Twist of Faith

This weekend marks the eight month countdown to turning 40.  So, the bucket list continues.  I’ve thought a lot about what I want to do/accomplish/see/etc. before this great and terrible day.  Some ideas sound more like New Year’s resolutions than life goals.  It gets me wondering about life goals, life plans, and bigger picture thinking when it comes to one’s life.   Not in a cliché way of thinking, but in some real thought provoking ways of disciplining life around big ideas like spirituality, health, emotional and intellectual growth, parenthood, creativity, and vocation. I did some journal writing a few weeks ago to continue the process, that is to say, to help me get some things down on paper that have been swimming around my mind for a while.

I wonder what will happen.  I wonder about getting from idea to task, since I’m heavy-handed on the idea side of things.  Any help is welcome and appreciated. 

How do you move from idea to work to fruition?

With a heavy heart, I went to visit a saint from our church late this afternoon when I heard she had had a stroke and was in the hospital.  She's a person who worked tirelessly in our clothes closet giving a bit of dignity (and style) to our local community.  Visiting in her nursing home is always an uplifting experience. Today was no different.  I was told her son had left just minutes before I arrived and he must have selected the channel she was watching/listening to. As I sat beside her for a while, we listened to beautiful music (that I wish I could link to right now) that was playing through the television. I held her hand. I asked her simple questions thinking that her ability to communicate was diminished. I was wrong.

After a few songs, I told her wanted to say a prayer for her.  As I prayed, her tear-filled eyes looked directly into mine.  My eyes and cheeks filled to overflowing. And God became flesh and was dwelling among us. Not in me. Not in her. But, in us.

She had tried to say several things during our visit, but I couldn't make out what she saying. Her speech was slurred and unintelligible until I concluded the prayer.  With tear-puddles in her eyes, she said, "thank you." I said, "I love you." She said, "I love you too."

And God made a home among us.

Is this a good idea? Do people still read blogs or has Twitter and facebook limited how much of a person's thoughts someone night read? I just might try this and see.

Digesting the good food and thinking about heading to the beach tomorrow. Early to bed for the littlest Newell.

I went to the bookstore today looking for resources to help me plan a possible marriage enrichment seminar later in the summer.  This is what I walked out with and why.

"Trading Places" by Drs. Les and Leslie Parrott...This looked like the most interesting of all the books in the marriage enrichment section.  Plus, we had a video lesson preview pack at the church that was just sent back before I previewed it and these two folks seem be in a place to comment well to married persons. Furthermore, I think I ran across them while I was a campus minister, but I can't remember. Anyone read them?

"The Promise of Paradox" by Parker Palmer...I love anything by him and this is a re-print of an earlier work that I had not read. I like the idea of working through paradox and Christianity.  Like he says, my life is full of paradox. This should a interesting and a blessing. This may the beach read in a week.

"Marketing Your Church to the Community" by Peter Metz...It's hard to find something good when using the words marketing and church together. I am always highly suspicious of stuff like this, but hopefully not too cynical to learn something.

"Weavings" (May/June 2009 Issue)...A great resource for spirituality that I haven't used in a while.  The theme is "Cling Always to God."  It even has a centerfold artistically saying "To cling always to God and to the things of God - this must be our major effort, this must be the road that the heart follows unswervingly." (John Cassian) Not swerving is a necessary discipline.

Who knows? I might even read these books.