Learning Along The Way

Perspectives

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I looked out the hotel window this morning to see this view. The mountains are magnificent. Yes down in the foreground are brown trees, railroad tracks, interstate 15 and a parking lot.

But just look at the mountains! Where I live we have mountains. But they’re not this tall nor covered in snow!

Seeing all the distractions in the foreground could definitely distract from the resplendent beauty; if you let it.

This picture is rather like life isn’t it? All the laundry, dishes, chores, work outside of the home, can easily distract us from the resplendent beauty of the relationships around us. We are wearied by all the doing and going. We miss the chance to sit with our friend, or child or spouse and simply BE together.

When I saw this vista these words came to mind:

I hope you will “look to the mountains and know where your help comes from”

I’m praying for you this week!

Sunday Celebrations: Honoring the Work of St. Patrick on This Day

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Ibind unto myself today
The strong Name of the Trinity,
By invocation of the same,
The Three in One and One in Three.

Top o’ the mornin’ to ya!

You may be of Irish decent and already know the true history of Patrick of Ireland.

Like many things at the hands of revisionist historians, the original work of Patrick has been assaulted by today’s cultural whims.

Who was this Patrick? Why does he have a day attributed to him?  Why all the green beer?  How do they relate?

The words above are attributed to the Breastplate Prayer of St. Patrick which later became and song which later became a hymn.

I am not going to tell you the history of Patrick of Ireland but if you’re curious, you can find it here.

I will tell you some of the things I have learned about him over the years.

He was kidnapped and sold into slavery in Ireland.

He loved Jesus and wanted others to know Him truly.

He spent his adult years learning the Scriptures and then took it to the people who had been his masters.

God used Patrick mightily to spread the Good News of Jesus Christ to all of Ireland.

How did we go from telling people of Jesus Christ to drinking copious amounts of green beer to “celebrate” St Patrick?

Ironically like most of cultural elements in America, this became an exploited holiday that was once only a religious remembrance.

The first St Patrick’s Day parade was On March 17, 1762; Irish soldiers serving in the English military marched through New York City.

Now annually, the St Patrick’s Day parade in NYC is the largest parade of its kind in the world.

If you are interested in learning more of the cultural progression from sharing Christ with the lost to drinking at the break of dawn check out this site.

The work and words of Patrick of Ireland are worth celebrating today, this Sunday in Lent.

He made personal sacrifices so that others could have food and shelter.

He demonstrated his love for Jesus through actions as well as words.

He helped those he served among.

That is a character worth copying.

Christ be with me, Christ within me,
Christ behind me, Christ before me,
Christ beside me, Christ to win me,
Christ to comfort and restore me.
Christ beneath me, Christ above me,
Christ in quiet, Christ in danger,
Christ in hearts of all that love me,
Christ in mouth of friend and stranger.

(photo credit M. Dahl)

Reflections on the Cost of Being Frugal

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This past week of Lent has been very challenging for me.  Not because the theme has been frugality.  But in thinking of all the ways my husband and I have battled the culture and its influences for over 20 years in this specific area has really caused me to see what some of the costs have been to live a frugal life style.

And the hard part is the battle of resentment toward others. For being misunderstood.  For not seeing the value in the long run and ridiculing us for our choices.  For whining at me to “aw come on just this once” in trying to get me to go against my DH and his leadership.

It is not easy to see my black heart.  In fact it sickens me.  Oh how I need saving from myself!

Yes, we have chosen again and again to be like salmon. Going upstream against the current of culture. Making quiet sacrifices for the benefit of our sons and those who are less fortunate than ourselves.  I am not talking about these sacrifices for any one of you who read this to think “Wow what a super Christian Lisa is!” or even for you to think I am tooting my own horn and then say “How dare she point out all that she has done!”  Nope.  I am simply counting the cost of a frugal life.

I have died daily.  I want nice, brand new clothes. From Nordstrom or Dillards or Bloomingdales.  I want to remodel the bathrooms and use expensive materials and not do the work myself.  Actually I want to buy a bigger house already done up to the nines with acreage so I can have horses.  I want a new car every three years with all the bells and whistles.  I want. I want. I want.

