“Incline your ear and come to me, listen so that you may live”.Isaiah 55: 3a. This is our Northwest Ohio synod’s verse of the year and our theme for this year is “listen.” As people of God, the Bishop is encouraging us to learn the sacred art of listening. Listening to God. Listening to Ourselves. Listening to Others. And Listening to the Community. God’s invitation to listen is a gift that permeates the Scriptures. From the Shema, “Hear, O Israel: The Lord is our God, the Lord alone. You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your might” (Deuteronomy 6:4-5). To the Psalms, “Hear my cry, O God; listen to my prayer” (Psalm 61:1). To the words of Jesus in the Sermon on the Mount, “Everyone who hears these words of mine and does them will be like a wise man who built his house on rock” (Matthew 7:24). To the words the Exalted Jesus repeats to the seven churches in Revelation, “Let anyone who has an ear listen to what the … [Read more...]
What’s Saving My Life? Winter Edition
What’s saving my life right now? Have you ever asked yourself this question? I do occasionally and find this question is life-giving, uplifting, refreshing and provides a moment of rest for my spirit. What’s saving my life right now is a question Emily Freeman (A true mentor of mine) asks frequently. She discovered this question in a book by Barbara Brown Taylor (another mentor of mine!) in her book, Leaving Church. Taylor shares the story of being a guest speaker at an event. When she asked for her topic, this was her host’s request: “Tell us what is saving your life right now.” These words invite us to pause, reflect, and savor what is giving us life at this moment. When I relistened to Emily’s podcast and what she was noticing in her life, that question dug deep into my soul. What is saving my life right now? What’s Saving my Life Right Now? Matlock Kathy Bates and the TV show Matlock. Have you watched this yet? A friend – thanks, Dee - mentioned the show to me … [Read more...]
A Simple Lesson
Simple is often the best choice. I stared at the simple paper clip. That is all it took. A simple paper clip. A twist of a wire. The technician on the other end of a live chat helped me tackle a tech problem with my internet router. He suggested we do a reset. “Take a paper clip,” he said, “insert it into the tiny hole for three seconds to reboot the system.” We then proceeded to follow a few easy steps and bingo, my internet was back online and all was well. A simple paper clip. I think too often we make things more complicated than we need to. Where I had been overwhelmed by frustration with technology and near to tears with obstacles and confusion, a simple paper clip saved the day. I smiled at this little gadget and had to look up its history. Paper has been around for centuries being invented by the Chinese and ribbons, melting wax, and later straight pins were used to hold papers together. It wasn’t until the mid 1800s until the paper clip … [Read more...]
One Step into Understanding Courage
Since the word “courage” crashed landed into my heart last fall and declared itself my word of the year for 2025, I have slowly welcomed my new friend into my life. Like any good writer, how do you get to know a word better? Definition and word origin! What does courage mean? Here are several definitions: Wow – huge, mighty, and grand words, aren’t they? I like this simpler one: Courage is the ability to do something difficult even when there's risk. Courageous people do and say what they think is right despite opposition. What about the origin of the word courage? The word courage comes from the Latin word cor, which means "heart." Brene Brown writes, “In one of its earliest forms, the word courage had a very different definition than it does today. Courage originally meant "To speak one's mind by telling all one's heart. Over time, this definition has changed, and today, courage is more synonymous with being heroic. Heroics is important and we certainly … [Read more...]
Things I am Trying NOT To Do List
Emily P Freeman wrote a challenging blog post a few weeks past which including her guide for 2025 especially things to do and things not to do. The list of “Not to do” jarred my spirit and really got me thinking. I knew I needed to pray about this list and not just “think” about this list but write down and activate this list. I did borrow some of her ideas, they were so good and universal too. My NOT To Do List I will not watch as much news. In fact, I will watch very little as most is tainted one way or another anyway. This is for my own sanity. I will not scroll on my phone at the same time especially at the same time as I watch TV and/or visit with family. I will not pick up the phone during the middle of the night (I sadly admit that I do this frequently) or first thing in the morning. I will wait at least one hour before checking my phone. I will not just quit when the world gets too much or as Emily called it “Checking out.There is a difference … [Read more...]
Four Somethings – Winter Edition
I love to occasionally share my Four Somethings – things I have read, seen, experienced that made me stop and savor life. One practice I frequently promote is reflection – pausing and pondering where you are, where you have come from and where is God inviting you into next. I share 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. Something Wise “The real enemies of our life are the “oughts” and the “ifs.” They pull us backward into the unalterable past and forward into the unpredictable future. But real life takes place in the here and the now. God is a God of the present. God is always in the moment, be that moment hard or easy, joyful or painful. When Jesus spoke about God, he … [Read more...]
Hey, You Are Great!
A few weeks ago, a friend said to me, “Wow the color of that shirt looks great on you. That definitely is YOUR color!” I smiled all day and certainly will be wearing that shirt again with lots of confidence. “I can live for two months on a good compliment.” Mark Twain When we hear phrases like “You are great!” and “Thanks for being you!”, if they are sincere, the words boost our self-esteem, lift our mood and fill us with energy and joy. Did you know January 24 is National Compliment Day? I had never heard of that day before and think it is a wonderful way to remind us all of the power of positive words in our lives. My mom would always say, “Pay attention to the good things happening around us and pass those along to others. There is so much negative in the world. People need to hear the positives things about themselves.” Compliments are powerful words and when offered with honesty, are empowering for those on the receiving end. They build confidence and … [Read more...]
Blessings
Blessings come in many forms. We use this form of prayer in a variety of ways. I had a friend bless me the other day. She prayerfully raised her hand. Said my name. Acknowledged gifts God had given me. Thanked me for giving them to her and to others. Then reminded me who I was – a beloved child of God. A moment of peace, holy ground between us and love. God’s presence was very strong in that room and in our hearts. Blessings – we may use this word all the time. What is a Blessing? A blessing is a special prayer given from one person to another, as in sincerely wishing the best for somebody. Another way of defining blessing is an unexpected, perhaps undeserved gift. Or to give someone your blessing is to give them your permission, an approval to go ahead with their plan, such as when a young man asks his girlfriend’s parents if he can marry their daughter. Blessing can be the words we say before a meal to express our thanks for the food … [Read more...]