Do you read menus?Of course you read them to find out what food a restaurant is offering, but ever notice the other information on some menus?Last week’s vacation took us to the Salt Lick Bar-B-Que in Driftwood Texas. Mmmmm, good! Great food with wonderful company.But it was the story told on the menu of the founders Thurman and Hisako Roberts that inspired me the most.Thurman traveled most of the time working in construction while his family stayed in Driftwood. They really wanted to stay in that little town so “one day, he took out a yellow legal pad and wrote down 54 things the family could do to stay in Driftwood. The idea for The Salt Lick was 14thon the list.”They started small and have grown the business that now is a family affair serving thousands each week. The restaurant has been featured on the Food Network, The Travel Channel and the Today Show.But did you catch his plan? He created a list of 54 ideas and worked through them to number 14. This is a great lesson in … [Read more...]
Praying like a Radio – Tuning into God
Patty Wysong has created a fun meme where once a week bloggers posted on the letter of the week. Check out the details here. It is called A2Z: Take 2. A2Z as she challenges bloggers to write a post each week going through the alphabet. Take 2 since this is the second time she has used this meme. Anyone can join in and you don’t have to always participate. This fun meme has now progressed to the letter R: A good R word is: Radio.Praying like a Radio – Tuning into GodImagine a listening to one of the great radio shows on an old time receiver. You lean forward with eager expectation. Adjust the knobs just right. Pay close attention to every word. As you listen, you melt completely into the story being told.Don’t you wish our prayer life worked like that? I know I do."God does speak—sometimes one way and sometimes another—even though people may not understand it." Job 33:14 (NCV)Prayer is tuning the heart into the frequency of God.I love the image of the radio as a vehicle of prayer. … [Read more...]
We Are Like Jesus – Lectio Divina
If anyone acknowledges that Jesus is the Son of God, God lives in them and they in God.And so we know and rely on the love God has for us. God is love. Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in them.This is how love is made complete among us so that we will have confidence on the day of judgment:In this world we are like Jesus.1 John 4: 15-17 (NIV).In this world, we are like Jesus.To the world, Lord, we are like Jesus. I know often I am not a true reflection of You. I am sorry about my failure in this, Lord. But I know You live in my heart. You are here with me.You are my God.You love me.You know me.You accept me as I am.You call me to be more like You.You invite me to be like Jesus.You summon me to be Jesus in the world.In community we become Jesus with skin on.Cover my heart and body with Your presence, Lord.May my eyes be Your eyes.May my hands serve others with Your touch.May my words echo the Word that brings peace and comfort.I want to reflect You, Lord.To love You.To love … [Read more...]
BE IN MY HEART PRAYER – QUOTE OF THE WEEK
My God,In all the great and small choices I will make this day,Be in my heartAnd in my choosingThat I may come to day’s endKnowing I have chosen wisely –For You.AmenNorman Shawchuck. … [Read more...]
Eastertide – Learning to Live as Easter People
Many of you read last week that I attended the Erma Bombeck Writers Workshop. I came home, refreshed and enthused, then hit a wall. Yep, post conference lethargy. My muse shifted gear into Slothville.I have learned to be gentle with myself after a great experience. Almost always there is a let down after the mountaintop. Guess my mind and heart need some adjustment time after higher altitudes.What I noticed this year was the same type of weariness after Easter too. Post holiday blues. Suddenly my attention drifted away from God. My journal laid open but no new entries. My prayers so filled with new readings and openness during Lent, sounded flat.The time after Easter is called Eastertide. Learning more about this season helped me refocus on its promise of hope and its lessons for growth.Eastertide is the 50 days following Easter, the time from that day to Pentecost. Easter isn’t stuck on death; Easter brings us through the doorway into new life.I am slowly learning that, though Easter … [Read more...]
Five Questions From the Bible to Add Depth to Your Prayers
Patty Wysong has created a fun meme where once a week bloggers posted on the letter of the week. Check out the details here. It is called A2Z: Take 2. A2Z as she challenges bloggers to write a post each week going through the alphabet. Take 2 since this is the second time she has used this meme. Anyone can join in and you don’t have to always participate. This fun meme has now progressed to the letter QQuestions I am thankful we have a God who we can question, explore, debate, and even wrestle. I believe the more we are honest with Him and reach out to Him with our doubts, fears, and anger – the closer He draws us to Him. God is bigger than any of our emotions. I know I ask Him a multitude of questions in my faith walk. But this past year I have let Him turn the tables and ask me questions. I have created a list of 50 questions from the Bible and often use one of them in my morning prayer to jump-start my meditation. Since this week’s letter is Q, I naturally thought … [Read more...]
God Is Greater Than Our Worried Hearts – Lectio Divina
My dear children, let's not just talk about love; let's practice real love. This is the only way we'll know we're living truly, living in God's reality. It's also the way to shut down debilitating self-criticism, even when there is something to it. For God is greater than our worried hearts and knows more about us than we do ourselves.1 John 3: 18-20 – The Message God is greater than our worried hearts Lord, You are greater than I can ever imagine.Greater than my worries.Greater than my fears.Greater than my accomplishments.Greater than my failures.Greater than my self-criticism.Greater than my knowledge.Greater than any talent or skill I possess.Great. Greater. Greatest.Thank You for being so huge to swallow up my sin.Thank You for Your strong, protecting Shepherd arms.Thank you for your immeasurable grace and enormous heart of love.You, O Lord, abolish my worries from my heart and grant us Your peace.Thank You for being Greater. … [Read more...]
THE MAN IN THE ARENA – Quote of the Week
It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better.The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs, who comes short again and again, because there is no effort without error and shortcoming; but who does actually strive to do the deeds; who knows great enthusiasms, the great devotions; who spends himself in a worthy cause; who at the best knows in the end the triumph of high achievement, and who at the worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who neither know victory nor defeat.Teddy Roosevelt … [Read more...]