Blegh!

I retired early from teaching; 1993 was the last year I was full time employed in a school district.  At that time I laid down my identity as a teacher to take up the identity of a stay at home mom.  Going from two professional salaries to one caused some upheaval for me.  Ask my DH.  He’s a saint to have stayed committed to me and this marriage.

This one was just 4 and 1/2 years old when I left teaching.  His smiles and fun loving personality made being at home and helping in his classroom at school a joy!

During his next two years there was a baby to come who went on ahead to wait for us and then this one joined our family.

Two sons.  So blessed.

Lots of work, folding, cleaning, reading, singing, camping, changing, growing, praying, learning, repeat.

The sacrifices of stuff compared to the time I had with them was the cost of a frugal life.

 

As I was folding the socks today and praying for the feet of the one still at home, it hit me.

The cost of a frugal life has been spent on the character of these two men.  I was struck by the realization.

And then struck by my own pettiness in holding onto the hurts from being misunderstood for our choices.  The cost of a frugal life has been real.  It has been external.  It has been temporal.

The money, career, prestige, and stuff will burn.  Who these men are toward God, His people and each other is eternal.

All I can do is say Thank You Lord for using what was hard for me to do without to in turn benefit others in ways I may never know.

Blessings of Simplicity

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I just want to sigh.

This streamlined, simplified closet with the entire wardrobe color integrated and interchangeable, does my heart good.  Thanks to Staci Gerardi of November Sunflower for this peaceful image!

To me this image epitomizes simplicity.  And frugality.  Less is More.

The 3rd week of this Lenten season has focused on Simplicity: Less Stuff/More Freedom

This week I have been silent here.  Not because I haven’t had anything to write about.  I have been dealing with myself before God.

I hang on.  I struggle with letting go.  Stuff holds memories.  What happens to the memories if I let go of the stuff?

Having Stuff also represents other false selves: wealth, status, security.  Stuff can serve to insulate us from our inner life which might be too painful to deal with. Stuff can distract from relationships.

Stuff owns us; not the other way around.

SO this week I went through each cupboard, closet, drawer, shelf and bin removing stuff that no longer serves a purpose in my life.  Some landed in the trash, some went specifically to other people whom I thought might be blessed by an item, and most went to Mission Thrift, a local store I like to support.

There is so much more to do.  But I began the physical process.

Now about the spiritual process.  I faced fears I didn’t realize I had: what if I need that? What if we can’t financially replace that?  What if one of the kids wanted that? (least likely issue by the way!) What if by not having that item I forget? (I’m forgetting a lot more these days anyway…both wisdom and forgetfulness arrived with gray hair!)

I hear the Lord speaking to me in His Word: “Be anxious for nothing but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.  And the peace of God that passes all comprehension will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.” (Phil. 4: 6-7)  And over a few more pages: “Rejoice always; pray without ceasing; in everything give thanks, for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.” (1 Thess. 5:16-18)

So I give away the fears, the stuff and give thanks to the One who originally provided the means to receive the stuff in the first place and Who knows my every real need and will provide for me all the Way until I see Him face to face.

Less Stuff/More Freedom

Amen and Amen

 

 

 

Sunday Celebrations: Wonderful Wedding!

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This weekend my husband and I drove 6 hours south to attend a young friend’s wedding.  This was the backdrop for their ceremony.  Outdoors, among God’s wonderful handiwork of oaks, sage and grasses.

He was the center of the wedding.  I pray He remains center of their marriage.

Marriage is God’s thing, our Pastor Tim says at each wedding I have heard him officiate.  This was not one of his ceremonies.  The pastor who was there invited each person to recognize this wedding, this marriage, was not just about two people; it was (and is) about the community of life in Christ.

A wedding is a celebration of the beginning of a marriage.  We all have a responsibility to the newly wed couple.

To celebrate with them on their wedding day.  And so much more.

