ContemplativeJourney

This morning at church, the sermon was based on a passage from the 139th chapter of Psalms. It's always been one of my favorite chapters, and it's neat when you hear the same material you've heard for years, and it yields a brand new lesson! "O Lord, you have searched me and you know me. You know when I sit and when I rise; you perceive my thoughts from afar...you are familiar with all my ways. Before a word is on my tongue, you know it completely, O Lord." The first thing that came to mind when I read this passage was, "God can read our minds." Huh. I find that revelation to be very important, because...I don't know about you, but I cannot read minds . I try, of course. Don't you? I try to figure out what other people are thinking...especially when I'm in the midst of a situation where things might be uncomfortable, and it's easier to try to read someone's mind than it is to simply ask, "What are you thinking??" " You

Back in 2004, a young paster named Joel Osteen published his first book... "Your Best Life Now." At the time, I remember thinking that it was probably a spiritually shallow book, perhaps popular, but lacking in depth... Why I thought I would be an expert on the subject, I'm not sure...in retrospect, it was an arrogant and ignorant position to take on this book, or any book. I've blogged several times about things I've read in one of Joel's other books...in one case, a reader commented on my blog in a positive way, right after clarifying that she wasn't one of Joel's fans...so...whether you're a fan of Joel's or not, it really doesn't matter much to me...I'll take inspiration and encouragement wherever I can find it...but just for the record, I am a Joel fan. I love his desire to encourage people and and I love his joyful demeanor. Because I have found a great deal of encouragement as I've read his books, I want to always attribute t

I read a devotional this morning that I really loved...the scripture is a verse from the New Testament book of Philippians, which, for those of you who might not be familiar, simply means that it was a letter written from the Christian leader named Paul, to a group of believers who lived in the city of Philippi... "I focus on this one thing: forgetting the past and looking forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus." Phil 3:13 As a general rule, I tend to spend more time thinking about the future than I do the past...but that isn't always the case. When it comes to relationships or disappointments in life, I have a tendency to spend too much time looking in the rear view mirror. But it isn't just the losses of our past that have the power to limit our future...it's also our victories...whether it's sadness or celebration, we have to allow the past to flow through our fingers an

While reading along in Joel Osteen's book It's Your Time, I came across his retelling of a story from the Old Testament book of Nehemiah...I'm sure you've read it...it's such a commonly told tale...well, perhaps not. For me, it's a familiar story...one of the people working to rebuild broken down walls, and overcoming adversity in the process...the part of the story that Joel mentions, and that I found so encouraging, is this quote: " ...after ten years had passed, a prophet by the name of Zechariah came by. He said 'Zerubbabel, God sent me all this way to give you two words: Start Again." I love the larger message here, and I love the fact that this encouragement can apply to our situation at any moment, on any given day...regardless of our circumstances, our challenges, losses, failures, or disappointments. We...I... you... can always start again. This is an unusually short blog for me, but hopefully, it will be long on encouragement for you.

Sometimes I read things that are so deeply inspirational, I simply have to share the information with someone else...last week, I picked up a Joel Osteen book ("It's Your Time") to read on a plane trip to Atlanta. While browsing through books and magazines, I knew that I wanted something fairly light to read, but encouraging and positive. I have been delighted by the encouragement found in Joel's book, and read something last night that struck a deep chord... The passage talks about the fact that we all face major challenges in our lives - the loss of a job, a broken relationship, an illness, death of a loved one - and these circumstances could easily bury us in despair. Negative and painful thinking can become overpowering, creating a downward spiral that pulls us ever deeper into feelings of hopelessness. Here's what Joel says about it: "Yet there is a difference between being buried and being planted. That difference boils down to the expectation of what h

So...I took a trip to Stone Mountain Park outside of Atlanta this past weekend...with us was a good friend's 11 year-old daughter. Wanting always to see the 'kid' have a good time, I enthusiastically suggested that we take the "Sky Hike." The 3-story ropes course wasn't too bad at first...safely harnessed of course, we were offered 2 options at each stage of the hike...a challenging option, and a less challenging one. I took the road less challenged... Until, we came upon a section with no less challenging option...you see it pictured here. While the angled boards might look less challenging, they are not...mostly due to the fact that they move back and forth, and the swinging makes balance difficult. The other option...? A single tight-rope. Safety harness or no, I was terrified. I tried to step onto the tightrope, but couldn't go through with it...pulling back onto the platform, I was frozen. There was no stairway down from the platform...and people com

