Letting Go and Listening

Another Five Minute Friday, when we gather to write unfettered and free for five minutes.

Overhead the sunlight filters through the shifting leaves. Below me the hammock gently sways. Around me the gentle breeze caresses my cheeks and lifts my hair ever so slightly. In the distance the sound of water tumbling over rocks provides a soothing backdrop. I relax.

The stresses of the past days and weeks . . . the weight of caring for an aging parent . . . an impending financial crisis . . . life-changing decisions to be made . . . concern for people I love . . . all begin to fade as the breeze continues to caress my skin.

My eyes drift shut.

My shoulders soften and the muscles relax.

In the quiet I hear a still a small voice, only a whisper, saying, "'I Am the Lord who Will Provide' and I love you. You are my own. I have plans for you . . . plans for good and not for harm. Rest in Me." The echo of the whisper stays in my heart and mind, calming, comforting, refreshing.

How Do I Understand the Bible? - Outline

I don't know about you, but I like variety to keep things fresh and, yes, even meaningful. I'd rather walk outside than on a treadmill, drive an interesting route rather than the fastest one, do something different sometimes just to shake things up. And, I'm the same with studying the Bible. I've been reading and studying the Bible for a long time now and at times it can get (dare I say it?) boring unless I change things up sometimes. That's why I'm suggesting an assortment of Bible study methods, so that whether brand new to the Bible or a long-timer who's gotten a little bored, you'll have some different ideas to choose from.

Most of these ways of studying the Bible are quite simple, yet each of them then deepen your knowledge, understanding, and experience with Scripture.

Today's is Outline.

When I was in sixth grade, my teacher required that we outline our history book for homework and two things happened. First, I discovered that after I had outlined a chapter I could ace the test with almost no additional study. (Loved that one!!) Second, I was drawn to the logical progression and understanding that comes with reducing something to outline form. I am beginning with the assumption that you know how to do a basic outline. (If that's not true for you, feel free to contact me and I'll be glad to explain how it works.)

When outlining the Bible, it is best to outline either a chapter paragraph by paragraph or a book chapter by chapter.

To begin this study, choose a chapter or book (preferably a short one to begin with) that you would like to understand more fully.

Pray. As I've said in the previous Bible Study posts, prayer to ask the the Holy Spirit to guide and teach you is always a crucial part of the process.

Read through the chapter or book for a sense of flow and how it fits together. At this time don't try to outline, just read it carefully to get the big picture of what's being said.

Read it again with an eye to outlining. If you're working through a chapter, give each paragraph a summary title as the main points of your outline. You may want to include key points from the paragraph as your sub-points. If you are outlining a book, give each chapter a summary title and then use your paragraphs as your sub-points.

Outlining is helpful for getting the big picture of the content and structure of a chapter or book.

If you'd like to take this study a Next Step, combine it with Observe and Question to help bring deeper understanding and to apply it to your life.

Suggested chapters:

Psalm 1
Psalm 23
Psalm 46
Matthew 5,6, or 7
Philippians 4

Suggested books:
Nehemiah
Jonah
Ephesians
Philippians
Colossians
James

What is your favorite way to study the Bible? 

What has helped you to keep your Bible study fresh and interesting?

How Do I Understand the Bible? - Observe and Question

Studying the Bible doesn't have to be big and scary.

Although the Bible is a BIG book, filled with lots of names and places that are unfamiliar, with some stretches that are not so interesting, it is also full of stories of valiant warriors, tender poets, miracles, and very fallible human beings. Many of the stories have rightfully been made into epic movies since they are stories of epic proportions.

The Bible is a wonderful blend of excitement, mystery, and truths that challenge our thinking and our reality. So how do we begin to understand what this big book says.

One way is to Read - Observe - Question. What does that look like?

Pray. Any time that we study the Bible, we want to invite the Holy Spirit aka the Spirit of Truth to help us understand what we are reading. (John 14:16,17, and 26)

Choose a Selection from the Bible to Read. The amount of time you want to spend and the depth of the study you want to undertake will largely determine the length of your selection. The length could vary between a few verses to an entire book. If you're looking for inspiration and encouragement, the Psalms would be a good place to begin. If you're looking for biblical teachings, the Gospels (Matthew, Mark, Luke and John) or Epistles (Romans through Jude) would be good. If you're looking for the history of the world, the Jewish nation, or Christianity then Genesis, Exodus through Esther, or Acts would be helpful. Old Testament prophetic books are Isaiah through Malachi and in the New Testament Revelation is the primary prophetic book.

Read a Passage of the Bible. Read the passage you have chosen all the way through once without stopping. Pause.

Write down your initial response, observations, and questions.

Read it again slowly and thoughtfully.

Write: What else do you observe? What other questions arise? Do any answers surface?

Using your Bible Study Tools such as cross references, a study Bible, commentaries, and a Bible dictionary or encyclopedia search for answers to your questions. Bible Gateway is a website that offers several free resources as well as links to those for purchase.

Record your exploration, what you have learned, and your conclusions.

Apply. Ask yourself how this study has impacted your life and how it makes a difference in your day to day interactions with God and with other people.

If you try this type of study, I invite you to talk about your experience 

or what you have learned here in this online community. 

NOTE: I do not receive any type of reimbursement or benefits from any endorsements made in this post. 

How Do I Understand the Bible? - SCPTP

While we are often told that reading and studying the Bible are important, many are not sure where to begin or how to study the Bible. A simple way to learn more about the Bible is to read a few verses or even one verse at a time asking five questions. If you're new to reading or studying the Bible, this type of study creates a great foundation for deeper study at a later time.

How do you go about this study?

