Slowing

I just re-read part of a book I love. I had to share some things about "slowing." This is not all word for word.
From The Life You've Always Wanted by John Ortberg

Chapter 5 The Unhurried Life - the practice of "Slowing"
John shares that he asked the wisest mentor he's ever known what he needed to do to be spiritually healthy. Long pause. "You must ruthlessly eliminate hurry from your life," he said.

Imagine for a moment that someone gave you that perscription, with the warning that your life depends on it. Consider the possibility that your life does depend on it.
Hurry is the great enemy of spiritual life in our day. Hurry can destroy our souls. Hurry can keep us from living well. As Carl Jung wrote, "Hurry is not of the devil; hurry is the devil."

As we pursue spiritual life, we must do battle with hurry. The great danger is that we will become so distracted and rushed and preoccupied that we will settle for a mediocre version of faith. We will just skim our lives instead of actually living them.

The Disease: Hurry Sickness
We suffer from what has come to be known as "hurry sickness." One of the great illusions of our day is that hurrying will buy us more time.
Our world has become the world of the Red Queen in Alice in Wonderland; "Now, here, you see, it takes all the running you can do, to keep in the same plae. If you want to get somwhere else, you must run at least twice as fast as that!"
Ironically all our efforts have not produced what we are after: a sense of what we might call "timefulness", a sense of having enough time. American society is rich in goods, but extremely time-poor. Many societies in the two-thirds world, by contrast, are poor in material possessions, by our standards, but they are rich in time. They are not driven or hurried. They live with a sense that there it adequate time to do what needs to be done each day.

Meyer Friedman defines hurry sickness as "above all, a continuous struggle and unremitting attempt to accomplish or achieve more and more things or participate in more and more events in less and less time, frequently in the face of opposition, real or imagined from other persons." Hurry will keep us consumed by "the cares, and riches, and pleasures in life," as Jesus put it, and prevent His way from taking root in our hearts.

"Come away to a deserted place all by yourselves and rest a while." Jesus urged his disciples to take time out. Folowing Jesus cannot be done at a sprint. If we want to follow someone, we can't go faster that the one who is leading.

This does not mean we will never be busy. Jesus often had much to do, but h never did it in a way that severed the life-giving connection between him and his father. He never did it in a way that interfered with his ability to give love when love was called for. He observed a regular practice of withdrawing from activity for the sake of solitude and prayer. Jesus was often busy, but never hurried.

Hurry is not just a disordered schedule. Hurry is a disordered heart.

If we have hurry sickness, we are haunted by the fear that there are just not enough hours in the day to do what needs to be done. We read, talk, and listen faster. (lots of examples here)
Despite all this rushing around, the hurry-sick person is still not satisfied. So out of the desperate need to hurry, we ifnd ourselves doing or thinking more than one thing a time.
Cluttered: the lives of hurry-sick people lack simplicity. They keep acquiring stacks of books and magazines and then feel quilty for not reading them. They cannot seem to get rid of stuff.
Life is cluttered when we are weighed down by the burden of all the things we failed to say "no" to. Then, comes the clutter of forgetting important dates, of missing appointments, of not following through.

Superficiality - If superficiality is our curse, then hurry is the spell. Depth always comes slowly.
Today we have largely traded wisdom for information. We have exchanged depth for breadth. We wnt to microwave maturity.

An inability to Love:. The most serious sign of hurry sickness is a diminished capacity to love. Love and hurry are fundamentally incompatible. Love always takes time, and time is one thing hurried people don't have. Hurried people cannot love. Lewis Grant suggests that we are afflicted with what he calls "sunset fatigue". Sunset fatigue is when we are just too tired, or too drained, or toopreoccupied, to love the people to whome we have made the deepest promises.
It has set in when you find yourself: -rushing when there is no reason to -with underlying tension that causes sharp words, or quarrels - you set up mock races (see who can take bath fastest) that are really about your need to get through it -with sense of a loss of gratitude and wonder -indulging in self-destructive escapes from danger (too much tv, etc.)

It is because it kills love that hurry is the great enemy of spiritual life. Hurry lies behind much of the anger and frustration of modern life. Hurry prevents us from receiving love from the Father or giving it to His children. that's why Jesus never hurried.