A couple of weeks ago, I was in a meeting where folks were talking about how to handle those moments in life when the answer is "no." The "no" might be about a new job, a raise, a relationship, an answer to your prayers, physical healing from illness...or anything that might be meaningful to you. "No" can be a very difficult word to hear, especially if the subject involved is something of deep importance to you. How do you handle the "no"s in your life? If we were to ask my parents (let's don't)...I'm afraid they would confirm what I already know about myself, which is that I don't usually handle "No" very well. I don't "roll over" easily when someone tells me "no." In certain situations, this can be a terrific character trait...other times...not so much. So...back to the discussion group...a guy was talking about the loss of a relationship in his life, and how poorly he handled his grief...how he

Are you the kind of person who is kind and gentle with puppies and kittens? If you are not, and would find it easy to be harsh and cruel to these adorable little furballs, read no further, because the ideas shared here will not resonate for you... I want to talk about self-care today, and what it means to be gentle with ourselves...as well as with others. Sometimes we need visual aids in order to really "get it"...and I think the image of these sweet and vulnerable babies can help... Not too long ago, I wrote a blog about being a "high maintenance" person, and what it means to take care of ourselves. While the idea may seem a selfish one, I continue to believe that good self-care inevitably leads us toward better relationships with other people (and animals), and that a failure to take good care of ourselves also has an inevitable ending...a bad one. Some of us grew up in nurturing homes and with loving and encouraging families. Others of us grew up in broken homes,

I'm continuing to ponder some things I heard in a conversation on Saturday morning. The topic of discussion was "change." Some folks really enjoy change...they look for change...create change when things become stagnant...they thrive on change. I've never been one of those folks. I enjoy routine. That isn't to say that I don't enjoy some amount of change, because I do. But in general, change isn't one of my favorite things. Routine...more often than not, feels secure to me, and stable...and I like security and stability. I heard someone tell a story on Saturday morning about working with her elderly parents to re-locate to an assisted living facility. The elderly couple committed to move...then backed out...then re-committed to move...then backed out again...and the cycle of indecisive decision-making continued. The reason given by the elderly Mom? Change. She didn't like it, and didn't want it...and she thought that staying in her home of many ye

I wrote a few days ago about the wind...today is one of those days! The wind is blowing my windchimes, and blowing the leaves...and it is spectacular in the shade! If I had to sit in the direct sun, I would probably have a different assessment of the weather, but I'm sitting in the breezy shade, and loving what is! Earlier today I participated in a conversation about the subject of change, and how it effects us. I heard some things that made an impression on me, and that reminded me of tornado survivors from Joplin, Missouri who have been interviewed on TV this week. I'll start with the tornado victims...amazing people, really. I wonder how I would respond in similar circumstances...? Truly, I cannot see myself being as positive and resilient as some of the people I've seen interviewed. There was a woman interviewed last night who had on a pink "Life is Good" t-shirt...I couldn't help but notice the shirt. I love the "Life is Good" brand, and own num

I love windchimes. How 'bout you? I'd buy more of them, if they weren't so expensive...the nices ones, I mean...they are expensive. I bought a new set just this last Saturday...longer pipes, deeper tones...beautiful sound! Last night we had severe thunderstorms in the Dallas area, and several tornadoes touched down, though I haven't yet heard about any major damage or casualities (thankfully). My windchimes weathered the storm, and were hanging quietly from the back of the house when I left for work this morning. Wind can be a fickle thing...gentle and quiet one moment, ferocious and threatening the next... I've always been fascinated by the wind...I love it actually. It can be bothersome to your hairdo, blow away your paper plates during a picnic, throw cars and boats around like tinker toys, or gently kiss your face on a quiet spring day. It's mysterious and wondrous, and for me, carries with it the sense of our Creator's presence. Sometimes I sit outside

