By Lilly Lewin
Be cheerful no matter what; pray all the time; thank God no matter what happens. This is the way God wants you who belong to Christ Jesus to live.
1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 The Message (MSG)
Sometimes it’s hard to be cheerful. Sometime even we Ennegram 7’s have a hard time finding the good in things and find it hard to be thankful.
As a person who deals with depression and anxiety, it’s sometimes easy to get stuck in a place of frustration and darkness rather than living in a place of light and thanksgiving. I don’t think our political climate, or the news help us either. In the past couple of years, I’ve needed to actually practice being grateful and look for the good news in our world. It’s about a month until we celebrate Thanksgiving here in America, so I am re-starting my gratitude/thankfulness practice this week and inviting people to join me. Each day I’m taking the time to write down what I am thankful for and actually taking the time to draw it out and post it on my Instagram @lillylewin.
#30daysofThankful #30DaysofThankfulness
I’d love you to join me in this practice and actually practice being thankful.
Take time each day to notice the things that bring you joy.
Take time to thank Jesus for the basics of life as well as the big things.
Get your family involved too! or your roommates or small group or your entire church community. Start now till Thanksgiving Day or start November 1st and go all the way to November 30th. Make a List! I’m doing a simple 3 a day, but you might want to list more. You could take photographs of the things you see that make you thankful, like your puppy, a rainbow or a friend’s smiling face! You could make a thankful collage, adding to it each day the words, phrases, and photographs of things you are grateful for, things that make you thankful.
And if you are looking for some good news things you can be thankful for, check out these videos and stories on line:
A reality TV star returns the favor….Watch Mike Rowe’s facebook video series
A former inmate gets a second chance…Playing Basketball
A seminary goes to prison…Northpark
My new favorite musical artist goes to prison to sing….Lauren Daigel
“Under the radar, some aspects of life on Earth are getting dramatically better.” Some Graphics
And finally, a great song that I’m thankful for.
I pray that these will bring you some hope today and you will be filled with joy and gratitude in the midst of everything.
by Christine Sine
November 1st is All Saint’s Day. This is one of my favourite celebrations as I love to look back and remind myself of those who have impacted my life – some are friends who still surround me, others are saints and supporters who have now joined the heavenly throng.The death of Eugene Peterson a couple of days ago has made me very aware of how important a celebration like this is and so I thought I would repost (with a few changes) this post from 3 years ago.
Remembering those who impact our lives, those who have gone before and those who are still with us is an important part of our faith.
The Episcopal Church website explains:
We step aside from the flow of the propers and celebrate all the saints. We stop. We notice, We are surrounded by a flock of witnesses in our midst – many who have gone before us, some we are just now releasing, and still more with a full life ahead of them.
I love the Anglican tradition of renewing our baptismal vows on this day. Reminding ourselves of the journey we have taken personally is a good place to start in remembering the saints of God. In this tradition, all baptized Christians, living and dead known and unknown are considered saints of God.
This is a special day for celebrating. First take time to reflect on your own faith journey. Remember the faithfulness of God in your past and name the people who have been particularly impacting in shaping your own faith. Notice the movement of God in the present and pray for those who continue to mentor and support you. Think about your hopes and dreams for the future and those who will help these come into being. Celebrate all that you are as a saint of God.
Celebrate At Church
If you really want to celebrate the spiritual significance of All Saints Day, a good liturgical church is the place to do so.
At St Andrew’s Episcopal which we attend, in the weeks before All Saints’ Day we prepare a ribbon of remembrance for All Saints’ Day. Write the names of those who have died on white ribbons that are then wound around the altar rail on All Saints’ Day. This is a wonderful way to reflect on the lives of those you love but have lost.
St Aidan’s Episcopal church on Camano Island where we worshipped a couple of years ago set up a special “remembering” table in the nave. The congregation was invited to bring photos or small memorabilia of dear ones who have gone before us and place them on the table. During the worship on All Saint’s Day there was a special blessing of the photos and memories.
