You know how you enter a house where someone is making something delicious for dinner, and the whole house is filled with that aroma? Earlier this evening, I stepped outside for a minute to talk to some roving missionaries, (the good kind -collecting donations for Thanksgiving meals) and when I stepped back in I was enveloped by the overwhelming scent of beef stewing in a rich red wine sauce. It is so nice when that good smell is coming from my OWN kitchen!
My pathetically-congested eldest son, Athos, actually commented on how good it smelled..and that is saying something coming from someone with little sniffing ability left.
This recipe is actually one of my favorites - "Red Wine Beef Stew". I discovered it several years ago in a "One Dish Meals" magazine while I was looking for good meals to make in my new-at-the-time dutch oven. And while it isn't a difficult recipe, it is quite time-consuming. In fact the directions state: "This takes some time to prepare, so make it on a day when you have a bit of spare time."
Spare time? Who has "spare" time these days? I've been feeling a distinct LACK of spare time in the past several months. The sale of our home, the crazed search for another, the complicated move from home to apartment to home (and all the storage and moving details), and then the start of college visits and applications on top of our eldest's high school football season (his first!), and trying to homeschool and direct our Classical Conversations Challenge 3 level! Honestly, when I start to really think about it, I start to get heart palpitations.
Beyond the heart palpitations, I also realize that I have done what I set out NOT to do...become too overburdened with "doing" leaving me with very little "spare time". I've not even had time to really unpack from our move! There are still boxes filling my sun-porch, dining room, and upstairs hallway. Which wouldn't be so bad, but I've no hope of really making much headway until the late spring when our classes end.
All this "important" stuff, stuff that is leading to some worthy goal, is keeping me from getting to the "good" stuff, stuff that is just good in itself: reading a good book, taking time for favorite hobbies, having time to make our new house feel more like "home", etc. But the tyranny of the "to do list" keeps me ever pushing forward. If it isn't a productive use of my time, I'm forced to skip it, or suffer the consequences.
Liz Horst, in her article at Human Pursuits, makes a case for the "good" being goal enough. Imagine that, reading a book just for the sake of the enjoyment of it! Not to check it off some "BBC List of 100 Books Everyone Should Read", or to complete some assignment. Ms. Horst's ideas about things being "good" in and of themselves is something I do believe, but have not been living out lately, maybe not ever, really.
Well, that isn't altogether fair, but perhaps it is fair to say I've only succeeded in fits and starts. Perhaps fits and starts isn't so bad in this day of uber-productivity and multi-tasking (which it turns out may not be so productive after all). Ms. Horst even goes on to make the case that it is vanity to pursue productivity. I'm inclined to agree.
I read her article while the Red Wine Beef Stew was simmering away, and it made me wonder about other areas in my life where I seek productivity or some "goal" over simple enjoyment of an activity or moment, or even worse, where I encourage (or force) my kids to do the same. And, darn it, that isn't why we started homeschooling! Their education was to start a fire (ie. desire to learn) rather than fill a bucket (industrial/productivity/checklist - cram it all in model). Credit to William Butler Yeats. My recent focus on the pursuit of productivity in our homeschool, church, daily life, hobbies, and work needs to be reconsidered.
What is good? Seek it. If something productive comes of it, all the better.
So, in an hour when I serve up that delicious Red Wine Beef Stew, I'm going to really enjoy it - not just as fuel, but as a delicious meal.
Want the recipe? Red Wine Beef Stew
Showing posts with label Just Thinking. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Just Thinking. Show all posts
Tuesday, November 19, 2013
Friday, September 7, 2012
running down my perfectionism
ASICS GT 2170 Women's Running shoes in "Storm". On my computer screen they look electric pink, but are really more of a purple/violet. I just LOVE them! It is strange that I'd be so excited about a pair of running shoes, because I have always disliked sweating in general, and running in particular. However, that has changed significantly in the past few months.
It all began back in mid-June when the Arkan-Sass 5 came for a visit. Arkan-Sass Auntie is VERY FIT. She exercises regularly - and seriously. Tennis, Zumba, Elliptical, etc. So, why I thought I could ever keep up with her when my exercise routine has been basically limited to brisk walking for years, I have no idea. I was determined that whatever she was doing for exercise, I'd try, too.
When she told me she wanted to start running, I almost cried. But I decided to at least give it a try.
The first day was pathetic! And the second. And the third. You get the idea.
That was 12 weeks ago, and I'm still running. A Auntie was using the "Couch 2 5k" program, so I've continued that. I'd love to run a 5k, but really my ultimate goal is to be able to go out and run a few miles several times a week. (In the meantime, she has completed the program, and run her 5k...with a personal best time of 28 minutes and 7 seconds! I had to slow down my training due to slight injury - nothing major, just what one would expect when you haven't seriously exercised in years.)
If someone had told me, even in May, that I'd be on my way to becoming a runner, I really would not have believed it possible! I'm an unlikely candidate with back and knee aches - not to mention being extremely out of shape. But the small victories provided by C25k have been a real encouragement! I highly recommend the program.You can get a cheap app for iPhone or Android to guide you through the program. Very helpful! We tried timing the interval ourselves the first day and it was tricky; whereas, the app keeps the time and uses voice cues to let you know when to run or walk. It also will play music from your playlists.
Of course this much activity combined with closely watching what I eat, initially using Weight Watchers, has shed a lot of fat. A Auntie suggested the MyFitnessPal app and website as a great tool for keeping track of food. After using it for about 2 months, I agree. The other thing that has made all the difference? Having a running partner. At first it was Arkan-Sass Auntie, but once they went home I had to run a few times by myself. It was OK, but Erik decided to run with me and that is a great help! We get to chat a little bit and he encourages me...and has good suggestions! And he always has something positive to say - even on my most discouraging days.
For people who are long-time runners, I know this is not exciting news, but for me it is almost revolutionary.
But there is something more, only a little more, I want to say about this new routine: it has taught me a great lesson, the lesson of "small victories". As a perfectionist, the small victories have more often seemed to expose the greater failures. Or at least as a perfectionist, that is all I could see.
That first day we ran, I felt like a real failure. I was purple-faced, felt like vomiting and my muscles were burning. How would I ever be ready to run again in 2 days? How would I ever make it 3 miles (3.1 miles = 5k)? How?
At this point I could focus on what I couldn't do (run with ease, and look good while doing it) or I could focus on what I did do. I had FINISHED the run!
Still, my muscles were so sore by our next run day, I just couldn't imagine running. But A Auntie encouraged me to just give it a try. She promised that once the muscles got warmed up and the endorphins started flowing, I'd feel fine. And she was right. Amazingly, it was even a *little* bit easier than the first day. And the third day was a little bit easier than the second.
Each week I've looked at the length of time (it increases each week) and thought, "I just don't think I can make it." Yet, somehow (almost) each week I have. And on those weeks I didn't quite make the new goal, I celebrated the fact that I was STILL running. My pace was improving. My cardiovascular was stronger...and I was still getting up 3 days a week to hit the pavement. That is one of the beauties of programs like C25K: it helps you to see progress in little increments...and pushes you just enough to meet new goals. It gives you small victories.
I've learned to look for the small victories. In fact, I set them up for myself. When I'm running up a particularly hard hill instead of looking at the top I look for small "milestones" along the way (rocks, cracks, signs, mailboxes). Literally, repeating in my mind, "Just get to the second mailbox, just get to the second mailbox." And then, "Just get to that spot of sun, just get to that spot of sun." You get the point.
I can make it to the top of that hill, now!
