Steven Covey wrote The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People. His seventh habit is called “Sharpen the Saw.” Covey uses the common analogy of a woodcutter who is sawing for several days straight and is becoming less and less productive. The process of cutting dulls the blade. So the solution is to periodically sharpen the saw. He tells the story of two lumber jacks in the woods sawing down trees. One of them is working feverishly at the task, rarely stopping to take a break. The other is working at a slower but steady pace and takes breaks frequently. At the end of the day, the lumberjack working at the slower pace has cut down twice as many trees as the one working feverishly. When questioned by the worn out, tired lumberjack as to how he accomplished twice as much in the same amount of time, and working at a slower pace, his answer is quiet simple: “I took time out to sharpen my saw.” He writes, “Sharpening the saw means preserving and enhancing the greatest asset you have – … [Read more...]
How to Live to be 98 – Lessons Learned from my Best Friend, Esther
My best friend, Esther, celebrated her 98th birthday last week. Ask her what her secret to a long life is and she will tell you with a giggle:“Pie and ice cream.”Esther still lives independently in her own home. She goes out with friends and would mow her lawn if she had the strength. She does love working in the yard, picking the weeds and planting green peppers, tomatoes and flowers each year. Right now she is busy deciding whether to get her house repainted (lasting 15 years) or sided (to last much longer.)“They will still bear fruit in old age. They will stay fresh and green.” - Psalm 92:14.When I read this verse, I think of Esther. What a role model she is for aging with grace.What lessons have I gleaned from watching her?Reaching Out – Esther reaches out to others with simple acts of kindness such as baking pies for funeral dinners and sending cards. But she also reaches out when she needs help. She has a broad network of people she leans upon for help and is willing to pick up … [Read more...]
Powerful Pauses for Prayer Resources
This last edition of the series of pausing for prayer will feature some resources to help you explore more about this holy habit.What I LearnedI have learned a great deal in this experiment. I pay attention more to my surroundings and how God is touching my every moment. I consciously take deep breaths throughout the day, allowing a cloak of relaxation to gently cover my soul. And I hear God and my true self more clearly, not all the chatty voices of the world.ResourcesWant to learn more about what is called Praying the Hours, the Divine Office/Hours, or the Liturgy of the Hours?The book I used through this journey was:Seven Sacred Pauses by Macrina Wiederkehr.Other books that you may find useful are:Robert Benson’s Venite – a Book of Daly PrayerThe Divine Hours – Phyllis TickleThe Rhythm of God’s Grace - Arthur Paul BoersThe Internet offers many … [Read more...]
Powerful Pauses for Prayer at Yellowstone/Grand Tetons
Many of you know I recently returned from a camping trip with my husband to Yellowstone and the Grand Tetons.God's artistry, whimiscal creativity and breathtaking beauty offered many reminders during my visit. I paused to breath in the present moment and behold the wonder of this world God made and gave us.I will allow a few of my photos witness to His handwork without my inadequate words to interfer. Take a pause and enjoy: AMEN!!AMEN AND AMEN!! … [Read more...]
The Night Shift
The temperature in our camper by 4 AM dropped to 33 degrees. BRRR. Our stay at Yellowstone exceeded our expectations in its beauty, diversity of scenery and awe at God’s creation. Yet when our tent camper’s small furnace refused to stay on more than ten minutes, the nights on this trip dragged on in never-ending numbness.So I spent my nippy nighttime wakefulness in prayer – arctic adoration and icy interchange with our God.The seventh and last pause I am learning more about is Matins or Vigils.Pause and Listen to the Lesson of the HourIn monastic traditions, the middle of the night prayers are often called vigils. Those who keep vigil are the watchers or sentinels of the night. In many communities, this practice has moved to early morning hours while it is still dark – almost a predawn prayer time.Themes for this hour are vigilance, deep listening, mystery, surrender and trust.Vigils – waiting, watching for the first signs of dawn, knowing God is present and anticipating His next move … [Read more...]
Bedtime Hour – “Seven times a day I praise you…” Psalm 119:164
Do you have a ritual before going to sleep? Sometimes I follow one similar to the sacred pauses of this hour. But other times I either fall asleep in the recliner watching some mindless television show or decide to check the email and Twitter one more time as my eyes get heavier and heavier.Pausing before God and reflecting on the past day nourishes gratitude and compassion within my heart. I know this is one pause I want to practice more consistently.The sixth pause of the day is Night.Pause and Listen to the Lesson of the Hour Themes for this hour are silence, rest, sleep, darkness, trust and repentance. I snuggle under my comforter and drift asleep in God’s arms. I offer up this past day like incense back to the Lord. Compline is the special word describing this nighttime practice. The word compline comes from the Latin root word meaning complete. How have we completed the day? The day is done and gone. It is a time to look within as a personal prayer to reconcile any discords with … [Read more...]
The Evening Hour — “Seven times a day I praise you…” Psalm 119:164
When I worked fulltime outside of the home, evening meant relaxing, then fatigue to me. I lost all of get up and go as the sun set.Now that I am working as a freelance writer, I often find renewed energy to write in the evening – a new discovery for me.Let’s explore together the lesson the evening hour holds when we pause to listen to its story.The fifth pause of the day is Evening.Pause and Listen to the Lesson of the HourI love how Macrina Wiederkehr describes this time of day. “One hand cradles daylight, the other welcomes night, In this Vespers hour, I sense a very thin veil between heaven and earth…As I symbolically take off my work clothes and put on the robe of prayer, my soul ages like good wine.”Themes for this hour are gratitude, praise, serenity and mystery.Many evenings overflow with additional duties and activities. Pausing allows our hearts time to take a breath, cross over the transom from day work to evening responsibilities and find a moment of peace.Stretch and … [Read more...]
Midafternoon – “Seven times a day I praise you…” Psalm 119:164
The Midafternoon pause scares me. I am afraid if I pause I will nap, then struggle to get anything else done. Midafternoon for me represents lethargy, sluggishness and panic over what I haven’t accomplished.So this pause will be difficult for me, yet one I really need to ponder and digest.The fourth pause of the day is Midafternoon.Pause and Listen to the Lesson of the HourThe theme of this hour according to Macrina Wiederkehr is steadfastness, surrender, forgiveness and wisdom. She notes that the “day is aging. Shadows lengthen as the light stretches toward evening…There is a yearning for completion. It is longing to put my house in order before the day ends.” This is the time of day the truth hits you:Have you lived today?Have you paused and been present to the Lord?This day will not last much longer, no matter how good, productive, or terrible the day was, how have our spent the gift of this day?Wiederkehr also notes that one of the themes of Midafternoon is impermanence. That may … [Read more...]