Plan A Celebration
Many of us want to bring this celebration out of church and into our homes – here are some possibilities to consider for the future.
Hold an All Saints’ Day party – a great alternative to Halloween. Get everyone to dress as their favourite saint, or to bring a picture of this saint. During the festivities get everyone to share a story about their saint and the impact he or she has had on their lives. Or you might like to get participants to guess who each person represents.
Plan a family heritage party. Invite people to do some work beforehand researching their family history and particularly the Christian saints who were a part of it. Ask them to bring photos and stories to share. Finish with a time of prayer for all those that have gone before us.
Several years ago when my youngest brother went to Greece where my father comes from he found out that it is possible that our family name Aroney comes from the name Aaron and that our family probably originated in Jerusalem many centuries ago. It is probable that one of the reason they began the journey out of Jerusalem first to Constantinople then to Rhodes and finally to the tiny island of Kithera at the bottom of the Peloponnese mountains is because they became Christians. There are a number of Greek orthodox priests in my father’s family history and my Aunt Mary was a very devout Greek Orthodox Christian. I know less about my mother’s family history but would love to find out where her family too has had profound encounters with God.
Plan an All Saints Day pilgrimage. Again this might require some before time research. Explore the Christian heritage of your community. Where did the first Christians come from? How did they interact with the native peoples? Where was the first church established? Who were some of the early Christians who impacted your community. Plan a pilgrimage walk to the site of the first Christian community and if possible have a time of prayer and possibly even a eucharistic celebration to remember those who have gone before.
Consider an All Saints’ Scavenger Hunt with your kids. This site spells out what this could look like and provides a free template to use.
So how will you celebrate All Saints Day this year? Please share them with me. I would love to hear your creative ideas.
by Christine Sine
Did you know that over 1 billion pounds of pumpkin end up in the landfill after Halloween each year? And then of course there are all those costumes, decorations and of course the candy. The total impact on our landfill is staggering. It is a very sobering. And in case you think – well it’s organic so it should compost and be good for the landfill, here’s some more bad news – organic matter needs oxygen, bacteria and water to decompose and the landfill doesn’t like that. It tries to keep the pile dry and without oxygen because it doesn’t want decomposing matter to heat up and cause a fire. So the less the pile decomposes the better which means those pumpkins could be around for a very long time.
So what can we do? Here are some suggestions from a post I did a couple of years ago that I thought it was worth revisiting.
As I mentioned in another post Halloween Is Coming – Resources for a Green, Fair Trade, and Ethical Halloween, some Christians see this celebration as evil and like to stay home with lights off. Others feel we should participate in ways that engage and redeem the culture and as the practice becomes more popular around the world it is something all of us need to think about.
Whatever your approach to Halloween I think there are some things that all of us should be aware of.
Toxicity of Face Paint.
As this helpful article says: a lack of regulation in the cosmetic industry and misleading marketing labels mean that parents may unknowingly spread harmful ingredients on their child’s skin. They list the few safe paints: Elegant Minerals, and a recipe for DIY paint. I also found this really inexpensive and simple alternative to purchased face paints which the website says is safe enough to eat, and though we may not want to experiment some of our kids probably will.
Safety Tips for Halloween
The CDC has an excellent list of safety tips to think about as you both dress and send your kids out.
And another great list from the American Academy of Pediatrics.
And probably one of the most important: A big part of Halloween safety is making sure drivers can see your kids as they’re crossing the street or walking from house to house. Give your trick-or-treaters their own flashlights and/or light-up or glow-in-the-dark accessories.
The Candy Problem
41 million kids in the U.S. go trick or treating. In 2019, Americans spent something like 2.7 billion on Halloween candy. No wonder one out of three children in America are overweight and many will develop diabetes. Consider making your own healthy treats, giving out non-food items like polished stones, temporary tattoos, or friendship bracelets. You don’t want to be the neighborhood witch or warlock, but who says you’re required to hand out candy. Kids may feel slightly tricked, but parents will appreciate your efforts to save their sweet tooth…literally.
