Develop a Meaningful Devotional Life Painlessly

I've taken the liberty to re-publish a previous post (this first appeared inSeptember). I feel it coincides nicely with what I posted a few days ago about meditation.


I've come to two conclusions:

1. I am a Mary forced to live as a Martha. I would relish the opportunity to sit at Jesus' feet and learn from him but most of my life I've been called to cook and serve and then clean up.
2. Monks have it easy because their lives are centered on contemplation, studying the Word of God, and praying. I know they perform important tasks in many areas of service but their main focus is worship.

 All Christians struggle to develop the habit of meeting with God regularly. That is where real worship and growth take place and yet we find it difficult to schedule. It was especially true for me during the busy years of managing family life, running a home, and teaching school. 


Here are some things I learned:

• Baby Steps. Try scheduling a time for reading the Bible and prayer once a week. Then make it twice, working up to every day or almost every day.
• No Guilt. Think of this as a special time with Someone who loves you deeply--an appointment.
• Make it Pleasant. The setting can be a familiar, comfortable place or a different place each time. If a cup of coffee or tea or a cookie makes it nice, then indulge.
• Adapt to your Schedule. When raising four young children, I could barely greet the morning chaos with any semblance of alertness. Often I had my devotional time at 11 or 12:00 at night, long after the family was tucked into their beds. When all the kids reached school age, mid-morning worked for me until I started teaching. Then it was that dreaded 5:15 a.m. time, that actually grew to be quite effective.
• Be creative:
• Let your car become a Chapel on Wheels as you listen to audio versions of the Bible. A good one is Word of Promise Audio Bible with Jim Caviezel reading the words of Jesus. This is an excellent dramatic presentation with sound effects and a musical score accompanying 600 professional readers. It can be downloaded or purchased at www.FaithPlanet.com
• Take 15 minutes of your lunch break to read and pray. One of  my fellow teachers at a large public high school sat at a picnic table eating lunch and reading his Bible every day.
• Walk and meditate during your lunch break. Scripture verses on index cards enable you to walk, read, and pray all at the same time.
• Combine a devotional time with whatever exercise program you endure.
• Think of one 30-minute activity you can give up for your appointment with God:  television, computer time, sleep, etc.

 

A family of quail that visited my backyard during my morning devotional time on the patio.

Helpful Resources

Devotional Books:

• Jesus Calling by Sarah Young
• Our Daily Bread - www.odb.org
• Words of Hope - www.woh.org
• Meeting God in Quiet Places by F. LaGard Smith
• My Utmost for His Highest by Oswald Chambers
• Online devotionals by your favorite Christian author or speaker

Something happens along the way and your time of devotions becomes a Holy Habit, something you look forward to as pleasant rather than a chore.

You really miss it when you miss it!

 

"The Lord your God is with you, he is mighty to save. He will take great delight in you, he will quiet you with his love, he will rejoice over you with singing." (Zephaniah 3: 17)


Remember:  No guilt, just steady effort. You will benefit and God will smile. 



(Let me know through your comments what works for you and I will share it in a future post.)

God's Holy Name

The ancient Hebrew scholars so revered God that they wouldn't even allow themselves to speak his name. In reading the scriptures, they would pause rather than let the name of the Almighty pass through sinful, human lips.

The scribes who recorded the scriptures used a brand new pen and then discarded it whenever they came to the name Jahweh. That's how sacred God's name was to them.

Compare that to our society. We hear the precious names of God and Jesus blasphemed in our homes, offices, schools, media, sporting events--all around us. How sad that must make God.


Challenge: if you've developed the loose habit of using God's name disrespectfully or flippantly, discipline yourself to eliminate this from your speech. Make a pact with all your family members to make yours a household that honors the name of God. Be aware of opportunities to speak up gently and ask others not to dirty the name of your God.

Today: think Hebrew concerning the holiness of God and reverence his name.

Hebrew Names

If you were an ancient Hebrew and your name described your personality, what would you be called?

• He who argues?
• She who scatters debris?
• He who makes peace?
• She who loves?

Names were important to the Hebrews. A study of the Old Testament is enhanced by knowing what the many characters' names mean. For example, Abraham means "father of a multitude." He was married to Sarah, "princess," and their son was Isaac, "he laughs." Read the story in chapter 18 of Genesis and these names will make sense.

In instructing the Israelites, God identified himself by many names. He was:

Elohim - Strong One
Adonae - Lord, Master
Sabaoth - Lord of Hosts
El Shaddae - Powerful Nourisher
Jahweh - I am

The most important name of all for God is Jesus, which means Savior. God's power is in that name that rescues us from the disaster of sin.

What does this mean for us? The almighty God reveals himslef to us at every milestone of our walk with him. He meets us at our point of need and offers life with him, on earth and for eternity.

Select a Hebrew name for God and pray to him, picturing what this name reveals.

TRUST

What is it about Arizona quail and Brian Williams on NBC Nightly News? Every evening at 5:30, when my husband and I turn on Nightly News, quail come to our back yard to feast. Not just a family, sometimes as many as 19. Their timing is precise and it almost never fails.

