SOUL CrossTraining

This song and images SCREAM to the existence of God. It speaks of the VAST creation, the INTRICATE details and the DELICATE balance HE has set into motion. It exhibits the incredible BEAUTY of his handiwork. ENJOY!

Sweet Jesus -- My Shepherd and My Friend Entering into David's story with God (especially as recorded in the Psalms), you’ll see David continued to GAIN a greater understanding of BOTH the MAGNITUDE and INTIMATE NATURE of God. He found what we can find -- even in today's world -- a growing knowledge, understanding, and appreciaton of God. Psalm 139:1-4 O LORD, you have searched me and you know me. You know when I sit and when I rise; you perceive my thoughts from afar. You discern my going out and my lying down; you are familiar with all my ways. Before a word is on my tongue you know it completely, O LORD. You hem me in - behind and before; you have laid your hand upon me. Such knowledge is too wonderful for me, too lofty for me to attain. How do you know you are growing? You'll learn to TRUST God more fully, you'll be able to RELY on Him in all circumstances, and you'll ultimately find REST and PEACE in Him.

This week I've been reading The Good and Beautiful Life and one of our first soul training exercises was PLAY. I know I thought that seemed odd too. Here’s what I've been learning about play… or should I say I've been experiencing as I play. Play is one thing we absolutely cannot control. It unfolds and by its very nature is spontaneous. We take down our defenses and open ourselves up to whatever happens next. So, how can PLAY be a spiritual practice? James Bryan Smith (the author of The Good and Beautiful Life) says this: We play because God is good. Grace is sufficient for us. God wants us to be full of joy, and play is a way to experience the goodness of God and the richness of life. Play is an act of self-abandonment: we stop taking ourselves so seriously and simply enjoy life. In one sense the kingdom of God is like a playground. Safe within the confines of a play area, with trusting parents overseeing their children, kids are free to slide and spin and climb and enjoy...

I’m sitting by the fire noticing the beauty of the falling snow this morning. Our week has been full of sleet, freezing rain and a constant winter storm advisory. For many, the wintry weather forced us to slow down, regroup and re purpose our days. Streets and sidewalks are treacherous causing schools to be closed for days and even colleges to call for the almost unheard of snow recess day. Most of what was on my calendar has been postponed and replaced with other things. For me, what was a packed week of meetings and activities became an assortment of surprise gifts. I found time to take care of some thing that desperately needed my attention, like sorting socks who have lost their mates. I've also had extra time to savor quiet moments to breathe deeply while approaching my days with less intensity. An added bonus -- we made time to reconnect with our family and hang out with friends. One evening we took advantage of a snow recess day to share dinner with our neighbors and play Ca...