Rashional Thoughts — Blitzing my way to freedom

Rashional Thoughts — Blitzing my way to freedom

By Jennifer Davis Rash

With my birthday being the same day as this week’s publication date, it seems more than fair that I should be featured on the front page, right?

I agree, but I was unsuccessful in convincing others on staff. Oh well, at least my column was scheduled to run in this issue, so I could still sneak in a shameless plug.

And I know you are all thinking I must be getting close to 30 by now, but I will have to admit this is year 43.

Birthdays always send me into reflection mode and make me think about what was accomplished over the past year and what wasn’t. You might even remember that turning 40 in 2011 launched my journey to find balance in life — spiritual, physical, emotional, etc.

The journey has been a two-steps-forward-one-step-back kind of experience, but I continue to make progress. My most recent single-tasking focus is actually helping quite a bit.

In fact, the overwhelming stack of undone projects is nearing a manageable level. It may take the rest of this year to achieve that level, but I’m encouraged by the ability to see the goal line for the first time.

One way I’m finding success is by using the blitzing method. My friend and mentor Terry Newberry taught me about blitzing in his book “The Boss” (www.terrynewberry.com/the-boss.html).

Bring on the dreaded

“Blitzing the most difficult or dreaded job first provides a huge sense of accomplishment and momentum,” Newberry writes. And he is right.

Once the ball gets rolling, new energy appears to tackle another project and another and another.

I’ve been working on this at home and the office. We even had a Project Blitz Week recently at The Alabama Baptist (see story, page 1).

It was fun to watch the weight lift from everyone’s shoulders and the energy level escalate throughout the staff.

And with new energy comes clarity and focus if we let it.

I gained a new appreciation for seeing clearly after having an allergic reaction in early May that landed me in the emergency room for five hours. My eyeballs swelled quite large and then my eyelids swelled shut — yes you may laugh at the image I’m sure you have of me right now.

Making room to hear

I could not see anyone around me, but I heard the gasps and “oh mys” clearly as I made my way through the ER waiting room. It was hard for me to be so dependent on others and not be able to see. It was an odd feeling knowing so many people could see exactly what was happening to me while I relied solely on the reports of those with me.

And while I couldn’t see at all for a while and then couldn’t see clearly for several days, I realized how much more carefully I listened when I wasn’t able to use my eyes to their fullest ability.

So many things compete for my attention and I’m constantly looking here and there and everywhere to take care of this task and that project and whatever else shows up unexpectedly. But with all the attention to daily life details, it’s sometimes hard to hear God’s still, soft voice.

What is He saying to me today? Am I truly listening to Him? Did I run right over what He was impressing on my heart because I was focused on everything else around me?

And if I’m truly honest, is it possible that I am actually more comfortable staying too busy and being too distracted to really hear Him because I’m not sure I’m ready for what He has to say?

It’s exciting when you know you’ve heard from the Lord, but it also can be pretty scary. Will I be able to follow through with what He is asking?

Editor’s Note — RashionalThoughts.com can now claim “award-winning blog,” according to Religion Communicators Council and Associated Church Press. Yay!

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Rashional Extras

6 Ways To Meet With God In The Midst Of A Busy Life

By Kristen Padilla
kristenrpadilla.com

As a mom I have found it more difficult now more than ever before in my life to spend quiet, reflective time with God. Before Philip was born, my morning routine consisted of coffee and reading Scripture and praying. Rarely do I get that time anymore. … And because I have not been consistent in going to the well to receive spiritual nourishment, I have seen the effects in my attitude, thoughts, relationships, words, etc.

You don’t have to be a stay-at-home mom to share my plight. You can be an outside-the-home working mom or dad. You can be a caregiver for an adult. In fact you can just be any adult with any responsibility. Life is simply busy and complicated.

But if you are like me, then you yearn for that time with God. You yearn to protect and treasure the relationship you have with your Creator and Savior. You yearn to hear from God, to feast on His Word and be fed by Him.

I haven’t figured it all out, and this is not a comprehensive list, but the following are some ways I have found to foster spiritual formation and spend time with God in the midst of a busy and crazy life.

  1. Use “The Book of Common Prayer.” … These prayers are rich in theology, Scripture and doctrine, and they are fashioned in such a way that the words are almost poetic in nature. Consider this prayer: “Most merciful God, we confess that we have sinned against Thee in thought, word and deed, by what we have done and by what we have left undone. We have not loved Thee with our whole heart; we have not loved our neighbors as ourselves. We are truly sorry and we humbly repent. For the sake of Thy Son Jesus Christ, have mercy on us and forgive us; that we may delight in Thy will and walk in Thy ways, to the glory of Thy Name. Amen.” What I love about this book is that it has prayers for different days (Monday, Tuesday, etc.), different times of the day (morning, afternoon, evening), holy days in the Church (Advent, Lent, Easter) and seasons of life (marriage, birth, adoption, sickness and death). It also contains the Psalms and a reading plan for the year. While there are doctrines that I do not agree with (e.g., prayers for the dead), I find this book very enriching to my spiritual life.
  2. Download a Bible, Bible study tool or devotional app. There are many apps designed to help one who is always on the go spiritually, some good and some not. My favorite app is a “Book of Common Prayer” app called Mission of St. Clare.
  3. Listen to sermons and podcasts online. Listening to sermons has not only focused my mind on the Word of God but it helps usher the divine into the mundane. It is much easier to do mindless, endless household chores when I am hearing a sermon about the glory of God. I also recommend listening to sermons in the car, especially when you are going to be travelling for quite some time.
  4. Listen to praise and worship music. One thing I have started doing recently is writing down song titles we sing in worship each week at my church. I find the songs on YouTube, iTunes or Pandora and turn off the TV and put on these songs while I am getting ready in the morning. I’ll put on music when I work out at home or when I am not listening to a sermon while doing chores. Sometimes when my son and I are playing quietly, I turn on worship music. What this music does for me is to fashion my mind on God, His glory and, if the songs are written well, on Scripture. It is much more difficult for my mind to wander, to worry, to be distracted or to be tempted when I am focusing on God through music.
  5. Make time for silence and prayer. It is very difficult to cut out the noise in our lives when we are addicted to social media, our phones, our iPads and our laptops. I have noticed in my own life that when I do have a few moments of silence I immediately want to try to fill it with the things mentioned above. I am allowing these things to steal my time, my thoughts and my energy away from God and family. I want to learn to use these social media tools in moderation and only after I have spent time in prayer, silence and meditation with God. The more time and practice I put into being quiet and still before my God, the easier and more natural it becomes. Just recently I stopped listening to music for the entire duration of my running/walking. I’ll listen to music for part of my run and then spend the rest in complete silence. I used to try to fill up my time driving in the car by talking on the phone; now I try not to call people as much. I substitute talking on the phone with quiet prayer. I have noticed lately that by setting aside time to be silent and to pray, I am more aware of the sin in my life and equally, if not more powerfully, aware of the presence of the Holy Spirit.
  6. Don’t forsake Scripture. None of the five above options are meant to replace reading Scripture. As Christians we confess that Scripture is the Word of God. If this is indeed true and if we want to hear from God and know God’s heart, we must remain in Scripture. As Paul writes in 2 Timothy 3:16, “All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction and for training in righteousness.”

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“We are encouraged to regularly cease our work for the express purpose of resting. This rest refreshes us physically, emotionally and spiritually. Rest is an acknowledgement that we have limitations and testifies to our dependence upon God, who sustains the world and our lives even while we rest.”

Catherine Lawrence
Bible Studies for Life
April 6 issue of The Alabama Baptist