Chapter 8 a.k.a Why I'm Starting to Rest

I'm ready. 

I have a Starbucks on my desk, chapter 8 of Own Your Life up on my iPad (complete with notes and highlighted text), and just completed my daily devotional.  I'm ready to get back to our bible study and subsequently back to "owning my life".  :)

I'm not sure how Sally does it, but she easily and amazingly hides a meaningful message in every single chapter of your book.  Every.  Single.  Chapter.  The message I overwhelmingly received from Chapter 8 was the importance of rest.  She talks about how choosing to rest both physically and mentally is essential for staying alive spiritually.  Read that a few more times to let it soak in.

Since having my daughter, I haven't had a chance to get reacquainted with my old friend "rest" and my other pal "relaxation".  They have been elusive and at times I feel they are intentionally ignoring me.  Believe me when I say I really, really miss their presence and am just not my sane self without them.  So, needless to say, I subscribe to Sally's theory that rest is important in many different aspects.

She mentions that "...constant activity will slowly undermine our perspective on life and kill our souls.  When we are preoccupied with our work, we almost always exclude the person right in our midst who is hoping for a relationship...".  Message received.  That "person" we are excluding can be anyone:  a friend, spouse, family member, pet, neighbor, etc.  But my interpretation as to who that "person" is in my life is God.

A doer by nature I'm constantly focused on productivity.  How many chores can I get done during these 10 minutes of free time?  How efficiently can I unload this dishwasher?  If I just do a few more things today I won't have to do them tomorrow.  These statements run through my mind on loop every single day.  It seems that my former besties "rest" and "relaxation" have been replaced by new acquaintances "high-capacity" and "high-strung".

And while it's not necessarily a bad thing to want to be productive and hard-working, it is a bad thing if you're constantly choosing work over meaningful relationships.  It is a bad thing if we keep saying "sorry, too busy" to the people who need us in favor of the things that could care less (i.e. housework and Facebook). 

Sometimes I feel my propensity to want to "do" all the time is simply a defense mechanism against being still and listening to what God is trying to tell me.  If I take time to rest and really open myself up to hearing God's instructions, what will I learn and most importantly, will it scare me?  Will resting and relaxing and meditating require me to act on God's advice?  Of course it will!  It will require introspection and action on my part.

But since I pride myself on being so productive with work and home life, why can't that pride and effort be expanded into being productive in my spiritual life?  The benefits of opening myself up to God's dialogue can only be experienced when I'm willing to do the work.  He will not lead me down the wrong path if I'm allowing Him to do the leading.  And to allow Him to lead requires me to give up the work, in essence, to rest.

I'm ready.

Psalm 62:5 “Yes, my soul, find rest in God: my hope comes from him.”

Living in the Spirit

Here I am again bringing up the rear posting on chapter 7. Some time back I was attending a bible study at our church on the fruits of the spirit. It was an awesome study and I decided to keep the fruits in front of me at work so I made a graphic and colorful list of them and have it posted on my wall at work. I agree with Ashley how nice it would be to bear these fruits more consistently in my day to day living. I must admit that on those tough days at work it has quite helpful to look at that list and then reorganize my mind to be more in line with Christ. I now have the list memorized and now referring to the, in my mind is an automatic reaction. I can feel a change in my heart and my thoughts.

Over the past week I have seen God working in my life in ways that just amaze me! Kasie, I see God doing a great work in your life! You have been continually lifted up to him in prayer since you were young and I've never prayed more intently for you than when you went to college and then married and became a mother. I am literally witnessing a transformed spirit within you. This change has happened and is happening from the inside out and it is seen by others not just me. I pray your desire to search for God and his wisdom never wanes. Seeing you respond to the awakening within you fills my heart with pure joy!

Ashley, each time I get to see you and talk with you I see more evidence of your growing relationship with Christ! I have watched your transform from curious about faith to a totally devoted woman of faith. You show your dedication in your household and in the activities you arrange for your children. At the Beth Moore Live event I listened as you talked with Kasie and the depth of your knowledge concerning reformed theology amazed me. I remember long phone calls and sitting up with you until 1:00 a.m. when you had the jewelry party here and I could just hear the yearning in your soul to learn more. God is truly using you and shaping you into a wise woman. I pray for your continued growth.

Our friends Chad and Lynette have never gone to church. The past few months I have felt the need to pray for them on a regular basis. They were over last Saturday night. I remember asking God in my mind to be present in our conversation while they were here. After eating at Applebee's we came back here and usually we play cards but that night they didn't want to. They just wanted to talk. We sat on the patio until almost 1 in the morning and guess what we talked about?! Church! And God. And the Bible! Chad brought it up somehow and the conversation just flowed. God was here! And the evening ended with Chad wanting me to contact our minister and have Pastor Tom come to our house to meet and talk with he and Lynette! So this week I'm in the process of setting up that meeting.

