Saturday April 9th

It's time for a chuckle and a post that has nothing at all to do with sand, or journeys or obedience.....

Just a little bit of "Bo" for your Saturday. Perhaps you will see yourself in her post!
CLICK HERE!

Now that you've had your chuckle, scroll up one spot (or click the link below) and PLEASE watch the 1:57 video Bo posted. Something to consider as we move towards the cross this season.

The Suffering Jesus

The practices of Lent 2011

Prayer, fasting, alms-giving - disciplines of abstinence and engagement - pushing away distractions in order to make room for deeper communion with God - for me, the tension between being (with God) and doing (for God) have led me this year to commit to:

Drastically reducing my time spent on the internet - while significantly increasing my dedicated time of prayer, retreat, and reading.

Disciplining my thoughts into this online journal of sorts on a regular basis. Hopefully as I pray and reflect and then actively communicate the thoughts I'll absorb more of what God is saying to me.

Fasting from meat once weekly. No, I don't expect that this small sacrifice to my taste buds will result in any dramatic revelation. But this practice was modeled to me many years ago by a good friend who taught her daughters to set aside the money that would have been spent on a "regular" dinner and send it to an orphanage - and so this year I want to incorporate that as my "alms-giving" effort for Lent. The difference will be sent to that same orphanage, The Haiti Home for Children, where those two dear children lived until they were adopted and brought to the United States.

Observing the sabbath more fully. No media, no "work", just time with God and family.

Finally, saying "yes" to giving myself more fully to work.

As you step away from the world and move toward the cross this season what is being revealed to you in the changing rhythms?

Do Bee

Ah Romper Room...Do Bee...do.be.more

What does it mean for me to state the intention that I will "be more and do more" in Lent as a part of the sacrifice of "yes"?

The -be more- looks like time marked specifically for the practice of being. Small commitments of time on work days, large blocks set aside on non-ministry/work days, devoted to praying, reading, retreating from distractions, simply being. It looks like attention to being present throughout my waking hours in a place of gratitude and praise. It means lose hands on the reins. “Be still, and know that I am God” (Psalm 46:10)

The -do more- looks like adding (crazy I know) work and ministry hours to an already crowded schedule as an act of faith in God's provision. It looks like adding spiritual practices that are different - fasting from meat on Fridays, trimming internet time to a minimum, even adding the effort of writing these blog posts. It means being productive and active when I'd rather rest or hang out with God or my cyber friends. Just do it. "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me
(Philippians 4:13)
For today, Lord be with me and do through me.

Rhythms of Life

Coffee on Saturdays has been a bookend for my week for nearly a dozen years.

Bob and I set aside a few minutes on Saturdays to connect over a cup of coffee before moving into the busyness of a typical weekend. Lent is a similar bookend for me - defining the space that brings the cross into focus for me each year.

What traditions mark time in your life? Which ones have value as you change your heart's pace to match the rhythm of Lent?

Move your clocks forward one hour tonight!

For today Lord, may my pace be set to yours and not the other way around.

The juxtaposition of Mary and Martha

My theme for 2011 is "do less, more fully" yet despite my intention to focus on fewer activities, ministries, people, and to go deeper and become more thoroughly connected in each area, I find myself continually called to do more - with the result that my daily life looks more like "do more, less fully". Lent provides me a designated time for re prioritizing. It would seem that this holy season would point to a renewed effort to take on less. Or does it?

In the familiar story of Mary and Martha we see Jesus encouraging Martha to do less and to fully engage with him. He does not indicate that Martha's service is wrong, merely that she needs to listen and hear first and foremost. Active service flows naturally from a place of connection God. The "heed" comes from the hearing and processing of His call. In discipleship we move from the pose of silently waiting to the place of receiving instruction and lavish love from the Savior, and then we move to our feet and begin to offer our very selves in service. We first must simply "be" and then we are empowered to "do".

"Listening without doing becomes a mockery of the Word. Doing without listening degenerates into busyness of no purpose. There is a time to go and do; there is a time to listen and reflect. Knowing which and when is a matter of spiritual discernment." The Difference, CARY G. SPEAKER

Perhaps my desire to do less more fully has less to do with the number of activities I am involved in and more to do with the order in which I place them. Could it be that investing in my relationship with God would result in the capacity to actually do more? To say "yes" to God in an even more grand scale?

For today, Lord help me to simply be. more.
And then for faith to trust that you will supply all that I need as I respond to you with "yes" and do. more.

Hupakouo - listening, hearing, heeding

Today is Ash Wednesday, the start of the liturgical season of Lent. Journey with me for 40 days as I listen, hear, and heed.

For many Lent is a time of establishing a practice of sacrifice, of saying "no", as a means of making room for more of God in their lives. This Lent I choose to say "yes". Yes to being more, yes to doing more, yes to God's call in the face of the wisdom of no. I think "yes" will stretch me further than "no" ever could.

For today, Lord lead me to listen more, hear clearly, and heed joyfully.