Some people have a lot of irons in the fire. The assumption is that they'll eventually get burned, taking on something hot without paying attention. I'm not so sure about that.
There's a specialization that comes from experience. My mom is better at running a household than anyone I know. She cleans a clean house and makes jam before her shelves are empty. Her warm hospitality and preparations means anyone can drop by at any time... and eat well, too.
My brother knows just what to say at the right time. He has a gift for attuned attention, telling people what is true in the way that they want to hear. The secret to his success in real estate? "Find out what they really want, not what they say they want... and give it to them."
Our friend Ed is better at diagnosing cars and getting them back on the road than anyone we know. He's blessed students and employees at the university with great service and fair prices. He's a practical, built it and fix it kind of guy with a wide-ranging skill set.
What do they have in common? They have practiced their craft. They know how to do what they are doing. Over long years, they get better and quicker... the work gets easier based on possibilities honed by experience.
Whatever our latest interest, my husband and I have books beside the bed explaining others' experiences and advice. By the time we try a new venture, we have researched and watched people's shortcuts and ideas. W knows about bicycles, construction, houseboats, electronics, theology. I understand design and decor, crafts, food, writing, music, and connecting people.
With each new acquisition, the other projects are easier to start -- or harder. We know what's involved, and that it takes more rather than less time to accomplish a worthwhile goal. What a relief when we're at wit's end, looking for help, and someone else walks by and says, "I know just what to do."
Read more:
*He has told you, O man, what is good; and what does the LORD require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God? Micah 6:8 NIV
*Seek the LORD while he may be found; call on him while he is near. Let the wicked forsake his way and the evil man his thoughts. Let him turn to the LORD, and he will have mercy on him, and to our God, for he will freely pardon.
"For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways," declares the LORD. "As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.
As the rain and the snow come down from heaven, and do not return to it without watering the earth and making it bud and flourish, so that it yields seed for the sower and bread for the eater,
so is my word that goes out from my mouth: It will not return to me empty, but will accomplish what I desire and achieve the purpose for which I sent it. Isaiah 55:6-11 NIV
*(Jesus said,) Judge not, and you will not be judged; condemn not, and you will not be condemned; forgive, and you will be forgiven; give, and it will be given to you. Good measure, pressed down, shaken together, running over, will be put into your lap. For with the measure you use it will be measured back to you. Luke 6:37-38
Sunday, November 1, 2009
Saturday, October 10, 2009
Fit to serve
Hannah Whitall Smith was a practical mystic. She wrote about the mysterious transformation in a person's interior life that resulted in external changes. She claimed that love for God colored the perception of everything in life. Duty became a privilege, and drudgery turned to joyful service.
Hannah said there was no place for insecurity in God's work. He chose the right tool for the job: if he put us in place it was because we were a good fit for the task. He would give us the interest and the ability to accomplish his purposes. Our responsibility was to follow him with all our hearts and do the work at hand with all our might. As we heard his voice, he would move us into place.
The hardest work can be finding a fit. The lucky ones ease into a niche we love, like my husband who gathers information, sorts it, uses it, and passes it on. W teaches in all his fields of interest, from theology to technology to building. He loves to learn new skills. He revels in the classroom. But he has also crafted much of our home with his own hands and is building a cabin piece by piece. He reads the books, gathers the tools, processes the information into useful abilities, and shares his insights and resources with anyone who asks.
My brother is a musician. He played violin from age 5, but fell in love with band instruments in Grade 6. Anything he's done outside music seems like a chore and a bore. Hand him any instrument, a blank book of staff paper (or a computer composer program), a conductor's baton, and an upcoming concert, and he's energized. The arrangements in his head transfer into fabulous sounds as the orchestra or choir comes alive under his direction. The beauty of living in Europe and his interactions with people find expression in his music.
Life is uneven, and God made us as it pleased himself, tools for purposes he has chosen. Some have many gifts and interests. Others are narrowly focused. Billy Graham is often touted as a model of success because he did one and only one thing he was called to do. In contrast, some people touch many others in constant waves of activity, moving through many venues at different times and with multiple talents.
Whether we are good at one thing or many, some are instantly capable while others work laboriously toward competence. Watching someone "sail through life" with seeming ease while we are struggling for every breath may make us doubt ourselves. Watching others weigh every move when we are ready to spring into action can make us impatient or frustrated. Some people stay in a job for a lifetime. Others gets restless after a few years and need new challenges.
"Envy rots the bones," says a proverb. Another adviser counsels, "Be content with what you have." The quick pace of a person who moves from success to success may mask the creative struggle behind every win. The slow thoughtfulness of a perfectionist may blur the steady flow of accomplishments in everything they touch. Who can say which is better? We need all gifts and all voices to understand God moving through the world.
What are we good at? Where is God putting us to best use? Who needs our encouragement and applause, even though they are very different than we?
Read more:
*(Hannah Whitall Smith) "We are so utterly helpless that no matter how careful we were, our service would amount to nothing. What have we to do with thinking whether we are fit or not fit for service? The Master-workman surely has a right to use any tool He pleases for His own work, and it is plainly not the business of the tool to decide whether it is the right one to be used or not... If He chooses to use us, of course we must be fit... His strength is made perfect, not in our strength, but in our weakness. Our strength is only a hindrance."