These unique birds must have a time clock embedded in their miniscule brains to know just when to come for juicy bugs and world news. The weather's pleasant and the door is open so I'm sure they're listening. Note to Brian: would you lighten up on world news a bit. There's a covey of little quail listening.

Bible Quail:

This reminds me of the quail story in the Bible. You knew I was going there, didn't you? When the Israelites roamed the desert for forty years, God met all their needs, including sending daily nutrition in the form of manna. There it was, every morning when they walked out of their tents: coriander-like wafers ready for the picking. It was nutritional and sufficient for the day. If they picked too much, it went moldy, emphasizing God's message to trust him for each day's provision.

True to human nature, the Israelites started grumbling. They ate manna in the morning and a little meat from their limited livestock in the evening. Still, they tired of the menu. God must have been exasperated, as he is with us sometimes. He provides but we grumble.

Well, he showed them. He sent quail. Lots and lots of quail. A year later, after a major gripe session, the Bible tells us, "Now a wind went out from the Lord and drove quail in from the sea. It brought them down all around the camp to about three feet above the ground, as far as a day's walk in any direction." (Numbers 11:31) Now that's a lot of quail!

We're told the people gathered and ate and while the meat was still between their teeth, the anger of the Lord burned against them and he struck them with a terrible plague.

What is the sin here?

It's grumbling and not appreciating the provisions of God who loves mankind. Period. As I look into my own heart, often I take for granted God's daily provision and forget to rely on his care for me. I am called to trust, even in the middle of life's greatest issues.

The quail who come to hear the evening news (I know, I know. They're not listening. It's a joke.) remind me since God provides for his creatures through their inner clocks and bugs in our yard, then surely he will guide me through life. He just wants my trust.

Can you join me in trusting God for the issues you're facing right now?

(Helpful Hint:  you can put an icon for this blog on your desktop and it will be easier to click on than typing in a web address. It also will remind you to check each Thursday and Sunday for new posts. Just left click on the little gray icon next to my blog address in the upper left corner, hold and drag it to your desktop. You might have to first move the blog window to the right of your screen so you can see the desktop and screen at the same time. It's easy-peasy.)

God Speaks in the Valleys

     Here is the lovely view from my front porch.

     It's called Ludden Mountain and it has a secret:  there are two American flags up there, one on each peak. No one knows how or why they got there. There are no hiking trails, just rugged terrain and a steep climb. I can't imagine what it took to get those flags to the top and standing strong--strong enough to withstand our powerful dust storms.

     You can see the flags on a very clear day only if you know where to look. Binoculars or the zoom on a camera help. The mystery intrigues me. Who? When? Why? Most of all, how?

     This is a small mountain, nothing like the rugged peaks and valleys of Colorado, the Pacific Northwest, or Canada. But, it's my mountain. I appreciate it every day whether I'm on the porch, biking through the neighborhood, or driving into the subdivision. I enjoy it in the extreme summer heat, in the pleasant winter months, and especially during the rare desert thunderstorms. I really like my mountain.

     Mountains and valleys pretty accurately describe life for all of us. When all is well in our lives, we love being on the peak, feeling like we can conquer the world. Inevitably we descend into a valley of some sorts caused by, well, everything from health to relationships to...whatever. It's life and it's common to everyone.

Here are a few quotes from one of my favorite authors, Oswald Chambers:

"We are built for the valley, for the ordinary stuff we are in, and that is where we have to prove our mettle."

"The mount is not meant to teach us anything, it is meant to make us something."

"...but it is in the valley that we have to live for the glory of God."

                                   (from My Utmost for his Highest, Oswald Chambers, Discovery House Publishers)

Here's a suggestion

     Find some graph paper (the old-fashioned kind from 5th grade math) and chart your life events. Put some sort of scale along the side, and along the bottom list important memories from the time you were very young to the present. Put dots in appropriate places, indicating the level of sadness or happiness of each event. When you're done, connect the dots and you should have a mountain range on your paper. It's interesting what we remember--incidents might seem inconsequential but if you remember them, they're obviously important. Take a look at your mountain range and ask if it reflects your life accurately.

     Now, take a different color pen and map out your faithwalk, your closeness to God. Superimpose this over your life events. You'll have times when you were close to God or far away from God or maybe even questioning his existence. You should now have two mountain ranges, one on top of the other.
What do you see? When I first did this I discovered, not surprisingly, I was closest to God in the valleys of my life--the times that were the toughest. (See blog post from September 28, "The Mighty Saguaro" http://sueraatjes.blogspot.com/2014_09_01_archive.html) Isn't that amazing and uplifting? The surprising revelation for me was that I was farthest away from God while a student at a Christian college. Go figure.

     Now for a third line. Make a thick red line running straight through your two overlapping mountain ranges. Yep. That's God's love and direction in your life. He's always there, always has been, and always will be. Whether we're on mountaintops or valleys the steadfast love of God is ever-present and available.

