We are under attack. The unprecedented amount of noise and the uninviting amount of busyness threatens to undermine the universe. Are you noticing my fun with words beginning with “un?” No, I am not writing this in my underwear. LOL But on a serious note, when I asked the readers of healthy spirituality last fall the question “what was the biggest challenge in their faith”, the number one answer, the grand “UNO” response was busyness. The second highest answer was hearing God and our own selves amidst the noise bombarding us, internal and external. Noise and Busyness Do we just accept that these two obstacles to our relationship with God persist or can we stop a moment and try to change our circumstances? Let’s start with the external demands of noise and busyness, then next Tuesday explore what we can do to find more internal silence, peace, and stillness. I wager the internal battles we wage in these arenas are more difficult. “One of the greatest attacks of the enemy … [Read more...]
Writing Spiritual Goals
Do you write spiritual goals? Many people shy away from the annual “what’s your new year’s resolution” ritual. Others swear that writing down what you would like to do is the first necessary step in becoming what you would like to be. Ah, the controversy. But what about writing spiritual goals? Should we take the time to ponder where God is inviting us in the coming months? Or is setting spiritual goals too much effort on the human side of controlling our life? I struggle with this issue of writing spiritual goals, but have decided I do like goal setting. I find writing things out gives me clarity and often I hear God better in ink that appears on my journal, more from the spirit than from my mind. I also find I can easier let go of things once revealed in words and be open to where God is leading me. My Process for Writing Spiritual Goals Here are few tips for writing spiritual goals that I have found useful. After I wrote these out, I realized I have never shared this … [Read more...]
2018 – The Year Ahead
Welcome to 2018! The year ahead lies before us – like new chapters of a book, waiting for the words to emerge magically on the page. Don’t you just wonder what the next 365 days will bring? I love this change from one year to another. All the possibilities energize me. Pondering my hopes and dream and yes, I am a goal setter showers me with hope. I have spent hours reviewing what worked and didn’t work in 2017 in my speaking and writing ministry. One of the best gifts is reopening the surprises God gave me throughout the year – ones in January 2017 I had no idea were coming. Yes I shed a few tears in this yearly review too – lamenting heartaches, disappointments, and strange situations that left me bewildered, stunned, and powerless. But I choose to celebrate the gift of life from 2017 and with hope and gratefulness turn my eyes onto 2018. 2018 – The Year Ahead for this Blog What is coming up in 2018 for this blog? Year of Prayer Our Bishop has named 2018 the Year of Prayer and … [Read more...]
Choosing a Word of the Year Practice
I am a goal setter. People who know me well know I love organizing and designing a 90 day or full year plan of action and seeking a direction and implementing a blueprint for the future. This is both good and bad. After all life does interfere and God is in charge, not me. LOL One of the practices that has guided my decisions, prayers and focus each year is choosing a word for the year. Actually, the word choses me – it keeps nipping at my heart, reoccurring in messages and in stories, unfolds in my thoughts. How to Choose a Word of the Year I have written about this practice in the past and have included resources so I won’t repeat all the instructions here but share my previous posts about this valuable practice. I encourage you to take the time to read these, especially if this is new for you. How do you find a word for the year? Simple follow these steps: Pray – ask God to show you the quality that He wants to mature in you. Or the word that He wants to transform … [Read more...]
12 Days of Christmas
Merry Christmas! I hope you had a wonderful Christmas Day. But wait! Christmas is NOT over yet. December 25th is just the beginning of the 12 Days of Christmas. Enjoy this little video I made to celebrate this blessed season. If you are getting this by email, come over to the blog to see the video. https://youtu.be/66glIrXWmZY How will you enjoy the 12 Days of Christmas? P.S. You may enjoy this Christmas Prayer by Robert Louis Stevenson too. … [Read more...]
O Come, O Come Emmanuel Hymn Story
O Come, O Come Emmanuel is one of the favorite Advent hymns sung in many churches. The haunting tune and pensive lyrics invite us into this holy season. Instead of a long blog post today, just pause. Read the words of this well known song. See what stirs in your soul. Talk with God about what you experience. O come, O come, Emmanuel, and ransom captive Israel that mourns in lonely exile here until the Son of God appear. Refrain: Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel shall come to you, O Israel. O come, O Wisdom from on high, who ordered all things mightily; to us the path of knowledge show and teach us in its ways to go. Refrain O come, O come, great Lord of might, who to your tribes on Sinai's height in ancient times did give the law in cloud and majesty and awe. Refrain O come, O Branch of Jesse's stem, unto your own and rescue them! From depths of hell your people save, and give them victory o'er the grave. Refrain O come, O Key of David, come and open wide our … [Read more...]
The Writer and the Birds and the Man and the Birds – Winter Bird Lessons
They are back! Who? The birds outside my office window. The Writer and the Birds My hubby filled the feeder and I set up the suet last week. It didn’t take long for my little friends to discover that the Birdseed Bistro open for the season. What these birds don't know, their presence is a gift to me. You see, I hate winter. It is my least favorite season in northwest Ohio. I don’t like being cold. The darkness affects my mood. The uncertainty of never knowing if the roads will be clear or not. The changeable weather shrouds events with worry and uneasiness. Winter is a time of waiting for something better to come along. One practice I’ve adopted the past few years is challenging myself to find something I like about winter. I have learned a lot from doing this and it has opened up my imagination of the beauty of this time of year and the gifts of this season. The birds flocking, playing, and eating just outside my office window is one of these gifts. I … [Read more...]
In the Bleak Midwinter – Hymn Story
Quick quiz: Do you know the hymn “In the Bleak Midwinter”? Do you know who wrote it? This song called to my heart this Advent, so I thought I would explore it. Come along with me. Often when a word, phrase or like this a song resonates in my heart, stirs my spirit, invites me closer – I pay attention. I talk with God about it. I sit quietly, holding the gift in my open hands, listening to its lesson or just enjoying its presence with its Creator. Who Wrote “In the Bleak Midwinter”? Poet Christina Rossetti wrote the words of this hymn. She lived from 1830 to 1895 and originally published this as a poem called “A Christmas Carol.” Rossetti never married and lived quite independently. She used her poems and words to bring attention to issues of the day, such as slavery, animal experimentations and sexual exploitation of young women. She was often sick and without much money, but devoted her life to her family, her faith, and ministry with former prostitutes. Quite a … [Read more...]