Yes, I'm going to use last night's Dallas Mavericks win at Oklahoma City as the basis for a discussion about spiritual life lessons...hopefully, you won't tune out because you're not a sports fan, because life lessons are always universal, no matter the source of material! In last night's playoff game between Oklahoma City (OKC) and Dallas, OKC led for the entire game...and for the most part, had a pretty significant lead. With about 5 minutes left in the game, their lead was at 15...not insurmountable, but it was highly unlikely that Dallas would be able to mount a comeback substantial enough to win. Dallas took the lead for the first time...in overtime ...which got me to thinking... Sometimes, when the game seems over, it is not over. As the final minutes of regulation ticked away, and Dallas had tied the score, the fans in OKC were on their feet, rooting their hometown boys on toward victory...just a few minutes later, but before the game was over, the TV commen

I had two slogans in mind when I sat down to write this morning: Let it Begin with Me, and Expect a Miracle. As I thought about both, I was struck by the fact that the ideas are somewhat at odds with one another...I mean, isn't a miracle something that's super natural, beyond our control or power to influence? And "Let it Begin with Me," on the surface, suggests that I am the one with the power. I don't know if the trapeze artists will pull the two ideas together for anyone but me, but the picture helped me to make sense of things...this process of letting go and trusting the miracle, while at the same time focusing on the part that remains within our control to influence. If you look at the picture, you'll notice that it's difficult to discern which of the artists is going to "let go" and trust their partner on the receiving end...and yet, someone has to let go. The one who lets go must trust the other. If I'm not mistaken, the process requ

Well, before I had even had a chance to read anything inspirational for the day, I already had a relational "splinter" in the palm of my hand. It can be a gift and a curse to try and write about life and life's lessons, especially when my own experience reveals how far I have to travel on the road to maturity. I won't belabor the details of my splinter, because the truth is, the splinter could have been anything that I found unpleasant or painful...or, anything that you find to be unpleasant or painful. Here's the important thing: what am I going to do with the splinter? Will I rush to cover it up, avoid its presence, or otherwise miss it's available gifts? Or...will I take to heart the lessons of the pearl, and actively seek that which could become beautiful as a result of its presence? I suppose this is an opportunity to test that which I say I believe...that I have the ability to choose how I respond to every circumstance of life, and to determine whether I

My daily reading today included timely wisdom on the subject of how we tend to deal with difficulty and conflict in our lives. For most of us, the prospect of dealing with a crisis or relational confrontation is an unpleasant thing...something to be avoided whenever possible. But what if we could see difficulties with new eyes, and actually change our perspective so that we could genuinely welcome difficulties and conflict as gifts to be cherished, rather than a curse to be avoided? I thought about the story I've heard many times about pearls, and the fact that they are created through a process of friction within the oyster. When I looked up the subject, I was surprised by what I learned. Apparently, the creation of a pearl doesn't even begin until a foreign substance slips into the oyster and irritates the oyster's mantle of protection. The process is compared to what we experience when we get a splinter under our skin. What is the oyster's reaction to this irritant

In today's daily reading, I found this quote: Anticipating enjoyment is a good way to begin my day. If I lose my place, I'll remember I can start my day over at any time. I liked the quote for a few reasons, one is that it reminds me that I can choose to be happy today. There is a quote attributed to Abraham Lincoln on this subject, though I don't know if he ever really said this: "Most people are as happy as they make up their minds to be." You can argue with Honest Abe if you want to, but I don't think you'll get very far. Why? Because regardless of our circumstances, we can always find someone who is in a worse state of affairs than we are...and in fact, it is objectively true that some of the happiest people in the world are those who have the least. There are people who have all manner of health problems or disabilities who are happy, and there are people who are poor that are happy. Happiness is not about our circumstances. The other thing I like abo

