February 22nd
Today we begin the Lenten journey with the imposition of ashes and the poignant reminder: “from dust you have come and to dust you shall return.” The experience is not only a reminder of our own mortality but highlights that each breath of life is a gift of the great Creator, Reconciler and Sustainer. Though the Ash Wednesday focus is meant to be humbling, it does not need to be disempowering. Embracing our faith journey as a path navigated in partnership with God and dependent on divine grace is both a comfort and an inspiration. We are not alone! We live in God’s world! The fact that our time on this earth is limited can serve as motivation to live dynamic lives full of purpose and meaning.
As we immerse ourselves in this season set aside for self reflection and personal awareness, we may encounter a special invitation to live out the resurrection story in bold ways that we have never before considered! May you be given wisdom and courage for this exciting journey!
· How would your life be different if you moved away from deadness and toward resurrection?
· How might a habit change affect your ability to live life more abundantly?
February 16th
It is a dreary, February day. It is not cold enough to feel like winter. The ground is muddy and it is raining instead of snowing. And yet, it is not springtime either. It is not warm enough or even a little bit sunny. Though a few crocuses are in bloom, the landscape is mostly bare and brown and grey. It feels as though we are lingering in an in-between time. And my mood fits the seasonal tone. A lack of energy weighs me down and leaves me believing that it is either too late or too soon to accomplish anything of significance. Personal and professional life feel kind of …blah….right now.
Yet, when I ponder this experience, I realize that there is an important treasure in these in-between times. A lack of motivation to be productive, at least in the ways I usually like to be productive, may be a signal to me that my mind and soul need space to pause. Perhaps it really isn’t time to ‘accomplish anything of significance’. But maybe, the time is ripe for turning inward and considering where I am on the journey and who I have become in the midst of it. These are useful questions to periodically ask ourselves. So, on this dreary, February day, I will embrace this in-between time. Perhaps I will learn to re-define what it means to be ‘productive’ and accomplish ’something of significance’ !
- Where are you on the journey?
- Who have you become in the midst of it?
- How will you move forward?
January 31st
One of my sons is a potter. He recently went through a very prolific time trying new forms and glazes. The result is that I now have a closetful of the assorted handmade bowls, vases and pots that he deemed ‘mistakes’. And yet, some of them are absolutely beautiful! (Though yes…some are very clearly ‘mistakes’). But it is a reminder to me that even when things don’t turn out the way we intend, they can still be useful and even quite lovely.
It is important for us to clarify our goals and objectives and to strategize ways to accomplish them. But, when things aren’t working out the way we planned, it it doesn’t necessarily mean they aren’t working out at all. Often, our ‘mistakes’ lead us in new directions that have the potential to become even more creative, intriguing and fruitful than our original plans. In paying attention to the possibility and promise inherent in each and every turn, we may discover that there is goodness and light everywhere!
- Are you in the midst of something that is not turning out the way you planned?
- What are you learning and experiencing from the present situation?
- How can you discern the possibility and promise that may be emanating from this unexpected path?
January 23rd
Throughout the story of the Christian faith is a line of men and women who were willing to follow the voice of God and take risks that moved them in new directions that forged a way for fresh beginnings. The Holy Spirit is revealed again and again as a dynamic, creating, moving force that is actively calling humanity to abandon old and tired ways of living and to enter into the flow.
The first step in discerning God’s intention for our lives is not to know the specifics to which we are called, but to pay attention to the Divine presence that invades even the ordinary life that is going on around us. It is just when we are cozy in our cocoons of sameness that God calls us forth into new life. The Holy invites us to be participants in the creative process of change; both change within ourselves and change for the benefit of all.
- Are you paying attention? Stop - Look - Listen How might you emerge from your cocoon of sameness?
January 16th
“The church must tell people to take their burden. Take their grief and look at it. Don’t run from it. Say that this is my grief and I must bear it. Then, look at it hard enough and say, ‘how can I transform this liability into an asset?’” Martin Luther King, Jr. from his sermon - ‘Guidelines for a Constructive Church’ - (1966)
On this annual observance of the inspiring life and ministry of Martin Luther King, Jr., it is appropriate to consider what we really stand for…and what we are willing to do about it.
Life can be so messy and disappointing that we sometimes find ourselves fully immersed in our troubles and overwhelmed by the issues that concern us. We begin to claim an identity around what we are against. We define our lives and actions around the negative energy of anger and frustration and antagonism. We lose ourselves in the certainty of what we are not.
When we find ourselves in this kind of season, it is time to reclaim our center and to embrace the goodness of what we really care about and are willing to work towards. Defining ourselves in terms of our positive stances and commitments can be clarifying and invigorating. When we can identify our passions in terms of hopes and visions that are not couched in the negative, we begin to come back to ourselves. And working and acting in ways that support our passions is much more productive than putting our energy into how to work against others who see life differently.
- What is it you stand for?
- What undergirds the positive energy that motivates you?
How will you engage your passions today?
January 3rd
Happy New Year! These early days of January have become the season of resolutions. It is a time for breaking bad habits and attempting to live in new ways. Whether the goal is to lose weight or get more organized or save money or pray more regularly, the more specific the goal is, the more likely it is that you will accomplish it. Being specific entails clearly defining a quantitative bench mark and setting a time line. For example, if being more organized is the general goal, a specific goal might be something like: ‘I will completely re-organize the hallway closet by the end of the day on Friday.’ Or, if the general goal is to pray more regularly, a specific goal might be something like: ‘I will pray for 15 minutes each day right after breakfast.’
