Category: christianity

Resting

(This is a reposting of a Facebook Note from November 1, 2009)

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Where I work I spend most of my time in two rooms, the kitchen and dining room. They are open to each other. In those two rooms there are four clocks. Should I venture into either bathroom there’s a clock there, too. I never have to wonder or worry about what time it is.

Time. When we think about it we wonder what time it is. We wonder if we’re late or early. How much time do we have? What do we do with our time? We’re accused of wasting time, marking time, stretching time, and watching time fly by.

I used to rush through my days. I was proud of how much I could cram into a day. More was always better and therefore, resulted in a better me. When I gave up sleep to focus on saving the world (or at least my little corner), I made some of the stupidest and most dangerous decisions, decisions that nearly cost me everything, including my life. I finally came to the conclusion that there is a reason that God rested and a reason that he commands it of us, as well.

This morning was the time to change our clocks. It was time to “fall back.” While others were relishing an extra hour of sleep, I was awake and at my computer. I was reveling in the quiet. All I could hear was the rhythm of the clocks ticking around me. Now maybe if I only had that to listen to 24/7, it would become tortuous, but sitting here this morning, it was a Centering Symphony.

I was up “early” because someone imposed a time change on me. Isn’t that just how life seems to go? We grouse and complain because our time is not our own. Someone always seems to be demanding our time.

Recently, I was a t a retreat where the leaders took the watches and phones of the participants. The surrender was to free those attending from the tyranny of time. The thinking was/is to let the staff “worry” about time and schedule. Good as it was, the staff always had someplace for the participants to go or something for them to do, so there was no sense of “free time.”

Compare that to the experience of our house guest. We have a couple unoccupied rooms in our home, so we opened our space to a pastor friend who was between jobs with no place to stay. The first couple weeks she was with us, all she did was sleep, eat, and watch TV. Our interactions were minimal. Slowly, opportunities and necessities began to reenter her life and she began to go out with friends and go to some meetings. One day she came through the living room where I was reading. She sat and we chatted for a while. At the end of our talking, she shared how much she appreciated the opportunity to just be there with no expectations, just able to rest. It was the refreshing that she needed at every level of her being: heart, mind, soul, and strength.

In the great Shepherd Psalm (Psalm 23), we find so much of the care provided to and for us. One of the things we may overlook is that he who knows us and our needs makes us lie down. Thinking of this reminded me of my grandson. I can always tell when Asher needs a nap. Some days so can he. Don’t make the Shepherd bop you on the head with his crook to get you to rest. We were not created to go 24/7.

One day as Jesus was ministering, he looked out at the crowd and was moved to compassion when he saw how weary and out of synch they were. He offered them rest, to restore their rhythm. To receive this gift they needed to come to him and learn from him. Don’t you think it’s time to listen, to learn, to rest?

Tracing and Anticipating

I wrote this in 2009 and posted it as a note on Facebook–it came up as “memories” reminder. I’m reposting it and will edit it later. I needed the message.

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Our three year old grandson, Asher, started pre-school this fall. From the get go, we knew he was a bright child. He even came on his due date. We watched Baby Einstein videos with him until we all knew them by heart. Very early, he knew his shapes, colors, letters, and numbers.

At Pre-school they are teaching the kids their letters and numbers and having them trace them. Asher walks around with his left hand in the air, at the ready for the next thing to trace. If he isn’t tracing the letters, he’s counting how many characters or letters are in the word or string of words. He traces letters on the TV, on boxes, on books, from the newspaper, or on the shirt someone has on. One day, I found him sitting on the floor in the dining room. We have a shelf there with accident/spare clothes for him. He had all his spare shirts lying out and his own shirt off. When I asked what he was doing he looked at me with that “isn’t it obvious, Mema” look. Then, as matter of factly as he could, he informed me that he was tracing. Every letter around him screams to be traced!

Reflecting on Asher’s tracing, I began to see three components that made Asher such a good tracer. First, he walked through his day, minute by minute and room by room, anticipating, no expecting, that there would be letters to trace or count. What do you eagerly anticipate? A quick read of Romans 8 paints a clear picture of what we need to be anticipating.

