dropping the rope
There are days when words just don’t come. I’ve had a string of about twenty-one of them. That nagging feeling of “I should write” playing tug-o-war with the futility of “I have nothing to say”—a constant pulling back and forth that most recently seems to end with me back in bed, covers askew and cats aplenty as I burrow deeper under both. I do not like the constant pulling and tugging—the relentless tension in the line, the way each side digs in their feet and sets their weight in opposition to the other, the rope burns on my hands. I despise the taunting and...
Read Moremore than ideas or sentiment
The morning of June 13th dawned early—much too early. But it wasn’t just the hour that came too quickly—though that certainly was a factor, as we were bone-weary tired from seven jam-packed days of sweating and service. It was more that the week, which had once stretched out before us full of hope and promise, was now drawing to a close and within hours we would lift off from this land that had become dear to us, not knowing when we might return. We came to breakfast tired. Hungry. Heavy-hearted. Reluctant to leave. And as we did every morning...
Read Moresurrender as the key to finding joy
Finally, if we are to enjoy life in all of the fullness of the Joy of the Lord, we must learn to practice surrender to God’s purpose in and for our current season of life. I don’t know about you, but this is the hardest for me right now, friends. I naively thought that once my children were in school they would need me less and I would have more time to pursue my own interests and calling. To say I was wrong would be a grave understatement. If anything, I think, in many ways, they need me even more. And it is a challenge, some days, to not balk under this precious yet weighty...
Read Moreyou tell me: shortcuts
What shortcuts enjoyment for you and steals your enjoyment of the moment? Why is it hard to be IN the season you’re in? How do you practice trusting God with tomorrow so as to enjoy today? If you sat down with a blank piece of paper, how long would it take to fill it with things you are thankful for? Are you willing to try it and see? What might you need to surrender to the Lord in order to enjoy the life you have been...
Read Morea thankful heart is a happy heart
In addition to being mindful of the present, if we are to ENJOY the season of life we’re in—to know Paul’s secret to being joyful and content in all circumstances—we must learn to live each day expressing thanks to God for each and every good gift and surrendering every bit of our will and desires and plans to him—for that day, and for all others— in the process. Put very simply, we need to have a constant mindset of gratitude if we are to enjoy the life we have been given to live. Ann Voskamp writes, in One Thousand Gifts: Dare to Live Fully Right Where You Are, We only enter...
Read Morepracticing mindfulness=practicing the present AND the presence
We concluded on Monday that if we are to ENJOY the season of life we’re in—to know Paul’s secret to being joyful and content in all circumstances—we must learn to live in the present, not worrying about tomorrow. And we must live each day expressing thanks to God for each and every good gift and surrendering every bit of our will and desires and plans to him—for that day, and for all others— in the process. It sounds easy. Until you try it, that is. Living in the present requires a skill that has recently come back into vogue: mindfulness. If we are to live in the NOW,...
Read Moreword of the day: enjoy
ENJOY en·joy (n-joi) verb To derive or receive pleasure, enjoyment, or satisfaction from; take joy or delight in; revel in; be pleased with. To have the use or benefit of; use with satisfaction; be blessed or favored with. To have as a condition; experience. (The land enjoyed a summer of rain.) I find it interesting, when thinking about each element of this definition in regard to knowing the Joy of the Lord, that all three apply equally and concurrently when living in God’s presence as he intends. Your...
Read Morebecoming a better me: enjoy
We are rounding the corner into the home stretch now, Friends! Our focus for the beginning of this New Year has been on “Becoming a (Biblically) BETTER Me,” and we are down to our last two points to consider. But before we forge ahead, let’s review what we’ve learned so far. We are over halfway through our acronym, now, and so far have discussed our need to: Begin by breaking the power of inertia Embrace the work of Grace Trust in God’s goodness and sovereignty Turn from that which is sinful toward God This week? This week, friends, we learn to Enjoy. Did you hear...
Read Moreturning from empty wells
Finally, friends, we must, if we want to be BETTER—molded into the image of Jesus—we must turn from sinful means of coping toward total dependence on God. These sinful and unhealthy coping mechanisms are best referred to as idols—anything we turn to rather than turning to God—and they are best described in Jeremiah: My people have committed two sins: They have forsaken me, the spring of living water, and have dug their own cisterns, broken cisterns that cannot hold water. (Jeremiah 2:13) These broken cisterns, or empty wells as they are sometimes referred to, can range from the...
Read Moreyou tell me: turning points
What do you sense God might be prompting you to turn from? To? What most gets in the way of doing this? What can you do about that? What will you do?
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