beWARM

At first reading, I was terrified.  The musical piece was chock-full of key changes, various time signatures, and so many accidentals that my eyes started to cross.

I thought I would never master it.

The blurred lines began to come into focus after a month or two of practice, and my comfort level increased.

I was preparing for a performance at the end of this month – an informal, low-pressure venue for musicians to have the opportunity to play chamber music.

Before we even had our first rehearsal, one of the musicians in the trio bailed out. (and just when I was feeling like the piece was doable!)

After finding another musician to play with us, we then had to choose not one, but two new pieces of music to fill the time slot.

And thence came the huge challenge: learning 30 minutes of unfamiliar music in roughly three and a half weeks.  I spent the first few days fending off the panic.

Never has this “I like to play chamber music for fun” pianist had to accomplish such a task.

I asked God for supernatural learning skills.  I was desperate.

As I fretted and logged in the hours at the keyboard, my perspective began to shift.

Somehow I found myself thinking about – and praying for – all of the people I know who are struggling with trials in their lives which are devastating, even life threatening.

And suddenly, mastering some notes on a printed page became inconsequential by comparison.

In Jesus Calling, the message a few days ago was encouraging.  Learn to appreciate difficult days. Be stimulated by the challenges you encounter along your way. As you journey through rough terrain with Me, gain confidence from your knowledge that together we can handle anything. 

Wow…what a perfectly timed message.

What, if anything, might you be facing right now? Has your life seemed to change course midstream?  Or,  is God asking you to make some significant changes that require a leap of faith?

Whatever your situation, know that He is there, reaching out His hand.

His presence is consistent, loving, for always, even when your personal landscape is dramatically altered.

I encourage you to share your concerns, challenges and fears with God, and ask Him for help.

For only He can help us navigate life’s twists and turns…

And provide the strength to handle whatever is before us.

For I am the Lord your God who takes hold of your right hand
and says to you, Do not fear; I will help you. ~Isaiah 41:13

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It all started with the Chompo bar…

The dog-eared pages of this book attest to its beloved status in our family. In A Birthday for Frances by Russell Hoban,  Frances the badger wrestles with the fact that it is her sister Gloria’s birthday.

Her struggle with the Chompo bar that she bought for her sister makes for a delightful story.

After endless readings of this book, chomped became an often used word in our family. (no surprise for the food-lovers that we are!)

We joke about the other verbs that punctuate our food foibles:

“I drilled those peanut M & M’s!”

“I ripped into that bag of chips!”

“I nailed those chocolate chip cookies!”

While these words are usually used in reference to a non food-related object, our family has found them humorous as descriptions of consumption. (pigging out, to be exact.)

All overindulgence aside (and atoned for), I began to ponder some words of a different sort  – affirmation and conviction. Both of these relate to belief and confidence in a certain set of principles.

I like to believe that faith, hope, and love are a byproduct of the aforementioned words…and don’t they conjure up images of taking action?

To me, none of them connotes passivity.

And unlike a momentary lapse of culinary excess, acting in faith, holding on to hope, and having love for others are building tools, resulting in a sturdy foundation.

Living life with these operative words can keep us spiritually healthy, and ever mindful of God’s presence.

How often do faith, hope and love guide our daily interactions?

We could use these words as the basis for a spiritual fitness program, which could bring far reaching and long lasting results in terms of our relationship with God.

So, if you’re willing,  here’s the drill…

Rip open your hearts to receive God’s words…

Nail them to the depths of your soul…

Feast (chomp!) on faith, hope and love….

And, unlike Frances, be willing to share…

 I will praise you as long as I live,
lifting up my hands to you in prayer.
You satisfy me more than the richest feast.
I will praise you with songs of joy. ~Psalm 63:4-5 (GNT)

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In today’s world of bigger and better, the concept of less than is not the most appealing.

Especially when it applies to self-image.

For a good while in my life, I continually aspired to be more. My desires to be  smarter, thinner, funnier, more articulate – or whatever other deficiency I  perceived – sabotaged my confidence.

Until a God-moment occurred.

Such a gift from Him…a message that I should not feel less than, but content with. This gentle revelation prompted a powerful change in perspective – that God loves me just the way I am.

This is not to say that He does not encourage us to grow and change.  But God does want us to love ourselves as He created us, imperfections and all.

Having a content with outlook frees us to be comfortable within, allowing us to receive the gifts that God has given us, and share them with others.