"Trust in the Lord forever, for the Lord, the Lord, is the Rock eternal." (Isaiah 26: 4)

     For each of you, my readers, I pray your mountaintops are more prevalent than your valleys. In your valleys, may you feel God's presence, strength, and love.

You can put the crayons away now!

 

     Oh, and that mystery on my mountain? I think it's best left unsolved. I've formulated many stories in my head about how and why those flags are up there. Finding out the true scoop would spoil the fun.

(Notice the sidebar for Bible Study Resources to the right. I will continue to add links to various sites to help you in your study of the scriptures.) 

Sadness Meditation

   (Companion Piece to the Previous Post - actually, the Antithesis of the Previous Post) 

 

Happy, the newest song rage, is everywhere:  from Pharrell Williams to Despicable Me 2 to Ms. America singing it while trying to figure out what to do with a red, plastic cup. I don't get it but the audience and pageant judges loved it.

 

What I do get is the song Julie Andrews sang in Sound of Music:  "These are a Few of My Favorite Things." Then there was the one a group of children sang in South Pacific:  "Happy Thoughts" (keeping thinkin' happy thoughts...).

Happy is good but sometimes it can mask reality and that's not always healthy. Emotional pain can seem unbearable. How do we deal with it?

• we stoically "guts it out"
• we stuff the denied feelings deep inside and smile at the world.
• we stay so busy we can't think about whatever is plaguing us.

 
 These coping skills are common and usually automatic. It is a "one foot in front of the other" existence that spells survival.

Meditate on Sadness?

Recently, I read about Sadness Meditation. Essentially it is taking a time out to feel sad and allow yourself to acknowledge your emotional pain. You own it, accept it, and then move forward.

The suggestion is to find a time and place for privacy, and then center your thoughts on your feelings. Breathe slowly and become aware of what is sad or painful in your life. Once your pain bottoms out, then is the time to nurture yourself. Sometimes the only way out of pain is to walk through it and survive.

Loss produces grief. It can be loss of a person, a relationship, a lifestyle, possessions, or the result of a major change in your life. To grieve successfully, we must walk through the various stages identified years ago by Elisabeth Kubler-Ross in her 1969 book, On Death and Dying. The five stages are:  denial, anger, bargaining, depression, acceptance. Walking through these five stages during a sadness meditation might be beneficial.

King David of Israel:

David, in his many psalms in the Old Testament, practiced this. He expresses so many emotions in his beautiful poetry we could nick-name him, "Roller Coaster David." He is honest about his feelings, and that benefits us because we take solace in his writing. He dealt with the same joys and sorrows we experience--and he wasn't afraid to voice them.

David begins some of his psalms by venting his outrage, anger, worry, or discomfort to God. Yes, venting to God! It's an o.k. thing. Here are some examples:

"Why, O Lord, do you stand far off? Why do you hide yourself in times of trouble?" (Psalm 10: 1)

"Save me, O God, for the waters have come up to my neck. I sink in the miry depths, where there is no foothold....I am worn out calling for help;..." (Psalm 69: 1-2)

"My God, my God, why have you forsaken me? Why are you so far from saving me, so far from the words of my groaning?"(Psalm 22:1-Crucifixion Psalm quoted by Jesus)  

David knew the Creator could handle him spewing out feelings, the ugly ones alongside the good ones. We, too, can come to God with our negative emotions--our true feelings.

But....there's always a "but" to David's venting psalms. After emptying himself of his raw emotion, he acknowledges God's sovereignty and praises him. Check out this psalm and see if you can identify David's pattern:

Psalm 13

¹ How long, Lord? Will you forget me forever?
    How long will you hide your face from me?
² How long must I wrestle with my thoughts
    and day after day have sorrow in my heart?
    How long will my enemy triumph over me?

³ Look on me and answer, Lord my God.
    Give light to my eyes, or I will sleep in death,
⁴ and my enemy will say, “I have overcome him,”
    and my foes will rejoice when I fall.

⁵ But I trust in your unfailing love;
    my heart rejoices in your salvation.
⁶ I will sing the Lord’s praise,
    for he has been good to me.

David always ends by praising God, and that is therapeutic--an excellent mental health habit. Following David's example keeps us from wallowing in our sorrow, enjoying a pity party. It lifts us up from despair onto the high plain of praise and gratitude.

Results?

1. We identify and own our negative feelings--all parts of our humanity.
2. We empty ourselves of draining emotions.
3. God fills our empty hearts with his love and comfort.
4. We survive and develop a strength we never knew we had.
5. We reach out to others with compassion.
6. For me, I feel understood by God and that's huge.

David would get the value of a Sadness Meditation. If you're hurting, try it and see if it leads to healing. Be sure to end with something uplifting from the Psalms or another Bible passage.

If you know someone who might benefit from the suggestion of a Sadness Meditation, share this with them through the social media buttons below. Then pray for them.


You can easily click on the icons to email this to a friend; send it to a blog; share through Twitter, Facebook, or Pintrest; or share through Google.

Remember:  David went from despair to joy through the avenue of praise !

 

You CAN Have a Happy Day!

