Advent means “come.” At Christmastime we celebrate the miracle birth of “Immanuel,” God come to be with us. Jesus Christ come to earth to show us God in human flesh is God’s greatest dream and humankind’s greatest longing.
Is there a special dream that God wants to birth through you? Are you waiting on God to come to you in a special way?
The fulfillment of the Christmas miracle came through the humble submission and trust of Mary, the mother of Jesus. She offered what you could say is the most important prayer in all of the Bible (repeated in similar words throughout the Scriptures): “Let it be to me according to your Word.” (Luke 1:26-56; 2:1-7, 19-20 tells the story.)
We don’t really accomplish anything of lasting significance apart from a prayer intention like Mary’s.
Cultivate the trust in God and submission to his kingdom purposes that Mary expressed so you too can give birth to your God-dream. Center yourself in prayer by slowly and gently repeating over and over to the Lord, “Let it be to me according to your Word… Let it be to me according to your Word…”
(You can do this Centering Prayer right now at your computer screen or you can print this page out and do it later in a quiet place.)
Breathe the Word of God in and out: “Let it be to me according to your Word…”
Let God’s Word descend from your mind down into your heart; let your thoughts go down into your intentions: “Let it be to me according to your Word…”
Name to the Lord the dream that he has given you for how you can serve him and bless others… Imagine yourself doing this… Repeat Mary’s prayer that received God’s Christmas miracle: “Let it be to me according to your Word…”
Who do you know who needs a “God with us” miracle? Name this person to God… Picture him or her… Pray: “Let it be to my friend according to your Word…”
Soul Care |
 |
Share your thoughts with Dr. Bill in 1Community |
Monday, December 14, 2009
Friday, December 11, 2009
Be Quiet to Welcome Christmas
Christmastime can be so noisy and busy! Perhaps God is inviting you to make time for quiet prayer?
Zechariah (John the Baptist’s father) waited in silence ten months for the first Christmas! We might do well to pray in quiet for ten minutes! Or an hour or two.
Be still to anticipate Christ’s coming and like Zechariah you too will burst forth with joyous Christmas praise! Set aside some time alone with God and quietly pray to prepare your heart to experience Christ’s birth anew this Christmas.
To help you to quiet your heart try a Centering Prayer on Psalm 46:10: “Be still and know that I am God.” Slowly and gently repeat God’s Word to yourself… Breathe the words in and out…
Then pray for someone else to slow down and appreciate the spirit of Christmas.
Luke 1:5-25, 67-80
Zechariah (John the Baptist’s father) waited in silence ten months for the first Christmas! We might do well to pray in quiet for ten minutes! Or an hour or two.
Be still to anticipate Christ’s coming and like Zechariah you too will burst forth with joyous Christmas praise! Set aside some time alone with God and quietly pray to prepare your heart to experience Christ’s birth anew this Christmas.
To help you to quiet your heart try a Centering Prayer on Psalm 46:10: “Be still and know that I am God.” Slowly and gently repeat God’s Word to yourself… Breathe the words in and out…
Then pray for someone else to slow down and appreciate the spirit of Christmas.
Luke 1:5-25, 67-80
Monday, December 7, 2009
Thirsty for Jesus!
I had too much to do today. But thank God I kept my Sabbath anyway to walk in the hills and go into quiet prayer.
I set aside ministry opportunities, but they came with me in my head! So I kept setting aside all these good thoughts for the best thoughts. I let the beauty of God’s creation and the prayers of the Psalmist draw me into Christ’s wonderful presence.
Eventually all that was left was Jesus. And in Jesus I found delight!
Later I prayed about ministry matters and then I did the work of ministry in Jesus’ easy yoke.
O Jesus! O that I would live with you in this way.
O Jesus!
(A prayer of paraphrases from Psalm 63 verses 1 and 3)
O Jesus!
My soul thirsts for you! – for your Spirit’s living waters;
My whole being from the inside out yearns for your presence;
My personality clings to you to hold me together, upright;
My inner depths look up to you, longing for your smile;
My soul cries out to you, to flow in your life now and forever.
O Jesus!
Your love is better than life! – better than any other thing;
Your presence with me is the only thing that satisfies me;
Your personality – wonderfully complete – is what embraces me;
Your deep mercy and grace is all that I live for;
Your life in me and through me to others is my greatest joy.
O Jesus!
My soul thirsts for you! – for your Spirit’s living waters;
Your love is better than life! – better than any other thing;
My whole being from the inside out yearns for your presence;
Your presence with me is the only thing that satisfies me;
My personality clings to you to hold me together, upright;
Your personality – wonderfully complete – is what embraces me;
My inner depths look up to you, longing for your smile;
Your deep mercy and grace is all that I live for;
My soul cries out to you, to flow in your life now and forever.
Your life in me and through me to others is my greatest joy.
I set aside ministry opportunities, but they came with me in my head! So I kept setting aside all these good thoughts for the best thoughts. I let the beauty of God’s creation and the prayers of the Psalmist draw me into Christ’s wonderful presence.
Eventually all that was left was Jesus. And in Jesus I found delight!
Later I prayed about ministry matters and then I did the work of ministry in Jesus’ easy yoke.
O Jesus! O that I would live with you in this way.
O Jesus!
(A prayer of paraphrases from Psalm 63 verses 1 and 3)
O Jesus!
My soul thirsts for you! – for your Spirit’s living waters;
My whole being from the inside out yearns for your presence;
My personality clings to you to hold me together, upright;
My inner depths look up to you, longing for your smile;
My soul cries out to you, to flow in your life now and forever.
O Jesus!
Your love is better than life! – better than any other thing;
Your presence with me is the only thing that satisfies me;
Your personality – wonderfully complete – is what embraces me;
Your deep mercy and grace is all that I live for;
Your life in me and through me to others is my greatest joy.
O Jesus!
My soul thirsts for you! – for your Spirit’s living waters;
Your love is better than life! – better than any other thing;
My whole being from the inside out yearns for your presence;
Your presence with me is the only thing that satisfies me;
My personality clings to you to hold me together, upright;
Your personality – wonderfully complete – is what embraces me;
My inner depths look up to you, longing for your smile;
Your deep mercy and grace is all that I live for;
My soul cries out to you, to flow in your life now and forever.
Your life in me and through me to others is my greatest joy.
Monday, November 30, 2009
Small Beginnings
What makes for a “good day”? For me it starts with prayer.
This morning I awoke early. My thoughts started down the path of planning all I had to do and I started to feel anxious… How easy it is for me at that point to get out of bed and go to work!
Instead, as CS Lewis described so aptly, I shoved back all those “wild animals” and began to pray! I laid in bed. I grabbed an ancient little prayer and held on for dear life!
“Lord Jesus Christ have mercy on me!”
“Have mercy on me, O Lord” is how Psalm 51 begins, my Psalm for the morning. This is s a favorite Centering Prayer of mine.
As I laid in bed I slowly breathed in and out the words: “Lord Jesus Christ have mercy on me.” I confessed my sins. I submitted each aspect of my day to God. I interceded for people I’ll be interacting with today.
And I’m shooting up little “arrow prayers” today: “Lord Jesus Christ have mercy on me!”
A simple prayer of the heart in the morning is a small doorway to a good day. It’s like the door to the Basilica of the Nativity in Bethlehem that leads to the sacred site of the birth of Christ. I’ll never forget stooping down so low to get into this ancient church that shelters the holy ground where Jesus first touched the earth.
The same little prayer can “rebuild” a day that’s not going well. The prophet Zechariah teaches that small beginnings are crucial to great successes. It was his encouragement along these lines that helped the Israelites to complete the rebuilding of their temple after they returned from captivity in Babylon (Zechariah 4:10).
This morning I awoke early. My thoughts started down the path of planning all I had to do and I started to feel anxious… How easy it is for me at that point to get out of bed and go to work!
Instead, as CS Lewis described so aptly, I shoved back all those “wild animals” and began to pray! I laid in bed. I grabbed an ancient little prayer and held on for dear life!
“Lord Jesus Christ have mercy on me!”
“Have mercy on me, O Lord” is how Psalm 51 begins, my Psalm for the morning. This is s a favorite Centering Prayer of mine.
As I laid in bed I slowly breathed in and out the words: “Lord Jesus Christ have mercy on me.” I confessed my sins. I submitted each aspect of my day to God. I interceded for people I’ll be interacting with today.
And I’m shooting up little “arrow prayers” today: “Lord Jesus Christ have mercy on me!”
A simple prayer of the heart in the morning is a small doorway to a good day. It’s like the door to the Basilica of the Nativity in Bethlehem that leads to the sacred site of the birth of Christ. I’ll never forget stooping down so low to get into this ancient church that shelters the holy ground where Jesus first touched the earth.
The same little prayer can “rebuild” a day that’s not going well. The prophet Zechariah teaches that small beginnings are crucial to great successes. It was his encouragement along these lines that helped the Israelites to complete the rebuilding of their temple after they returned from captivity in Babylon (Zechariah 4:10).
