Many of us want to hear God better. We deeply desire to shake the water out of our ears and listen in prayer more intently. There are no tricks or magic methods to automatically open the passage to God, but I have learned a few ways that help me create a quiet space for him. Most of the time the ways hush and silent myself and my inner chatting in order to hear what he has been saying to me all along. 1. First, ask God to help you hear him better. Often we focus on our frustration of not hearing him or prefer to whine and complain about his absence instead of simply asking for his voice. 2. Practice Stillness – oh, so hard, isn’t it? A recent report told that some people preferred an electrical shock over sitting still for 15 minutes!! “People consistently said that the short thinking period was not enjoyable and they found it difficult to concentrate. Most people said they’d rather be listening to music or using their smartphones.” We need to retrain ourselves for quiet … [Read more...]
Spiritual Muscle Memory
The Network of Bible StoryTellers Festival continues to teach me even now at home. I was amazed at how they learned to tell the stories – striving for 75% or more accuracy in the words they use and 95% accurate in the content of the story. One method they taught us to learn the stories was to add gestures; the same one each time to illustrate a point. For example, moving arms each time to point that Jesus moved from one place to another or to look up when looking at a mountain. Adding movement to the story creates muscle memory. Muscle memory is simply the process by which we consolidate a specific motor task into memory through repetition. Whatever the habit or movement worked on becomes so natural, it doesn’t need much conscious effort. The whole concept of muscle memory fascinates me and encourages me that maybe I can internalize long, more complex stories of the Bible. Though practice and repetition, my body helps me remember the words and action. How marvelous is … [Read more...]
Marinating in the Scriptures
Marinate. Marinate means to seep, rest in, soak in the elements, to leave time to reflect. This word reentered my heart when I attended the Network of Bible StoryTellers Festival Gathering a few weeks ago. In order to learn the bible story they are sharing, the teller gives time for the story to marinate within them. Most tellers commented that learning the story wasn’t a process of memorization, but the story became a part of them, transforming them forever. They marinated in the story. How powerful is that? God’s living Word taking root deep within us, soaking every cell and element of this human body and spirit, then blossoming outward for others to see and hear. And when you marinate, you absorb the taste, the spices and all the wonderfulness of what infuses your soul. God’s characteristics enveloping us. We become the story. Dr. Leonard Sweet wrote: "The more you marinate your mind and soak your soul in the Scriptures, the more the Word becomes your … [Read more...]
The Master’s Hands – Visio Divina
Yet you, Lord, are our Father. We are the clay, you are the potter; we are all the work of your hand. Isaiah 64: 8 This verse kept coming to mind as I watched the video below. With meditative music, these images can lead us closer to God as we allow him to mold and shape our lives. This is a type of prayer called Visio Divina – spiritually watching a video or a painting or even a beautiful sunset and emerging your soul with God’s. A divine moment. Lectio divina is praying with scriptures; visio divina is praying with media. So take a deep breath and allow yourself to melt into this video. How did these masters of pottery led your to the Potter of all? … [Read more...]
Sabbath Struggles
I struggle with keeping the Sabbath. I have gone on retreats about the Sabbath. I even led a workshop on this topic (“those who can’t do, teach", right?) I have read books. I’ve listened to speakers and preachers. I joined the wonderful group – the Sabbath Sisters – who share ideas and resources about Sabbath keeping. I have even confessed this failure of mine on this blog before. I don’t fully understand why something I say I value, I fail to put into practice. What is Sabbath to me? I think it is intentionally setting aside a time to honor and be with God. It is breaking from daily routine to rest and to be. Sabbath is letting go, emptying inside of doing, clinging, filling up with noisy clutter in my head and heart. Sabbath should look and be different from the other days. There is a rhythm to life and even to the workweek that I have lost. I turned off the computer on some Sabbaths. I have also snuck peeks at my smartphone since the computer was shut down. I … [Read more...]
Summertime Spiritual Slump
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...]
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...]
How We Choose is Almost as Important as What We Choose
“As surprising as it sounds, how we choose is almost as important as what we choose. Most of our choosing comes as a response to superficial desires or as an act of willpower and resolve. Neither is helpful in choosing to open ourselves to the Divine. Choosing God is choosing life just as all true choosing of life reflects choosing God. But neither life nor God can genuinely be embraced by willfulness and determination. They can only be received in openness and willingness.” Dr. David G. Benner When I read this quote the other day, I knew I had to copy it into my journal. How we choose is almost as important as what we choose- words that convicted my heart. Too often my decisions arise from my emotional reactions to a need or want. I revert back to my default mode – what is easiest, most comfortable and many times, just plain out of habit. I know I make decisions from a place of stress, fatigue, hunger, wanting to be accepted. Then I conclude something is wrong with me … [Read more...]