I hope many of you do not have cloudy skies this week. At 11:09 p.m. Eastern Time Wednesday evening, fall began and God is outdoing Himself this week presenting a “super harvest moon.”The "harvest moon" is the full moon that happens closest to the yearly autumnal equinox, or the time when day and night are equal in length each September. The harvest moon phenomenon was named for farmers who used to depend on the moonlight to extend the workday during the busy harvest season. With the harvest moon there is no long period of darkness between sunset and the moon rising.But for the super harvest moon to occur, the two events must fall on the same night. When these two occurrences mix together, sky-watchers are treated to a sort of 360-degree twilight glow effect that is rarely visible. The so-called super harvest moon has not occurred for 20 years, and will likely not reappear until 2029.When the Sun starts to set on the Western horizon, a full moon will rise opposite to it on the East, … [Read more...]
Just Jesus and Me Yappin’ in the Car….
Confession time. If you ever see me driving in my car and appear to be talking to someone in the front passenger seat and there is no one there – Just smile and think, “Yep, there goes Jeanie, just a yapping away with Jesus.”Often when I drive, I invite Jesus along to ride with me and we talk up a storm. Most of the time I do the talking – yeah, I have mentioned that ramblin’ mouth of mine before in posts – but I do try to listen too.Last week while on a three-hour drive to Indianapolis, I reflected about several ongoing prayers that were quagmired in mud. These were items, long prayed for, but unclear what was happening. Jesus said let’s talk about them.So I did. I threw a whole litany of people, difficulties, and open-ended struggles upon Him.I placed in His welcoming hands long time concerns and distant dreams. His response?“Ok, I have them. I will take care of them.”Peace fell over my heart, as I knew He would take care of things, in His time.We rode in silence for a while, just … [Read more...]
Nourishment for a Healthy Spiritual Life
“So, the paradox of prayer is that it asks for a serious effort while it can only be received as a gift. We cannot plan, organize or manipulate God; but without a careful discipline, we cannot receive him either.” (Henri J. M. Nouwen. Reaching Out: The Three Movements of the Spiritual Life) Just as Nouwen describes prayer as a paradox of gift and self-discipline, nurturing our spiritual health is also a contradiction of terms. No matter how we work, struggle, and strive to be closer to God, it is His movement to embrace us that draws us into His heart. I read a new resource this week that is helpful in creating space in our lives for God. The book is called Soulistry – Artistry of the Soul – Creative Ways to Nurture Your Spirituality by June Mack Maffin. Using one of my favorite practices – journaling, Maffin provides 80 inspirational quotes and spiritual reflection questions to explore. She writes, “Journal writings are meant to be personal conversations - with … [Read more...]
Is Skimming The Surface of Life an Unhealthy Spiritual Habit?
Multitasking. Busyness. Noise. All modern hassles that I often simply accept, don’t fight, and let rule my life. Part of my survival mechanism, I guess.But lately I have noticing my reading, listening and even prayer is lacking depth – I am skimming in all areas of my life.Skimming makes me look like I have it all together and am on top of things, yet something is missing. I am not taking the time to develop deep roots – roots that will nourish me through dry periods and hold me steady during the storms of life.Pete Scazzero wrote, “Skimming is the way many of us cope with multiple demands, constant pressure, and overloaded schedules. We cover a lot of ground superficially without being fully engaged.”I can blame the Internet. I read this article the other day by Nicolas Carr, author of The Shallows: What the Internet Is Doing to Our Brains, who believes the internet is changing the way we read and process information. It is a medium based on interruption – one in which we read a … [Read more...]
How do you Celebrate the Firsts in your Life?
Watching a grandchild provides endless life lessons. I realized this last Saturday when I grabbed the camera to capture Kyla’s first boat ride on Hamilton Lake. (By the way she doesn’t look too happy in these photos and really wanted a nap instead of a strange bumpy trip on water. She did enjoy the second boat ride later in the day with giggles and smiles.) How we love to celebrate a child’s firsts in life! Think of them all - the first tooth, the first haircut, the first walk, the first day of school. We clap our hands, take lots of photos and maybe have a party. We inscribe the event into our memory for safekeeping and honor the moment.Why have we as adults forgotten to honor firsts in our lives? I don’t like to think that we have no more firsts after we reach a certain age. I think I quit noticing and don’t take the time to recognizing new onsets in my life.I believe in life long learning – so the first time you read a new word, pondered a new idea, or learn a new skill should be … [Read more...]
Living in the Future or in the Present
I live in the future. I am a planner, organizer, to- doer of the highest regard.This realization hit me once again this past weekend. Walking into Barnes and Noble, just to look around, I saw them –2011 calendars Like an eagle diving to snatch its prey, I raced over to the display. So many bright colors and varying formats before me. I felt like a child drooling over all the possibilities at Toys R Us or an addict finding just the right fix. I even held in my hand one calendar dated 2011 and 2012 – two year of planning. I had to buy one. In fact, I bought two.My husband just shook his head at me. “There is still half of 2010 left you know.”He is right. I think I can somehow control the future when I have dates and notations for boundaries. How sad to miss the present gifts surrounding us being too busy looking ahead.I have been reflecting about my reaction of joy and excitement over next year’s calendar. At first I chastised myself for being so future oriented and not embracing … [Read more...]
Praying – Exploring Different Types of Prayers – Prayer of Relinquishment
How do you pray? Often my prayers slip into comfortable routines, predictable patterns, yet prayer is all around us – like our breath. So many different ways to talk with God are waiting to explore. The following is a part of a three-week series on prayer and its many forms. Come explore with me ways to address God when words are inadequate and let’s get to know God better by spending time with Him.Reading Catherine Marshall when I was younger was the first time I read about the Prayer of Relinquishment. The dictionary tells me that when I relinquish something, like a possession or a right, I give it up. I surrender it.Catherine Marshall wrote, “…God was trying to teach me something important about prayer. Gradually I saw that a demanding spirit, with self-will as its rudder, blocks prayer….God absolutely refuses to violate our free will; that therefore, unless self-will is voluntarily given up, even God cannot move to answer prayer.”Image of this prayer is the garden of Gethsemane … [Read more...]
Praying – Exploring Different Types of Prayers – Intercessory Prayer
How do you pray? Often my prayers slip into comfortable routines, predictable patterns, yet prayer is all around us – like our breath. So many different ways to talk with God are waiting to explore. The following is a part of a three-week series on prayer and its many forms. Come explore with me ways to address God when words are inadequate and let’s get to know God better by spending time with Him.Praying for others is both an honor and responsibility many Christian take seriously. Dietrich Bonhoeffer wrote about this type of prayer, “Intercessory prayer is the purifying bath into which the individual and the fellowship must enter every day.”Intercession on behalf of a fellow human being is a way of loving the other.“Prayers of intercession specifically ask God to intercede in the world. We ask in the midst of tragedies involving thousands of people or in times of struggle and disease in the life of an individual, family or community. We are asking for God's help. Sometimes we are … [Read more...]