Habits... sometimes I wonder if it's the Achilles heel of many of us. I unfortunately am not one of those personality types that is all that good at habits. This fall with more flex time I had hoped to get some more habits into my schedule, yet... November and still not there as I would like them to be.
Helping a friend with youth group this week the theme was creating habits. Many of the youth had asked questions about how to read their bible or where to start and other things that really have no specific answer so his response was pick something and create a habit with it. It doesn't matter so much what you do, but that you do it and regularly.
For a while about a year ago I blogged almost once daily. It was a great habit. I felt closer to God and I was learning alot. Lately I have been struggling to blog once a week - mostly because of internet access, but excuses excuses. The busier I am I find the better I have habits - they tend to to along with the schedule.
An acronym he found to help the kids went like this:
H - hang time with God
A - accountability with another
B- Bible reading
I - involvement in church
T- tithing
S- Study scripture
All good places to start. But like anything I think it is better to start with a little bit, a combo that fits you and try to commit to it. I love devotional books that combine looking up the passage in your own bible and then comment on it. Works well for me. Praying with meals is another habit that is great to have. So many good things it's easy to get overwhelmed and like a popular song out right now religion can become "a stone tied to my feet".
Obedience is important to God. Too often we make God what WE want God to be... it's easier. How do we get to know God? Read the bible. Daily. It's hard. But we sit and watch TV or movies for at least an hour a day, can't we give God a few minutes?
One thing I learned while reading Eat, Pray, Love is that you don't always love a habit when you try to start it, but after a while it can really become wonderful. The author didn't like the mandatory early morning group meditation and got nothing from it. But towards the end of her stay in the Indian monastery after taking to another she slowly grew to love the meditation and it became an important habit in her life.
I'm not saying we should all meditate (though I think we could all benifit) but some habits we don't pick up because we like them right away, but because they are good for us. Later with an open mind we may discover something we never saw in them.
What are your habits? What helps you keep them?
For me - an accountability partner is vital.
Wishing you the best in your struggles and your blessings.
Your sister in Christ~Erin
Showing posts with label confession. Show all posts
Showing posts with label confession. Show all posts
Friday, November 12, 2010
Friday, September 17, 2010
Lists
Confession: I love lists.
I have been teased many times, but I like to make lists. I make to do lists, wish lists, grocery lists... project lists... lists of books i want to read, people i want to learn about, places i want to go. It's my way of being organized. (not something some of my friends would describe me as)
Sometimes I put the simplest tasks on the list and sometimes very complicated ones. It's the little things that make up so much of time though. It's the little things that we remember and that give us joy.
The latest time consuming wonderful joy in my life has been cooking. I get to cook for my grandparents daily and I'm always trying to use fresh fruits or vegetable and Grandma and I have been trying new recipes. Last night we made sweet potato fries and they were AMAZING!
A really simple recipe, a common task that happens daily, but something I'll treasure for a long time.
This fall I have been living the phrase "take time to stop and smell the roses". And I am forever grateful for this time.
Hoping you find your rest,
In peace - Erin
I have been teased many times, but I like to make lists. I make to do lists, wish lists, grocery lists... project lists... lists of books i want to read, people i want to learn about, places i want to go. It's my way of being organized. (not something some of my friends would describe me as)
Sometimes I put the simplest tasks on the list and sometimes very complicated ones. It's the little things that make up so much of time though. It's the little things that we remember and that give us joy.
The latest time consuming wonderful joy in my life has been cooking. I get to cook for my grandparents daily and I'm always trying to use fresh fruits or vegetable and Grandma and I have been trying new recipes. Last night we made sweet potato fries and they were AMAZING!
A really simple recipe, a common task that happens daily, but something I'll treasure for a long time.
This fall I have been living the phrase "take time to stop and smell the roses". And I am forever grateful for this time.
