As I've been reading through The Chronological Bible this year, I've been struck by the emphasis on keeping the Sabbath. Over and over again throughout the Old Testament, God chastised His people for failing to keep the Sabbath. (Nehemiah 13:13-21 & Ezekiel 20:12-24)
Isaiah even mentioned that there was a blessing for keeping the Sabbath: "Blessed is the one who does this— the person who holds it fast, who keeps the Sabbath without desecrating it, and keeps their hands from doing any evil.” Isaiah 56:2
And this emphasis on the Sabbath carried over to the New Testament: "There remains, then, a Sabbath-rest for the people of God; for anyone who enters God’s rest also rests from their works, just as God did from his." Hebrews 4:9-10
This isn't the first time I've felt a prompting about observing the Sabbath. I read a great book on observing Sabbath rest and tried to incorporate that into my life, as I wrote about here.
But somehow, I let it slip away. I let Sunday become just another day for doing chores and running errands after church. And I didn't notice for a while that the hurried feeling I was experiencing during the week corresponded to having let my Sabbath rest slip away.
One of the key things that our pastor has preached on since starting this new church is that observing the Sabbath can be like a "snow day" (a time of rest spent with family or friends, enjoying God's creation without having places to rush to) and that we can have a "snow day" every week if we will set aside time and observe the Sabbath.
I've been reconvicted that it is important for me to NOT treat this day as just another day. It is holy and set apart. It's about trusting God with my time and about realizing that my errands and chores can wait. It's also about reconizing that the Sabbath was designed to honor God and to provide rest. Soul rest. And I know I could always use more of that.
It's been almost a month of Sundays now since I set out to observe the Sabbath, and I see a difference. I don't have strict rules because that's not what this is about. Instead, it's about being intentional with my time--giving my time as an offering--and being willing to see how He wants me to spend it. It's a "restful journey," which won't make sense until you try it. So join me next Sunday and see what you think.
Sunday, September 18, 2011
Sunday, August 21, 2011
Summer Wrap-Up
A few weeks ago, I posted on here about how the summer was flying by and how I wanted to make sure that I didn't miss out. I included a link to a list of "101 Bits of Summer Fun," and I used that as my springboard. Since then, I've managed to have quite a few bits of summer fun. Here are some from the list:
*Stay up late (I did this several times in order to finish books.)
*Read a book, or seven (See the right-hand margin for recent reads.)
*Write a letter
*Plant something (Unfortunately, the hibiscus had a short life due to the drought, but most of the vinca is still thriving.)
*Eat breakfast for dinner
*Go to the library (I checked out The Mountain Between Us.)
*Take a class (I took 2 at Arthur Murray--thanks to a Groupon--and learned how to waltz!)
*Sing a song (I did this in the car, but I counted it.)
And then, I made up some of my own:
*Attend worship led by Kari Jobe (Amazing!)
*Plan a reunion with my small group (We met for dinner each month, which was a lot of fun.)
*Attend the opening night of The Help (This was worth going on a week night!)
*Try a new restaurant during restaurant week (Eddie V's in Dallas was fantastic!)
*Attend the Longhorn Rally at Joe T's (It was fun to see all the burnt orange and get an update from Coach Brown on what to expect this season.)
*Stay up late (I did this several times in order to finish books.)
*Read a book, or seven (See the right-hand margin for recent reads.)
*Write a letter
*Plant something (Unfortunately, the hibiscus had a short life due to the drought, but most of the vinca is still thriving.)
*Eat breakfast for dinner
*Go to the library (I checked out The Mountain Between Us.)
*Take a class (I took 2 at Arthur Murray--thanks to a Groupon--and learned how to waltz!)
*Sing a song (I did this in the car, but I counted it.)
And then, I made up some of my own:
*Attend worship led by Kari Jobe (Amazing!)
*Plan a reunion with my small group (We met for dinner each month, which was a lot of fun.)
*Attend the opening night of The Help (This was worth going on a week night!)
*Try a new restaurant during restaurant week (Eddie V's in Dallas was fantastic!)
*Attend the Longhorn Rally at Joe T's (It was fun to see all the burnt orange and get an update from Coach Brown on what to expect this season.)
I'm blaming this summer's record heat for the fact that I didn't attempt more. Most nights, after walking in the 110-degree heat from the building to the parking garage and climbing the stairs several flights, I just wanted to come home and sit under a fan. So next summer, or maybe even this fall, I'll be a little more proactive and reach out to others by working in a soup kitchen, baking cupcakes for neighbors, or taking books to the children's hospital.