Homeschooling is a lot like this. I've got to look at the small victories of each day and praise those. While it is good to have a big goal in mind, it is the small victories that give me the encouragement to keep going. The child who struggles in math has a successful day - Victory! The slow reader who finally reads a whole story on her own - Victory! The preschooler who finally remembers it is 3, 4, FIVE, 6 - Victory! Rather than focusing on the three previous bad math days. Or thinking that the slow reader will NEVER get past level 2 readers. Or being frustrated that the preschooler is still forgetting that it is 7, EIGHT, 9, 10.
Recently I read a funny quote about running. A man was in a running store comparing shoes to help improve his speed and performance. The "pro" helping him said to him, "The best way to improve your running is just to move your feet." Don't get hung up on finding the perfect pair of shoes (or curriculum), the perfect training plan (or teacher's planning pages), the perfect course (or co-op), just MOVE YOUR FEET.....
Victory!
Monday, October 24, 2011
Fairy Tales for Today
Now, I don't like the disney-ization of fairy tales either, but these women were ready to strip all children's stories of anything that diverged from their political agenda. We'd be left with stories in which no children lose their mother. No children are in any danger. No ugly creatures are transformed by another's love. No princesses ever need rescue. No strangers ever offer a poisoned apple.
It would be safe, I suppose. But how anemic. How boring.
Fairy tales present opportunities for a child to confront some of their biggest fears, for example being small and helpless in the face of bad people. Once can see this most clearly in the persistent absence of mothers in fairy tales (only dead mothers and mean stepmothers). Is this not the epitome of vulnerability to a child? Fairy tales allow a child to enter into those deep fears, without them being too realistic for comfort, and imagine themselves triumphing by kindness, wit, bravery, and love.
I know this is not revolutionary thinking. JRR Tolkein has written about fairy tales. Bruno Bettelheim published The Uses of Enchantment: The Meaning and Importance of Fairy Tales. William J Bennett has compiled volumes of stories that display virtue. GK Chesterton commented on fairy tales in Orthodoxy. More recently, Vigen Guroian, a theologian, author, and professor of Religious Studies at Univ of Virginia, examined the importance of fairy tales in developing a child's "moral imagination."(a great essay, by the way)
I understand those ladies were just trying to do their best to provide their daughters with "strong role models." But I would remind them that generations of daughters were able to love fairy tales as children and still manage to grow up to be wise and good mothers, hard workers, and faithful leaders in so many aspects of their lives. There are more to those fairy tales than just princesses with beautiful dresses and long, flowing hair.
Wednesday, January 19, 2011
Worth
Have you heard of choosing a "word of the year"? I think I'd had the idea floated past me sometime in the past year or two, but a few bloggers that I read regularly recently posted about choosing their word of the year and I thought it sounded like a wise idea.
The idea, or at least the way I'm using the idea, is to select a word that you will meditate and ponder and seek God's wisdom about. How can you live out that word? How do you need to learn to be that word? How can you believe that word?
I prayed about it and contemplated what word might be meaningful. What word I needed to learn by heart. And the word that came to me was "Worth". Mostly that I need to learn my own worth - my worthiness before God and man. But I also need to recognize the ways I'm not living in a way worthy of God.
For all its worth.
Worth its weight in gold.
A picture is worth a thousand words.
Here's the first little nugget I got today from my bible reading:
Proverbs 6:12-14 A worthless person, a wicked man, is the one who walks with a perverse mouth, who winks with his eyes, who signals with his feet, who points with his fingers; who with perversity in his heart continually devises evil, who spreads strife.
That's a lot to ponder right there.
Are you interested in choosing a word for 2011? Here are some posts by other bloggers to give you more ideas. . .
Ali Edwards seems to have been the originator of this idea, at least as far as the blogosphere goes. I do find it hard to believe that in all the history of mankind it hasn't been done by others before, so if you've heard of this from some a Church Father, I wouldn't be surprised.
Christine Kane takes a look at how a word of the year makes a much better resolution than a resolution.
I'm going to steal The Thinking Mother's idea and make my own Word of the Year mug.
If you have or decide to choose a word of the year, please leave a comment!
Tuesday, January 11, 2011
Don't miss this...
Cindy is doing a new book study on Ten Ways to Destroy Your The Imagination of Your Child. I'm not a participant, but just reading the book club posts is phenomenal. It isn't too late to join in, and it is never too late to read the commentary!
The first week's post and links can be found at: Book Club: Chapter One - Why Truth Is Your Enemy.
The first week's post and links can be found at: Book Club: Chapter One - Why Truth Is Your Enemy.
Saturday, August 28, 2010
Katrina remembered
There's been a lot of press coverage on the 5 year anniversary of hurricane Katrina. Probably 95% of the coverage has focused on New Orleans, which received about a foot of water and some minor wind damage from the storm's initial pass. (The neglected, insufficient, man-made, levees provided the real damaging floods.)
What most people don't realize, even today, is that Mississippi, particularly the areas between Waveland and Gulfport, were ground zero for this storm. There were storm surges over 30 feet high at the coast that stretched out for miles inland.
I remember feeling called, truly called, to go to MS to help. I had just started a new job at a large bank a couple months before, and I had one week of vacation that year. My kids at the time were 8, 5 and 3. I was thinking, Lord if you really want me to go, you're going to have to make it happen. My plan was to go for 3 weeks. To my surprise, my wife consented, and my employer gave me the additional 2 weeks vacation!
I was off to Camp Coast care with a fellow parishioner to serve in whatever capacity needed. I slept in a tent for 3 weeks, and I probably never slept better. Waves and waves of volunteers, supplies and money showed up. Old and young, with all kinds of different backgrounds and skill sets, were housed, fed and deployed from a school gym. St. Patrick's (Long Beach) church members worshipped there since their building no longer existed. Waves and waves of hurting, hungry, lost and broken people came needing help. The need was (and, I believe, continues to be) greater than the supply.
One of the many things that stick with me from those 3 weeks is, while not knowing what would happen day to day, I awoke each day filled with joy at knowing I would be serving in whatever way God needed, in His army, and for His children. This feeling of joy and fulfillment is something I have never experienced in my 20+ year career in IT, nor do I anticipate I ever will. Truly, I was blessed.
That time I spent at Camp Coast Care was such a sweet testament to the giving, caring, loving spirit God has placed in each of us. This spirit and His constant love and provision for us are too often misplaced in "normal" everyday life. But Katrina gave me/us this glimpse of God's "normal", served His purposes, and I have been changed forever.
Also visit Rev. David Knight's moving post at:
http://kanite.blogspot.com/2010/08/five-year-thoughts.html
What most people don't realize, even today, is that Mississippi, particularly the areas between Waveland and Gulfport, were ground zero for this storm. There were storm surges over 30 feet high at the coast that stretched out for miles inland.
I remember feeling called, truly called, to go to MS to help. I had just started a new job at a large bank a couple months before, and I had one week of vacation that year. My kids at the time were 8, 5 and 3. I was thinking, Lord if you really want me to go, you're going to have to make it happen. My plan was to go for 3 weeks. To my surprise, my wife consented, and my employer gave me the additional 2 weeks vacation!
I was off to Camp Coast care with a fellow parishioner to serve in whatever capacity needed. I slept in a tent for 3 weeks, and I probably never slept better. Waves and waves of volunteers, supplies and money showed up. Old and young, with all kinds of different backgrounds and skill sets, were housed, fed and deployed from a school gym. St. Patrick's (Long Beach) church members worshipped there since their building no longer existed. Waves and waves of hurting, hungry, lost and broken people came needing help. The need was (and, I believe, continues to be) greater than the supply.