Hoping you find your rest,
In peace - Erin
Monday, September 13, 2010
God is not a vending Machine
A very wise friend of mine told me one night -
"Erin, I have realized many things people try to make God into that he's not. For example, God is not a vending machine. People put in their good deeds and their righteous lives and expect blessings to follow in exactly their way. But it doesn't work that way. God is not a vending machine." (paraphrased.... )
Very sound theological advice actually. In my devo for the day I was reading from Psalm 79. The past few days have been from Jeremiah. Sigh... Jeremiah. My favorite prophet. Gosh I can't imagine being him. Trying to tell the hebrew people that they weren't doing what they should and that they would fail.
I love watching the kids I have taught go through teambuilding games. One of my favorite things for them to realize is that they don't like to be told what to do, so maybe... just maybe... they shouldn't tell others what to do. I can't imagine what Jeremiah ran up against. I'm sure the Hebrew people didn't appreciate him telling them what to do, or worse, that they would fail.
Then he lived through the Babylonian exile. Being a prophet is hard enough, but to predict bad things and then see them happen? I understand the words of the psalmist, how long will you let us suffer? I feel like our society is fairly used to suffering. We hear often of single parents struggling, unemployment, homelessness... but we also hear stories of people overcoming. We life those stories up and say look - you can do it!
But it's not that simple. (sorry... ) Every time we lift up someone who has made it, despite difficult times and situations; those of us who do have enough, who are food secure, who even have extra (like multiple cars and multiple TV's, and stocks, and... the list goes on) say to ourselves - "self, I don't have to give of my excess because I worked for it. That person made it, so can others". Sigh... that's not what its about.
We want God to give all of us our happily ever afters. Yes, we expect struggle and difficult times - for what would any story be like without that. We all have something we're up against. - I love that quote from The Freedom Writers. But like any good movie, we expect somehow for things to resolve and work their way out. If we pray enough. If we have enough faith. If we are generous and loving.
That's not what God is about. God is about love. Forgiving us for our sin and saving us. That doesn't mean our lives will end like a disney movie. It's not a simple introduction - building tension - climax - resolution story we all want so bad. Sometimes we just have to accept the cards we have been dealt and make the best lemonade with them.
My favorite prayer (Francis of Assisi)
"Lord, give me the serenity to accept the things I can not change,
the courage to change the things I can,
and the wisdom to know the difference."
Yes, I hope for my happily ever after. Find love, serve the world, make a difference, raise some loving kids. But I try to keep in mind that my God is not a vending machine and accept all the burdens he blesses me with as well as the treasures.
In peace,
your sister in Christ~Erin
"Erin, I have realized many things people try to make God into that he's not. For example, God is not a vending machine. People put in their good deeds and their righteous lives and expect blessings to follow in exactly their way. But it doesn't work that way. God is not a vending machine." (paraphrased.... )
Very sound theological advice actually. In my devo for the day I was reading from Psalm 79. The past few days have been from Jeremiah. Sigh... Jeremiah. My favorite prophet. Gosh I can't imagine being him. Trying to tell the hebrew people that they weren't doing what they should and that they would fail.
I love watching the kids I have taught go through teambuilding games. One of my favorite things for them to realize is that they don't like to be told what to do, so maybe... just maybe... they shouldn't tell others what to do. I can't imagine what Jeremiah ran up against. I'm sure the Hebrew people didn't appreciate him telling them what to do, or worse, that they would fail.
Then he lived through the Babylonian exile. Being a prophet is hard enough, but to predict bad things and then see them happen? I understand the words of the psalmist, how long will you let us suffer? I feel like our society is fairly used to suffering. We hear often of single parents struggling, unemployment, homelessness... but we also hear stories of people overcoming. We life those stories up and say look - you can do it!
But it's not that simple. (sorry... ) Every time we lift up someone who has made it, despite difficult times and situations; those of us who do have enough, who are food secure, who even have extra (like multiple cars and multiple TV's, and stocks, and... the list goes on) say to ourselves - "self, I don't have to give of my excess because I worked for it. That person made it, so can others". Sigh... that's not what its about.