*A student is not above his teacher, nor a servant above his master. It is enough for the student to be like his teacher, and the servant like his master. Matthew 10:24-25 NIV
*Who are you to pass judgment on another’s servant? Before his own master he stands or falls. And he will stand, for the Lord is able to make him stand.
One person regards one day holier than other days, and another regards them all alike. Each must be fully convinced in his own mind. The one who observes the day does it for the Lord. The one who eats, eats for the Lord because he gives thanks to God, and the one who abstains from eating abstains for the Lord, and he gives thanks to God. For none of us lives for himself and none dies for himself. If we live, we live for the Lord; if we die, we die for the Lord. Therefore, whether we live or die, we are the Lord’s. Romans 4:4-8 NET
Hannah said there was no place for insecurity in God's work. He chose the right tool for the job: if he put us in place it was because we were a good fit for the task. He would give us the interest and the ability to accomplish his purposes. Our responsibility was to follow him with all our hearts and do the work at hand with all our might. As we heard his voice, he would move us into place.
The hardest work can be finding a fit. The lucky ones ease into a niche we love, like my husband who gathers information, sorts it, uses it, and passes it on. W teaches in all his fields of interest, from theology to technology to building. He loves to learn new skills. He revels in the classroom. But he has also crafted much of our home with his own hands and is building a cabin piece by piece. He reads the books, gathers the tools, processes the information into useful abilities, and shares his insights and resources with anyone who asks.
My brother is a musician. He played violin from age 5, but fell in love with band instruments in Grade 6. Anything he's done outside music seems like a chore and a bore. Hand him any instrument, a blank book of staff paper (or a computer composer program), a conductor's baton, and an upcoming concert, and he's energized. The arrangements in his head transfer into fabulous sounds as the orchestra or choir comes alive under his direction. The beauty of living in Europe and his interactions with people find expression in his music.
Life is uneven, and God made us as it pleased himself, tools for purposes he has chosen. Some have many gifts and interests. Others are narrowly focused. Billy Graham is often touted as a model of success because he did one and only one thing he was called to do. In contrast, some people touch many others in constant waves of activity, moving through many venues at different times and with multiple talents.
Whether we are good at one thing or many, some are instantly capable while others work laboriously toward competence. Watching someone "sail through life" with seeming ease while we are struggling for every breath may make us doubt ourselves. Watching others weigh every move when we are ready to spring into action can make us impatient or frustrated. Some people stay in a job for a lifetime. Others gets restless after a few years and need new challenges.
"Envy rots the bones," says a proverb. Another adviser counsels, "Be content with what you have." The quick pace of a person who moves from success to success may mask the creative struggle behind every win. The slow thoughtfulness of a perfectionist may blur the steady flow of accomplishments in everything they touch. Who can say which is better? We need all gifts and all voices to understand God moving through the world.
What are we good at? Where is God putting us to best use? Who needs our encouragement and applause, even though they are very different than we?
Read more:
*(Hannah Whitall Smith) "We are so utterly helpless that no matter how careful we were, our service would amount to nothing. What have we to do with thinking whether we are fit or not fit for service? The Master-workman surely has a right to use any tool He pleases for His own work, and it is plainly not the business of the tool to decide whether it is the right one to be used or not... If He chooses to use us, of course we must be fit... His strength is made perfect, not in our strength, but in our weakness. Our strength is only a hindrance."
*A student is not above his teacher, nor a servant above his master. It is enough for the student to be like his teacher, and the servant like his master. Matthew 10:24-25 NIV
*Who are you to pass judgment on another’s servant? Before his own master he stands or falls. And he will stand, for the Lord is able to make him stand.
One person regards one day holier than other days, and another regards them all alike. Each must be fully convinced in his own mind. The one who observes the day does it for the Lord. The one who eats, eats for the Lord because he gives thanks to God, and the one who abstains from eating abstains for the Lord, and he gives thanks to God. For none of us lives for himself and none dies for himself. If we live, we live for the Lord; if we die, we die for the Lord. Therefore, whether we live or die, we are the Lord’s. Romans 4:4-8 NET
Tuesday, October 6, 2009
Letting go
Amputations are painful. The most curious and devastating effect is the "ghost limb" that continues to itch and irritate.
"That's the one!" my mentor had said, pointing to "Orchestra Pianist" on my checklist of possibilities. We were working through a ministry change, and Margaret insisted I drop activities to take on a leadership challenge.
My heart sank. The orchestra was a weekly family of 30-50 musicians. I had finally learned to sightread, dragged along the score by French horns, violins, and oboes. Now I was to give it up for a new direction.
It took two years of conscious effort to clap and sing with a congregation. I had played piano constantly as a teen and adult, so my fingers daydreamed runs and chords on my lap when we sat and tapped on the back of the pew ahead of me when we stood. My feet still conducted and pedaled the complexities that helped me keep the beat at the piano. But it was a phantom movement. No keyboard sat nearby and no metal feet braced mine for almost a decade.
Then another opportunity opened, and again I practiced (still disliked that as much as ever), played, and breathed music. I fell in love with the choir and looked forward to being part of their community.