Reverse Trick or Treating
Most chocolate sold in the US is tainted by child slavery and exploitative conditions for adult workers. Fairtrade eliminates child labour and ensures healthy working conditions with a living wage for workers. Thousands of groups of Trick-or-Treaters in the United States and Canada unite at Halloween each year to help:
- END poverty among cocoa farmers
- END forced/abusive child labor in the cocoa industry
- PROTECT the environment
- PROMOTE Fair Trade
How? By distributing Fair Trade chocolate to adults, attached to a card explaining these problems in the cocoa industry and how Fair Trade presents a solution. You can learn more about this initiative here.
What Do You Do With All Those Pumpkins?
You don’t have to let your pumpkins rot on the front porch or throw them out.
You can use them for soup or stews. You can compost them, or you can feed them to the wildlife or to your dog. One of our dog Goldie’s favourite evening snacks is a bone stuffed with a homemade mixture of yam and cheese but pumpkin would work just as well. I make up a batch about once a week – a ratio of 3-1 yams to cheese, cook the yams, and then grate all the yams and cheese, mix it together and store in the fridge. I make enough to last at least a week. I stuff her bones each evening ready for the next day then freeze them. (she gets about 3 during the day). They are much healthier and considerably cheaper than the ones you buy.
However if you would rather cook for your family rather than the dogs here are some of my favourite recipes:
- Pumpkin Soup Carribbean Style with Black Beans
- Walk Through the Garden Soup
- Pumpkin Bread. This is a great recipe – and as it says it is adaptable.
- Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Muffins – I chose this recipe because it fairly healthy, uses whole wheat flour and recommends making mini rather than full sized muffins – cuts down on the portion size. We had a friend who used to make these regularly and gift us with them occasionally. We always looked forward to that.
- There are lots of other great pumpkin recipes on this site. I have not tried most of them but would love to.
- Gluten Free, Grain Free Chocolate Chip Muffins I have not tried this recipe but it looks interesting – uses almond butter and honey instead of sugar.
- Gluten Free Pumpkin Oatmeal Anytime Squares. Again I have not tried these but they look very interesting.
by Christine Sine
As many of you know Eugene Peterson, died yesterday. He created The Message and authored over 30 books. His work has inspired millions of Christians around the world and his impact will continue for a long time to come as many of us continue to use his valuable resources. Evidently his life goal was:
to “change the pastoral imagination of pastors today,” to urge them “to slow down and to be present to their lives” so that they could help their congregations do the same, he said.
It is his writings on rhythm of life and reflections on psalms and also the Sabbath that have most inspired me as I have sort to develop my own “slowed down” rhythm and focus. The Contemplative Pastor and A Long Obedience in the Same Direction are the two of his books I have found most helpful. He writes not only as a theologian but also as a pastor and had so much to say not just for those who are in church leadership but for all of us who struggle to follow Jesus every day.
I was also impressed by the ways that he lived out his faith. It seemed to me that he was never looking for fame and fortune but often seemed unassuming and reticent to step forward – following God and the vocation God had given him because it was just that – God’s call on his life. He always seemed to be a man of humility and grace.
Eugene Peterson will be sadly missed by all of us. I am so glad that his legacy will live on through his writings. I pray that he will continue to influence all followers of Christ to seek the often challenging path of slowed down spirituality and balance that he so often talked about.
May he rest in the arms of God today who is I am sure welcoming Eugene with the words: “Well done good and faithful servant.”
by Christine Sine
This week has been a lot of fun for me. Last week I mentioned that I planned to create a gratitude garden to help me focus on God’s abundant blessings during the next couple of months until the beginning of Advent. And that is exactly what I have done.
I usually make the week of Thanksgiving my gratitude week, but I so enjoyed Canadian Thanksgiving and I am so looking forward to American Thanksgiving that I thought: Why not make October and November into a season of gratitude? Perhaps you would like to join me.