We want God to give all of us our happily ever afters. Yes, we expect struggle and difficult times - for what would any story be like without that. We all have something we're up against. - I love that quote from The Freedom Writers. But like any good movie, we expect somehow for things to resolve and work their way out. If we pray enough. If we have enough faith. If we are generous and loving.
That's not what God is about. God is about love. Forgiving us for our sin and saving us. That doesn't mean our lives will end like a disney movie. It's not a simple introduction - building tension - climax - resolution story we all want so bad. Sometimes we just have to accept the cards we have been dealt and make the best lemonade with them.
My favorite prayer (Francis of Assisi)
"Lord, give me the serenity to accept the things I can not change,
the courage to change the things I can,
and the wisdom to know the difference."
Yes, I hope for my happily ever after. Find love, serve the world, make a difference, raise some loving kids. But I try to keep in mind that my God is not a vending machine and accept all the burdens he blesses me with as well as the treasures.
In peace,
your sister in Christ~Erin
Sunday, March 14, 2010
Confession
I am a manipulative liar. I am selfish. I don't love people as I should. I am holding on to a grudge I refuse to forgive.
Yikes. That didn't make me feel better. =( Okay, maybe a little?
I feel this constant pressure to be "good". To be responsible, have my life together, be there for others, and fulfill my promises. Many people I know have described me as those things over and over before and it's hard to always live up to that.
Sometimes I fail. I am very forgetful. But I don't want to come out and admit that I messed up - mostly because I know I will let people down. So I lie. Little white lies, but painful for me. I feel like Paul when he says "Why do I do the things I hate?!?!?"
Romans 7 :15-20
15I do not understand what I do. For what I want to do I do not do, but what I hate I do. 16And if I do what I do not want to do, I agree that the law is good. 17As it is, it is no longer I myself who do it, but it is sin living in me. 18I know that nothing good lives in me, that is, in my sinful nature.[c] For I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out.19For what I do is not the good I want to do; no, the evil I do not want to do—this I keep on doing. 20Now if I do what I do not want to do, it is no longer I who do it, but it is sin living in me that does it.
Yikes. That didn't make me feel better. =( Okay, maybe a little?
I feel this constant pressure to be "good". To be responsible, have my life together, be there for others, and fulfill my promises. Many people I know have described me as those things over and over before and it's hard to always live up to that.
Sometimes I fail. I am very forgetful. But I don't want to come out and admit that I messed up - mostly because I know I will let people down. So I lie. Little white lies, but painful for me. I feel like Paul when he says "Why do I do the things I hate?!?!?"
Romans 7 :15-20
15I do not understand what I do. For what I want to do I do not do, but what I hate I do. 16And if I do what I do not want to do, I agree that the law is good. 17As it is, it is no longer I myself who do it, but it is sin living in me. 18I know that nothing good lives in me, that is, in my sinful nature.[c] For I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out.19For what I do is not the good I want to do; no, the evil I do not want to do—this I keep on doing. 20Now if I do what I do not want to do, it is no longer I who do it, but it is sin living in me that does it.
Actually reminds me a lot of some of my babblings... thanks Paul. =)
I confess I have sinned. Against God and those I love. Over and over again I choose to sin. I choose to not love as I should. I choose to lie when I get in a tight spot. I choose to run away or put off instead of face my problems and fears. I have not been a good disciple. And as a part of the church, we together have not loved but excluded, judged, and at times even killed in the name of God. For this I ask for mercy and forgiveness not only from God, but from the non-Christians of the world. We, the church, have hurt people and to ask their forgiveness for our sins would definitely open some doors.
Inspired by a story found in Chapter 11 of "Blue like Jazz" - Thanks Donald Miller!
In peace with love,
your sister in Christ~Erin
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