I have officially survived one of the busiest weeks in recent history. I've been out for this or that scheduled event every night this week, and I'm tired.
I have great plans for tomorrow. I'm going to Fish Creek Park in the morning. I'm going to walk and pray, and then find a bench (probably in this spot I know that faces away from the homes on the edge of the park, and overlooks the forest and creek) and sit and read and think and maybe journal. I've been looking forward to the time away from everything all week - to the time to be out in nature and just "be."
After that, I'm going to come home, pick up a few things, and head to mom and dad's. I'll probably help out with some stuff around the house. I need to copy some recipes. I'm going to borrow a car and head to the library to return some books, and pick up an item that I'd requested that had now arrived. I'm also going to make a couple of phone calls - to my credit card company about some changes they're making to my account, and to my internet provider, since the bill seems rather larger than they told me it would be.
Then a quiet evening at home - maybe scrapbooking, maybe just reading or watching a dvd on my laptop. Something low key.
This is definitely my favorite kind of day.
Friday, July 27, 2007
A Window on our Spiritual Lives - Henri Nouwen
I know, I know. You're all wondering if I ever do any of the writing around here anymore. Well, I do. Or at least I will. Maybe later today, or maybe this weekend (which is full of plans for relaxing and reconnecting with bits of myself that have been neglected in this crazy month of moving and resettling, reorganizing, reprioritizing). But for now, I have this GREAT bit from Henri Nouwen that came to my email this morning as a follow-up to the bit that came to my email yesterday morning, and I thought I'd pass it along!
A Window on Our Spiritual Lives
Even though our emotional and spiritual lives are distinct, they do influence one another profoundly. Our feelings often give us a window on our spiritual journeys. When we cannot let go of jealousy, we may wonder if we are in touch with the Spirit in us that cries out "Abba." When we feel very peaceful and "centered," we may come to realise that this is a sign of our deep awareness of our belovedness.
Likewise our prayer lives, lived as faithful response to the presence of the Spirit within us, may open a window on our emotions, feelings, and passions and give us some indication of how to put them into the service of our long journey into the heart of God.
A Window on Our Spiritual Lives
Even though our emotional and spiritual lives are distinct, they do influence one another profoundly. Our feelings often give us a window on our spiritual journeys. When we cannot let go of jealousy, we may wonder if we are in touch with the Spirit in us that cries out "Abba." When we feel very peaceful and "centered," we may come to realise that this is a sign of our deep awareness of our belovedness.
Likewise our prayer lives, lived as faithful response to the presence of the Spirit within us, may open a window on our emotions, feelings, and passions and give us some indication of how to put them into the service of our long journey into the heart of God.
Thursday, July 26, 2007
The Dynamics of the Spiritual Life - Henri Nouwen
Loved this one from Henri Nouwen that arrived in my inbox today.
The Dynamics of the Spiritual Life
Our emotional lives and our spiritual lives have different dynamics. The ups and downs of our emotional life depend a great deal on our past or present surroundings. We are happy, sad, angry, bored, excited, depressed, loving, caring, hateful, or vengeful because of what happened long ago or what is happening now.
The ups and downs of our spiritual lives depend on our obedience - that is, our attentive listening - to the movements of the Spirit of God within us. Without this listening our spiritual life eventually becomes subject to the windswept waves of our emotions.
The Dynamics of the Spiritual Life
Our emotional lives and our spiritual lives have different dynamics. The ups and downs of our emotional life depend a great deal on our past or present surroundings. We are happy, sad, angry, bored, excited, depressed, loving, caring, hateful, or vengeful because of what happened long ago or what is happening now.
The ups and downs of our spiritual lives depend on our obedience - that is, our attentive listening - to the movements of the Spirit of God within us. Without this listening our spiritual life eventually becomes subject to the windswept waves of our emotions.
Wednesday, July 25, 2007
Menu Planning
So, I'm going through menu options for a conference my company is hosting in the spring, and I've had to laugh.
We want to feed approximatly 200 down home, mostly farmers and ranchers, mennonites.
The hotel we're working with (very classy by the way) has menu options like "white bean and sweet garlic soup with wild boar bacon" and "celery root, candied pear, and cured salmon salad, citrus vinaigrette".
It's providing my colleagues and I with some very good laughs as we consider the reactions we would get if we served dishes such as these to our target demographic!
We want to feed approximatly 200 down home, mostly farmers and ranchers, mennonites.
The hotel we're working with (very classy by the way) has menu options like "white bean and sweet garlic soup with wild boar bacon" and "celery root, candied pear, and cured salmon salad, citrus vinaigrette".
It's providing my colleagues and I with some very good laughs as we consider the reactions we would get if we served dishes such as these to our target demographic!
Not Alone
I was thinking this morning about an experience I had about a year and a half ago. I was sitting in church, and the formal time of teaching had split off into a time of worship, and praying over various people and needs. I had joined a small group of people to pray, but was keeping my eye on another group who were praying over a girl I knew a little bit. I was keeping tabs on the group because a new friend, one whose wisdom I’d rapidly grown to trust was there, and I needed to speak with him before he slipped out for the evening.
