Honoring the passage of time? How do we heed time on its swift journey? One moment it is January 7 and * blink * we are celebrating Christmas 2020. Time flies. Many psychologists will confirm that time really does zip by faster each year, Of course, time doesn't change its speed – each minute, second, moment is the same length as another. But mentally and maybe even spiritually, our perception tells us time zooms ahead at warp speeds. Reflection is a wonderful and effective spiritual practice for gently hitting the brakes and slowing life down a bit. Each December I reread my journal entries from the past year and write up highlights, key lessons, words and verses that resonated with my spirit and how I experienced God those 12 months. These yearly summaries capture time and help me honor the passage of time and the journey I am on. “People overestimate what can be done in one year, and underestimate what can be done in ten.”J.C.R. Licklider Besides a yearly … [Read more...]
The Spiritual Wisdom of Mr. Rogers
Wisdom appears in many places. I had a date with my hubby a few weeks ago. We were joined by a special person – Mr. Rogers. Our date comprised seeing the new Fred Rogers Movie – A Beautiful Day in the Neighbor with Tom Hanks as Mr. Rogers. Yes a delightful time together. Yes, a great movie. Yes, I did indulge in buttery movie popcorn. And wow, what spiritual wisdom! Just think – Fred Rogers died in 2003, yet last year his story was told in a popular documentary and this year in an Oscar-worthy movie. His authenticity and legacy are powerful, lifegiving and encouraging in a bitter, angry world. We need Fred Rogers. We need to be more like him. The Spiritual Wisdom of Mr. Rogers Based on the true story of a real-life friendship between Fred Rogers and a journalist, this movie is a story about grace, forgiveness, and love. Our life story too. A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood soothes people of all ages in this time and culture of anger, … [Read more...]
Monthly Musings – What I Learned in November
Monthly Musings. Wow, the end of the year is fast approaching. Ohio definitely looks like late fall/early winter now and most places are shining with Christmas lights. Time to reflect on the past 30 days – its lessons and growth edges for us. Each month I look back at what I am discovering, learning, and exploring in life – I call these my monthly musings. Capturing these special moments gives meaning, depth, and delight to life. Let’s wake up to the wonders in the ordinary all around us. I record what I notice on the pages of my Monthly Musings Journal. You can use anything, scrapes of papers, a journal, or a calendar. Copies of my Monthly Musings Journal are available on Amazon and are a convenient way to keep track of the little things in life we often miss. Or if you want to click the button at the end of this post to get a FREE copy of my one-sheet Monthly Musings handout. What I Learned in November How can I best respond in love? This is the question I am asking … [Read more...]
Preparing Your Heart – Advent Devotional Resources
Christmas is fast approaching but first Advent. Advent Advent is the four weeks before the celebration of the birth of Jesus. December 1 is the first Sunday in this season this year and at our church, we will light the first of the four candles surrounding the white Christ candle. The candles symbolize joy, hope, peace, and love. This time before Christmas is a time of anticipation and waiting for the gift of this holy season. If we pay attention, God will surprise us with his presence. If we wait in stillness, we will find him in unexpected places like a manger in Bethlehem. “Advent, like its cousin Lent, is a season for prayer and reformation of our hearts. Since it comes at wintertime, fire is a fitting sign to help us celebrate Advent. If Christ is to come more fully into our lives this Christmas, if God is to become really incarnate for us, then fire will have to be present in our prayer. Our worship and devotion will have to stoke the kind of fire in our souls that can … [Read more...]
Finding Joy and Direction in Seasonal Rhythms
Seasonal rhythms erupted in northwest Ohio this past week. Trees ignited in reds, yellows, and oranges. We actually experienced several sunny days accentuating the fall colors. One season brilliantly illuminating the way into another sequence of time. Time changed a few weekends ago too – bringing darker mornings. Now we are transitioning from colors to drab. Yet I hold the promise of new life as bird nests once hidden suddenly appear. Read more here about my lessons about bird nests. I am not a fan of the gloomy winter days. I long for the joy found in the light and warmth of summer. But there is a comfort in living into the rhythms of each year. The discovery of each season's gifts. The understanding that there is a time of everything in life. A few weeks ago I heard a speaker say we really only deal with 2-4 main issues our entire lives. Like a spiral, we keep coming back to the same flaws, strengths, and desires over and over again but with a different perspective, … [Read more...]
How Creativity Connects with Wisdom
How is my exploration into creativity this year leading me deeper into wisdom? Wisdom, one of my three WWW's that frame 2019 for me, has been elusive to name, capture, and apply, but I am beginning to see her lessons appear in odd places. One of these hiding nooks is creativity. I write. I want to express a unique voice and with God's help, birth inspiring and innovative thoughts and ideas. A writer desires to create something new, yet often finds another writer wrote this before, better, and even more beautiful. What has been will be again, what has been done will be done again; there is nothing new under the sun. Ecclesiastes 1:9 Nothing new under the sun. I am discovering creativity often begins on rented land. An idea emerges, is nurtured by others, handed over to the next artist who adds his or her own spirit to its life. As I study creativity, I am reading interesting bits of wisdom from other artists about this process: "Everything that needs … [Read more...]
Platinum Faith
How is faith like platinum? Here are some interesting facts about this metal: Platinum is a silver-white metal — it was once known as "white gold." It is extremely resistant to tarnishing and corrosion (which makes it known as a "noble metal") and is very soft and malleable, making it easy to shape; ductile, making it easy to stretch into wire, and unreactive, which means it doesn't oxidize and is unaffected by common acids. Platinum is highly valued and has a wide range of uses. Platinum is more than ten times rarer than gold. Recent research has shown platinum to inhibit the growth of certain cancerous cells. Did you know platinum never tarnishes? Platinum contains lessons about the strength, value, and protection of this gift from God – FAITH. What is Platinum Faith? Platinum Faith is actually a new book – released October 1 – written by two good friends and sisters in Christ: Michelle Medlock Adams and Bethany Jett. Their words found in this book inspire … [Read more...]
Wisdom Stories
Stories provide direction for our discernment, depth to our being, and color to our lives. I love stories. I collect stories. Stories bring smiles to my soul. One type of story bringing insight and inspiration are wisdom stories. Compiling stories that stir my mind and heart is one step I have taken this year in my exploration of my theme of WWW. I wrote about my WWW's – wonder, wisdom, and whimsey – on this blog post. Of the three WWW's, wisdom has been the most difficult one for me to capture clearly in my soul. Thus, I began with stories and thought I would share a few of the treasures I have found. Ready for Stories Plus a Few Wise Quotes? We don't receive wisdom; we must discover it for ourselves after a journey that no one can take from us or spare us. Marcel Proust ****** Wholeness is the goal, but wholeness does not mean perfection. It means embracing brokenness as an integral part of life. The sooner we understand this, the better. It’s a truth that can set us … [Read more...]