Tag: soul care

Planning for a Meaningful Christmas 2022 (instead of a December newsletter)

December 1, 2022 /

Every year I try to do a little better at prepping for the Christmas season so that on January 1st I’m sighing in contentment instead of exhaustion and regret. Can you relate?

A squirrel has already decimated a box of Christmas cookies I left in my “outdoor fridge” so I may not be the most credible guide, but we’re in this together, so let me offer a little help and you can reciprocate by sharing your ideas in the comments!

Which one describes  your state of mind? Check one:

  • DENIAL. You’re in denial. You don’t want to be reminded, but the holidays are slowly tiptoeing towards us. There’s a feeling of panic when you look at the calendar. You’ll probably end up blitzing at the last possible second.
  • DEPRESSED. You love Advent, but the circumstances of your life mean you may have to adjust your expectations this year and that’s depressing.
  • DELIGHTED. You have been scrolling Christmas Pinterest ideas since August and you’re  SO EXCITED, but not everyone is onboard with your vision for the holidays! 
  • DEFAULT. You are the default or designated host for ALLOFTHETHINGS, either because you have the most room, or because of your location or whatever, but you struggle not to feel resentful and like you can’t enjoy the holidays because you’re doing all the work.
  • DISCOURAGED. The holidays are great, and you’d like to create some great memories, but you just feel inadequate to host anything. You get sucked into comparing yourself with others on social media and feeling “less than”.

Regardless of how you’re feeling, we can all use some help at the holidays! No one accidentally drifted into a meaningful Advent. It takes some forethought.

So today and for the next couple of days, I’ll give you some suggestions. Before we can give to others, we need to tend to our own soul.

Day One

Provide for your Soul

Be still and know that I am God.

Psalm 46:10

Note to self: It doesn’t say “be busy”, or “be productive” or “be perfect”.

Put away your phone and any other potential distractions. 

  • Take some time today before things get crazy to pray for Advent. Talk to God about what is on your heart. 

  • What are you concerned or anxious about? 

  • In what relationships will you need extra grace and patience? 

  • Are there special services at church you want to be sure to attend?

Sit and breathe in God’s sufficiency for all that is ahead of you.

Don’t panic. I’m with you.
    There’s no need to fear for I’m your God.
I’ll give you strength. I’ll help you.
    I’ll hold you steady, keep a firm grip on you.

Isaiah 41:10

You will keep in perfect peace
    those whose minds are steadfast,
    because they trust in you.

Isaiah 26:3

God has said, “Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you.”

Hebrews 13:5

But now, this is what the Lord says— he who created you, Jacob, he who formed you, Israel: “Do not fear, for I have redeemed you; I have summoned you by name; you are mine. When you pass through the waters,
    I will be with you..

Isaiah 43:1

For to us a child is born,
    to us a son is given,
    and the government will be on his shoulders.
And he will be called
    Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God,
    Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.

Isaiah 9:6

One Lie That Threatens to Wreck Your Life

October 14, 2019 /

“This is what the Sovereign LORD, the Holy One of Israel, says: “In repentance and rest is your salvation, in quietness and trust is your strength, but you would have none of it.”

Isaiah 30:5

A month ago, humid, hazy sunsets and the sound of cicadas humming reminded me that summer was winding down.

How did summer ending make you feel?

Rested and refreshed?

Stressed about heading back into the chaos of another school year?

Anxious about all to be done at work?

Question: Is summer the only time (if then) that you take a break, or do you have a healthy rhythm of work and rest throughout the year?

And while I’m asking questions, why is it so rare for us, as Christians, to obey God’s command to rest weekly?

Dorothy Bass writes that we’re likely to break any of the 10 commandments, but the 4th, “Remember the Sabbath to keep it holy” is the only one we BRAG about breaking. That’s because in our minds…

BUSY = IMPORTANT

Too much free time is evidence that we’re not needed.

We’re tempted to buy into the lie that we’re indispensable.

But living as though we are indispensable threatens to wreck our life because it puts us in the place of God.

“Whoa! That’s not me!” you say. “I would never be that arrogant!”

Ok, how about a little survey? For each of the following statements, would you answer: Never, Sometimes, or Always me?

  • You go through your day with a perpetual sense of urgency or anxiety, afraid you may drop one of the many balls you’re juggling.
  • You find yourself moaning about how busy you are, but secretly feel like it’s also a badge of honor that demonstrates your capacity and importance.
  • You’ve lost a sense of gratitude and wonder about life.
  • The first thing you do in the morning is check your phone – either emails or social media.
  • You have trouble sleeping, worrying about things you haven’t been able to fix or finish during the day.
  • You text or check emails while at stoplights or in line at the store (or at church, or under the table at restaurants).
  • You bring your laptop on vacation.

Now it’s my turn for confession:

I listen to podcasts on 1 ½ speed so I can cram more into my time.

One of the most difficult but most impactful spiritual disciplines of my life has been observing Sabbath. But it’s also been a practice that has surprised me with the joy, freedom, and renewed perspective it has brought.