We have lots of rabbits in Arizona. They're usually quite lean and have big ears--not as big as jackrabbits' ears but bigger than the bunnies from my Midwestern childhood. I love to see them hopping through the neighborhood. Quite often they're fodder for coyotes so it's a delight to see one running instead of hanging out of the jaws of a slobbering wild animal.

On my morning bike rides I often see the little hoppers, and when I do, I know it will be a good day. They make me smile as they dart across a yard and take refuge in a big bush. One day I saw five--five!--on one ride and I was ecstatic. "I'm gonna have a 5-bunny day!" I announced to my puzzled husband. He doesn't quite get my excitement.

Where has all the excitement gone?

When was the last time you truly got excited over something seemingly insignificant? I hope it's not as far back as childhood. The news is bleak, the world's a mess, our lives are topsy-turvy, and relationships are tough. Are we jaded? Where has joy over the little things in life gone?

I get so excited over bunnies because they momentarily take me away from the yuck in the world. Life is tough and yuck is all around. We need respite, even if just for an instant.

I know what you're thinking:  "Get your head out of the sand, Ms. Pollyanna." Well, no. I don't do that anymore. I've been there and all I got was a mouthful of grit. Once I cleaned the sand out of my teeth, the issue, situation, or problem still existed. However, I do think attitude and paying attention to serendipities can pick up any day--even the most awful.

My love for bunnies comes from my childhood in the country. We raised rabbits and often I would sit in their pen, stroke their soft fur, and watch their noses twitch as they ate food out of my hand. Of course, there was the time I unknowingly ate my pet rabbit (they told me she died of old age). I sure enjoyed that "new" meat my mom served (they told me it was veal). Years later, when the family thought I could handle it, they 'fessed up. Hmm, maybe I'm still not old enough to handle that one.

I digress and I'm getting gross. I started out with a coyote eating rabbits, and ended up with me eating one. The point I want to make is, look around you this week for little things that make you smile:  a hot-air balloon, a kitten, a child playing, or a squirrel running through your yard. Notice things and let them perk up even the most mundane, sad, difficult day.

I thought long and hard about how to make this blog post spiritual--you know, to go with the title, "Grow with God." Actually, the food chain is quite spiritual because God created it and set us up to rule over it:

"Then God said, 'Let us make man in our image, in our likeness, and let them rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air, over the livestock, over all the earth, and over all the creatures that move along the ground.'" (Genesis 1: 26)

He added meat to mankind's vegetarian diet after Noah and his clan descended from the ark, walked on dry ground, and built an altar to worship God:

"The fear and dread of you [Noah] will fall upon all the beasts of the earth and all the birds of the air, upon every creature that moves along the ground,and upon all the fish of the sea; they are given into your hands. Everything that lives and moves will be food for you. Just as I gave you the green plants, I now give you everything." (Genesis 9: 2-3)

Guess that gives the coyote and me permission to eat rabbits. But that's not the point. What about taking joy in everyday observances? The closest I could come is from the 47th Psalm. You can read it in the translation of your choice by clicking on the link below.

This wonderful praise psalm celebrates the universal reign of God, and is recognized in both the Jewish and Christian churches. It is used in the synagogue liturgy for Rosh Hashanah (the Jewish New Year festival), and it is used by Christians to celebrate the ascension of Christ. Read it and be blessed.

"Clap your hands, all you nations; shout to God with cries of joy. How awesome is the Lord Most High, the great King over all the earth!...." (Psalm 47)

Wouldn't it be wonderful to see all the nations clapping their hands and shouting to God with cries of joy?

Read Psalm 47 from this link and have a 5-Bunny week!

www.BibleGateway.com

(Enter Psalm 47 in the search box and select a translation or paraphrase of your choice.)

A Special Call

 
Ring. Ring.
"Hey, Friend, It's for you. God's calling."
Are you answering?

What in nature calls you to God? Is it the sea?

 Oswald Chambers in his classic devotional, My Utmost for his Highest (Discovery House Publishers, 1935), writes:  "The call of God is like the call of the sea, no one hears it but the one who has the nature of the sea in him....His call is to be in comradeship with Himself for His own purposes,..."

California Coastline

Is it the mountains?

 Fall in the Sierra Nevada Mountains                      (photo courtesy Dan Raatjes)

Perhaps it's canyons or a serene snowy woods or a ladybug sitting on a bright green leaf. What about a magnificent spider web glistening in the sun or thundering water falls?

For me, it's trees--their trunks, bark, branches, and especially their leaves. Years ago my thoughtful sister mailed me 30 colorful fall leaves from the woods of my childhood home in Ohio. They are very special to me. I laminated them and bring them out every year at the start of Fall. This year some are taped to the bathroom mirror, and some are scattered on a table top. They give me the warm fuzzies because I grew up amid a forest of shaggy bark hickory trees. (I almost hyperventilated when I first saw the California redwoods.)

What Speaks to You?

Pinpoint what in nature speaks to your soul, helps you breathe a little more deeply and smile. What makes your shoulders relax and keeps you from checking your phone for messages? When you identify "your thing," that's God calling you.