Anticipating that God is at work, that he has a plan and it includes us, drives us, spurs us, motivates us to be ready. Asher walks around expecting to find something to trace. His little hand is often in the air, making circles, like an airplane getting ready to land. The word tells us we are to be ready, to always have an answer when someone asks us what are hope is about.

Could you do that? I’m not asking if you know some specific plan or canned presentation. I don’t care if you have scripture memorized, but can you (from a sincere heart) tell someone, “This is where I was. This is what God in Christ did for me. And this is where I’m headed.” It’s your story, are you ready to tell it?

And finally, I have been so impressed by Asher’s focus. His questions reveal his passion to learn more. He listens to all our conversations. I know this because often my words come back to me through him. It has caused me to be more conscious of what I say and how I say it. We’ve even had to resort to spelling things we want to keep above his head. Everything he sees is an item to trace. If he’s not tracing letters, then his finger runs around the circumference or perimeter of an item. Some days he carries his step stool from room to room so that he can be sure to catch whatever you’re doing.

Right now Asher seems to be practicing the fine art of learning. It reminded me of Brother Lawrence’s continual practice of the awareness of God. And I started to wonder: what keeps me from anticipating God at every turn? Do I have preconceived and limiting notions about who God is and what he can do? What keeps me from being ready? Is it fear, or busyness, or ignorance of the urgency, or God help us: lack of love? What keeps me from being focused? The enemy is the expert at divide and conquer. If he can get us to thinking in terms of sacred and secular, he knows it’s just a short distance disconnecting our head and heart.

When I was in seminary the second time around, a Sunday School teacher asked our younger daughter, Beth (Asher’s mom), what she wanted to be when she grew up. Beth’s answer struck the teacher enough that she made sure to tell me. Beth’s answer was, “a student like my mom.” There is always a need for us to put into practice what we know, but oh, that God would rekindle in each of us the insatiable desire to learn.

Then we would, like Asher, be anticipating, ready, and focused.

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Samuel and a Teachable Moment

I have spent so many hours watching the Olympics this past week. I have let my reading and writing slip to the periphery.

Then I read my friend, Evelyn Mann’s article about an incident that happened with her son. Read it here: Miracle Man

If you have children, work with children, or live near children take time to consider Evelyn’s suggestions for ways to bridge the wonderment and answer the questions.

Samuel is an amazing child. Catch his joy!

 

On Complaining…Or Not

Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life, and I shall dwell in the house of the Lord my whole life long. (Psalm 23:6, NRSV)

On a past trip to visit my mom in Arizona I came to a new awareness. It wasn’t completely new, but it sure hit me in a new kind of way: I have very little tolerance with complaining. Let me clarify. I believe that there is room for dissatisfaction and the proper communicating of that. My problem is with people…like a woman at the movie theater.

Mom and I decided we were going to see the movie, “The Proposal.” Romantic comedies are one of my favorite genres of films (followed closely by Disney animation). I was pretty excited to see the film, partly because I like the star, Sandra Bullock, but also because it was nice to see a grown up movie (a grandma’s dilemma). We were standing in a line waiting to buy our tickets when a woman came in with a group and immediately began to complain. The line was too long. She wasn’t going to get a good seat. Couldn’t they afford to get adequate help so she didn’t have to wait? On and on she went.

When we got into the theater, even though it was a multiplex, she was seated right behind us. I don’t think she skipped a beat and went right on complaining, loud enough for everyone around her to hear (which was pretty loud, keeping in mind this is a retirement community). The upcoming movie ads were too long. The theater was too cold. The seats were too hard. Sandra Bullock was too thin. The movie was too predictable.

When I had enough, I leaned over to Mom and told her I was about ready to stuff a sock in the woman’s mouth. I wouldn’t have done it, but it was a tempting thought. After the movie Mom and I were laughing about it. Then she turned serious and informed me complaining is a way of life for the people down there. That ended the discussion, but not my thinking about it.

I am still mystified why retired folk in Arizona would be complaining. Sure it’s warm, okay hot, but it’s a dry heat. On that visit people were complaining about 30% humidity while the humidity back home in Ohio was over 100%. They live in beautiful homes, surrounded by amazing scenery. They are retired so all they have is time, but they complain about waiting. I just don’t get it.

