“Eating is really one of your indoor sports. You play three times a day, and it’s well worth while to make the game as pleasant as possible.” via Dorothy Draper.
Eating
Scraping barnacles, losing spiritual fat, cleaning house
Jon Swanson writes:
I wish I’d seen barnacles sometime in my life. I don’t like using cliche metaphors unless I’ve seen what I’m talking about. And I’ve heard that barnacles cling to the bottoms of boats and slow them down. And I’ve heard that it’s important to scrape them off from time to time lest the boat gets bogged down.
I spent the day yesterday scraping barnacles out of my office and off my heart. But since I’ve never seen barnacles, I can’t use that image.
Parts of my office hadn’t been adjusted since I moved in 53 months ago. A drawer was full of empty router boxes from some network projects we’ve done. There were drafts of various sorts, old catalogs, and pictures from projects that are long over.
I also took a couple steps on major projects, steps where the absence of action was slowing the progress of my heart. I was feeling trapped until I brushed off the inertia with a few keystrokes.
As I was thinking about my experiential ignorance, I remembered another image, this time about running. I’m not a runner, but I’m walking and riding more. And realizing the way baggage limits progress. Sometimes it’s the baggage of wrong actions and wronged relationships. Other times it’s just distractions we picked up along the way. The writer of Hebrews says,
It means we’d better get on with it. Strip down, start running—and never quit! No extra spiritual fat, no parasitic sins. Keep your eyes on Jesus, who both began and finished this race we’re in. Study how he did it. Because he never lost sight of where he was headed—that exhilarating finish in and with God—he could put up with anything along the way: Cross, shame, whatever..
Spiritual fat. Parasitic sins. That’s cleaning my office, clearing piles, ending collections.” via Scraping barnacles, losing spiritual fat, cleaning house..
I hope that Jon won’t mind that I added barnacles to his post… :-D
A prayer…
“May today there be peace within. May you trust that you are exactly where you are meant to be. May you not forget the infinite possibilities that are born of faith in yourself and others. May you use the gifts that you have received, and pass on the love that has been given to you. May you be content with yourself just the way you are. Let this knowledge settle into your bones and allow your soul the freedom to sing, dance, praise, and love. It is there for each and everyone of us.” St. Theresa’s Prayer via A prayer……………. Photo via Popsdigital.
The Rock-Solid Foundation of Christian Hedonism
Desiring God Blog via The Rock-Solid Foundation of Christian Hedonism.
Go to the source: Holy Kaw! via Heady philosophical concepts illustrated with simple shapes.
Song for you far away…
…”Sitting here all alone is bringing it on again, I’m gone again.
Sitting here thinking of you is driving it home again.
This is a song for you far away, far away. This is a song for you far away from me.
Open the door it takes me back, oh it takes me back.
Mention your name and I’m gone again, oh I’m gone again.
This is a song for you far away from me, far away from me.”
via James Taylor :: Song for You Far Away Lyrics – Absolute Lyrics.
…on blessing your enemies
“Action: Ask God to bless your enemies, people you’re envious of people you’re angry with, people you’re concerned about, people you love. Use their names when you say the blessing. Ask God to bless each person’s health, finances, all areas of his or her hie. Ask God to pour down blessings on that person. Say it until you mean it, until you feel the blessing in your heart. If you’re praying for someone you resent, say the blessing each time that person’s name pops into your mind. Whenever a friend or a loved one comes to mind, say a special blessing far that person too. In your prayer time, take a moment to ask God to bless you. Whenever you start a project, your day at work, a meeting, or even a night of fun with friends, you can say a silent little prayer asking God to bless that too. Ask God to bless the people you’re giving to and serving. While you’re at it, ask God to bless our country and the world.” via May 5.
…on Blessing
Melody Beattie posts…
“I was out with a married couple for dinner, when the husband sneezed.
“God bless you,” I said.
He sneezed again. “Bless you,” I said.
Then he sneezed again and again.
“He sneezes all the time,” his wife said. “I think he does it on purpose. He just wants people to bless him.” “Who doesn’t want that?” I said.
My first experience with the value of blessing people happened in the early years of my sobriety. I wanted a job that someone else was given. I felt envious and resentful. Twelve Step programs and religions teach us a basic formula to cure ill will: pray for those you resent. Pray for God to shower blessings and happiness on those people. Pray for these blessings each time the resentment—or any hint of ill will enters your mind.
