Simply breathe

Today I am simply grateful for the air that I breathe;
for the ability of my lungs to inhale and exhale;
For the oxygen that infiltrates my blood, making its way to the cells of my body to keep them healthy;
for the gift of life.


You know I like to keep things simple.
Since my last post, I’ve been trying to let go of so much perfomance in the practice of the spiritual disciplines and navigate through each day simply aware of God’s presence.
Today, (slow learner that I am) it struck me that my very breath could serve as a moment by moment reminder of God’s presence with me.

Michael W. Smith’s classic, BREATHE, is the song of thanksgiving that I am singing today:

this is the air I breathe
this is the air I breathe
Your holy presence living in me

this is my daily bread
this is my daily bread
Your very word spoken to me

And I, I'm desperate for you
And I, I'm I'm lost without you

this is the air I breathe
this is the air I breathe
Your holy presence living in me

this is my daily bread
this is my daily bread
Your very word spoken to me

And I, I'm desperate for you
And I, I'm I'm lost without you

And I, I'm desperate for you,
And I, I'm lost without you,

I'm lost without you,

I'm lost without you.

I'm lost without you.

I'm lost without you Lord,

this is the air I breathe
this is the air I breathe
Your holy presence living in me

this is my daily bread
this is my daily bread
Your very word spoken to me

And I, I'm desperate for you
And I, I'm lost without you.

Simply practicing God's Presence

Oh, Honey Girl is a slow learner! Back in the early days of this blog she had said, "I’m giving myself permission to start my practice with baby steps. If I trip up or fall, might I have the grace to get back up and pick up where I’ve left off. "

I have a confession to make – seems I’ve made too much of the spiritual disciplines and I’ve tripped myself up. Lately they’ve become more about performance than practice. In recent days I've had to toss out all of Richard Foster's references (gasp!)and solely practice the presence of God In an effort to keep things simple.
This practice, of God's presence, above all others has proved to be the single most important in my experience with these applications. It is both foundational and pivotal - all the other disciplines and practices hinge and build on this one practice.
Practicing the Presence of God stirs up in me an attitude of gratitude.

I’ve been reviewing this blog's origins. One of the original intents was to use this space as a Gratitude Journal. Might I share with you then, just a few things for which I am grateful at the close of this day?

I’m grateful for each new day and the grace to pick up where I’ve left off or get back up when I’ve tripped and fallen. I’m obliged to a friend – who, this morning reminded me that it’s a brand new day.

Over the past few days, I’ve been thankful for a wood burning stove which has kept the house warm after the furnace quit working.
Today I’m so appreciative that skilled technicians were able to come to the house to install a new furnace.

And now, I’m grateful for the gentle rhythm that comes in anticipation of restful sleep and another day tomorrow when I can simply be aware of God’s presence.

What are you grateful for today?

Keepin' it simple

In keeping with the Spiritual practice of simplicity, Honey Girl shares an old Shaker hymn with you:

'Tis the gift to be simple,
'tis the gift to be free,
'tis the gift to come down where you ought to be,
And when we find ourselves in the place just right,
It will be in the valley of love and delight.

Refrain:
When true simplicity is gained,
To bow and to bend we shan't be ashamed.
To turn, turn will be our delight,
'Til by turning, turning we come round right

'Tis the gift to be loved and that love to return,
'Tis the gift to be taught and a richer gift to learn,
And when we expect of others what we try to live each day,
Then we'll all live together and we'll all learn to say,

Refrain:

'Tis the gift to have friends and a true friend to be,
'Tis the gift to think of others not to only think of "me",
And when we hear what others really think and really feel,
Then we'll all live together with a love that is real.

Refrain:


I especially love the opening phrases from this old hymn -
'Tis the gift to be simple,
'tis the gift to be free -
Now, if I can only receive the gift....

a simple primer

In my last blog, Honey Girl invited you, dear reader, to consider implementing some spiritual practices that will help keep your heart beating in a regular rhythm of love to the ONE who is faithful and ever present in your life. I'm curious if you’ve taken any action on this or if you’re contemplating where to begin.

Some of you might even be wondering just what these spiritual disciplines are. Are you as put off by the use of the word,” discipline,” as I once was? Well, think of them as practices, then.