I decided to make sure that it was complaining that I had the biggest problem with, so I checked the definition out on dictionary.com. The distinction that stuck out most clearly to me was the between expressing dissatisfaction and a constant whining complaining about everything. It wasn’t occasional dissatisfaction that bothered me, but that seemingly total frustration and complaint about everything that really grates on me. One of the descriptions is “to whine like a spoiled child.” And that hit it right on the head for me. Whiners and complainers walk around exuding some kind of sense of entitlement that irritates me to no end. That’s what got to me about the woman at the movie. She seemed to feel she was entitled to immediate attention, and seating, and the perfect movie experience.

As I read all the way through the definitions I found that they listed an antonym at the end. The antonym for complain is rejoice. How perfect is that! Paul admonishes the Philippians to do all things without grumbling or complaining. He moves through a discussion on growing spiritually deep and hits with pretty solid intensity their need to rejoice. And he says it again, probably louder and more forcefully: Rejoice! James echoes the teaching by telling the readers of his letter to “count it ALL joy.”

At one of the darkest and most shame-full periods of my life, not even my typically optimistic and sanguine personality seemed to be much help. I had to make a conscious effort to be thankful. I had to look for things to rejoice about. The more I looked, the more I found. The more I found, the better I felt, and the more joy that became apparent to others. The shame wasn’t erased, but the heaviness was lifted. I was surrounded by much whining and complaining but all I could feel was an abiding gratitude for the way God was bringing me through. I was in a dark, dark valley, but goodness and mercy walked me enabling me to avoid the grumbly pitfalls and come out on the side of joy.

Maybe that’s why I get easily irritated by the complaining and whining of others. I know where I’ve been and how easily it would have been to give up. But honestly, what good does whining and complaining do? I haven’t seen one occasion where it has made the situation better. Whereas, I have seen the insertion of thankfulness and joy into an otherwise abysmal situation make all the difference—for the good—in the world!

So don’t make me take out my sock! Things not going well? Look for what is and plant the seed of thankfulness. Who are your traveling mates on the journey? If they aren’t Goodness and Mercy, then beat feet away from the negativity and soak in the grace that will release you into joy! Who you travel with and how you travel is really up with you. You want some control? Control that!

 

 

Teaser: A Mary Like Me

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I’m not ready to review this book. But I want to let you know that what I’ve read is wonderful. I’m so excited about it, I would love to find a group of women who want to dig in and find God’s word.

I couldn’t get past the subtitle: flawed yet called. Who can’t relate to that?

Here’s what I know for sure: the author, Andy Lee, is a student of the Word, a lover of Jesus, a servant with a huge heart and burden for women. I follow Andy’s daily bites of bread on Facebook and look forward each morning to her breaking open the Word live on Periscope.

This one is going to be good.

Book Review: The Apocalypse Within

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I have never been interested in studying Revelation. The most I have ever done is give attention to the letters to the seven churches and the wonderful imagery in the final chapter. As far as I was concerned, the most important word was Maranatha—come now, Lord!

DiTizio’s book claims to be different kind of study of Revelation, one that “is about what happens inside of us when we accept Christ into our life.” He asserts that the imagery throughout the book are “about our sinful nature being destroyed by the blood of the lamb.”

To say I was intrigued is an understatement. I quickly tune out those who espouse the contemporary fulfilments of the players in revelation. I just felt there had to be more. We spend so much time trying to explain what will happen in the end times. The imposition has always felt stilted and contrived.

While I don’t completely feel that this book has answered all my questions, it has given me much to consider.

One of the things that I found interesting—enough that I will do more research—is it’s analysis of the Aramaic language. The author draws on experts in this area, as well as many others.

In the very first chapter, the author makes an unusual statement. He says that it is his hope the book will prove useful, but if it doesn’t then go back to what you’re comfortable with, and he makes reference to 1 Thessalonians 5:21: Prove all things, hold fast that which is good.

It’s rare that I finish a book and not have a solid yay, or nay opinion. But maybe that’s not such a bad thing. This book has put me in a place where I just might have to do more studying of Revelation.

This book was provided to me by BookCrash in return for a fair and honest review.

