Listening to Our Elders and Loving Each Other

It's always such a surprise when I realize how long it's been since I posted anything.  And how fast time is moving in my life now.

My grandmother used to tell me that time would go faster the older I got.  And I, like most young people, scoffed at that.
But, as usual, grandma was right.
And how much I have realized that truth through the years.

It bothers me a bit that our youth don't even listen to the wisdom of our elders today.  Sure, as a young person, I might scoff or think them silly, but I listened.  And I absorbed.  And I remembered.  And when a time came to recall and use that wisdom, it was there....in my heart and brain.

I worry that isn't the case anymore.  Scripture teaches us that we are to value the teachings of our elders.  Yes, we are to live in the present and future and yes, that might look different and feel different.  BUT, we are still to listen, appreciate and hold on to the teachings of our elders.  We just might need them someday!

Who are our elders?  Those that have walked through more in life than we have---more joy, more pain, more challenge, more hope!  Listen to one another with the Spirit of God in your midst and I guarantee you will learn and grow!

Scripture also teaches that we are to love one another.  And I know it sounds repetitive, but WHAT HAPPENED TO THAT PART??????

I see people treat each other so poorly....with no respect, no dignity, no sense  of needing one another.  And we DO need each other.  Harsh words, ugly actions, ending relationships over truly trivial matters is just not what God envisioned for our world.

AND--it's not getting us anywhere but deeper and deeper into despair and hopelessness.  We would rather be right than compassionate.  We would rather run over someone than sit with them and listen.  We would rather treat each other as "useful tools" than humans that God created in God's own image.

Today, I pray that all of us are just a little nicer to each other....that we give a little more than we take.....that we SEE each other's beauty and name it and claim it and celebrate it as a gift from God!

So much learning and so many different ideas roaming around in my head....it's great but I'm afraid I will forget much of it too soon.....at least I'll have my notes.
Watching the workshops and talking and writing has been an excellent exercise for me. I haven't done that in a long time and I've missed it.  I love the discussions in bible study and discussions I have with individuals but that is different. This is--yes it's selfish--for me, and it feels great.
I wouldn't want to do this all the time of course, because I'm really beginning to miss my people a lot! But, it has been wonderful and I still have another couple of weeks to get fed.
Next week is mostly fun, which will be a nice break.  And then, the last few days will be in silence and prayer....another very good exercise for me.
God is so amazing!
I am constantly touched and aware of the Spirit moving in and around me in people, in nature, in books and even in times of fun and relaxing.  My awareness is much higher right now and for that, I'm quite grateful.
I do miss the folks at the churches.  I'm acutely aware that today was Mary Magnuson's funeral and I missed being there...I spent that time in prayer for all of them.
But being at home for much of the time has made it a blessing and difficult to really remove myself from the churches.  Blessing because spiritually I feel close to them.  But difficult because I know I have not totally let go during this time.
God has been a blessing in this too though.  Sometimes when I am reading I think of particular people or programs or situations at the churches and I think I am more aware of those because I am close.
I still have work to do and fun to have.  And I ask God's blessings on all of us during this time so that when we all come back together it will be with great joy and anticipation!

Gosh.....a week done already!  It goes so fast! I have read 4 books [already had read an additional 3 to get a head start], participated in 10 hours of workshops and met with my professor once.  Wow!  So much is swirling around in my brain and I have pages of notes already.
It is SO SO SO important for me to take time to recharge like this!  Some would think this is yucky and that's ok, but for me, this is honey and milk and meat for my soul.
My prayers are reflecting the nutrition already.  My attitude is as well.  I am more joyful and less tired.
I have had other wonderful experiences this week.  I met with the wonderful woman I am mentoring in ministry and I am praying for such clarity and wisdom for her in this time.  We had a meeting that blessed us both and I thank God for that.
One of the great joys was that I was released from Physical Therapy this week---YAYAYAYAYAY!!!  They call me the over-achiever and encouraged me not to overdo but I met all the goals so I can continue on my own.
I spent time quilting and reading one of my favorite fiction authors---YAY! and even got the Christmas tree down!
Today is a day of play---all play!  Going to do a little shopping, have lunch out and swim and the fitness center.  Then home for a marathon of NUMBERS or DOWNTON ABBEY.
One of the things I promised myself on sabbatical was that I was going to experience small church worship in other denominations to see what they are doing and to gain perspective and appreciation for God in other ways...so...I am not going to a Disciples church tomorrow.....first time in many years.  But I look forward to being fed because God is truly in all places and with all people.
Whoever reads this....bless you!  And  thanks for your prayers!