To pray for them.

To intentionally invest in their developing relationship when things get tough by pointing them to Christ and back to each other.

To laugh with them, cry with them as the years go by.

To help them find answers to big questions.

To pray for them (yes I mentioned that before but we can’t ever pray too much!)

To eat cake with them on their wedding day (isn’t it beautiful?)  (The cake topper was designed by my friend Lisa Leonard.  You can find it and more lovelies on her site.)

To toast them.

To love them as Christ loves us and help them love each other in the same manner.

Weddings are joyful beginnings.

Marriages are meant to be joyful marathons.

Stronger daily.  Trusting more.  Yielding more.

Weddings remind those of us who are married why we said yes to our spouse in the first place!

And why we’d say yes again.

We’re reminded to pray for each other more.

Seek wise counsel when we are trying to answer life’s big questions.

Rely on one another more.

Support one another more.

Have fun together…more!

I love weddings.  They are so hope-full!

Been to a wedding lately?

 

How Noisy is Your Life?

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Today was an opportunity to deepen community and connect with a group of women in a different setting; my home.  This group meets weekly at our church down in the “dungeon” of the church’s basement where the “Student Ministries” meet.  Rather bleak visually.  But the upside of that is there is not a lot to distract me from the women: two rectangle tables and the chairs we need for our group.  Not much on the walls to look at, not much clutter in the room itself.  So the point of our gathering is to discuss what we’ve studied in the past week.

Today’s gathering was a bit more open and social.  It was nice to hear from the women about interests and experiences.  At one point one of them asked a question for each of us: “What do you collect?”

Now this was a great question to learn about each other.  What do we find value in?  What is cute?

So here’s one of mine…

How does this relate to this week of Lent for me?

I have been pondering what keeps me from experiencing solitude.  This morning my little book asked me to consider this question: “What is the greatest source of “noise” in your life?”  I realized between the topic of what do I collect and what is the greatest source of noise (think distraction) the answer came in the prayer in Mornings with Tozer

“Dear Lord, Help me make the transition from wanting more and more “things” to being satisfied–and overjoyed–with only Your presence in my life.”

My stuff is the greatest source of “noise”.  Cleaning, organizing, maintaining, decluttering, yada, yada, yada.

The things of my life distract me from enjoying just being.  Just peacefully being with God.

My life is too noisy.  It’s time to do some purging!

 

Sunday Celebrations (part 1)

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During the season of Lent, Sundays are not counted as part of the 40 days.  Sundays are celebrations of the Resurrection, of new life.  Since I am committed to write (and post) daily during this season, I am going to share a story today and next Sunday that some of you may not know.

Someone asked why I had chosen Learning Along the Way as my business name; it’s certainly a mouthful!  The reason is not a short answer, unless I just say ‘it’s meaningful to me’ which isn’t much of an answer.  I decided the answer to why “Learning Along The Way” would best come as the name itself, in a story learned along the way.

Like a narrow creek through the woods joining into a river, this story has a beginning, takes some turns, meanders a bit, disappears for awhile and pops up again just before pouring into its purpose of joining the river.  I hope like a leaf on the surface you are carried along, enjoying the journey.

Sixteen years ago our family attended Mount Hermon’s Family Camp for the first time.  The keynote speaker was musician and author, John Fischer.  One of the days John shared his testimony and that included knowing Paul Stookey, of Peter, Paul and Mary fame.  This was exciting to me for two reasons:

I started playing the guitar in 1969 because of music like Peter, Paul and Mary;  and during my college years I had been asked on many occasions to play guitar and sing in the weddings of friends and the song requested again and again? The Wedding Song by Paul Stookey.   I asked John if he still had contact with Paul and he did.  I told him my excitement about his connection and he kindly gave me Paul’s email address. When we got home from the wonderful week of Family Camp I wrote an email to Paul Stookey, thanking him for his faith and writing such a great, worshipful song.

That was the extent of it. Me being me.  An encourager. No expectations.

What happened a week later surprised me and profoundly impacted my life.

