Spiritual March Madness – Thoughts about Enthusiasm

 March Madness – the crazy time of year when basketball tournaments dominate many conversations. “What is your bracket?” become the enthusiastic question many spend hours pouring over.

I am NOT a basketball fan – it probably one of my least favorite sports. Yet last weekend as March Madness progressed, I asked my husband about certain games, watched the closing minutes of a few, and quietly cheered when I heard two underdogs made it to the final four. Many of the top teams (including my favorite Ohio State) toppled out unpredictably out of first place.

These players play every game like it may be the last one they are ever in. Players who may never see any action, cheer with their entire being and know they are as part of the team as the star player. As the excitement grew, the interest in basketball became infectious. Many of us try to guess who will be number one when March Madness is finally over.

Makes you wonder how our spiritual lives would be like if March Madness become a Spiritual Year-round Madness.

Madness in this context is defined as a great enthusiasm or excitement. I love the word enthusiasm, a word that first appeared in English in 1603 with the meaning "possession by a god." The source of the word is the Greek, from the adjective entheos, "having the god within," formed from en, "in, within," and theos, "god."

Good thought to ponder this March: living with God within or being one with God. The Holy Spirit takes our simmering and turns it up to a rolling boil – that is spiritual enthusiasm.

If we lived with more enthusiasm, we would, like the players in March Madness Tournament, recognize that every day, every moment could be our last and we should play our best. We would know we were valuable team members whether making the final winning shot or praying from the sidelines. Our faith would be infectious. And we already know deep in our heart that God is number one and will never be toppled.

Enthusiasm is one of life's greatest qualities, but it must be practiced to become a dominant factor in one's life. There is real magic in enthusiasm. It spells the difference between mediocrity and accomplishment. Normal Vincent Peale

Years wrinkle the skin. But to lose enthusiasm in life wrinkles the soul.  Anonymous

A prayer I have added for the month of March and for this Lenten season is this:

Fill me, Lord with your presence. 

May I be one with You. 

Defrost my frozen heart so the warmth of Your love permeates all I meet today.

May Your spiritual enthusiasm dominate my life.

Now that is the kind of March Madness I want to experience.

Joanna Weaver’s Lazarus Awakening – Wake Us Up, Lord!

    Lent is a time to stir our souls and awaken our spirits by feasting upon great writing. Joanna Weaver’s newest book, Lazarus Awakening, is a read that will provide much nourishment for your spiritual journey.

   Many of you know Weaver for her best selling and wonderful book, Having a Mary Heart in a Martha World and I recommend Lazarus Awakening which also explores the famous family that were close friends with Jesus.

   Weaver dissects many spiritual questions we all have: what do we do when God doesn’t come through the way we hope He would? What should we feel when what is dearest to our hearts is suddenly snatched away? Does God really love me? What does it mean to be a friend of God?

    “I wonder what would happen in our lives if we stopped resisting God’s love and started receiving it. What if we spotted trying to do the math, spotted striving to earn His favor? What if we just accepted the altogether-too-good-to-be-true news that the yardstick has been broken and the cross has opened a door to intimacy with our Maker?"

    In this book she slowly helps us uncover multiple nuggets of truth from the story of Lazarus dying and being brought back to life by Jesus. 

    This book is great as a stand-alone read or with a group as it contains wonderful study questions in the back of the book along with a great reference appendix.

  I did receive this book as part of Waterbrook’s book blogger program but my good review was not required. I did really like this book and would recommend it. In fact, my monthly accountability group plans to use it as our next book to share.

  You can read an excerpt of chapter one here. And download the free study guide work book and leaders guide here.

   Weaver writes, “We’re asleep, Lord Jesus. What us up! should be our daily prayer, Wake us up to Your loving mercy. Wake us up to Your goodness and Your power to save.”

    Lazarus Awakening is a book that will stimulate your thinking, revive your heart, and deepen your roots in God’s love.

  Yes, wake us up Lord!

