Coffee & Conversation

From the website “Journey to the Cross”
Friday, March 5, 2010
http://www.d365.org/journeytothecross/

Dear God, at your earliest convenience, could you please send me a detailed list of your plans for my life and for the world? That would really help me out and I promise I won’t tell anyone. Thanks!

Oh, if only life were so easy and God were so clear! Sure, God is pretty evident when you see a beautiful sunset or a child born or when a stranger offers words of encouragement. But that day-to-day life thing – not so much.

A hallmark of our faith is that at the end of the day, we are claimed by God to be part of God’s unfolding of life and creation. We are not always going to know how we fit into that unfolding, but we believe that we are somehow part of its realization. While this could be daunting and overwhelming, it is also a chance for us to embrace the art and dance of faith. We struggle with God’s word to us through scripture to guide our lives. We navigate the nuances of communal discernment. We come to God in prayer, lifting our voices to God, seeking to know God’s will. What an amazing gift of faith we have, knowing God so deeply that we trust God without even knowing where God may be leading us!

Bruce Reyes-Chow

Amazing God, open my heart and mind to your presence during this season of Lent. Allow me the wisdom to trust in the unfolding of your hopes in my life and in the world. Amen.

But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. Therefore, my beloved, be steadfast, immovable, always excelling in the work of the Lord, because you know that in the Lord your labor is not in vain.
1 Corinthians 15:57-58

Lent for me is a time when I make a conscious effort to get closer to God, through prayer, meditation, attending church services, reading, writing, and listening. I typically do not watch TV very much, and I usually find plenty of miscellaneous “busy” stuff to fill the time I would otherwise be stuck in front of that little box. But during the 40 days of Lent, I try to simplify even more, to give myself plenty of quiet time, when I do nothing except the basic things I listed above. Not only is this experience calming and relaxing, but I really do find that I can establish a peaceful and tranquil environment and let my mind be completely open to whatever thoughts and dialogue come to me. There are so many resources that I come in contact with to stimulate my thoughts and help to make my meditation time more meaningful. It might be something I read, something I see, something I hear, or a conversation with another person. I start to really think about it, and before long, I am understanding on a deeper level, listening for whatever God is trying to tell me through the particular resource. This year, a resource I have found particularly valuable is the Daily Lenten Devotional by members of the St. George Church Family. I am so thankful to all the contributors, for their thoughts and explanations, insights and the lessons learned. Reading a page each day gets me in the right frame of mind to start my quiet time where my own thoughts can flow freely. As suggested in the Devotional, I have also started a Lenten Journal which is helping me capture my thoughts, feelings and experiences during this contemplative time of year. One habit I have started this Lent is to start each day with some personal affirmations, to get the day started off the way I want to, and to remind myself of the actions and behaviors I choose to embrace and those that I choose to release. It is really working for me and I wanted to share the practice to help anyone else who would like to try it. Here are my affirmations – feel free to use these, or add your own personal ones that have the most meaning to you.

TODAY, WITH GOD’S HELP:

• I CHOOSE TO BE AT PEACE WITH MYSELF;
• I CHOOSE TO ACCEPT MYSELF AS I AM, AND OTHERS AS THEY ARE;
• I CHOOSE TO BE HAPPY AND JOYFUL;
• I CHOOSE TO EMBRACE HOPE AND POSITIVE ENERGY;
• I CHOOSE TO FEEL CONFIDENT AND ABLE TO DEAL WITH ANYTHING CALMLY;
• I CHOOSE TO FORGIVE OTHERS AND ACCEPT FORGIVENESS FOR MYSELF;
• I CHOOSE TO EAT FOOD THAT NOURISHES AND STRENGTHENS MY BODY AND CONTRIBUTES TO MY HEALTH AND MY WELL BEING;
• I CHOOSE TO ENJOY EVERY EXPERIENCE THAT COMES ALONG;
• I CHOOSE TO CARE FOR MYSELF AND OTHERS WITH DEEP LOVE;
• I CHOOSE TO SEE ALL DIFFICULTIES AS OPPORTUNITIES TO MAKE ME STRONGER;
• I CHOOSE TO RELEASE ALL ANGER, FEAR AND GUILT COMPLETELY;
• I CHOOSE TO RELEASE ALL NEGATIVE EMOTIONS;
• I CHOOSE TO RELEASE ALL STRESS AND ANXIETY;
• I CAN ACCOMPLISH ANY TASK WITH EASE;
• I INTEND THAT MY ACTIONS HAVE A POSITIVE IMPACT;

TODAY, I AM THANKFUL TO GOD AND I AM GRATEFUL TO BE ALIVE.