Tuesday, November 10, 2009
Trying to get more done in less time?
I was talking with a friend who likes to drive in the fast lane. He thrives on trying to get more done in less time in order to be successful. He’s very productive… and stressed.
He doesn’t realize that he’s continually recruiting adrenaline to give him the boost of energy and confidence that he feels he needs to handle all of his responsibilities. His body’s production of adrenaline is like his own drug manufacturing plant! He has adrenaline dependence.
Other people get their adrenaline hits through extreme sports, risky behavior, or loud music.
Adrenaline is God’s gift to us. It’s meant to help us respond to emergencies and urgent needs. Used sparingly it’s a good thing. Used continually it wears down your body and diminishes your life. (Doctors have called this “hurry sickness.”) You get to the point where it’s hard to slow down and enjoy the little blessings in each day – birds singing, children playing, relaxing with a friend, prayer.
It’s difficult for people like my friend to get off of adrenaline. It feels so good! It helps them to get more done. And when they slow down (and aren’t stimulating themselves with adrenaline) they feel tired, empty, and depressed.
I myself have overcome adrenaline dependence. And I’ve helped pastors and other leaders get off the destructive habit of relying on the body’s “speed.”
Freedom comes with learning to set boundaries on work and “urgent” demands and slow down your pace of life. It can be helpful to practice slowing down your pace of life by driving in the slow lane on the road in order to enjoy music (that’s not too loud!) or to pray. Best of all is to learn the value of spending large blocks of time in silence and solitude in order to “be still” with Jesus. (Start with 30 minutes and build from there.)
Slowing down can’t be learned in a “self-help” program. You might have adrenaline withdrawals. You’ll probably feel bored, restless, or insignificant. You need to “process” your emotions with someone and to get coaching on learning new ways of coping with stress.
He doesn’t realize that he’s continually recruiting adrenaline to give him the boost of energy and confidence that he feels he needs to handle all of his responsibilities. His body’s production of adrenaline is like his own drug manufacturing plant! He has adrenaline dependence.
Other people get their adrenaline hits through extreme sports, risky behavior, or loud music.
Adrenaline is God’s gift to us. It’s meant to help us respond to emergencies and urgent needs. Used sparingly it’s a good thing. Used continually it wears down your body and diminishes your life. (Doctors have called this “hurry sickness.”) You get to the point where it’s hard to slow down and enjoy the little blessings in each day – birds singing, children playing, relaxing with a friend, prayer.
It’s difficult for people like my friend to get off of adrenaline. It feels so good! It helps them to get more done. And when they slow down (and aren’t stimulating themselves with adrenaline) they feel tired, empty, and depressed.
I myself have overcome adrenaline dependence. And I’ve helped pastors and other leaders get off the destructive habit of relying on the body’s “speed.”
Freedom comes with learning to set boundaries on work and “urgent” demands and slow down your pace of life. It can be helpful to practice slowing down your pace of life by driving in the slow lane on the road in order to enjoy music (that’s not too loud!) or to pray. Best of all is to learn the value of spending large blocks of time in silence and solitude in order to “be still” with Jesus. (Start with 30 minutes and build from there.)
Slowing down can’t be learned in a “self-help” program. You might have adrenaline withdrawals. You’ll probably feel bored, restless, or insignificant. You need to “process” your emotions with someone and to get coaching on learning new ways of coping with stress.
Monday, October 26, 2009
Rejoicing on a Mundane Monday
Much of our lives includes ordinary work and chores. We all have to do things that don't excite us at work or around the house or in running errands. It's easy to lapse into feeling bored, empty, or like we are trivial. Or to complain (in our thoughts if not out loud) about what we have to do.
This was my temptation beginning my Monday.
To keep from grumping along today I picked up a special prayer rock. It's piece of the outdoor stone theatre in Sephoris Israel. Jesus may have helped to build this marvelous theatre where the "play actors" (same word as "hypocrite" in the Bible) performed.
As I've held my rock today I've thought about Jesus working hour after hour as a carpenter or a stone cutter. I've thought about my "Blue Collar Savior" smiling as he serves hard to please customers and blesses them when they complain. I've imagined him meditating on Scripture and praying while he worked.
For most of his life on earth Jesus worked an ordinary job in an obscure village, loving God and people, praying and playing with his Father, day after day.
Today, Jesus is helping me to appreciate his presence in my midst. In the words of the Apostle John: "I am the disciple Jesus loves!"
Could there be any greater cause for rejoicing than that? Even on a mundane Monday!
This was my temptation beginning my Monday.
To keep from grumping along today I picked up a special prayer rock. It's piece of the outdoor stone theatre in Sephoris Israel. Jesus may have helped to build this marvelous theatre where the "play actors" (same word as "hypocrite" in the Bible) performed.
As I've held my rock today I've thought about Jesus working hour after hour as a carpenter or a stone cutter. I've thought about my "Blue Collar Savior" smiling as he serves hard to please customers and blesses them when they complain. I've imagined him meditating on Scripture and praying while he worked.
For most of his life on earth Jesus worked an ordinary job in an obscure village, loving God and people, praying and playing with his Father, day after day.
Today, Jesus is helping me to appreciate his presence in my midst. In the words of the Apostle John: "I am the disciple Jesus loves!"
Could there be any greater cause for rejoicing than that? Even on a mundane Monday!
Monday, October 12, 2009
Why did Paul rarely quote Jesus?
Recently I read an article that pointed out that the Apostle Paul only quoted Jesus three times (Acts 20:35, 1 Corinthians 11:23-25, and 2 Corinthians 12:9).
How could this be? The man who was the most like Jesus and who wrote half of the New Testament only quoted Jesus three times?
Like Jesus, Paul spoke and wrote with the authority of the Holy Spirit. He didn't "proof text" his teachings with quotes. He simply oozed Jesus!
For Paul the life and teaching of his Lord and Savior was so interwoven in his character and in all that he said and did that you couldn't separate Paul from Jesus. When people saw Paul they saw Jesus. Even today, 2,000 years later, when we think of Paul we immediately think of his Master Jesus.
Paul was "in Christ." His identity - his every breath - was about Jesus Christ: loving him and encouraging other people to love him. What a great example of being a disciple of Jesus!
May you and I be like Paul, living confidently "in Christ" and oozing the Spirit of Christ out from our pores onto people all around us!
How could this be? The man who was the most like Jesus and who wrote half of the New Testament only quoted Jesus three times?
Like Jesus, Paul spoke and wrote with the authority of the Holy Spirit. He didn't "proof text" his teachings with quotes. He simply oozed Jesus!
For Paul the life and teaching of his Lord and Savior was so interwoven in his character and in all that he said and did that you couldn't separate Paul from Jesus. When people saw Paul they saw Jesus. Even today, 2,000 years later, when we think of Paul we immediately think of his Master Jesus.
Paul was "in Christ." His identity - his every breath - was about Jesus Christ: loving him and encouraging other people to love him. What a great example of being a disciple of Jesus!
May you and I be like Paul, living confidently "in Christ" and oozing the Spirit of Christ out from our pores onto people all around us!
Monday, October 5, 2009
In Jesus' Name
Probably you offer many prayers "in Jesus' name." What does this mean?
To pray in Jesus' name is to pray by and for him, with his strength and for his purposes.
Names in the Bible always refer to the character behind the name. So to pray in Jesus' name is to pray with and for his character, to pray in the way that he prayed and for the purposes that he prayed.
Imagine how it would change our lives to do that!
Have you ever studied the way Jesus prayed? He often went away by himself to seek the Father alone. He used the Psalms. He was quiet. He waited to make decisions and he listened. He acted on what he discerned from the Father. He learned how to do whatever he did as an expression of prayer.
Today there are a lot of "experts" giving us advice to solve all sorts of problems (many of them are psychologists like myself). We wouldn't need most of these "solutions" to improve our lives if we simply learned this one thing: how to pray in Jesus' name.
To pray in Jesus' name is to pray by and for him, with his strength and for his purposes.
Names in the Bible always refer to the character behind the name. So to pray in Jesus' name is to pray with and for his character, to pray in the way that he prayed and for the purposes that he prayed.
Imagine how it would change our lives to do that!
Have you ever studied the way Jesus prayed? He often went away by himself to seek the Father alone. He used the Psalms. He was quiet. He waited to make decisions and he listened. He acted on what he discerned from the Father. He learned how to do whatever he did as an expression of prayer.
Today there are a lot of "experts" giving us advice to solve all sorts of problems (many of them are psychologists like myself). We wouldn't need most of these "solutions" to improve our lives if we simply learned this one thing: how to pray in Jesus' name.
Friday, September 25, 2009
Learning to React to Stress with Trust in God
Few of us can reliably react to stress with trust in God. How do you react when you're well-being is threatened?
When someone gets angry at you are you prone to get angry back (or internalize your anger as depression)?
When you're hit with a big problem in your health or finances do you become scared (or shut down all emotion and get busy)?