And sabbatical begins.....it feels very strange and yet, very wonderful.
Participated in my first workshop and reading session today.  Awesome stuff already----learning is great!
One of my chief goals for this time is to restructure--or destructure my time so that my life is more in balance....less focus on work and all the thinking, ruminating and planning and more focus on fun and play and rest and enjoyment.  If I know that there is work to be done, it is difficult for me to set it aside and let it go until tomorrow. I end up working at home almost as many hours as anywhere else.  NOT a good plan for life.  I do not recommend this for anyone and, in fact, I preach against this practice.
SO....I'm trying to relearn...which is much harder than learning.
But, as many of you know, when I set my mind to something, I usually manage to do it.
And I have a month.
And I have God.
And I have the prayers of many friends.
Learn.
Read.
Exercise.
Rest.
Play.
Pray.
Meditate.
Journal.
Eat healthy.
LAUGH.
Be with loved ones.
Amen.

This morning I was working on my article for the December newsletters which, of course, were on Advent....and I got to thinking a lot about this whole idea of Peace.
I have been working on Inner Peace my whole life....just part of the journey I have had.  Now, I am in a place where I  can, at least, get to that place of inner quiet and peace.
Many cannot.
Many cannot be still enough.
Many cannot stand the silence.
Many cannot trust that in the stillness
and the silence
is
God.
And that in the quiet voice of God, there is true peace.  The kind that scripture speaks of as passing all understanding.
The kind of peace that--if the whole world could truly experience it--would lead to world peace.
For if the world could experience the still, silent, peace of God, then the world would look at one another with new eyes.
Eyes that would see beauty and not threat.
Eyes that would be curious, not suspicious.
Eyes that would be gentle, not violent.
Eyes
of
God.

I cannot believe it has been so long since my last post!
Time goes so very quickly these days....I remember my grandparents and parents saying that so I guess I'm getting older.
On my mind?  Just this...why is it that we humans, all created wonderfully by God in God's sight, cannot seem to accept each other and get along?
Why do we fight over trivial things?
Why do relationships end just because we disagree----not that we don't love, but that we disagree and neither will move, surrender or even---gee think of this---CHANGE their minds!
Why do we go to wars over the dumbest things?
Why do we abandon the very people who are trying to love us the most and the best?
Why do we walk away instead of walking toward each other?
Why do we wait until someone we love dies before we express the appreciation and love we have for that person?
Why do I have to be like you?  And why do you have to agree with me?
Why do we hate?
Why is it so hard to sustain love and support for each other.

I know...lots of questions....do I have the answers?  To some, yes, but to many, I'm still searching too.  And the thing is, even if I have the answers----will you listen?

Fragile is a word that most of us only want to think about when considering crystal or pottery or antiques.
We CERTAINLY would NOT want to think of ourselves as fragile!
But why not?
A fragile crystal vase is something beautiful; created to be beautiful and useful as well.
How is that so different than you and I?
Why do we allow our society to dictate what it means to be strong....or fragile?  Why do we allow others to tell us how many hours we must work...or rest?
Why can't something or SOMEONE be both strong and fragile at the same time?
Why do we value "STUFF" and not each other?????  Or ourselves?????
If I sit and read a book or work on a piece of applique, am I a less valuable  person that when I work 60 hours a week?
If I start my morning by watching finches, cardinals, butterflies, hummingbirds and flowers, am I lazier than the one who gets up and vacuums and does 2 loads of laundry?  Really?  To WHOM??
God did not create us to be invincible, unbreakable, or in order to live up to anyone else's ideal than God's.
And......
YES, God does want us to read and create and watch nature and listen to birds sing and be.
YES....Even Jesus did these things.......
Sure, we are created to be useful as well, BUT, we are also called to enjoy that which God creates.
We are STRONG.
We are FRAGILE.
And we are beautiful when we are both!