Choose a passage to read. This study works best when reading a single verse or paragraph in the Bible. Over time you can read a variety of short passages or you can choose to read through a book a paragraph at a time. This study works particularly well with the Gospels (Matthew through John) or the Epistles (Romans through Jude) in the New Testament. You may want to begin with a shorter book such as Philippians, Colossians, or 1 John.

Pray. Ask God to guide you through the Holy Spirit into a deeper understanding of His message to you through the Bible.

Read and Record. Read your chosen passage for the day. In a journal or on an electronic device jot down the date, reference of the passage you read, and then the answers to the following questions:

Is there a . . .

Sin to confess?
Command to obey?
Promise to claim?
Truth to understand and believe?
Prayer to pray?

Sin to Confess - Does the Bible address a particular sin, something that God says is not what He desires for us? If so, jot that down. To apply this question to your own life, ask yourself if this is a sin that you have given into. If so, God tells us to confess our sin and He will forgive us. (1 John 1:9)

Command to Obey - Is there something that God wants us to do? What is that? Record the answer in your journal. Think about how you can begin to do this thing God is asking of you.

Promise to Claim - Does God make a promise to you in this verse? Write down what the promise is. How can claiming that promise help you in your current circumstances?

Truth to Understand and Believe - What truth is captured in this verse or paragraph? Why is it important? What difference does it make in your life?

Prayer to Pray - Is there a prayer given? What does it say? What does it help you understand about how to pray? Are you willing to pray this prayer to God?

Let's do an example together:

We'll try a verse that is familiar to many, Proverbs 3:5-6 (ESV)

Trust in the Lord with all your heart,
    and do not lean on your own understanding.
In all your ways acknowledge him,
    and he will make straight your paths.

Is there a sin to confess? Not specifically.

Is there a command to obey? Yes, more than one: "Trust in the Lord with all your heart" and "In all your ways acknowledge him". And, we are told not to lean on our own understanding (our own intellect, reasoning, or logic). How can I do this? Currently I am in the midst of working with my family to make some serious decisions. In those decisions I need to choose to trust God and to acknowledge His ability to guide us.

Is there a promise to claim? Absolutely, "he will make straight your paths." I can have assurance that as I trust God and acknowledge Him in these decisions that He will guide us and he will show us clearly the right thing to do.

Is there a truth to understand and believe? Nothing beyond those we've already identified.

Is there a prayer to pray? Not specifically, however praying Scripture and asking for God's help to trust and acknowledge Him, to avoid leaning on our own understanding, and claiming His promise to us, is appropriate and can make our prayer times more meaningful.

Have you ever tried studying the Bible this way? Was it helpful? 

What has helped you to study the Bible?

How do I Understand the Bible? - The Necessary Tools

 

How do I understand the Bible? It's so thick with unfamiliar words and confusing stories and teaching. I don't even know where to begin. As a teacher and coach, I have heard this question asked many times. And, it's an important one.

God gave us the Bible so that we could understand Him better and it is the sacred Scriptures of the Christian faith. Therefore, reading and studying it will help us in our relationship with God and in growing in our faith.

Over the next few weeks I want to share with you ways of studying the Bible that will help you increase your knowledge of its contents, your understanding of what it means, and how to apply it to your own life and situation.

A skilled craftsman knows the importance of having the right tools for the job - be it a woodworker, an electrician, a chef, a diver, a teacher, a writer, a glassblower, a surgeon, or an artist. The right tools make it much easier to produce a great work and in some cases, such as a diver or electrician, it may be a matter of life or death. So, if you want to know how to understand the Bible better, what tools do you need?

Studying the Bible does not have to be complicated or involve a great many books or tools, although as you delve more and more deeply into the Bible there may be books, software, or apps that you would like to purchase. However, to begin the list is rather short:

1. A Bible. A study Bible that contains a summary of each book (giving its history, author, and an overview of its contents), maps, charts, and a concordance (a list of where particular words are found) is especially helpful. My favorites are The Life Application Bible, The Quest Study Bible, and the NIV Study Bible. I have found each of these to have comprehensive and helpful tools.

2. A journal, notebook, computer, or tablet where you can track what you are learning.

3. Prayer and the Holy Spirit. Some passages of the Bible and some people described in the Bible are difficult to understand. Therefore, it is important that you seek the Holy Spirit to lead and guide you in your study and to reveal truth to you and to help you avoid misinterpreting the Scripture.

These three things are sufficient to help anyone get started toward a basic understanding of the Bible, what it says, and what it means.

Perhaps you are interested in going deeper in your study. Perhaps you are puzzled by various things and want deeper answers or maybe you would like to help someone else understand the Bible better and you want to understand the Bible more completely yourself first. The following tools are helpful for those who want to go deeper. I have listed them in the order I would recommend attaining them.

4. A Concordance. While today many Study Bibles have extensive concordances, most do not have an Exhaustive Concordance. An Exhaustive Concordance lists every word in the Bible and all the verses where it can be found. Strong's Exhaustive Concordance is one of the most famous concordances and is very helpful. Some websites such as Bible Gateway can also function as a concordance by allowing you to enter a key word into their site and it will list all the verses where that word is found. Bible Gateway also has a number of other very helpful resources including the option to view a verse or passage in multiple translations of the Bible.

5. A Commentary of the Whole Bible. Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on the Whole Bible is readily available in both book and online formats and is well-known and widely respected. As your study grows you may want to invest in commentaries on specific books of the Bible or sections of the Bible. Also, many Study Bibles contain commentary at the bottom of the pages. A commentary explains the meaning and background of the verses in the Bible.

6. A Bible Dictionary. This is a dictionary that focuses specifically on biblical and theological terms that may be unfamiliar. My personal favorite is the Zondervan Expository Dictionary of Bible Words by Larry Richards. I have found this to be both comprehensive and easy to understand.

