Changing When I don’t want to or Teaching this old dog a new trick.

“The illiterate of the 21^st century will not be those who cannot read and write, but those who cannot learn, unlearn, and relearn.”  Alvin Toffler

The quote above challenged my thinking this week.

Change is occurring at a faster pace all the time. We are called upon to adapt, let go, and learn new technologies, systems, and patterns. I try to grasp a moment of time, but reality slips from my hand as the spinning disorients my thinking and steals my breath.

I don’t know about the rest of you, but sometimes I just want to dig in my feet and say, “NO MORE!!” I slam on the breaks and my shifting gears grind to a stop.

I suffer from change fatigue.  Sigh.

What frightens me is the study I read once that discovered one of the most common characteristics of people who lived to be 100 was their adaptability.  Do you think resisting change is a cause of death?  If not, that form of stubbornness probably leads to a miserable life.

The reality is that the foundation of life is metamorphosis or change. We grow older, though I am sure I still look 28 and my, my have my friends aged lately.

The seasons continue their onward march, not following my wishes for a longer summer and shorter winter.

Kyla, my granddaughter, shows off her new teeth and says new words each day. A lady at church observed the other day, “You don’t have a baby anymore. She has become a toddler overnight.”

The Toffler quote, though, energizes me.  “Change” sounds so tiring, overwhelming, and over done.  I thrive on lifelong learning so to “unlearn and relearn” opens up possibilities.  I like that phrase.

And I certainly don’t want to be called illiterate. And I don’t want to die at such a “young” age.

I am reframing any new change I currently face. I am relearning new ideas and reshaping my thinking.

Learn, unlearn and relearn.   What do you think?

Praying with Joy – Lectio Divina

In all my prayers for all of you, I always pray with joy. 

Philippians 1:4

I always pray with joy

Ok Lord, that is not entirely true for me.  I do not always pray with joy in all of my prayers.

Maybe most of them.

Well, some of them.

To be honest, the majority of my prayers are not with joy.

The other emotions demand center stage – fear, anxiety, desperation.

Sprinkle in a little trust, devotion, and thankfulness - all waiting on the sidelines

I even express love - once in a while.

But joy?

Joy is an element often missing. That makes me sad.

Lord, help me remember to pray with joy each and every time.

Joy is Your essential ingredient that makes the bread rise. Joy is the yeast that ferments and grows the batch. I need Your joy.

Whenever I approach Your throne, may joy be the first and last taste on my lips.

Waiting for God - Quote of the Week

“I think Christians fail so often to get answers to their prayers because they do not wait long enough on God. They just drop down and say a few words, and then jump up and forget it and expect God to answer them. Such praying always reminds me of the small boy ringing his neighbor’s doorbell and then running away as fast as he can go.”  

E. M. Bounds

Spiritual Lesson from Going Back to Kindergarten

Ahhh, back to school time. 

Remember being in kindergarten? My biggest memory of that grade is being happy and whistling while I played in the large sunny room.  

“There is no whistling in school, Jean Anne,” the teacher scolded.  But I was happy…..

I hold good memories in my heart of my own kids first day of school entering kindergarten. New backpack, shiny shoes and smiles from ear to ear.  I never had a shy child who wouldn’t let go or one who cried.  Perhaps since their dad was the principal and never far away helped to make this new experience seem less scary.  (They cried later when they were older though and in trouble. You can’t get away with anything when Daddy is the boss, but that is another topic for a future post. LOL)

Kindergarten – the word comes from Germany and means kinder – the plural for kind or child and the word for garden.  

In a child’s garden – what a delightful name for this early step away from home and into the terrifying, unknown world.

I think all of us need to go back to kindergarten.

KINDER   GARDEN

A place to grow kinder…..

As I listen to the news this week and hear from the fears and concerns from my friends, I know the world needs so much more kindness.

Back to school time. Join me in the kinder-garden and let’s be kinder this week.

  

Hymn of Promise – In the End is our Beginning

This past weekend I reheard a song I had forgotten and its melody and words have wrapped their arms around my heart. Thought I would share them with you today:

Hymn of Promise

by Natalie Sleeth

In the bulb, there is a flower; In the seed an apple tree;

In cocoons, a hidden promise: Butterflies will soon be free!

In the cold and snow of winter There’s a Spring that waits to be,

Unrevealed until its season, Something God alone can see.