When you're anxious, bored, or lonely do you overeat, use alcohol, or engage in another compulsive behavior?
How can you and I learn to become the kind of person who responds to distress by trusting and being secure in God's loving care and offering blessings to other people - even those who have mistreated us?
When a crisis or other problem intrudes whatever is inside us will come out, our inner character will be revealed. (This awareness is a gift because we see what we need to work on with Christ in our spiritual formation.) In the midst of distress is not a good time to learn something new!
Instead we need to be proactive. We need to follow Jesus' often repeated advice and learn to "watch and pray" in anticipation of a coming problem. We should know our biggest vulnerability and liability and go into training with Jesus to learn how to become a different person.
"Training" means studying to learn how to apply Jesus' gospel to our lives. It means doing spiritual exercises/disciplines. It may mean seeking counseling or spiritual mentoring/coaching.
When someone gets angry at you are you prone to get angry back (or internalize your anger as depression)?
When you're hit with a big problem in your health or finances do you become scared (or shut down all emotion and get busy)?
When you're anxious, bored, or lonely do you overeat, use alcohol, or engage in another compulsive behavior?
How can you and I learn to become the kind of person who responds to distress by trusting and being secure in God's loving care and offering blessings to other people - even those who have mistreated us?
When a crisis or other problem intrudes whatever is inside us will come out, our inner character will be revealed. (This awareness is a gift because we see what we need to work on with Christ in our spiritual formation.) In the midst of distress is not a good time to learn something new!
Instead we need to be proactive. We need to follow Jesus' often repeated advice and learn to "watch and pray" in anticipation of a coming problem. We should know our biggest vulnerability and liability and go into training with Jesus to learn how to become a different person.
"Training" means studying to learn how to apply Jesus' gospel to our lives. It means doing spiritual exercises/disciplines. It may mean seeking counseling or spiritual mentoring/coaching.
Friday, September 11, 2009
I need a Sabbath rest!
Today is my Sabbath day to enjoy spending time with Jesus. Usually this means praying in silence and solitude for a few hours and then doing some writing or sharing in spiritual conversation with friends. I've been doing this weekly all year and it's been wonderful!
The basis of the Sabbath command (which Jesus himself practiced and he taught others to follow this example) is "do no work" or "don't be productive."
This hits me where it hurts. Have you ever heard of a "workaholic" or an "adrenaline addict"? That's me! Or, it was me some years ago. I'm in recovery and am no longer controlled by ambition and hurry and feelings of inadequacy and inability to set boundaries. But I have to watch myself! Practicing the Sabbath helps me to stay in recovery from my past addiction. It's a way to slow down and look up.
However, today I couldn't resist finishing some work before starting my Sabbath! (Thank you for reading my confession!)
Keeping a Sabbath is not a legalism about keeping a bunch of rules! It's a blessing! The Sabbath is about resting and rejoicing with God and friends. It's about praying and playing. It's about slowing down and savoring. The New Testament teaches us that a Sabbath could be taken on any day.
Times like now it's too hard for me to enter into Sabbath with my computer close by! So I'm off to go hiking with Jesus. Just the two of us in the beauty of nature!
The basis of the Sabbath command (which Jesus himself practiced and he taught others to follow this example) is "do no work" or "don't be productive."
This hits me where it hurts. Have you ever heard of a "workaholic" or an "adrenaline addict"? That's me! Or, it was me some years ago. I'm in recovery and am no longer controlled by ambition and hurry and feelings of inadequacy and inability to set boundaries. But I have to watch myself! Practicing the Sabbath helps me to stay in recovery from my past addiction. It's a way to slow down and look up.
However, today I couldn't resist finishing some work before starting my Sabbath! (Thank you for reading my confession!)
Keeping a Sabbath is not a legalism about keeping a bunch of rules! It's a blessing! The Sabbath is about resting and rejoicing with God and friends. It's about praying and playing. It's about slowing down and savoring. The New Testament teaches us that a Sabbath could be taken on any day.
Times like now it's too hard for me to enter into Sabbath with my computer close by! So I'm off to go hiking with Jesus. Just the two of us in the beauty of nature!
Friday, August 7, 2009
Is your Soul Replenished?
Yesterday I listed to a talk that Bill Hybels gave to a group of pastors and leaders. Bill is one of the most respected pastors in the world - and rightly so. As a teenager growing up in the Chicago area I went to his church in its early years. Bill was sharing about the need for spiritual renewal in these economically stressful times.
Courageously, he confessed to being like a "Leadership-aholic." For decades as a minister he has given his all to leading others to follow Christ. And sometimes he's given too much of himself, worked too long and moved too fast, perhaps relying on adrenaline (which can be addicting) until he found himself exhausted. 20 years ago he said he wrote in his journal:
"The pace at which I'm doing the work of God is destroying the work of God in me."
Recently, he caught himself overdoing again and has been drawn by the Holy Spirit to spend more time in "slow prayer and meditation" and surrendering himself more fully to Christ. He's beginning each morning with some spacious time to connect deeply with Christ and listen to him.
He said that the best thing a leader brings is a soul replenished by God so he or she can lead others out of confidence in Christ. This means being submitted to Christ each day.
I relate to Bill's story of overworking in ministry. I find that as I pursue intimacy with Christ I am able to minister out of the overflow of Christ's ministry to me.
How about you?
Courageously, he confessed to being like a "Leadership-aholic." For decades as a minister he has given his all to leading others to follow Christ. And sometimes he's given too much of himself, worked too long and moved too fast, perhaps relying on adrenaline (which can be addicting) until he found himself exhausted. 20 years ago he said he wrote in his journal:
"The pace at which I'm doing the work of God is destroying the work of God in me."
Recently, he caught himself overdoing again and has been drawn by the Holy Spirit to spend more time in "slow prayer and meditation" and surrendering himself more fully to Christ. He's beginning each morning with some spacious time to connect deeply with Christ and listen to him.
He said that the best thing a leader brings is a soul replenished by God so he or she can lead others out of confidence in Christ. This means being submitted to Christ each day.
I relate to Bill's story of overworking in ministry. I find that as I pursue intimacy with Christ I am able to minister out of the overflow of Christ's ministry to me.
How about you?
Saturday, August 1, 2009
Soul Talk
I've been married for 23 years and most of those years I've been doing marriage and relationship counseling for others. I've learned that good relationships have lots of "Soul Talk."
To engage in Soul Talk with your spouse or friend you have to let go of trying to get him or her to do something! Much of the stress and conflict in relationships is because of expectations and agendas, trying to fix and placing blame.
When you have been disappointed or hurt by someone it's not helpful to say things like, "You shouldn't ______." Or, "I feel like you're trying to ________." These are examples of trying to manage another person. Abandon your project! Let go!
Instead, try using Soul Talk. Try inviting your spouse or friend to understand your experience or what you desire. Communicate your emotions instead of your perceptions. Take a posture of personal responsibility and vulnerability. Try saying things like, "I was hurt when you ________. I felt criticized." Or, "It'd really help me if you could set aside some time to listen to me."
Good marriages and soul friendships have lots of heart-to-heart sharing with honesty and empathy.
What helps facilitate Soul Talk in your relationships with significant others?
To engage in Soul Talk with your spouse or friend you have to let go of trying to get him or her to do something! Much of the stress and conflict in relationships is because of expectations and agendas, trying to fix and placing blame.
When you have been disappointed or hurt by someone it's not helpful to say things like, "You shouldn't ______." Or, "I feel like you're trying to ________." These are examples of trying to manage another person. Abandon your project! Let go!
Instead, try using Soul Talk. Try inviting your spouse or friend to understand your experience or what you desire. Communicate your emotions instead of your perceptions. Take a posture of personal responsibility and vulnerability. Try saying things like, "I was hurt when you ________. I felt criticized." Or, "It'd really help me if you could set aside some time to listen to me."
Good marriages and soul friendships have lots of heart-to-heart sharing with honesty and empathy.
What helps facilitate Soul Talk in your relationships with significant others?
Monday, July 20, 2009
The King is Enthralled with You!
Do you know that the King is enthralled with your personality? The Lord God who flung the stars in the sky and calls them each by name is delighted in and captivated by you! You are beautiful to him! He finds you interesting and important! (See Psalm 45, especially verse 11).
Jesus is so drawn to love us that he relates to us as Bridegroom to his bride! Wow! We can intimate with Jesus, passionately in love with him as he is with us!
How could we not honor him as our Lord and King? How could we not seek to live as servants of his kingdom in all that we do?
Pray with me - now and in the midst of whatever you're doing today, "With joy I embrace Christ in his kingdom" (Based on Psalm 45, especially verse 15).
Let the prayer descend from your mind down into your heart... "With joy I embrace Christ in his kingdom."
Keep this prayer open in a window on the computer screen of your mind. Picture Jesus shining in white robes and glowing as he embraces you in love.
This prayer puts a smile on my face! It warms my heart! In all that I do today it's helping me to look to Jesus and to follow his lead and rely on his grace.