The Apostle Paul writes to the believers in Rome that no one, not even someone who never has read a Bible, has an excuse not to know God. Why? "...because the whole created world reveals him." (Study notes to Romans 1: 20, NIV)

The verse reads like this:  "For since the creation of the world God's invisible qualities--his eternal power and divine nature--have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that men are without excuse." (Romans 1: 20) Then Paul goes on to excoriate people who choose to live in godlessness and wickedness.

Just as the sea, mountains, snow, etc. call us to believe in God, he calls us to a relationship with him. He didn't create the world and then send us spinning off into the universe to survive on our own. He desires fellowship with us. When we worship him or spend time with him, he delights in it. I have to believe he smiles. I know he sings:

"The Lord your God is with you, he is mighty to save. He will take great delight in you, he will quiet you with his love, he will rejoice over you with singing." (Zephaniah 3: 17)

Call to Action:  find a beautiful photo of a favorite scene in God's creation that pulls on you. Put it in a prominent place if it's a hard copy or display it digitally as a background on your desktop or phone. Let it be a reminder God is pulling you toward himself and he delights in your company.

God's calling. Are you answering?

Red-Eyed Leaf Frog of Costa Rica (rana ojos rojos)

Perks of a Personal Retreat

     "Calgon, Calgon, take me away!" So goes an old commercial for a product promising a soothing, soft-water soak in a tub. No bubbles, just soft water. The Calgon commercial isn't around anymore but the need to get away is.

     Wouldn't you like to step outside your daily grind of work/home/family/community/church responsibilities? Vacations, mini-vacations, stay-cations, and getaways are valuable to our mental health and we must incorporate them into our busy lives. However, these include a lot of other people.

     I'd like to propose a spiritual retreat, enjoyed in solitude and focused on prayer and Bible study. I know, I know. You barely have time to breathe let alone go traipsing off to meditate. Trust me, it can be pulled off.

     When my four children were young my life was scheduled to the max. I was deeply involved in Christian leadership in my church; I supported a husband establishing his own business by hosting dinner parties for his clients' families; together we entertained many large groups in our home for church events; and I served as air traffic controller to the kids' sports, school, church, and friends schedules. Ours was the house where neighborhood children gathered so there were many skirmishes to settle. Our children worked paper routes and the route station was in our garage, meaning more skirmishes. In addition, I was trying to establish myself as a free-lance writer. (I did my best work while the gang was engrossed in Sesame Street or the Electric Company.)

     In spite of a bursting calendar, once a year I carved out a weekend retreat for myself. It took planning to avoid important family events, and it required cajoling to convince an equally busy husband to cover the home front. I left the family with a full refrigerator, a few casseroles, and clean laundry. "This relaxing getaway thing is a lot of work!" I thought.

     For my spiritual retreats I drove up north to the mountains of Arizona because pine trees speak to me. I reserved a room in rustic Bed and Breakfasts--one time a little cabin in the woods and another a lower floor apartment overlooking the Mogollon Rim, a spectacular range of mountains.

     I took my books, my Bible, a new yellow legal pad, lots of pens, and even a small electronic typewriter that printed out documents on thermal paper (PCs hadn't been invented). 

     The Bed and Breakfasts were safe, comfortable, and provided the solitude I craved. The amenities:

• Nearby trails for long walks
• Pot-bellied stove or fireplace in the rooms 
• Breakfasts to die for 
• Antique-y little towns to explore when I needed a break

     My activities were sleeping, reading, watching television late into the night, writing, Bible study, prayer, walking in the fresh air--all the things I wanted to do but couldn't while immersed in daily responsibilities.

Alternatives to a Week End...

     Is this too much for your life? You can't get away for an entire weekend? Try a one day or even half-day escape. Visit sites around your community, sites that are relatively quiet and afford alone time. Make sure you're safe and comfortable so your day is relaxing, allowing you to commune with God.

     Visit a local park, restaurant, book store, or library. Maybe there are some churches in your community that keep their doors open for quiet worship. Perhaps you need something physical to help you unwind like a strenuous bike ride or a long run or kayaking on a lake. Be sure to include time for rest and meditation.

     Phoenix is home to two very nice Retreat Centers. One is the Franciscan Renewal Center, or the Casa as it's known locally (http://www.thecasa.org/index.php). The Casa offers organized retreats but also welcomes visitors who wish to enjoy personal spiritual times of renewal. The grounds are beautiful and very restful. The other is Canaan in the Desert run by the Evangelical Sisterhood of Mary in the U.S.A. (http://www.canaaninthedesert.com/). Time spent in their prayer garden fosters relaxation and inspiration. Even if your hometown doesn't have such resources, it does have lovely parks that allow visitors to enjoy nature.

     My home church has a large hill in the middle of its property. The church turned this construction nightmare into a blessing by creating a trail to the top where there is a cross, an empty tomb, and a bench. Along the path are stations of prayer, focusing on the Lord's Prayer. It's a very worshipful trek to make in solitude.

