I would really like your input on how to improve and grow this blog. Below is a link to the 2015 Healthy Spirituality Readers' Survey and I would appreciate you taking the time to fill it out. I want to ensure this space does the best possible job of answering your needs and interests and draws you closer to God. And that means I need to know more about you. Your input is important to me. The survey is easy to fill out, and the results are completely anonymous. I can’t tell who said what. The survey will be open until August 2. Thank you so much. https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/SXKHFMX … [Read more...]
The Spiritual Practice of Unplugging
I am a techie. I love gadgets. The Internet lures me away for hours playing with history, trivia, fascinating conversation. I admit my struggle with dealing with emails and can tell you all the tips about time management with electronic devices. Okay one more confession. I am one who has been known to read USAToday app on her IPhone in the middle of the night. Yes I have read all about how the white light from the phone interferes with sleep and about the girl whose pillow caught fire from putting her phone there. What drives this? A fear of missing out on something? An ego urge to know the most up to date info? Insomnia? Why am I fearful of letting go? Guess I have to ponder this a bit more. I am not into many games, but a good round of Angry Birds is a great stress reducer. When we go out with friends, we do put the phones away during dinner, but have this unspoken competition about who can look up some table conversation question on Google the quickest. The truth is: … [Read more...]
Love as a Frame – Quote of the Week
If we are to love our neighbors, before doing anything else we must see our neighbors. With our imagination as well as our eyes, that is to say like artists, we must see not just their faces but the life behind and within their faces. Here it is love that is the frame we see them in. Frederick Buechner … [Read more...]
OOPS!
For all of you who normally get this blog by email, I owe you an apology. Sometime end of last week, my blog and the software that mails out new posts to you decided not to communicate. I didn't realize this until Tuesday and then had difficulty reestablishing the links. Finally late Wednesday, the two parties decided to talk again and to be honest, I am not sure if the connection miraculously healed itself (I was praying!) or if something I did finally worked. BUT OOPS! Once all was well again in cyberworld, the internet imp decided to mail all of you not one, not two, but three posts. I am so sorry to clog up your inbox. Hopefully we are now back to the normal schedule of posts. "Don't you just love technology?" she says gritting her teeth and with a fake smile. Yes frustrating, but not the end of the world and lots worse could and has happened to me, so I am grateful for the comfort of routine and no annoying glitches. And thankful most of the time for technology … [Read more...]
Let Faith be your Bridge – Quote of the Week – Maya Angelou
Let gratitude be the pillow upon which you kneel to say your nightly prayer. And let faith be the bridge you build to overcome evil and welcome good. –Maya Angelou … [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...]
Prayer – God’s Delight – Quote of the Week
The baby was staring intently at other people, and as soon as he recognized a human face, no matter whose it was, he would respond with absolute delight. I realized that this is how God looks at us, staring into our face in order to be delighted. I suspect that only God, and well-loved infants, can see this way. Even when we try to run away from our troubles, as Jacob did, God will find us, and bless us, even when we feel most alone, unsure if we'll survive the night. God will find a way to let us know that [God] is with us in this place, wherever we are, however far we think we've run. Amen. Kathleen Norris … [Read more...]
Come and See – Jesus’ Invitation – Lectio Divina
"When Jesus turned and saw them following, he said to them, "What are you looking for?" They said to him, "Rabbi, where are you staying?" He said to them, "Come and see." John 1: 38-39 Come and See Jesus, you invite me to come and see. I am amazed you stop what you are doing in all your glory and turn to me, little unimportant me, at any moment in my day and ask me what I need. I can cry out to you in my raw honest vulnerable state and you listen. I can approach you with my questions. My doubts. My anger. My fears. And you invite me to come and see. You welcome my questions. You are open to my struggling uncertainty. You meet me where I am right now, not where I should be or will be or have been, but present in this very moment. You accept me - your unsure, quivering child - with open arms. I come to you, Lord and see you. Thank you for being a God who sees me too. … [Read more...]