beWARM

Fritos and red licorice, with a cigarette on the side…

Believe it or not, this was the sum total of lunch during my teaching days, when I was twenty-something…and oblivious.

Thankfully, I swore off nicotine more than three decades ago, and have become an advocate of health-supportive eating – and living.

My indiscretions with bags of potato chips have become rare occurrences, and bingeing on Red Hot Dollars has ceased to exist.

Let’s face it…we all love to eat – and the details of what, where, and when, related to our meals, have become a central focus in our lives.

Most of us are aware of the culinary culprits we should avoid – high-fructose corn syrup, sodas, processed foods, canola oil, white flour, sugar…and the list goes on.

Fad diets come and go, and it seems that everyone wants or needs to be “free of” something, whether it be gluten, dairy, soy, sugar, preservatives – and whatever else is deemed detrimental to our long-term health.

(I am in no way disavowing the value of eliminating gluten, dairy et al, as I have seen the benefits of doing that among friends who have food sensitivities.)

Being more conscious of what we are putting into our bodies has wonderful, lasting benefits, to be sure – and who doesn’t enjoy fresh, healthy and delicious food?

Thinking about our obsession with food made me wonder what could happen if we spent the same amount of time determining what we should ingest for our spiritual well-being.

Hmmmm……

How about this recipe…

• Start each day with a refreshing infusion, spending quiet time with God.
  

  Great is his faithfulness; his mercies begin afresh each morning. ~Lamentations 3:23 (NLT)

• Add some inspirational thoughts to your day so that your awareness of God’s presence is heightened.
  

  People do not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God. ~Matthew 4:4

• Put your heart on a “toxin-free” diet, removing those feelings or attitudes that are preventing you from living life with joy.
  

   I will walk about in freedom,  for I have sought out your precepts. ~Psalm 119:45

• Feast on the Love that is free of impurities, filled with renewable resources, and that has never been modified; nothing exists that will ever destroy it.

You’re blessed when you’ve worked up a good appetite for God. He’s food and drink in the best meal you’ll ever eat. ~Matthew 5:6, MSG

So, dear friends, dish yourself up some food for the soul…

And enjoy the nourishing, everlasting benefits.

You can never overindulge…

 This post was written as a devotional for the inaugural gathering of the YumYum Sisterhood in Santa Fe.

Picture yourself in a remote campsite, sleeping under the stars, without a tent.

Upon awakening, you feel the droplets of dew that have sprinkled down through the night. The ambient air is a pleasant temperature, so you feel surprisingly invigorated.

Such a lovely image…though I am not sure I have the fortitude to brave the elements in such a way at this stage of life. (Raccoons, coyotes, and bears….Oh my!!!)

Back when I was in my early 20’s and less hesitant (or clueless, I’m not sure which), we did exactly that on a canoeing trip in the Adirondacks.

The beginning was not so auspicious.

Aside from never having hiked or camped before, I was also newly pregnant.

So breaking the zipper on my only pair of jeans at the start of the journey didn’t ease my trepidations one bit.

My multiple nocturnal visits to the open air loo had my fingers fumbling with safety pins, accompanied by the thunder of my palpitating heart.

My sweet husband was kind enough to stand guard outside for “bear protection”, allaying my fears for the first couple of nights until I had the courage to venture out alone.

The whole experience was actually very pleasant, aside from the night when I was so happy to get to shore that I caused the contents of our canoe to be dumped in the lake. (At which time one of our traveling companions shouted, “Get the bread!”)

We pitched our tent that night on a slanted rock and slept in our dampened sleeping bags, after my tears subsided. (I blamed those pregnancy hormones.)

And we did enjoy the bread with our dinner.

What surprised me was that my courage quotient increased proportional to the length of the trip…and by the fifth night, we slept without our tents.

The dewy morning awakening was beautifully invigorating.

My morning devotional suggests that sitting quietly with God can have the same effect, resulting in the quieting of our minds – and providing a clear, unfettered backdrop for the day.

As dew refreshes grass and flowers during the stillness of the night, so (God’s) presence revitalizes you as you sit quietly with (Him). ~ Jesus Calling, parentheses mine.

Can we be brave enough to leave the protection of our “tents”, removing any obstacles that hinder us from spending time with God, and just be still?

Perhaps we can begin by daring to “open up our flaps” so He can enter in; He will help us remove the rest of our protective barriers.

Once we are in this peaceful space, we can fully receive God’s presence…

…and feel the replenishing, lasting condensation of His love.

For God is not a God of disorder, but of peace. ~ 1 Corinthians 14:33

Click here to read today’s full devotional from Jesus Calling.

I don’t know how you feel  – but I am over the top with all of the talk about the government monitoring of our everyday communication.

Why anyone would want to spend even a nanosecond poring over any of our daily blather is certainly a stumper.

And another thing that is getting old is that annoying mini-marketing munchkin on your computer that: a.) reminds you of those fabulous shoes-on-sale that you looked at last week and didn’t buy, or b.) picks out words from your emails or websites you have visited and drops related ads into your sidebar.

The privacy that we once knew – and perhaps took for granted – has become not-so-ancient history.

The days of single line phones, busy signals and all, elicit wistful sighs of a bygone era when life had space….and quiet. Constant intrusions such as we experience were foreign concepts.

It was a big deal when stores announced Sunday hours.  Today we can shop 24-7, even in our jammies (and all the while, those computer snoopers track what we look at and eventually buy).  Isn’t all of this eavesdropping making us feel overexposed…and vulnerable?

(Thank heavens we are not being graded by English professors for email or conversation content, and the Fashion Police for our purchases!)

So…who can we confide in, trusting that what we say or think is not repeated – or recorded for posterity?