What to Do?

 

     Read, breathe, rest, study your Bible, pray, listen for God's direction, make important decisions, or set goals (see Post from August 12). Whatever you do, don't allow guilt to interfere, and get rid of the need to be productive. Turn off your phone and tell your family to call only if there's an emergency. Let work know you're incommunicado for the day.

     Step out of your responsibilities and commune with God. Receive his direction or his healing balm for your frazzled lifestyle. You will return stronger, healthier, and happier. Your Mental Health Day becomes so much more when you plan it to be a Spiritual Health Day. It's better than soaking in a tub full of soft water.

The Mighty Saguaro

You can always tell a newcomer to Arizona when they pronounce the saguaro cactus as "sa-goo-row" instead of the proper, "suh-whar-oh" with the accent on the middle syllable. It's almost unforgivable when a new weather person does this on local television. They end up apologizing with a red face.

Photo taken at the Lake Pleasant Visitors' Center

The saguaro is a magnificent phenomenon found only in the Sonoran Desert--that is in Arizona, northern Mexico, and just a smidgen in southeastern California. It's the mother of all cacti and the one seen on countless photos trying to lure visitors to the Southwest. I've lived in Arizona over forty years and I still am amazed at their stature and uniqueness.

Some interesting trivia (in case you ever compete on Jeopardy):

• most saguaros develop arms as they grow older, as many as 25
• beneath their prickly outer shell is a wooden spine, hollow in order to hold water
• they are slow growers--1/2 inch a year and live to be about 200 years old
• they grow in a very limited span of elevation, 200-foot window, I think
• they produce white, waxy flowers in the spring and red fruit in the late summer
• they obtain most of their moisture during the summer monsoons and very little from the more frequent but weaker winter rains
• their roots are shallow, 4 to 6 inches deep, and radiate out as far as they are tall
• they have one tap root which goes deeply into the ground--2 feet
• birds and owls make nests in the crook of a saguaro's arm (cactus wren is the Arizona state bird)
• when they die, the wooden spines are used to make furniture, fences, roofs, etc.
• it is against the law in Arizona to kill a saguaro

Well now, using this stately plant as a metaphor for living the Christian life is just too easy, but I'll go there anyway. 

If we are to exist in a harsh world (the desert) we must accumulate nourishment (water in the hollow cavity of the cactus). We must grow our roots deep into God's word, his instruction manual (the tap root), and we must be patient to grow steadily (1/2 inch a year).

We could get really sappy and consider the importance of growing arms, reaching out to others, but that makes even me gag. Metaphors can be overdone and I'm sure the saguaro cactus is sick of being held up as a model for strong Christian living. We could also point out the obvious:  we produce beauty in our lives (white, waxy flowers) and produce results from our testimonies (summertime fruit).

"But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control." (Galatians 5: 22-23)

The one fact, however, that surprises me is that they obtain most of their water to store up for survival from the rainstorms of the ridiculously harsh summer, not the rains of the comfortable winter climate. Obviously, God created them to adapt to and endure the desert.

What does that say about us? Growth in God is a major theme of this blog and I know from personal experience, God grows me more fully during the times of distress and tragedy in my life than in the relaxed times of comfort and peace. I'm always striving for peace but he speaks to my heart and teaches me to rely on him during those awful times--times I'd rather do without.

So, Mighty Cactus. I admire your strength, uniqueness, survive-ability, longevity, and even your strange beauty. I must remember to burrow my tap root deep into the Word of God and seek my nourishment from him through study and prayer. Maybe I can even get to the point of being grateful for those tough times when God teaches me the most. Hmmm. Don't know if I'm there yet.

"Be joyful always; pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus." (1 Thessalonians 5 16-18)

I think they look like whiskers on the hillside

Some perspective on their enormous size

For more fascinating information on this strange plant go to http://www.dbg.org/



If Southwestern gardening interests you, go to a friend's blog at www.azbackyardeden.blogspot.com
She is a master gardener and her backyard is 
 incredible. 


If you like anything you read on this blog, feel free to share through the social media icons at the bottom of this page. Thank you.

The Power of Language

Aa-chooooo! It was quite a sneeze, one of those Arizona pollen-triggered jobbies:  loud, long, and startling. From the back of the crowd came an equally loud, "God bless you and God bless those around you!"

Everyone laughed because that response aptly summed up what we all were thinking in this day of "germaphobia" and hand sanitizers. It was a new take on an old cliche--like gesundheit with a twist.

There are other cliches we use that can be quite helpful to convey complex thoughts and opinions in just a few words. They also can be a lazy way of communicating without thinking. It's like verbal shorthand. 