Friends.....

Sorry it's been so long folks.....illness, work, work, work and ....well, anyway...I've missed this!


So here is the question:  What does it mean to be a friend?
What do you think of when you think of your friends?  Do you embody those same traits or characteristics?  Do you make friends with people who are like you or different than you?
I know, that's more than one question.  But, is it?  


Jesus calls us "friends"....in fact, he is very specific about telling the disciples that they are his friends.  And the fact that he does take the time to talk about this seems very profound and important to me.  
We sing the song, "What a friend we have in Jesus" but does that song really capture what it means for Jesus to be our friend?  Somehow--no disrespect here--the song has always seemed a little incomplete to me in its description of Jesus as our friend.


For me, a friend is someone who loves me when I am at my best and worst.  Someone who names the good stuff in me when I can't see it and calls me out [gently] when the bad stuff falls out.
A friend is someone who talks and listens; who makes me laugh and holds my hand when I cry.
In my own life, my friends have stood by me when I had cancer, when I made messes, when I triumphed and when I failed.
My friends are every color, shape, size, denomination, sexual orientation, in both political parties and in neither.  They don't think alike and some of them--if they were in the same room--would probably argue with each other!
They make me think, feel, change, stand my ground and, most of all, they make me better!
My friends let me do all the things I just described for them as well...and I am honored to do those things for them.
The above is not all that a friend is to me, but it is, for today, some of the most important qualities of a friend to me.


So what's missing here?  What's incomplete?
As I think more about this, perhaps it is that my own life as a friend does not live up to what Jesus would like me to be.  Oh, I know I'll always be somewhat "incomplete" simply because I'm human, but I also know that there is much room for improvement.  And, I don't think I am alone here.
And maybe, just maybe, the part about me being a friend in return is what I incorrectly think is missing in my friendship with Jesus.


Jesus is divine and whole and holy and so sometimes, I think we mistakenly believe that Jesus doesn't need us to be HIS friends, he just needs to be OURS.  
How WRONG that is!!!!
Jesus wants us--through our lives and our friendships to do all of these things and so very much more.  And Jesus---more than any other friend--knows we will have good and bad days being a friend and that's when we can count on him to fill in the gaps we leave.


That I have friends is amazing and wonderful and such a blessing!  And I thank each of you who are wonderful friends.
That I have a friend named Jesus Christ is a miracle.  And I will spend the rest of my life trying to show him how grateful I am!

Recently, much of my own prayer work has focused on centering myself in the deep peace of Christ.
This doesn't mean  that problems go away or that trouble doesn't come, but rather, it means that the way in which I am going to approach the issue and try to act comes from that deep place of being at peace with Christ being in charge instead of me.
Now I'm not always good at this....I sorta think most of us have a lot of work to do yet in this area.
But, if I see that the world needs to become a kinder, more civil, more peace-oriented place, than---at least what I have been taught---is that this begins with me....Remember the old song, "let there be peace on earth and let it begin with me"?
What if all the "me/s" in the world [just a note--that includes the me/s reading this] were to constantly start their day, their project, their job, their conversations by centering in the deep peace of Christ first and then,---OH I KNOW IT"S RISKY---but then, let Christ speak through you?  What do you think would happen to the person you are speaking to?  What do you think would happen to you?  
Can we change the world?  You BET!  How?
Stop trying to be it all, do it all, and get it all.
Center
in the DEEP peace 
of Christ.
Live, speak, work, dance, love, act, stand
in the DEEP peace
of Christ.
Breathe.
Risk.
And let Christ do the hard work.

