listening to that other voice . . .

"The terrible thing, the almost impossible thing, is to hand over your whole self - all your wishes and precautions - to Christ.  But it is far easier than what we are all trying to do instead.  For what we are trying to do is to remain what we call 'ourselves,' to keep personal happiness as our great aim in life, and yet at the same time be 'good.'  We are all trying to let our mind and heart go our own way - centered on money or pleasure or ambition - and hoping, in spite of this, to behave honestly and chastely and humbly.  And that is exactly what Christ warned us you could not do. . . .

That is why the real problem of the Christian life comes where people do not usually look for it.  It comes the very moment you wake up each morning.  All your wishes and hopes for the day rush at you like wild animals.  And the first job each morning consists simply in shoving them all back; in listening to that other voice, taking that other point of view, letting that other larger, stronger, quieter life come flowing in.  And so on, all day. Standing back from all your natural fussings and frettings; coming in out of the wind."

- C.S. Lewis in Mere Christianity, Chapter 8

loving this Pandora station!

Thanks, MJ, for posting this on your blog!  Bryan & Katie Torwalt Radio on Pandora.  Thoughtful lyrics and great sound that leads you into worship - some familiar songs and some great new ones.

looking backward & forward as a new year begins

I'm not really one for formal new year's resolutions, but I typically enjoy taking advantage of the start of a new season (ie - a new semester of school, birthdays, a new year) by using it to reflect on the past and look ahead to the future.  In case anyone is a) actually reading this blog! and b) would like use the start of 2014 as a reason to pause and reflect, I thought I'd share a couple of quick resources in case they might be helpful to someone else.

Conversation with God has never been a struggle for me - probably because I'm a verbal processor ;-)  But I find that the listening side of prayer is not always easy or comfortable for me - and lately I've struggled with connecting with God through the Word.  I recently pulled out a book I got a long time ago called Face to Face: Praying the Scriptures for Intimate Worship.  The Holy Spirit knew exactly what I needed!  I have really been enjoying the Scripture passages & how they speak directly into my real-time circumstances, as well as the general structure the book is providing to my prayers.

Another resource that I haven't gone through point-by-point, but find helpful to frame my thinking at this time of year is something put out by the C.S. Lewis Institute called a Spiritual Checkup.  The exercise is framed under two primary categories: Loving God & loving your neighbor.  Good, thoughtful checkpoints.