Last night I was in a 12-step meeting, and one of the ladies present was talking about the fact that she loved the meetings because the environment is calm and stable...people may share some very intense emotions, and sometimes the stories that are shared involve extremely painful circumstances...things that are upsetting to hear...still...there is no chaos or upheaval in the room, because the nature of the program is such that the atmosphere remains calm, even serene. It got me thinking this morning about how life works. Without question, into each life a little drama must come, and if you're in a family with an addict, or in relationship of any kind with an addict, you'll probably experience a healthy dose of chaos and drama along the way... With that being the case, how do we take a sense of calm with us into the drama of life? How do we remain serene in the face of chaos and uncertainty? These questions apply to all of us, not just those who have been touched by the disease

I was reading an article by Mastin Kipp this morning about what it truly means to love someone...it seems like an important topic. At its core, the message of the author was this: To love someone is to let them go...to give them freedom...to allow them the privilege to love or not to love, with no coercion or manipulation. And then I started thinking about God, and how God loves humankind...in Christian circles, we speak often of God's love...and among theologians, there is much debate and disagreement about the balance between God's love and man's free will...and what all of these things mean to the question of salvation and our destiny in the afterlife... The Bible says, "For God so loved the world , that he gave his only Son..." If you put any weight in the authority of the Christian scriptures as God's means of revealing himself to mankind, you might have to conclude that God loves everyone ...not just a select few...I believe that he does. And what of the

Here's a quote that I've been looking at and pondering since May 3 (the day it came up on my Daily SparkPeople.com inspirational calendar): It is never too late to be what you might have been. -George Eliot I'm not sure why George's quote has captured my attention, but I find myself thinking about it quite often, and wondering what it means. To be candid and very practical, it is too late for certain things to happen in my life...like becoming a professional athlete, or becoming President of the United States... So, what does it mean then, to say it is not too late to be what I might have been? Could it be that the quote is talking about the inner person , rather than the exterior accomplishments? At it's core, I like the quote because it effectively snaps me out of complacency...you probably know what I mean...it's very easy to get into a rut with our lives...to quit growing and learning...to give up trying and experiencing new things and knowing new people. Wh

The Serenity Prayer: God grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change; the courage to change the things I can, and the wisdom to know the difference. This short prayer has been used for many years in 12-step fellowships around the world. For my part, I've been aware of it's existence since the late 1970s, though I can't say that I began to understand it's power until very recently. When it comes to the subject of prayer, people seem to be separated into a few distinct "camps"...those who don't pray at all...those who pray without ceasing...those who pray "in case of emergency", and those who see themselves as experts on the subject. I've come to love The Serenity Prayer for its simplicity, and for its accessibility to anyone...whether they see themselves as a pray-er , or not. How can we unpack the prayer in a way that can be immediately helpful to us, on an everyday basis? Let's break it into 3 parts: God, grant me the sere

I had an "Aha!" moment this morning. I am a "high maintenance" person. Actually, I've been told for years by friends who are close to me that I am "high maintenance," but I never really got it until this morning. What I mean is this: I've always thought about being high maintenance in terms of what it meant for other people to be in relationship with me, and never in terms of what it meant for me in terms of self-care. Maybe the concept of self-care is new to you, so let me explain just a bit of what I mean... As much as we aspire to be unselfish and mature in our relationships with those around us, there is a need for each of us to practice good self-care. There are moments when we need to set boundaries, say "no" to things that are asked of us, and spend time taking care of ourselves physically, emotionally and spiritually. Whether we realize it on a conscious level or not, the failure to take care of ourselves will reveal itself event

As we walk along the path of life, there are times when it seems we're running downhill with the wind at our back...and other times, life can feel like a long and winding staircase...an uphill climb, so to speak. In my life, I find that when life feels like an the uphill climb with the wind in my face, it is often a reflection of circumstances that frustrate or sadden me...stealing my momentum. The question is, how can I get my momentum back when life throws a curve? While reading a devotional today, I came across a passage that was helpful to me...helpful for perspective, particularly on the days when I face the staircase and momentum is in short supply...the passage talks about living one day at a time. In itself, the idea of living one day at a time is solid counsel...worthy of taking to heart. Beyond that, the author talked about something even more meaningful to me, because it spoke to the role that God plays in our lives, and how his involvement weaves together with the idea

