October Monthly Musings Wow! 2017 is starting to wrap up. I still can’t believe how fast this year has flown. Just seems like yesterday we were all in a tither about the Y2K worries and the year 2000. This is one reason why I believe in the practice of remembering, honoring our days in the spiritual discipline of reflection. Reflecting on the day at its close and pausing to behold the month as it completes its journey. How are you living a reflective life? Each month I look back at what I am discovering, learning, and exploring in life – I call these my monthly musings. Capturing these special moments gives meaning, depth, and delight to life. Let’s wake up to the wonders in the ordinary all around us. I record what I notice on the pages of my Monthly Musing Journal. You can use anything, scrapes of papers, a journal, or a calendar. Copies of my Monthly Musing Journal are available on Amazon and are a convenient way to keep track of the little things in life we often miss. Or … [Read more...]
18 Quotes about Letting Go – Ponder and Pray
Quotes bring tidbits of wisdom and insight and an incentive to dive deeper into a thought, belief, and behavior. Often a quote will arrive at our heart’s doorstep at just the right moment we need to absorb its words. Letting Go is October’s Tending the Holy Thursday theme. Each month on my Thursday posts, I pick one theme (or person of faith) to explore in depth over several weeks. I invite you if you haven’t already to explore the October posts about letting go so far shared here. The Spiritual Practice of Letting Go The Spiritual Practice of Letting Go - Assumptions The Prayer of Relinquishment Each month I also include a free download to accompany the month’s topic. This month I wrote out for myself and want to share with you a list of “50 Things to Let Go.” These examples are ideas of people, stuff, ideas, and beliefs that we may cling to that no longer fit, serve, or help us in our journey. I don’t plan to release all 50 of these, but to have the list copied in … [Read more...]
Prayer of Relinquishment
Letting go is hard. We’ve been exploring the spiritual practice of letting go this month on Healthy Spirituality. I will have one more post on this topic this coming Thursday but ran across the Prayer of Relinquishment today and thought it fitting to share with you. What is Relinquishment? “No one is ever united with Jesus Christ until he is willing to relinquish not sin only, but his whole way of looking at things…” - Oswald Chamber Relinquishment means to release or let go. In the book titled Prayer – Finding the Heart’s True Home by Richard Foster, he writes that “we begin to enter into a grace-filled releasing of our will and a flowing into the will of the Father. It is the prayer of relinquishment that moves us from the struggling to the releasing…this prayer is a bona fide letting go, but it is a release with hope… God is not destroying the will but transforming it so that…we can freely will what God wills.” As I ponder this radical prayer, I discern my need to pray … [Read more...]
The Spiritual Practice of Letting Go
Do you have the courage to put into action the spiritual practice of letting go? I had to face this question when I decided to delve into this discipline this month. Letting go challenges my comfort zone and requires vulnerability and willingness to step into the risky unknown with faith that God will lead me to where and what I need to grow spiritually. Letting Go is October’s Tending the Holy Thursday theme. Each month on my Thursday posts, I pick one theme (or person of faith) to explore in depth over several weeks. Each month I also include a free download to accompany the month’s topic. This month I wrote out for myself and want to share with you a list of “50 Things to Let Go.” These examples are ideas of people, stuff, ideas, and beliefs that we may cling to that no longer fit, serve, or help us in our journey. I don’t plan to release all 50 of these, but to have the list copied in my journal to use in my prayers, asking God to show me what fills my heart and mind that … [Read more...]
What is Your Image of God?
When you think of God, what image forms in your mind and heart? “What comes into our minds when we think about God is the most important thing about us.” A.W. Tozer In my spiritual journey, my image of God has evolved. How I saw him as a child - an old man, peering down upon me, ready to judge my every move – is so different from the loving presence I now experience. Dare I admit, God is now not always male to me, either. To take the time, to see into your heart, asking the question: What is my image of God? takes courage, time, and vulnerability. When I am honest, I find at times, how I view God may not be the healthiest for my spiritual growth. But when I name it, describe how I see God, I learn so much more about God. Changing Image of God A few years ago, I realized God often appeared as far away, on the far side of a room. Oddly and surprising to me, God seemed unapproachable, distant, out of grasp. I was shocked to recognize how this image of God still lingered within my … [Read more...]
The Spiritual Practice of Letting Go
In Ohio, colorful leaves are letting go. Trees model for us the necessity of times to release, shed, unburden our lives as a healthy way to live. Seasons revolve, not precisely, but predictably, teaching us lessons if we pay attention. The spiritual practice of letting go is perhaps one of the most challenging of the disciplines. One that takes courage to release what is comfortable and known, and step into faith, not knowing what to expect next. Letting Go is October’s Tending the Holy Thursday theme. Each month on my Thursday posts, I pick one theme (or person of faith) to explore in depth over several weeks. Each month I also include a free download to accompany the month’s topic. This month I wrote out for myself and want to share with you a list of “50 Things to Let Go.” These examples are ideas of people, stuff, ideas, and beliefs that we may cling to that no longer fit, serve, or help us in our journey. I don’t plan to release all 50 of these at one time, but to have … [Read more...]
Walk It Out – Book Review
Some books come along in our lives at just the right moment. A few weeks ago, I prayed for help in living a more devoted life, more fully connected with God. I needed guidance to jumpstart my spirit by hearing God deeper. I felt a yearning to live like Jesus did, as he called us to in the Sermon on the Mount. Then Tricia Goyer’s newest book arrived. Walk It Out – Book Overview Walk it Out – a Radical Result of Living God’s Word One Step at a Time is an inspirational, practical read. I love how she weaves her honest life stories amidst real-life ideas, actions steps, and thought provoking questions. As we search for where God is leading us, Tricia also offers great suggestions to balance our lives without doing too much. Walk It Out reminded me once again life isn’t just about me. “Sometimes in the busyness of our Christian walk, we forget that our ministry is not all about us and what we have to offer God. Many of us think it’s up to us to figure out God’s purposes for … [Read more...]
Palm Tree Lessons
Palm trees - my heart skips when I first see their distinctive majestic shapes, waving gracefully and welcoming me into their locale. You see I live in Ohio and palm trees don’t grow here. I recently wrote about how trees embody my spirituality and palm trees are one example of the lessons I learn from pondering these elegant creations of God. I think this affection is rooted in my childhood. We vacationed a lot in Florida where my dad’s sisters lived and palm trees represent fun and family to my heart. I am now learning palm trees also serve as symbol of faith for me. My hubby and I just returned from Florida and witnessed some of the destructive aftermath from the recent hurricanes. We saw broken billboards, tarps on roofs and even a few trees atop of cars. Side streets were still lined with limbs and palm branches, but we rarely saw any uprooted palm trees. My sister-in-law told me this is due to their unique root system. I am learning to pay attention when my spirit is … [Read more...]