One of the many things that stick with me from those 3 weeks is, while not knowing what would happen day to day, I awoke each day filled with joy at knowing I would be serving in whatever way God needed, in His army, and for His children. This feeling of joy and fulfillment is something I have never experienced in my 20+ year career in IT, nor do I anticipate I ever will. Truly, I was blessed.
That time I spent at Camp Coast Care was such a sweet testament to the giving, caring, loving spirit God has placed in each of us. This spirit and His constant love and provision for us are too often misplaced in "normal" everyday life. But Katrina gave me/us this glimpse of God's "normal", served His purposes, and I have been changed forever.
Also visit Rev. David Knight's moving post at:
http://kanite.blogspot.com/2010/08/five-year-thoughts.html
Saturday, May 29, 2010
Contemplating Liberty on Memorial Day Weekend
This weekend I've seen many political cartoons and emails about the price of liberty - lest we forget on this Memorial Day weekend. All important things to remember...memorial and all that. But these have brought to mind the question...what is the price of lost liberty? Are we willing to pay that price to gain certain "perks" in our daily lives?
When we buy and buy and buy and max out our credit cards, we've lost liberty...and we pay a price. When we fill our days with busy-ness leaving no time for relaxation and true rejeuvenation, we've lost liberty and we will pay a price. When we rely on the government to do what the Church should be doing (taking care of the poor, for example), we've lost liberty and we will pay a price.
Just some thoughts running through my head this Memorial Day weekend. Another thought is how much I'd love to be attending this year's CiRCE conference: A Contemplation of Liberty. Many people said last year's (Contemplation of Nature) was one of the best, but I suspect this year's just might top that one. Are you attending? I'll just have to settle for some conference CDs this year - but the good thing is I can listen to them over and over!
The reading list for the conference has been posted! I can't wait to start reading!
And subscribe to the blog - Andrew always has some great posts. Here is a small sampling:
The Art of Freedom
Freedom and Planning
Freedom begins at Home
Freedom: Aesthetic and Ethical
Have a wonderful weekend...I'm off to shop for a new refrigerator.
When we buy and buy and buy and max out our credit cards, we've lost liberty...and we pay a price. When we fill our days with busy-ness leaving no time for relaxation and true rejeuvenation, we've lost liberty and we will pay a price. When we rely on the government to do what the Church should be doing (taking care of the poor, for example), we've lost liberty and we will pay a price.
Just some thoughts running through my head this Memorial Day weekend. Another thought is how much I'd love to be attending this year's CiRCE conference: A Contemplation of Liberty. Many people said last year's (Contemplation of Nature) was one of the best, but I suspect this year's just might top that one. Are you attending? I'll just have to settle for some conference CDs this year - but the good thing is I can listen to them over and over!
The reading list for the conference has been posted! I can't wait to start reading!
And subscribe to the blog - Andrew always has some great posts. Here is a small sampling:
The Art of Freedom
Freedom and Planning
Freedom begins at Home
Freedom: Aesthetic and Ethical
Have a wonderful weekend...I'm off to shop for a new refrigerator.
Tuesday, April 14, 2009
Is Aid Killing Africa?
Is foreign aid killing Africa?
This may seem way off topic for this blog, but now that I have a daughter from Africa, it is definitely on topic for me personally. And since Americans are the producers of so much of that aid, it is a topic for our country to consider.
Guernica Magazine (which I just discovered through Arts & Literature) published an interview with Dambisa Moyo, an African economist about her thoughts on the aid situation on the African continent. She is pretty adamant that foreign aid is making the situation worse for Africans (and has for the last sixty years). She offes some pretty sobering statistics and some well-researched evidence to support her conclusion that direct aid (caveat: she is discussing systemic aid, not emergency aid) to Africa needs to stop in the next five years or the situation will only continue to worsen.
Here's the introductory paragraph:
Dambisa Moyo’s prescription for economic sustainability in Africa—which includes cutting off all aid within five years—might seem insane if the statistics weren’t so grim: despite one trillion dollars in western aid over the past sixty years, the economic lot of the average African has only gotten worse. Most Africans now live on one dollar per day, and sub-Saharan Africa remains the poorest region in the world. Despite a deluge of aid between the years of 1970 and 1998, poverty on the continent skyrocketed from 11 percent of the population to 66 percent, which means over six hundred million Africans are now impoverished. The average African can only expect to live to be about fifty, and half the continent’s citizens are under the age of fifteen. In addition to poverty, AIDS, corruption (half the continent is still under un-democratic rule), civil war, and genocide ravage the continent. Indeed, Africa seems constantly embroiled in a steady stream of horrors, the likes of which are not seen anywhere else on the planet. Why? Are Africans innately different from the rest of us? Nonsense, says Moyo. She blames aid.
I highly recommend you take the time to read the full interview.
Then come back here and share your thoughts on her conclusions. Do you believe foreign aid has made things worse? Do you think stopping foreign aid will improve the situation? If so, how do we stop aid without causing many people to suffer. If we don't stop the aid, how do we address the concerns she raises? While solving international issues might be a bit beyond us, we can take her ideas and apply them to our church programs. Within our churches how can we incorporate her ideas into our mission outreach programs?
This is a huge issue that I'm sure homeschool moms feel is way outside their control, but I think it is important enough to at least have a well-formed opinion about. Let's let iron-sharpen iron a bit, what do you say?
Did you enjoy this post? Be sure to subscribe via email or RSS to receive my blog updates.
This may seem way off topic for this blog, but now that I have a daughter from Africa, it is definitely on topic for me personally. And since Americans are the producers of so much of that aid, it is a topic for our country to consider.
Guernica Magazine (which I just discovered through Arts & Literature) published an interview with Dambisa Moyo, an African economist about her thoughts on the aid situation on the African continent. She is pretty adamant that foreign aid is making the situation worse for Africans (and has for the last sixty years). She offes some pretty sobering statistics and some well-researched evidence to support her conclusion that direct aid (caveat: she is discussing systemic aid, not emergency aid) to Africa needs to stop in the next five years or the situation will only continue to worsen.
Here's the introductory paragraph:
Dambisa Moyo’s prescription for economic sustainability in Africa—which includes cutting off all aid within five years—might seem insane if the statistics weren’t so grim: despite one trillion dollars in western aid over the past sixty years, the economic lot of the average African has only gotten worse. Most Africans now live on one dollar per day, and sub-Saharan Africa remains the poorest region in the world. Despite a deluge of aid between the years of 1970 and 1998, poverty on the continent skyrocketed from 11 percent of the population to 66 percent, which means over six hundred million Africans are now impoverished. The average African can only expect to live to be about fifty, and half the continent’s citizens are under the age of fifteen. In addition to poverty, AIDS, corruption (half the continent is still under un-democratic rule), civil war, and genocide ravage the continent. Indeed, Africa seems constantly embroiled in a steady stream of horrors, the likes of which are not seen anywhere else on the planet. Why? Are Africans innately different from the rest of us? Nonsense, says Moyo. She blames aid.
I highly recommend you take the time to read the full interview.
Then come back here and share your thoughts on her conclusions. Do you believe foreign aid has made things worse? Do you think stopping foreign aid will improve the situation? If so, how do we stop aid without causing many people to suffer. If we don't stop the aid, how do we address the concerns she raises? While solving international issues might be a bit beyond us, we can take her ideas and apply them to our church programs. Within our churches how can we incorporate her ideas into our mission outreach programs?
This is a huge issue that I'm sure homeschool moms feel is way outside their control, but I think it is important enough to at least have a well-formed opinion about. Let's let iron-sharpen iron a bit, what do you say?
Did you enjoy this post? Be sure to subscribe via email or RSS to receive my blog updates.