Friday, August 5, 2011
Peace in Austin
The traffic southbound on I-35 is always a nightmare, but the three hours are worth the stress once I arrive in Austin. Every time I arrive, a sense of peace settles on me.
I can't explain why Austin has this effect on me. I don't know if it's because it was the first place I lived on my own after college. Or if it's because it has the best restaurants in the whole state. Or if it's because my favorite football team is there. Or if it's because it's close enough to home to feel like I'm with my family. Whatever the reason, I try and find opportunities to get to Austin whenever I can.
[The view from my hotel room was a view of the building I worked in many moons ago.]
I was just there at the end of May through the beginning of June, but I took the opportunity to spend the night there on my way to a conference in San Antonio. And while I was in Austin, I managed to try a few new places.
First stop on this trip = Lunch at La Patisserie, which has earned rave reviews for their macarons. The lady at the counter was the friendliest cashier I've ever met, and she was thrilled that I correctly identified their sweets as "macarons," not "macaroons."
After some shopping at Kendra Scott and a few of the vintage shops on South Congress, the heat demanded that I make a stop at Sno Beach. There's a reason that Austinites mark their calendar each spring for the opening day of this place.
Dinner was take-out from Hyde Park Bar & Grill, known for their fries, and then I also grabbed some breakfast treats from Quack's Bakery for the next morning.
I got to hear the executive pastor from Mars Hill preach at The Austin Stone, and then I headed to Driftwood, Texas, to grab a bite to eat at the world famous Salt Lick BBQ. The BBQ lived up to its legendary status, but I wasn't a fan of their sauce.
After more stressful southbound I-35 driving, I arrived in San Antonio, right when the Cowboys were there. They were staying at the Grand Hyatt, while I was at the Hyatt Regency. Their buses were visible at all times, and they received a police escort whenever they traveled throughout the city.
The best part of the conference was catching up with two of my grad school friends and trying new restaurants with them. Here we are at Paloma Blanca after eating some great fish tacos and delicious tres leches cake:
Unfortunately, I didn't take pictures when we were at Paesano's, Druther's Cafe & Catering, Dough, or Tre. But I did snap a photo at Boudro's of the chicken with guacamole risotto, which the waiter told me not to get because he thought I should get a steak:
It was absolutely delicious! And I'm glad we ignored all of his dessert recommendations.
On the way back, Austin called my name again. This time, I tried my first trailer food in the form of cupcakes from Hey Cupcake.
And when I returned, I went on a diet. THE END.
I can't explain why Austin has this effect on me. I don't know if it's because it was the first place I lived on my own after college. Or if it's because it has the best restaurants in the whole state. Or if it's because my favorite football team is there. Or if it's because it's close enough to home to feel like I'm with my family. Whatever the reason, I try and find opportunities to get to Austin whenever I can.
[The view from my hotel room was a view of the building I worked in many moons ago.]
I was just there at the end of May through the beginning of June, but I took the opportunity to spend the night there on my way to a conference in San Antonio. And while I was in Austin, I managed to try a few new places.
First stop on this trip = Lunch at La Patisserie, which has earned rave reviews for their macarons. The lady at the counter was the friendliest cashier I've ever met, and she was thrilled that I correctly identified their sweets as "macarons," not "macaroons."
After some shopping at Kendra Scott and a few of the vintage shops on South Congress, the heat demanded that I make a stop at Sno Beach. There's a reason that Austinites mark their calendar each spring for the opening day of this place.
Dinner was take-out from Hyde Park Bar & Grill, known for their fries, and then I also grabbed some breakfast treats from Quack's Bakery for the next morning.
I got to hear the executive pastor from Mars Hill preach at The Austin Stone, and then I headed to Driftwood, Texas, to grab a bite to eat at the world famous Salt Lick BBQ. The BBQ lived up to its legendary status, but I wasn't a fan of their sauce.
After more stressful southbound I-35 driving, I arrived in San Antonio, right when the Cowboys were there. They were staying at the Grand Hyatt, while I was at the Hyatt Regency. Their buses were visible at all times, and they received a police escort whenever they traveled throughout the city.
The best part of the conference was catching up with two of my grad school friends and trying new restaurants with them. Here we are at Paloma Blanca after eating some great fish tacos and delicious tres leches cake:
Unfortunately, I didn't take pictures when we were at Paesano's, Druther's Cafe & Catering, Dough, or Tre. But I did snap a photo at Boudro's of the chicken with guacamole risotto, which the waiter told me not to get because he thought I should get a steak:
It was absolutely delicious! And I'm glad we ignored all of his dessert recommendations.
On the way back, Austin called my name again. This time, I tried my first trailer food in the form of cupcakes from Hey Cupcake.