Ladies, we serve a God who loves us so deeply and completely it's not truly fathomable. He hears us. He shapes us and he is always, always there.Christ is at work in our lives at every moment of every day. I can say I am evolving, maturing and learning so much about him through the two of you as well as my alone times with him.

Yes we truly are blessed to have each other in our lives and Christ at the center. Let's see what Chapter 8 reveals in our next posts!

An Evolution in Prayer

I guess one reason I was slow to post about Chapter 7 was because I needed to have my prayer epiphany last Saturday.  I have a feeling God had one hand firmly on my shoulder holding me back saying, "Wait for it....".

Interestingly enough, the act of praying has been on my mind lately.  Perhaps it's because I've kept up my prayer journal since January (no small feat) or because Jensen has been sweetly singing "Jesus Loves Me" without restraint in enthusiasm or volume, or maybe just because God has impressed it upon me for reasons I don't yet know.

Anyway, last Saturday a half dozen ladies and I participated in what we've now decided will be an annual Day of Crafting at the local Catholic church.  We set-up our machines at 7am and sewed, quilted, talked, laughed, shared and ate the entire day.  It was truly a Mother's Day gift to all of us!  The priest was very interested in our projects (and had lots of time on his hands) so he visited us often and usually around a meal time. ;)

At lunch as we all sat down to dig into our taco salads, Father suggested we pray.  All of the ladies except me were members of the congregation.  Although I haven't been to a Catholic mass in forever, the bowing of the head and folding of the hands and the formal, scripted Catholic mealtime prayer came naturally to me.  As we finished the prayer with the sign of the cross and dove into our meals, I couldn't help but realize that I didn't recall one word of that mealtime prayer.  I mean, I repeated it and knew the prayer itself, but I never realized the meaning of it.  It was just a formality, something I memorized to say at the right time, but I never really put meaning to the words.

And to be even more honest, I was actually surprised at that realization.  It was as if after the prayer was finished my mind said, "What did I just say?  What did those words mean?".  And my shock continued when my last thought was "Well, that wasn't a very personal prayer".

I was raised Catholic.  There's nothing PERSONAL about Catholic prayer!  Why was I so surprised by that?!  Now, I'm not knocking Catholicism or Catholics or anything of the sort.  Rituals and scripted masses and prayers are quite comforting to folks, especially those who prefer routine and like to know what to expect.

But while that prayer epiphany was surprising, it was very much needed.  Jon and I have been debating which church to return to.  Our hearts keep telling us to find a church and get involved and be the example for our daughter.  We go back and forth between the Catholic church or the Baptist church or the Methodist church.  Which one suits our beliefs, worship style, our family?!

Thanks to God telling me to "Wait for it..." and awakening my heart to a more personal relationship with Him, we have crossed the Catholic church off our list and will move forward with one of our other options.  One where we can truly get to know Him and feel He can get to shape us.

"For prayer is nothing else than being on terms of friendship with God"  Mother Teresa

Chapters 5 and 6

I was a bit behind so decided to post on two chapters at once.

I gleaned from Chapter 5 that ALL that happens to us is by grand design. God as the grand designer, in whom we live and move and have our being (Acts 17:28), is with us and using all circumstances to shape us ultimately for his purposes and glory.

I am reminded as well that apart from him we can do NOTHING. Our every breath is dependent on him.

In Chapter 6 I began to rethink my position that finding my purpose was a journey I had to make deep inside myself. I believe now that thought is incorrect. I cannot find answers within myself as I do not and cannot hold any answers. The only way to find and fulfill my reason for living is to look outside myself to the God who created me. I need to get my eyes off of myself and onto him. How many times are we reminded of that throughout the New Testament? Even Peter was able to walk on the water as long as he was looking at Christ. As soon as he looked down and took his eyes and focus off of Christ, he became concerned about the circumstances he was in and began to sink.

In this chapter, Sally touches on the power of exercising gratitude. I am a FIRM believer that keeping a gratitude journal refocuses our brain and our energies and changes us from the inside out. I admit I don't journal everyday now - but when I did - I was at a point in my life where change was necessary. This simple exercise reshaped my focus and my heart and I continue to use this exercise during difficult times even today.

I am grateful I have a short drive to work. Every day I see God's creation and see him in it. I LOVE my drive to work. It is a time of prayer and thanksgiving both. I really can't remember a time in my life when I didn't marvel at God's creation. I love the woods, open spaces, water. All of his creation is beautiful. Gee, perhaps I need to remember that when dealing with persons I don't feel are so beautiful. After all, he created them too...........

Chapter 6

So in Chapter 6 Sally encourages us to become more childlike in our view of God.  To approach our days with a sense of wonderment and amazement in all that God is and provides.