7. A Bible Encyclopedia or Handbook. I personally have found an encyclopedia more helpful than a handbook, however both can help you to understand the cultural context and history of biblical events.

8. Bible Study Books. Many good Bible study books have been written in a topical, systematic theology, or book study format. These books are useful in guiding you through a particular study, usually asking you to read a portion of Scripture, providing an explanation of or thoughts on the passage, and questions to help you think more deeply about it. Fisherman Bible Study Guides provide a plethora of choices for both topical and book studies. The Navigators also have many excellent Bible study guides available.

What have you found to be challenging about studying the Bible?
What resources have you found that have helped you?

Five Minute Friday - Fill

Five Minute Friday is an opportunity to just write for 5 minutes - no editing, no over-thinking, no planning - and then gather with other bloggers to encourage and support one another's efforts. Join in over at Kate's site - Heading Home. Today's prompt is "Fill."

Ready . . . go . . .





Dear Lord,

Around me, so many are running low on fuel, their hearts and lives in turmoil . . .

The friend going through frivolous law suits at the hands of her ex . . .

The friend facing a life-changing diagnosis for her husband . . .

Friends and family who recently had children that will face challenges all of their lives

My brother just starting his fight with cancer and having unplanned and immediate surgery today . . .

A fellow congregant getting used to the new routine of dialysis . . .

They . . . we . . . are starting to run low on energy and hope, dear God.

Please fill us. Please fill us with hope, with peace, with YOURSELF, with strength to face what each day brings. I long for You and I know that You alone are the answer. Please fill us with trust . . . with child-like, fully abandoned trust that You will work all things together for good.

In Jesus' name. Amen.

freedigitalphotos.net

I'd love to hear what you do to refresh your soul and body when you're tired and running on empty. 

Time to Bloom

Five Minute Friday - 300 seconds of writing without editing, just writing. Join in over at Lisa Jo Baker's. Today's prompt is BLOOM . . . ready . . . set . . . write:

Back in the days when I lived in a house rather than an apartment, I loved to plant flowers. Especially morning glories. I liked to prepare the dirt for planting, insert the seeds, and wait for them to grow. And grow they did with a little sun and a little water. Finally viney stems would appear that would creep slowly up the strings I had prepared for them and eventually they would bloom -- pink, blue, white -- beautiful blossoms.

freedigitalphotos.net

I love the parallels between plants and life. Others plant seeds in our lives - seeds of wisdom, of character, of a dream. We plant seeds in the lives of others. The water and sun of relationships, learning, failure and success, and adversity help those seeds to grow. And we must weed. We. Must. Weed out the negativity and naysayings and difficulties and character flaws that would sidetrack us. Eventually with water, sun, and weeding of our lives we too BLOOM to become something wonderful, something wonderful that started with a tiny seed.

Stop.

What seeds have you planted in others?

What seeds have been planted in you that have bloomed? that you're still waiting for?

Where We Belong

The sun was hot outside in the Belizean sky. Inside the small room was filled with faces of varying hues from milky white to golden brown. The air was close and in the center of the room a wizened old man lay dying. The tall, blonde pastor spoke reassuringly to the dying man through an interpreter. Talking with him about eternity and the God that he would soon meet. The wrinkled old man curled in a ball in his hammock indicated that he wanted assurance that he was okay to meet this God. The pastor explained truths about life and knowing God through Christ. Then together we prayed for and with the old man.

For that brief sojourn in a crowded, hot, and heavily scented room I knew that we were exactly where we belonged on that day and at that time. We had helped a dying man to experience peace and assurance in his final days.

Lessons My Father Taught Me About Living . . . and Dying

I learned many lessons from my dad by the way he lived his life.

I learned that hard work is a good thing. My dad didn't work in a faraway office. When I was a child, my father owned a dairy farm - a business where the work never seems to end. He took me on the tractor to the fields and let me "drive" it even as a young girl. When he was building on an addition to the barn, he hung a swing from the rafters for me so that I could play while he worked. When I was older and the farm had been sold and he ran a sawmill, I went with him into the woods while he cut down trees. As a thirty-something adult, I finally came face to face with the realization that this was not the way most kids grew up. For many Dad left in the morning and came home again in the evening and in between they didn't see him. I learned about work by working side-by-side with my dad doing things that little girl hands could do. I don't ever remember him asking me to do something that was beyond my ability and I remember him protecting me from the things that could harm me in the hazardous work he did. He seemed to know what I could and couldn't do and asked me to do what I could, but didn't ask more.

I learned not to complain in the face of pain and difficulty, but to keep going, pace yourself, and do the best you can. When I was an infant, just 6 months old, my father had his second back surgery. As long as I can remember, he lived with chronic pain and significant health issues, yet he rarely complained. Sometimes in his sleep you could tell how bad the pain was because in those unguarded moments he would moan, but in his waking hours he rarely complained. And, despite the pain he built two successful businesses - the family farm and then a rough cut lumber business. His lumber business grew mostly by word of mouth. Customers would come back again and again because of the quality of the product they received. He did his best. And he paced himself, resting when needed, taking family vacations, and weekend getaways with my mom. Then he would return to work hard and do his best.

He was a man of few words, yet when he spoke his words carried weight and had impact. When he said he would do something, you could count on it.

I also learned about love. He was a quiet man and words of love didn't come easily to him. Yet his love for his wife and family was deep. He loved to have his children, grandchildren, and great grandchildren in his home. He always seemed to know that people were more important than things and that family were most important of all people. As long as he was able, each year he would drive the many hours to visit my sisters who lived far away to spend time with his daughters and their families. He made many gifts in his wood-shop for his children and grandchildren. He helped remodel houses, build potato bins, play games, hike, pick berries, and visit historical sites for and with his family. All of these expressions of his love.

