Non-verbals

I was just wondering the other day that if upwards of 75% of human communication is non-verbal, what does that mean for our prayer life. I would imagine that since we're created in the image of God maybe that's true of Him too. So maybe as we interact with regular daily life we non-verbally pray. Maybe much more oftener than we realize. For instance if we really do the "be still" thing, we actually speak volumes to God in a prayer of trust and such.

Authenticity

I was wondering why it is such a difficult struggle for some people to be authentic or real. Is it a cultural thing for Americans? Or do just certain personalities struggle with letting people see the real person behind the mask? I know a lot of people who live their lives open and vulnerable and without a mask. It doesn't seem to be a thing of faith, on the contrary it seems that if you're involved with a church, you probably wear a more significant mask. I know I do at times and I don't like it. Anyway, I am part of a community of faith that is exploring being real, being human and being authentic. Pray for us so we can lower our masks.

A Happy Ending

I was part of a search and rescue group yesterday. A hunter was lost and 20 guys from my church went out to help the search and rescue team find him. We were doing what they call a grid search, it was kind of weird because it felt like we were looking for a body. It was his fourth day out/three 28 degree nights and they were beginning to think he had been severely injured. But then at 2pm we got the message that the helecopter found him. It was a good day.

Rest

I know I'm on this rest kick, but it seems that I need more of that than the drive to get stuff done lately. It seems backward in our efficient busy culture. I am at a place where I want to enjoy things more, laugh more, be stressed less, have time for people more, listen more, be restful or relaxed more. For me that requires that I have space for rest in my life. I'd like nothing more than just "be" for a while. That does seem backward because almost every voice around me says "do".

Life

What gives you a real sense of life? What makes life worth living? It seems that life is filled with a whole lot of doldrum or boring stuff and then all the sudden there is a flash of life! I want to know what it is so I can see it and experience it more often. I know that seeing things that are beautiful and wondrous gives me something that feels like life. Being surprised by someone's unexpected act of kindness does too. A good laugh is in this category also. Feeling really close to someone special is one of these things. Something in me wants to live in these things oftener.

Sara is off to Samoa

I had the privilege of sending off another friend this weekend. Sara is going off to the Peace Corps for two years. She'll be teaching and generally blessing the Samoan people with her presence. She made the decision to go because she wanted to be used by God to bless people in the name of Jesus. I'm quite certain she'll do that well. Sara's a good friend and will be missed. I'll be praying for her often.

winter is here today

This is Colorado! Summer, Fall for a day and now Winter! This is a shot of the view out my window. Doesn't it just make you want to go out and roll around?!

Heater

I was really tempted to turn on my heater as I commuted this morning. It's starting to feel really chilly and I love it! Its refreshing and invigorating to me. In my quest to discover simplicity, I think I will place cool Autumn mornings as one of the simple pleasures of my life.

Sabbath

I was able to go for a short trip into the mountains this past weekend with My daughter Hannah. It was wonderful. We saw the beautiful aspen trees that are bright and beautiful, a spectacular sunrise and many wild animals (elk, deer, squirrels). I think it was truly a sabbath experience; it was restful, we enjoyed the glory of God's creation and we had exceptional time to build our relationship. I think that God was kind of brilliant when he expressed his desire that we take time out for Sabbath, to rest and experience his glory. I wish I could say I am purposeful and do this more often, but I can't. For me, days of Sabbath are too far and too few.