What frustration it has been to be sick --during Lent!  My favorite time of the year when I feel so close to God and love to spend time with the people of God.
I did nothing to create this which just added to the frustration of it all.  I don't mean to say that I blame anyone for it was nobody's fault....just a fluke.
And it is frustrating because it is taking SO long to get this straightened out...I'm STILL trying to get normal blood tests and still have to have my liver checked for permanent damage.
Frustration---something every single one of us experiences.  It is something that some of us handle better than others.  It is something that cannot be prevented, but, in fact, can be handled well.
So...the lesson...prayer helps, and even, in some moments, screaming into the open air.  But what helps the most is breathing and sinking into the arms of God and letting God know everything we are experiencing and allowing God to take care of all of it.
I am so blessed to have people in my life and in both of my congregations who remind me of this lesson continually and embody it most of the time--sometimes we are better at seeing the needs in others than in ourselves.
Today, I thank you God for all those who have prayed for me, talked to me, brought me food, medicine, taken me to doctors and churches, called me, wrote emails and facebook posts and sent cards, lifted me up when I was down and were the tangible living presence of Christ to me.
Yes, Easter has come!

God blesses us in so many different ways......today was a great example for me.
We had a MAGNIFICENT day of weather here---a May day in the middle of March.
My daffodils are blooming and look so beautiful.
Bible study was fun and interesting and energizing.
I had a great lunch with some volunteers at the church...good food and good conversation.
My dog welcomed me home with extra vigor today and he and I sat outside early this evening and enjoyed the world around us.
I'm reading 2 challenging books and listening to a healing book on CD.
I was able to get quite a bit accomplished work-wise and to talk to some folks who haven't been feeling well and who are now doing much better.
See---to me, all of those are blessings from God.  And I didn't even list all of them.
Have you ever kept a gratitude journal or a blessing book?
I think, sometimes, we don't even see the blessings around us unless we look intentionally at the world and the people in our lives.
So.....try it.  Look for blessings.  Look for good things.  Look for God.
I can promise you will be amazed and grateful!

Thoughts of Spring

Green....
Emerging...
Hope.

Dreaming....
Goals...
New Life.

What needs to die so that something new may live?
What needs to live that is now just lying in wait?

God...
Christ...
Spirit....
Infinite Grace,
Infinite Possibilities.

Well, Don't You Think You're Something Special

I was in one of the larger medical buildings in Peoria.  Lots of different offices and several floors.  When I arrived, there were several folks being helped out of an accessible bus and heading for the elevators.  Some of them seemed to have physical difficulties--even in wheel chairs.  Some of them seemed to have developmental challenges.  One young man kept punching the elevator buttons over and over and over and laughing so gleefully as he did.  
A man, not related to the group, walked up and said in a very harsh voice, "Stop that!!"
The boy stopped, put his head down and began to cry.
I looked at the man who was looking at the folks with disdain and revulsion and I just could not stop myself....I said, "Are you a Christian?"
He said, quite surprised, "What?!?"
I said, "Are you a Christian?"
He said, "Well, not that it is any of your business, but yes."
I said, "How surprising!  Everything you've done so far would indicate that you are not.  The way you look at these folks, treat them, and talk to me certainly doesn't sound like anything I've ever read Jesus do in the scriptures."
The elevator opened and the man pushed past the folks and got in the elevator---not allowing ANY one else join him and said, "Well don't you just think you're something special?!!!" and made sure the elevator doors closed.
By this time one of the staff or volunteers had come in and asked what happened and the young man that had been playing with the elevator buttons looked right at the two of us with a great big grin and said, "Well the mean 'ol devil came in this building but the angel lady wouldn't let him be mean and so he went off to look for somebody else to be mean to!!"
Ok....so.........yes, it was a good day!
But in answer to the man's question:  No, I don't think I'm something special---but I did think those folks were pretty special...God's precious creations...beautiful as they are.

Spring Cleaning

First, I want to thank Randie for helping me freshen my blog site and clear up a couple of problems.
Second, those who would like to comment should now be able to without any problem....we think we got that worked out.
Third, just a reminder....this is my personal blog.  It is not necessarily endorsed or supported by the churches I serve and the opinions here are my opinions...not anyone elses.