Pat phrases come from all sorts of sources:  great literature, the Bible, Ben Franklin, Mark Twain, advertisers, television comedians, etc. For example:

• He/she marches to the beat of a different drummer (Thoreau)
• God helps those who help themselves (Ben Franklin)
• Grab all the gusto you can (beer commercial)
• No pain, no gain (probably a sadistic coach or trainer)
• You scratch my back, I'll scratch yours (business person or politician)
• Double-dipping of a potato chip (Seinfeld)
• Fish and visitors smell after three days (Mark Twain)
• Paradigm shift (business)
• Think outside the box (?)
• Not the brightest bulb in the tanning bed
• Not the sharpest tool in the shed
• Stupid is as stupid does (Forrest Gump's mom, Sally Fields)
• Build your castles in the air (Thoreau & Les Miserables)
• Dumb as a box of rocks

Cliches are not bad, in fact they're part of every culture. When taking a foreign language class some of the first phrases taught have to do with "Hi, how are you? I'm fine, thank you." (For travelers the first phrase is, "Where's the bathroom?")

Cover up?

Sometimes, though, they can be a cop-out, a cover up for our real feelings when we don't know what to say. For example, when someone experiences a tragedy we often rely on pat phrases to fill in awkward silences. Or if there's something too painful to talk about we explain things using familiar words to soften the impact.

The Bible talks about the importance of using clear, thoughtful language.

 But above all, my brethren, do not swear, either by heaven or by earth or with any other oath, but let your yes be yes and your no be no, that you may not fall under condemnation. (James 5: 12, RSV)

In his interaction with people, Jesus was clear and direct, zeroing in on their need:

"Son, your sins are forgiven." (Mark 2:5)
"I tell you, get up, take your mat and go home." (Mark 2: 12)
"Why are you so afraid? Do you still have no faith?" (Mark 4: 40)
"Little girl, I say to you, get up!" (Mark 5: 41)
"'But what about you?' he asked. 'Who do you say I am?'" (Mark 8:29)

Our goal should be communication, connection through language. Sometimes a cutesy cliche works, and sometimes  a heartfelt use of fresh phrases or words is best. It takes sensitivity to others' needs to figure it out.

Language can be fun...

Listen to your language and to the conversations of those around you. Are you picking up on any fun, clever, or antiquated phrases? Do  you use advertising slogans in your dialog? They want you to do that, you know. Advertisers--that's "another kettle of fish" (this one's from England, I think).

It might be interesting to use the Comments section below to share some of the funny or meaningful phrases that are part of our communication. Click on Comments, use the pull-down menu to register as Anonymous, write a response and hit Publish.

Meanwhile, I know you probably didn't sneeze, but "God bless you" anyway. And I really mean it--I pray God will fill your week with his goodness and joy.

                                                                                    Blessings,
                                                                                                   Sue

I could play you like a fiddle/that hurt like there's no tomorrow/she's got a bee in her bonnet or a burr under her saddle/if you can't beat 'em, join 'em/don't poke the bear/run like a gazelle/he's a piece of work/drives like a banshee/there's no crying in Disneyland/it won't be noticed on a galloping horse/if you can't stand the heat, get outta the kitchen/for cryin' out loud in a bucket!/I'm so mad I can't see straight/......:)








Our goal

Cud-Chewing

Imagine a lovely scene of contented black and white cows, lazing around in a field of wildflowers. So serene and so very country. Aren’t they adorable? But wait. Do you know what these little lovelies do? They spend a lot of time chewing and chewing and chewing. It’s called ruminating, a necessity for their digestion. Yuck. What a mental image that brings to mind!

 

 Sadly, we, too, sometimes ruminate--on hurts, injustices, or negative circumstances. You know the scenario:  we replay a conversation over and over, nursing our hurt feelings and imagining all sorts of clever, forceful responses. It’s devastating and we don’t even realize we’re doing it

  

God has a better plan for our minds that is expressed beautifully in these words:

“Finally, brothers, 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….And the God of peace will be with you.” (Philippians 4: 8 & 9)

 30 Days to Establish a Good Habit

It’s not easy overcoming the destructive habit of negative rumination but we can be proactive in eliminating it from our minds.

• Ask God to alert us when we dwell on negative situations and then confess it as a sin.
• Replace the negative thoughts with a verse of scripture or praise song.
• Pray for the person who is at the center of our thoughts and experience sweet relief.

Freedom from the devastating practice of rehashing, chewing, and ruminating old hurts leads to inner peace.

Maybe the rural image of cows doesn’t cut it for you. Think instead of instant replay. Years ago an NFL player suffered a horrific tackle resulting in a serious leg break needing extensive surgery. The cameras caught the graphic incident on film from many angles and they replayed it over and over—throughout the rest of the game and then throughout the following several weeks. It was excruciating to watch. The player himself must have cringed from his hospital bed every time the tape ran. His loved ones probably refused to look at it anymore. I know I did.

 That’s what we do in our minds whether we’re remembering a major tragedy or a minor infraction to our egos. We run the instant replay DVD over and over. We may think we have the hurt all splinted up and on the road to healing but then we replay it in our minds and become spiritually paralyzed.

A good question to ask:  "Do my thoughts reach the standards set in this scripture verse from Philippians?" Cows and Instant Replay. Both are enemies to peaceful living.