God’s Springtime Invitation – Lectio Divina

“Arise, my darling, my beautiful one, and come with me. See! The winter is past; the rains are over and gone. Flowers appear on the earth; the season of singing has come, the cooing of doves is heard in our land. The fig tree forms its early fruit; the blossoming vines spread their fragrance. Arise, come, my darling; my beautiful one, come with me.” Song of Solomon 2:10-13

Come with me

Lord, two doves have perched outside my office window this week. As I work I hear their rhythmic lullaby.

Coo, coo, coo…

I wonder what they are singing. 

I imagine they are singing with You, Lord. 

Are you inviting me to join in this praise chorus?  

I hear You say softly, “Come with me.”

I pause and as they coo, I silently pray with them, “Lord… Lord… Lord…”

Ahhh, the winter has past…the season of spring has come…Your invitation in all of nature shouts to us still hibernating….

“Arise!”

“Come!!”

“Come with me, my beautiful one.”

Lord, Your love is my invitation. 

I come.

The Pursuit of God – A. W. Tozer – Quote of the Week

“We need never shout across the spaces to an absent God. He is nearer than our soul, closer than our most secret thoughts.”

A. W. Tozer from the Pursuit of God

Lenten Quotes to Ponder – Nouwen, Merton, Luther and more

During Lent I have been trying to pause more, listening deeper for and to God. One of the verses I have memorized this month is: “Then Christ will make his home in your hearts as you trust in him.” Ephesians 3:17 (NLT) My prayer is Christ will make his home in my heart.

In my silent time I have lingered over several quotes. I thought I would share a few of them with you today that may help deepen your Lenten walk with Christ.

Lord Jesus, You are my righteousness, I am your sin.

You took on you what was mine; yet set on me what was yours.

You became what you were not, that I might become what I was not.

Martin Luther

Sometimes I think of life as a big wagon wheel with many spokes. In the middle is the hub. Often in ministry, it looks like we are running around the rim trying to reach everybody. But God says, "Start in the hub; live in the hub. Then you will be connected with all the spokes, and you won't have to run so fast."

Henri J. M. Nouwen

Every moment and every event of every man's life on earth plants something in his soul. 

Thomas Merton

The truth of the matter is, we all come to prayer with a tangled mass of motives altruistic and selfish, merciful and hateful, loving and bitter. Frankly, this side of eternity we will never unravel the good from the bad, the pure from the impure. God is big enough to receive us with all our mixture.

Richard Foster

"God loved us before he made us; and his love has never diminished and never shall."

Julian of Norwich

“We do not think ourselves into a new way of living as much as we live ourselves into new ways of thinking.”

Richard Rohr  

“Yet even now, says the Lord, repent and return to me with all your heart”

Joel 2:13.

Have you found an inspirational quote lately to ponder?

Eye-Service - Who are You Serving?

Eye-service is an interesting phrase, which refers to service performed only under inspection or the eye of an employer. 

We concentrate on our work and do our best when the boss is watching. If those in charge are present, we focus on what we need to accomplish and at least look busy. We don’t want to appear to be lazy or unappreciative of the work. If we are not working away, the boss may think we are not necessary and we may soon lose our job.

The phrase is actually biblical:

Slaves, obey in everything those who are your earthly masters, not by way of eye-service, as people-pleasers, but with sincerity of heart, fearing the Lord. Colossians 3:22 (English Standard Version)

Try to please them all the time, not just when they are watching you. As slaves of Christ, do the will of God with all your heart. Ephesians 6:6 (New Living Translation)

One of the devotions I read each morning is Edward Hays' A Book of Wonders. His March 16 entry lingered with me as it pointed to a different meaning of eye-service.

“Eye service is also done by a surprisingly large number of people who are dominated by an invisible overlord, their inner-critic. This boss demands you attend to the most unimportant, even trivial task like cleaning off the speck of dust on the chair rung or straightening the picture frame that’s but a centimeter crooked. We all, to a great or less degree, are saddled with a harsh taskmaster on our own creation as our overlord.”

