand and my heart.Drenched the dried up hospitality kernel in my soul with your life giving water.Nudge me out of my self-centered focus and help me see Christ in others.Lord, Henri Nouwen once wrote that hospitality is creating the space where a stranger can enter and become a friend … [Read more...]
God is Everywhere – Quote of the Week – Thomas Merton
Life is this simple.We are living in a world that is absolutely transparent and God is shining through it all the time.This is not just a fable or a nice story. It is true.If we abandon ourselves to God and forget ourselves, we see it sometimes and we see it maybe frequently.God manifests himself everywhere, in everything, in people and in things and in nature and in events.It becomes very obvious that he is everywhere and in everything and we cannot be without him.You cannot be without God. It's impossible. It's simply impossible.Thomas Merton … [Read more...]