For those of you, who are not familiar with these practices, allow me to present you Richard Foster’s list from his classic book, CELEBRATION OF DISCIPLINE, which became my primer from which too learn about the disciplines – or practices.

Here, then, is Spiritual Discipline 101:

There are four Inward Disciplines:
Meditation, Prayer, Fasting, and Study.

The Outward Disciplines are comprised of these:
Simplicity, Solitude, Submission, and Service.

Then, there are the Corporate Disciplines consisting of:
Confession, Worship, Guidance and Celebration.

Something struck me as I exercised the Discipline of Study the other day - Foster allows for Celebration at the end of his list. Yet Jesus begins his ministry at a Celebration – the wedding in Cana.
Now I don’t think that it really matters which order any of these practices are to be implemented, but right now it makes good sense to take a look at Celebration. if you haven’t yet started a practice, what would keep you from beginning with this?

If you were to begin the practice of Celebration as a way to raise your awareness of God’s goodness and abundant provision in your life, what would that look like? I’d love for you to share it with me and those who visit Honey Girl’s Blog Spot – in keeping with Foster’s nod at Celebration being a “corporate” discipline.

Foster quotes Augustine in his chapter on Celebration – “The Christian should be an alleluia from head to foot!”
I love that! And it brings to mind the words of another good ol’ hymn
(you know I love old hymns)

Come, Christians, join to sing
Alleluia! Amen!
Loud praise to Christ our King;
Alleluia! Amen!
Let all, with heart and voice,
Before His throne rejoice;
Praise is His gracious choice.
Alleluia! Amen!

Come, lift your hearts on high,
Alleluia! Amen!
Let praises fill the sky;
Alleluia! Amen!
He is our Guide and Friend;
To us He'll condescend;
His love shall never end.
Alleluia! Amen!

Praise yet our Christ again,
Alleluia! Amen!
Life shall not end the strain;
Alleluia! Amen!
On heaven's blissful shore,
His goodness we'll adore,
Singing forevermore,
"Alleluia! Amen!"

At the very least, sing with me.
(In this way you will be celebrating and practicing a discipline all at the same time. ;o)

And remember to stay tuned for a book giveaway in the coming months that will celebrate a specific spiritual practice.

Until next time,
Grace and peace

simply beating

Much as I’ve enjoyed this summer season which is fading from view, I’m welcoming the change of season- settling into a simpler rhythm of autumn. (I can hear some of you with school age children refuting this perspective! [Think soccer, gymnastics, dance lessons, cross country, football and marching band practice, homework, etc.])

Since late May, there's been an irregular rhythm; of getting ready to go away, being gone, coming back home, catching up, and doing it all over again. I need a predictable rhythm in my life or the chambers of my spiritual heart simply don’t function to their fullest capacity.

It seems that all this coming and going has put me in some type of spiritual Atrial Fibrillation (A-Fib)

Physiologically speaking, A-Fib is an irregular heart rhythm that affects the upper chambers of the heart (the atria). In A-Fib, the atria quiver rather than beating in a normal manner - going into a life-threatening, dysfunctional pattern. This condition is characterized by a lack of coordinated atrial activity - a loss of organized atrial contraction which can lead to a myriad of clinical scenarios… As this condition progresses, ventricular tachycardia may set in and the activity of the heart becomes chaotic - beating too fast to effectively pump blood. At this point, a decisive intervention by way of defibrillation has to be applied or the heart will fail – resulting in death.

Paralleling the clinical assessment and evaluation of A-Fib, I’ve taken a serious look at my spiritual vital signs. Applying this to my inner life, there are some very clear symptoms that point to Spiritual A-Fib.
Figuratively, my heart rate is irregular and racing. Oxygen saturation is diminished due to insufficient respiratory activity. This has led to wheezing and diminished breath sounds. Venous pressure has built up in my head and neck. Other symptoms include tenderness, edema and over reactive reflexes.


Posting this blog entry has given me pause to apply a portable Defibrillator to my heart; allowing it to return to a productive heart rhythm. As I settle into the autumn of this year, it is time to return to some of the spiritual practices that have fallen by the wayside over the past few months – and breathe.

I’m so grateful for this reminder to keep it simple and focus on God’s goodness and abundant provision. As I think back to the inception of this blog, there was an intentionality of expressed gratitude and sharing of the practice of spiritual disciplines.

