What was wrong with me? Here I walked on the remote island of Iona where for thousands of years, Christians experienced God and I felt nothing.I was disappointed. What was I missing?I wrote in my journal that last full day on Iona: “Thank you Lord for this walk on ‘ancient paths.’ The beautiful hikes have physically blessed me and I felt joy with the wonderful discussions filled with laughter among friends. But spiritually something is missing. What does my soul need from this sacred time here on Iona?I know I felt a ‘quickening’ of my spirit, the touch of your hand, the closeness of your breath when I saw the Scottish landscape, the villages and people. I experienced your presence in the Edinburgh Castle and my surprise discovery of the Writers Museum. But Iona remains bare. I don’t want to miss it, ignore You nor do I want to demand its arrival either. Help me see the gift you have for me here on Iona.”On our pilgrimage to Scotland and England we spent two full days on the Island … [Read more...]
Pay Attention – Lectio Divina
We must pay the most careful attention, therefore, to what we have heard, so that we do not drift away.Hebrews 2:1Pay AttentionOK, Lord, I hear You.Everywhere I turn I read the words, “Pay Attention.”I hear them in sermons and notice them in conversations.The letters jump out from the Scriptures into my heart during my devotions.Friends write about taking notice in their blogs.Speakers mention being aware in their presentations.Pay attention. "Pay the most careful attention." I hear You, Lord. But to what?You gently answer, “Pay attention to what is right in front of you.”Pausing I look around me with unshielded eyes and an open heart. May I be more mindful when You speak to me in nature. Your love beams from the bright orange and yellow colors of fall. Your voice calls me in the crunch of fall leaves. I feel your smile as the squirrels scurry along the tree branches, busy with their autumn preparations.May I fully notice the people You bring to me: the unnamed, smile-less store clerk … [Read more...]
Back to Basics – Loving the Daily Working
This Ignatius Life is one of my favorite blogs to read. I enjoy their world view and challenging posts.Last week the post titled “The Daily Working” by Michelle Franci-Donnay resonated with me. Here is a portion of what she wrote:“You have to love the daily working,” suggested choreographer Merce Cunningham. He was talking about what it took to be a dancer — not a teacher, researcher, writer, mother or contemplative, or in my case, all those things tangled into a single day. He meant you have to enjoy being crammed into a studio taking class with forty other students, that you have to delight in the doing of the hundred-thousandth plie. You have to be willing to lovingly and gratefully return to the basics each and every day, even — and perhaps most particularly — in the midst of chaos, or you cannot dance.”Dancing in the everyday nitty-gritty of life. For me this means finding the joy in the sometimes-tedious details of the life of a writer, a speaker, a retreat leader, a mother, a … [Read more...]
Embracing Obscurity – Book Review
On retreat this summer the leader told us about one of St John of the Cross’s prayers:Make me invisible, Lord.That prayer has lingered with me and invited me to think about insignificance as a spiritual discipline. I am a three on the Enneagram and if you know anything about that personality, I thrive on achievement. Accomplishment is my motivator whether it is crossing things off my to-do list, obtaining goals and diving into items on my bucket list. I am driven to make a difference, to be remembered, and to leave a lasting legacy.I “do” “do” well. Just “being” is a lifelong struggle for me.Imagine then my astonishment at a book titled: Embracing Obscurity - Becoming Nothing in Light of God’s Everything. When I had a chance to read this advance copy of this new book published by B & H Publishing, I took the opportunity. God was certainly getting my attention with this topic.And get this: the author is “anonymous.” Isn’t that different? The book tells us this is a well-known author … [Read more...]
What/Who Do You Honor?
I heard a fun and interesting speaker this past weekend. Terry Hershey is the author of numerous books including The Power of Pause and Soul Gardening. His superb story telling opens the heart and makes you think and the quotes he shares lingers within you.Terry said one of his favorite quotes was by Plato: “What is honored will be cultivated.”He noted that Plato didn’t say what is taught, what is learned, what is believed, but what is honored. When we honor something, it grows, develops, encourages, and supports.I looked up and the actual quote from Plato is this: "What is honored in a country will be cultivated there." Mmmmm, now there is another aspect to think about!But the whole issue of what am I honoring in my life has stayed with me this week. What does it mean to honor something/someone? In my life am I honoring God? Honoring the Sabbath? Honoring others? Honoring myself as a child of God?To honor means to treat with respect, to keep your word, to speak highly of someone … [Read more...]
Rut or Rest?
“I just wish God would tell me clearly what to do,” said one of the participants in our spiritual direction group. “I don’t know which direction to turn and I really do want to be obedient.”I certainly could identify and empathize with that statement. With all my being, I do want to follow God’s path for me in life. Discernment is more than just making a decision: it is taking God’s view into account, not just our wants and desires. To discern comes from the Latin word, discernere: dis means apart and cernere mean to separate: So we look at all the options before us and we separate them apart for find the answer. I am in discernment right now. I can’t decipher if I am in a rut or a time of rest. I think I hear God telling me just to rest, but my natural tendency so to make a decision and get on with my journey. Have a missed the bus or am I to linger longer at this spiritual rest stop? If God is in all things and I do believe that, just what is He trying to teach me here?Then I … [Read more...]
Moving from Past Tense to Present Tense
Mary DeMuth’s new book is called Everything: What you give and what you gain to become like Jesus and is scheduled for release October 16. You can preorder it here. I am blessed to be part of Mary’s launch team for this wonderful book and have an early copy to study and enjoy. Over the next few Thursdays, I will be sharing a quote from the book and some thoughts that her words have stirred within my heart. This book is wonderful, full of wisdom and stories, and will help you discover the freedom in surrendering everything to Jesus. The past two Thursdays I pondered her chapter on Cultivating Astonishment and Practicing Resiliency; this week let’s explore another chapter: Be an AM.A standard piece of advice for any writer is: AVOID PASSIVE WRITING.Passive writing sucks the life out of your words. The meaning is heavy and it emphasizes the object not the subject in a sentence. Active tense is present and full of energy.Read these two examples. See how the second one is better?In the … [Read more...]
Summer Snapshots: Journeys
Living a reflective life is a powerful spiritual discipline. Periodically and intentionally looking back over the past months brings insights, joys, and perhaps regret. (Regret can be a wonderful teacher, full of lessons that motivate future behavior.)I like to get out my journal and with a highlighter in hand, reread key passages and words that resonated within my heart. I savor times I felt God’s presence and appreciate circumstances, both difficult and joyous, that drew me closer to Him. I see once again failures, ego-driven moments, and times I let emotions distract me from keeping my eyes and heart set on Jesus. I learn. I grow. And I embrace life on a new level when I “harvest” my journal.“Reflective thinking turns experience into insight.” John MaxwellOne of my favorite blogs is Finding Heaven. Writer Jen Ferguson challenged us to write about a mutual theme: Summer Snapshots, a glimpse into our summer. What you learned? What you did you see? How has God moved in your life? … [Read more...]