“Be still and know I am God.” ~ Pslam 46:10

 

Oh my. The sunrise. Did you see the sky God painted for us today?

Some mornings, I do. Might even snap a picture for my blog or text my husband. Then move on. But today, I stopped.

Like really stopped.

It wasn’t easy to resist the urge to pick up my phone and rush toward the next thing.

That next thing always seems so darn urgent, doesn’t it?

I told myself to slow down … to stay in the moment. To quiet my jumping-ahead thoughts and get off the hamster wheel.

Not just on the outside but on the inside.

I stopped to soak in the silent power spreading from east to west.

Pinks and purples, blues and  grays.

What a gift we have in this ancient rhythm that meets us every morning and invites us to start our day by stopping.

To rest and delight.

Because all around us the world spins and speeds and before we know it we’re caught up and ramped up with it. Because society totally accepts hyper-drive and exhaustion and multi-tasking as necessary to acquire and accomplish.

Some of us wear all this doingdoingdoing as a badge of honor.  Like stress and burn-out and worry are to be expected. Like anxiety should be normalized and even accepted as part of who we are. And the chaos, though quite jarring, is oh-so sneaky.

It’s easy to see how it messes with our mind but what about our body? It is dis-eased as it reacts to the busybusyloudloudrushrushrush… and we forget to stop and breathe and …

just.be.still.

And protect our internal rhythm.

The one telling us it’s time to slow our roll … and ssshhh  … for a few minutes and notice something we haven’t really seen in a while.

To talk less. Think less. Worry less. 

Because there’s more than science to the sunrise. This circadian rhythm reminds us to take rest into our work. So we won’t be tossed about by deadlines. We carry this rest into our conversations so we won’t get ticked off by snarky people and messy situations.

We remember Who’s in control. So we can let go of our day. And start it connected, with our inner life protected.

And to striving and anxiousness, to the weight of feeling responsible for everything and everyone.…

We say, “Nope. Not this day.”

And we pray.

God, we are grateful. That day after day after day, You wait to restore our rest. Teach us to stay in it and protect it so we can be a non-anxious presence in this fast and furious, wonderful world.

 

 

Photo from Pixabay.com

 

 

It’s not your fault you meow at zero-dark:30, B.C. (before coffee.) You’re a cat. It’s what you do.

It’s not your fault I let them talk me into rescuing you. And that I believed them when they said I wouldn’t have to do a thing to keep you happy and healthy or clean fur balls and upchucks from the carpet.

It’s not your fault you walk in on your little stealth feet and your meeeooowww slices through the quiet and alarms me there’s always one more thing to-do. When I just wanna do my own thing.

Like ease into my day. With no interruptions.

It’s not your fault that I don’t have an automatic, jump-up-on-my-lap affection for ya’ll. Not that I don’t have the capacity.

You’ve probably heard the stories of Cocoa. Another rescue. Only she was a dog. I was with her on the floor of the vet clinic crying like a baby. I stroked her fur and whispered, “You’re a good girl,” as her breath slowed and stopped.

So, I do have the potential.

Though we might not ever be besties, we can at least be civil. I can’t make you learn from me, so maybe I’ll learn from you.

About life’s interruptions and how to roll with them and not wish it was different. To trust that when I meet challenges with courage and prayer, I’ll grow from them. And when I choose to be grateful for my blessings, I won’t focus on the burdens.

Yes, I choose Peace.

The most important thing I’m learning is to let cats be cats and let people be people. Including myself. We’re human. We fail. It’s what we do.

We are imperfect works-in-progress. And even in those moments when I get it right, some will misunderstand and I will disappoint them.

That’s okay. Jesus was misunderstood and disappointed many.

Yes, I choose Grace.

Okay Chloe, I’ve probably lost you, but I need to wrap this up. Now that we’ve established we can learn as we go, how about a truce? I’ll stop stressing when you howl and you stop hurling on the carpet?