G-O-D, that’s who.  He will receive our every thought, from our best intentions to those confessions and misgivings that not another soul should ever know.

The best thing is, He is the Listener Supreme – and anything we talk or pray to Him about goes straight to His communication center – with a staff of One.

He knows us intimately , and does not judge or condemn. For that,  we should be thankful.

I put my faith, hope and trust in God – the Grand Observer – who knows and listens because He loves us and cares about us.

I welcome His listening in….

God, investigate my life;
    get all the facts firsthand.
I’m an open book to you;
    even from a distance, you know what I’m thinking.
You know when I leave and when I get back;
    I’m never out of your sight.
You know everything I’m going to say
    before I start the first sentence.
I look behind me and you’re there,
    then up ahead and you’re there, too—
    your reassuring presence, coming and going.
This is too much, too wonderful—
    I can’t take it all in!   ~Psalm 139:2 (MSG)

“What would it take for you and your husband to fall in love all over again?”

My friend’s recent question has occupied a great deal of my mind space – especially as I reflect back on soon to be four decades of marriage.

I remember our early dating years; my every thought revolved around him; my heart skipped a beat whenever he called. The thought of being apart was unbearable.

Life was complete when we were together – and it was oh so good.

Two little kids from a steel mill town in Pennsylvania, standing next to each other in the elementary school class photos, Adelaide and Nathan Detroit in our high school’s Guys and Dolls…pledging vows to love and honor each other, for better or worse.

What a beautiful, full life it has been. Three beautiful daughters, wonderful sons-in-law, three precious grandchildren – surrounded by the love and warmth of extended family and dear friends.  Our gratefulness to God overflows…

But back to the question, rephrased: What does it take to keep the love in a marriage alive?

In our world of disposable relationships and continuous thrill seeking, maintaining love’s freshness requires effort and commitment.

Over the course of forty years, we have  found ourselves in the depths, looking ahead at seemingly insurmountable challenges before us.  The moments of joy, at the pinnacles of happiness, have been filled with exhilaration and deep satisfaction.

Any couple committed to a decades old marriage (and we know many!) will admit that refreshing and re-energizing a relationship is a lifelong effort.  The rewards? Hearts that are continually reignited  – and renewed.

God, who holds the Eternal Flame, imbeds His light in each of us.  We have the choice to crank it up as we see fit – passing His torch, so to speak.

Re-falling in love at this point in our lives couldn’t feel quite the same as it did way back when – but believe it or not, we can still find new reasons for loving our spouses, and unique ways to express that love.

And they don’t always have to be moonlight and roses.

What really counts in the long term are what I call the “in-betweens”. These are the routine elements of every day – the movements and motions of living that we barely think about. Creating specialness out of the ordinary is a mission for long-term relationships.

Falling in love again happens when are continually mindful of our spouse, sprinkling a bit of extra care and attention into the humdrum of every day. And the smallest gestures can make all the difference in the world.

Regardless of the number of years gone by, we can still fan the flames of romance.

If we think about our Lord, doesn’t He fall in love with us all over again – each and every day? (Even when we don’t deserve it?)

And surely His desire is for us to love Him in the same way.

What better way to love our spouses than to do the same?

My reflections on four decades center around a thankful heart for my amazing husband, whom I love, respect, and admire. Our life experiences have been far beyond what I ever imagined, bringing us closer to God, and to each other.

My prayer is that God will continue to direct our path, and that we will continue to bear His torch.

…And a little romance along the way would be just right.

May the Lord make your love increase and overflow for each other and for everyone else. ~1 Thessalonians 3:12

Dear children, let’s not merely say that we love each other; let us show the truth by our actions. ~ 1 John 3:18

Click here for a NYTimes article on nurturing a marriage.

I have loved and admired my friend Bonnie since we first met one year ago – but those feelings increased dramatically as of yesterday.

Prior to that, I knew her as a cheerful and engaging woman with a lovely voice who has had a long and interesting life as a singer with her husband, Bill. The fact that she is legally blind has not hindered her zest for life; she and Bill, who is also visually handicapped, have traveled extensively over the years, performing at various venues.

(I love the fact that, in his early years as a performer, Lyle Lovett opened for them!)

Our mission trips have  exposed me to many people who cannot see  – but being friends with someone who is blind is another experience altogether.

Watching Bonnie has given me new awareness about what it requires to live without visual help.

And… she is inspiring.

The first realization of her tenacity occurred when, as a member of our church Chorale, I saw how hard she had to work at learning the music.  While we have the ability to easily scan words, and are able to interpret a page of both words and music, Bonnie first has to hear the words and then Braille them on paper.

Then, she has to memorize the music, taking into account the length of the notes, the rests in between, and the melody line.  Bonnie has tirelessly worked at this, and is a valued (and dearly loved!) member of the Chorale, along with her guide dog, Izzie (who is also much-loved).

I  knew little about Bonnie’s childhood – until she sang a song she wrote during our church service. My eyes fill with tears once again at the memory.

Her lyrics tell of how she and her brothers, at an early age. were taken from her illness stricken parents and lived for a time with her aunt and uncle, who had 8 children of their own and little money, but an abundance of love. Bonnie describes this largesse in the song’s title, A Heart As Big As Texas.

The message behind the song  – her love and appreciation for them – is deeply, profoundly touching.

And the fact that her life with Bill now has given her “all she ever needs” is a testament to her amazing spirit.

Thank you for your music, Bonnie – and for the way in which you see the world…

…through your beautiful heart.

For we live by believing and not by seeing.  2 Corinthians 5:7 (NLT)

To hear Bonnie’s song, click the arrow below:

To get to know Bill and Bonnie and their music, click here.