Now, after two years, I'm reassigned. Pulling back. Putting aside this season of music to study and work. No more taping pages together because I'm a horrible page-turner. No Wednesday rehearsal and early Sunday run-through. No settling on the bench and letting my fingers decide the patterns for sounds streaming through my inner ear.
It is time to let go. To clap and sing. To tap and wait. To listen and write. To plan and create. To balance and rest.
Ah, but I dread the itch and the irritation of the amputated limb.
Read more:
So what do people get in this life for all their hard work and anxiety? Their days of labor are filled with pain and grief; even at night their minds cannot rest. It is all meaningless. Ecclesiastes 2:22–23 NLT
*And your ears shall hear a word behind you, saying, "This is the way, walk in it," when you turn to the right or when you turn to the left. Isaiah 30:21
*So we don't look at the troubles we can see now; rather, we fix our gaze on things that cannot be seen. For the things we see now will soon be gone, but the things we cannot see will last forever. 2 Corinthians 4:18 NLT
* Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things. Philippians 4:8 NIV
"That's the one!" my mentor had said, pointing to "Orchestra Pianist" on my checklist of possibilities. We were working through a ministry change, and Margaret insisted I drop activities to take on a leadership challenge.
My heart sank. The orchestra was a weekly family of 30-50 musicians. I had finally learned to sightread, dragged along the score by French horns, violins, and oboes. Now I was to give it up for a new direction.
It took two years of conscious effort to clap and sing with a congregation. I had played piano constantly as a teen and adult, so my fingers daydreamed runs and chords on my lap when we sat and tapped on the back of the pew ahead of me when we stood. My feet still conducted and pedaled the complexities that helped me keep the beat at the piano. But it was a phantom movement. No keyboard sat nearby and no metal feet braced mine for almost a decade.
Then another opportunity opened, and again I practiced (still disliked that as much as ever), played, and breathed music. I fell in love with the choir and looked forward to being part of their community.
Now, after two years, I'm reassigned. Pulling back. Putting aside this season of music to study and work. No more taping pages together because I'm a horrible page-turner. No Wednesday rehearsal and early Sunday run-through. No settling on the bench and letting my fingers decide the patterns for sounds streaming through my inner ear.
It is time to let go. To clap and sing. To tap and wait. To listen and write. To plan and create. To balance and rest.
Ah, but I dread the itch and the irritation of the amputated limb.
Read more:
So what do people get in this life for all their hard work and anxiety? Their days of labor are filled with pain and grief; even at night their minds cannot rest. It is all meaningless. Ecclesiastes 2:22–23 NLT
*And your ears shall hear a word behind you, saying, "This is the way, walk in it," when you turn to the right or when you turn to the left. Isaiah 30:21
*So we don't look at the troubles we can see now; rather, we fix our gaze on things that cannot be seen. For the things we see now will soon be gone, but the things we cannot see will last forever. 2 Corinthians 4:18 NLT
* Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things. Philippians 4:8 NIV
Sunday, October 4, 2009
Decluttering the terreplein
MW Word of the day terreplein: \TAIR-uh-playn\ noun
Meaning: the level space behind a parapet of a rampart where guns are mounted
"Share my yoke with me - it's bearable and we will pull it together," said Jesus.
We've all seen people staggering under stuff that had nothing to do with Jesus' yoke. Stressed, burdened down, stretched almost to breaking, we can't figure out why life is so hard. Where is the joyful abundance Jesus promises? The spiritual terreplein where our gifts and strengths reside is so cluttered with inessentials and obligations that we fear burnout. Sometimes we doubt that the Christian life is worth living. Stress and fatigue threaten to overtake God's offer of joy and peace.
"Does this belong to you?" I learned to ask when talking to people about their responsibilities. "Is this something people expect of you, or is this something God is asking of you?"
We all hope to serve well. But circumstances and seasons come and go: even things we did with great anticipation need to be reevaluated regularly. Ministers and "good" Christians seem to have the hardest time saying no or quitting when their time to serve ends.
For me, this season of life belongs to service at Northwest and study. I've gifted away craft supplies, cleared space for academics, and said no to many things. Yet I'm wearing down physically, spiritually, and emotionally. I'm crabby, stressed, and maxed out. Friendships, time for prayer and spiritual refreshment, and my academic writing have suffered. What's going on?
I recently read a wonderful article by Angela Craig about setting "the good" aside for "the best." Angela is a smart, funny, young minister who has many choices of service because of multiple gifts. She wrote about her intentionality for finding God's direction through the thrilling maze of possibilities.
Listening to God in prayer today, I heard the still small Voice giving me advice I have given others, "Evaluate each part of life. Is this what I am asking you to do? Are you willing to say 'no' or 'not now, sorry!' to everything else? (EVERYTHING else?!) Or are you stubbornly going to suffer by keeping a hand in everything you want to do?"
Sigh. What kind of answer can we give to such questions? God gives us fair warning in scripture that life belongs to him. He designates 24 hours to each person, with work, rest, and relationships in balance. When we're out of whack, it is our own doing.
"I wish I had 26 hours a day," someone said to me at the minister's retreat last week. EEEK. No thank you.