For me, mainly that’s meant unplugging. Phone and computer.

When God gave us the 10 Commandments, the first thing He said was, “You shall have no other gods before me.” Clearly we have many gods we’re tempted to put before Him. Sabbath is one discipline that helps us correct that – become more aware, and experience the joy of a day that’s different.

When we rest we are trusting God to be God. He’s good at His job.

I get it. There are different seasons of life that make this challenging. I’m not advocating legalism (Jesus didn’t either).

Sabbath may look like you taking a morning while your spouse watches the kids, and then switching roles in the afternoon.

You may not observe Sabbath on Sunday.

You may observe Sabbath as a family together. What would it look like for your whole family to power off one day of the week?

Maybe the place to start is to confess our tendency to put ourselves in the place of God.

Lord, please forgive me for all the times I put myself, and the things of this world before You. Please forgive me for my inflated sense of self-importance. You alone are our all-powerful, sovereign, Creator. You keep the planets spinning. You have commanded us to “stand down”, to set aside a day for rest and worship. Help us to obey this command with joy.

If you’d like a couple of good books on Sabbath, check these out!

The Rest of God by Mark Buchanan 

Sabbath by Wayne Muller

Do you observe Sabbath? What has your experience been? You KNOW I’d love to hear from you! If you get this in email, just click on the title and it will take you to the site where you can post a comment. If it’s your first time, don’t worry if it doesn’t show up right away! And if you’re interested in some smaller doses of inspiration, join me over on Instagram. (You can turn on “notifications” in the upper right-hand corner if you want to know when there is a post.)

What to do When You Want to Flip off the Other Guy

September 19, 2014 /

I was stuck in a single lane of traffic, late for a meeting, with a car in front of me from Rhode Island and a driver who couldn’t decide which way she wanted to turn (bless her heart).  AAARRRRGGHHH!  I found myself, once again bemoaning the fact that Christians don’t seem to have acceptable hand gestures for situations like this.

My road rage was just one of the times recently that I’ve noticed an increase in irritability, and impatience.  My “one word” for this year is “choose life”, but recently I started to notice a pattern of “not life” and needed to address it.

Like my friend says, I’m more of a “jet fuel drinker” than a “candle-lighter”.  I realized that in a summer of activity I had abandoned some of the spiritual practices that feed my soul.  I naturally resist the slower more contemplative disciplines of life with Jesus, but desperate times call for desperate measures. Continue reading

Books and a Give Away Because it’s Friday (fake title)

October 19, 2012 /

It’s Friday, and you’ve made it through another week.

Some of you have made it through “somehow”, hanging on by your toes, holding back tears, and wanting to hide in a hole.  It’s gonna be ok.  Be gentle with yourself.

For some of you it’s Friday and your stomach is in knots or in butterflies or in whatevers and you’re nervous or fearful because even though it’s Friday you still feel like Rocky going into the ring.  The hard conversations, or pressure to produce, or scary diagnosis doesn’t disappear for the weekend.  It’s gonna be ok. Be gentle with yourself.

And others have come to this Friday “triumphantly”, feeling like you want to high five the checkout girl and the barista and maybe even give a thumbs up to the person who cuts you off in traffic.  We’ll try to be happy for you. :).  Celebrate!

At the end of the week, what do you do to care for yourself?  What is most nourishing to your soul?

For me it’s getting outside biking, walking, playing – soaking up the beauty of the world, and relationships where there’s meaningful conversation and lots of laughter and hugs.

Reading is replenishing too, but lately I have felt a check in my spirit.  A caution that I need to live more than I read.  

I fear we (I!) get sucked into collecting sound bites, hoarding information, sharing pithy tweets, taking lots of notes and not allow any of it to seep into our souls and change us into people who look more like Jesus.

We read more than we live.

We quote more than we do.

We know more about praying than we pray, know more about serving than we serve.

I need to live what I know.

If I fasted from reading for a time, would my hands and feet and heart ever catch up with my head?

Note the title of this post.  I just added the parenthesis.  I sat down today, fully intending to share a couple book reviews and do a give-away, but I prayed and…well, this is what came instead.  Thoughts?

Spiritual ADD

October 12, 2012 /

Often people ask me for suggestions of good devotionals or Bible studies.  It happened again this past week after John preached on the Bread of Life and it got me to thinking.  I’m delighted to share what’s been helpful to me, but with a few caveats and a request to hear from you too.  I am so grateful for my relationship with Jesus but…

Continue reading

What Fills You Up?

August 17, 2012 /

What fills you with joy or gratitude or spurs you on to higher ideals?  What energizes or encourages you?

Is it particular relationships with people who pour wisdom and hope into you?  Or a particular place or tradition that makes your heart sing?

In what environments does God’s Word come to life for you?

We need weekly rhythms of filling so that we serve out of overflow but I believe we also need seasonal and yearly rhythms of filling too.

Continue reading

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