How does this prayer effect you?
Jesus is so drawn to love us that he relates to us as Bridegroom to his bride! Wow! We can intimate with Jesus, passionately in love with him as he is with us!
How could we not honor him as our Lord and King? How could we not seek to live as servants of his kingdom in all that we do?
Pray with me - now and in the midst of whatever you're doing today, "With joy I embrace Christ in his kingdom" (Based on Psalm 45, especially verse 15).
Let the prayer descend from your mind down into your heart... "With joy I embrace Christ in his kingdom."
Keep this prayer open in a window on the computer screen of your mind. Picture Jesus shining in white robes and glowing as he embraces you in love.
This prayer puts a smile on my face! It warms my heart! In all that I do today it's helping me to look to Jesus and to follow his lead and rely on his grace.
How does this prayer effect you?
Sunday, July 12, 2009
Staying Hydrated with Spirit Water
Have you ever gotten dehydrated?
I went for a long jog of about 14 miles in the heat yesterday. I love to run in the hills and pray and meditate. I got a late start and it was a HOT day! I drank lots of water before I ran, but didn't have any with me. I thought if I loaded up I'd be okay.
By the time I finished jogging I was really dragging. Afterward, I drank glass after glass of water. It took me the rest of the day to get fully hydrated!
What's the lesson? It's not enough to drink lots of water all at once - you have to keep drinking water.
It's the same way in our relationship with the Holy Spirit. He's the Living Water that our souls thirst for, but we can't drink him up all at once! We need to keep drinking in his presence through prayer. That's why Paul teaches us to "pray without ceasing" (1 Thessalonians 5:17).
And when we're fully hydrated with the Spirit then we can become like a fountain that overflows with the Spirit to others.
Meditating on verses, thoughts, and images from Scripture - especially from the Psalms - is what helps me to keep drinking in the Spirit's living waters.
What helps you to stay hydrated with Living Water?
I went for a long jog of about 14 miles in the heat yesterday. I love to run in the hills and pray and meditate. I got a late start and it was a HOT day! I drank lots of water before I ran, but didn't have any with me. I thought if I loaded up I'd be okay.
By the time I finished jogging I was really dragging. Afterward, I drank glass after glass of water. It took me the rest of the day to get fully hydrated!
What's the lesson? It's not enough to drink lots of water all at once - you have to keep drinking water.
It's the same way in our relationship with the Holy Spirit. He's the Living Water that our souls thirst for, but we can't drink him up all at once! We need to keep drinking in his presence through prayer. That's why Paul teaches us to "pray without ceasing" (1 Thessalonians 5:17).
And when we're fully hydrated with the Spirit then we can become like a fountain that overflows with the Spirit to others.
Meditating on verses, thoughts, and images from Scripture - especially from the Psalms - is what helps me to keep drinking in the Spirit's living waters.
What helps you to stay hydrated with Living Water?
Thursday, July 9, 2009
Your emotions: Can you trust them?
Many of us struggle with our emotions and what to do with them. Our emotions effect every part of our life, especially our relationships with people and with God and our effectiveness in life.
Some people try not to have emotions because they make life difficult or seem too vulnerable. They're afraid to react to emotion. So they rationalize or just detach. Or just stay busy. Anything in order to avoid being emotional or needy. They experience emotion as overwhelming or at least inconvenient.
Other people depend on their emotion to do the things they need to do. (Usually these people are emotionally reactive too.) They try to generate emotion to get excited or get them moving. They'll use music, drugs, food, or whatever to generate the feeling they want. (This is the basis of addictions.)
Jesus models a balanced approach to emotions. He felt his emotions, but was not controlled by them. He was always aware of his feelings, but not dependent on them. The Psalmist shows us the same balance, an "honest faith."
We shouldn't confuse our emotions with our heart. The "heart" in the Biblical understanding is our will, our freedom of choice. If emotions are in the position of our heart, our center, then we're in trouble!
Can you trust your emotions? Yes and no. They are one source of discernment and energy (we call them e-motions). But we need others sources.
Always we want to be aware of our emotions. But never do we want to be controlled by them.
Some people try not to have emotions because they make life difficult or seem too vulnerable. They're afraid to react to emotion. So they rationalize or just detach. Or just stay busy. Anything in order to avoid being emotional or needy. They experience emotion as overwhelming or at least inconvenient.
Other people depend on their emotion to do the things they need to do. (Usually these people are emotionally reactive too.) They try to generate emotion to get excited or get them moving. They'll use music, drugs, food, or whatever to generate the feeling they want. (This is the basis of addictions.)
Jesus models a balanced approach to emotions. He felt his emotions, but was not controlled by them. He was always aware of his feelings, but not dependent on them. The Psalmist shows us the same balance, an "honest faith."
We shouldn't confuse our emotions with our heart. The "heart" in the Biblical understanding is our will, our freedom of choice. If emotions are in the position of our heart, our center, then we're in trouble!
Can you trust your emotions? Yes and no. They are one source of discernment and energy (we call them e-motions). But we need others sources.
Always we want to be aware of our emotions. But never do we want to be controlled by them.
Tuesday, June 30, 2009
The Humility of the Trinity
Have you ever thought about the fact that neither the Father God, Jesus, or the Holy Spirit draw attention to themselves? In the Bible we don't read one of the members of the Trinity saying, "Praise me!" Or, "Look how great I am!"
In some places God may seem to draw attention to himself, but this is God as a Trinity, a holy community of love, and it's for our good that we recognize and appreciate the reality of God's goodness and beauty.
The New Testament unfolds for us some of the glorious mystery of the Three in the One and how they shine a spotlight on one another...
The Father thunders from heaven for all to hear: "Jesus is my beloved son and in him I am well pleased!"
The Son proclaims in public: "The Father is greater than all!" And is protective of the Holy Spirit, not himself, "It's okay if you blaspheme me, but don't ever blaspheme the Holy Spirit!"
And the Holy Spirit cries out from the heart and out the lips of every Christian: "Abba Father!" "Jesus is Lord!"
And on top of this, "The Lord stoops down to make you and I great!" (Psalm 18:35) The Father adopts us as his beloved children! Jesus goes to the cross to die for us! The Holy Spirit makes our bodies his temple!
Knowing God like this inspires our admiration for his true greatness, our trust in his love, and our ability to love others with humble generosity.
In some places God may seem to draw attention to himself, but this is God as a Trinity, a holy community of love, and it's for our good that we recognize and appreciate the reality of God's goodness and beauty.
The New Testament unfolds for us some of the glorious mystery of the Three in the One and how they shine a spotlight on one another...
The Father thunders from heaven for all to hear: "Jesus is my beloved son and in him I am well pleased!"
The Son proclaims in public: "The Father is greater than all!" And is protective of the Holy Spirit, not himself, "It's okay if you blaspheme me, but don't ever blaspheme the Holy Spirit!"
And the Holy Spirit cries out from the heart and out the lips of every Christian: "Abba Father!" "Jesus is Lord!"
And on top of this, "The Lord stoops down to make you and I great!" (Psalm 18:35) The Father adopts us as his beloved children! Jesus goes to the cross to die for us! The Holy Spirit makes our bodies his temple!
Knowing God like this inspires our admiration for his true greatness, our trust in his love, and our ability to love others with humble generosity.
Sunday, June 28, 2009
A Friend who Sticks Closer than a Brother
The Wisdom of Solomon says, "A person with many companions may come to ruin, but there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother" (Proverbs 18:24). Do you have a friend like this?
The best and most faithful friend we could have is Jesus. The most important thing we can do in life is to cultivate our relationship with him. There are many ways to do this. Perhaps the most needed in our culture is to set aside a block of time simply to "hang out" with Jesus, just like you would with a friend.
"Jesus, what shall we do together today?" This is how I begin my Sabbath day, which is usually on Fridays.
Last Friday, Jesus and I went back to the ocean. We talked about many things as we walked on the beach and on the bluffs above. We sat together on a rock surrounded by water.
I prayed Psalm 131. I meditated on it and journaled from it. I imagined going to the Lord like a child just as David describes in the Psalm. I remembered Jesus saying, "Bring the little children to me" and I brought the boy in me to Jesus! I journaled from it. I sang it to the One I love. 100's of times over the course of the day I prayed a line I adapted from it: "Jesus, you are enough for me!"
Jesus wants to be our Friend! And he restores our soul when we spend time together as friends.
How do you cultivate friendship with Jesus?
The best and most faithful friend we could have is Jesus. The most important thing we can do in life is to cultivate our relationship with him. There are many ways to do this. Perhaps the most needed in our culture is to set aside a block of time simply to "hang out" with Jesus, just like you would with a friend.
"Jesus, what shall we do together today?" This is how I begin my Sabbath day, which is usually on Fridays.
Last Friday, Jesus and I went back to the ocean. We talked about many things as we walked on the beach and on the bluffs above. We sat together on a rock surrounded by water.