- AMEN -

Just wanted to share some positive energy for today! Came across this article from the website www.the-benefits-of-positive-thinking.com. Lots of great stuff. Check it out if you get a chance!

The Best Positive Phrases You Can Have Now

It’s not always easy to keep a positive attitude. Some of us choose to use positive phrases and affirmations repeated with intention to maintain a positive attitude. The best positive statements contain powerful words and make us feel great about ourselves, the world and the future. I have collected the following phrases for you. They are powerful sentences that aim to uplift you and help you have a positive attitude. I like chucking some of these phrases into my Affirmation Ticker, which displays them for me smoothly rolling by on a bar across the top of my computer screen – a great way to be inspired whenever you’re at your computer! Wait no more, and grab your positive phrases here…

* I accept life as it comes. Every day I become more and more the complete person I truly am.

* I intend to make a positive impact on the people I come in contact with.

* I am willing to forgive myself and learn from my mistakes to become a better person.

* I appreciate all acts of kindness that many people have toward me.

* I am thankful for being alive.

* I keep a flexible attitude toward changes in life.

* I welcome the future with a happy and open attitude.

* I intend to be more kind toward the people I come in contact with daily.

* I am grateful for all the possibilities that lie before me at present.

* I choose to be kind to myself.

* I am open to receive more wisdom every day.

* I choose to live my life with a purpose and give back to the world.

* I decide to release myself from old patterns of thought that no longer serve me.

* I choose to see all the opportunities that are presented to me daily.

* I forgive everyone that has ever done wrong to me. I choose to release all resentments. I choose peace and freedom.

* I choose to live my life daily to the fullest always in the present moment.

Have a great day

Just thought I’d share this forwarded email, it has some good reminders at the end…

I grew up in the 50’s with practical parents. A mother, God love her, who washed aluminum foil after she cooked in it, then reused it. She was the original recycle queen, before they had a name for it… A father who was happier getting old shoes fixed than buying new ones. Their marriage was good, their dreams focused. Their best friends lived barely a wave away.  I can see them now, Dad in trousers, tee shirt and a hat and Mom in a house dress, lawn mower in one hand, and dish-towel in the other. It was the time for fixing things. A curtain rod, the kitchen radio, screen door, the oven door, the hem in a dress. Things we keep.  It was a way of life, and sometimes it made me crazy.. All that re-fixing, eating, renewing, I wanted just once to be wasteful. Waste meant affluence. Throwing things away meant you knew there’d always be more.  Sometimes, what we care about most gets all used up and goes away…never to return. So… while we have it… it’s best we love it…. and care for it… and fix it when it’s broken……… and heal it when it’s sick.  This is true for relationships ….. and old cars…. and children with bad report cards….. and dogs with bad hips…. and aging parents….. and grandparents.. We keep them because they are worth it, because we are worth it. Some things we keep. Like a best friend that moved away or a classmate we grew up with.  There are just some things that make life important, like people we know who are special……. and so, we keep them close!

I received this from someone who thinks I am a ‘keeper’, so I’ve sent it to the people I think of in the same way.. Now it’s your turn to send this to those people that are “keepers” in your life..  Good friends are like stars…. You don’t always see them, but you know they are always there.  Keep them close!

TEN THINGS GOD WON’T ASK ON THAT DAY:

1….. God won’t ask what kind of car you drove. He’ll ask how many people you drove who didn’t have transportation.

2… God won’t ask the square footage of your house, He’ll ask how many people you welcomed into your home.

3….. God won’t ask about the clothes you had in your closet, He’ll ask how many you helped to clothe.

4… God won’t ask what your highest salary was. He’ll ask if you compromised your character to obtain it.

5… God won’t ask what your job title was. He’ll ask if you performed your job to the best of your ability.

6…. God won’t ask how many friends you had. He’ll ask how many people to whom you were a friend.

7… God won’t ask in what neighborhood you lived, He’ll ask how you treated your neighbors.

8… God won’t ask about the color of your skin, He’ll ask about the content of your character.