He also taught me lessons in his dying. I had the privilege of helping to care for him the last 10 days of his life. The hospice workers warned us that it is normal for people to do things that we're not accustomed to them doing - like swearing a blue streak. My father, although in incredible pain those last days, didn't cry out, didn't get cranky and didn't swear. I don't think I ever heard him utter a swear word during my lifetime and that habit, I believe, was so deeply ingrained that even in death those words were not a part of who he was.

I knew that he loved Christ and had served Him faithfully for many years. It was his custom to spend time reading his Bible each day. As he lay in the hospital bed, the toxins building up in his system, I read to him from his Bible. One day I asked him if there was anything special that he would like me to read. His response was, "No, it's all good."

He died on a Sunday - Mother's Day - and the night before he uttered the last words I would ever hear him say on this earth. He had been basically in a coma for the few days before that, talking little, sleeping much. On that Saturday night, he spoke in a clear strong voice and said, "Thank you, Jesus!" I knew that he could see and was experiencing something very real and profound in the spiritual realm. In that moment, I felt closer to God than I had in a long time.

I am thankful for the lessons my father taught me in life and in death. He lived well and he died with dignity and honor.

New Beginnings Update

freedigitalphotos.net

Here we are six months into 2014. Six months from New Year's and our resolutions and words for this year may be little more than distant memories. I chose "Necessary Endings and New Beginnings" as my theme for 2014 and I'd like to give you a little update on that. Read the original post here.

You may have noticed that I have been quite silent here at Emerging Butterflies for the last couple of months. At first it was because I had a wretched upper respiratory infection that was as good as a one-two punch for knocking me out of life for three weeks. However, God was at work during that time to show me some of the New Beginnings He has for me this year. Then, I became busy preparing for that next step.

Over the coming weeks you are likely to see some changes here at Emerging Butterflies. You may notice a new page that describes coaching opportunities in the areas of Spiritual Growth and Grief. You may also notice that I'll be adding posts about grief more frequently along with those that focus on spiritual development. I would love to have you continue with me as we see together the new things that God has in store.

Behold, I am doing a new thing;

    now it springs forth, do you not perceive it?

I will make a way in the wilderness

    and rivers in the desert.

Isaiah 43:19 (ESV)

How are you doing with your New Year's Resolutions or Your Word/Theme for the Year?

What is a Friend?

Every Friday Lisa Jo Baker invites us to join her for Five Minute Friday, a time to write, free, unfettered, and unedited for five minutes - 300 seconds. Today the prompt is "Friend."

Ready, set, write . . .

In the fall of 2007 I was entering a period of transition. I was letting go of a ministry I loved with my whole heart, to move forward into some unknowns. There would suddenly be time in my life and a hole in my life and heart that hadn't been there before. For some time I had considered getting a pet, but my life was too busy. I was away too much. It wouldn't be fair. But now, that would be different.

So I said a simple prayer asking God to bring along just the right kitty for me and a few days later one of the girls walked into youth group and announced that her cat had had kittens and her Mom was bringing them for us to see at the end of youth group.

There was one little black and white kitten . . . so very tiny he fit in the palm of my hand. I picked him up and nestled him just above my heart . . . and I fell in love.

I searched and searched for an appropriate name for him. I wanted it to be meaningful. Finally, I found just the name.
Dakota. "Friend" in the Native American language.

He has been a friend for the last 7 years even when other friendships failed. He was a gift from God. Two legged friends with skin on are awesome, but the value of those with four legs and fur should not be overlooked either.

Stop . . .

If I could Paint a Masterpiece

Many Fridays I join Lisa Jo Baker's Five Minute Friday link up, and this is one of them. Lisa Jo invites us to write unfettered and unedited for 5 minutes, to free what waits within us and then to share it in a safe, encouraging community of friends. If you'd like to join in, visit Lisa Jo's site here. I'm very glad that I did :-)

Today's prompt is PAINT. Ready, set, go . . .

 If I could paint a masterpiece, it would be the same basic scene depicted in four panels. In the background I would place a wooded glen with a rushing stream of water bubbling and foaming as it falls over rocks. The real picture though would be in sharp focus in the foreground, a narrow branch, almost a twig.

In the first panel a caterpillar would be crawling along the narrow branch. A small fuzzy thing. In the second panel a chrysalis would hang from the branch, a womb waiting for new life to appear. Then the third panel would be a tiny head and folded wings just starting to emerge. Finally, in the fourth panel a vividly colored butterfly would be soaring toward the sky . . . free, beautiful, and transformed!

Life goes through stages like the caterpillar becoming the butterfly. We are the caterpillar - important, yet in many ways unrecognized. Life circumstances combined with a Father's loving hands, create a chrysalis where through time and His love, we are transformed into something we never dreamed we could become to soar in freedom and beauty . . . fully changed.

freedigitalphotos.net

Surprised By Motherhood Launch - "She's Still the Same Girl"

Lisa Jo Baker's book Surprised by Motherhood is launching today. Although I am not a mother, I am drawn to Lisa Jo's writing, to her authenticity and to the way she takes the common makes it wonderful and extraordinary. I encourage you to check out her site - click here. And her new book - just released today - Surprised by Motherhood found here and here. Lisa Jo challenged us to write a post about being a mom or having a mom . . .

"She's Still the Same Girl"

My Mom is entering the winter of her life. Some days she struggles to remember names and is confused about many things. Some days she's more like her old self. Lately as I watch her confusion growing, I am reminded of a song I heard many years ago, "She's Still the Same Girl." The jist of the song is that even though the woman in it is aging, inside she is still the young bride, the young mother, the one who laughed and danced and lived a full life.