I prayed Psalm 131. I meditated on it and journaled from it. I imagined going to the Lord like a child just as David describes in the Psalm. I remembered Jesus saying, "Bring the little children to me" and I brought the boy in me to Jesus! I journaled from it. I sang it to the One I love. 100's of times over the course of the day I prayed a line I adapted from it: "Jesus, you are enough for me!"
Jesus wants to be our Friend! And he restores our soul when we spend time together as friends.
How do you cultivate friendship with Jesus?
Monday, June 22, 2009
Father's Day
What was Father's Day like for you?
I was blessed to be with all three of my teenage kids and to be appreciated by them. The highlight of my day was my 16-year old daughter taking me on a 6 mile hike in the hills and celebrating by sharing a smoothie afterward. She suggested this because she knows how much I enjoy hiking in nature and praying. We talked about many things ranging from teenage boys to the scenery to God.
It's a special thing for a parent when your child takes initiative to say "I love you!"
I did this for my father by having him over for a meal and affirming him before my family with a number of examples of how he has blessed me in my life. (This is a tradition in our family for birthdays and other celebrations. My wife or I get the ball rolling by saying, "Let's all say something we appreciate about ________." Or, "What have you noticed about __________ that you admire.")
For you this may have been a hard day due to hurts with your father or disappointments with children.
But all of us have the same Heavenly Father and he loves us perfectly! Sadly, it's easy for us to overlook our Father God and neglect to bless him with words of appreciation, taking initiative to spend time with him , doing a special kindness for him.
I've found that God likes it when I smile and call him my "Abba" - and I like it too!
I was blessed to be with all three of my teenage kids and to be appreciated by them. The highlight of my day was my 16-year old daughter taking me on a 6 mile hike in the hills and celebrating by sharing a smoothie afterward. She suggested this because she knows how much I enjoy hiking in nature and praying. We talked about many things ranging from teenage boys to the scenery to God.
It's a special thing for a parent when your child takes initiative to say "I love you!"
I did this for my father by having him over for a meal and affirming him before my family with a number of examples of how he has blessed me in my life. (This is a tradition in our family for birthdays and other celebrations. My wife or I get the ball rolling by saying, "Let's all say something we appreciate about ________." Or, "What have you noticed about __________ that you admire.")
For you this may have been a hard day due to hurts with your father or disappointments with children.
But all of us have the same Heavenly Father and he loves us perfectly! Sadly, it's easy for us to overlook our Father God and neglect to bless him with words of appreciation, taking initiative to spend time with him , doing a special kindness for him.
I've found that God likes it when I smile and call him my "Abba" - and I like it too!
Sunday, June 14, 2009
God's Love is Oceanic!
I spent the last week at the ocean, celebrating my 23rd wedding anniversary with Kristi.
I love the ocean! Water as far as I can see and merging into the sky at the horizon. Wave after wave in rhythm - they never stop coming ashore and sounding in my soul.
God's love is oceanic! It's everywhere. It's the rhythm of life. It's our source of life. It sings in our soul - if we let it.
I love to be still before the ocean and breathe in deep... To listen... To feel... To pray... To be immersed in God's love...
If you don't live near the ocean go to a lake or a river, a mountain or meadow. Open your soul to God and smile in the sanctuary of his Spirit.
I love the ocean! Water as far as I can see and merging into the sky at the horizon. Wave after wave in rhythm - they never stop coming ashore and sounding in my soul.
God's love is oceanic! It's everywhere. It's the rhythm of life. It's our source of life. It sings in our soul - if we let it.
I love to be still before the ocean and breathe in deep... To listen... To feel... To pray... To be immersed in God's love...
If you don't live near the ocean go to a lake or a river, a mountain or meadow. Open your soul to God and smile in the sanctuary of his Spirit.
Saturday, May 30, 2009
Simplicity
Simplicity. We've lost it in our culture today.
Our lives are filled with opportunities and pressures that distract us from the One Thing that we all know matters most and is the source of all love: intimacy with God.
Oh for a simpler and deeper life! A few years ago this longing for God alone led me to my knees to pray over Thomas Kelly’s classic devotional book, A Testament of Devotion. I prayed every word, cover to cover (it’s just over 100 pages), and then fell on my face before God.
Let his words echo in your soul...
“Over the margins of life comes a whisper, a faint call, a premonition of richer living which we know we are passing by… We have hints that there is a way of life vastly richer and deeper than all this hurried existence, a life of unhurried serenity and peace and power. If only we could slip over into that Center! If only we could find the Silence which is the source of sound!”
Do you long a simpler life focused on God?
Our lives are filled with opportunities and pressures that distract us from the One Thing that we all know matters most and is the source of all love: intimacy with God.
Oh for a simpler and deeper life! A few years ago this longing for God alone led me to my knees to pray over Thomas Kelly’s classic devotional book, A Testament of Devotion. I prayed every word, cover to cover (it’s just over 100 pages), and then fell on my face before God.
Let his words echo in your soul...
“Over the margins of life comes a whisper, a faint call, a premonition of richer living which we know we are passing by… We have hints that there is a way of life vastly richer and deeper than all this hurried existence, a life of unhurried serenity and peace and power. If only we could slip over into that Center! If only we could find the Silence which is the source of sound!”
Do you long a simpler life focused on God?
Thursday, May 28, 2009
Trailblazing in the Forest
While Kristi and I were in the mountains last weekend I worked on the hiking trail that I made a couple of years ago. It's a about a mile long loop that goes through the national forest property behind her family's cabin. (It ties into some dirt fire roads so I didn't have to blaze the whole trail!)
I so enjoy this trail that meanders through towering cedars, pine, and oak trees and opens into blue skies and views of Lake Arrowhead way below. And because its spring there were dogwood trees in bloom and wildflowers everywhere!
Of all the trails that I walk, hike, or jog this is my favorite because I designed and built it and maintain it! I love taking family and friends on the trail. The thought of people I don't even know using the trail brings a smile to my face. God has created us to be creative along with him and so it's no wonder that we find such joy in creating anything that is beautiful or helpful.
My hope is that others who walk the trail will appreciate nature's beauty and be drawn closer to God as I am. Beauty inspires us to give thanks and praise to our Creator. This is why the Psalms and parables of Jesus and all of Scripture are full of references to nature.
For me trails represent finding our way in life - they're symbols of prayer. For instance, the Psalms are prayer paths. And the Lord's Prayer is a basket of five spiritual trails: thanks and praise, submission to God, petition, confession, and overcoming sin.
How do you connect with God in nature? What helps you to walk the path of life with Jesus?
I so enjoy this trail that meanders through towering cedars, pine, and oak trees and opens into blue skies and views of Lake Arrowhead way below. And because its spring there were dogwood trees in bloom and wildflowers everywhere!
Of all the trails that I walk, hike, or jog this is my favorite because I designed and built it and maintain it! I love taking family and friends on the trail. The thought of people I don't even know using the trail brings a smile to my face. God has created us to be creative along with him and so it's no wonder that we find such joy in creating anything that is beautiful or helpful.
My hope is that others who walk the trail will appreciate nature's beauty and be drawn closer to God as I am. Beauty inspires us to give thanks and praise to our Creator. This is why the Psalms and parables of Jesus and all of Scripture are full of references to nature.
For me trails represent finding our way in life - they're symbols of prayer. For instance, the Psalms are prayer paths. And the Lord's Prayer is a basket of five spiritual trails: thanks and praise, submission to God, petition, confession, and overcoming sin.
How do you connect with God in nature? What helps you to walk the path of life with Jesus?
Saturday, May 23, 2009
Root Yourself in God
I love being in a forest! That's where I am this weekend!
I find it helpful to find a tree to meditate on, which I sometimes do when I go on prayer walks around the lake near my home. I look at a tree by the water and I pray Psalm 1...
"Blessed is the person who... delights in the law of the Lord and on his law he meditates day and night. He or she is like a tree planted by the stream of water which yields its fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither. Whatever he or she does prospers."
I want to be like that tree! Don't you? Rooted deep. Drawing up nourishment from the soil and the water. Leaves stretching out to catch the sun. Growing fruit.
To be a healthy, fruitful tree we need to meditate on God's Word, including his commandments that are holy and wholesome, good and gracious. This helps me learn to become the kind of person who obeys Jesus' teachings from my heart.
A person who is like this tree, like the Psalm 1 man, is rooted in God's love and defined by God's words of grace and truth and not by circumstances or what people say.
It's easy for us to be distressed by criticisms, rejections, and misunderstandings from people. But we can learn to be rooted in God's love. Meditating on God's Word is the way. And also to find at least one person you trust and respect who can be "Christ's Ambassador" to you, embodying Christ's love to you (1 Corinthians 5:20).
Have you ever meditated on a tree to root yourself in God?
What helps you tap into God's love such that you're not uprooted when people disappoint you?
I find it helpful to find a tree to meditate on, which I sometimes do when I go on prayer walks around the lake near my home. I look at a tree by the water and I pray Psalm 1...