Curing the Hurry Sickness:
We cannot become unhurried on our own. We cannot achieve this alone. WE will have to enter a life of training. Practices for the hurry-sick : Slowing and Solitude

Slowing -Involves cultivating patience by deliberately choosing to place ourselves in positions where we simpy have to wait. Choosing long lines in stores, or slower lanes of traffic, not wearing a watch, etc.

The Need for Solitude: A more traditional practice is solitude. Jesus engaged in it frequently. Wise followers of Christ's way have always understood the necessity and benefit of solitude. It is, to quote an old phrase, the "furnace of transformation."
Solitude is the place where we can gain freedom from the forces of society that will otherwise relentlessly mold us.

The dangers to which we are most vulnerable are the ones that creep up on us, that are so much a part of our environment that we don't een notice them. Thomas Merton wrote taht the early church fathers placed such a premium on solitude because they considered society to be a shipwreck from which any sane peson must swim for his life. These people believed that to let oneself drift along passively accepting the tenets and values of what they knew as society, was purely and simply a disaster.

"The press of busyness is like a charm, " Kierkegard wrote. "Its power swells..it reasches out seeking always to lay hold of ever younger victims so that childhood or youth are scarcely allowed the quiet and the retirement in which the Eternal may unfold a divine growth."

The truth is as much as we complain about it, we are drawn to hurry. It makes us feel important. I keeps the adrenaline pumping. It means we don't have to look too closely at the heart or life. It keeps us from feeling our loneliness.

Solitude is the remedy for the busyness that charms. What is it exactly? What do we do when we practice solitude? The primary answer is, of course, Nothing. At its heart, solitude is primarily about not doing something. It means to refrain from society. We withdraw from conversation, from the presence of others, from noise, from the constant barrage of stimulation.
"In solitude," Henri Nouwen wrote, "i get rid of my scaffolding." Scaffolding is all the stuff we use to keep ourselves propped up, to convince ourselves that we are important or okay. No friends, no phone, no music, no books, no tv. to distract the mind. Just me and my sinfulness, my desire, or lack of desire for God.

Practicing solitude requires relentless perseverance. Must schedule it. Think about it in two categories. We need brief periods of solitude on a regular basis - preferably each day, even at intervals during the day. but we also need, at great intervals, extended periods of solitude.

At the end of the day, it can be helpful to review the day with God: to go over the events that took place, to see what he might want to say to us through them, and to hand any anxieties or regrets over to him. A great benefit of this is that we begin to learn from our days.
We also need extended time alone. One day a month or so.

One fo the great obstacles to extended solitude is that frequently it may feel like a waste of time. We are conditioned to feel that our existence is justified oly when we are doing something. But I believe this feeling comes also because our minds tend to wander. I used to think that i devoted a large block of time to praying, I should be able to engage in solid uninterrupted, focused prayer. But I can't. What i've come to realize over time, is that brief times of focused prayer interspersed with these wanderings is all my mind is capable of at this point. One day I hope to do better. I find consolation in the words of Brother Lawrence: "For many years I was bothered by the thought that I was failure at prayer. Then one day I realized I would always be a failure at prayer, and I've gotten along much better ever since."

It is time to enter training for another way to live. We must ruthlessly eliminate hurry from our lives!

"I don't need no any help!"

In parenting my kids, I often see so clearly a picture of how we are in our relationship with our Heavenly Father. Those of you who are parents know what I mean. Two days ago, God just spoke to me so clearly in the middle of this circumstance with my 3-year old son.

He is trying to put on this new zip-up sweatshirt with a light-up car on it. I emphasize "trying". He has the sleeves wrong-side out and just cannot figure out how to do it. As he stands and the top of the steps and struggles with it, he says "Mommy, I can't do it!" He's whining and fussing. You can see it, can't you? But, when I ask if he wants me to help, he says, "No, I don't need no any help." So, I say okay and walk away. As soon as I get out of sight, I hear him grunting and fussing, and then call me in a whiny voice saying he can't do it. Guess what happens next?

So, I return. He wants me to tell him what to do. I tell him. He still can't do it. So, he gets more frustrated. At this point, it's driving me batty to watch him struggle knowing I could put that thing on him in 15 seconds flat! But, he does not want my help. He wants my instruction, but he does not want me to do it. He wants to do it himself. I'm basically pleading, "Buddy, please let me help you put it on." We go back and forth a bit, but finally he relents and lets me put it on him. He gets to zip it up as I hold to the bottom of the zipper. All is well, and he's got a huge grin on his face as he sees the car lighting up on his jacket.