But, no matter how specific the goal, it will be difficult to sustain it without a strategy to support the habit change. ‘How will I achieve this goal?’ is the question that needs to be addressed. Engaging this gets at the core of re-designing our lives. An honest and fruitful answer to the question will need to touch on issues of motivation, a willingness to abandon present practices, and a long term desire to live life differently.
If you really, REALLY want to make your new year’s resolutions reflect a transformational experience of habit change and dedication to living life in a new way, face into the question of “How?”.
December 13th
As I am preparing my sermon for the 4th Sunday of Advent on the story of the Gabriel’s announcement to Mary and the Magnificat, I am keenly aware that sometimes, we, like Mary, end up in situations that are not of our own choosing. But even if we did not choose the circumstances that surround us, we, like Mary have choices to make regarding how we will deal with challenges presented. Engaging life with a positive outlook and a willingness to be creative and flexible, will keep us moving forward. When we center our spirits on the Holy, we may not be shown a neat and tidy path to follow, but we will have confidence that we will be given the necessary tools to navigate the ups and downs of life.
· Is there a situation in your life that you did not choose?
· How might you engage that situation in a positive way?
· How might you tap into your God-given creativity and brilliance to navigate this season of your life?
November 17th
It is almost time to rake up the leaves, but I like to wait until they have all fallen from the trees…so…not yet. My Christmas cactus is covered with buds and I anxiously check it each morning. But… no flowers yet. We are hoping all 3 of our adult children will be able to be home for Thanksgiving, but their plans are not completely settled, so we don’t really know …yet. My first book was published last month, and I am excited to know how it is selling. But sales reports are not available yet.
Sometimes I feel like I am living in the season of ‘not yet!’ I know that these kind of in-between times can be useful, but sometimes I just spend the day spinning my wheels waiting for the ‘not yet’ to become the ‘now!’ Today I am determined to let go of my frustration about the timing of things over which I have no control. Today I will live into the ‘now’ and set aside the ‘not yet’. Today I will immerse myself in those things that are ripe and ready to be engaged. Today I will stop waiting and start doing.
· Is there an area of your life where you are feeling frustrated by the ‘not yet?’
· How would today be if you set aside the ‘not yets’ and focused on the ‘nows?’
October 19th
I am not an athlete…and that is an understatement! My preferred form of exercise over the years has been walking. It feels good, gets my heart rate up and helps me process my thoughts. But lately I have been having trouble with my feet, so I decided to switch to swimming. I have free access to the pool at my husband’s place of work, so it was an easy decision. The only problem is that I have never really considered swimming as a form of exercise. I grew up with a pool in the backyard, so ‘swimming’ was synonymous with ‘playing’ in the summertime. Over the past few decades, ‘swimming’ has meant floating around a pool and chatting with my sisters… usually while balancing a plastic glass filled with wine. So the idea of swimming as my new exercise was more of a challenge than I first expected.
I won’t go into the details of my extremely un-athletic ways of getting in and out of the pool… you can use your imagination. But the most striking difference between me and the other swimmers is in the accuracy of strokes and the speed with which we move down the lanes. Suffice it to say that I have neither accuracy nor speed. I suspect the young college athletes who guard the pool during these open swim times are not sure what to make of the overweight, middle-aged lady who seems to float more than swim. The other day I heard two guys talking about training for an upcoming triathlon. Oh my…I am not in my normal element!
But..guess what?? I am really enjoying it! It has been a wonderful experience of simply taking things at my own pace. Though I would certainly not be considered a ‘swimmer’ by most, the fact is… I can swim! I paddle my way up and down the lane and feel very successful at the end of my session. It gets my muscles working and gives me the opportunity to think through what is going on in my life. I leave the pool feeling very accomplished and ready to face whatever situations arise. And that is a sign of a successful exercise plan!
· Is there an area of your life where you need to embrace taking it at your own pace?
· How might you benefit from engaging in something that takes you out of your normal element?
October 6th
Sometimes we take ourselves too seriously. I was reminded of this on an especially stressful day recently. It was one of those days when I felt totally off balance. You know the feeling: way too much to do…too many decisions to make…too many commitments to juggle… too many seemingly important things to be able to prioritize…too much pressure. And this was paired with all of the things that seemed to be lacking: way too little energy… too little sleep…too little time to reflect. Too much and too little. It felt like things were swirling out of control and I would be caught in the whirlwind instead of being able to manage it all.
Then I came across this prayer:
“May the light always find you on a dreary day.
When you need to be home, may you find a way.
May you always have courage to take a chance.
And never find frogs in your underpants!”
It was a laugh out loud, cheerful reminder that sometimes we just take ourselves and our work much too seriously. The lighthearted reminder was enough to move me to ponder the questions that would help me regain my perspective and feel centered again. The real surprise was how incredibly simple and straightforward I found my answers to be.
· What is most essential right now for me to regain my balance? (sleep)
· What will help me to feel like I have some control over my present situation? (make a list)
· Of the list of things that need to be done, which of those things would produce a disastrous result if I put it off until tomorrow? (none )
It is easy to get caught up in a self centered belief that everything we do is urgent and important. When we do that, we become our own worst enemies as we the stress and perceived burden immobilize us and limit our ability to move forward.
· How might your life be different if you decided not to take yourself too seriously?