There’s a song in every silence, Seeking word and melody;

There’s a dawn in every darkness, Bringing hope to you and me.

From the past will come the future; What it holds a mystery,

Unrevealed until its season, Something God alone can see.

In our end is our beginning; In our time, infinity.

In our doubt there is believing; In our life, eternity.

In our death, a resurrection; At the last, a victory,

Unrevealed until its season, Something God alone can see.

You can hear Hymn of Promise here.

Natalie Sleeth wrote this song in 1985 as a choir anthem and later adapted it into a hymn.

She wrote that she was pondering the death of a friend, thinking about seemingly opposites of spring and winter and remembering the T. S. Eliot poem with the phrase “in the end is our beginning.” 

What a hope-filled message that arises from the contrasts in life.

Music surprises me at times and showers me with hope and encouragement. What gives you hope and lifts your day?

Remembering my Leaders – Lectio Divina

Remember your leaders, those who spoke the word of God to you; consider the outcome of their way of life, and imitate their faith. Hebrews 13:7 (NRSV)

Remember your leaders.

Thank you Lord for all who have led me to You.

I remember them today with gratefulness.

The older lady who played piano in our Sunday School classroom. 

My mom using a colorful washcloth to tell my four year old self the stories from the Bible like Joseph and his coat of many colors.

The preacher who I thought looked like God.

My best friend praying with me at 3 a.m. when my father unexpectedly died.

The friends who knelt beside me during tough times in college.

The neighbor who welcomed me when loneliness smothered my heart.

Your children who walked with you in ancient times whose quotes continue to inspire me today.

The writers who poured out their hearts on paper with words that I cherish.

The artists who painted visions of You in imaginative styles that feed my eyes and my soul.

The hymn writers who glorified You with music and praise.

Those who discovered vaccines and medicines that give me health.

Nameless ones who died so I can freely worship You.

Kind strangers who passed a word or a hand when I needed You in human form.

All leaders who pointed the way to The Way so I would know The Way.

I remember them with gratefulness today.

Prayer - Quote of the Week

"In prayer, the heart leaps to meet with God just as a child runs to his mother's arms, ever sure that with her is the sympathy that meets every need."  E.M. Bounds

Is Skimming The Surface of Life an Unhealthy Spiritual Habit?

Multitasking. Busyness. Noise.  All modern hassles that I often simply accept, don’t fight, and let rule my life. Part of my survival mechanism, I guess.

But lately I have noticing my reading, listening and even prayer is lacking depth – I am skimming in all areas of my life.

Skimming makes me look like I have it all together and am on top of things, yet something is missing. I am not taking the time to develop deep roots – roots that will nourish me through dry periods and hold me steady during the storms of life.

Pete Scazzero wrote, “Skimming is the way many of us cope with multiple demands, constant pressure, and overloaded schedules. We cover a lot of ground superficially without being fully engaged.”

I can blame the Internet. I read this article the other day by Nicolas Carr, author of The Shallows: What the Internet Is Doing to Our Brains, who believes the internet is changing the way we read and process information. It is a medium based on interruption – one in which we read a snippet, check email, click on a link, Google and Bing – it fosters a chronic state of distraction. Thus, it’s really not suited for deep reading and concentration, two elements often associated with the acquisition of wisdom.

Carr started research for The Shallows after he noticed a change in his own ability to concentrate.

“Neuroscientists and psychologists have discovered that, even as adults, our brains are very plastic," Carr explains. "They're very malleable, they adapt at the cellular level to whatever we happen to be doing. And so the more time we spend surfing, and skimming, and scanning ... the more adept we become at that mode of thinking."

I have recognized for a long time that stress decreases my ability to concentrate and now feel I have let my brain slip into a mode of skimming the surface instead of fully digesting what I am reading.  I am glad to read the above quote that sounds like this is reversible.

Skimming can be beneficial at times but not all of the time. How can we develop depth? Seeking a set time for silence and solitude for my Bible reading and for prayer is a start. Being aware that I am in “skimming mode” and intentionally deciding if this is how I want to live at that moment may help also.

I think I would rather accomplish less and live a more fully engaged life than to do lots, just skimming the surface. What do you think? Have you noticed you are skimming more?  Is it a benefit or determent to skim?