This is such a picture of us with God, isn't it? "Thanks God for the instruction and directions, but I can take it from here." Then, we get lost or stuck and can't do it. Instead of asking for help - Holy Spirit living in me help - we want more instruction because we must not have gotten it right the first time. We want to do it ourselves, but like my son we are miserable in our striving. Miserable in our self- effort and vain attempts, yet whining at Him for not making it go our way even though we've said to Him in our hearts "I don't need no any help!"

I don't want to be that way, and I know you don't either. As I watch my son, God my Father tells me He has such compassion and patience for me when I just don't get it. Like me with my son, He so badly longs for me to say "I can't do it so please do it for me!" When I do, the Holy Spirit who doesn't even have to come over to me because He lives inside of me (fathom that!), leaps to take over with joy and ease that brings such freedom. I grow in my faith and see Him more clearly. In those times, I really "get" things like:
I am His. I am redeemed. It is for my good and His glory that I abide in Him.
He can do anything. In Him, I live, and move and have my being.
Joy comes through obedience to Him and letting the Holy Spirit live through me.

There's a lot more I could write about just what He showed me in this one circumstance, but no time or space to put it here, but.....

How good is our Father God?!

Cheese Please (a valentine letter)

My husband is so cheesy, and I tell him that all the time. This morning I found a piece of paper wrapped with a slice of sandwhich cheese for Valentine's Day. As I opened it and read the letter he wrote to me for this special day, I laughed out loud because it was funny and because he is so cheesy. My very own big block of cheese. He's a fine gourmet chunk of cheese - the best! Below you can read it, and also get a laugh, especially if you know Billy!

Dearest Sweet Tai Tai (that means "wife" in chinese)
My love for you is like a road that never ends. It goes on and on and on and on ... it never ends. If there were a side road that had a Krispy Kreme donut shop that had a "hot donuts" sign flashing, I would not turn. Nothing can distract me from my love for you. It never ends.

You eyes are most beautiful. They are like the blue refreshing streams of the Colorado Rockies that are the home of the vibrant and colorful Rainbow Trout. You know I think the Rainbow Trout are Beautiful..Yes... Your eyes are like the Rainbow Trout, but only blue, not all the other colors of the rainbow.

The way your hair glistens in the morning light is like the light shining on the morning dew lying ever so gently on the lavender plant. It is pretty and smells great!

Passionate is how I would describe our hearts for each other. "PASS" ..... I'm eternally grateful that our hearts did not pass each other like two ships in the night. "I" believe our hearts are knit together like the finest quilts you can find in north Alabama. "ON" .... when our hearts met on the starry night on the hayride, it was on like Donkey Kong after that. "ATE" is the last three letters in the word 'date', and that is wehre you captured my heart.

Happy Valentine's Day my Sugar Cookie,

Love,

me

Going East! Asia, that is.

It’s 2009! With this new year comes a somewhat unexpected opportunity for me to return to E. Asia the first week in April! I’m excited about this trip for many reasons, but one is that God has answered a long-term prayer of mine to take good friends along with me. I’m leading a team of 5 amazing women. This is my first time to be the sole leader of a trip and my first time to do ministry overseas without Billy!
Now, what is this trip about? We are a “connections” team which means our purpose is to serve two of our church (North Point Community Church) partners through relationship, encouragement, and prayer. Our church sends at least 6 trips per year to serve alongside these partnerships ministries. It means so much that we are taking the time out of our lives to come all the way across the world to encourage and focus on just them. I know from experience that when brothers or sisters visit you on the mission field, you experience His love and encouragement in a very tangible way, leaving you revived and refreshed in your walk and in your ministry.


Our first stop will be an orphanage for disabled children. We will connect with the believers who spend their lives loving the forgotten. We will be praying and looking into God’s Word with the staff. We will pray over the children and facilities. We will pray through the streets and community. Why are we doing this? These “underground” believers are our brothers and sisters in Christ. Can you imagine being tired and lonely and wondering if your work is bearing any fruit? If anyone remembers you, or prays for you?


Our next stop will be to an area still feeling the effects of a natural disaster. We will connect with a campus and community ministry focusing on evangelism and discipleship. Over the past few years, none of their partners have sent a team of people to pray, and they desperately want that. We will pray with staff, on campuses, and throughout the city. One great aspect of this portion of the trip is that, upon our return, we will be sharing what we learn with our church in order to connect their church and student ministry partners in a concerted prayer effort. The goal is to connect believers on different continents through an ongoing prayer movement.