This week I'm in strict tandem training, learning what the easy yoke feels like. It feels so unfamiliar that it will take a while to rework my posture to accept it, but I'm game to try!
What do you need to shed in your life, maybe just for autumn, but maybe for good?
Read more:
*Comfort, comfort my people, says your God. Speak tenderly to Jerusalem, and proclaim to her that her hard service has been completed, that her sin has been paid for, that she has received from the LORD's hand double for all her sins.
*No temptation has overtaken you that is not common to man. God is faithful, and he will not let you be tempted beyond your ability, but with the temptation he will also provide the way of escape, that you may be able to endure it.
1 Corinthians 10:13 NLT
Meaning: the level space behind a parapet of a rampart where guns are mounted
"Share my yoke with me - it's bearable and we will pull it together," said Jesus.
We've all seen people staggering under stuff that had nothing to do with Jesus' yoke. Stressed, burdened down, stretched almost to breaking, we can't figure out why life is so hard. Where is the joyful abundance Jesus promises? The spiritual terreplein where our gifts and strengths reside is so cluttered with inessentials and obligations that we fear burnout. Sometimes we doubt that the Christian life is worth living. Stress and fatigue threaten to overtake God's offer of joy and peace.
"Does this belong to you?" I learned to ask when talking to people about their responsibilities. "Is this something people expect of you, or is this something God is asking of you?"
We all hope to serve well. But circumstances and seasons come and go: even things we did with great anticipation need to be reevaluated regularly. Ministers and "good" Christians seem to have the hardest time saying no or quitting when their time to serve ends.
For me, this season of life belongs to service at Northwest and study. I've gifted away craft supplies, cleared space for academics, and said no to many things. Yet I'm wearing down physically, spiritually, and emotionally. I'm crabby, stressed, and maxed out. Friendships, time for prayer and spiritual refreshment, and my academic writing have suffered. What's going on?
I recently read a wonderful article by Angela Craig about setting "the good" aside for "the best." Angela is a smart, funny, young minister who has many choices of service because of multiple gifts. She wrote about her intentionality for finding God's direction through the thrilling maze of possibilities.
Listening to God in prayer today, I heard the still small Voice giving me advice I have given others, "Evaluate each part of life. Is this what I am asking you to do? Are you willing to say 'no' or 'not now, sorry!' to everything else? (EVERYTHING else?!) Or are you stubbornly going to suffer by keeping a hand in everything you want to do?"
Sigh. What kind of answer can we give to such questions? God gives us fair warning in scripture that life belongs to him. He designates 24 hours to each person, with work, rest, and relationships in balance. When we're out of whack, it is our own doing.
"I wish I had 26 hours a day," someone said to me at the minister's retreat last week. EEEK. No thank you.
This week I'm in strict tandem training, learning what the easy yoke feels like. It feels so unfamiliar that it will take a while to rework my posture to accept it, but I'm game to try!
What do you need to shed in your life, maybe just for autumn, but maybe for good?
Read more:
*Comfort, comfort my people, says your God. Speak tenderly to Jerusalem, and proclaim to her that her hard service has been completed, that her sin has been paid for, that she has received from the LORD's hand double for all her sins.
A voice of one calling: "In the desert prepare the way for the LORD; make straight in the wilderness a highway for our God. Every valley shall be raised up, every mountain and hill made low; the rough ground shall become level, the rugged places a plain.
And the glory of the LORD will be revealed, and all mankind together will see it. For the mouth of the LORD has spoken. Isaiah 40:1-5 NIV*No temptation has overtaken you that is not common to man. God is faithful, and he will not let you be tempted beyond your ability, but with the temptation he will also provide the way of escape, that you may be able to endure it.
Friday, September 25, 2009
Serving with strength/s
Sometimes info is viral, and it comes from several sources at once. I can't remember the blog where I saw the book or who else mentioned it. I bought it for one cent (plus $3.99 shipping), and logged onto the Gallup website for the "Five Strengths" test.
"Do you have the old or new version?" they asked. I clicked on the old one, of course. For one penny, c'mon.
When the old version was written, Gallup based findings on two million interviews in pursuit of 34 patterns of innate strengths. These inherent talents were positive traits, worthy of development. Jobs matching these strengths with a person's interests should be satisfying and energizing.
Now Discover Your Strengths points out that most job training is designed to bolster employees' weaknesses. Are we bad at fundraising? Take a course. Weak at organization? Learn from a seminar. Unable to sustain healthy relationships? Go to a self-help workshop.
Instead, the book proposes that strengths ought to be the cornerstones on which we build life and work. Their survey pops out my five signature themes (their wording):
1. Ideation: Fascinated by concepts, delighted to discover underlying connections, turning ideas around for a fresh look. Don't mind if they seem profound or bizarre in process.
2. Activator: "When can we start?" Make a decision. Act. Look at the result. Learn. Not adverse to risk or experiment.
3. Strategic: Sort clutter to find the best route. "This can't be taught but [is a] distinctive way of thinking" (115). Perspective on the world at large. Choose a path by watching where it could lead. "Select. Strike."
