I am amazed and blown away by how simple my life seems to be these days!

And yet I can’t help but also think that not worrying, but instead trusting in You (oh thank You, Lord, for teaching me to trust!) has truly made things so much easier for me.

I just don’t get in a . . . → Read More: my amazing simple life, Father!]]> July 20, 2010

I am amazed and blown away by how simple my life seems to be these days!

And yet I can’t help but also think that not worrying, but instead trusting in You (oh thank You, Lord, for teaching me to trust!) has truly made things so much easier for me.

I just don’t get in a flap or worry about so many things that even a few short years ago would have put me into a major panic, that would have made me feel like my life was complicated and full of problems, that would have had me worrying and feeling sick and complaining.

Thank You, Papa!

(Of course it was the truly hard times, the times when there was nothing I could do to fix things, myself, that You used to turn my eyes from myself and my own “responsibility” to having to trust in You – and discovering that You really are there and really do care and are working all things out for those who love You and are called according to Your purpose! So why would I even want to go back to not trusting? You are amazing, God!)

Wow! Thank You! (and “whew!” lol)

Oh no! It’s happened again! Here it is July 20, and I haven’t posted since July 9. Actually, I’ve done a lot of posting over on my My Church Journey blog, and been involved in a number of conversations on other blogs, but somehow time has . . . → Read More: catching up … and wonderings (again)]]> July 20 (looking back to July 9 and 10)

Oh no! It’s happened again! Here it is July 20, and I haven’t posted since July 9. Actually, I’ve done a lot of posting over on my My Church Journey blog, and been involved in a number of conversations on other blogs, but somehow time has flown by here with no posting.

I see that on the afternoon of July 9 I noted in my journal that I was having a hard time focusing; my brain seemed to be knocked out by the heat. Mid to high 90s F outside, and nearly 80 inside, despite my best efforts to keep the house cool! Well, I guess that’s the best excuse I can come up with.

On July 10, I wrote a blog post on Extending grace over at My church Journey, thinking about how we react to and treat those who we see as particularly evil people – in this case a young man whom police have warned the community is a pedophile. While I certainly understand people’s fears, and do think this particular situation has been handled poorly by the various social services, I have wondered how we can better react to and deal with this kind of situation. Anyway, you can take a look at that post, if you are interested.

That same day, I read a facebook posting by a young woman I know who has an autoimmune disease that has turned her life upsidedown. As if that isn’t enough, there have been a number of other tragic circumstances in her close family – degenerative disease, childhood abuse, accidental death… None of which were “preventable” or “deserved” or whatever. And yet, other families appear to have comparatively few severe problems (though as onlookers we no doubt often know very little about what people are really going through). Wondering about that…

I was discouraged today because I have felt that almost no one is responding to my writing, especially my writing that is related to You.

And I am feeling quite alone in regards to coming out of “structural/ institutional” church, at least here in this community.

And then I was just sitting . . . → Read More: small to men, great to God]]> 1 July 2010

I was discouraged today because I have felt that almost no one is responding to my writing, especially my writing that is related to You.

And I am feeling quite alone in regards to coming out of “structural/ institutional” church, at least here in this community.

And then I was just sitting here reading Reimagining Church by Frank Viola, and these words jumped out at me:

“God’s most precious work has been accomplished through the small, the weak, and the unnoticed.” (referring to 1 Cor 1 :26-29; 1 Kings 19:11-13)

“…the greatest things in God’s eyes are extremely small in the eyes of men.”

“The call of God to recover the primitive simplicity of organic church life requires that we begin on entirely new ground. A ground different from the religious systems and traditions that we fallen mortals have constructed. And that ground is the Lord Jesus Christ.”

And as he pointed out previously in the book: the cross (death to self) before the Spirit’s power.

More from 66 Love Letters by Larry Crabb.

I’ve made all those notes for my “business” … now I feel that I must – I am compelled – to go back through them and see (and record) them in terms of You at the center – Your holiness, Your love, Your purpose.

The 66 . . . → Read More: looking out for myself when I think I’m living for You…]]> 1 June 2010

More from 66 Love Letters by Larry Crabb.

I’ve made all those notes for my “business” … now I feel that I must – I am compelled – to go back through them and see (and record) them in terms of You at the center – Your holiness, Your love, Your purpose.

The 66 Love Letters book is really hitting me between the eyes.

I just want to be like Jesus – to have You at my center, Lord, to be free of the world’s clutches.

I know I’ve been wandering… not meaning to, really, but sensing it happening, for sure.

I keep thinking about the stuff I think might be a good “topic” for my writing – like the un/de church/school thing. But right now it all seems like just foolish chatter to get attention and maybe make money. And I’m pretty sure that isn’t Your way.

Well, I do think there is a problem with the school/church systems. But I’m wondering if its really so important… or not… inview of what is really important: You are the core, the center!

Maybe I’ve just been casting about for a “niche topic” to get noticed, eh?