Over the years I've been involved in various lines of work, much of which has involved some kind of selling or another...actually, some people would tell us that we're all selling, whether we realize it or not...and that's where the law of attraction comes into play... From a business perspective, there are scores of well-dressed, successful looking public speakers who will tell you that the secret to your success is linked to the law of attraction...and coincidentally, there are also scores of people who traffic as relationship-gurus who will likewise tell you the secret of your success in dating relationships is...yes, you guessed it: The Law of Attraction. I find myself wondering what God would have to say about the law of attraction...or even Jesus. What do you think? By most all accounts, Jesus was never described as an attractive person (as humans typically define attraction), and yet...he attracted followers and devotees unlike anyone before or since. What was it

Sometimes inspiration comes easily, effortlessly...other times, life can bog you down, and it seems like inspiration will never come again. Have you ever felt this way? It reminds me of what Jesus said in his conversation with Nicodemus. He was trying to explain the spiritual life to Nicodemus, and his choice of the wind as analogy is an interesting one... The wind blows where it wishes and you hear the sound of it, but you do not know where it comes from or where it is going; so it is with every man who is born of the Spirit. John 3:8 The Holy Spirit, like the wind, blows as it will (you may prefer to refer to the Holy Spirit as either "he", or "she"...). The point is, we can no more control the comings and goings of the Holy Spirit in our lives than we can control the winds that blow. As Christians, we pray for the Holy Spirit to fill us, to guide us, to empower us...but if we think we control the Spirit by our prayers, I believe we think amiss. It's hard, f

I went to a 12-step meeting today at lunch, and the topic was "gratitude." When I came out of the building after the meeting, a gentle rain had begun to fall...and it occurred to me that gratitude, like a steady rain, can water the dry places in our hearts. I've recently started attending Al-Anon, a fellowship of people whose only requirement for membership is that you have either a friend or family member that struggles with the disease of alcoholism. As I look back over my life, I realize that I qualify for participation several times over, and yet...I've only just begun to experience and benefit from the great gift that is shared in this unique fellowship. I am filled with gratitude today, for a very long list of good gifts in my life...some of them practical gifts of provision and personal belongings, others are gifts of profound love and connection with friends and family that make up the mosaic of my 50-year life on this earth. During the lunch meeting, I hear

God will not let us stumble - He is a Guardian who never falls asleep. He is a God who never dozes off. God is alert, watchful, always present. Psalm 121 If there was a person in my life who I loved and trusted, a person who spent every hour of every day and night... watching out for me, caring how I do... protecting me from the heat of the day and the dark of the night... this would be a source of great confidence! Why? Because confidence is rooted in this kind of fiercely protective love... it is found in the passion that wants to be present, wherever I am... only because I am valued...cherished...treasured. Confidence comes from being the object of deep and personal love. Nothing can undermine the confidence of a person who knows he or she is deeply loved and cherished. God loves us...in just this kind of personal and passionate way. "If I have freedom in my love and in my soul am free, Angels alone, that soar above enjoy such liberty." Althea , by Richard Lovelace

While driving home this evening, I was considering what to write about, and this idea occurred to me...pain is so much a part of our lives...so unavoidable...that truly, death is the only permanent solution to the problem of pain in this life. And then, depending upon your belief system, you may have any number of ideas about what happens next... As a Christian, I believe that life follows after death...and that the life that comes beyond our earthly experience is free from pain. I don't know exactly how that works...who among us really does? But I believe in the teachings of scripture, and the promises made by Jesus to all of us who follow him...and for now, that will have to suffice. In the meantime, while we live out our lives on this earth, we will have pain. The question is: how do we deal with it? I used to joke with a friend that my life seemed to always be 2/3 great...of the three major slices that make up the pie of my life...relational, spiritual, and work...two areas alw

This question was presented to me (and several others) at a spiritual formation workshop this past weekend. Sometimes when a question is posed, my mind fills with blank space...and there is no immediate answer. In this situation, the answer that immediately sprang to mind was honesty . My answer, however, is not the answer . I don't know what the answer is for you... With this kind of question, I think we might be inclined to respond in terms of what we are doing... and if we're Christians, we might respond in terms of what we are doing for God. Is that how the question strikes you? As I thought about my answer, and pondered what I might say about the subject of honesty, I was drawn to this well known passage from the Old Testament book of Micah: "He has shown you what is good; and what does the Lord require of you, but to do justly, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God." There is nothing in this passage about "doing stuff"...nothing about teachin