Recently, the notion of less than took on an even deeper meaning for me.

God has frequently been nudging me to be less conscious of myself and more aware of Him.

Sounds like a simple request, but in reality it is a daily challenge. Setting aside my momentary agendas to be fully present to a person or a situation requires a shutdown of sorts.

(Resisting the barrage of continuous distractions is a lifetime challenge, I’m convinced.)

But, when we have the joy of experiencing of deep connection to others – and ultimately to God – we begin to wonder why life can’t be more of that.

How much larger your life would be if your self could become smaller in it!  ~G.K. Chesterton

Such a great concept – that depreciation of self can result in a richer, fuller life.

Let’s make the Investment that has the greatest return…

He must become greater; I must become less.  ~John 3:30

I used to think that God’s gifts were on shelves one above the other and that the taller we grew in Christian character the easier we could reach them. I now find that God’s gifts are on shelves one beneath the other. It is not a question of growing taller, but of stooping down to get His best gifts.  ~F.B. Meyers

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Amazing…though a bit unsettling…that our identities can be recognized by a self-chosen set of jumbled letters and digits.

Logins, online id’s and  passwords have become integral to our existence. In the early days of cyberspace, we felt secure in our selected identification sequence.

Life is more complicated now.

Certain sites require a password change every so often; our choice of symbols is rated according to strength. (You can start feeling insecure when the screen keeps saying your password is weak.  Who wants to be a wimp?)

Feeling depersonalized in today’s world is not uncommon – but a recent visit to the lab for some routine blood work topped it all.

Upon entering the facility, I encountered a small kiosk which spit out paper numbers. A television screen in the upper corner of the ceiling showed the progression of the patients who had arrived before me.

I was now C206.

Taking a seat, number in hand, I noticed the receptionist, no more than 4 feet away. I was the sole person in the waiting room at the time – but a pleasant “hello” wasn’t part of her program.

You would have thought I was invisible.

Then came the digital voice from above: “Now serving C204 at Station 2”.  Whoa!  I guess this is the modern version of “Someone will be with you in a few minutes.”

Funny that a machine would call me to the front desk when it would have been so easy for the receptionist to glance over and ask me to be seated.

I wonder if she ever feels as if she has lost her voice.

Once the Digital Director sent me to “Station 7”, my encounter with the lab tech was very pleasant.

I did, however, have to verify my “identity” by stating my birthdate and checking the spelling of my name. The computers aren’t that smart yet.

Upon exiting the lab, the questions lingered.

Is this how our future interactions will be? What is happening to friendly personal contact?

More importantly, have I been fully recognizing the person before me?

I vowed to make an effort to speak to the grocery clerk, the server at a restaurant, or whomever – in a friendly and more personal way.

Everyone deserves to be more than just a number.

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Brilliant blue skies, crisp fall air, and the sounds of rushing water…

All the elements of a glorious hike in Taos this past weekend.

We chose the trail on the spur of the moment, intrigued by the name…Italianos Canyon.

Laughingly, we wondered if we should have packed some pesto salad for lunch, along with a swig of Chianti.

Alas, our trail mix and bananas would have to suffice.

Not having read the description of the hike, we soon came to realize that the path was not too complicated…it was pretty much straight up, with a significant incline. (Thank goodness for “Granny stops” to catch our breath.)

A few switchbacks and flat sections brought a brief reprieve.  When we had seven tenths of a mile to go, we agreed to forge on.

Thankfully, the path was always obvious,  with no intersections requiring the question of  which is the right trail.

(There have been a few instances in the past where our directional skills have been lacking.)

Traveling on a path that is clearly defined, when hiking, is a pleasure.

in life, most of the time we have the opportunity to choose our pathways.

Sometimes, though, our circumstances bring us to places that are not of our choosing – and where there are no forks in the road.

How then do we navigate?

We all know someone who is on such a journey; a person facing a round of chemotherapy, parents grieving the loss of a family member, a relationship, or a job.

If any of them could wish for an optional route that would rewind their life, they surely would take a different option.

Each of us has faced a “no-choice” situation at one time or another – and somehow, we have endured.

Having God alongside has certainly helped.

For those we know whose circumstances are unalterable, let’s hold them close in thought and prayer, and hope that they somehow will feel His presence in their lives.

And whatever path we are presently on, we should take comfort in knowing that God is with us, too…

every step of the way.

I will teach you wisdom’s ways and lead you in straight paths. ~Proverbs 4:11

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