So I did. I prayed twenty or more times a day because that is how often I resented this person. I didn’t feel like praying for blessings. I decided to pray because the envy and bitter feelings were consuming me.
Over a period of months, I watched the situation transform. This person became my friend and mentor.
I eventually got a new position that I really wanted. I learned two things. Other people don’t have anything that belongs to me. And praying for blessings on people is a double whammy. They get blessed, and so do we.
Blessings are not just a tool to cure ill will and resentment—although that would be plenty. Blessings, like gentle rain or sunshine, are in this world for all. Don’t wait for people to sneeze to bless them. Be an active participant in spreading goodwill.
Value: Blessing our enemies, our loved ones, and ourselves is the value for this week.” via May 1.
…on Refreshing Yourself
“There’s a “refresh” button you can click on the computer when you’re on-line. It makes the computer operate more efficiently.
Sometimes we get a little sluggish, too. We’ve been pushing too hard. Mulling the same thoughts over and over. Doing the same things over and over. Sometimes we need a change of scenery. Sometimes we need to refresh our thoughts with prayer, meditation, a few words from a friend, or spending some time with a good book.
Maybe it’s our bodies that need refreshing. We need a cold beverage, a brisk walk, a nap, or a hot shower.
Maybe we need a bigger refreshment: a weekend at a spa, a vacation. Even if our budget is low, we can pitch a tent in a park and take in the refreshing beauty of the world around us.
Look around. The world abounds with refreshments. The next time you get bogged down, stop pushing so hard. Do what you need to do to become efficient and operate with ease.
Refresh yourself.
God, help me understand the power of taking the time to refresh myself. Then help me stop thinking about it and actually do it.” via April 26: Refresh Yourself.
Finally, brothers and sisters…
“Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things.”
via Philippians 4:8 NIV – Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever – Bible Gateway.
The basic elements of creativity
swissmiss | The Basic Elements of Creativity
What has been will be again, what has been done will be done again; there is nothing new under the sun.Ecclesiastes 1:9 NIV – What has been will be again, what has – Bible Gateway
“Forgiveness”
I don’t care if you don’t like rap music! Listen and read along — this is good stuff…
He is not here…
http://bible.us/Matt28.5.NIV The angel said to the women, “Do not be afraid, for I know that you are looking for Jesus, who was crucified. He is not here; he has risen, just as he said. Come and see the place where he lay.
The Easter Song
Rare live footage of my favorite Christian group singing the ultimate Easter song…
Here’s the same song from Keith Green…
Crank it up! Happy Easter…
Nine requisites for contented living
Health enough to make work a pleasure.
Wealth enough to support your needs.
Strength to battle with difficulties and overcome them.
Grace enough to confess your sins and forsake them.
Patience enough to toil until some good is accomplished.
Charity enough to see some good in your neighbor.
Love enough to move you to be useful and helpful to others.
Faith enough to make real the things of God.
Hope enough to remove all the anxious fears concerning the future.
–Johann von Goethe
Behold…
“Behold, the Kingdom of God is within you.”
– Jesus Christ, Luke 17: 20-21.
So much easier
I think Jon Swanson is on to something here…
It would be so much easier to follow Jesus if he called us.
If I were at work one day and he walked by and said, “come on, follow me.”
If I were doing what I’ve spent my life preparing to do and he said, “I’ll show you how to use those skills for something meaningful.”
If I were in the middle of daily life and I looked up and could actually hear his voice with my ears and see his face with my eyes and smell whatever he smelled like.
If his invitation to do something worthwhile with my life were real and tangible.
It would be so much easier if Jesus literally said my name and said “Follow me.”
I mean, if that happened, I would never have any questions at all about what he was saying. It would always be clear.
If that happened, I would always be happy just to be close to him.
If that happened, I would be ready to tell all the people I saw at the grocery store when I was buying supplies
Hey! This food? Jesus is going to eat it. Yep. That Jesus. I know him. I’ve watched him do the most amazing stuff! I mean, paralyzed people walking. People with demons? Poof. Gone. People who are sick? Fever, gone, like that. You name it, he gets rid of it.
Hey, that cough? Come on. Let’s talk to Jesus about that. I mean, I know him. He was walking by one day and called out my name. We’re like this. In fact, we couldn’t be any closer if he lived in me. Yeah, I know. Sounds weird. But it’s like that.
