July 2008

posted on July 22, 2008

Today is Sunday. The 20th of July.

I woke up feeling anxious. Looked at my watch. 6:11. No need to jump out of bed just yet, so I lingered there in order to pay attention to the anxiety. What is this about Lord? Why am I feeling anxious? I lay there for about twenty minutes, just sort of inviting Jesus into the nameless fear and asking him to heal and deliver, all the while paying attention to what is going on inside of me and what it is God might want to reveal. Why am I anxious? What is going on down in my soul? Yes, this might be warfare. But it might also be something more. Something needing attention.

For the past couple days, I’ve been aware (again) of how I hurl...

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Summer So Far

posted on July 14, 2008

I was thinking today about the things I’ve been enjoying this summer. In the midst of war, and chaos, stolen cars, sleepless nights, all that stuff, it’s really good to remember what is beautiful, and true. Most True. So here’s my favorites from summer thus far…

Butterflies. Especially the big yellow and black monarchs. I love them, love their nonchalance, love how God seems to send one my way right when I am stressing and obsessing about something. A playful reminder to lighten up.

The wind in the tall grass. Its like an ocean of swaying green hues.

How the breeze in the aspens sounds like a gentle rain shower.

Oban playing his rock game. He loves to find a...

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Distraction and Prayer

posted on July 08, 2008

I have the hardest time staying focused in prayer.

I know I’m not alone in this. My mind wanders; I get distracted. I start out with my thoughts and heart turned towards God, but somewhere along the way I wander off. Most of the time its stuff I have to do today, or people I’m worried about. I’m praying along and suddenly I realize that though I have kept saying words in prayer, my heart and mind are a million miles away. It’s embarrassing. Like inviting someone over to talk, sitting down in the living room together, and then suddenly you realize you’ve been staring at the TV and ignoring your company.

It’s also ineffective, in the sense that it really does derail...

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