Wednesday, April 1, 2009
Quiverfull Questions
Quiverfull on NPR? Yup! (HT: StandFirm)
But I must say there is a quote that really disturbed me: "'We'll be able to take over both halls of Congress, we'll be able to reclaim sinful cities like San Francisco for the faithful, and we'll be able to wage very effective massive boycotts against companies that are going against God's will.'"
I don't know - since when did this become the ultimate goal for Christian families? What about sharing the gospel? What about caring for widows and orphans? What about the poor, the sick, the oppressed?
Wait, let's back up. Is "quiverfull" a term you are familiar with? It is sort of "jargon" in many Christian circles...but not even all Christians would know what it refers to, I guess. The term "Quiverfull" refers to a verse in Psalm 127 that describes children like the arrows in a mighty warrior's quiver. The idea being that a mighty warrior would have LOTS not just one or two. (Of course, a really good archer might only need one or two to get the job done...but that is a different debate.) So, the Quiverfull Movement is one that encourages Christian families to see children as a blessing and to accept as many "as the Lord sends" - using no birth control of any sort.
Apparently, it has lately been the zinger topic in some liberal circles...you know, easy to "zing" with negative labels and attitudes, and generally writing it off as "nutty", without taking the time to really get to know some of the families who make up the Quiverfull Movement. (Do a google search and see how many negative articles come up on the first two pages.)
I did a lot of reading about the quiverfull movement (also called QF for short) around the time my husband and I decided we were not "done" (even though one of us had surgery to be "done"...which we then had "undone"). I read lots of the books, websites and such and was mostly convinced that this movement was on to something. Of course, this wasn't a huge leap for me. Since I was little, I've thought it odd that people who believe in a good, omnicient, omnipotent God would not trust him more with the size of their families. But there were some aspects to the basic ideas that I couldn't settle in my mind and some influences within the movement that I thought were going so far as to have missed the gospel in the search for "godliness".
Really, I found it hard to come to terms with the movement's emphasis that EVERYONE should be quiverfull (at least every Christian) and if they weren't they were sinning against God. All I'm going to say about that right now is that it strikes me as quite a legalistic approach to Scripture. (And having read the blogs and forums of some of these groups, it wasn't only a legalistic seeming...there was some pretty extreme legalism going on inside the group on all manner of issues.) There almost seemed to be an unspoken contest going on to determine who trusts God more, me or thee. However, legalism can be found in any group (Christian or not, religious or not...shoot, have you ever noticed the legalism in the Green movement...there it is "who is greener, me or thee".)
The quote from the NPR piece displays the attitude prevalent in the QF movement that I think is the most troublesome. There is quite an emphasis on gaining power through political positions in order to "Christianize" the country. (The QF is not the only Christian group today that holds to the belief that Chrisitans should be out to Christianize by conquest...it is also not the first Christian group to desire political influence and power...seems like I remember a Roman church that held political power for quite a few years - but that is a much larger topic!) And this is where I think it veers beyond, or rather, doesn't reach, the Gospel.
Christ eschewed political power as a means of evangelism, instead he chose and instructed us to evangelize by one-on-one interaction. Not only that, He also told us that "true religion" is the care of widows and orphans. This should be what we are filling our quivers with- children who love God and love their fellow human beings. Children who see the frailty and grief around them and want to present Christ to a dying world. And also, children who delight in God's gift of creation!
And while I have criticism for the QF movement, I also think that Christians in America can learn a LOT from the ideas of the quiverfull movement about getting our perspectives toward children and famlies in line with God's perspective. Why do we stop at one or two...because it is culturally acceptable? Because of finances? Our lack of patience? Or because we've invested time in prayer and thought and believe that is the Lord's will for our family? Which definitely sounds more like a people who believe in a God who loves them and their children.
Did you enjoy this post? Be sure to subscribe via email or RSS to receive my blog updates.
But I must say there is a quote that really disturbed me: "'We'll be able to take over both halls of Congress, we'll be able to reclaim sinful cities like San Francisco for the faithful, and we'll be able to wage very effective massive boycotts against companies that are going against God's will.'"
I don't know - since when did this become the ultimate goal for Christian families? What about sharing the gospel? What about caring for widows and orphans? What about the poor, the sick, the oppressed?
Wait, let's back up. Is "quiverfull" a term you are familiar with? It is sort of "jargon" in many Christian circles...but not even all Christians would know what it refers to, I guess. The term "Quiverfull" refers to a verse in Psalm 127 that describes children like the arrows in a mighty warrior's quiver. The idea being that a mighty warrior would have LOTS not just one or two. (Of course, a really good archer might only need one or two to get the job done...but that is a different debate.) So, the Quiverfull Movement is one that encourages Christian families to see children as a blessing and to accept as many "as the Lord sends" - using no birth control of any sort.
Apparently, it has lately been the zinger topic in some liberal circles...you know, easy to "zing" with negative labels and attitudes, and generally writing it off as "nutty", without taking the time to really get to know some of the families who make up the Quiverfull Movement. (Do a google search and see how many negative articles come up on the first two pages.)
I did a lot of reading about the quiverfull movement (also called QF for short) around the time my husband and I decided we were not "done" (even though one of us had surgery to be "done"...which we then had "undone"). I read lots of the books, websites and such and was mostly convinced that this movement was on to something. Of course, this wasn't a huge leap for me. Since I was little, I've thought it odd that people who believe in a good, omnicient, omnipotent God would not trust him more with the size of their families. But there were some aspects to the basic ideas that I couldn't settle in my mind and some influences within the movement that I thought were going so far as to have missed the gospel in the search for "godliness".
Really, I found it hard to come to terms with the movement's emphasis that EVERYONE should be quiverfull (at least every Christian) and if they weren't they were sinning against God. All I'm going to say about that right now is that it strikes me as quite a legalistic approach to Scripture. (And having read the blogs and forums of some of these groups, it wasn't only a legalistic seeming...there was some pretty extreme legalism going on inside the group on all manner of issues.) There almost seemed to be an unspoken contest going on to determine who trusts God more, me or thee. However, legalism can be found in any group (Christian or not, religious or not...shoot, have you ever noticed the legalism in the Green movement...there it is "who is greener, me or thee".)
The quote from the NPR piece displays the attitude prevalent in the QF movement that I think is the most troublesome. There is quite an emphasis on gaining power through political positions in order to "Christianize" the country. (The QF is not the only Christian group today that holds to the belief that Chrisitans should be out to Christianize by conquest...it is also not the first Christian group to desire political influence and power...seems like I remember a Roman church that held political power for quite a few years - but that is a much larger topic!) And this is where I think it veers beyond, or rather, doesn't reach, the Gospel.
Christ eschewed political power as a means of evangelism, instead he chose and instructed us to evangelize by one-on-one interaction. Not only that, He also told us that "true religion" is the care of widows and orphans. This should be what we are filling our quivers with- children who love God and love their fellow human beings. Children who see the frailty and grief around them and want to present Christ to a dying world. And also, children who delight in God's gift of creation!
And while I have criticism for the QF movement, I also think that Christians in America can learn a LOT from the ideas of the quiverfull movement about getting our perspectives toward children and famlies in line with God's perspective. Why do we stop at one or two...because it is culturally acceptable? Because of finances? Our lack of patience? Or because we've invested time in prayer and thought and believe that is the Lord's will for our family? Which definitely sounds more like a people who believe in a God who loves them and their children.
Did you enjoy this post? Be sure to subscribe via email or RSS to receive my blog updates.
