Your problem is, you don’t know who you are. Let me tell you who you are. You are a ray of God’s own light. You say you seek God, but a ray of light doesn’t seek the sun; it’s coming from the sun. You are a branch on the vine of God. A branch doesn’t seek the vine; it’s already part of the vine. A wave doesn’t look for the ocean; it’s already full of ocean. Martin Laird … [Read more...]
Flunking Sainthood – Book Review
Author Jane Riess has recently published a book by the delightful title of Flunking Sainthood. She tells the story of her year long experience, trying various spiritual practices like fasting, honoring the Sabbath and generosity. What I loved about this book is she honestly shares not her success, but her failure with every single practice she tried. It was refreshing to read her reactions, knowing I would be flunking sainthood right along with her. “What emerges is a vulnerable story of the quest for perfection and the reality of failure, which turns out to be a valuable spiritual practice in and of itself.” Even her subtitle is refreshing and freeing: “A year of breaking the Sabbath, forgetting to pray and still loving my neighbor.” I love her conclusion: “In a culture that stresses perfection, I’ve often heard the maxim that ‘good is the enemy of perfect’, in other words, when people of faith aim for anything short of godliness we miss the mark. I’ve learned the … [Read more...]
What Are You Paying Attention To?
“Tell me what you pay attention to and I will tell you who you are.” Jose Ortego Y Gassett I read this quote the other day and the words dug their spurs into my heart. You see, I have been frustrated, tearful and quite moody this past week. All on account of one tiny stumbling block in life: my computer. My computer died this week. I lost writing I was working on. I missed deadlines to get ready for an upcoming conference. Replacing this vital equipment for a writer is expensive and unplanned. On top of all this, I just plain was trying to accomplish too much in too little time before we left for vacation the end of this week. Too many to-do’s to fit through the narrowing funnel of time. Frustration raises its ugly head when our will and our ego meet barriers that blocks its desire to have its own way. I tell myself there are bigger problems in the world. I have my health. My family. A warm house. I know my next paycheck is coming. I live in a country where I can freely … [Read more...]
Only God is in Control, Not Me – Lectio Divina
“I planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the growth. So either the one who plants nor the one who waters is anything, but only God who gives the growth.” 1 Corinthians 3: 6-7 Only God Only God. Only You, Lord. Only God gives the growth. I’d like to think I have some say, some sense of power. My ego yearns to rule and direct my steps. But I am only one small piece of the grand Divine puzzle. You know Lord, at times I am relieved you are in charge, not me. When I don’t fully understand tragedy. When I am overwhelmed by daily hassles and inconveniences and realize how poorly I would cope with real life changing problems. When I am tired and want to sleep or hide from the world for awhile or take the evening off watching Downton Abbey. You remain awake, alert and available. Thank you for being God. Thank you for being in control. Thank you, Lord. Only you. Only God gives the growth. Only God. … [Read more...]
Love – A Place of Vulnerability – Quote of the Week
Receiving love brings us to a place of vulnerability. That is why it is so difficult. So often we live in the illusion that it is much easier to love than to be loved. We may think we can exercise a bit of control in loving another, but there is no control in being loved. The ones who truly love us walk into our hearts, often unnoticed, unannounced, and then reveal to us how genuinely loveable we are. And nothing feels more vulnerable than that. Judy Cannato … [Read more...]
Who was St Valentine and Why Do We Send Cards?
February 14 is Valentines Day. Made me wonder just who was this St. Valentine and why am I giving cards to those I love? I remember having Valentines Day parties in school. We all exchanged small paper cards. There were certain cute boys I giggled when I getting one from them. My hubby is good at remembering to buy me a card. We don't do much else to celebrate that holiday. One year he sent me flowers on Feb. 14 and then again next month on my birthday. When my son was born nine months later, he swore he was done with flowers.True story. So I am curious and looked up some interesting facts about St. Valentine. I learned his story isn't very romantic at all. In fact sort of tragic: Who was St. Valentine? He was a priest in Rome around third century, a time the church was being prosecuted. The emperor declared an edict that that prohibited the marriage of young people. This was based on the hypothesis that unmarried soldiers fought better than married soldiers because … [Read more...]
Spoice and Love
I learned a new word this week - SPOICE. Sage Kotsenburg tweeted a message after the American won a gold medal in the men's snowboarding slopestyle event in Sochi. “Keep it spoice." Was this a Russian word? Actually no. Surprisingly, it is good ol' US slang, rising from the snowboarding culture. I never heard of it before. The Urban Dictionary defines Spoice this way: "Spoice is an exclamation of gratitude towards life. It's the proper word to use when you find yourself in a situation involving a multitude of positive things at once. You may only utter it with pure joy behind it." Let's say this fun word together. Ready? SPOICE! Saying this word out loud it reminds me of the word: rejoice. I almost smile when saying it. A fun word. A festive word. A great word to use to celebrate and enjoy a special moment. I helped to lead worship Sunday morning. As we sang the Hymn of Praise, I faced the altar and looked up at the cross. For a moment it felt like I was … [Read more...]
Light of the World – Lectio Divina
You are the light of the world...Let your light shine before others. Matthew 5: 14, 16 Light of the World Lord you call us to be the light of the world. Not just in the world but of the entire world. That is quite an assignment, Lord. My self doubts cast shadows. My sin darkens my heart. My busyness and ego smudge my good intentions. I look deep inside of me, Lord and barely see a small glow, hardly the brilliant beam needed to shine your love for others. I can take my little flashlight and flicker it here and there. Yet you call me, call us, to shine for the whole world. This reminds me of the space above my kitchen sink. Boring and nondescript, I created a stained glass border. At times the colors of the broken pieces shimmer softly across the room. But when I turn on the illumination behind the decorated frame, colors cascade and glimmer and sparkle everywhere. Lord be the power that intensifies my glow for you. Take my small spark and swell its … [Read more...]