I've Been Tagged!

This one is fun!

Here is how it works:
1) Grab the book closest to you
2) Open to page 123, go down to the fourth sentence
3) Post the text of the following three sentences
4) Name the author and book title
5) Tag three people to do the same


"I find that when I travel, I can easily and enthusiastically practice four offices per day: morning, noon, evening, and nighttime. However, when I'm home, it's a lot more difficult to separate myself from Julie and our three young children to go off and pray. Julie and I have experimented some with involving our kids, and I imagine this will be easier as they get older."

The Sacred Way by Tony Jones

The chapter from which these sentences are taken deals with the discipline/practice of The Daily Office. For those unfamiliar with this practice, it involves setting aside a period of time several times throughout the day to read selected readings of scripture and to pray. It is a part of what is sometimes referred to as "keeping or praying the hours."

I have been doing this for a few months now with the help of The Divine Hours by Phyllis Tickle. I highly recommend it!

And finally, I tag Angie B., Mary Lou, and Dusty R.

Renewal

At the behest (isn't that a great word?!) of my friends Angie and Dusty, I am returning to blogging. The two of them shamed me into it during our Growing Deeper Spirituality retreat in Nashville last week. Thanks, my friends, for your encouragement!

One of the reasons I stopped blogging regularly was because I get so caught up in reading other people's blogs and am so impressed by their thoughts that my own thoughts seem small and insignificant.

Lots of things have happened in our family since I last blogged, but one of the happiest is that we are now awaiting the birth of our fourth grandchild in early May. Our son and daughter-in-law are expecting their first child, and it's a boy. They live a mile or less away from us, so it will be a new experience to have a grandchild that close. What fun!

This week I have been "confined" at home due to the fact that my car is in the shop for repair and "renewing." I have a 1999 Expedition that has been one of the best vehicles we have ever owned in terms of reliability. We have had to do very little with it other than the routine maintenance outlined in the owner's manual. We have a great mechanic that works on our vehicles when necessary, and we trust him explicitly to tell us what needs to be done. Thus, when I took the car in on Monday, I told him to look it over well and fix anything that needed attention. We are coming up on 100,000 miles after all! Yes, I run the roads frequently!

Later in the day on Monday, he called with news of what needed to be done. Let's see, the wheel bearings needed to be repacked because they were almost dry; we needed to have the transmission system flushed; the cooling system flushed; plugs replaced; and new shock absorbers. Whew! It seems like a lot, but considering how little we have had done to the vehicle since we bought it, it's not a surprise.

All of that got me to thinking about what would need repairing if I took myself in for a spiritual check-up. Hmmm... don't think too long about that! Seriously, I really have come to acknowledge that for years (and years) and I have done little more than "routine maintenance" on my spiritual life. Being involved in the "Growing Deeper" program has forced me to see areas of my life that need attention and repair/renewal.

Dry wheel bearings: I haven't maintained my spiritual bearings for the last few years. Getting back into the Word and spending time with God has added the lubricant of his constant, unconditional love.

Transmission system flush: Just what was keeping me going smoothly? There was a lot of sludge in my heart and mind that needed to be flushed out so that I could "change gears" in a more forgiving, loving manner.

Cooling system flush: Ah yes, the cooling system. It needed a good cleaning as well. Sometimes I allowed myself to get way too "hot" about something, bordering on the boiling point. Other times I was so "cold" about things that I refused to involve myself at all. My system needed flushing so that I can have a balance to keep things on as much of an even "temperature" as possible.

Plugs replaced: What was I plugging into all the time? Unfortunately, I was plugged in far too deeply to the things of this world. My plugs were shot because they were connected to the so called power of this world. My plugs have been replaced and are securely connected to the Lord and His power.

New shock absorbers: Without good shock absorbers, you have a pretty rough ride with sometimes unexpected jolts. That's been true of my life for a while now. Even with good shock absorbers you get an occasional jolt. The difference is that you have something to soften it. I needed new shock absorbers. I needed to be riding on the Word of God. His Word and His constance presence in my life are the only things that can soften the jolts of this life and remind me that He will hold me securely no matter how rough the road gets.

My knowledge of vehicle mechanics is quite limited, so some of my comparisons may be lacking; however, the beginning of each new year gives all of us a chance to renew some things. I've found I needed to renew lots in my spiritual life. God is helping me.

What about you? Have you been in for a spiritual check-up lately? Don't be afraid. God can renew/repair whatever needs attention. Trust Him.

I'll do my best to post at least once a week from now on. The next post will be much, much shorter, I'm sure!

And for my friend, Dusty. I would love to get my 4 year old granddaughter together with your 3 year old daughter. They are both beautiful! Here's a picture of my granddaughter.