Tuesday, November 4, 2008
Today's Daily Office Reading
I love it when the Daily Office readings coincide amazingly well with what is going on in the world. Today's reading seems awfully prophetic on election day:
Luke 13:1-9 (NRSV)
At that very time there were some present who told him about the Galileans whose blood Pilate had mingled with their sacrifices. 2He asked them, 'Do you think that because these Galileans suffered in this way they were worse sinners than all other Galileans? 3No, I tell you; but unless you repent, you will all perish as they did. 4Or those eighteen who were killed when the tower of Siloam fell on them-do you think that they were worse offenders than all the others living in Jerusalem? 5No, I tell you; but unless you repent, you will all perish just as they did.'
6 Then he told this parable: 'A man had a fig tree planted in his vineyard; and he came looking for fruit on it and found none. 7So he said to the gardener, "See here! For three years I have come looking for fruit on this fig tree, and still I find none. Cut it down! Why should it be wasting the soil?" 8He replied, "Sir, let it alone for one more year, until I dig around it and put manure on it. 9If it bears fruit next year, well and good; but if not, you can cut it down."'
The other readings are from Revelations and Ecclesiasticus.
Back to my blog break....
Did you enjoy this post? Be sure to subscribe via email or RSS to receive my blog updates.
Luke 13:1-9 (NRSV)
At that very time there were some present who told him about the Galileans whose blood Pilate had mingled with their sacrifices. 2He asked them, 'Do you think that because these Galileans suffered in this way they were worse sinners than all other Galileans? 3No, I tell you; but unless you repent, you will all perish as they did. 4Or those eighteen who were killed when the tower of Siloam fell on them-do you think that they were worse offenders than all the others living in Jerusalem? 5No, I tell you; but unless you repent, you will all perish just as they did.'
6 Then he told this parable: 'A man had a fig tree planted in his vineyard; and he came looking for fruit on it and found none. 7So he said to the gardener, "See here! For three years I have come looking for fruit on this fig tree, and still I find none. Cut it down! Why should it be wasting the soil?" 8He replied, "Sir, let it alone for one more year, until I dig around it and put manure on it. 9If it bears fruit next year, well and good; but if not, you can cut it down."'
The other readings are from Revelations and Ecclesiasticus.
Back to my blog break....
Did you enjoy this post? Be sure to subscribe via email or RSS to receive my blog updates.
Thursday, October 23, 2008
Jangley
Jangley - that is a new word a made up to describe how I felt yesterday. To describe it further, it feels like I am a little jingle ball that someone has just taken hold of and shaken like crazy - I'm JANGLEY. It's just been that way lately - good and not-so-good reasons.
I'll give you a quick run down, because, honestly I do't have the energy for more than that. *sigh*.
I'll give you a quick run down, because, honestly I do't have the energy for more than that. *sigh*.
- helping hubbie with his new business (a ministry, really to offer financial/donation reporting support to missionaries)
- getting used to Jr High work with eldest son
- working on our Women's Retreat (can't wait!!)
- preparing for our neighbors and dear friends to move (not far, but another part of town) - while we are SO EXCITED for them, it is a major change in the way our days look. I'm so used to slipping over for a little "gab" or when I need an ingredient. LOL!
- taping a cable TV show on educational choices (group conversation on homeschooling)
- looking at a potential new home - a late 1950's ranch on some acreage (lots of updates have been done, but some were not great and need to be re-addressed - original fixtures in bathrooms). I hope we get this place just so I can show you some really interesting wall treatments. *heh*
- a number of issues in my extended family - (I'm not ready to talk about all this on the blog yet - it isn't entirely my story to tell and I don't feel it is right to share about that while we are all still in the middle of it)
- a major change in the direction of our adoption - we are still in the preliminary stage of this change, but I will share all the details when we make the final decision.
- and I'm planning on traveling this weekend to give some assistance in the family situation.
I came home from a good, but long day at Classical Conversations (a bunch of us went out for ice cream afterwards) and just felt "jangley". I was just tired and overwhelmed by it all. Sweet hubby let me hide out in bed the rest of the evening. Feeling better now. I'll try to fill in some details soon...
Did you enjoy this post? Be sure to subscribe via email or RSS to receive my blog updates.
Tuesday, October 14, 2008
Blog Action Day - Holy Poverty
Today is Blog Action Day. Today is also the Feast Day of St. Teresa of Avila - a woman who embraced poverty.
St. Teresa was a woman born in the 1500s to a wealthy family who eventually became a nun and, in conjunction with St. John of the Cross, founded a reformed order of nuns called the Discalced (Shoeless) Carmelites. (Shoelessness is a symbol of humility and poverty.) She believed her call from God was to "Holy Poverty".
When I think about the calling to holy poverty, I think of it as a specific Vocation (that is vocation with a most definite capital "V") - not something that the average Christian is called to, but I'm not so sure about that anymore.
When we embrace the truth that all our possessions are only given to us to enable us to do the Lord's work - God's provision for us - suddenly we are the the midst of a dichotomy: ultimate poverty and ultimate wealth. We are entirely poor because nothing we have truly is ours - it belongs entirely to God...and yet, we have a God who "owns the cattle on a thousand hills." He owns it all and can provide for us all that we need and more.
This attitude toward belongings may not lead us to a vocation of Holy Poverty (big H, big P), in which we eschew owning anything, but it might lead us to holiness in poverty (little h, little p) by allowing us to look at our belongings and money as not "owned" but "held in trust". When we hold our belongings "in trust" we are able and willing to freely give to those in need because we understand that "it" all belongs to God anyway.
Want to read more about Holy Poverty?
In honor of St. Teresa of Avila's Feast Day, here are some links and bits of information for you to learn more about her, her order, and her call to Holy Poverty.
St. Teresa was a woman born in the 1500s to a wealthy family who eventually became a nun and, in conjunction with St. John of the Cross, founded a reformed order of nuns called the Discalced (Shoeless) Carmelites. (Shoelessness is a symbol of humility and poverty.) She believed her call from God was to "Holy Poverty".
When I think about the calling to holy poverty, I think of it as a specific Vocation (that is vocation with a most definite capital "V") - not something that the average Christian is called to, but I'm not so sure about that anymore.
When we embrace the truth that all our possessions are only given to us to enable us to do the Lord's work - God's provision for us - suddenly we are the the midst of a dichotomy: ultimate poverty and ultimate wealth. We are entirely poor because nothing we have truly is ours - it belongs entirely to God...and yet, we have a God who "owns the cattle on a thousand hills." He owns it all and can provide for us all that we need and more.
This attitude toward belongings may not lead us to a vocation of Holy Poverty (big H, big P), in which we eschew owning anything, but it might lead us to holiness in poverty (little h, little p) by allowing us to look at our belongings and money as not "owned" but "held in trust". When we hold our belongings "in trust" we are able and willing to freely give to those in need because we understand that "it" all belongs to God anyway.
Want to read more about Holy Poverty?
In honor of St. Teresa of Avila's Feast Day, here are some links and bits of information for you to learn more about her, her order, and her call to Holy Poverty.
A prayer for St. Teresa of Avila's Feast Day
Father, by your Spirit you raised up Saint Teresa of Jesus to show your Church the way to perfection. May her inspired teaching awaken in us a longing for true holiness. Grant this through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen..
A retelling of her story geared toward young children. And one for older kids and adults. And one more if you'd like a more complete biography.
She is a patron saint - against bodily ills, headaches, sickness, and heart disease, of lace makers and workers, of those who have lost parents, of people in need of grace, of people in religious orders, and of people ridiculed for their piety, of those in opposition to the Church authorities.She also authored two great spiritual works: The Way of Perfection and The Interior Castle.