9… God won’t ask why it took you so long to seek Salvation. He’ll lovingly take you to your mansion in heaven, and not to the gates of Hell.

10… God won’t have to ask how many people you forwarded this to, He already knows your decision.

Have a great and blessed day

Sounds pretty simple, huh?

The following points are taken from Tom Rath’s Strengths Finder 2.0.  I’ve been doing some research for my job to develop interventions in academic learning that will enhance achievement while promoting positive self-perceptions among students.  I would like to get some of your thoughts on the basic premise put forth in the book.

Basic Premise: You can be anything you want to be or You can be anything you want to be, if you just try hard enough are misguided maxims. Rather it should be something like, You cannot be anything you want to be–but you can be a lot more of who you already are.

Below are some quotes provided to support the premise and the idea that our society puts too much emphasis on the negative rather than the positive.

“In every culture we have studied, the overwhelming majority of parents (77% in the U.S.) think that a student’s lowest grades deserve the most time and attention.  Parents and teachers reward excellence with apathy instead of investing more time in the areas where a child has the most potential for greatness.  The reality is that a person who has always struggled with numbers is unlikely to be a great accountant or statistician….Even the legendary Michael Jordan, who embodied the power of raw talent on the basketball court,  could not become, well, the ‘Michael Jordan’ of golf or baseball, no matter how hard he tried” (page 7).

It concludes that because of the misleading maxim, too many people spend a lifetime headed in the wrong direction:  “Mark Twain once described a man who died and met St. Peter at the Pearly Gates.  Knowing that St. Peter was very wise, the man asked a question that he had wondered about throughout his life.  He said, ‘St. Peter, I have bee interested in military history for many years.  Who was the greatest general of all time?’ 

St. Peter quickly responded, ‘Oh that’s a simple question.  It’s that man right over there.’ 

‘You must be mistaken,’ responded the man, now very perplexed.  ‘I knew that man on earth, and he was just a common laborer.’ 

‘That’s right, my friend,’ assured St. Peter.  ‘He would have been the geatest general of all time, if he had been a general’” (page 29).

What are your thoughts regarding the idea that more time needs to be put towards helping children discover and tap into their natural talents and then cultivate strength through added knowledge, skills, and practice?  The other side of that being that we let children know that being just average and sometimes not even that good in a particular area is okay as long as their best effort is put forward.

In such a world, perhaps school report card grades would come with an added section quantifying effort.  Are there any other things you would visualize at home and school that could benefit our children if the overall focus shifted from what you are doing right over what you are doing wrong?

I came across an insightful quote called “Paradoxical Commandments of Leadership.” Here’s what it says:

People are illogical, unreasonable and self-centered – love them anyway.
If you do good, people will accuse you of selfish ulterior motives – do good anyway.
If you’re successful, you’ll win false friends and true enemies – succeed anyway.
The good you do today will perhaps be forgotten tomorrow – do good anyway.
Honesty and frankness make you vulnerable – be honest and frank anyway.
The biggest man with the biggest ideas can be shot down by the smallest man with the smallest mind – think big anyway.
People favor underdogs but follow only hot dogs – fight for a few underdogs anyway.
What you spend years building up may be destroyed overnight – build anyway.
People really need help but may attack you if you help them – help them anyway.
Give the world the best that you have and you will get kicked in the teeth – give the world the best that you have anyway.
If better is possible, then good is not enough.

Food for thought

“Let love be without dissimulation. Abhor that which is evil; cleave to that which is good. Be kindly affectioned one to another with brotherly love; in honour preferring one another; Not slothful in business; fervent in spirit; serving the Lord;”
Romans 12:9-11

“People” (Click to listen to song)

Fall is a very reflective time signaling that the year is nearing its end and causing us to inventory what we have accomplished as well as what is yet to come; but even more than a calendar reminder, the season is one of spiritual renewal. Just as the cool breezes stir the leaves on the trees and send them gliding through the air, that same stirring spurs our minds to reminisce and puts a little lift and sway to our gait. Yes, for us elders, it is a wonderful time of rejuvenation and inspiration—reviewing the past and anticipating the future—while our children grab hold of the present and all thoughts and desires turn to costume parades, carnival games, and enough candied treats to send their stomachs rolling for a week. I hope we all catch some of their infectious spirit and take time to celebrate in the present and not merely be content in our memories. May this Fall be not only reflective but active.