So… I open the book again, and these are the first words I read:

“God, what You’re saying is getting more and more difficult to live. No matter what happens in our lives… You want me to think more about how I’m relating to You and others than about how to get my life together. And You want me to look deep inside, into my motives, to see if I’m really looking out for myself when I think I’m living for You. Am I hearing You?” “Yes.”

66 Love Letters by Larry Crabb.

“That early morning I saw myself as I really am, a mere Christian, a hungry follower of Jesus who desperately wants to hear whatever God is telling me, a man [woman!] in misery who wants only one thing, not relief from misery (although that would be nice), . . . → Read More: found my core!!!]]> 30 May 2010

66 Love Letters by Larry Crabb.

“That early morning I saw myself as I really am, a mere Christian, a hungry follower of Jesus who desperately wants to hear whatever God is telling me, a man [woman!] in misery who wants only one thing, not relief from misery (although that would be nice), but hope – hope of intimacy and meaning and joy forever, in relationship with God.” (p xviii)

That’s what I want! That’s my “core”!!!

(see more on this at My Church Journey site, here and here.

Sometimes it is better to be a bit flexible rather than totally stuck to a schedule (no matter what the wise men say!) This morning for example…

I “should have” gone straight to my “focused time with Father” this morning. BUT…

I did dishes first (there were a lot left from yesterday when I . . . → Read More: “should have?” … but didn’t and I’m glad!]]> May 22, 2010

Sometimes it is better to be a bit flexible rather than totally stuck to a schedule (no matter what the wise men say!) This morning for example…

I “should have” gone straight to my “focused time with Father” this morning. BUT…

I did dishes first (there were a lot left from yesterday when I was feeling too sick to do them!)… and that made hubby happy when he got home from a long night of work (happy that the dishes are done, and happy that obviously I must be feeling better!).

And then I decided to check my email first (the entrepreneurial guru-types always say to leave that stuff till after your “work” is done!). As I did it, I was “feeling rather guilty” – and yet I was really okay with it at the same time! And – well, I ended up having a wonderful time with Father, reading the “Words from the Creator” as well as some other things posted on the daily Tribes of Christ e-group email. Some of the postings are perhaps more “traditional native beliefs/ connection to Creator and creation” understandings… and I was thinking, well, Father could probably use those as stepping stones of understanding for those He is drawing, those who are seeking Him.

Some folks might – okay, do! – think that stepping stones like that are actually dangerous, because the people on them might just stay there (or even fall off into something “worse, wrong, evil…”). But Father, You are in charge, and You know when stepping stones are helpful, and You are there, holding our hands and helping us find the way.

I’m thinking maybe I’ll copy a couple or three of today’s postings into my facebook notes, and share them with my friends… [which I did, after actually getting to my more formal "time with Father in His word"! And then thought more about this whole matter! Readers can check out my thoughts at My Church Journey].

Oh! And I even had fun reading about how to prepare kidney beans, posted on another e-group I belong to – a short article which inadvertently provided some great examples for enjoyable writing… as Words From the Creator always does, as well).

So what else have I done this morning? Some Stumbling (and updating my profiles and friends there. Removing my Posterous from a couple of my sites, where I discovered it really doesn’t fit in (but I still have it here and elsewhere). Did some social networking stuff on my Twitter and such. Uploaded a plug-in to this blog to allow readers to make social network connections from here (see all those sweet little icons in the top right corner? Give them a try!).

And then I watched some really scary “7 Figure Networker” video (no, I am not going to give you the link!) and wrote a huffy email about it! What a blow-bag! And waste of time to watch! And checked out video of the deepwater rig explosion in the Gulf. Can you believe it’s already been a month plus since it happened? And the really scary part of this whole thing (beyond the environmental damage and all) is that Canada is allowing off-shore deep-water exploration and development to go on without putting into place the preventative measures that we now know all too well could have prevented this particular disaster!

Good morning, Papa!

The sun is rising and the sky is blue! The leaves on the tree in the back yard look like they are enthusiastically waving hello to the rising sun! The air is so clear, and the many variegated greens of trees and grass and plant life of all descriptions are . . . → Read More: good morning, Papa!]]> 20 May 2010

Good morning, Papa!

The sun is rising and the sky is blue! The leaves on the tree in the back yard look like they are enthusiastically waving hello to the rising sun! The air is so clear, and the many variegated greens of trees and grass and plant life of all descriptions are bright and shining in the morning rays, after a night of steady rain has scrubbed the world fresh and clean!

Thank You for Your beautiful amazing creation. It is begging me to come on out and inhale deeply!

What an adventurous day! First hubby comes home and announces he is leaving his job – and then he gets an interview for another one in just a couple days – and some on-call work tonight with promise of lots more… And so I helped him find his old resumes and update . . . → Read More: a very adventurous day!]]> 19 May 2010

What an adventurous day! First hubby comes home and announces he is leaving his job – and then he gets an interview for another one in just a couple days – and some on-call work tonight with promise of lots more… And so I helped him find his old resumes and update them and put together a new “package”….