My mother married young at age 19 and had her first baby 11 months later. Her friends could always tell when another baby was on the way because she would start painting rooms in her home. Four more children followed that first baby and for 10 years her life was full of ironing little dresses, helping her husband manage the family farm, gardening, keeping little ones out of trouble, and tending to her home. Five children seemed like enough.

Then at age 37 she was surprised by motherhood again. I was born less than a month after she turned 38. She has been many things to me - my mother, my teacher, my advocate, and my protector. As I became an adult, she became my friend. I remember day long shopping trips and sitting at the kitchen table late at night, laughing so hard the milk spewed from her mouth across the table. I also remember the times she nearly choked on a pill she had to take and my father had to perform the Heimlech maneuver and realizing how quickly she could be gone and how precious she was.

Sometimes these days she seems so different that it is hard to remember what was . . . yet underneath the confusion and forgetfulness she is still the same girl. She's the same girl who raised 6 children to adulthood. She's the same girl who loves her husband to this day, while he's in Heaven. She's the same girl who made special desserts with her sister-in-law, who planned family vacations, who taught young girls in Pioneer Girls and her Sunday School class. She's the same girl who welcomed others into her home with graciousness and warmth. She's the same girl who sewed for her children, husband, and home. She's the same girl who loves Jesus and wants others to love Him too.

One phrase in the song says, "and she needs you so . . . " Yes, as the forgetfulness and confusion take over her mind, she needs her family to remember who she is and to love her just the same . . . or perhaps even more.

Pausing to Reflect

A fairly well-known spiritual discipline is called the Examen. The Examen is a time to pause and reflect on the events of a specific period of time - what did we do right or wrong? where did God show up? what is God saying to us? Some call it the Daily Examen and recommend taking time each day, either at night to reflect on the day ending or in the morning to review the previous day.

Liking to think outside of the box a little, I decided to experiment with a Weekly Examen. I had picked up a unique journal that I liked, but for which I had no specific purpose when I purchased it. With the left hand page blank and the right hand page lined, it was unique in my collection of journals. I bought it, set it aside, and then as I was learning more about the rhythm of the Examen, I knew exactly how I wanted to use it.

Each Saturday (well, theoretically . . . confession time . . . I am not always as consistent as I'd like to be and sometimes I have to play catch up with this), I review the previous week. I read through my journal entries and remember the events of the week. I look for a theme or lessons that God is bringing into focus. When I have determined a theme for the previous week, I draw a picture or write decorative words on the left hand page to depict that theme. Then, I write my reflections about the week on the right hand page.

I have found this to be a fun and enlightening exercise that helps me to stay aware of what God is teaching me, where I am struggling, and what I am dreaming about. Below are three examples of pages from 2013.

My theme for 2013 was "Emerging" and this page depicted a particular phase in that process. I realized that I was responsible to speak truth, to be proactive about approaching issues, from that emerged a sense of empowerment, confidence and freedom.

At another point in the year, I was pondering the different ways that we minister to others. As I thought about the ways we help others, I realized that Jesus used a wide variety of tools. The key was that He had discernment and knew exactly which tool to use at just the right time.

At the end of the year, I combined my Weekly Examen with a Yearly Examen and symbolized the idea of Emerging throughout 2013 including the specific things that had shifted.


As a person who enjoys both writing and visualizing concepts, I have found this to be a fun way to review the weeks of my life. Nonetheless, how you do the Examen is not as important as doing the Examen. Some people have a specific list of questions they review. Some write about it in their journal. Some talk it out with another person. There are a variety of ways to do the Examen and a variety of intervals at which to do it. I encourage you to experiment a little, give it a try.

Be on the lookout for what God is doing in your life.

How do you keep a check on what God is saying to you?

on how you're living your life?

Prayer

freedigitalphotos.net

Continuing on with the theme of rhythms that draw us closer to God, I was thinking about prayer . . . about the simplicity of prayer.

In its most simple form, prayer is talking to God, the Lover of our souls.

Certainly studying the prayers of Scripture is helpful, learning what God has to say about prayer and delving into how the saints of both the Old and New Testaments prayed can enrich our prayer experience. Yet in some ways, I think these things are training wheels, meant to be taken off so that we can fly along unfettered on our bikes - the wind blowing in our face, a feeling of freedom.

I like to think of prayer as an opportunity to stop and talk to our Heavenly Father, our Papa, to climb up on His lap, to rest our heads on His chest while He wraps His strong arms around us and we spill the deepest parts of our heart and soul to Him. And He, He whispers in our ear, "Beloved, Beautiful, My Child" as He soothes and loves.

Sometimes our tiny fists pummel His chest as we plead for something we want. Sometimes tears flow as our hearts are grieved and broken. Sometimes we are celebrating some wonderful thing that has happened, some wonderful thing He has done. But the best times are those when we surrender and we just snuggle into His chest and we have a quiet conversation about our desires and His desires and we begin to see the path He has mapped out. We enter into His plan. We embrace it and we talk with Him about it - sometimes with great excitement, sometimes with fear and a pleading for faith, and sometimes with grief because the path ahead is painful. But, we are together. We are joined spirit to Spirit with the Lover of our souls and we are coming to know Him.

Prayer, in its most simple, and I think profound, form is talking to God, the Lover of our souls from a place of surrender and deep faith that God knows best. It is resting in His arms and entering into His will, joining Him in it, listening to His voice whisper in our ears and responding with love, surrender, and obedience.

What puzzles you about prayer?

When has prayer brought you closer to God?

Meditation

freedigitalphotos.net

Tonight I am thinking about meditation, specifically meditation on Scripture, as I approach the rhythms that create a space to draw closer to God. 