"Blessed is the person who... delights in the law of the Lord and on his law he meditates day and night. He or she is like a tree planted by the stream of water which yields its fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither. Whatever he or she does prospers."
I want to be like that tree! Don't you? Rooted deep. Drawing up nourishment from the soil and the water. Leaves stretching out to catch the sun. Growing fruit.
To be a healthy, fruitful tree we need to meditate on God's Word, including his commandments that are holy and wholesome, good and gracious. This helps me learn to become the kind of person who obeys Jesus' teachings from my heart.
A person who is like this tree, like the Psalm 1 man, is rooted in God's love and defined by God's words of grace and truth and not by circumstances or what people say.
It's easy for us to be distressed by criticisms, rejections, and misunderstandings from people. But we can learn to be rooted in God's love. Meditating on God's Word is the way. And also to find at least one person you trust and respect who can be "Christ's Ambassador" to you, embodying Christ's love to you (1 Corinthians 5:20).
Have you ever meditated on a tree to root yourself in God?
What helps you tap into God's love such that you're not uprooted when people disappoint you?
Monday, May 18, 2009
Pausing to Breathe a Prayer
I've been learning that prayer can be like breathing - something we do continuously and automatically without even thinking about it. I love using short phrases of Scripture as "Breath Prayers."
Breathing in and out God's Word as I go about my day connects me with God, adds tremendous meaning to my life, and gives me such peace. I've found that there are many "idle" spaces in any given day for prayer moments, like when I'm transitioning from one activity to the next, driving, waiting, getting ready in the morning, or preparing to go to bed at night (or laying in bed awake!).
To offer a Breath Prayer it helps to breathe in deeply and slowly, taking about 10 seconds for a breath. Learn to breathe (and pray) from your stomach - gently.
With each breath or two offer to God your short Scripture prayer.
The last couple of days I've been praying a favorite Breath Prayer inspired by Psalm 39, especially verses 5 and 11...
"My life is a breath... Selah.
I am a breath... Selah.
My life is God's breath... Forever.
I am God's breath... Forever."
(Note that the word "selah" is used in the Psalms and probably means, "Pause to reflect and pray.")
Join me in praying this Breath Prayer right now...
Breathe in deep and slow from your stomach... Hold your breath, longer than normal... Release slowly and gently... Wait to breathe longer than is comfortable to let your body feel the longing for God's Word and Spirit...
Without even using any words your breathing is expressing your prayerful intention to connnect with God...
Gently repeat this breathing prayer (You may need to practice this for it to become natural and easy and be able to experience being in the flow of the Spirit of God!)
Now, as you breathe in whisper God's Word: "My life is a breath"... Hold God's Word inside you... Release as you you whisper: "Selah"... Wait to breathe as you feel your longing for God...
Slowly and gently repeat for each phrase.
Try memorizing the prayer I wrote or one of the phrases in it and return to your Breath Prayer as often as you can during the day. Make a game of it! How many times can you remember to breathe in God's Word to you? Three? Thirty? Three hundred?!!!!
Please share your experience with us in the Christian Soul Care blog...
Breathing in and out God's Word as I go about my day connects me with God, adds tremendous meaning to my life, and gives me such peace. I've found that there are many "idle" spaces in any given day for prayer moments, like when I'm transitioning from one activity to the next, driving, waiting, getting ready in the morning, or preparing to go to bed at night (or laying in bed awake!).
To offer a Breath Prayer it helps to breathe in deeply and slowly, taking about 10 seconds for a breath. Learn to breathe (and pray) from your stomach - gently.
With each breath or two offer to God your short Scripture prayer.
The last couple of days I've been praying a favorite Breath Prayer inspired by Psalm 39, especially verses 5 and 11...
"My life is a breath... Selah.
I am a breath... Selah.
My life is God's breath... Forever.
I am God's breath... Forever."
(Note that the word "selah" is used in the Psalms and probably means, "Pause to reflect and pray.")
Join me in praying this Breath Prayer right now...
Breathe in deep and slow from your stomach... Hold your breath, longer than normal... Release slowly and gently... Wait to breathe longer than is comfortable to let your body feel the longing for God's Word and Spirit...
Without even using any words your breathing is expressing your prayerful intention to connnect with God...
Gently repeat this breathing prayer (You may need to practice this for it to become natural and easy and be able to experience being in the flow of the Spirit of God!)
Now, as you breathe in whisper God's Word: "My life is a breath"... Hold God's Word inside you... Release as you you whisper: "Selah"... Wait to breathe as you feel your longing for God...
Slowly and gently repeat for each phrase.
Try memorizing the prayer I wrote or one of the phrases in it and return to your Breath Prayer as often as you can during the day. Make a game of it! How many times can you remember to breathe in God's Word to you? Three? Thirty? Three hundred?!!!!
Please share your experience with us in the Christian Soul Care blog...
Thursday, May 14, 2009
Live Worry-Free
Can we live without worry? The answer must be yes or Jesus wouldn't have said, "Do not worry."
Do you know what he said next?
"Look at the birds!" Yes, Jesus told us to become birdwatchers! It's hard to watch a bird and worry at the same time! They flutter from branch to branch so graciously. They sing so beautifully. They fly in the sky so wonderfully.
Ahhhh! I love the birds! Thank you Lord for your peace! Jesus knew what he was talking about: the same Father God who cares for the birds cares for you and I.
Listen in on some bird talk and relax in Abba's arms...
“Said the Robin to the Sparrow:
‘I should really like to know
Why these anxious human beings
Rush about and worry so.’
Said the Sparrow to the Robin:
‘Friend, I think that it must be
That they have no Heavenly Father
Such as cares for you and me’”
Does God minister to you through birds?
Do you know what he said next?
"Look at the birds!" Yes, Jesus told us to become birdwatchers! It's hard to watch a bird and worry at the same time! They flutter from branch to branch so graciously. They sing so beautifully. They fly in the sky so wonderfully.
Ahhhh! I love the birds! Thank you Lord for your peace! Jesus knew what he was talking about: the same Father God who cares for the birds cares for you and I.
Listen in on some bird talk and relax in Abba's arms...
“Said the Robin to the Sparrow:
‘I should really like to know
Why these anxious human beings
Rush about and worry so.’
Said the Sparrow to the Robin:
‘Friend, I think that it must be
That they have no Heavenly Father
Such as cares for you and me’”
Does God minister to you through birds?
Saturday, May 9, 2009
A Caveman Prayer
Have you ever prayed in a cave? Yesterday I did.
You may know that I've been praying the Psalms everyday for the last year and a half. I've noticed that some of David's best prayers were in a cave, like Psalm 57 and 142 (and probably others like Psalm 27 and 61).
So I figured that to be "a man of prayer" (Psalm 109:4) like David it might help if I spent some time being "a caveman" like him!
Indeed, meditating on Psalm 57 in a cave for a couple of hours helped me to connect more deeply with what it means to make God my refuge. I realized that God is more than a cave I can flee to in order to escape my troubles. In all the situations of my life I can find refuge in God through prayer, snuggling under His wings and walking in His shadow. David models for us that this is the way to awaken His dawn from deep within - in the midst of any situation we may find ourselves in.
My Prayer Poem based on Psalm 57 expresses this:
The Cave
Hidden
In a cave
Surrounded by lions
Under His wings
Alone
In the dark
Assaulted by accusations
Following His shadow
Quiet
In my soul
Troubled by hardships
Joining His prayers
Alert
In the night
Besieged by lies
Awakening His dawn
As you pray today, both in your devotions and as you go about your day, imagine yourself hidden in a secret cave with God as your refuge. What is this like for you?
You may know that I've been praying the Psalms everyday for the last year and a half. I've noticed that some of David's best prayers were in a cave, like Psalm 57 and 142 (and probably others like Psalm 27 and 61).
So I figured that to be "a man of prayer" (Psalm 109:4) like David it might help if I spent some time being "a caveman" like him!
Indeed, meditating on Psalm 57 in a cave for a couple of hours helped me to connect more deeply with what it means to make God my refuge. I realized that God is more than a cave I can flee to in order to escape my troubles. In all the situations of my life I can find refuge in God through prayer, snuggling under His wings and walking in His shadow. David models for us that this is the way to awaken His dawn from deep within - in the midst of any situation we may find ourselves in.
My Prayer Poem based on Psalm 57 expresses this:
The Cave
Hidden
In a cave
Surrounded by lions
Under His wings
Alone
In the dark
Assaulted by accusations
Following His shadow
Quiet
In my soul
Troubled by hardships
Joining His prayers
Alert
In the night
Besieged by lies
Awakening His dawn
As you pray today, both in your devotions and as you go about your day, imagine yourself hidden in a secret cave with God as your refuge. What is this like for you?
Wednesday, April 29, 2009
Hurry Sickness
Hurry sickness is rampant today in our culture. We rush from thing to thing. We try to get more done in less time. We use adrenaline (and caffeine) to pump us up and makes us feel alive and powerful.
Hurry sickness is bad for our health. It diminishes soul. And it destroys our relationships with one another and with God.