And then the toilet upstairs plugged and flooded, both upstairs and down, and we had to use pretty much every towel and sheet in the house to sop it all up – and then of course I had to do loads and loads of laundry, and turn the thermostat way up to dry things out – right when I need to save money, not burn it up with high energy bills!

And I had to pile everything in the back yard into a pile because the pressure-cleaner guys are coming in the morning to clean all the walls in the complex…

Still, amazingly, I got a lot of “work” stuff accomplished! Lots of journaling, including an amazing word from Jesus, when I went to him after all that unexpected adventure …

and I got a couple awesome blog comments, which really confirmed that You are in control, Father!….

And I updated a writers’ email group which I moderate…

and wrote on a forum I am part of…

and practiced using Posterous…

and went through the notes (related to all the business stuff) that I’ve been jotting down and sorted them into topics and typed them up…

and got several new Twitter followers (and asked to follow some of them: I’m kind of particular, preferring to follow a few who twitter on topics I’m really interested in, rather than follow lots of folks just for the big numbers…

and got rid of a bunch of excess fb pages and groups that I rarely or never look at any more…

and closed accounts on a number of social networking sites I haven’t used in a long time (or that have succumbed to a lot of spamming and porn – sure don’t need that!)…

And finally got lulled to sleep with the unusual-for-here sound of steady rain coming down! Sweet!

What do you expect from your “devotions” or your “time with Father” or whatever you call your focused time with God? Prayer … Bible study … spiritual enlightenment?

How about some pretty direct “direction” about your business?

I tend to think that God maybe kind of drops incidents and information and such in our . . . → Read More: a very unexpected conversation with Father]]> 18 May 2010

What do you expect from your “devotions” or your “time with Father” or whatever you call your focused time with God? Prayer … Bible study … spiritual enlightenment?

How about some pretty direct “direction” about your business?

I tend to think that God maybe kind of drops incidents and information and such in our way, and if we are keeping our eyes open and walking with Him, He’ll use those things to kind of “guide” us in the “practical” areas of our lives.

But sometimes He really surprises me with the directions He takes me in my “conversation” times with Him. Check out what happened this morning, at this is not what I expected from conversation with You!!!. Direction on setting up email subscriptions? What kind of devotional is THAT?!?!?

New next-door neighbours moved in over the weekend. Very nice young couple with 3 children. Reminds me how I want to reach out to (and reach!) my neighbours!

I’ve been wondering how to “grow” my “audience” – and at the same time wondering about what size and kind of audience is really necessary . . . → Read More: pursuing “success in blogging” ??]]> May 17, 2010

New next-door neighbours moved in over the weekend. Very nice young couple with 3 children. Reminds me how I want to reach out to (and reach!) my neighbours!

I’ve been wondering how to “grow” my “audience” – and at the same time wondering about what size and kind of audience is really necessary to be “successful.” Of course that begs the question: “What is success?” Does it mean having lots of readers and subscribers, making a good income, having a lot of “influence?” What kind of influence? Sacrificing what, in the process? Whose “way?” What worldview?

I’ve read some pretty useful blog postings and books and case studies and such, that have a lot of good ideas (successful ideas, if the number of readers and subscribers and income and so on at those sites are the desired markers of success). But sometimes when I am reading them, I feel uncomfortable. I may feel that their foundational beliefs, their core world-views, conflict with mine.

I find myself picking out some ideas and leaving others, but at the same time wondering if the ideas I have picked out are going to somehow draw me into their way of approaching the world after all? Are methods, ways to do things, pointers on how to grow your blog (for example), mostly just neutral, just what they are? Or do they really reflect something deeper? Is it possible to skim the useful tips off the top, and avoid/ignore the underlying purposes, beliefs, approaches? To use the same methods to accomplish or serve different ends and purposes?

Does it matter? If it does, then what?

The blog advice keeps saying to be true to yourself, true to who you are, what your passions are, what you believe, in developing your blog. What does that mean? And do they really mean that? If they do, why are they charging big bucks to their customers, urging them to buy their particular “ideas” (aka products)? They present themselves as authorities (a big part of blogging, apparently); and it seems to follow that buying their products, and following their methods, then becomes buying into their particular way of doing things… and possibly buying into their particular world view, belief system, core values… etc…?

(I want to follow You, Father…)

(In case you’re wondering, dear reader, what I’ve been reading today – and yes, picking out a lot of potentially useful ideas from – here are some links!

Leo Babuta at Zen Habits: various short posts – and a longer one: How I Got 100,000 Subscribers in Two Years

Chris Garrett at cgarrett.com, especially Killer Flagship Content

Seth Godin’s blog and email updates.

And, oh yes! I signed up on posterous.com today. And did some more “stumbling.” You can check out some of my “favorites” here.

And I started reading ProBlogger (2nd ed) today. (By Darren Rowse of the ProBlogger site and Chris Garrett – see link above). Yes, I bought the book!

Lots of good ideas in all of them. Just wondering, though, what applies to me?)

(Father?)