And when I returned, I went on a diet. THE END.
Friday, July 29, 2011
Hitting One Thousand
It's been right at seven months, and I've hit 1,000. One thousand gifts, that is.
I haven't been good about posting each gift here. Part of that is heat-induced laziness, and part of that is intentional because some of the gifts are too personal and make sense only to me.
But even when I wasn't posting them, I was capturing them in my spiral. And more importantly, I was on the lookout for the gifts throughout my days. The discipline is now firmly ingrained in my daily routine.
And since I'm not up for retyping all the easy-to-understand gifts sans the too-personal gifts, I thought I'd post a list of what I've learned from this discipline:
1. Some days, gifts are easy to spot; some days, they aren't.
For whatever reason, I have an easier time spotting gifts when I do things outside my daily routine, like taking a trip or going to a new event. But without fail, I spot a few gifts every day.
2. I really like food.
More of my gifts revolve around food than I'd like to admit. I'm thinking that it had something to do with the fact that I had the chance to try a lot of new restaurants this summer. And in my dreams, I'm a restaurant reviewer.
3. My list of gifts has become a great place for jotting down and remembering answered prayers.
I love being able to capture God at work like this.
4. Waking without an alarm clock (i.e., getting to sleep in) came up as a gift about every weekend.
I realize that if I had children, this would be a rarity. And so I view it as a gift.
5. Messages from family and friends via mail, email, text, and phone are not taken for granted.
God often encourages me through my family and friends, and I treasure that.
6. I should never admit that I love numbers or was once good at math.
I looked back at the list a few months ago and caught this: 343, 345, 344, 345, 346. So, it's possible that I hit 1,000 a long time ago and just have it misnumbered.
7. I still need to work on viewing the hard times as eucharisteo and giving thanks and capturing it among my gifts.
I'm already working on my next 1,000 gifts and hope you are continuing on this journey or will start if you haven't already.
I haven't been good about posting each gift here. Part of that is heat-induced laziness, and part of that is intentional because some of the gifts are too personal and make sense only to me.
But even when I wasn't posting them, I was capturing them in my spiral. And more importantly, I was on the lookout for the gifts throughout my days. The discipline is now firmly ingrained in my daily routine.
And since I'm not up for retyping all the easy-to-understand gifts sans the too-personal gifts, I thought I'd post a list of what I've learned from this discipline:
1. Some days, gifts are easy to spot; some days, they aren't.
For whatever reason, I have an easier time spotting gifts when I do things outside my daily routine, like taking a trip or going to a new event. But without fail, I spot a few gifts every day.
2. I really like food.
More of my gifts revolve around food than I'd like to admit. I'm thinking that it had something to do with the fact that I had the chance to try a lot of new restaurants this summer. And in my dreams, I'm a restaurant reviewer.
3. My list of gifts has become a great place for jotting down and remembering answered prayers.
I love being able to capture God at work like this.
4. Waking without an alarm clock (i.e., getting to sleep in) came up as a gift about every weekend.
I realize that if I had children, this would be a rarity. And so I view it as a gift.
5. Messages from family and friends via mail, email, text, and phone are not taken for granted.
God often encourages me through my family and friends, and I treasure that.
6. I should never admit that I love numbers or was once good at math.
I looked back at the list a few months ago and caught this: 343, 345, 344, 345, 346. So, it's possible that I hit 1,000 a long time ago and just have it misnumbered.
7. I still need to work on viewing the hard times as eucharisteo and giving thanks and capturing it among my gifts.
I'm already working on my next 1,000 gifts and hope you are continuing on this journey or will start if you haven't already.
Sunday, July 10, 2011
A Turning Point
It's been almost three months now without Annie. During this time, I've been adjusting to a new normal. One that is filled with a lot more silence but not nearly as much emptiness as I'd expected.
God has been so gracious to comfort me in a hundred ways that I never could have imagined. I've also felt a tugging reminding me that I need to seek comfort from Him when things upset me, which is when I normally would have turned to Annie. I didn't realize how often I looked to her for comfort, but now I'm keenly aware of it.
The time without her has not all been easy. Tears slide down my cheeks at unsuspecting moments, often right before bed. And there have been times when I've had to interrupt my autopilot to remind myself that routines have changed in her absence.
Part of me really wants to adopt another Golden right now. I've allowed myself to check the website for rescue Goldens, but in my heart, I know that now isn't the time. I'm trying to pay off some bills, but more than that, I want to get into the habit of turning to God instead of to a pet or a person for comfort. I would love for that to be my default before I adopt another dog. And I'm praying for God to show me whether it's wise for me to adopt again since I know that Annie will be the standard to which all other dogs will be compared.
