The past few months have been draining. I am tired. I am weary. I am depleted. I am empty.I have a choice.  I can feel sorry for myself or I can take action and live.  I choose life.I have been in this dry place before.  I remember after finishing graduate school, working full time and being a mother of three active kids experiencing this same parchedness. I intentionally sought spiritual nourishment then and think I will repeat some of those steps now.  I thought I would share this plan with you.Physically·      Back to Weight-Watchers. I feel so much better eating healthier. When I am under stress I really hit those carbs and now feel very sluggish. Time to count points and make better food choices.·      Time to get outside to the garden and to go for daily walks. I am not an exerciser, but have heard the message over and over again – moving daily is essential and can’t be avoided.Socially·      I will not let myself withdraw from spending time with friends. I will … [Read more...]

      This is the time of year many of us ponder what we are thankful for in life and generally live with an increased sense of gratitude.       Living a life of gratitude helps us find the positive side of life and reminds us what is really important. Seeing the world through the lens of thankfulness gives our lives more meaning, more appreciation, and more joy. Gratitude balances life by counteracting all the negatives the world throws at our souls.     “Gratitude is like a flashlight. If you go out into your yard at night and turn on a flashlight, you suddenly can see what's there. It was always there, but you couldn't see it in the dark." (From Dawna Markova, Attitudes of Gratitude.)    “When it comes to life the critical thing is whether you take things for granted or take them with gratitude.”
G. K. ChestertonHere are a few videos to sprinkle some gratitude on your journey and help you make it a daily spiritual practice:Gratitude, Nichole NordemanPractice GratitudeA poem about … [Read more...]

Okay, I failed. My great intentions in the previous post to choose joy quickly evaporated amidst the muck of annoying frustrations.No major crisis occurred. I have friends who buried their 21 year old child/grandchild this week and another one whose daughter may be having a miscarriage – true joy zappers. On a whole, blessings filled my week so far.Yet an undercurrent of anger and frustration – not joy- ruled my heart.Little nuisances like waiting for an appointment that ran an hour and half late, a near miss with a deer darting in front of my car, being stuck behind a semi truck chugging along at 40 mph in a 55 zone, not getting answers from a customer service representative, and the never ending too many things on my list to do and not enough time. Looking back, joy left me not because of one incident, but because of many minor aggravations. They surrounded me like a swarm of those tiny flying bugs you bat about with your hand on a hot summer evening. Yuck! Like flecks of mud, they … [Read more...]

A great local Christian radio station is WBCL.  (You can listen to them over the internet too. click here)As I drove to Ft Wayne yesterday, I turned to WBCL for their 9:00 talk show, MidMorning. Much to my surprise they played music instead of dealing with a subject matter. I enjoyed two tunes, then Lynne Ford, the host, came on laughing. Apparently the author she lined up to interview that morning forgot and was not available. “Good thing we talked about gratitude last week,” Lynne said. “No matter what happens I am choosing joy.”The next hour’s show was a delight as listeners shared the experience with reading the bible and the radio giving away numerous copies of God’s word.Choosing Joy.Lynne had no idea her perfectly planned Monday morning would change, but she made the most of it and listening that day lifted my spirits. I am sure her attitude blessed others too. Joy became contagious beginning with Lynne and radiating to many people including me.We do have that choice in life, … [Read more...]

Ever notice the Hebrew word, selah, in the Psalms? SELAH – Though opinions differ on its exact meaning, many experts say the word comes from the primary Hebrew root word [calah], which literally means “to hang,” and by implication to measure (weigh). In Biblical history, money, food, and other valuables were “weighed” by hanging or suspending them on a type of balance (the equivalent of our measuring scale) to determine their value.Selah signals that it is time to “measure” carefully the meaning of what has been said and to reflect on some deeper wisdom and understand its true meaning. Stop and listen. Pause and Reflect. Dwell in the moment and drink in the meaning of life.Observe the ordinary in silence; consider all the details of this one precious moment.Slow down and listen to God.Doesn’t sounds like modern life, does it?Selah is like a stop sign. The intermission or half time. Or refreshing recess.  Yes I like the idea of a recess. An adult recess. A break from the busy, craziness … [Read more...]

“It's possible that our primary role as humans is that of celebration. We have this destiny - and even duty - to become astonished by the universe!"—Physicist Brian Swimme.Pegge Bernecker’s words in the current issue of Listen caused me to pause and think about the role of astonishment and wonder in my life. She writes:"Why would it be valuable to cultivate the contemplative practice of astonishment? My intuition and experience inform me that our willingness to become astonished by someone or something develops compassion, integrity, kindness, creative action, forgiveness, and a heightened ability to be fully human, fully alive. I learn—maybe you do too—that when we become astonished, we:·      Let go of preconceived ideas and patterns of thinking·      Allow the present moment to interrupt the past and future·      Engage our senses·      Nurture alertness·      Trust unknown possibility, mystery·      Grow laughter and delight·      Engage·      Discover unimaginable reality·      … [Read more...]