Finally, the group I had joined finished praying, and I was standing, chatting with them, still keeping an eye on the other group. I happened to glance over at the other group at the same time as my new friend was looking around. He immediately beckoned me to join them, and I moved in that direction, assuming they’d finished praying, and he was looking for me in the same way I was looking for him.
As I approached, he said, “I was just about to come looking for you.” When I asked why, he said something to the effect of, “the spirit told me you needed to pray for this girl.”
This was not a statement that made me happy. In fact, if I could have escaped at that moment, I absolutely would have. My mind was blank. I couldn’t help but think, “well, if the Spirit told you that I needed to pray over this person, you’d think the least He could have done was let me in on it!” However, instead of running, I sat down, and began asking the girl what was going on. As she began to share, Jesus very graciously stepped in, guided my thoughts, and gave me words of scripture, and words to pray over this young woman’s life. Words that confirmed things others had spoken over her earlier in the evening, and words that surprised me entirely by their sudden presence where there had been nothing only moments before. Throughout, the friend who had called me over in the first place provided guidance, leading both of us through this process.
And then, it was over, and I had absolutely no idea where that had come from.
As I sit here at my desk, and reflect back, the spirit is brushing against my spirit, and I shake just a little.
I didn’t realize the significance of that moment with that friend until nearly a year later. I was sitting in his living room early this spring, and we were chatting about a church situation I had found myself involved with. He spoke of the need for leadership to invite those in the church to step into their giftings, to help the young and inexperienced learn to walk out those things that God has placed in them. As he spoke, I suddenly realized that this friend was one of only two or three people (none of whom were in leadership) who had invited me into this space with God, and encouraged the growth of it in my life.
I let my mind drift back to that story this morning as I was taking the train to work. I have been feeling particularly alone and discouraged in some areas again lately, especially when it comes to the idea of learning to walk out the things that God has placed in me which are so very far outside the realm of my experience and comprehension. I found myself once again asking Jesus why it seems that so many of my friends have found spiritual parents and friends – people who live in close proximity and are able to share the stuff of life, and yet I continue to find myself walking this journey alone. I was asking Jesus for a cheerleader – for encouragement as I continued to walk out this journey. His response was varied and layered, it used the music I was listening to, and flashes of memories like this one, to remind me that I do have friends and cheerleaders, though they are often at a distance, that I hear his voice, that I am not alone.
Finally, the group I had joined finished praying, and I was standing, chatting with them, still keeping an eye on the other group. I happened to glance over at the other group at the same time as my new friend was looking around. He immediately beckoned me to join them, and I moved in that direction, assuming they’d finished praying, and he was looking for me in the same way I was looking for him.
As I approached, he said, “I was just about to come looking for you.” When I asked why, he said something to the effect of, “the spirit told me you needed to pray for this girl.”
This was not a statement that made me happy. In fact, if I could have escaped at that moment, I absolutely would have. My mind was blank. I couldn’t help but think, “well, if the Spirit told you that I needed to pray over this person, you’d think the least He could have done was let me in on it!” However, instead of running, I sat down, and began asking the girl what was going on. As she began to share, Jesus very graciously stepped in, guided my thoughts, and gave me words of scripture, and words to pray over this young woman’s life. Words that confirmed things others had spoken over her earlier in the evening, and words that surprised me entirely by their sudden presence where there had been nothing only moments before. Throughout, the friend who had called me over in the first place provided guidance, leading both of us through this process.
And then, it was over, and I had absolutely no idea where that had come from.
As I sit here at my desk, and reflect back, the spirit is brushing against my spirit, and I shake just a little.
I didn’t realize the significance of that moment with that friend until nearly a year later. I was sitting in his living room early this spring, and we were chatting about a church situation I had found myself involved with. He spoke of the need for leadership to invite those in the church to step into their giftings, to help the young and inexperienced learn to walk out those things that God has placed in them. As he spoke, I suddenly realized that this friend was one of only two or three people (none of whom were in leadership) who had invited me into this space with God, and encouraged the growth of it in my life.
I let my mind drift back to that story this morning as I was taking the train to work. I have been feeling particularly alone and discouraged in some areas again lately, especially when it comes to the idea of learning to walk out the things that God has placed in me which are so very far outside the realm of my experience and comprehension. I found myself once again asking Jesus why it seems that so many of my friends have found spiritual parents and friends – people who live in close proximity and are able to share the stuff of life, and yet I continue to find myself walking this journey alone. I was asking Jesus for a cheerleader – for encouragement as I continued to walk out this journey. His response was varied and layered, it used the music I was listening to, and flashes of memories like this one, to remind me that I do have friends and cheerleaders, though they are often at a distance, that I hear his voice, that I am not alone.
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