Weeding my Garden, my Books, and my Life

Our hot tub disappeared. My perennials conquered that corner of the garden and swallowed up the path leading to our spa. I think some thinning out of my garden is long past due. I have some friends who want starts from my backyard, so it’s time to share some flowers.

I love books and books pack my shelves. We are remodeling all of our bedrooms and I am moving my office into a smaller room. One less bookshelf mandates fewer books. Time for thinning out those that I haven’t or don’t think will use. My local library that sells used books to support the Friends of the Library projects will soon have a large donation from me.

My flowers are beautiful and my books are rich resources, but both have strayed from their boundaries. Time to thin them out and pass them on.

Over the past month I have caught myself overflowing with negative self-talk. Useless, self-defeating habits moved in to push out my exercise routine and eating healthier. The noise of a busy day dominates my quiet time with God.  I guess my life needs some weeding too.

But I just don’t want to throw out and be destructive; I want to cultivate and grow in the right direction.

Cultivate the quality of the flowers in my backyard, not let them multiply unheeded.

Cultivate my reading – not just to have in my possession books, but to read them deeply.

Cultivate my life – plucking out the bad habits, uprooting the time wasters, and planting healthy habits that nurture my body and my spirit.

A person's character and their garden both reflect the amount of weeding that was done during the growing season
-  Author Unknown

What needs thinning out and weeded from your life?

Guard My Heart, Lord – Lectio Divina

"Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus." ~Philippians 4:6-7 (NIV)

Fear cannot win.

Anxiety cannot take me over.

Worry is vanquished.

Nothing can penetrate the Lord’s protection.

The peace of God guards my heart and mind.

Lord why do I let the heaviness of the world weigh me down?

Too often I forget You promised to be with me always, tenderly protecting my heart and mind in Your almighty hands.

Your power is greater than anything the devil throws at me or I imagine in weak melancholy moments.

The peace of God guards my heart and mind.

Amazing, Lord, that what shields me is your peace.

Your peace is my shelter and watchful guard.

And all you ask of me is not to be anxious, but lift everything up to You in prayer.

With a heart brimming over with gratitude, I thank You for your protection of peace.

Disturb Us, Lord - Quote of the Week

Disturb us, Lord, when
We are too well pleased with ourselves,
When our dreams have come true
Because we have dreamed too little,
When we arrived safely
Because we sailed too close to the shore.


Disturb us, Lord, when
With the abundance of things we possess
We have lost our thirst
For the waters of life;
Having fallen in love with life,
We have ceased to dream of eternity
And in our efforts to build a new earth,
We have allowed our vision
Of the new Heaven to dim.


Disturb us, Lord, to dare more boldly,
To venture on wider seas
Where storms will show your mastery;
Where losing sight of land,
We shall find the stars.
We ask You to push back
The horizons of our hopes;
And to push into the future
In strength, courage, hope, and love.


This we ask in the name of our Captain,
Who is Jesus Christ.


Francis Drake, 1577

Name That Hymn Writer

Our church just received new hymnals full of classic and contemporary songs to sing. I am happy they mixed the old and new tunes for such a wonderful blend of music styles. 

Let’s have some fun today and see how many hymn writers can you match with their compositions:

Who wrote the following hymns? (Tried to be easy on you so most of the names are quite familiar)

1.     Joy to the World

2.     Jesus Christ is Risen Today

3.     Come to the Table

4.     A Mighty Fortress in our God

5.     Blessed Assurance

6.     It is Well with my Soul (When Peace like a River) – do you know the story behind this hymn?  What a witness! 

7.     Hallelujah Chorus

8.     Amazing Grace

9.     All Creatures of our God and King

10.  Borning Cry  - I had to include this hymn since I have found many are not familiar with it and it is one of my favorites  Listen to it here 

Scroll down for the answers.

Interesting as I compiled this I realized how many hymns I knew the tune to, but knew nothing about its author. Each song has a person behind it carefully choosing every precise word that pours from his or her heart for the purpose of glorifying God. I think next Sunday when I sing each hymn I will pause, note the writer and composer, and say a word of thanks.  Somehow knowing more about the background of the hymn connects me with other pilgrims on similar journeys. 

May music refresh your spirit this week.

What is your favorite hymn and what do you know about its story?

Answers:

1.     Isaac Watts

2.     Charles Wesley

3.     Claire Cloninger – had to include her as I have several of her books on my shelf and never realized before she also composed music. 