Did you enjoy this post? Be sure to subscribe via email or RSS to receive my blog updates.
Saturday, August 2, 2008
VBS - some comments and thoughts
After a week of early rushed mornings, days filled with paint/glitter/clay/ giggling/running/singing, and tired, hobbled-together dinners, VBS (or VBC - Vacation Bible Camp as it was re-christened this week) is OVER.
**Satisfied, tired SIGH**
I've not always been a huge proponent of VBS (I'm not necessarily, still). There are issues of expense, laying more work on already busy moms/volunteers, stewardship follow-up with attendees, and some concern with the "amped-up", crazy-fun mentality. But, growing up I had two particularly meaningful experiences at VBS (really the only two I attended), so I still think some great stuff can occur during these wild weeks!
All that said, this was the best VBS we've had at our church. Yes, it was hectic and draining...and a bit "amped-up", but it was really wonderful - all-in-all.
The question is, "Why was this week so successful?" And secondly, "How can we 'top' it?"
The first reason this week was so successful is, of course, that the Lord blessed it. And we could certainly stop there - what more needs to be said? But there were some definite aspects the Lord used to bless our VBS week.
I was asked at the end of the pool party, "So, how do we top this next year?" To which I replied, "We don't have to top it, we just have to do it again!"
See, this is how much fun we had:
Did you enjoy this post? Be sure to subscribe via email or RSS to receive my blog updates.
**Satisfied, tired SIGH**
I've not always been a huge proponent of VBS (I'm not necessarily, still). There are issues of expense, laying more work on already busy moms/volunteers, stewardship follow-up with attendees, and some concern with the "amped-up", crazy-fun mentality. But, growing up I had two particularly meaningful experiences at VBS (really the only two I attended), so I still think some great stuff can occur during these wild weeks!
All that said, this was the best VBS we've had at our church. Yes, it was hectic and draining...and a bit "amped-up", but it was really wonderful - all-in-all.
The question is, "Why was this week so successful?" And secondly, "How can we 'top' it?"
The first reason this week was so successful is, of course, that the Lord blessed it. And we could certainly stop there - what more needs to be said? But there were some definite aspects the Lord used to bless our VBS week.
- Dads: Our VBS leader didn't just wait for the Dads to volunteer, she specifically asked a few dads to come serve in a very specific way. Realizing that most dads work during the day (we still do mid-day VBS), she found dads that were able to take off a few hours just one morning during the week. Each morning the "dad of the day" served as our Science Lab leader. Of course doing a simple science experiment is right up a dad's alley - and having the added authority of a "DAD" kept the science room under better control than it might have been otherwise. The dads seemed to really enjoy serving in this way and it was so valuable for the kids to see the example set by them!
- Having an energetic and gifted drama leader: 'nuf said.
- Volunteers from the "older" set: We had a number of volunteers whose children are all grown (many with grandchildren) join us to serve as group leaders, time-keepers, kitchen crew, and set-up/take-down. This has been something we've done in the past as well, but this year the number of volunteers from the "older" set was quite a bit higher. I'd say half our volunteers had no children of VBS age - or even close!
- Keeping it SIMPLE: We do not have our own building any longer, so we were at the mercy of our kind church hosts (and very kind and gracious they were). This necessitated that we keep the decorations pretty simple, which many of us discovered was a GREAT blessing. We also kept the craft room simpler than ususal, too. The kids had so much fun, I doubt they noticed any difference!
- Sharing resources: Wisely, our VBS leaders struck a deal with our host church to share some of the VBS expenses by sharing a curriculum package (which allowed us to also share the expense and work of making decorations, too). This left money to have a family pool party after the close on Friday for all the attendees' and volunteers' families. It was a great way to meet some of the parents of kids who were visiting our church via VBS and it gave them a chance to get to know our church family. And it was just plain, FUN!
I was asked at the end of the pool party, "So, how do we top this next year?" To which I replied, "We don't have to top it, we just have to do it again!"
See, this is how much fun we had:
Did you enjoy this post? Be sure to subscribe via email or RSS to receive my blog updates.
Monday, February 18, 2008
Blogging - why the "mommy blog"?
Jimmie from One Child Policy Homeschool has an interesting post on blogging as Mother Culture. She has hit the nail on the head for so many of us "mommy" bloggers, certainly for me (see that over there in my side bar in my "about me" section!).
For me, blogging and blog reading provides me with a link to the world around me, but not a passive link like television. Blogging encourages one to read, think, and respond in a way not possible for at-home (and especially homeschool) moms in their daily lives. Oh, we might get the occassional coffee date with friends, but that is often devoted to catching up and talking "shop" - and always too short! Here's a sample of some of my recent "mother culture" reading via blogs:
Mere Comments
Behind the Veil
Hearts of Darkness
Child-Men
A Grown Up for President
And you'll see more in my "Recently Shared" list in the sidebar.
So, do you find blogging is one type of Mother Culture for you? If so, in what way? Leave a comment -or if you blog about it, leave a link.
For me, blogging and blog reading provides me with a link to the world around me, but not a passive link like television. Blogging encourages one to read, think, and respond in a way not possible for at-home (and especially homeschool) moms in their daily lives. Oh, we might get the occassional coffee date with friends, but that is often devoted to catching up and talking "shop" - and always too short! Here's a sample of some of my recent "mother culture" reading via blogs:
Mere Comments
Behind the Veil
Hearts of Darkness
Child-Men
A Grown Up for President
And you'll see more in my "Recently Shared" list in the sidebar.
So, do you find blogging is one type of Mother Culture for you? If so, in what way? Leave a comment -or if you blog about it, leave a link.
Sunday, February 17, 2008
Having Compassion
Have you been following the Compassion bloggers in Uganda? I've been following two bloggers I particularly enjoy: Rocks in My Dryer and BooMama. Their responses to what they've seen in Uganda have been so full of honesty and love. They've done a wonderful thing by bringing us into some some sort of contact with the real lives of the children Compassion helps. They are on their way home now, but you can still read their blog posts.
It is an honest and honorable human impulse to want to help when we see someone in need. And even more so a Christian one. However, something that I struggle with is *how* to best help. We've all seen and heard about how help from the West can often turn out badly - through corruption (in country or in the charitable organizations) or by having unintended consequences. Last night I stumbled onto an article in City Journal that brought to mind this other side of charity. The side we don't want to think about, but must:
Please don't misundertand me, Compassion and similar organizations that invest in the lives of individuals do a good job of living out the principles of Christian charity without slipping into the paternalism that ruins lives and economies. But, seeing this article just after reading about the work Compassion is doing made me think about how to apply some of the ideals discussed in the City Journal article to the work we do as a church.
How do we ensure that our foreign (and local) mission work is truly uplifting the people we work with? What are some warning signs or pitfalls to avoid? How do we respond to physical needs without falling into the trap of paternalism? One of the ideas the article mentions is encouraging entreprenuers in the population. How can churches do that - any ideas? What are some types of mission projects we could do that would actually inspire and support entreprenuerial activities?
It is an honest and honorable human impulse to want to help when we see someone in need. And even more so a Christian one. However, something that I struggle with is *how* to best help. We've all seen and heard about how help from the West can often turn out badly - through corruption (in country or in the charitable organizations) or by having unintended consequences. Last night I stumbled onto an article in City Journal that brought to mind this other side of charity. The side we don't want to think about, but must:
Kenyan economist James Shikwati agrees that handouts thwart the emergence of a culture of self-reliant problem solving and that they breed corruption to boot. When a drought afflicts Kenya, he says, Kenyan politicians “reflexively cry out for more help.” Their calls reach the United Nations World Food Program...
