A Person who Ponders

What do you ponder? Think about? Mull over? Daydream?

 Hmmm. A person who ponders is a powerful person at peace. Say that three times fast!

 

"But Mary kept all these things, pondering them in her heart." (Luke 2: 19 RSV)

God chose a reflective young woman to mother his son. The shepherds' visit caused astonishment to all but Mary, who tucked the event into her memory bank. Years later, after the amazing incident of 12-year old Jesus with the Jewish teachers in the temple, we're told his mother "...treasured all these things in her heart." (Luke 2:51 NIV)

Mary is the picture of serenity in spite of living in a volatile society. Remember, she and Joseph eventually had to flee to Egypt for their baby's safety. Even as a lonely refugee in a foreign land, Mary was a woman at peace.

From what we know of her faith and willingness to be God's servant, we have to believe she surrendered Jesus to God's will, even as she witnessed his horrible crucifixion. How her mother's heart was torn.

But we also have to believe she was comforted by the God of peace. Did God cause her to remember all those thoughts she had placed into her mind for safekeeping throughout the years of Jesus' life? Did those thoughts fall into place like a divine puzzle?

Ponder Power

Are you in need of tranquility? Try imitating Mary's practice of pondering. Carve out time to read from the Bible and then just sit and mull it over. Look at the passage from many angles: God's perspective, your perspective, a non-believer's, and a child's. Dialog with the Lord and be immersed in his love and peace. Let his words soothe you as you faithwalk through your days.

During this hectic time of year, I wish you pockets of time to absorb God's Word and feel his unconditional love.

The Holy Family - carved out of olive wood from Jerusalem

Angel Party

Those angels really knew how to throw a party!

 

Imagine yourself a shepherd the eventful night of Christ's birth in the fields surrounding Bethlehem. You're caring for your sheep as you've done almost every night of your life, just like your father and grandfather. The routine of the sheep is embedded in your lifestyle.

Suddenly an angelic courier appears with a very special birth announcement: the long-awaited Messiah is born! You know what he's talking about for the scriptures were drilled into you as a Hebrew child.

Before you fully digest the news, an angel chorus bursts into song, their voices cutting through the crisp night air. Close your eyes and try to imagine the harmony, the grandeur, the beauty of the music. It is like no other choir you've ever heard.

This night of sameness comes alive with praises to God. Hopes soar, adrenalin flows, and you forget the animals, knowing you've witnessed something greater than life itself.

Our holiday celebrations, though terrific, are dull in comparison. Perhaps we never can duplicate the excitement of those angels but we can steep ourselves in the Christmas Scriptures and share their joy in worshiping God.

This Christmas make these words of praise your words:

"Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men."

May your holiday weeks be a time of peace and love and gratitude for our Savior.

And...
     Have an angelic party!

This is our automated angel who sits atop our tree. Trouble is, her wings squeak as they move back and forth. I think she has a terrible case of arthritis. Hers is not the sound of the angelic chorus that visited the shepherds. Too bad.

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

Formula for Busy People

I would love to give you the gift of TIME 

Let me guess:

• you are stretched to the max
• you can’t possibly complete everything on your agenda
• parts of your life are in disorder
• you rarely feel caught up at work or at home

Modern men and women live exhaustive lives that revolve around the needs of many people; frequently, we try to do it all and do it all perfectly.

Technology, though essential and efficient, may add to the stress since a worker/friend/family member is expected to be on call 24/7 and respond to electronic messages immediately.

A successful CEO of a very large corporation recently suffered a physical breakdown because of too-long working days and too-little sleep at night. Once she recovered she instituted new rules for herself and those in her employ:  no one is expected to answer messages in the evenings or on weekends, unless they are on call.

What Does the Bible Say?

 

Paul wrote this in his letter to the Corinthian church to instruct them about orderly worship:  “For God is not a God of disorder but of peace.” (I Corinthians 14:33) I think these words can apply to our individual lives, as well. God desires us to live in an atmosphere of peace and order. How do we do that?

What Can I Do?

 

There’s no one solution to this dilemma but there are some practical steps that can help us deal with this age-old problem. Take what works for you and toss out the ideas that don’t suit your personality.

        Mission Statement – Write out a mission statement for yourself for the coming year. This idea is from Knit Together:  Discover God’s Pattern for Your Life by Debbie Macomber. (FaithWords 2008) Corporations and committees write mission statements why not you? Keep it short and direct. “What do I want as guiding philosophy for my life?” Powerful stuff.

        Priorities – List the things important or necessary at this phase of your life. Be sure to include leisure time for yourself. Every priority should support your mission statement.

        Goals – Under each priority list the goals you’d like to accomplish in that area in the next six months or year.

        Steps to accomplish your goals (optional) – If you’re a type A personality, jot down the steps needed to accomplish each goal. Skip it if you’re too busy!

Review your priorities and goals several times throughout the year to see if you’re on target or need to adjust. Perhaps something is unattainable at this time of your life. Is your life balanced? Check for gaps. Your priorities and goals will change as you walk through the various stages of your life and as your family or work dynamics change. Simplify where you can, delegate, and focus on what’s really important.

A Promise!  

 

Here’s the clincher:  a disciplined devotional life will help you find more time—really! Make reading the Bible and prayer a daily occurrence and your day will go more smoothly and efficiently. The busier I am, the more I need to do this. Pray over your mission statement, your priorities, and your goals. God will direct you and keep you focused.