4. Achiever: Constant drive fueled by internal fire, jolt that starts new tasks, set the pace and productivity for work group.
5. Command: Take charge, no discomfort in imposing views on others. Share opinions when they're formed, align others with you. "Not frightened by confrontation, but see it as first step to resolution." Challenge others to clear-eyed honesty. May even intimidate others. (Sigh)
I read these and the strengths I don't have. The book puts all in positive light. Train for maximum application and health of your "signature themes," the book advises. Spend less time trying to become someone you're not. Sounds a lot like my dad's advice!
Nothing on the list is a surprise, because the patterns are constant since childhood. What interests me (#1) is how many of the other strengths I wish I had... but know I don't. I have tried to foster them (#3), some with limited or little success. All that striving might be the achiever in me (#4). HA
Since the test cuts off at five strengths, there's no way of telling if I am also a connector, relator, maximizer, learner, or communicator. It's pretty clear that I'm not a deliberative (careful with praise, vigilant, private), harmony-producing (peacemaking), woo-er of people (people-pleaser). Oh dear. Oh well.
I'm happy I have something new to think about this morning (#1), before I turn toward my findings (#2) and decide what to do (#3). I wonder what goals this info will help me reach (#4) and where I can apply it (#5). Okay, okay.
One or two people who blogged about the book said the theory was a bunch of nonsense because "we don't think it applies to us." I think the ideas are fascinating (#1)...
"Do you have the old or new version?" they asked. I clicked on the old one, of course. For one penny, c'mon.
When the old version was written, Gallup based findings on two million interviews in pursuit of 34 patterns of innate strengths. These inherent talents were positive traits, worthy of development. Jobs matching these strengths with a person's interests should be satisfying and energizing.
Now Discover Your Strengths points out that most job training is designed to bolster employees' weaknesses. Are we bad at fundraising? Take a course. Weak at organization? Learn from a seminar. Unable to sustain healthy relationships? Go to a self-help workshop.
Instead, the book proposes that strengths ought to be the cornerstones on which we build life and work. Their survey pops out my five signature themes (their wording):
1. Ideation: Fascinated by concepts, delighted to discover underlying connections, turning ideas around for a fresh look. Don't mind if they seem profound or bizarre in process.
2. Activator: "When can we start?" Make a decision. Act. Look at the result. Learn. Not adverse to risk or experiment.
3. Strategic: Sort clutter to find the best route. "This can't be taught but [is a] distinctive way of thinking" (115). Perspective on the world at large. Choose a path by watching where it could lead. "Select. Strike."
4. Achiever: Constant drive fueled by internal fire, jolt that starts new tasks, set the pace and productivity for work group.
5. Command: Take charge, no discomfort in imposing views on others. Share opinions when they're formed, align others with you. "Not frightened by confrontation, but see it as first step to resolution." Challenge others to clear-eyed honesty. May even intimidate others. (Sigh)
I read these and the strengths I don't have. The book puts all in positive light. Train for maximum application and health of your "signature themes," the book advises. Spend less time trying to become someone you're not. Sounds a lot like my dad's advice!
Nothing on the list is a surprise, because the patterns are constant since childhood. What interests me (#1) is how many of the other strengths I wish I had... but know I don't. I have tried to foster them (#3), some with limited or little success. All that striving might be the achiever in me (#4). HA
Since the test cuts off at five strengths, there's no way of telling if I am also a connector, relator, maximizer, learner, or communicator. It's pretty clear that I'm not a deliberative (careful with praise, vigilant, private), harmony-producing (peacemaking), woo-er of people (people-pleaser). Oh dear. Oh well.
I'm happy I have something new to think about this morning (#1), before I turn toward my findings (#2) and decide what to do (#3). I wonder what goals this info will help me reach (#4) and where I can apply it (#5). Okay, okay.
One or two people who blogged about the book said the theory was a bunch of nonsense because "we don't think it applies to us." I think the ideas are fascinating (#1)...
Wednesday, September 23, 2009
The discipline of practice
I hate practicing. From the time my four-year-old feet first swung from the piano bench, I hated sitting still and figuring out sounds from notes someone else wrote. I didn't mind playing around with my own music. The piano stood in my room. My dolls were on top of the big old-fashioned piano cabinet, so I stood on the keys to reach them. I could make music anytime I wanted. And some days I wanted to play (or walk on the keys) a lot. I just didn't want to practice.
I've played for a lot of groups, choirs, and orchestras since my brother (7) and I (5) first played a Christmas duet on violin and piano. I accompanied a singer in church when I was 9, transposing by ear around the key right for his voice... The music was in Eb, a pretty safe shape for small hands. He went down in pitch with me following, and came up and around again... and ended up in B major (5 sharps).
Groan, the key of Bb or C was not a problem, but Erhard wanted B and only that one. "That's it. Perfect."
"Sure she can do it," said my dad. The guy was over for Sunday lunch, singing his solo in church that evening. We were kinda casual back then about rehearsals. I suppose if I hadn't showed up, he would have sung the song as written, handing over a hymn book to the regular pianist.
We went through the song a few times so he could get used to me and I could memorize where the one chord was that I had never played before. I reminded myself, "OK, when you get there, hit F#, Bb, C#, E." Must have been an F#7 chord. It was traumatic enough that I still remember the keys I learned.