This morning you didn’t make a peep at zero-dark:30. What’s up with that? Maybe we’re making progress. Or maybe it’s a trick.

It was kinda eerie. You sat in the shadows of the dining room table watching me make coffee. Actually, thank you for that.

Oh dear. Am I really talking to a cat?

This is a weird way to begin a new year. Oh well, such is life.

As long as I keep learning to live large and love well, I’m cool with that. 

Peace Out

I remember a Christmas when my boys were small. We drove from Arkansas to Illinois and visited three homes on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. Then we drove ten hours back to Arkansas.

While unloading a trunk full of toys, we were a bit sad. It felt like we kinda missed Christmas. So, the next year, we stayed home and started our own traditions. We don’t regret it. Our kids are now grown and have their own families. And Christmases are our best memories.

I still refuse to race around and stress out on the holidays. If I can’t find the perfect gift, ingredient, or decoration? We don’t need it. Whatever doesn’t get done, doesn’t get done. Traditions are wonderful but if they shackle us to debt, steal our peace or our time with family, then what’s the point?

I believe Christmas is whispering to us.

To feel the nudge and to get quiet. To slow down and remember how God came down to live and suffer among us.

We sense His love that’s unconditional.

We find the Peace this world can’t touch.

And we hold on to a Hope that doesn’t give up. It’s way more than wishful thinking. It’s actively trusting that He walks with us through really hard times. Through every trial and every storm.

God’s Presence is the best present ever.

As we attend parties, enjoy the noise, the shopping, and the toys, or decide to just stay home, let’s listen for the Christmas whisper. It reminds us to pause and be present, fully present. To Him. To them.

Because there’s power in presence. Listening and laughing, compassion and encouragement. This is abundant life. Let’s not miss Christmas. He is here and He is not silent. Celebrate Immanuel, God with us.

 

Peace, Grace, & Quiet moments to you and yours

 

Photo from www.Pixabay.com

 

                                 

   “Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it.” ~ Proverbs 4:23

 

Cornucopia is a fun word. Until I’m awake at 3 a.m. thinking about it. So, what’s a girl to do but roll out of bed and take notes?

We know cornucopias as a classic symbol for abundance and thanksgiving. They’re often depicted as a horn-shaped basket lying on its side with grapes, pears, apples, pumpkins, and ears of corn spilling out.

It makes me think of our hearts. We fill them with good and good spills out. And we know the reverse is also true. It’s a tricky balance, isn’t it? To protect our mind and spirit from filling up with negativity and worry.

Jesus knew we’d struggle. “Don’t worry about these things, ‘What will we eat? What will we drink? What will we wear?’ These things dominate the thoughts of unbelievers, but your heavenly Father already knows all your needs. First and most importantly seek His kingdom and His righteousness [the priorities, attitude, and character of God], and He will give you everything you need.” Matthew 6:31-33.

He invites us to enjoy life. To stop stressing over earthly things and to focus on our spiritual needs. In Galatians, we see an abundance of spiritual fruit: Love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, gentleness, goodness, faithfulness, and self-control.

God has already provided what we need to live a full life. All this spiritual fruit ~ and so much more ~ is available to us. As much as we want.  In fact, we can be so full that the very life of Jesus spills out.

So, our heart is kinda like our own little cornucopia.

And you know what? When we daily fill up our mind and spirit with this good fruit,  worry stops stealing our peace and joy.  Anxiety doesn’t get to decide if we’re thankful, grateful, and blessed. 

And the really cool thing is: We get to be the overflow. 

Someone Jesus loves needs us to be the calm in her chaos. The joy in his sorrow. Kindness in the midst of all this anger. And the patience, gentleness, and self-control amid too many harsh words and way too much hustling.

Around the Thanksgiving table and out in the stores, we get to be different. We get to share the attitude of Jesus Christ, right here and now.

This is the key to living our life empowered by abundance. What a joy and a privilege to be filled up and flowing over. Thankful, grateful, and blessed to be a blessing.