I totally agree with her encouragment.  Not a day goes by that I am not grateful for the life I live and the people in it.  But being grateful is not necessarily the same as being amazed or captivated.  That is what she's meaning by being more childlike.

I can see that kind of emotion in my own child nearly every day.  She marvels at something on a daily basis and typically she is confounded by the simple things like seeing our cats run around the house, watching Barney on TV or splashing around in the bathtub.  She's enthralled by things I tend to take advantage of, if/when I even take the time to notice them.

What a wonderful world in which she lives.  Always something to see, do, experience and enjoy with little to no intention on her part.  Her world happens right before her eyes and she is a willing and able participant in anything that unfolds.  She's carefree, curious and captivated by anything God throws at her.  Except her friends at school.  She bites them.

Anyway.

Chapter 6 really inspired me to take a look around at the beauty and splendor in my life.  Take a seat and literally "people watch" all the happenings in my life and be amazed.  Whether it be a beautiful sunset, a great meal, busy traffic or a sleeping baby - life provides many many moments to be awed. 

Forget the grandiose stuff like the Grand Canyon, solar system and Vera Bradley handbags...everyone is amazed by those, of course.  But its the little things, the seemingly mundane, run-of-the-mill, familiar experiences that happen everyday that we should be stunned by.  Those are the things that God puts in front of us everyday to remind us we are real and so is He.

How lucky we are to be reminded on a daily basis of His existence, when we decide to look and be astonished.

"During a walk or in a book or in the middle of an embrace, suddenly I awake to a stark amazement at everything. The bare fact of e...xistence paralyzes me... To be alive is so incredible that all I can do is to lie still and merely breathe--like an infant on its back in a cot. It is impossible to be interested in anything in particular while overhead the sun shines or underneath my feet grows a single blade of grass." 
W.N.P. Barbellion

Chapter 4 - Holy Vessel

Sally writes, "God considers us to be sacred, holy vessels."

This prompted me to look in the Bible to see what I could find to confirm that statement.

2 Timothy 2:21
Therefore, if anyone cleanses himself from what is dishonorable, he will be a vessel for honorable use, set apart as holy, useful to the master of the house, ready for every good work.

I got to thinking - when was the last time I considered myself through God's eyes? When did I last remind myself that he sees me as holy, sacred and worthy to "hold" his wisdom, etc?

You know, I feel so much better when I read the Bible. By sacrificing my time to give to God and learn about Him I end up getting so much more in return. Reading Own Your Life reminds me to keep the communion going between my Creator and me. It also reminds me I'm not created as a sponge only to take in information or a vessel only to hold information. As His child I am made to work on His behalf.

2 Timothy 2:15
Work hard so God can approve you. Be a good worker, one who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly explains the word of truth.

Summing up my thoughts on the 4 chapters thus far:

I am responsible to God. I work for him and will account to him. Only I can serve the purpose to which he has created for me to provide. I must make the effort to ask and listen for guidance from him. I trust he knows what he is doing in my life - even during the trials and valleys in our lives.

I came across this quote last night reading in bed and knew I had to post it on this blog:

All that happens to us, including our humiliations, our misfortunes, our embarrassments, all is given to us as raw material, as clay, so that we may shape our art.
         - Jorge Jouis Borges

I am the owner of my humiliations, misfortunes, embarrassments, etc., and out of those God will show me how to create the art for which I was designed to construct.
 

Chapter 5 - God as My Life Coach

I had never thought of it that way before, but oh my there is truth in it!  God is my life coach.  My strategic planner.  I wonder if I can go as far as to say he's my board of directors, in a way?  He has coached me through good times and bad and has spoken through others when I've needed them most.  He's presented opportunities I never expected and shoved me into them when my natural tendency was to second guess and run away.

Here are some quotes I really liked from this chapter:

 

"He crafted us to live fully as creative beings, agents of his own capacity; to rule, subdue, and express our own imprint on the world, filled with the life and scope of His Spirit, who lives within us."

 

 

"...And so man became his own source of knowledge, purpose, and morality.  In short, with the absence of God inside him, man was left to his own limited and corrupt perspective on how to live.  Man has been living for himself and by his own faculty wisdom since the separation between God and man."

 

 

"...He wants us to accept His training, even when it seems difficult.  He knows that ultimately His discipline will yield the peaceful fruit of righteousness in our lives."

 

 

"...but in the end, His goal is to ensure we have the character of Christ and can live into our original inheritance of reflecting His very image to the world."

 

 

"When we accepted God's offer of salvation, the Holy Spirit came into our lives.  He was given to us so we might have His wisdom, develop godly character, and experience the productive lives we were made for.  Once we understand our history and our part in God's story, we begin to understand how we can take back ground lost at the Fall."

 

 

"To have the peace and blessing of God, we must intentionally identify and move away from the sources of chaos.  Only then can we begin living consciously into God's design for our lives."