He wrote me back.

Personally.  Specifically encouraging me.  And he signed his email

Yours in the Mystery,  Paul

What stood out to me in his closing was the concept of Mystery regarding knowing and following Christ.  As a mom at home with a toddler and a school age son, I had the daily gift of naptime for my quiet time each afternoon.  God used the afternoons in the fall of 1997 to open my ears to hear His voice personally through His Word in ways I had not experienced before.  I studied and grew in my faith and knowledge of God more that year than any other to that point.

During those afternoons as the shadows lengthened, the air crisp with changing season,  I asked the Lord if I might have a closing signature for my email; one that would point to Him without screaming I AM A CHRISTIAN and potentially closing off conversations with some who needed wooing and subtlety.  So I prayed and let it sit.  Not long after asking I was reading in Acts about ‘the Way’ and it occurred to me what my email signature could be.

Yours along the Way,  Lisa

So that was it.  My email signature with a meaning greater than ‘sincerely’.  And the first part of my story of the origin of my business name, Learning Along the Way. This story is like a journey from creek to river.  I will pick up next Sunday but ten years into the future from this point in the story.

Life is a journey.  Each one is somewhere along the way.  Join me here and we can journey together, learning along the Way.

Learning in Lent

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This is the cover of the book I am reading during this season of Lent.  I bought it because I love the title.  I love the concept.  I loved it so much I ordered multiple copies with specific “Formation Friends” in mind; women who I know to be on the path desiring a closer, deeper walk with Jesus.

It’s short.  It’s simple.  But it’s deep and piercing.

On Day 4 of Lent and the first Saturday in Lent a pattern is established: reflect on what I have learned and experienced in the previous week.  One of today’s questions: ‘How has your connection with yourself, with others, deepened because of your intentional work with this discipline?’

Hmmm. This isn’t an easy answer.  I sit quietly considering my response.  Then it bubbles up: this book deepened my connection with others.  I have heard from several of the women to whom I gave a copy, that this little book is the answer to their prayer asking God for what they should do this Lent.

Now that is humbling.  To have prayed for the names of who to give the book to, ‘who Lord would be blessed to receive this?’ And then to have them say, this is an answer to their prayers!  That’s humbling.

But also confirming.  Having them tell me the book was an answer to their prayer means that I actually listened to the Holy Spirit and obeyed. Now that’s encouraging.

This first few days of Lent the discipline of Confession, of less guilt and more grace, has been the focus.

My internal repeated lie of not doing enough is being replaced. With Truth.  Be still and know that I AM God.

Less is More.

By the way, Renovare just made this book available digitally here.  So if you want your own copy but you think it’s too late, it’s not!

Why Lent?

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I have a confession: I am undisciplined.

I look at DIY blogs and Pinterest, and Facebook and tell myself not so nice things about how I take care of our home, or time, or…

I have no shortage of ideas of what to do or how to do them!

What I lack is discipline. Follow through. Commitment. Perseverance.

Truth be told, some of those words make me cringe, like a bright light being shone into dark places, revealing what was hidden.

Why Lent?

For this very purpose: confessing what is out of whack and doing something about it.

For nearly two millennia Christ followers have been emulating what Christ must have gone through in the 40 days in the wilderness during the period of time prior to the celebration of the Resurrection.

The remembrance of that time period begins today.

You may not have grown up in a faith practice where the season of Lent was even considered.  You can learn more about the history and faith practices around Lent here.

But I will tell you this, slowing down, considering honestly who you are and where you are compared to who and where you’d like to be in your personal growth and spiritual formation is always valuable.

Doing something about what you see is even more valuable.

So for the season of Lent this year, I am going to be journeying publicly, here, daily writing.  Yep. Daily. Writing. Here.

Working on the discipline I lack and sharing the process.  Being in the work not just in my head.  Sharing my process as I learn along the Way.  My hope is that you benefit from my journey; that you are encouraged in your own spiritual formation practices and that you’d share some of what you’re growing through with me.

Follow Me…

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