Archive for November, 2011

Thankfulness…..

The Psalmist writes:

“Oh yes, you shaped me first inside, then out;

you formed me in my mother’s womb.

I thank you, High God—You are breathtaking!

Body and soul, I am marvelously made!

I worship in adoration—what a creation! ….Psalm139:13-15 MSG

I know that passage by heart and yet I more often pray it…….

“Oh yes, you formed me inside and out, formed me in my mother’s womb but God, did the thighs have to be so wide? The hips so round, the hair quite so gray and oh, Lord, this stomach is bound to belong to another mother……”

Saying thank you for our bodies, is just about the last thing most of us are thankful for this Thanksgiving season. We grouse and complain, we long for a different shape, a different size, a different look and yet, the scripture says it, clearly…….You and I are wonderfully, marvelously made.

So, in this Thanksgiving season, for just once, will you look in the mirror and say, “Thank you God” for a body that lives and breathes and is miraculously made. “Thank you God” for what you so wonderfully created. “Cause me, encourage me, to love and care for it so that this body you gave to me, just me, uniquely me, might be worn with joy and special care and thankfulness.”

“I thank you, High God—You are breathtaking! Body and soul, I am marvelously made! I worship in adortion—What a creation!”

May this be our prayer of Thankfulness this Holiday season.

It Only Takes a Moment…..

Finding time to be still seems to be almost impossible these days.  The pace of our lives gets faster and faster and the Holidays haven’t even arrived!  I can only imagine what it is all going to feel like in a few more weeks.

We live at a pace that isn’t healthy for our body, mind or spirit.  Often times we make decisions on the fly, knowing we need to slow down and really look at the options but we don’t think we have time.  And so we just keep moving. And moving.  At ever faster rates.

I am face to face with this each day as I interface with students that are completing their MBA and/or Law degrees.  The pace is fast, the focus is sharp and intense, the demands often overwhelming.

Sounds like your life, right?

I have something that will help.  A simple one minute meditation.  We all need to slow the pace but doing so is difficult.  But we can’t continue to totally ignore our soul’s need for a respite, a stopping place.  And yes, even a minute will help.

Here is what you need to do:

1. 1.  Find a quiet space.  I know, I know, you haven’t a clue where to find one.  Try your car, with the music off.  The       bathroom, yes, even the one down the hall at the office, a bench in a park, the spare room at your house, the laundry room (no other family member goes in there, right?!) Get creative and find a space.
2. Sit down.
3. Keep your feet flat on the floor
4. Set your alarm for one minute (yes, time this)—your phone has an alarm right? You can set it on vibrate if you are afraid someone else might hear it. But I don’t want you thinking about the time. Setting an alarm takes this issue away from your mind.
5. Place your hands in a comfortable position but still
6. Close your eyes
7. Focus on your breathing, breathing steadily and deeply
8. Should your mind wander, and it will, just think of a word to draw you back to awareness of where you are right now.  You might try your favorite word, or the name of your favorite person, the name of Jesus, words like peace, be still, love, spirit, breathe………you get the idea.
9. Just be present NOW.

When the alarm sounds, open your eyes, stand up slowly and reengage in the world around you.  I promise, you will see it in a different and fresh new light.

Try a one-minute meditation.  I dare you.

Check out these sites for more ideas, information and inspiration:

http://www.onemomentmeditation.com

http://www.d365.org