Many years ago I was challenged by Tim Hansel's book You Gotta Keep Dancin'. Tim tells his story of climbing a glacier, falling in a crevice, crushing several vertebrae in his back, miraculously hiking out, and subsequently living with intense, irreversible, chronic pain. He shares that he chose a verse of the Bible on which he would meditate - think about - until he found the music behind the words.

As a young woman, I decided to give this a try and found it to be very rewarding. I would pick a single verse that seemed to be particularly appropriate to something in my life and then I would ponder it, day after day for a pre-determined period of time. All the while listening for the music behind the words - the deeper meaning, what God was trying to say to me. For a few years I practiced this form of meditation regularly. Now, meditation is one way that I study the Bible in the mix of a variety of methods I use to keep my study fresh and alive.

Last year I meditated on Romans 12:2 for several days. I read it in various translations and then reflected on it in my journal. Here is an excerpt from one of those ponderings:

Don't copy the behavior and customs of this world,

but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think.

Then you will know what God wants you to do,

and you will know how good and pleasing and perfect his will really is.

(NLT)

Transform = 1. To change markedly in form or appearance, 2. To change the nature, function, or condition of; convert or be converted.

Conform = 1. To make or become similar. 2. To act or be in agreement; comply. 3. To act in accordance with customs or rules.

Copy = 1. An imitation or reproduction of something original; duplicate.

God calls us to be different from the world around us. He calls us to conform not to the customs and behaviors of this world, but instead to take on the attitude of Christ and to live according to Kingdom principles. We are to be like Christ rather than the world around us.

What does that look like in practicality? The Amish separate themselves in the way they dress, their use of vehicles and electricity. Others avoid jewelry and celebrations. What does this look like for me? What does this look like for women I influence and teach, how do I explain this? Some avoid make-up or modern clothing . . . . I sense that this is more about the inner person that finds expression in outer behaviors than it is about following a rigid set of rules. 

How do you include meditating on Scripture into your daily life? 

What are some things you have learned meditating on the Bible?

Five Minute Friday: Willing

Buried somewhere in my cache of often forgotten cassette tapes is an album by Joni Eareckson Tada. Joni broke her neck in a diving accident in her late teens and from that moment until today she has been a quadriplegic. God has blessed her with a powerful ministry. Her story was gaining notoriety when I was in my teens and early twenties and I quickly became a fan. She published an album of herself singing songs. One of them, and the only one I truly remember, is called "I am Willing, Lord."

I can still hear her clear voice singing . . .

"Sometimes when I am down, Oh Lord,

And I don't feel like You're around, Oh Lord,

Feeling so sorry for me . . .

"I am willing, Lord.

I am willing, Lord, 

To be just exactly what You want me to be"

As a starry-eyed, romantic young girl I thought this was beautiful song, but I really had no idea what the crucible is like that forms us into what God wants us to be. I thought I was willing.

Now, as a mature woman, I have a much better idea of what that journey involves . . . the crucibles through which we grow, the pruning that must take place, the heartaches and the joys that ebb and flow. I find now that mostly the stars are gone from my eyes and reality has replaced romanticism, yet still I am willing, and even more than willing. I long to be exactly what God wants me to be. It is a sweet spot like no other.

If you'd like to hear Joni sing this song, click here.

Are you willing to allow God to form you into what He wants you to be? 

Where has that journey taken you and have you found it worthwhile?

Solitude

This month I am writing about spiritual rhythms in our lives, activities that when done consistently over time create a space for us to grow in our relationship to Christ and to grow as spiritual people.

Solitude is one of my favorite rhythms. I find that I need as Ruth Haley Barton says in her book Sacred Rhythms, "rhythms of solitude, community, and ministry." I need those times to be alone to hear myself and God. I need those times of community when I am with others sharing life together. And, I need those times of ministry when I am focused on serving the God I love. When these three things are in balance, I experience greater fulfillment, growth, and peace.

Solitude is a place to know and experience God in our deepest being and to connect with our own souls. Our souls are often timid, unwilling to come out in places that are dangerous or overly loud and busy, yet in the quiet of solitude they may peek out of their hiding place and even appear when it is safe. When we are able to unplug and disconnect from our world of technology, social media, and overly busy schedules, we can hear our souls. An old-fashioned saying comes to mind, "We can hear ourselves think."

Often we are tired at a soul level from all the striving and busyness of life. This is when we most need to pause in solitude and keep still to hear from God. Rather than striving to make things happen ourselves, we need to wait on God to do His thing and to make things happen.

Journaling, having a quiet time, and my solo days are the mechanisms I use to choose regular times of solitude. In these times of solitude, I am able to look inward and upward in a way that refreshes my soul and in God's loving presence see what is hidden deep in my soul. Often in these times of solitude I hear God, find healing, or return to a place of peace rather than chaos.

Finding solitude is not always easy in our busy lives with work, family, and other obligations. 

How do you find times for solitude in your life?

Five Minute Friday - Choose

I got home tonight and found the parking lot in front of my building filled with cars - overflow from the restaurant across the street. This inevitably annoys me immensely. But tonight when the temperature is supposed to be well below zero and I need to pack my car to leave for the weekend, I really don't want to move my car at 10 p.m. when the cars are likely to finally leave.

I want to do something to those cars that will let the owners know that this isn't their parking lot and they don't belong here. Dastardly things run through my mind and then is when I must choose how to respond. The choices are wide open really, I can do any number of things . . . but with each choice comes a consequence. Am I willing to accept the consequence if I choose to express the annoyance and anger I feel?

No . . . I'm not. I'm not willing to bear the punishment . . . OR the guilt that would shred my insides.