4.     Martin Luther

5.     Fanny Crosby

6.     Horatio Spafford

7.     George Frederic Handel

8.     John Newton

9.     Francis of Assisi

10.  John Ylvisaker

Increasing Embrace.

How have you changed over your lifetime?  

Do you see people differently? Accept them more openly? 

See God with new eyes?

People who study human development described how we grow and change in different terminology, but I read a new description last week that intrigued me.

Increasing Embrace.

Psychologist Susanne Cook-Greuter  describes the maturing process in terms of levels of human development with the words: "increasing embrace."  As we evolve we become more inclusive, able to accept greater differences in those with others.

As we develop, our level of tolerance of other peoples’ mistakes, peculiarities, and values supposedly increase. A maturing human gives up old beliefs and automatic attitudes of the mind and heart. We let go of the old self and take on new openness.

Not only do we accept others with more tolerance, but ourselves also.

Food for thought, isn’t it?

I would like to think I am more tolerant and loving of others and myself now than previously. I hope I am a growing person and not one clinging to comfortable old ways.

But my comfort zone is so, shall I say it, comfortable. Habits are cozy slippers and I get cold feet when walking into new territory.

 “We note that this is the very kind of consciousness that got Jesus into so much trouble. His sharpest critics were those who liked to point out that he associated with anyone. This is because he embraced and loved everyone the same.”  Judy Cannato 

May we all live in increasing embrace with the world, with others and with ourselves.  Just like Jesus! 

Please Don’t Let my Hem Unravel, Lord – Lectio Divina

You hem me in, behind and before, and lay your hand upon me. Psalm 139:5

Hem me in, Lord

Thank you for being my front guard.

Praise you for standing behind me.

Your precious presence protects me every moment.

If I move left, so do You.

When I swerve to the right, you remain with me.

And when I get lost and fall off the path as I so often do, You gently guide me back.

Your hand never leaves me, even when I feel so alone and vulnerable.

Your strength supports my weakened knees when fear invades my heart.

When life unravels and become uneven, You hem me in.

You protect me.

You guide me

You hem me in.

You shield and watch over me.

The great Guard of my life.

My Shelter and Lord!

Falling in Love with God - Quote of the week

"Nothing is more practical than finding God, that is, than falling in love in a quite absolute, final way. What you are in love with, what seizes your imagination, will affect everything. It will decide what will get you out of bed in the morning, what you will do with your evenings, how you will spend your weekends, what you read, who you know, what breaks your heart, and what amazes you with joy and gratitude.

Fall in love, stay in love, and it will decide everything."

- Pedro Arrupe

How do you Celebrate the Firsts in your Life?

Watching a grandchild provides endless life lessons. 

I realized this last Saturday when I grabbed the camera to capture Kyla’s first boat ride on Hamilton Lake.  (By the way she doesn’t look too happy in these photos and really wanted a nap instead of a strange bumpy trip on water. She did enjoy the second boat ride later in the day with giggles and smiles.)

How we love to celebrate a child’s firsts in life! Think of them all - the first tooth, the first haircut, the first walk, the first day of school. We clap our hands, take lots of photos and maybe have a party. We inscribe the event into our memory for safekeeping and honor the moment.

Why have we as adults forgotten to honor firsts in our lives?  I don’t like to think that we have no more firsts after we reach a certain age. I think I quit noticing and don’t take the time to recognizing new onsets in my life.

I believe in life long learning – so the first time you read a new word, pondered a new idea, or learn a new skill should be celebrated.

How about the first time you accomplished a dream? Revel in the feeling of accomplishment.

Try a new food or traveled to a new place lately?  Pause to honor that blessing.

I also think there are many “firsts” around us waiting to be discovered -the first robin of spring or the first dip in the ocean on the first day of vacation.

How about everyday firsts?

Last Sunday I experimented with a first. I decided to celebrate the first non-family member I met entering into church and hold that person up in prayer that day and the rest of the week. I saw Martha in the kitchen as soon as I came into the building. She even sat right in front of me during worship, so I had no excuse not to remember to pray for my selected “first” of the day. Each day this week I smiled as I held her up into the presence of God in my prayers. 

I like this way of celebrating a first in my life and plan to keep my eyes open for more moments to capture, honor, and hold as precious debuts.  Celebrating either a child’s or an adult’s "first" makes me feel more alive.

How about you? Any firsts you want to celebrate?