This might seem obscure, but the passage I'm referencing for today's devotional is found in the Old Testament, in the book of 2 Kings. At that time, there was a prophet, or a holy man, named Elisha. Amongst the people of his day, he was well-known for working miracles...or perhaps even better said, as a man through whom God worked miracles. There was, in this particular story, a woman who was barren (unable to have children). Her deepest desire and hope was to have a child, and specifically, a son. As a backdrop to the passage I'm reading today, her path had crossed with that of the great prophet Elisha, and he prophesied that she would indeed, have a son...and she did. Time passes, and we come to the passage in 2 Kings 4: "The servant took him (the son) in his arms and carried him to his mother. He lay on her lap until noon and then died..." When grief comes after what seemed to be the most extraordinary of miracles...when your wildest dreams seem to have come t

I am focused on a list of character traits this week, as a part of both my prayer life and my devotional reading. One of the things I'm praying for is courage , so I decided it would be good to know the definition of the word "courage": The quality of mind or spirit that enables a person to face difficulty, danger, or pain without fear... Synonym: Fearlessness I have a bone to pick with this definition...I think it's off the mark, by a long shot... I don't think being fearless has anything to do with being courageous. For me, courage of heart and soul has to do with showing up for the thing that is difficult, dangerous, or painful...and staying with it...regardless of the presence or absence of fear. In fact, I think it takes more courage to stay in a situation that causes us to feel fearful. In the Old Testament book of Joshua, there's a passage in the opening chapter where God is telling Joshua to move forward with his plan, because God has promised to g

Several years ago, Bob Carlisle recorded a popular Christian song entitled, "We Fall Down." In short, the message of the song is that we all fall down . Sinners and saints...none of us perfect by a long shot...we fall down. For some of us, it may seem like we fall down more than others. I don't know whether that's really true or not, but in the end, it doesn't matter how we fall, or how often we fall. What matters is that we keep getting up. I recently read a story about a guy in Los Angeles who wanted to become a runner, but didn't enjoy the traditional process of running on a treadmill, or a track, or around the neighborhood. He had an idea that I like to call "destination running." He got a map of the area where he lives in L.A., and a protractor...and drew a circle of a one-mile radius around his home... Once he had a circle of distance determined, he located the stores and other places where he might run errands (grocery, dry cleaning, drug stor

Some days it's best to read your devotional in the morning, before you start your day...and on other days it's best to read it in the evening, when you can look back on the day and see how it fits...in retrospect. Today was just such a day...a wonderful day...a beautiful day! Sunny and warm, unlike it has been for most of the past 2 weeks, it was the kind of day that calls for outdoor activity...if you were in Dallas, and didn't spend most of your day outside, I'm a little sad for you, because it was the kind of day that can heal the wintertime soul! As I write this, it is early evening...the sun has set, and the weather is cooling, without being cold. I have a fire of pinion wood in the fire pit, and am listening to my windchimes sing their beautiful song...in the distance I can hear the ambient sounds of traffic, helicopters and airplanes overhead...and even a distant siren. I never cease to tire of this time sitting on my deck, listening to the sounds of the city ar

There are days when I don't have much to write about, or at least, so it seems. I could write about the fact that it's a spectacularly sunny day...albeit, very cold. The cold, dreary, rainy weather of the last week or two had really become depressing to me, so I'm reminded again of how much I treasure sunshine and warmth. I am a southern girl, at heart. I'm babysitting this weekend, or as my protege' would say, "tween-sitting." She is 11 years old, and would have you know that she will turn 12 this year (in September, to be precise). I've been babysitting since I was 13 years old, and I suppose I was meant for this role...as opposed to the motherhood role. I was reading a passage this morning in the Gospel of Luke. In it, Jesus is talking to his close followers about the destruction of the Temple in Jerusalem, and about the persecution they will face from those who are not believers. Tucked in the middle of his admonition is a sentence that caught my