I know I am my own worst critic. I know I listen to that degrading negative inner talk too much- the one who uses words like “you should”, “you can’t, “You are worthless and don’t deserve…” and “it will never happen.” But never really thought of this being my overlord.

Wow, I listen as much, if not more, to this internal overlord rather than the Lord that is over me.

I give eye-service to my bruised ego and hurt feelings instead of praise and thanksgiving to the One who created me.

I never thought before to call this noisy, unkind inner critic my overlord, my boss, my supervisor.  I am giving these false voices power and control they don’t really possess.

God alone rules in my heart and He is the One I serve.

My eyes will only be on Him.

As I know His eyes never leave me.

Now that is Eye-Service!

Praying in the Dark with Jesus – Lectio Divina

In the morning, while it was still very dark, Jesus got up and went out to a deserted place, and there he prayed. Mark 1:35

While it was still very dark

Lord your words today jump from the pages right into my heart.

Jesus didn’t wait until He could clearly see to seek You.

Jesus didn’t begged for sunlight before enjoying Your presence.

He got up while it was still dark to find You.

I want to be like that.

When burdened with dark moods and deep disappointments, I want to get up with Jesus and pray.

When shadows dim my vision, I will join Jesus in a quiet place and spend time with You.

Trusting in You, I will step out into the unknown, praying and glorifying You even if I have no idea what lies ahead.

I may start in darkness but the candlelight of prayer lights my path.

The time may be filled with darkness, but Your presence lights my way.

Spring! – Quote of the Week

Earth teach me to forget myself as melted snow forgets its life.

Earth teach me resignation as the leaves which die in the fall.

Earth teach me courage as the tree which stands all alone.

Earth teach me regeneration as the seed which rises in the spring. 

William Alexander

St. Patrick’s Prayer

March 17 is of course St Patrick’s Day when we celebrate the fifth century Christian bishop and missionary who is credited with bringing Christianity to Ireland. I have always enjoyed this holiday though not for all the spiritual reasons. I do like those Shamrock shakes, look good in green, have Scot-Irish background, and love knowing that spring is around the corner.

In researching background about St. Patrick, I learned more about a prayer attributed to him. I have read it in the past, a shorter version, but its history and longer version are worth the time to read.

This prayer is called "St. Patrick's Breastplate" because of those parts of it that seek God's protection, especially protecting the heart. 

According to tradition, St. Patrick wrote it in 433 A.D. for divine protection before successfully converting the Irish
King Leoghaire and his subjects from paganism to Christianity. Recent researchers think its author was anonymous. In any case, this prayer certainly reflects the spirit with which St. Patrick brought our faith to Ireland.

Monks memorize and pray this prayer every morning when they awake, sometimes also adding Psalm 5. You may enjoy hearing this prayer sun by Ken Read on YouTube. Its version is slightly different from what is printed below but is just beautiful. 

St Patrick Prayer

I arise today

Through a mighty strength, the invocation of the Trinity,

Through a belief in the Threeness,

Through confession of the Oneness 

Of the Creator of creation. 

I arise today  


Through the strength of Christ's birth and His baptism,  


Through the strength of His crucifixion and His burial,  


Through the strength of His resurrection and His ascension, 


Through the strength of His descent for the judgment of doom.

I arise today 


Through the strength of the love of cherubim, 


In obedience of angels, 


In service of archangels, 


In the hope of resurrection to meet with reward, 


In the prayers of patriarchs,  


In preachings of the apostles, 


In faiths of confessors, 


In innocence of virgins, 


In deeds of righteous men. 

I arise today

through the strength of Heaven 


the rays of the sun, 


the radiance of the moon, 


the splendor of fire, 


the speed of lightening, 


the swiftness of the wind,

the depth of the sea, 


the stability of the earth 


the firmness of rock.

I arise today through the power of God:

God's might to comfort me, 

God's wisdom to guide me,

God's eye to look before me,

God's ear to hear me,

God's word to speak for me,

God's hand to lead me, 

God's way to lie before me,

God's shield to protect me,

God's Heavenly Host to save me

from the snares of the devil,

from temptations to sin,

from all who wish me ill,

from near and afar,

alone and with others.