Still I must choose because my anger motivates me to misbehave. In the end I choose not to do anything, but this is not a satisfactory choice, even though it is the wise one, for I still have to leave my warm apartment to move my car and load it at 10:30 p.m. on a frigid, windy night.

What and how do you choose when faced with two unsatisfactory ways to resolve a problem? 

Solo Days

Since I have been a bit MIA the last couple of weeks, I thought I would take a minute to explain why before I jump into today's topic. As I've mentioned before, my mom is elderly and she's had some health concerns lately so we've been providing even more support than usual. I have been spending more time helping to manage her care, therefore my brief hiatus from blogging. Hoping I am back again now.

Solo Days . . . ummm, what is that?

About twenty years ago I read a book called The Youth Builder by Jim Burns. In it he describes taking a mini-retreat periodically to help maintain his sanity in the midst of a busy, busy, busy ministry life. I was inspired to begin my own trek into this practice. As the years have passed, this discipline has become part of the rhythm of my life and I have refined the process to work effectively for me. In time, I dubbed this custom a "Solo Day."

A Solo Day is a day (or sometimes more than one day) set aside to refocus specifically on God and what He is doing in my life. It involves prayer, Bible reading, reviewing my life, journaling, and goal setting. It happens about every 3 months around the same day each of those months. In May just before my birthday, I review the entire year and consider the entire coming year.

Usually I begin with prayer, asking God to guide this time and to speak to me. Then, often (although not always) I read a large portion of Scripture (a whole book or several chapters) with the expectation that God has something to say to me through His Word. I continue with prayer and journaling about what God has communicated to me through the Bible.

Then I focus on three core questions:

1. Where have I been?
2. What is God doing?
3. Where does God want me to go next?

Where have I been?

I review the last 3 months. I reflect on outstanding memories. I review my journals. Occasionally I review my calendar. Here I am gathering data, looking for facts and events.

What is God doing?

This is the beginning of the interpretation of the data. I am looking for where God has been at work in my life and around me. Where can I see patterns of His activity? What have I heard Him say to me? What lessons has He taught me?

Where does God want me to go next?

This is the second part of the interpretation of the data and is bathed in prayer and processing. Where does God want me to focus for the next 3 months or the next year? How do I get there? I normally write down some action steps or goals to move me forward toward where I see God leading me.

Last week I had a mini melt down one morning and later in the day, I realized that it was near the date for my quarterly Solo Day. I was feeling stressed out and overwhelmed as I often do just before it is time for a Solo Day. I knew that I needed to put it on my calendar pronto and then keep that date. 

freedigitalphotos.net

For nearly twenty years my Solo Days have been a time to connect more deeply with God, to regain my focus, to discern God's direction, and to emerge with greater peace and encouraged to forge ahead. 

How do you help yourself stay focused? 

Five Minute Friday - Write

Lisa Jo Baker started a gathering a few years ago and challenged others to write for 5 minutes each Friday on one specific topic. The idea is to write . . . just write unscripted and unedited for 5 minutes and then link up with others over at her site.  Today's prompt is "WRITE"

Ready? Set? Write . . .

freedigitalphotos.net

I have loved to write since I was a small girl. I purchased an ancient typewriter as a pre-teen and would crank out the "Violet Hill Newspaper" filled with fictional stories of things that happened on Violet Hill. As I grew older, I wrote letters, in my diary, even a couple of novellas when I was in high school.

My favorite place to write has become my journal, a place where I can process life in God's presence and with His guidance. My journals are also where I engage in many of the spiritual disciplines that help me to build my relationship with God through Christ.

Not only do I enjoy the act of creating something with words, putting words together to form sentences that create pictures and express ideas, I also love the physical act of forming the words with pen on paper. There is something precious in the old-fashioned act of physically writing the words on paper, of seeing a person's individual handwriting.

Stop!

Letting Go of Offenses

Recently I have been strategizing how to update my wardrobe a little bit. A common suggestion is to use accessories to add a little spark to your look. I began thinking about accessories and two old offenses came to mind unbidden.

My father's mother died when I was very young and I have no distinct memories of her. When my father's father died, I was given a bracelet that had been my grandmother's. While this bracelet, being made of gold and pearls, did have monetary value, the greater value to me was that it had belonged to my grandmother. While I was in college, we had "College Days" a time for high school students considering our college to come and visit. One day during College Days my roommate and I were expecting to have guests come and stay with us. I came into our room during a free time and found sleeping bags and other luggage in our room. Our guests had arrived. When I came back later, all sign of them was gone and I never did meet them or know what happened to them. A few days later I realized that my grandmother's bracelet was missing, never to be found again. I believed that it had either fallen into our guest's belongings during their brief visit, or that it had deliberately been taken. This made me sad then and now - sad for the loss of the connection to my grandmother, sad that one Christian would do this to another.

While I was at another college, I roomed alone for a semester.  Because I had extra space, I was able to hang my necklaces on a rack where I could grab them easily. Unfortunately others could grab them easily, and sometimes did. One girl in particular liked to enter my room when I was away and "borrow" my necklaces. Unfortunately she borrowed one gold cross necklace that had been given to me by a friend and never returned it.

When these two incidents came to mind, I found myself feeling resentful because of these two injustices. Some one had stolen from me and I had no way to track down either thief, recover my property, or see justice come. Nearly 25 years have passed since these offenses took place, yet still I sometimes have to work through the emotions again the sadness of loss and the anger of injustice.

People offend us. In my case and in the grand scheme of things, these offenses are relatively small. Sometimes the offense is large. How do we respond? We can hang onto offenses, hold grudges, allow resentment, even hatred to grow or we can choose to forgive.

