Does anyone else suffer from summertime spiritual slump? I sure do. Let’s talk about this today. Each summer I get distracted by outside gardening, family activities, trips, cookouts, visiting with neighbors – call it busyness, call it craziness, call it just plain life in the summer. I am overwhelmed by the calendar and off centered spiritually. My journal gathers dust. My devotions get read, not daily but once a week (well, on a good week). Even my spiritual director and I took a summer break and won’t meet up again until fall. I feel like I am in spiritual limbo. My expectation of accomplishing some extra writing and deepening my quiet time with God during the summer months is not realistic. Or is it? Do I let the excuse of a full schedule interfere with my most important priorities? Do I allow myself to be full of busy doings instead of quiet being? Do I get caught up in the pace of summer instead of embracing the pauses? Is this a summertime Sabbath or if … [Read more...]
Letting Go of Assumptions, Biases and Preconceived Notions
We all have them. Assumptions. Biases. Preconceived notions. We cling to them. We defend them. We bet our lives on them. Sometimes they are so much a part of us, we aren’t even aware of their presence. And sometimes we unclutched our fists and let them go. We visited Boston this past week for the Fourth of July. Yes we heard the Boston Pops and witness - dare I say – the best fireworks display I have ever seen. Yes, we experienced Hurricane Arthur, but the wettest moment occurred walking back to the hotel 12 hours before Arthur’s arrival in a sudden downpour, fierce wind gusts and brilliant lightening. Yes, most of the time the weather cooperated and Boston opened her arms to embrace us. Boston’s warm and everywhere we turned hospitality won our hearts and made us her fans. My assumption, bias and preconceived notion? I am ashamed to write this now, but I didn’t want to go back to … [Read more...]
Gratitude – Quote of the Week
Gratitude unlocks the fullness of life. It turns what we have into enough, and more. It turns denial into acceptance, chaos to order, confusion to clarity. It can turn a meal into a feast, a house into a home, a stranger into a friend. - Melody Beattie - … [Read more...]
Happy Birthday, USA!
We are traveling to Boston this Independence Day Holiday and will be listening to the Boston Pops on the 4th of July. So I am posting this early. Enjoy! Here is a thought to ponder this holiday: You have to love a nation that celebrates its independence every July 4, not with a parade of guns, tanks, and soldiers who file by the White House in a show of strength and muscle, but with family picnics where kids throw Frisbees, the potato salad gets iffy, and the flies die from happiness. You may think you have overeaten, but it is patriotism. ~Erma Bombeck … [Read more...]
What I Am Reading in July
What books am I reading right now? One of my blogger friends, Lisa, shares this each month and I usually find a good book to add to my stack to read from her list – check out her books. I did find these great sayings about reading too from the Reading Room’s facebook page: Here what’s calling me this month: Chasing Francis – by Ian Morgan Cron. Lessons from St Francis to apply to today’s Christian walk that can be filled with doubt. Essentialism – By Greg McKeown – Lesson in pursuing less in life. I know I need help – once again – is subtracting, not adding to my to-do list. How do I pick what is essential in life? Hopefully this book will give me some ideas. No Problem – An Inner Workshop – By Robert Wicks. I love his writing and this words always make me think. In the past I have underlined so many passages in his books. This one is about turning the next corner in spiritual life. The New Spiritual Exercises – By Louis Savary. One of my spiritual … [Read more...]
Instructions for Breaking Out of Spiritual Prison
The night before Herod was to bring him to trial, Peter was sleeping between two soldiers, bound with two chains, and sentries stood guard at the entrance. Suddenly an angel of the Lord appeared and a light shone in the cell. He struck Peter on the side and woke him up. “Quick, get up!” he said, and the chains fell off Peter’s wrists. Then the angel said to him, “Put on your clothes and sandals.” And Peter did so. “Wrap your cloak around you and follow me,” the angel told him. Peter followed him out of the prison, but he had no idea that what the angel was doing was really happening; he thought he was seeing a vision. They passed the first and second guards and came to the iron gate leading to the city. It opened for them by itself, and they went through it. When they had walked the length of one street, suddenly the angel left him. Acts 12: 6-10 Lord, open my eyes and heart to your word this week. The angel came to Peter and woke him up. The angel released Peter’s … [Read more...]
Simplicity Prayer – Quote of the Week
Teacher of Simplicity, who lifts us as we let go, Use this silence to focus our intention on each breath. Empty us of what is no longer useful and fill us with unique energies that bring healing to our world. Show us the ways we overextend ourselves taking on more than we can manage. Guide us in living more simply, releasing everything we hold too tightly so that we can carry more compassion. Send us floating through this day reminded that each moment has it’s own wholeness. Amen Jan Salbert … [Read more...]
4 ½ Reasons Why I Love to Travel
I love to travel. I grew up in a family that traveled as we took many exciting adventures when I was young. My hubby and I discussed travel with two friends when we were in our first couple of years of marriage. The other couple, hard working and very seriously, told us they planned to pay off their mortgage and work on their careers before they did any travel. Later that summer we turned down a trip to Germany due to a possible job change. The new job never materialized and we missed a wonderful opportunity. We decided right then to always fully evaluate trip possibilities – no regrets. As a couple we would rather have memories with a mortgage than no mortgage and no trip memories. Travel took a higher value for us from that year on (not the highest, God holds that place in our lives, then our family next). I love to travel. Here are my 4½ reasons why: Travel is mind expanding. I love to learn and see new sites and explore ways of thinking. Attentive travel helps us … [Read more...]