When the requested grain reaches Africa, a portion of it “often goes directly into the hands of unscrupulous politicians who then pass it on to their own tribe to boost their next election campaign.” Much of the rest of the grain gets dumped at less than fair market value. “Local farmers may as well put down their hoes right away,” Shikwati says. “No one can compete with the UN’s World Food Program.”
Please don't misundertand me, Compassion and similar organizations that invest in the lives of individuals do a good job of living out the principles of Christian charity without slipping into the paternalism that ruins lives and economies. But, seeing this article just after reading about the work Compassion is doing made me think about how to apply some of the ideals discussed in the City Journal article to the work we do as a church.
How do we ensure that our foreign (and local) mission work is truly uplifting the people we work with? What are some warning signs or pitfalls to avoid? How do we respond to physical needs without falling into the trap of paternalism? One of the ideas the article mentions is encouraging entreprenuers in the population. How can churches do that - any ideas? What are some types of mission projects we could do that would actually inspire and support entreprenuerial activities?
Tuesday, February 12, 2008
Bloggers in Africa
I recently became aware of a program by Compassion International involving a group of western bloggers (maybe all American, I'm not sure). Compassion has arranged to take this group of bloggers to Africa and have them blog about their experiences there.
One of my favorite bloggers, Rocks in my Dryer, is there right now, and she's blogged about her first day. You don't want to miss it!
One of my favorite bloggers, Rocks in my Dryer, is there right now, and she's blogged about her first day. You don't want to miss it!
Sunday, February 10, 2008
More on Confession (Updated)
On Saturday, I posted a self-examination I found to prepare oneself for confession (either private or with a priest). Sam and Kate both had some great comments. Today, in my GoogleReader, I came across this story about a resurgence, or maybe a better word is re-emphasis, on confession coming from the Diocese of Pittsburgh (RC). (HT: GetReligion) :
And some quotes from Anglicans:
Thomas Becon (1512-1567), Chaplain to Archbishop Cranmer:
Charles Chapman Grafton (1830-1912), Bishop of Fond du Lac (Wisonsin):
Herbert H Kelley (1860-1950), Founder Society of the Sacred Mission:
These quotes were culled from Love's Redeeming Work: The Anglican Quest for Holiness
, which is a compilation of writings from Anglican theologians.
Updated to add: The Happy Catholic has linked to an interesting article on confession. Is it the season of Lent, that I'm noticing articles on confession because it is one the mind....or is the Lord trying to tell me something? Sometimes it does take a good "2X4" as my pastor likes to say.
...search for a regular confessor whose spirituality is compatible with theirs, who will get to know them well enough to see their patterns of sin. From such knowledge comes guidance to grow in holiness....
And some quotes from Anglicans:
Thomas Becon (1512-1567), Chaplain to Archbishop Cranmer:
There is nothing so good and of so great excellency, but it may be abused. The abuse thereof is taken away, and not the thing itself. That confession hath been greatly abused it cannot be denied...yet ought it not therefore to be rejected and cast away, but rather restored to the old purity, and to the use for the which it was first instituted.
That auricular confession is a thing of much weight and grave importance...it engraffeth in us a certain humility, submission, and lowliness of mind, and sepresseth all arrogancy and pride....
Charles Chapman Grafton (1830-1912), Bishop of Fond du Lac (Wisonsin):
In this holy mystery (confession) Christ comes seeking us. As if we were His only care, He makes search for us as the Good Shepherd. He comes to find us in our wandering, to rescue us from the thickets werhein we have been caught, to take us up trembling and with bleeding feet, and in His own arms to bear us safely back to the Fold.
Herbert H Kelley (1860-1950), Founder Society of the Sacred Mission:
The plain fact is that this intense resentment we feel at confessing to anybody is the very essence of the whole business. Sin is selfness, self-concentration, and that is, isolation. By its very essence it is the secret of the soul....
In very wide circles, the practical loss of the habit of confessing to a priest - as a quite normal thing - has led to an almost complete loss of any sense of sin....Then if we will not face the trouble and humiliation of confession, we take refuge in that indifference which is so terribly common.
These quotes were culled from Love's Redeeming Work: The Anglican Quest for Holiness
, which is a compilation of writings from Anglican theologians.Updated to add: The Happy Catholic has linked to an interesting article on confession. Is it the season of Lent, that I'm noticing articles on confession because it is one the mind....or is the Lord trying to tell me something? Sometimes it does take a good "2X4" as my pastor likes to say.
Friday, February 8, 2008
Good Confession
I wanted to post this last week for Ash Wednesday, but we were all under the weather with the flu.
While we are not required to go to a priest for confession, Anglicans are expected to do a self-examination before communion, and we make a general statement of contrition during the service. Other than that we are a bit on our own.
While getting prepared for Ash Wednesday services, I came across a good guide for self examination based on the Ten Commandments and the Beatitudes. I'm going to use this regularly this Lent and probably beyond.
I am the Lord your God, and you shall have no other gods before me.
Has God been the source, center and hope of my life? Have I put myself, others or things before God? Have I failed to trust in God’s existence, love and mercy? Have I failed to pray to God, to worship Him and to thank Him for His blessings? Have I tried to serve God and keep His commandments faithfully? Have I murmured or complained against God in adversity? Have I praised and glorified God through my words and deeds?
You shall not make for yourself a graven image in order to worship it.
Have I valued anyone or anything above God? Have I given to anyone or anything the love, honor and worship that belongs to God alone? Have I made and idol of any person, idea, occupation, or thing?
You shall not take the name of the Lord your God in vain.
Have I blasphemed God’s holy name in any way? Have I sworn a false oath? Have I broken any solemn vow or promise? Have I entered into an agreement, promise or contract against God’s law? Have I cursed or used foul language?
Remember the Sabbath day to keep it holy.
Have I worshiped regularly on Sundays and major feast days and have I helped others to do the same? Have I worked unnecessarily on Sundays or major feast days or caused others to do so? Have I spent the Lord’s Day in a wholesome and edifying ways?
Honor your father and mother.
Have I loved and respected my parent s as I should? Have I neglected them or failed to help them? Have I disobeyed them, deceived them or caused them pain by my words or deeds? Have I treated all my family members with patience and love?
Thou shall not kill.
Have I caused the harm, injury or death of anyone? Have I wished my own or anyone’s harm or death? Have I been cruel to animals or destroyed any life unnecessarily?
You shall not commit adultery.
Have I committed any immoral acts alone or with others? Have I caused others to commit immoral acts? Have I committed immoral acts in my heart?
You shall not steal.
Have I taken anything that was not mine from anyone or from anywhere? Have I cheated anyone? Have I caused others to steal or cheat? Have I tried to find the owners of lost things I have found? Have I damaged or destroyed anything that belonged to another? Have I defrauded anyone of rightful wages? Have I paid my debts? Have I given to the poor and to philanthropic causes in proportion to my means?
You shall not bear false witness.
Have I given false testimony against anyone? Have I spoken evil, told lies or spread rumors about anyone? Have I disclosed to anyone the sins and faults of another? Have I made careless statements or done anything else to harm the name and reputation of another? Have I engaged in idle gossip?
You shall not covet.
Have I looked with envy jealousy or hatred toward the possession talents or achievements of others? Have I desired the downfall or loss of others out of evil intent that I might benefit? Have I grieved that God has bestowed greater blessings on others than on me?
Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
Have I truly recognized my complete dependence on God? Have I been proud arrogant and self-righteous in my ways? Have I been selfish, possessive and self-seeking? Have I sought after status power and wealth?
Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted.
