SOUL CrossTraining

  Starting this journey my fav a.m. beverage . Abundant Simplicity is an odd combination of words, don't you think? At face value it seems more like an oxymoron .  You know, like Crazy Wisdom, Deafening Silence, Irregular Pattern or Sweet Sorrow .  An unexpected combination of two things that seem to contradict each other.    Abundant describes something that is present in great quantity; more than adequate, over-sufficient, abounding, overflowing. Simplicity is the state or quality of being simple, free from complexity or singleness of nature.   Is it possible to have abundance and simplicity at the same time?  We'll see. Could abundant simplicity be a paradox?

Further down the path I begin to ascend walking upon exposed roots. These roots provide almost perfectly spaced stairs allowing my feet to find secure footing as I inch my way up the hill. This is new territory and I am unsure what I may find at the summit. This is definitely different terrain. I've almost reached the end of this path, but notice a yellow item off to the left. My eyes are drawn to this object. This misplaced item. My curiousity gets the best of me and I make my way off the path to explore. As I reach down to move the leaves and debris I discover it is a girl's lacrosse ball. Why is it here? How did it get here? I continue up the path still wondering about this lost ball. As I come to the opening at the top of the hill, peeking out from the cover of the trees and path, I realized this ball is evidence of a missed goal attempt. Just to the left of the opening and up a few more yards is a girl's lacrosse field. How odd? I have just finished a ...

ATTENTIVENESS The devil distracts. God interrupts. And for some reason, we fall prey to the one and grow oblivious to the other. Brother Lawrence found the most simple device for reversing this. In his small, wise book, The Practice of the Presence of God, he speaks about a companionship with Jesus that is without boundary--not in time, or place, or circumstance. Anywhere, everywhere, in anything, you can be with God. God wishes it and invites it and is present and available right now for it. The only thing missing is us. How aware are you, right now, that Jesus is with you? Why don't you greet him, out lout or, if that's awkward, in your heart? A discipline of becoming present with God in season and out, in church and away, in crisis and routine, in ecstasy and heartache, in thrill and tedium. Throughout your day, just keep saying hello.

Why is it so hard for us to create space in our life to be with God? Maybe it is because we not sure what to do with the time we've set aside or space we've created. Maybe it is because we choose to run around allowing the urgency of our to-do list to consume every minute of our day. Maybe it is because our souls and minds have become so distracted. Unfortunately, all of these can be true of my life. Yet, when I have created space and taken the opportunity to sit down and be with God -- I realize he is always waiting for me and he brings most everything to the table. All I need is waiting for me... the question is will I choose to sit down and be with God. Will you? Mindy Caliguire will be with us at Grace on Saturday, October 3rd to walk us through time with God as we do some soul searching. You'll walk away from this morning having been with God and be able to take what we've practiced and experienced and begin to integrate it into your everyday, ordinary lif...

I've been reading The Attentive Life -- it's our September Bagels & Books selection that I am responsible for facilitating the discussion. It's ironic that I've had to crunch in a chapter here and there - among all the other things in my life. Feeling pressure to finish the book yet knowing that I can't be attentive in a rush . There is much to be considered, learned, and mostly savored in this book. Today, I am thinking of two things.... 1 What does it mean for me to be still and still moving? 2 To see tears as a gift. So when tears come, instead of avoiding them I am trying to pay attention, to pause and ask: What makes these tears come? Be still and know that I am God. Psalm 46:10 The author (Leighton Ford) encourages us to sit with this verse . To repeat it over and over, leaving off a word or phrase each time. Spending a minute or two on each phrase. Write down impressions and thoughts that come to your mind and heart. Be still and know that I am God . ...

I hope your making time for those you love the most this summer. Often I walk into summer with big dreams of how I will spend my time and who I am going to be with... then way too often it seems August is upon us and I've barely scratched the surface of my big dreams. How about you? What were you most hoping for this summer? What are you doing to reach toward those hopes? For me, I began the summer asking myself what I most hoped for this summer. I knew I wanted to spend time with my family and friends this summer. You see, my parents are growing older and my kids are fast approaching adulthood... so I am feeling a bit of urgency to make the most of my days. I walked into the summer knowing I needed a plan that began with being less hurried. Almost everyday, I must be diligent in what I say YES to and what I am say NO to. Truthfully, it's already been a challenge to be wise in how I spend my time. My parents live 2 hours east and my oldest son is living 4 hours west, not to me...

Consider carefully what you hear. Mark 4:24 I want to be a lifelong learner. I want to be open to God's promptings and the movement of the Holy Spirit in my life. I want to listen, hear and respond. -- well, most of the time. Let me explain. Just yesterday one of my friends and team members in ministry left a message with regard to a meeting our team had early that day. I usually love hearing from this friend and co-laborer. The message began with words of encouragement and praise for our time together. The message continued with a word of caution and guidance. In a direct and loving way she told me to trust our team to complete the task at hand and that I needed to really listen to the team's comments and opinions. I listened to the message rather quickly. To be totally honest -- I "skimmed" over her words hoping to capture the key points and move on. I was half listening. Oops! I was doing it again. Then when I paused and considered her words, I realized she was ...

The older I get, the more I realize atrophy is innate and apparent in my life. at· ro · phy /ˈ ætr ə fi / uh- troh -fee-uh a wasting away of the body or of an organ or part, as from defective nutrition or nerve damage degeneration, decline, or decrease, as from disuse to affect with or undergo atrophy -- wither, deteriorate, or waste away www.dictionary.reference.com Think about it this way-- the natural consequence of doing nothing is atrophy. What do I mean by this? I like to think of myself as a runner. But I must admit my thoughts and actions don't always coincide. Most weeks I jog 3 or so times for a few miles. I am not consistent. I have not followed a routine or found a rhythm I can sustain. The result of this unintentional approach is heavy breathing, tired muscles, slower pace, and overall lack of desire. Here's what I experience: when I lack attentiveness, my body pays the price. I think atrophy affects my spiritual being similar to my physical condit...