"Try anything once," became my motto. "If it doesn't kill you, it was at least interesting." I've jumped off cliffs into deep Harrison Lake, swum across Cultus Lake just to see if I'd get tired (no, I'm a floater), and eaten unspeakable things which tasted pretty good. I can't remember regretting anything we've tried over the years.
It's the discipline of sticking with something, the hashing it through until it becomes a reflex, the tedium of repetition that puts my mind to sleep.
My studio is slowly evolving into my art room and study after being a crafter's haven, sewing room, storage room, and everything between. It's hard to imagine years of practice ahead to be a good painter. But I love the feeling of brush, water, paint, paper, imagination, and subject. Maybe this skill is worth the discipline.
I can always run downstairs and plunk out my frustrations on the piano as the paint dries. I've put my time in for that already.
I've played for a lot of groups, choirs, and orchestras since my brother (7) and I (5) first played a Christmas duet on violin and piano. I accompanied a singer in church when I was 9, transposing by ear around the key right for his voice... The music was in Eb, a pretty safe shape for small hands. He went down in pitch with me following, and came up and around again... and ended up in B major (5 sharps).
Groan, the key of Bb or C was not a problem, but Erhard wanted B and only that one. "That's it. Perfect."
"Sure she can do it," said my dad. The guy was over for Sunday lunch, singing his solo in church that evening. We were kinda casual back then about rehearsals. I suppose if I hadn't showed up, he would have sung the song as written, handing over a hymn book to the regular pianist.
We went through the song a few times so he could get used to me and I could memorize where the one chord was that I had never played before. I reminded myself, "OK, when you get there, hit F#, Bb, C#, E." Must have been an F#7 chord. It was traumatic enough that I still remember the keys I learned.
"Try anything once," became my motto. "If it doesn't kill you, it was at least interesting." I've jumped off cliffs into deep Harrison Lake, swum across Cultus Lake just to see if I'd get tired (no, I'm a floater), and eaten unspeakable things which tasted pretty good. I can't remember regretting anything we've tried over the years.
It's the discipline of sticking with something, the hashing it through until it becomes a reflex, the tedium of repetition that puts my mind to sleep.
My studio is slowly evolving into my art room and study after being a crafter's haven, sewing room, storage room, and everything between. It's hard to imagine years of practice ahead to be a good painter. But I love the feeling of brush, water, paint, paper, imagination, and subject. Maybe this skill is worth the discipline.
I can always run downstairs and plunk out my frustrations on the piano as the paint dries. I've put my time in for that already.
Giving
My husband and I have the gift of giving. By that I mean God flows "stuff" through our possession. It's odd sometimes. Unexpected. Fun. Even wild and crazy at times. The giving patterns began when we were young.
"How did you happen to have that in your basement?" asked a friend recently. Whatever oddball item it was, it was a good fit for someone else. We "happened" to have it on hand. Like my fur coat recycled into teddy bears, outward it went. (Yup, someone sewed "black rabbit" bears for a cancer ward last winter.)
After years of gathering and distributing, our eyes and hands are increasingly attuned to God at work. Sometimes we get stuck: instead of passing things through, we clutter our spaces. But often we recognize with great pleasure that something is not ours.
The balcony outside our workplace is a great place for watching soccer practice or games. It's a wonderful space to have lunch. Hardly anyone uses it though: there has been nowhere to sit. I received permission to bring some outdoor furniture from home to work - our benches stand outside all winter and they could be put to use. However, W and I hadn't driven to work with an empty van all week. He knew I was waiting to get the seating moved.
Yesterday someone gave us a new patio set with 6 huge redwood armchairs, a 60" round table, and an enormous rain/sun umbrella. "Where do you want it?" asked W. "It's in the car. Put it on the back deck? Or... shall we take it to work?"
Of course. Great idea, hon! I was astonished again at how God chose something better than we'd imagined. Our son helped set it up. One chair was still in the box. The day got away from us and W is off on business so assembly will wait a day or two (unless someone comes by with an Allen wrench.)
For flow persons like us, seeing a great fit "happen" is great fun, a confirmation of God's gift of giving. Giving is sometimes a messy process because developing maturity in any spiritual gift takes patient trial and error... between successes. We explore where generosity is welcome and where it is refused. Occasionally people think we are offering "charity" and get offended. As with any skill, we sometimes get it wrong.
What spiritual gifts might you have? How can they be God's provision within your relationships? Don't be afraid to try and fail... the Spirit teaches and uses us in community. Pluck up courage and step out in faith. After all, it's not about us, but about his work in the world and the Church.
Read more:
*Praise the LORD. Praise the LORD, O my soul. I will praise the LORD all my life; I will sing praise to my God as long as I live. Psalm 146:1-2 NIV
*We now have this light shining in our hearts, but we ourselves are like fragile clay jars containing this great treasure. This makes it clear that our great power is from God, not from ourselves... Through suffering, our bodies continue to share in the death of Jesus so that the life of Jesus may also be seen in our bodies." 2 Corinthians 4:7, 10 NET
*If you have any encouragement from being united with Christ, if any comfort from his love, if any fellowship with the Spirit, if any tenderness and compassion, then make my joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and purpose. Philippians 2:1-2 NIV
"How did you happen to have that in your basement?" asked a friend recently. Whatever oddball item it was, it was a good fit for someone else. We "happened" to have it on hand. Like my fur coat recycled into teddy bears, outward it went. (Yup, someone sewed "black rabbit" bears for a cancer ward last winter.)
