Thanksgiving is the enemy of discontent and dissatisfaction. H.A. Ironside Today in the United States we enjoy a special day; a time set aside for us to be thankful for our blessings. Both today’s blessings, and those from the past. Yet our awareness of thankfulness often proves to be fleeting.  Why? Because we may take what we have for granted. As we sit at a table full of food today, we often forget to be thankful that we even have any food at all. Most of us can fill the fridge and pantry with a quick trip to the store and without much worry…while so many in our world wonder where the next meal will come from.  Isn’t it interesting that we tend to pay so little attention to the things we consider ordinary or usual? In a sense, we “hold out”. We reserve our expressions of thanks for the big things. The unusual blessings. And we forget that our daily bread actually is a consistent reason for giving thanks.  And so, in our world of plenty, we may overloo...

This is the final post related to my trip to the Seattle area last month.  In my daily life, I tend to fill every moment. I do this, because my body and soul resist slowing down, and I struggle to give myself permission for downtime. However, I find this tendency slowly changing as I realize the importance of unhurried, open spaces of time to rest my soul.  Once I make specific plans, and get away for time alone with God, I find this slower rhythm to be so refreshing. It often includes inner joyful moments as God rejuvenates my soul, and reminds me of his love for me and his pleasure in just being with me.  Since the primary purpose of my trip to Washington was to speak for a women’s retreat (a time of giving out and investing in others), I decided to take a few extra days afterward for some time alone. I have gone away by myself a number of times, and have learned some “do’s and don’ts” that help me enjoy the experiences God provides when I have unscheduled ti...

This is fourth of five blogs about my recent trip to the Seattle area. I stole up to her bedroom door and quietly opened it. Little Eden – almost 3 years old – popped up and said that heart-melting word, “Grandma!”And with that we hugged. Downstairs, five-week-old Miranda moved her tiny fingers and looked at me with her little sweet eyes. Another heart-melting moment for Grandma.  What is it about little ones that touches our hearts…and even makes us act like children once again? When I’m with my grandkids, I find myself dancing, or singing, or racing cars. I delight in imaginative play as we share time together. Somehow paperwork and phone calls lose a great deal of interest when my grandchildren want to be explorers or ballerinas, or wants me to watch as they bob a balloon on their leg. Being with these precious children brings a sense of refreshment to my soul. And it’s clear that they so often are delighted to spend time with me. This recent visit with the litt...

This is the third of five blogs about my recent trip to the Seattle area.  I approached the door, wondering how this visit with an old friend would go. We met when we were about 7 or 8 and spent many years of our childhood together. Since that time, we periodically have corresponded and seen each other occasionally for short visits…often at a social gathering with many other people. This is the first time as an adult I would spend the night at her home. Just the two of us. I found myself wondering: what would this lengthy visit actually be like? Would we discover that our only connection was the past, or would there be new ways of relating in this current season of life? It was, of course, a trip down memory lane, with lots of remembered adventures and stories from years past. Then there were the side trips, as we explained our history as “grown-ups” and our evolving families. There were some sad moments as we talked about loss. The loss of parents. The loss of friends. ...

This is the second of five blogs reflecting on my trip to the Seattle area a few weeks ago.   A few days before my trip, I was meditating on the story in John 5, of the invalid laying by the pool in Bethsaida. This man has been trying to get into this pool at just the right time, in order to be healed, for over 38 years. Yet Jesus asks him, “Do you want to be healed?” Isn’t the answer obvious? I was reflecting on this question as I prepared to be the weekend retreat speaker for a church group. It occurred to me that Jesus’ question is not as shallow – or as obvious – as it seems.  On the surface level, of course, we know the man wants to be healed He’s obviously been sitting by that pool for nearly 40 years with a specific purpose in mind. Yet this question from Jesus – like many things he says – is designed to dig below the surface to deeper issues. He wants to root out our motives and attitudes. He wants us to become self-aware, and recognize whether or not ...

For the next few weeks I want to share some reflections based on my October trip north to the Seattle area.  I parked in front of an old, two story building not far from the Columbia River and stepped into the history of a 1911 building. For a number of years this huge building (14,000 square feet) was a church. It also spent time as a very large home, and even had years as an Antique Mall. There were nooks and crannies, old pipes and insulation, furniture from other eras, and non-standard windows and shades.  My host and her parents bought this building at an auction one year ago. Some of the large, public spaces will be redesigned and re-purposed to serve as rental space, or an art studio, or a meeting and event room. Other parts of this building will be updated and used as originally intended: as bedrooms, a kitchen, bathrooms and closets. Walls will be moved, space will be cleared, furnishings will be relocated, fresh paint will be applied.  Sometimes we...

“I’ve never done this before,” I told the young man. He said, “My mom’s in her 60’s and she does it all the time!” That was only partly reassuring, because – even though I’m also over 60 - I was facing a totally new and rather scary experience. The young man hooked me into the harness, encouraged me to take my time, and just see what I could do.  I took a deep breath and looked for the green hand-grips, which were the largest and easy to grab.  I just focused on what was before me, one step higher at time, and refused to look down. When my arms grew tired, I leaned back momentarily to rest and kept my grip. And then, all of a sudden, I was there. I had reached the top. So I pushed off the wall, and the auto-belay lowered me down. I was full of a great sense of exultation and accomplishment. I had done it! I had climbed a vertical wall! Now I realize that for some people hitching themselves to a rope and climbing an indoor wall would be no big deal. For me...