May Christ shield me today

against poison and fire, 


against drowning and wounding, 


so that I may fulfill my mission 


and bear fruit in abundance. 


Christ behind and before me, 


Christ behind and above me, 


Christ with me and in me,  


Christ around and about me, 


Christ on my right and on my left, 


Christ when I lie down at night, 


Christ when I rise in the morning, 


Christ in the heart of every man who thinks of me, 


Christ in the mouth of everyone that speaks of me, 


Christ in every eye that sees me,


Christ in every ear that hears me.

Nourishing our Relationships during Lent

I had the honor of assisting with a marriage retreat this past weekend. Twenty-one couples committed the time to each other to nourish the roots of their relationship. 

The best part of the weekend was not the material Jo, Fred and I presented, but the stories and sharing the couple themselves told. Stories that brought both laughter and tears, but always drenched in love.

We shared inspirational quotes throughout the weekend and reflecting on these wonderful sayings this morning, reminded me of our other most important relationship – with God.

Strengthening a marriage relationship involves more listening than talking, intentionally spending time together, and connecting. These can also serve as ways to open our heart to God.

Lent is a great time to nourish our roots with God. May these quotes prime your prayers and light your love as you linger with our Lord.

• To love another person is to see the face of God. – Victor Hugo

• Love does not consist in gazing at each other, but in looking outward together in the same direction. Antoine de Saint-Exupery

• Slow down and enjoy life. It’s not only the scenery you miss by going too fast – you also miss the sense of where you are going and why – Eddie Cantor

• Anything less than a conscious commitment to the important is an unconscious commitment to the unimportant. Stephen Covey

• Chains do not hold a marriage together. It is threads; hundreds of tiny threads, which sew people together through the years. Simone Signoret

• You cannot shake hands with a clenched fist. Indira Gandhi

• The first duty of love is to listen. Paul Tillich

• God is spreading grace around in the world like a five-year-old spreads peanut better: thickly, sloppily, and eagerly.  Donna Schaper

I really like that last quote and my practice this week will be looking for some of God’s peanut butter grace!

God’s Caution Sign – Lectio Divina

Only be careful, and watch yourselves closely so that you do not forget the things your eyes have seen or let them slip from your heart as long as you live. Deuteronomy 4:9a

Let them slip from your heart as long as you live

Lord, you warn me to be careful.

You say gently, don’t forget

Don’t let what I know to be true to slip away.

I let my hands get so filled with others things I cannot cling to Your hands.

I chose, yes it is my decision, to follow the shiny objects of the world instead of focusing only on You.

Yet Lord you never leave me.

You wait patiently, guarding me, watching me.

You seek me where I stray and gently nudge me back into Your heart

You see me start to wander off Your chosen path for me and warn me –

     Be careful

        Don’t forget

            Don’t let them slip from your heart.

Lord Your love is the Velcro around my heart to help me cling to You.

Lord You are the straight and narrow road and only You keep me from falling and losing my way.

You catch me when I fall.

Lord You are the one I love and follow. Cup my life with Your loving hands so none of Your precious words slip away.

Thank you for not only providing for my outward needs, but continually working inward on my mind so I don’t forget.

Thank you for protecting my heart so I don’t let Your words slip out.

Thank you for being my anchor and my stay

God is All in All – Quote of the Week – Thomas Merton

"Let me seek, then, the gift of silence, and poverty, and solitude, where everything I touch is turned into prayer: where the sky is my prayer, the birds are my prayer, the wind in the trees is my prayer, for God is all in all."

    Thomas Merton in

Thoughts in Solitude

Thanks Colleen  

for bringing this great quote to ponder to my attention.

Who Influences Your Spiritual Journey? – Book Review – From the Library of A.W. Tozer

A great practice for Lent is to dig deeper into the writings of those who feed you spiritually.  To take off the shelves and dive into those writers who nourish your spirit and stretch your mind. The ones who leave you refreshed like you and God were reading the words together, side by side.