For most of my life I've done this. But I've been learning to stay out of the fast lane, to walk slower, and to pause to breathe and to pray.
In the Gospels I see that Jesus was never in a hurry - except at the end of his life when he headed toward Jerusalem to embrace his cross! (We tend to do the opposite by hurring into pleasures and achievements and refusing to deny ourselves.) Jesus always had time to enjoy people and to care for them. He always had time to pray.
What a joy it is when we learn to enjoy the moment with God!
What's your experience?
Hurry sickness is bad for our health. It diminishes soul. And it destroys our relationships with one another and with God.
For most of my life I've done this. But I've been learning to stay out of the fast lane, to walk slower, and to pause to breathe and to pray.
In the Gospels I see that Jesus was never in a hurry - except at the end of his life when he headed toward Jerusalem to embrace his cross! (We tend to do the opposite by hurring into pleasures and achievements and refusing to deny ourselves.) Jesus always had time to enjoy people and to care for them. He always had time to pray.
What a joy it is when we learn to enjoy the moment with God!
What's your experience?
Monday, April 27, 2009
Do you see God smiling at you?
One of my favorite ways to pray is to imagine Jesus' smiling at me.
As I've said before, I pray from the Psalms everyday. The Psalms are full of prayers and meditations that refer to the Lord delighting in us, shining his favor on us, or smiling on us.
For instance, today I'm praying from Psalm 138 and have been "centering" myself (returning again and again quietly and meditatively to the prayer:
"Though the Lord is on high, he smiles upon the lowly, like me and _________." (Psalm 138:6).
To help me "see" the Lord's loving, joyful smile I have put into my personalized Psalms prayer book pictures of artists' renderings of the smile of Christ. (You can google this online!)
What a blessing this simple way of prayer is for me! It lifts me eyes to heaven. It brings a smile to my face. It makes my steps lighter - even in the midst of daily stresses and challenges and pains.
Do you ever imagine Jesus smiling at you? How does this or would this effect you?
As I've said before, I pray from the Psalms everyday. The Psalms are full of prayers and meditations that refer to the Lord delighting in us, shining his favor on us, or smiling on us.
For instance, today I'm praying from Psalm 138 and have been "centering" myself (returning again and again quietly and meditatively to the prayer:
"Though the Lord is on high, he smiles upon the lowly, like me and _________." (Psalm 138:6).
To help me "see" the Lord's loving, joyful smile I have put into my personalized Psalms prayer book pictures of artists' renderings of the smile of Christ. (You can google this online!)
What a blessing this simple way of prayer is for me! It lifts me eyes to heaven. It brings a smile to my face. It makes my steps lighter - even in the midst of daily stresses and challenges and pains.
Do you ever imagine Jesus smiling at you? How does this or would this effect you?
Saturday, April 18, 2009
What Every Woman Needs to Know
As we said previously, men and women alike need to know that we are "the beloved" of God. But masculinity and femininity have differing needs along these lines.
I believe that men need to know that they are significant, that they have something unique and important to contribute.
And women need to know that they are attractive, not just physically, but personally. Women long to hear from their father, boyfriend, husband, and, most importantly, from God!, the words that Mary heard from the angel at the annunciation: "You're beautiful with God's beauty. Beautiful inside and out" (Luke 1:26).
Let's interact on this... What do you think? Is this true in your experience? Ask a friend to read this blog and share their experience.
I believe that men need to know that they are significant, that they have something unique and important to contribute.
And women need to know that they are attractive, not just physically, but personally. Women long to hear from their father, boyfriend, husband, and, most importantly, from God!, the words that Mary heard from the angel at the annunciation: "You're beautiful with God's beauty. Beautiful inside and out" (Luke 1:26).
Let's interact on this... What do you think? Is this true in your experience? Ask a friend to read this blog and share their experience.
Monday, April 6, 2009
I made a mistake and God blessed me...
Awhile ago on the Christian Soul Care Blog I referred to building a library in the loft of our home. Designing and building built-in bookcases and desks has been quite a challenge! So much measuring, cutting, staining, building...
It's a reminder of why it'd cost me upwards of $10,000 to have someone else do the work.
Yesterday, God gave me a great blessing...
I had made a mistake on my cuts for one of the base board pieces - getting those angles right, especially with a hand saw!, is difficult. So I was disappointed and frustrated when I had to set the board aside to be thrown out - along with a few others! That felt like getting a sore arm and working 30 minutes for nothing.
Of course, so much of life is like that: doing little jobs, making mistakes on things, feeling unproductive... I know that all of life is meaningful, that it's an opportunity to pray. And as I work I remind myself to pray. Sometimes on this library project I've prayed, "Lord Jesus, I want to be a good carpenter like you, to build things and people for you." But often I'm not so prayerful and just I'm just pushing through the work and getting tired, stressed, or frustrated.
So my blessing was when I realized that the "throw away" piece of wood happened to fit just right and have the angles just right for an odd section I was about to measure and cut for.
God reminded me that he redeems my mistakes and my sins; through Christ, God brings good things even out of my bad! This helps me not go into guilt or self-condemnation when I make a mistake. It's better to just run into Jesus' open arms!
It's a reminder of why it'd cost me upwards of $10,000 to have someone else do the work.
Yesterday, God gave me a great blessing...
I had made a mistake on my cuts for one of the base board pieces - getting those angles right, especially with a hand saw!, is difficult. So I was disappointed and frustrated when I had to set the board aside to be thrown out - along with a few others! That felt like getting a sore arm and working 30 minutes for nothing.
Of course, so much of life is like that: doing little jobs, making mistakes on things, feeling unproductive... I know that all of life is meaningful, that it's an opportunity to pray. And as I work I remind myself to pray. Sometimes on this library project I've prayed, "Lord Jesus, I want to be a good carpenter like you, to build things and people for you." But often I'm not so prayerful and just I'm just pushing through the work and getting tired, stressed, or frustrated.
So my blessing was when I realized that the "throw away" piece of wood happened to fit just right and have the angles just right for an odd section I was about to measure and cut for.
God reminded me that he redeems my mistakes and my sins; through Christ, God brings good things even out of my bad! This helps me not go into guilt or self-condemnation when I make a mistake. It's better to just run into Jesus' open arms!
Tuesday, March 31, 2009
What Every Man Needs to Know
In my last blog I said that we all need to hear the affirmation of the Father: "This is my beloved son/daughter and in him/her I am well pleased" (Matthew 3:16-17).
I think every son especially needs to hear the words of this message from God and it helps if his dad verbalizes and demonstrates it! In this affirmation a father (or mentor) is saying to a man: "You are loved AND you are significant!" Generally, men feel loved when their significance is appreciated and respected.
I got this message from my dad in many ways. I'm thankful that as a boy I was blessed by his affection, his participation in my sports and activities, and his words of encouragement to me.
I think that there's a complementary message from God that women long to hear even more than this which I'll share in my next blog.
What do you think? Do men need to be affirmed for their significance? Can a man receive the Heavenly Father's blessing of respect without receiving it from an earthly father figure?
I think every son especially needs to hear the words of this message from God and it helps if his dad verbalizes and demonstrates it! In this affirmation a father (or mentor) is saying to a man: "You are loved AND you are significant!" Generally, men feel loved when their significance is appreciated and respected.
I got this message from my dad in many ways. I'm thankful that as a boy I was blessed by his affection, his participation in my sports and activities, and his words of encouragement to me.
I think that there's a complementary message from God that women long to hear even more than this which I'll share in my next blog.
What do you think? Do men need to be affirmed for their significance? Can a man receive the Heavenly Father's blessing of respect without receiving it from an earthly father figure?
Tuesday, March 24, 2009
What Every Person Needs to Know
There's a message that every person needs to hear and believe about themselves. It's what God the Father spoke over Jesus at his baptism: "You are my beloved son and in you I am well pleased" (Matthew 3:16-17)
We all need to be confident deep inside that we are loved as God's son or daughter and that he is pleased with us.
In prayer give thanks to God as you speak the word of the Father over yourself (it helps if you smile as you say this!)...
"I am a beloved son of the Father and he is pleased with me."
"I am a beloved daughter of the Father and he is pleased with me."
Maybe it's hard for you to trust these words in your heart? Why? We'd like to hear your questions.
Perhaps you need healing. Or to engage your heart with your Heavenly Father in some new ways...
We all need to be confident deep inside that we are loved as God's son or daughter and that he is pleased with us.
In prayer give thanks to God as you speak the word of the Father over yourself (it helps if you smile as you say this!)...
"I am a beloved son of the Father and he is pleased with me."
"I am a beloved daughter of the Father and he is pleased with me."
Maybe it's hard for you to trust these words in your heart? Why? We'd like to hear your questions.
Perhaps you need healing. Or to engage your heart with your Heavenly Father in some new ways...