Now that the got the housecleaning chores done, I'm thinking about Spring cleaning....
Why do we clean in the Spring?  Is it because everything has been closed in tight during the winter and we feel the need to let the germs out?  Or the fresh air in?  Or both?
Why is it that traditionally we go "from top to bottom and clean every inch of the place we live"?  Why not bottom to top?  And why every inch---does every inch of where you live REALLY need cleaning?

I think these practices, done with deliberateness and prayerfully, could actually be holy moments of Lent preparing for Easter.  Our Lord cleanses those who are unclean.  He makes us whole from top to toes---from brain saying yes to feet walking forward in faith.  We celebrate new life, new beginnings, fresh air from God and we celebrate them in the Spring--on Easter. 

It is truly awesome that we can examine our spiritual "houses"--our lives, our routines, our habits, our faith, and we can clean out during Lent so that we have room and space for new life in Christ.  God is so very, very good!

Well, the sinus stuff continues, but I do feel better and have had so many blessings during this time, I should not  complain.  Thanks be to God for people who care and don't judge.
And that word--judge--is something I've been thinking about a lot lately.  It seems like there  is more judging going on in our world today....I judge you; you judge me--and the truth is, we BOTH lose.
God is truly the ONLY one who should judge.
And yes, I know it's difficult not to judge.
I am guilty of it myself.
But.....
"Love not only your neighbors, but your enemies...love them, pray for them, do not persecute them" Jesus says.
It's not easy.
But the more I am able to suspend judgment, the more I am able to accomplish in Christ.
And the less stress I experience in my life because I am not worrying about judging others and therefore not getting all worked up and fuming and steaming and about ready to burst!
Peace, deep peace, comes when we understand that we can work for justice without judging those who are unjust.
Peace, deep peace, comes when we give our anger and frustration and sense of betrayal and hurt over to God and let God handle it.
So, I'm going to try again...and again...and...well, you get the idea.
I will speak the truth I know and understand from God.  I will not be silent unless God tells me to be silent.  But, I will also try not to judge the person even as I am naming the injustice.
May all of us find peace.
May all of us be a part in creating peace in our world.

My friend Heather posted on her blog that she liked leap-day because it was filled with all kinds of possibilities.
I agree.
Even though I am struggling to heal from a nasty and stubborn sinus infection, I am still grateful for today.
A day when we can pray more.  Serve more.  Rest more.  Work more.  Listen for God's message. 
24 more hours with God!  Hours to repent, be forgiven, receive grace, be made whole, experience joy, be a blessing to someone else, try a little harder or let God take the load for awhile.
So much to experience!  And an extra 24 hours to do so.  Wow!
I am grateful for today.  And I hope that God graces you with extra blessings and extra awareness for this day.
For this day is truly God's day!

Ashes upon
Bowed head;
Pounding heart;
Beginnings and endings
Reflection and learning
New life begun
Old life gone;
This is how God works.
This is Christ within.
This is Lent.
Welcome!
To new life!

Today, as I was doing my prayer and meditation work, a passage from Ralph Marston's Daily Motivator pierced my heart.  I share it with you:

When you step forward, you will occasionally encounter disappointment. However, if you never step forward, your whole life will be a disappointment.

Disappointment happens, and yet it never has to stop you. Disappointment, as painful as it may be, is a normal part of a rich, successful and fulfilled life.

[If you want to read more, go to greatday.com]

As I was reading this, I had to ask myself, "How often have I been afraid to step forward" and therefore I missed something truly amazing?

And I so loved his statement that disappointment "never has to stop you".  It has sometimes in my own life although not as much as I've gotten older.  But I would pose the question to my friends out there---Do you let disappointment stop you?

There are so many parts of life, why do we spend so much time on the negative ones?  Pain, sorrow, disappointment, fear, struggle.

Even in these  moments, there is joy to find...there is learning...there is growing and there is GOD.

God doesn't want your whole life to be a disappointment.

God doesn't want you to stop when you get disappointed.

God doesn't always want you to "play it safe".

True, God doesn't encourage activity that is hurtful to you or to another.

But there are RISKS God asks us to take.

Forward.

Boldly.

Richly.

Successfully.

LIVING FULLY and FULLY LIVING.