Family tradition from my youth:  when a young person leaves home, they're given a brown cow filled with cookies

Hand painted by my daughter many years ago

Suppport Personnel

The movie just ended and people are filing out of the theater. If you see someone walking backwards up the aisle reading the credits on the screen, that would be me.

I am an obsessive reader, especially when it comes to acknowledging the support team that produces a movie. A friend who knows the industry, once said if a person gets their name on the credits, that means they've worked long and hard to get there. Someone other than their parents should read the names of these diligent workers so I feel obligated.

Let's face it, support personnel often don't get the credit they deserve in most endeavors. That's why I'm fascinated by the story of an obscure woman named Biddy Chambers. Her real name is Gertrude Hobbs Chambers and she was the wife of the famous pastor/teacher/author, Oswald Chambers. He authored over 30 books, his most notable being My Utmost for His Highest. It is a devotional that has been continuously in print in the United States since 1935 and often is on the top ten titles of religious book best-seller lists. 

Biddy?

Why is this woman so interesting and how did she get that strange name? The name was his nickname for her, the daughter of a friend. Even before they married, he saw her as a partner in his ministry--one who could help him get his sermons and lessons into print. Why? Because she was a court stenographer who could write 250 words a minute in shorthand.

They served together in many posts but the last was in Cairo, Egypt, under the authority of the Y.M.C.A. He was sent there to provide a positive social life for Australian and New Zealand soldiers fighting in World War I. Basically, his job was to keep the men from visiting brothels.

He came under criticism from the Y.M.C.A. for giving away refreshments rather than charging the soldiers. When he cancelled the concerts and movies provided for their entertainment everyone told him he would lose his audience. The opposite occurred. Men flocked to his sermons--such was his personality and teaching and their need to learn about God before going into battle. And there sat Biddy, in the back of the room taking down every word her husband spoke.

How does Biddy fit into all this?

Sadly, Chambers died barely into his forties from a ruptured appendix. Though she was devastated, Biddy spent the rest of her life transcribing her notes of his lectures into publications. Today we have the classic My Utmost for His Highest because of the tedious work done by this humble woman, Biddy Chambers. She is so humble she signs her Foreword to the book, B.C. She doesn't even use her complete name.

What do I take away from her story?

• She lost the love of her life much too early but she channeled her grief into preserving his works, knowing how effective his words were in bringing people closer to God.
• She used her skills to keep his teachings alive and available to millions of readers throughout the years.
• She exhibited a spirit of humility. 

What Can We Learn?

• Life throws curve balls (like the early death of a loved one) and we can channel our energies to go beyond mere survival to service for God.

• If we know God, we must share him.

• We each have skills God can use to further his work on earth.

• God honors a humble heart. 

 If there were a blockbuster movie about Oswald Chambers, I believe Biddy Chambers' name would be emblazoned in gold lettering.

Let the Credits Roll! 

 

(Information from Introduction to My Utmost for His Highest, 1963 edition Discovery House Publishers, Grand Rapids, MI & Online Wikiepedia)

Power of H2O

  Recently, Arizona experienced the power of unleashed water in the form of a five-hour rainstorm--nothing of consequence in the Midwest but destructive in our thirsty desert. Interstate 10, the main artery from California to Florida which cuts through the heart of Phoenix, had to be closed for most of a day due to flooding, stranded vehicles, and the slippery muck left behind as the water receded. Schools were closed and neighborhoods were flooded.

Neighborhood park after Phoenix' 100-Year Flood                (photo courtesy Peggy Gregory)

 I was reminded anew of the immense power of water on a recent visit to the Grand Canyon. We hadn't seen this amazing wonder for about thirty years and wanted to check to see if it had changed. It didn't. It is still the inspiring view that elicits gasps. The steady erosion of the relentless Colorado River flowing for eons carves out this exquisite Natural Wonder of the World, both creating and revealing the striped beauty of the Canyon.

 











Arizona is the Grand Canyon State and residents and visitors enjoy it close up and personal, as hikers or mule riders, close but safe from viewpoints along the ridge or the new clear viewing platform that juts over the abyss, or from afar in an airplane or helicopter.

 


We visited another spectacular phenomenon on our recent trip to Canada where we hiked up to the base of Takakkaw Falls, formed by a melting glacier. The roar was deafening, the mist drenching, and the power thunderous.



The Bible talks about the power of water in its metaphor about believers being channels of God's love to others--living water leading from Jesus, the Source of abundant life and salvation. "If anyone is thirsty, let him come to me and drink. Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, streams of living water will flow from within him." (John 7: 37-38) Jesus was teaching about the power of the Holy Spirit which soon would come to his followers. He was encouraging them to believe and then spread the Good News.

Imagine yourself as a living stream, a channel filled with fresh, clear, life-giving water. You can be the one who carries the message of salvation and blessings to your family, friends, and acquaintances. People all around are hurting and craving hope in a world gone crazy. What strengths, love, faith, etc. do you have to offer? 

Go and refresh the world around you.

"If you believe in Jesus, you will find that God has nourished in you mighty torrents of blessing for others." 

                                                                    Oswald Chambers in My Utmost for His Highest

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