After years of gathering and distributing, our eyes and hands are increasingly attuned to God at work. Sometimes we get stuck: instead of passing things through, we clutter our spaces. But often we recognize with great pleasure that something is not ours.
The balcony outside our workplace is a great place for watching soccer practice or games. It's a wonderful space to have lunch. Hardly anyone uses it though: there has been nowhere to sit. I received permission to bring some outdoor furniture from home to work - our benches stand outside all winter and they could be put to use. However, W and I hadn't driven to work with an empty van all week. He knew I was waiting to get the seating moved.
Yesterday someone gave us a new patio set with 6 huge redwood armchairs, a 60" round table, and an enormous rain/sun umbrella. "Where do you want it?" asked W. "It's in the car. Put it on the back deck? Or... shall we take it to work?"
Of course. Great idea, hon! I was astonished again at how God chose something better than we'd imagined. Our son helped set it up. One chair was still in the box. The day got away from us and W is off on business so assembly will wait a day or two (unless someone comes by with an Allen wrench.)
For flow persons like us, seeing a great fit "happen" is great fun, a confirmation of God's gift of giving. Giving is sometimes a messy process because developing maturity in any spiritual gift takes patient trial and error... between successes. We explore where generosity is welcome and where it is refused. Occasionally people think we are offering "charity" and get offended. As with any skill, we sometimes get it wrong.
What spiritual gifts might you have? How can they be God's provision within your relationships? Don't be afraid to try and fail... the Spirit teaches and uses us in community. Pluck up courage and step out in faith. After all, it's not about us, but about his work in the world and the Church.
Read more:
*Praise the LORD. Praise the LORD, O my soul. I will praise the LORD all my life; I will sing praise to my God as long as I live. Psalm 146:1-2 NIV
*We now have this light shining in our hearts, but we ourselves are like fragile clay jars containing this great treasure. This makes it clear that our great power is from God, not from ourselves... Through suffering, our bodies continue to share in the death of Jesus so that the life of Jesus may also be seen in our bodies." 2 Corinthians 4:7, 10 NET
*If you have any encouragement from being united with Christ, if any comfort from his love, if any fellowship with the Spirit, if any tenderness and compassion, then make my joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and purpose. Philippians 2:1-2 NIV
Monday, September 21, 2009
Book giveaway - first one who asks
If God Is Good, by Randy Alcorn
Every one of us will experience suffering. Many of us are experiencing it now. As we have seen in recent years, evil is real in our world, present and close to each one of us.
In such difficult times, suffering and evil beg questions about God--Why would an all-good and all-powerful God create a world full of evil and suffering? And then, how can there be a God if suffering and evil exist?
These are ancient questions, but also modern ones as well. Atheists such as Richard Dawkins, Christopher Hitchens, and even former believers like Bart Ehrman answer the question simply: The existence of suffering and evil proves there is no God.
In this captivating new book, best-selling author Randy Alcorn challenges the logic of disbelief, and brings a fresh, realistic, and thoroughly biblical insight to the issues these important questions raise.
Find the book at http://www.randomhouse.com/catalog/display.pperl?isbn=9781601421326
(sorry - copy and paste, then link insertion isn't working)
Every one of us will experience suffering. Many of us are experiencing it now. As we have seen in recent years, evil is real in our world, present and close to each one of us.
In such difficult times, suffering and evil beg questions about God--Why would an all-good and all-powerful God create a world full of evil and suffering? And then, how can there be a God if suffering and evil exist?
These are ancient questions, but also modern ones as well. Atheists such as Richard Dawkins, Christopher Hitchens, and even former believers like Bart Ehrman answer the question simply: The existence of suffering and evil proves there is no God.
In this captivating new book, best-selling author Randy Alcorn challenges the logic of disbelief, and brings a fresh, realistic, and thoroughly biblical insight to the issues these important questions raise.
Find the book at http://www.randomhouse.com/catalog/display.pperl?isbn=9781601421326
(sorry - copy and paste, then link insertion isn't working)
Sunday, September 20, 2009
Three gifts
Another successful event, this one not mine. 600 women of the area converged on Ocean Shores for a conference. I'm exhausted by being around so many people, but met many alumni and prospective students at our university table. Fellow alum Collen Idso did a great job connecting with college friends and collecting updates. We packed up and arrived home before 9pm, in time to unpack and settle into bed to think.
The theme of the conference was "Living with Intention." Each session had three speakers (the same three for all sessions), who spoke for 20 minutes from their POV on a single topic. Between, listeners at round tables answered focused questions about how authentically we are living and what our journey has taught us about God.
I brought home three gifts:
- a renewed sense of what is and isn't a good fit among my commitments
- memories of time with my sweet daughter-in-law Melissa.