Forgiveness frees us from being bound by hatred, resentment, revenge, and grudges -- all things which can eat away at our souls. Forgiveness is not easy many times, but it is worth it when we value the quality of our souls and the quality of the life we will live. Jesus told many parables and taught several times on forgiveness. The Lover of our Souls knows the value of forgiveness and desires for us to live in freedom and health.

Are there offenses that come to your mind now and again . . . 

or that linger like a perpetual cloud over your life? 

Will you let them go? Will you choose to forgive?

Five Minute Friday - Visit

On Fridays a lot of people join Lisa Jo Baker for Five Minute Friday, a time to write without editing, without pressure to get it all right, a time to just write for 5 minutes. This week's word (although I'm a day late to this party) is "Visit."

Read . . . set . . . write . . .

This morning the phone rang and I saw a friendly name on the ID screen . . . a family member, one of my sisters. I picked up the call and we had a visit, not face to face, but a time to catch up, to hear a dear, familiar voice. Visiting with one sister, led to a visit with another sister and then my mom. All by phone.

freedigitalphotos.net

These days it seems many, too many perhaps, of my visits are by phone. We live far apart and getting together amidst busy schedules becomes increasingly difficult with both family and friends. Yet, I am thankful for this invention of the telephone, as well as, I might add, e-mail and Facebook. Although there is no substitute for a face to face visit, these little mini visits by phone or via the internet, help us stay connected and involved in one another's lives . . . a very valuable thing indeed.

Stop!

Letting Go - Good, but Not Best

As we start off this new year, there may be things that we need to let go of, things that if we hang on to them will keep us from pursuing the good things ahead.

freedigitalphotos.net

In his book, Necessary Endings, Henry Cloud identifies three things that we need to prune from our lives:

1.  Those things that are good, but not best.
2.  Those things that are sick and not getting better.
3.  Those things that are dead.

Here at the beginning of 2014 as we've made resolutions, chosen a word or theme, or set goals for the coming year, let's pause for a moment to think about what might stop us from keeping those resolutions or reaching our goals.

What are activities, habits, relationships, or attitudes that are barriers to moving forward in our lives, that are keeping us tied to the way things have always been? When I was teaching I had a poster hanging in my room that said, "If you always do what you've always done, you'll always get what you've always gotten." (author unknown) Growth requires change and change means some things will have to end and others must be different. 

• What activities take up resources (time, energy, or money) that could be better spent on pursuing our dreams?
• What habits keep us stuck in the same rut day after day, month after month, year after year? 
• What relationships drain us of energy or lead us to places or activities that are hurtful to us? 
• What attitudes keep us stuck where we are?

Take a little while to ponder these questions, to pull out a piece of paper or an electronic device where you can write, and jot down the ideas and realizations that come to mind. 

These are the things that may be good, but are likely not the best. These are the things that will keep us from moving forward toward our dreams, goals, and desires. 

Now, comes the more difficult, perhaps even a painful part. What will you do to change? 

How will you change your activities so that your resources are spent on pursuing your new resolutions or dreams? Last summer I participated in a Clutter Buster Challenge and I realized that I spent too much time and energy managing paper. For example, I had a picture file that I had built over 30+ years with pictures to be used for bulletin boards or crafts. I had hundreds of pictures that I had spent time searching through magazines to find. Once found these pictures had to be trimmed and filed. How often did I use this file? Occasionally it had been a valued source for some project, however probably not as valuable as the time and energy I had spent maintaining it. The file was pruned. Hundreds of pictures were thrown away and now only very special pictures are added. It was a good thing, but not the best.

How will you change your habits so that you are no longer stuck in the same rut? 

What will you do to change your attitudes to ones that encourage you to move forward and increase your energy level? 

What will you do about those relationships? This seems like the hardest one of all to me. I value people as gifts from God, created in His image. I know that true relationships take time and energy to build and cannot be easily replaced. Too often relationships are fragile. Yet sometimes people have a negative impact on us. Sometimes people make choices that hurt us and them. What do you do with those relationships that are holding us back, hurting us? What do we do when those relationships are people that it is difficult to avoid like family, coworkers, or members of an organization we are part of and value? 

What things do you need to let go of in 2014 to pursue not merely the good, but the best?

2014's Theme

Each year, for many years now, as New Year's approaches I pause to reflect on the year that has passed and to ask God what He wants me to focus on in the coming year. Although this holiday season was filled with an unrelenting busyness, I was still able to squeeze in this important tradition.

As I reflected on 2013, the title of an influential book popped up over and over . . . Necessary Endings. Early in 2013 I began reading this book by Dr. Henry Cloud. It helped me to process a series of unexpected and painful endings that had come my way, unbidden and unwanted, and beyond my control. This book helped me to find peace and to heal raw, wounded places.

freedigitalphotos.net

Many things in my life had ended. I learned that sometimes even good things in our lives have to be pruned away so that something new can grow. We grieve the losses and learn from them and then open our arms to embrace the new that is ahead.

So, although my theme for 2014 might seem cliche in some ways, for me it is more than a cliche. It is filled with anticipation as well as fear. "New Beginnings" a phrase often heard around New Year, a time for resolutions, for wiping the slate clean and starting over. I'm not making any resolutions (well, except to write 2014 instead of 2013) and I'm not trying to wipe out my past. No, I am embracing the past and seeking to expand my soul by learning from it, by being enriched by the wonder and joy of what has been (even what has been lost), by assimilating it into my outlook on life. Still, 2014 is a year of New Beginnings, a year to pursue a master's degree in counseling, a year to pursue God's call on my life in different ways, a year to maintain valued relationships while also building new ones.

2013 was about coming to peace with the past. 2014 is about moving forward to the new fruit that has space to grow where all that has been pruned once was.

Do you have a theme or word for the new year?

I would love for you to share it here, and, if you'd like, why you chose that word or theme.