More on Gentleness as a Spiritual Practice

I missed a meeting a few weeks. Totally forgot I made the commitment to attend it.  If I had just taken the time to think that day, I would have realized it.  But no, I fixed all my attention of my to-do list and my all-important busyness, totally forgetting my obligation.

As I traveled this morning, I beat myself up once again about my lapse of memory. 

“You really should have remembered that. How could you be so stupid?”

Then I listened to myself.  Why, I would never talk to another human being in that tone of voice or use those words.  How cruel, mean, and heartless. Why am I treating myself this way?

Dan Milligan wrote, "So be gentle with yourself; show yourself the same kindness and patience you might show a young child - the child you once were. If you won’t be your own friend, who will be? If, when playing an opponent, you are also opposing yourself, you will be outnumbered."

A few years back I heard a speaker say, “Listen to your own self-talk.”  I tried it and was shocked by the amount of negative words inside my head.  I heard them once again this morning.  I don’t think I am the only one who judges themselves harsher than they judge others.

The speaker suggested a psychological tool called “thought stopping.”  Once you catch yourself with thoughts that are not real or too negative or exaggerated, stop, reflect and evaluate how true they really are.  Squeeze a lesson from them, then let them go. 

Gentleness is a fruit of the Holy Spirit. My old habit of negative self-talk blocks the spirit from being cultivating within me. When my heart, head, and hands cling to its old nature full of condemnation and criticalness, I never get a full grasp on the great gifts from God, such as the precious present of gentleness. 

My image to help me become gentler with myself?  How about this:

Fragile: Handle with Care stamped across my forehead and my soul.  God has already marked me as His child and holds me in His loving hands.  If that is how He treats me, I better start taking care of myself in that manner also – with gentleness.

“Be gentle with yourself, learn to love yourself, to forgive yourself for only as we have the right attitude towards ourselves can we have the right attitude towards others.”  Wilfred Peterson.

Are you gentle with yourself?  How do you cultivate gentleness?

Book Review: Where is God in your Life?

Attention: Retreat leaders and small group facilitators.  I discovered a great reference to add to your library.  Where is God in your Life? by Susan M. Provost.

The purpose of this book is to help us see God in our lives and to know His love. The book is uniquely set up in the style of three two-day retreats with the topics of spirituality, understanding the soul, Christian spirituality, God’s presence, prayer, and spirituality within the community.  The author shares ideas for icebreakers, Biblical readings, music, and even the time schedule.  How handy for a busy retreat leader.

The strength of the book’s resources lies with the strong narrative – the type of “meaty” material that adds depth to a retreat. The book explores the teachings expressed by Janet Hagberg and Robert Guelich and is an examination of the six stages of a person’s faith journey:

(1)recognition of God;

(2)the life of discipleship;

(3)the productive life;

(4)the journey inward and meeting the wall;

(5)the journey outward;

(6)and the life of love.

Provost recently said in a July 13^th  interview:

“Most people can achieve stages one through three within their church community, but there is little support currently available to help a person realize stages four through six. Where is God in your Life and the workshops designed around my teachings offer a platform to help people arrive at the final three profound levels when traveling the road to faith.”

The use of prayer and Bible readings throughout the retreat provide a strong foundation to her program.  She has a clear presentation of How To Start Praying and a clever tool called, Build-a-prayer.  Since many people struggle in how to pray, this is a wonderful addition. Other spiritual practices such a lectio divina and centering prayer are also introduced.

Susan Provost is a Spiritual Director and has a Masters of Arts Degree in Spiritual Formation and Leadership from Regis University in Denver Colorado. She is a teacher of religious education and spirituality for both children and adults. She also gives workshops called "nourishing your soul" to local women's groups in her area.

Where is God in my Life? Is full of rich resources of material that will help others discover God.  I recommend it for retreats and small groups.

Gentleness – Lectio Divina

Let your gentleness be evident to all. Philippians 4:5a (NIV)

Gentleness

Lord I ask for Your spirit of gentleness to shine in my life.

May I reflect Your kindness in all that I meet.

May I treat my own self with tender love.

Gentleness

Loving others with a strong and decent goodness

Walking humbly through life, being honest with self

Speaking and being a blessing to others.

Gentleness

Thank you for Your never-ending gentleness with me.

Thank you for the gentleness shown to me by others

Thank you for being Gentleness.