- a word of encouragement to rest in Christ and his provision of time and energy, given by an alum who has prayed for me for years
How thankful I am for a morning given by God to reflect on what we heard and saw. A few hours to pray for our institution, alumni, and friends before the pace picks up at a working bbq this afternoon. I think about God's generosity as I unwrap my three presents.
Read more:
*Who gives intuition to the heart and instinct to the mind? Job 38:36 NLT
*For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, declares the LORD. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts. Isaiah 55:8-9 NLT
*And [Jesus] said to him, "You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the great and first commandment. And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself." Matthew 22:37-39
The theme of the conference was "Living with Intention." Each session had three speakers (the same three for all sessions), who spoke for 20 minutes from their POV on a single topic. Between, listeners at round tables answered focused questions about how authentically we are living and what our journey has taught us about God.
I brought home three gifts:
- a renewed sense of what is and isn't a good fit among my commitments
- memories of time with my sweet daughter-in-law Melissa.
- a word of encouragement to rest in Christ and his provision of time and energy, given by an alum who has prayed for me for years
How thankful I am for a morning given by God to reflect on what we heard and saw. A few hours to pray for our institution, alumni, and friends before the pace picks up at a working bbq this afternoon. I think about God's generosity as I unwrap my three presents.
Read more:
*Who gives intuition to the heart and instinct to the mind? Job 38:36 NLT
*For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, declares the LORD. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts. Isaiah 55:8-9 NLT
*And [Jesus] said to him, "You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the great and first commandment. And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself." Matthew 22:37-39
Sunday, September 13, 2009
Are you a writer?
"What is a writer? A writer writes."
I went to a writer's conference about eight years ago without a book, without articles, without anything to pitch. I had a ball. Because I arrived without pressure to sell myself, agents and authors sought me out, sat next to me at meals, and told me all kinds of things about themselves and the process of writing, exactly what I was there to learn.
I got a fascinating look into the world of writing, sales, and publishing. The professionals showed up to teach and find "the one" great writer of the future. Mostly they were in flight, avoiding flocks of people flogging bad manuscripts. Many would-be-authors insisted over and over, "God told me what to write. I can't change it," to avoid editing. The pros spotted them immediately and closed ranks against them.
A lot of folks apparently think they have the great Western romance novel or ground-breaking leadership manual in their head. She expects a cult following of devoted readers and he intends to transform culture with his great innovation... Except that you have to write well and pitch your ideas to an agent or publisher. After the book is published, they probably expect you to trot it out to sell it.
The pros said producing readable ideas means leaving behind everything that does not add to the story. If the novelette is your "baby," birthed over years of agonized reflection, your heart may break to hear that the creation is deformed or unacceptable. That it's already been done by someone else. It can be devastating to slash and burn through pages painstakingly written.
At the conference, those willing to refine and perfect their writing improved their craft and sold their work. I watched those holding their pages loosely: others came alongside with advice and help. "Keep those rejection letters," said one agent. "They are like gold: if an editor takes time for suggestions, the writing is good enough for revision." (Oops, I had read and tossed those letters as rejections, not recognizing the gift offered.)
I went home and did what writers do. I continued to write. Occasionally, I send off articles, blogs, ideas. Some go into print. Some come back, with or without editorial comments. Some disappear in slush piles. The conference taught me to invite criticism and value the influence of the printed word.
So, are you a writer? How about sharing a well-crafted paragraph or two?
I went to a writer's conference about eight years ago without a book, without articles, without anything to pitch. I had a ball. Because I arrived without pressure to sell myself, agents and authors sought me out, sat next to me at meals, and told me all kinds of things about themselves and the process of writing, exactly what I was there to learn.
I got a fascinating look into the world of writing, sales, and publishing. The professionals showed up to teach and find "the one" great writer of the future. Mostly they were in flight, avoiding flocks of people flogging bad manuscripts. Many would-be-authors insisted over and over, "God told me what to write. I can't change it," to avoid editing. The pros spotted them immediately and closed ranks against them.
A lot of folks apparently think they have the great Western romance novel or ground-breaking leadership manual in their head. She expects a cult following of devoted readers and he intends to transform culture with his great innovation... Except that you have to write well and pitch your ideas to an agent or publisher. After the book is published, they probably expect you to trot it out to sell it.
The pros said producing readable ideas means leaving behind everything that does not add to the story. If the novelette is your "baby," birthed over years of agonized reflection, your heart may break to hear that the creation is deformed or unacceptable. That it's already been done by someone else. It can be devastating to slash and burn through pages painstakingly written.
At the conference, those willing to refine and perfect their writing improved their craft and sold their work. I watched those holding their pages loosely: others came alongside with advice and help. "Keep those rejection letters," said one agent. "They are like gold: if an editor takes time for suggestions, the writing is good enough for revision." (Oops, I had read and tossed those letters as rejections, not recognizing the gift offered.)
I went home and did what writers do. I continued to write. Occasionally, I send off articles, blogs, ideas. Some go into print. Some come back, with or without editorial comments. Some disappear in slush piles. The conference taught me to invite criticism and value the influence of the printed word.
So, are you a writer? How about sharing a well-crafted paragraph or two?
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