I’m sitting at the computer working diligently on something and suddenly, I inhale a deep, involuntarily breath and realize that I have been holding my breath. Sometimes it happens on the phone during an intense conversation, sometimes in church when the speaker takes my mind and carries it along a path that is both intriguing and personal. I call this phenomenon “work apnea.”
The sudden breath of oxygen reminds me that no matter how intense life is, I still need the basics to survive. I can put the base needs aside for awhile to concentrate on something intense and important, but eventually I will have to meet those needs. Remember to breathe, take care of the basics. Don’t let work apnea steal away the quality of your life.
Tuesday, May 26, 2009
Sprouts
The garden has sprouted. After a couple weeks of humidity and rain, the seeds have germinated (except for the pumpkin) and we have little seedlings. I’m thankful that my garden in in the backyard and in fenced in, even though the fence our gate is attached to rocks back and forth whenever I go in and out of it. The deer and bunnies won’t eat my delicate shoots, like they ate my infant lilac bush and lily in the front yard. Now is the time for protection.
Is there something in your life that is a new shoot that needs protection? Maybe a new habit or attitude you are cultivating? Make sure to keep it safe from the things that may nibble it down to nothing. Be proactive. Pray, ask for prayer, guard it.
Proverbs 4:6 (New International Version)
6 Do not forsake wisdom, and she will protect you; love her, and she will watch over you.
Is there something in your life that is a new shoot that needs protection? Maybe a new habit or attitude you are cultivating? Make sure to keep it safe from the things that may nibble it down to nothing. Be proactive. Pray, ask for prayer, guard it.
Proverbs 4:6 (New International Version)
6 Do not forsake wisdom, and she will protect you; love her, and she will watch over you.
Minimalist or Miniaturist?
Ok, so this is not a word reclamation, it’s quite simply a popular use of one word and a redefinition of the other.
Minimalist is a word used to describe art, but can also be used to describe a kind of lifestyle where excess is removed from one’s life—excess of stuff or space. This is an attractive concept for many of us who are victims of a culture of excess. We have too much stuff and we spend much of our time maintaining that stuff. More than once a month, I have a mind to pitch most of it, but then I refrain. Aren’t we supposed to Reduce, reuse, and recycle? Throwing stuff out in the trash wouldn’t be responsible greenness. So, I’m stuck with my stuff.
Jon and I have been talking about how we really don’t want to be minimalist…we like our stuff. We would much rather be miniaturist, and by that I don’t mean we would begin painting miniature portraits. Instead, we would rather have all of our stuff be small or take up less space. Have a stereo, but make it a mini i-pod. Have a high-quality tv, but get the 17”. Get smaller furniture, smaller containers of food, smaller everything.
I wish the developers of things kept small in mind, and made a small version of everything. I wish you didn’t have to pay extra to buy the small container of applesauce rather than the large one that will certainly mold before you get to it.
Any other miniaturists out there?
Minimalist is a word used to describe art, but can also be used to describe a kind of lifestyle where excess is removed from one’s life—excess of stuff or space. This is an attractive concept for many of us who are victims of a culture of excess. We have too much stuff and we spend much of our time maintaining that stuff. More than once a month, I have a mind to pitch most of it, but then I refrain. Aren’t we supposed to Reduce, reuse, and recycle? Throwing stuff out in the trash wouldn’t be responsible greenness. So, I’m stuck with my stuff.
Jon and I have been talking about how we really don’t want to be minimalist…we like our stuff. We would much rather be miniaturist, and by that I don’t mean we would begin painting miniature portraits. Instead, we would rather have all of our stuff be small or take up less space. Have a stereo, but make it a mini i-pod. Have a high-quality tv, but get the 17”. Get smaller furniture, smaller containers of food, smaller everything.
I wish the developers of things kept small in mind, and made a small version of everything. I wish you didn’t have to pay extra to buy the small container of applesauce rather than the large one that will certainly mold before you get to it.
Any other miniaturists out there?
Sunday, May 24, 2009
Alice in Wonderland
I decided to read Alice in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll. I had a copy on my shelf that is so old, it doesn’t even have the copy write page. As I’ve been carefully turning the delicate pages, I’ve been rediscovering the story in a way that Disney or any visual media doesn’t capture. There’s something about reading a book amidst the reality of living; the popping in and out of a story as you live your own. It makes a book part of you in a way the t.v. does not.
Alice is in that wonderful phase of childhood where everything about her world makes sense. She loves to share what she knows and cannot fathom why there would be any confusion on matters of simple understanding. Then she ends up in this dream-like world where nothing makes sense, and that’s sensible to everyone around her.
In many ways, Alice is going through what adolescents go through when their world begins to change. Suddenly, the old rules do not work anymore, and things are not as simple as they once were. Things feel out of control and well, weird.
Teenagers are not the only ones who go through the Alice experience. Whenever our lives change, we may feel like we’re thrown into Wonderland where none of our previous experiences help us on our way to finding normalcy again.
Instead, we may feel like we’ve changed completely. Like when Alice met the Caterpillar on the mushroom:
“Who are you?” said the Caterpillar.
This was not an encouraging opening for a conversation. Alice replied, rather shyly, “I—I hardly know, sir, just at present—at least I know who I was when I got up this morning, but I think I must have been changed several times since then.”