So there's a lot of heart work going on right now. And that's not necessarily a bad thing. It just takes time to turn from old ways.
God has been so gracious to comfort me in a hundred ways that I never could have imagined. I've also felt a tugging reminding me that I need to seek comfort from Him when things upset me, which is when I normally would have turned to Annie. I didn't realize how often I looked to her for comfort, but now I'm keenly aware of it.
The time without her has not all been easy. Tears slide down my cheeks at unsuspecting moments, often right before bed. And there have been times when I've had to interrupt my autopilot to remind myself that routines have changed in her absence.
Part of me really wants to adopt another Golden right now. I've allowed myself to check the website for rescue Goldens, but in my heart, I know that now isn't the time. I'm trying to pay off some bills, but more than that, I want to get into the habit of turning to God instead of to a pet or a person for comfort. I would love for that to be my default before I adopt another dog. And I'm praying for God to show me whether it's wise for me to adopt again since I know that Annie will be the standard to which all other dogs will be compared.
So there's a lot of heart work going on right now. And that's not necessarily a bad thing. It just takes time to turn from old ways.
Monday, July 4, 2011
Summer Time
Despite having been out of grad school for 11 years now, I still miss the feel of summer breaks. I think after all those years of schooling, my body got into a rhythm of studying hard and knowing that there'd be mandatory respites carved into the calendar.
Now, summers are usually one of the busiest times at work, and I seldom take off for a real break without combining it with a continuing education seminar. And so it feels like summers just slip away.
But I've realized that I need to make my own "summer time." Even if I can't take three months off, I can still enjoy summer's fun activities. I just need to be more intentional about scheduling them on evenings and weekends.
And while I was pondering this, I came across this list of "101 Bits of Summer Fun," thanks to Ann Voskamp, and had the perfect starting point. I love that the list includes service-oriented bits of fun, like taking books to a children's hospital, working in a soup kitchen, and taking cookies to a fire station. I've picked out some of the "bits" from the list and added some of my own.
I've penned the date-specific activities on the calendar and the rest I'll pick and choose from each week. I'm hoping that these last eight weeks of summer don't speed by as quickly as the first four did!
Now, summers are usually one of the busiest times at work, and I seldom take off for a real break without combining it with a continuing education seminar. And so it feels like summers just slip away.
But I've realized that I need to make my own "summer time." Even if I can't take three months off, I can still enjoy summer's fun activities. I just need to be more intentional about scheduling them on evenings and weekends.
And while I was pondering this, I came across this list of "101 Bits of Summer Fun," thanks to Ann Voskamp, and had the perfect starting point. I love that the list includes service-oriented bits of fun, like taking books to a children's hospital, working in a soup kitchen, and taking cookies to a fire station. I've picked out some of the "bits" from the list and added some of my own.
I've penned the date-specific activities on the calendar and the rest I'll pick and choose from each week. I'm hoping that these last eight weeks of summer don't speed by as quickly as the first four did!
Thursday, June 30, 2011
Redeemer
I've seen how God has redeemed marriages that looked like there was no way they would survive. I've also seen how He has redeemed certain dates on the calendar--replacing the anniversary of a friend's divorce with a new proposal and changing a date marked to remember a death to a date to celebrate the life of a newborn. But I never suspected He would redeem other insignificant events.
Remember back when I tried to go to a Green River Ordinance concert but couldn't make myself go in because there were no assigned seats? If not, the recap is here.
Not too long after that, I heard that GRO was playing a free concert at a church here in town on a Friday evening. One band was going to open for them, and then GRO was going to take the stage about 8 p.m. I knew that after a long day at work, it would be hard to stay for long after 8 p.m., but I thought I'd at least get to hear a few of their songs.
On the night of the concert, to my delight, they announced that GRO would be playing first. I was able to see their whole show for free. It may seem small and insignificant, but to me, it was a reminder that God sees and hears our smallest desires. It was a redeeming concert just for me, by His grace alone.
Remember back when I tried to go to a Green River Ordinance concert but couldn't make myself go in because there were no assigned seats? If not, the recap is here.
Not too long after that, I heard that GRO was playing a free concert at a church here in town on a Friday evening. One band was going to open for them, and then GRO was going to take the stage about 8 p.m. I knew that after a long day at work, it would be hard to stay for long after 8 p.m., but I thought I'd at least get to hear a few of their songs.
On the night of the concert, to my delight, they announced that GRO would be playing first. I was able to see their whole show for free. It may seem small and insignificant, but to me, it was a reminder that God sees and hears our smallest desires. It was a redeeming concert just for me, by His grace alone.
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