Simple reflection has given me a direction to take in future blog postings. If you choose to journey with me, I invite you to consider implementing some spiritual practices to your own life that will help keep your heart beating in a regular rhythm of love to the ONE who is faithful and ever present in your life.

Stay tuned for a book giveaway that celebrates a specific spiritual practice.

Until next time,
Grace and peace,
Honey Girl

a simple hymn of praise

I sing the mighty power of God, that made the mountains rise,
That spread the flowing seas abroad, and built the lofty skies.
I sing the wisdom that ordained the sun to rule the day;
The moon shines full at God’s command, and all the stars obey.

I sing the goodness of the Lord, who filled the earth with food,
Who formed the creatures through the Word, and then pronounced them good.
Lord, how Thy wonders are displayed, where’er I turn my eye,
If I survey the ground I tread, or gaze upon the sky.

There’s not a plant or flower below, but makes Thy glories known,
And clouds arise, and tempests blow, by order from Thy throne;
While all that borrows life from Thee is ever in Thy care;
And everywhere that we can be, Thou, God art present there.


This old hymn puts to words what I've been unable to articulate after returning from a memorable vacation in Michigan's Upper Peninsula. Savoring the week just past, I can still hear the rhythm of the waves on the Lake Superior shoreline, envisage the double rainbow on the beach, review the most spectacular sunset ever witnessed, breathe in the pine scented air while hiking the forested dunes - each of these reminders of the freedom, gentleness and unfettered lightness that infused each day. Upon my return, I ponder - How might I capture and continue to live out of a grateful heart for the simple abundance of those grace filled days where I delighted at every turn in God’s presence and glorious creation?

Is there a song that speaks of where you are today? I’d love to have you sing it back to me.

a simple channel

Earlier this summer I was witness to a 700 foot freighter getting stuck in the channel at Ottawa Beach. The channel had recently been dredged out, but significant rainfall allowed for beach sand to wash back into it. Obviously the canal has to be deepened repeatedly to allow for the safe, unobstructed passage of the occasional freighter.

Currently the street I live on is closed to through traffic while the road commission is working to replace the culvert that allows a stream to flow under the road. It’s quite an interesting project which gives me another visual of the importance of keeping the channel open.

Any consideration of these watercourses suggests that regular maintenance is required to keep the water flowing freely. Unless debris is removed from the approach, it could well become clogged or dammed up resulting in all kinds of problems. When the medium is maintained, there is a simple downstream gravitational flow that runs freely.

With that in mind, this old hymn invites me to look at my interior life as a channel – a culvert – a conduit.

I love old hymns and words.

Channels Only
1. How I praise Thee, precious Savior,
That Thy love laid hold of me;
Thou hast saved and cleansed and filled me
That I might Thy channel be.

2. Just a channel full of blessing,
To the thirsty hearts around;
To tell out Thy full salvation
All Thy loving message sound.

3. Emptied that Thou shouldest fill me,
A clean vessel in Thy hand;
With no power but as Thou givest
Graciously with each command.

4. Witnessing Thy power to save me,
Setting free from self and sin;
Thou who boughtest to possess me,
In Thy fullness, Lord, come in.

5. Jesus, fill now with Thy Spirit
Hearts that full surrender know;
That the streams of living water
From our inner self may flow.

Chorus:
Channels only, blessed Master,
But with all Thy wondrous power
Flowing through us, Thou canst use us
Every day and every hour.

Doris Donnelly reminds me that as a conduit of Living Water, "I am pulled not by guilt but by gravity and grace to do what I have come to understand with a high degree of certainty is God's will for me."

The morning office from The Divine Hours concludes with this Prayer of the Church:

Lord God, almighty and everlasting Father, you have brought me in safety to this new day: Preserve me with your mighty power, that I may not fall into sin, nor be overcome by adversity; and in all I do direct me to the fulfilling of your purpose; through Jesus Christ my Lord. Amen

Words, hymns and prayers; simple reminders of God’s abundant provision to help me fulfill his purpose on this pathway that is the river of life.

I invite you to apply this prayer and the above hymn to your purpose as a conduit of God’s love and grace. Where then, might you need some dredging or opening so as to more freely flow with the Master’s power?