- Trusting a "Christ's Ambassador" (2 Corinthians 5:20) to mediate God's love to you
- Learning to meditate deeply on Scriptures that promise the Father's love to you (like 1 John 3:1 or the Parable of the Prodigal Son in Luke 15
- Listening to the birds sing over you and feeling the sun shine on your face
- Extending compassion in Jesus' name to someone who is poor or needy
Sunday, March 22, 2009
Talk to Your Soul in Prayer, Part 2
Eleven times in his prayers the Psalmist talks to himself with the cry, "O My Soul."
Interestingly, the eleven prayers appear in the Psalter in a meaningful order that group into three types of "O My Soul" prayers, each representing a step in an intimate prayer life. The three A's of connecting deeply with God are: Awareness, Attunement, and Appreciativeness:
Do you pray to God in these ways?
Interestingly, the eleven prayers appear in the Psalter in a meaningful order that group into three types of "O My Soul" prayers, each representing a step in an intimate prayer life. The three A's of connecting deeply with God are: Awareness, Attunement, and Appreciativeness:
- Open up to God (Awareness): "Why are you downcast, O my soul? Why so disturbed within me? Put your hope in God, for I will yet praise him, my Savior and my God" (Psalm 42:5, 11; 43:5)
- Find Rest in God (Attunement): "Find rest, O my soul, in God alone; my hope comes from him" (Psalm 62:5; Psalm 116:7)
- Give Praise to God (Appreciativeness): "Praise the LORD, O my soul; all my inmost being, praise his holy name" (Psalm 103:1; also Psalm 103:2, 22; 104:1, 35; 146:1)
Do you pray to God in these ways?
Thursday, March 19, 2009
Talk to Your Soul in Prayer, Part 1
In the Psalms, the Bible's great "soul book," the psalmist talks to his soul (as if it were another person) as he prays to God. He recruits his soul to be alert before God:
“Awake, my soul! Awake harp and lyre! I will awaken the dawn” (Psalm 57:8)
Praying the Psalms I discovered that eleven times the Psalmist awakens his soul to God by crying out, "O my soul!"
I have found it helpful to talk to my soul in prayer, to get myself to be alert before God so that I can connect with him and follow Christ. Praying the Psalms really helps me to awaken to God's presence.
What helps to awaken your soul to God?
“Awake, my soul! Awake harp and lyre! I will awaken the dawn” (Psalm 57:8)
Praying the Psalms I discovered that eleven times the Psalmist awakens his soul to God by crying out, "O my soul!"
I have found it helpful to talk to my soul in prayer, to get myself to be alert before God so that I can connect with him and follow Christ. Praying the Psalms really helps me to awaken to God's presence.
What helps to awaken your soul to God?
Sunday, March 15, 2009
A Grate-full Day!
Recently at the Crystal Cathedral's Conference on Care & Kindness I attended a presentation by Robert Emmons a social scientist who has studied gratitude the last ten years. He's found scientific proof for what the Bible teaches: gratefulness is good for the soul! Grateful people - including those who are experiencing suffering and injustice - are happy, more loving, healthier, and they live longer.
And each of us can learn to cultivate an attitude of thankfulness. One important way to do this is to make a list each day of things that you're thankful for. Be creative with your list, trying to identify different things each day (you'll have to be very specific!). And make your list a prayer of thanks to God. You'll be blessed and so will others!
Something I'm thankful for today are words I read in Psalm 33 this morning: "By the word of the Lord were the heavens made, their starry host by the breath of his mouth" (verse 6). What a wonder that the Almighty Lord who breathed the stars into the heavens also breathed his life into our souls! Thank you Lord!
What is something in particular that are you thankful for today?
And each of us can learn to cultivate an attitude of thankfulness. One important way to do this is to make a list each day of things that you're thankful for. Be creative with your list, trying to identify different things each day (you'll have to be very specific!). And make your list a prayer of thanks to God. You'll be blessed and so will others!
Something I'm thankful for today are words I read in Psalm 33 this morning: "By the word of the Lord were the heavens made, their starry host by the breath of his mouth" (verse 6). What a wonder that the Almighty Lord who breathed the stars into the heavens also breathed his life into our souls! Thank you Lord!
What is something in particular that are you thankful for today?
Monday, March 9, 2009
A Little but Powerful Prayer for Lent
One of the things I'm doing for Lent is carrying a rock in my pocket. Sounds like a funny thing to do, huh?
It's a prayer rock. I have a number of them. I found this one in Israel at what may have been the Apostle Paul's prison cell at the palace in Caesarea by the Sea.
I use it to remind me to shoot up little arrow prayes as I go about my day: "For me to live is Christ and to die is gain" (the Apostle Paul's words in Philippians 1:21).
Sometimes I breathe in deep and slow as I whisper: "To live is Christ." I hold my breath to help me hold the Spirit and the Word in my consciousness. Then I release: "To die is gain." My exhaling a prayer helps me to let go of agendas and ambitions and to follow Christ's leadership.
The rock and the prayer remind me to turn my thoughts toward Christ and his sacrifice for me and you.
Maybe you've tried a form of Centering Prayer that you'd like to share? Or perhaps you have a way you're celebrating Lent that could encourage others?
It's a prayer rock. I have a number of them. I found this one in Israel at what may have been the Apostle Paul's prison cell at the palace in Caesarea by the Sea.
I use it to remind me to shoot up little arrow prayes as I go about my day: "For me to live is Christ and to die is gain" (the Apostle Paul's words in Philippians 1:21).
Sometimes I breathe in deep and slow as I whisper: "To live is Christ." I hold my breath to help me hold the Spirit and the Word in my consciousness. Then I release: "To die is gain." My exhaling a prayer helps me to let go of agendas and ambitions and to follow Christ's leadership.
The rock and the prayer remind me to turn my thoughts toward Christ and his sacrifice for me and you.
Maybe you've tried a form of Centering Prayer that you'd like to share? Or perhaps you have a way you're celebrating Lent that could encourage others?
Sunday, March 1, 2009
May the Wind Lift Us
I hiked up into the foothills of Saddleback Mountain this weekend with a friend. From about 2,000 feet up we looked out over the green hills, orchards, and the city of Irvine stretching out till the ocean in the distance. As we stood quietly in prayer the breeze swayed the tall grasses and rustled through the shrub all around us...
I was meditating on how the Holy Spirit is like the wind: we can't see him, but we see his effects; he doesn't speak audibly (normally), but speaks through the objects he moves. To hear God's voice is like hearing the breeze: we need to be still and quiet for awhile.
Then we saw a gift from God: two great hawks with their wings outstretched, gliding effortlessly on the wind. Of course, we thought of Isaiah's words: "They that wait upon the Lord shall mount up with wings as eagles. They shall run and not be weary, they shall walk and not faint" (Isaiah 40:31).
May the Lord help us to enter his peace, to "Be still and know that he is God" (Psalm 46:10).
I was meditating on how the Holy Spirit is like the wind: we can't see him, but we see his effects; he doesn't speak audibly (normally), but speaks through the objects he moves. To hear God's voice is like hearing the breeze: we need to be still and quiet for awhile.
Then we saw a gift from God: two great hawks with their wings outstretched, gliding effortlessly on the wind. Of course, we thought of Isaiah's words: "They that wait upon the Lord shall mount up with wings as eagles. They shall run and not be weary, they shall walk and not faint" (Isaiah 40:31).
May the Lord help us to enter his peace, to "Be still and know that he is God" (Psalm 46:10).
Wednesday, February 25, 2009
Building a Life
I've been building a library with desks and bookcases in the loft of our home. This includes computer workstations for our kids.
I loved designing this. I also like working with the wood. But the painting and staining and touch up is a real drag! And there are so many pieces to fit together right - a few times I've had to re-do whole sections which was quite discouraging!
Years ago I learned that the reality of completing a project is so much more difficult than the idea of it. When I start out I can see what it'll look like in my mind, but completing the project takes so long! It's hard for me to be patient with the process.
Life is the same. Moving from a dream to a reality is a process. What's helping me to be more patient and to find more meaning in the process of whatever I'm building is to put God first.
So I seek to listen to God's dreams for me, work on the project with him by being prayerful as I do it, and accept that however the project goes (it seems there are always disappointments and frustrations!) it's an opportunity for me to learn from Jesus.
May Jesus be the Master Builder in our lives and may we find meaning in assisting him.
I loved designing this. I also like working with the wood. But the painting and staining and touch up is a real drag! And there are so many pieces to fit together right - a few times I've had to re-do whole sections which was quite discouraging!
Years ago I learned that the reality of completing a project is so much more difficult than the idea of it. When I start out I can see what it'll look like in my mind, but completing the project takes so long! It's hard for me to be patient with the process.
Life is the same. Moving from a dream to a reality is a process. What's helping me to be more patient and to find more meaning in the process of whatever I'm building is to put God first.
So I seek to listen to God's dreams for me, work on the project with him by being prayerful as I do it, and accept that however the project goes (it seems there are always disappointments and frustrations!) it's an opportunity for me to learn from Jesus.
May Jesus be the Master Builder in our lives and may we find meaning in assisting him.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