Some of the best books I have discovered are ones that influenced the very writers that influenced me. I love Richard Foster and his writings led me to Thomas Kelly, Dallas Willard, and Frank Laubach. Henri Nouwen introduced me to Meister Eckhart and Brother Lawrence.

Bethany House Publishers sent me a review copy of the new book compiled by James Stuart Bell titled, From the Library of A.W. Tozer – Selections from Writers who Influenced his Spiritual Journey. I was under no obligation to give it a positive review and am not compensated for my review. But I do enjoy and have read Tozer. Tozer is much studied, read, and quoted by contemporary writers now -makes you wonder, doesn’t it – who inspired him?

Tozer spent his life in pursuit of drawing closer to God and this book includes some of the writings that helped him with his search. Tozer was well known as a voracious reader. Writings in this book are from nearly 200 men and women such as St Augustine, Thomas A Kempis, Julian of Norwich, Martin Luther, and Dwight Moody.

If ever you wanted to explore a variety of Christian writers, this book would give you a quick introduction to them.

A strength about the book is its organization into chapters with themes like worship, prayer, living the Christian life and practicing the presence of God. I plan to use the book with my daily devotions, reading one writing each day so I can slowly digest the powerful words. This is NOT a quick read but invites the reader to ponder the many nuggets of truth within its pages. The book also could serve as a quick reference for teaching or background material.

A short biography is also included in the back of the book to learn more about the different writers.

 I certainly am glad to make room on my bookshelf for this book.

Ash Wednesday – God’s Invitation to Draw Closer

This week we celebrate Ash Wednesday. I knew the basics about this first step in the Lenten season but found a few surprises when I dug deeper into its background.

Ash Wednesday

As early as the mid-fourth century, Christians have observed a time of preparation before the Easter celebration. The Lenten season begins on Ash Wednesday and lasts for 40 days. The forty days of Lent recall the 40 day fast of Jesus in the wilderness after his baptism (Matthew 4:2, Luke 4:1-2) and Moses' 40 day fast on Mount Sinai (Exodus 34:28). It is a time of simplicity and preparation.

The principal themes of Lent are repentance, baptismal renewal, prayer, fasting, and service to others.

In my Lutheran church we bring back the palms we used last Palm Sunday, burn them and use them for the ashes used on Ash Wednesday. Why ashes? Using ashes as a sign of repentance is an ancient practice, often mentioned in the Bible (e.g., Jonah 3:5-9; Job 42:6; Jeremiah 6:26; Matthew 11:21). The early Christians adopted the use of ashes from Jewish practice as an external mark of penitence.

The Ash Wednesday Invitation

I want the ashes to go deeper this year. Mark the sign of the cross inward on my heart, not outward on my forehead. 

Lent often is a time to give up something to remind us all what God gave up when He sent Jesus to die and rise again for us. 

This year I will give up time spent on others things, worldly distractions, in order to have more room for God in my life. Often I rush through my morning devotions and dash off prayers as I work. I am hungry for more.

I plan to read the Gospel of John throughout Lent and found this wonderful guide at The Practical Disciple.  This site has other interesting resources on Lent.

I also am going to fast from criticalness. My sharp tongue and judgmental attitude pricks my conscious and I know I am not Christlike when I allow my insensitivity to rule in my heart. Think before I speak and pray before I act.  And not just silence. I feel a call to be more mindful to encourage others. A Lenten lull sprinkled with a huge dose of encouragement for others.

The ashes remind me to reflect on who I am and Whose I am.

The ashes help me remember to let go things that clutter and block my relationship with God.

The ashes prompt me to turn over my frailty and imperfections to God and praise Him for sending us a Savior.

The ashes invite me to return and draw closer to the One who loves each of us and wants a deeper relationship with us.

May my ego crumble like ashes as God embraces my human heart with His love.

What are your plans for Ash Wednesday and Lent this year?