“Why not just pray for them here?” We believe that God honors our going to pray. We will be the hands and feet of the body of Christ by literally walking through the streets to pray for these cities and campuses. When we step foot in a land where He is not honored and ask Him to move, it is powerful. When you see, hear, smell, taste, touch, and just sense what they do and what God wants to do, you are moved to pray with passion more specifically and effectively. To quote a friend who is joining us on this trip, “When I have been to E. Asia in the past and seen with my own eyes the work being done, clasped hands in prayer with people whose words I cannot decipher but whose heart I understand, God’s power is alive and active. Prayer is that “thing” that connects us. My eyes are opened, my heart is stirred by what stirs the heart of God. I am moved with passion for people I’ve just met” Prayer moves the hand of God, and we hope to leave there with them having a more intimate walk with the Lord and having tilled the soil, helping them to reap a rich harvest.

God is up to BIG stuff, and I'm so humbled and grateful to be a part of it! He is already in the process of changing me - all of us- through this!

My East Asia Team

Can You Hold This?

I have this friend named Billy. He played this joke on me where he took some trash, handed it to me, and said, "Can you hold this?"

Without thinking, I would take his trash. He did it to me about 7 times. In one day.

I took the trash every time.

All kidding aside (because it was pretty funny- kudos to you, Billy); it was like I was programmed. Like it was a habit to just take whatever I was given when another human being was asking me for it. A bit of a pleaser, you might say.

I got to thinking the other day when I was sitting with God. I realized that I pretty much take whatever the enemy hands me. Anxiety thoughts, comparing thoughts, prideful thoughts, fearful thoughts. Thoughts that maybe this time, I've gone too far and God has had enough. The enemy of my soul takes his trash, hands it to me and says, "Can you hold this?"

And I take it. Every time.

So, me and God sat there and I thought this through. I asked Him, why is it that I just take whatever the enemy hands me- without thought or question- but it is so hard to take what He hands me? That He created me with dreams, gifts, talents? That He loves me absolutely without condition now that I am Christ's? That He's not mad at me? That He really does want to give me joy, peace and a heart overflowing with gratefulness? That He will take care of me? That I really, really don't have to be afraid......not ever? That it's not a bad thing that I'm so dependent and needy with Him- He actually created it that way?

Hmmmmmmm. I don't know the "answer" totally, but this I do know. I am in the "habit" of taking what the enemy hands me. I have done it for 33 years.

But when God hands me something, I question Him. Are You sure, God? Have you really thought this through? Are You sure you're talking to the right person? I mean, I just sinned a couple of minutes ago. And honestly, God, I knew what I was doing and I did it anyway. I really am sorry about that. But I mean, knowing all that and so much more, are you sure?

And I also know that there is a choice to be made there in those moments when something is being handed to me- a choice that I can make. I can choose what I take. I can choose Who I take from.

I can choose Who I believe.

That in and of itself is huge. That power to choose. I didn't have that before. Before, I was a slave to sin.

But not anymore.

Habits can be broken. Even 33 year old habits. I do, after all, serve the Creator of the whole universe. I think He can help me out.

Next time, I'm going to choose differently.

Path of Least Resistance

Often my general goal in life is to follow the path of least resistance. In fact, if you were to look at my personality profile, it clearly states that I seek out the path of least resistance, and try to avoid anything that looks like work! That can't be good, can it? I'm definitely not proud of it.
Over the years, God has lovingly kicked me in the rear and made me do things I really didn't want to do. Some big things and some not so big. He kicks my tail, and prompts me to ask Him for all it takes to do it-whatever the task. He's grown me even in the smaller areas, like doing housework. I loathe the mundane things you have to do over and over again. It seems so pointless. Things like unloading the dishwasher, and folding and putting away clothes. Yet, God taught me to listen to Him when He is whispering "just do it." Yes, God uses the famous old Nike motto to speak to me :) Most of the time now, I listen and follow through. When I just do it, everything is easier - which is, after all, my goal. It's easier because I don't have to be thinking about it or working up the energy for it. Just saying, "Okay, I don't feel like it, but You can do this. Here we go." I know it seems silly for those little things, but it works with so many areas of life. Sometimes it is easier said than done. But, if we "just do it" by asking Him to "just do it" - that is the path of least resistance. How cool is that?