Book Review: Choose, Fulfill Your Created Purpose

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One of my favorite things to do when I’m in a library or book store with someone is point out the authors that I know personally. I’m going to let you know: I know David Brannock.

But more than just know the person and the author, I know this man’s heart–and it shines through in this book.

Choose is straight from his heart.

Finding purpose and direction may not rank up there with college choices, prom dates, and summer jobs in the minds of many graduates, but David understands that what they decide about Jesus truly is the most important choice they’ll every make.

This is not a long book, but it is a rich one. There is a lot of scriptural foundation that backs up the authors points. Each chapter has questions that will guide the reader as he or she considers their future.

The book claims to help the reader chart their course wisely. And I think it clearly delivers on that claim.

I would recommend this book as a gift for graduates. Churches, pastors, and Christian Ed Committees would do well to consider it for all their graduates. It would also be a great small group study. It’s one I will consider for the graduates in our church.

Book Review: The Imitation of Christ, Classic Devotions in Today’s Language

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One of my favorite movies is a sappy romantic comedy called, “Kate and Leopold.” In the movie a character from the late 1800’s ends up in the 1990’s. In one conversation the stars have, Kate asks Leopold what he misses from his time. His response is that he misses the pace. Modern time is to fast and chaotic.

Perhaps that is why I love Peterson’s translation of Jesus’ invitation in Matthew 11:29. We are invited to “catch the unforced rhythms of grace.”

As I began reading this modern translation of The Imitation of Christ, I felt the pace change. I sensed an unusual, but very comforting rhythm. I found I couldn’t help but slow down–and in the slowing, go deeper.

There has always been a timelessness about the message of the original work, but now people can more easily hear it and hopefully be changed by it. I love how the messages flow from the Christ and from the Disciple. We are so naturally tuned into the message and pace of the world and this books speaks to that…and to us.

I would strongly recommend this book for personal study, but also see how it could be beneficial to study it’s message in a small trusted group. There is much to be gained from the accountability with other believers.

The only thing that would made the book better was more room to write in the margins. I found many times when I wanted to respond to the Christ as the disciple did.

 

 

Book Review: The Fragment

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Once again Davis Bunn has challenged my preconceived notions about a specific genre. I enjoyed his book, The Pilgrim, so I wanted to follow up with The Fragment. Prior to reading these books, I was quick to stay away from Historical Fiction. But Mr. Dunn does his homework and I don’t feel like I’m studying a history lesson or wonder if that’s how it really was. As is typical of this author, I dive into the story, get lost in the characters, and only come up for air when I have to.

I especially like the strength of the story’s leading woman, Muriel. She’s intelligent without being arrogant or pretentious. She is educated and real, and remains true to the convictions of her faith.

As for the villain…I sure didn’t see that coming!

If I have any complaints about this story it is that it ended too quickly and too soon.

When I reviewed this book on Amazon, I was stumped for a title. Then it came to me: No Fragments Here–This One is the Whole Package. And it is. I so thoroughly enjoyed the characters, I really do hope there’s more about them in the future.

I received a copy of this book from the author in return for an honest review.

Book Review: The Message 100 Devotional Bible

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Each time a new Bible is printed, the question that typically gets asked is, “Why?” Do we really need another Bible?

In our Twitter crazed, cut to the chase world, it’s not easy to convince people to take or make the time to study a book that’s centuries old. They struggle just maintain a 30 second devotion—how will they ever commit to 30 minutes?

Enter The Message 100 Devotional. Readers are invited to partake of a story: the Story of God. The point, of this devotional, according to the introduction, is to draw the reader in, right into the unfolding Story of God.

At the beginning of each reading there is an intro or explanation. They are inviting and encouraging. They seemed conversational and I liked them.

Many are looking for a new and fresh way to read scripture, and The Message 100 provides both. Reading out of the traditionally presented order is challenging. It’s enough of a jolt to push the typical Bible reader out of their familiar rut.

People often resolve at the start of the year to read the Bible all the way through, but burn out by the end of March. The beauty of this format is that readers will be almost done at the end of three months. A double accomplishment! Not only will they have realized a goal, but they will also gain knowledge and growth in their faith.

That’s a win-win in my book!

I highly recommend this Bible devotion.

I was given a copy of the The Message 100 in return for an honest review.