“What do you mean by that?” said the Caterpillar sternly. “Explain yourself!”
"I can’t explain myself, I’m afraid, sir,” said Alice, “because I’m not myself, you see.”
“It isn’t,” said the Caterpillar.
“I’m afraid I can’t put it more clearly, “ Alice replied very politely, “for I can’t understand it myself to begin with; and being so many different sizes in a day is very confusing.” (pg. 48-49 Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland.)
It’s good to remember in our Alice moments that it is not just our surroundings that have changed, but we are changing too. Our experiences get inside us and we begin to grow and adapt.
I’m enjoying watching Alice go through her Wonderland experience. Perhaps I will have more to share as she goes along.
Alice is in that wonderful phase of childhood where everything about her world makes sense. She loves to share what she knows and cannot fathom why there would be any confusion on matters of simple understanding. Then she ends up in this dream-like world where nothing makes sense, and that’s sensible to everyone around her.
In many ways, Alice is going through what adolescents go through when their world begins to change. Suddenly, the old rules do not work anymore, and things are not as simple as they once were. Things feel out of control and well, weird.
Teenagers are not the only ones who go through the Alice experience. Whenever our lives change, we may feel like we’re thrown into Wonderland where none of our previous experiences help us on our way to finding normalcy again.
Instead, we may feel like we’ve changed completely. Like when Alice met the Caterpillar on the mushroom:
“Who are you?” said the Caterpillar.
This was not an encouraging opening for a conversation. Alice replied, rather shyly, “I—I hardly know, sir, just at present—at least I know who I was when I got up this morning, but I think I must have been changed several times since then.”
“What do you mean by that?” said the Caterpillar sternly. “Explain yourself!”
"I can’t explain myself, I’m afraid, sir,” said Alice, “because I’m not myself, you see.”
“It isn’t,” said the Caterpillar.
“I’m afraid I can’t put it more clearly, “ Alice replied very politely, “for I can’t understand it myself to begin with; and being so many different sizes in a day is very confusing.” (pg. 48-49 Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland.)
It’s good to remember in our Alice moments that it is not just our surroundings that have changed, but we are changing too. Our experiences get inside us and we begin to grow and adapt.
I’m enjoying watching Alice go through her Wonderland experience. Perhaps I will have more to share as she goes along.
Sunday, May 17, 2009
Yard Work
Anyone who has done yard work has probably spent time thinking about how life is full of weeds. They spring up anywhere there is a bare spot and multiply quickly. Unlike the fragile grass that we try to grow, weeds are strong and resilient.
Our lives are full of weeds. Bad habits, patterns and thoughts. It’s easy to grow them and it’s hard to root them out. You have to get to the very bottom of the root to make sure it doesn’t grow back. It’s time consuming and takes great effort to get rid of the weeds.
One mistake we were making with our yard was to assume that getting the weed out was enough. Instead of grass growing there, another weed would quickly take its place because nothing good was put there to grow. Now we know to put some grass seed in wherever we root out a weed so something healthy will take its place.
It’s like that with our lives. We cannot simply stop bad patterns, but need to replace them with good. We need to work hard and fast at them, making sure they don’t multiply by going to seed.
Jesus says in Luke 11, 23"He who is not with me is against me, and he who does not gather with me, scatters.” We need to draw near to Jesus so he can take the place of the weeds in our lives.
In Luke 11, Jesus explains what happens when evil is gotten rid of and nothing takes its place.
24"When an evil[h] spirit comes out of a man, it goes through arid places seeking rest and does not find it. Then it says, 'I will return to the house I left.' 25When it arrives, it finds the house swept clean and put in order. 26Then it goes and takes seven other spirits more wicked than itself, and they go in and live there. And the final condition of that man is worse than the first."
Dear Jesus,
Let your truth be the good seed in the yard of my life. Help me to root out the weeds, but don’t leave empty holes to be filled with more weeds. Instead, fill my life with You. I love you. Amen
Our lives are full of weeds. Bad habits, patterns and thoughts. It’s easy to grow them and it’s hard to root them out. You have to get to the very bottom of the root to make sure it doesn’t grow back. It’s time consuming and takes great effort to get rid of the weeds.
One mistake we were making with our yard was to assume that getting the weed out was enough. Instead of grass growing there, another weed would quickly take its place because nothing good was put there to grow. Now we know to put some grass seed in wherever we root out a weed so something healthy will take its place.
It’s like that with our lives. We cannot simply stop bad patterns, but need to replace them with good. We need to work hard and fast at them, making sure they don’t multiply by going to seed.
Jesus says in Luke 11, 23"He who is not with me is against me, and he who does not gather with me, scatters.” We need to draw near to Jesus so he can take the place of the weeds in our lives.
In Luke 11, Jesus explains what happens when evil is gotten rid of and nothing takes its place.
24"When an evil[h] spirit comes out of a man, it goes through arid places seeking rest and does not find it. Then it says, 'I will return to the house I left.' 25When it arrives, it finds the house swept clean and put in order. 26Then it goes and takes seven other spirits more wicked than itself, and they go in and live there. And the final condition of that man is worse than the first."
Dear Jesus,
Let your truth be the good seed in the yard of my life. Help me to root out the weeds, but don’t leave empty holes to be filled with more weeds. Instead, fill my life with You. I love you. Amen
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)