This time of year, we often hear stories of Mary, the mother of Jesus. Occasionally we hear the story of her relative, John the Baptist’s mother, Elizabeth. At the start of Advent this year, I read all the verses about Elizabeth and learned a few new things about her story that gave me new insights to this season. Advent is a time of waiting. Waiting is hard. We are an impatient lot. Some days waiting 5 seconds for a web page to load seems heavy. God doesn’t waste time. What are some Advent lessons in our waiting? Waiting is a Time to Bless – Elizabeth’s Story The Book of Luke tells us Elizabeth was an older woman married to Zechariah, a member of the Jerusalem priesthood. She was past menopause, her husband was elderly, and she had given up hoping for a child. But Elizabeth’s life took an unexpected turn. She became pregnant to the amazement of all. Wow! Her prayer had been answered after she had given up all help. She had to have mixed feelings. Amazement, overwhelm. … [Read more...]
Poetry and the Practice of Being Present
Poetry and the Practice of Being Present I love Advent because of its invitation to pause, be still, be present. The Christmas rush, unrealistic expectations, and chaotic commitments consume all our attention in December in contrast to the peace and quiet joy of the manger scene. Poetry pauses the pandemonium. I stopped this week and drank in poetry. I discovered two poems that calmed my spirit and refreshed my soul. Both were written by William Stafford, a name I knew but didn’t know much about. Who was William Stafford? William Stafford was an American poet who lived from 1914 to 1993. His first poems were not published until he was 48, then he wrote an astonishing 67 books, including almost 60 books of poetry in the next 33 years. These books included 3,000 poems – a large number on their own but just a fraction of the some 22,000 he wrote. He wrote a poem a day until he died. WOW! He wrote the first poem I share here today just two days before he died. Poetry by William … [Read more...]
Monthly Musings –What I Learned in November
November Monthly Musings Remember experiencing gratitude in November? I hope this becomes a daily practice for all of us. What a powerful spiritual discipline. Did you know the power of gratitude increases the more specific we are expressing our thankfulness? For example, instead of saying “I am grateful for my husband,” add the reasons why: “I am grateful for my hubby because he listens, stands by me, and offers words of comfort and guidance when I need them.” Gratitude is a form of remembering and honoring people and moments in our life. This is a foundation of living a reflective life and one reason why pausing each day, week, month and year to behold time in our life journey is a life-giving spiritual practice. How are you living a reflective life? 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 … [Read more...]
Being Grateful – Henri Nouwen
Being grateful. I am being grateful to you all today. Let's give thanks to God today and everyday. Check out this post about the powerful practice of gratitude. Being grateful was a spiritual discipline one of my favorite authors, Henri Nouwen, wrote about. Besides turkey, chew and digest these words today: "To be grateful for the good things that happen in our lives is easy, but to be grateful for all of our lives—the good as well as the bad, the moments of joy as well as the moments of sorrow, the successes as well as the failures, the rewards as well as the rejections—that requires hard spiritual work. Still, we are only truly grateful people when we can say "thank you" to all that has brought us to the present moment. As long as we keep dividing our lives between events and people we would like to remember and those we would rather forget, we cannot claim the fullness of our beings as a gift of God to be grateful for. Let's not be afraid to look at everything that has … [Read more...]
How To Savor the Season
The holiday season is upon us. In the U.S. this week welcomes Thanksgiving. Advent begins December 3 then time spins and speeds to Christmas and New Years. I don’t know about you, but I was bombarded by Black Friday ads right after Halloween amidst Christmas music. Whew! How do we catch our breath during the busy holiday rush? Wait! I want to savor the season, not just survive its spiraling spin. How can we slow down and breath this time of year? Savor the Season Tips When I began to write this post, I tried to create a clever acronym, an easy to remember witty expression or a wordy recipe to follow. I felt tense, making things too complicated. My writing mirrored the crazy muddled holiday emotions I was striving to avoid. I paused. I hit delete. I chose simplicity. Not a bad plan of action for the holidays either - pause, delete, and chose simplicity. Here is what I am going to do during Thanksgiving and Advent to prepare my heart to welcome … [Read more...]
Monthly Musings –What I Learned in October
October Monthly Musings Wow! 2017 is starting to wrap up. I still can’t believe how fast this year has flown. Just seems like yesterday we were all in a tither about the Y2K worries and the year 2000. This is one reason why I believe in the practice of remembering, honoring our days in the spiritual discipline of reflection. Reflecting on the day at its close and pausing to behold the month as it completes its journey. How are you living a reflective life? 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 Musing Journal. You can use anything, scrapes of papers, a journal, or a calendar. Copies of my Monthly Musing Journal are available on Amazon and are a convenient way to keep track of the little things in life we often miss. Or … [Read more...]
Prayer of Relinquishment
Letting go is hard. We’ve been exploring the spiritual practice of letting go this month on Healthy Spirituality. I will have one more post on this topic this coming Thursday but ran across the Prayer of Relinquishment today and thought it fitting to share with you. What is Relinquishment? “No one is ever united with Jesus Christ until he is willing to relinquish not sin only, but his whole way of looking at things…” - Oswald Chamber Relinquishment means to release or let go. In the book titled Prayer – Finding the Heart’s True Home by Richard Foster, he writes that “we begin to enter into a grace-filled releasing of our will and a flowing into the will of the Father. It is the prayer of relinquishment that moves us from the struggling to the releasing…this prayer is a bona fide letting go, but it is a release with hope… God is not destroying the will but transforming it so that…we can freely will what God wills.” As I ponder this radical prayer, I discern my need to pray … [Read more...]
What is Your Image of God?
When you think of God, what image forms in your mind and heart? “What comes into our minds when we think about God is the most important thing about us.” A.W. Tozer In my spiritual journey, my image of God has evolved. How I saw him as a child - an old man, peering down upon me, ready to judge my every move – is so different from the loving presence I now experience. Dare I admit, God is now not always male to me, either. To take the time, to see into your heart, asking the question: What is my image of God? takes courage, time, and vulnerability. When I am honest, I find at times, how I view God may not be the healthiest for my spiritual growth. But when I name it, describe how I see God, I learn so much more about God. Changing Image of God A few years ago, I realized God often appeared as far away, on the far side of a room. Oddly and surprising to me, God seemed unapproachable, distant, out of grasp. I was shocked to recognize how this image of God still lingered within my … [Read more...]