Listen to Jesus – Lectio Divina

After six days Jesus took with him Peter, James and John the brother of James, and led them up a high mountain by themselves. There he was transfigured before them. His face shone like the sun, and his clothes became as white as the light. Just then there appeared before them Moses and Elijah, talking with Jesus.

 Peter said to Jesus, “Lord, it is good for us to be here. If you wish, I will put up three shelters—one for you, one for Moses and one for Elijah.”

While he was still speaking, a bright cloud covered them, and a voice from the cloud said, “This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased. Listen to him!”  Matthew 17: 1-5

 Listen to him!

I wonder, Lord, how I would react if I were Peter, James or John that day, high on the mountain.

Would I be like Peter – so self-centered, only thinking of myself? “It is good for us to be here.” I am not sure if I witnessed Your transfiguration and the miraculous appearance of Moses and Elijah, standing there talking with Jesus, if I could even speak!

My mind races and my ego shouts so loud, I can’t hear the conversation among them.

Would I be like Peter – so busy planning to do things – wanting to build a shelter – that he missed the significance of what he was witnessing?

What do I miss everyday, Lord? My eyes are clouded with busyness; they miss your true appearance.  My focus is on my plans, my accomplishments, and my to-do lists. I don’t see You in my work.

In Luke, the disciples are sleeping – Wake me up Lord! I don’t want to miss You.

I wonder what Your voice sounded like when You spoke from the cloud.

Loud?

Commanding?

Gentle?

Loving?

Would I remember each word?

Help me, Lord to hold all of Your words in my heart.  I want to hear You, especially Your command to the disciples and to all of us – “Listen to him!”

Listen to him.  A clear command from God to each of us.  Listen to Jesus.

I do want to listen to You.  To obey You.  To follow You. 

These are my marching orders from God – Listen to Jesus

Whether I am on the mountaintop with the Lord –

    Whether I am wiping a friend’s tears while listening to her heart break -

         Whether I am in my kitchen scrubbing floors

             Whether I am typing on the keyboard

Open my ears, Lord to obey and listen to Jesus.

 

Grateful for Ordinary Days - Quote of the Week

Normal day,

  Let me be aware of the treasure you are!

Mary Jean Irion

Who Gives You Strength? Women’s History Month

March is Women’s History Month and this year’s theme is Our History is Our Strength.  

Intriguing title isn’t it?

The web site says, “The stories of women’s achievements are integral to the fabric of our history. Learning about women’s tenacity, courage, and creativity throughout the centuries is a tremendous source of strength. Until relatively recently, this sphere of women's history was overlooked and undervalued. Women’s achievements were often distorted, disdained, and denied. But, knowing women’s stories provides essential role models for everyone. And role models are genuinely needed to face the extraordinary changes and unrelenting challenges of the 21st century.”

Living a reflective life is a spiritual discipline I know I need to practice more.  I need to take the time to look back over my personal history, and identify my strengths. This month also opens the opportunity to acknowledge and celebrate the people, especially this month the women in my life, that have empowered me and molded me into who I am.

What role models have given me strength?

·      My mother. One of my strongest memories is her telling me Bible stories as a child and her daily reading the Word

·      My great Aunt Anna, who wrote three books, earned her PhD in Theology in the 1920s, toured the world, and kept a journal everyday of her life. I have those journals and treasure each of them.

·      My 99 year old friend Esther and her smile.

·      Spiritual Companions from history such as   Dorothy Day,  Catherine Marshall

·      Contemporary spiritual companions – Sister Nancy Brousseau who taught me so much about spirituality and the poetry of others like Joyce Rupp whose words often opens my hearts to God

·      The everyday lives of my friends – I see ordinary people of extraordinary strength persevere through life’s’ challenges. The complexity of human life continues to amaze me. We don’t always see them but God’s fingerprints are all over our lives.

I believe everyone has and is a wonderful story. We can learn so much from one another. I plan to spend some time looking within at my own history and looking around at other’s remarkable stories of strength.

Who in your life has been a role model of strength?