Have I endured difficulties and afflictions with faith and patience? Have I felt sadness for the sufferings of the poor, the hungry, and addicted; the sick, the lonely and the sinful of the world? Have I truly been sorrowful for my sins and faults?
Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth.
Have I tried to serve or rather to dominate others at home, school, work, office, Church and elsewhere? Have I nursed against anyone? Have I been resentful, bitter, unforgiving or insulting and abusive to others? Have I loved my enemies?
Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied.
Have I truly yearned for God’s will to be done in all things? Have I worked for justice in my family, society and the world in ways with in my reach? Have I tried to cultivate a righteous life through prayer, fasting, worship, receiving Holy Communion and deeds of love toward others?
Blessed are the merciful, for they shall obtain mercy.
Have I shown compassion and help toward the poor, hungry, lonely and needy around me? Have I tried to understand and forgive others? Have I been indifferent judgmental or legalistic?
Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.
Have I loved goodness, purity and holiness? Have I succumbed to evil motives and intentions? Have I given way to impure thoughts, words or deeds? Have I been guilty of bias and prejudice? Have I been hypocritical, pretentious or self-indulgent to sinful passions?
Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God.
Do I have God’s peace in my heart? Have I been unfairly angry, aggressive or impatient? Have I worked for peace at home, work, Church and in society? Have I been irritable, polemical, or divisive?
Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
Have I complained when persecuted for God’s sake? Have I prayed for my persecutors? Have I failed to defend anyone in the truth for fear of humiliation or persecution? Have I had the courage to stand up for what is right despite criticism, ridicule or persecution?
Blessed are you when they revile you and persecute you on my account; rejoice and be clad, for your reward is great in heaven
Is the joy of Christ in my heart even in trying moments? Have I been pessimistic despondent or despairing? Have I truly delighted in the promise of God’s treasures in heaven?
While we are not required to go to a priest for confession, Anglicans are expected to do a self-examination before communion, and we make a general statement of contrition during the service. Other than that we are a bit on our own.
While getting prepared for Ash Wednesday services, I came across a good guide for self examination based on the Ten Commandments and the Beatitudes. I'm going to use this regularly this Lent and probably beyond.
The Ten Commandments
I am the Lord your God, and you shall have no other gods before me.
Has God been the source, center and hope of my life? Have I put myself, others or things before God? Have I failed to trust in God’s existence, love and mercy? Have I failed to pray to God, to worship Him and to thank Him for His blessings? Have I tried to serve God and keep His commandments faithfully? Have I murmured or complained against God in adversity? Have I praised and glorified God through my words and deeds?
You shall not make for yourself a graven image in order to worship it.
Have I valued anyone or anything above God? Have I given to anyone or anything the love, honor and worship that belongs to God alone? Have I made and idol of any person, idea, occupation, or thing?
You shall not take the name of the Lord your God in vain.
Have I blasphemed God’s holy name in any way? Have I sworn a false oath? Have I broken any solemn vow or promise? Have I entered into an agreement, promise or contract against God’s law? Have I cursed or used foul language?
Remember the Sabbath day to keep it holy.
Have I worshiped regularly on Sundays and major feast days and have I helped others to do the same? Have I worked unnecessarily on Sundays or major feast days or caused others to do so? Have I spent the Lord’s Day in a wholesome and edifying ways?
Honor your father and mother.
Have I loved and respected my parent s as I should? Have I neglected them or failed to help them? Have I disobeyed them, deceived them or caused them pain by my words or deeds? Have I treated all my family members with patience and love?
Thou shall not kill.
Have I caused the harm, injury or death of anyone? Have I wished my own or anyone’s harm or death? Have I been cruel to animals or destroyed any life unnecessarily?
You shall not commit adultery.
Have I committed any immoral acts alone or with others? Have I caused others to commit immoral acts? Have I committed immoral acts in my heart?
You shall not steal.
Have I taken anything that was not mine from anyone or from anywhere? Have I cheated anyone? Have I caused others to steal or cheat? Have I tried to find the owners of lost things I have found? Have I damaged or destroyed anything that belonged to another? Have I defrauded anyone of rightful wages? Have I paid my debts? Have I given to the poor and to philanthropic causes in proportion to my means?
You shall not bear false witness.
Have I given false testimony against anyone? Have I spoken evil, told lies or spread rumors about anyone? Have I disclosed to anyone the sins and faults of another? Have I made careless statements or done anything else to harm the name and reputation of another? Have I engaged in idle gossip?
You shall not covet.
Have I looked with envy jealousy or hatred toward the possession talents or achievements of others? Have I desired the downfall or loss of others out of evil intent that I might benefit? Have I grieved that God has bestowed greater blessings on others than on me?
The Beatitudes
Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
Have I truly recognized my complete dependence on God? Have I been proud arrogant and self-righteous in my ways? Have I been selfish, possessive and self-seeking? Have I sought after status power and wealth?
Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted.
Have I endured difficulties and afflictions with faith and patience? Have I felt sadness for the sufferings of the poor, the hungry, and addicted; the sick, the lonely and the sinful of the world? Have I truly been sorrowful for my sins and faults?
Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth.
Have I tried to serve or rather to dominate others at home, school, work, office, Church and elsewhere? Have I nursed against anyone? Have I been resentful, bitter, unforgiving or insulting and abusive to others? Have I loved my enemies?
Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied.
Have I truly yearned for God’s will to be done in all things? Have I worked for justice in my family, society and the world in ways with in my reach? Have I tried to cultivate a righteous life through prayer, fasting, worship, receiving Holy Communion and deeds of love toward others?
Blessed are the merciful, for they shall obtain mercy.
Have I shown compassion and help toward the poor, hungry, lonely and needy around me? Have I tried to understand and forgive others? Have I been indifferent judgmental or legalistic?
Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.
Have I loved goodness, purity and holiness? Have I succumbed to evil motives and intentions? Have I given way to impure thoughts, words or deeds? Have I been guilty of bias and prejudice? Have I been hypocritical, pretentious or self-indulgent to sinful passions?
Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God.
Do I have God’s peace in my heart? Have I been unfairly angry, aggressive or impatient? Have I worked for peace at home, work, Church and in society? Have I been irritable, polemical, or divisive?
Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
Have I complained when persecuted for God’s sake? Have I prayed for my persecutors? Have I failed to defend anyone in the truth for fear of humiliation or persecution? Have I had the courage to stand up for what is right despite criticism, ridicule or persecution?
Blessed are you when they revile you and persecute you on my account; rejoice and be clad, for your reward is great in heaven
Is the joy of Christ in my heart even in trying moments? Have I been pessimistic despondent or despairing? Have I truly delighted in the promise of God’s treasures in heaven?
Tuesday, October 23, 2007
Rethinking the mundane
I'm in a bit of a cooking funk right now. This just happens to me sometimes - most especially when life is particularly busy, which it is. This also means grocery shopping holds very little appeal for me. Not that it has ever been the highlight of my week, but I can usually find some joy in an hour of quiet contemplation of "Nutritional Labeling", or methods of can stacking, or the delightful variety of apples. (Of course that is when I am able to go alone!)
Well, tonight is the night I HAVE to go to the store. No milk, no bread, ... the cupboard is bare.
Of course it isn't REALLY bare, just my perception of bare. This post today at "Et tu?' blog made me stop about my perceptions...and it made me rethink the mundane.
Hat Tip: PalmTree Pundit
Well, tonight is the night I HAVE to go to the store. No milk, no bread, ... the cupboard is bare.
Of course it isn't REALLY bare, just my perception of bare. This post today at "Et tu?' blog made me stop about my perceptions...and it made me rethink the mundane.
Hat Tip: PalmTree Pundit
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