If one day I really believed that Jesus actually wants me? Cared about me?
That would be so amazing.
Source: So much easier. « 300 words a day
I must not believe or I wouldn’t act this way. I wouldn’t struggle like I do. What do you think?
The "Confessio" of St. Patrick and lessons for today
In my humble opinion, the story of St. Patrick is a story of a lost opportunity for the modern church. It begins like this…
1 I, Patrick, a sinner, a most simple countryman, the least of all the faithful and most contemptible to many, had for father the deacon Calpurnius, son of the late Potitus, a priest, of the settlement [vicus] of Bannavem Taburniae; he had a small villa nearby where I was taken captive. I was at that time about sixteen years of age. I did not, indeed, know the true God; and I was taken into captivity in Ireland with many thousands of people, according to our desserts, for quite drawn away from God, we did not keep his precepts, nor were we obedient to our priests who used to remind us of our salvation. And the Lord brought down on us the fury of his being and scattered us among many nations, even to the ends of the earth, where I, in my smallness, am now to be found among foreigners.
Continue reading “The "Confessio" of St. Patrick and lessons for today”
St. Patrick’s “Breastplate” Prayer
Christ be with me, Christ within me,
Christ behind me, Christ before me,
Christ beside me, Christ to win me,
Christ to comfort and restore me.
Christ beneath me, Christ above me,
Christ in quiet, Christ in danger,
Christ in hearts of all that love me,
Christ in mouth of friend and stranger.
via St. Patrick’s “Breastplate” Prayer (The Prayer Foundation)..
Go to the source if you’ve never read this beautiful prayer in its entirety…
Miracles…
Blogger David Kanigan shared this great Walt Whitman poem…
“Why, who makes much of a miracle? As to me I know of nothing else but miracles,
Whether I walk the streets of Manhattan,
Or dart my sight over the roofs of houses toward the sky,
Or wade with naked feet along the beach just in the edge of the water,
Or stand under trees in the woods,
Or talk by day with any one I love, or sleep in the bed at night with any one I love,
Or sit at table at dinner with the rest,
Or look at strangers opposite me riding in the car,
Or watch honey-bees busy around the hive of a summer forenoon,
Or animals feeding in the fields,
Or birds, or the wonderfulness of insects in the air,
Or the wonderfulness of the sundown, or of stars shining so quiet and bright,
Or the exquisite delicate thin curve of the new moon in spring;
These with the rest, one and all, are to me miracles,
The whole referring, yet each distinct and in its place.
To me every hour of the light and dark is a miracle,
Every cubic inch of space is a miracle,
Every square yard of the surface of the earth is spread with the same,
Every foot of the interior swarms with the same.
To me the sea is a continual miracle,
The fishes that swim—the rocks—the motion of the waves—the ships with men in them,
What stranger miracles are there?”Source: Miracles… – Lead.Learn.Live.
Go to the source if you’re interested in his perspective. While you’re there, follow him! You might enjoy his posts like I do…
How Safe We Are
John Piper shares some good thoughts on the Desiring God blog…
Matthew 10:30:
But even the hairs of your head are all numbered.
You all take care of yourselves to some extent, but which of you ever took so much care of himself as to count the hairs of his head? But God will not only protect our limbs, but even the growth of hair is to be seen after. And how much this excels all the care of our tenderest friends!
Look at the mother, how careful she is. If her child has a little cough, she notices it: the slightest weakness is sure to be observed. She has watched all its motions anxiously, to see whether it walked right, whether all its limbs were bound, and whether it had the use of all its powers in perfection; but she has never thought of numbering the hairs of her child’s head, and the absence of one or two of them would give her no great concern. But our God is more careful of us, even than a mother with her child — so careful that he numbers the hairs of our head. How safe are we, then, beneath the hand of God!
Charles Spurgeon, sermon #187: “Providence.”
Source: How Safe We Are – Desiring God
Related articles
- Charles Spurgeon On The Changed Heart (filterbypass.wordpress.com)
- Morning & Evening by Charles Haddon Spurgeon (searchandtrace.wordpress.com)
- Charles Spurgeon Quotes and Sermons Inspire Healing and Encourage (faith-dream.com)
Bright, shiny objects! 
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