SOUL CrossTraining

I've been wondering lately about what makes a life. Sure, it is the memories we make along the way with our families and our friends. It's the decisions we make and the promises we keep. This year I've officiated both weddings and funerals. I've stood beside a bride and groom -- and felt the anticipation and excitement of what lies ahead as they begin their journey as a married couple. I've also stood beside a casket of a dear aunt -- and felt the sadness at the loss of a treasured woman. A wedding is a time and ceremony set aside for making vows and commitments in front of friends and family filled with anticipation and joy surrounding the possibilities of this union. A funeral, on the other hand, is a time and ceremony set aside for remembering and commemorating the life of a loved one. Funerals propel our hearts and minds to consider the life that has been lived. To look back and review the past often with a new perspective that helps us discern what we value mos...

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.

The world of the generous gets larger and larger; the world of the stingy gets smaller and smaller. Proverbs 11:24 "That's the irony; those who sanctify time and who give time away-- who treat time as a gift and not possession--have time in abundance. Contrariwise, those who guard every minute, resent every interruption, ration every moment, never have enough. They're always late, always behind, always scrambling, always driven." Mark Buchanan from his book, THE REST OF GOD. Try this Practice: Try this for a week, giving the gift of yourself first to God and then to others. Be generous with your time. Enter each day with a deep resolve to give your time away, even at times seemingly to squander it,for the sake of purposes beyond your own. Don't just give your time,but yourself--your attention, your affection, the gift of your curiosity and inquisitiveness. See how much time you really have. Post by Dana Randall, co-leader Women of Grace course on The REST OF GOD

Sabbath? a time set aside for rest and restoration Sabbath invites us to STOP . In that ceasing, fresh possibilities abound. We can shut our eyes, if we choose—this is one of Sabbath’s gifts, to relax without guilt. But there is also time enough to open our eyes , to learn again Jesus’ command to watch and pray. Mark Buchanan, The Rest of God Sabbath is a a day or time period set aside for feasting, resting, worshiping, and play. But it is also a posture of the heart and practice we can choose to partake in. Let's start with the heart. When we say sabbath is a posture of the heart, we mean it is a heart that is restful in the midst of the ups and downs of life while being attentive to the presence of God and others. When we say practice, we mean sabbath is siezing opportunities throughout your day to slow down, stop working or focusing on accomplishing. It is both intentionally setting time aside in your day to experience sabbath while paying attention to your surr...

Does the idea of journaling sound sweet or just give you sweaty palms? SCROLL DOWN & ADD YOUR COMMENT AT THE BOTTOM OF THIS POST BY CLICKING ON comments below ! Open my eyes so I can see what you show me of your miracle-wonders. Psalm 119:18 The Message Journaling is a way of; paying attention to our lives, reflecting on God's presence and guidance, and creating an ongoing record of our soul's journey into God. How To: "There is no right way to journal. You don't need to journal every day or even every week. Find a rhythm of journaling that suits your phase and stage of life. If writing isn't your thing, make a journal of photos or drawings or articles. Assign key words or thoughts or themes to the entries. If you don't write well, remember that you don't need to write beautifully or use complete sentences. Journaling is a way for you to be with God and your thoughts, not an exercise in language arts. Tell the truth to God and to yourself as best yo...

Through prayer, scripture reading, worship and other spiritual disciplines, ordinary humans who seek to know God and his desires are opening themselves to the story of God being carried forward in and through them. As we step into 2010... How will you live with intention? Will you set aside time to be with God, to listen to his heart, to respond to his promptings? Will you invite others into your journey with God, encouraging them along the way? For me, I picked up a daily devotional by Philip Yancey called Grace Notes . I am planning to begin my days with a short reading from this book. I am counting on God to have much to say and much to do in and through ordinary people, just like you and me , these next ten years! So, what's your intention this year?

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...

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...