Here are some suggestions for how do to that.
Start with prayer.
Like all good new spiritual practices we want to establish, we need to begin with prayer – not looking for something to complicate our lives or make us busier, but really trying to discern what God wants us to be doing during this season.
As I sat with my eyes closed, savoring the presence of God and the many blessings in my life, Psalm 23: 5-6 came to my mind: “You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies. You anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows. Surely your goodness and love will follow me all the days of my life and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.”
My cup does indeed overflow I thought – what a great theme for this season of gratitude.
What is God prompting you to do during this season?
Create a focus
Next I realized that I need a focus to remind me of my blessings. (Yep if you are like me it is easy to forget to count my blessings and thank God each day). Establishing any new habit is much easier when we have something visual to prod our memories.
As you know I am a garden person and so it is not surprising that my focus is a garden – a small indoor garden that I am calling my gratitude garden.
I made a trip to Goodwill and purchased a frame that I thought would be perfect for this exercise. Its a fruit tree with a banana hook. Then I rummaged through my unused plant pots until found one that fitted perfectly inside it. Next I chose a tea cup to hang from the hook. I planted the pot with succulents and filled the teacup with trailing plants that overflowed onto the main garden.
Last but not least I painted rocks with the words “gratitude” and “my cup overflows”. Painting rocks has become a regular spiritual discipline for me, a contemplative activity in itself but also one that provides an important visual focus for my devotional times. The result was the garden at the top of this post.
What do you enjoy doing that could help you create a special focus for your meditations during this season?
Establish a practice.
My garden now sits on my desk where I conduct my devotions each morning, a wonderful reminder to reflect on all the blessings in my life. Initially I intended to just make a list of what came to mind when I asked myself “What am I grateful today” Then I felt God say choose one and go deeper.
In part I have Bjørn Olav Hansen to thank for this suggestion. When I posted my completed gratitude garden on Facebook last week he reposted it and one of his friends responded: Today I thanked God for creating colors. And for creating my eyes so I could see the colors. And for creating my brain so that I could appreciate them. I love the changing colors of autumn, but it had never occurred to me to thank God for my eyes and my brain that enable me to apppreciate these colors. Going deeper enhances my joy and gratitude.
So now I have developed a lectio divina type of practice for the season:
- Write a list of what I am grateful for.
- Read through my list until one resonates in my soul.
- Read it over, savour it, sit with it in the presence of God.
- Go deeper and allow God to unveil new insights about my gratitude. Why does this gratitude resonate in my soul? What is it about this person, place, experience that makes me grateful?
- Respond – is there a prayer or poem that wells up in response? Is there an image that needs to be created or a photograph that needs to be taken? Do I need to write a thank you letter, give someone a hug or even prepare a special meal.
What is one thing that you are grateful today that God is prompting you to spend more time savoring and appreciating?
This has been an enriching and strengthening exercise for me. It was fun, it made me slow down and think about what is really important at this season and each step of the process brought to mind another rich array of blessings I need to be grateful for.
As we approach the Thanksgiving, Advent and Christmas seasons it is good for all of us to establish practices that encourage us to slow down, to reflect, to attune ourselves to God and to take notice of the abundant blessings in our lives.
What activities could encourage you to slow down and notice the blessings of God in your life at this season? What could provide a focus for you and what is a simple daily practice you could establish to guide you?
by Lilly Lewin
This past weekend was our first taste of Fall here in Tennessee. The 90 degree weather finally broke with a weekend of rain and a fresh breath of cold wind so that we now wake to temps in the mid-forties and highs in the low 60’s. Much better for my soul than the extended heat and humidity of this year. I’m just getting used to the idea of harvest and pumpkins on my porch. I even have a large pumpkin growing in my side yard. It’s a gift pumpkin from the seeds of last year’s jack o lantern that planted itself. I’m looking for more gifts in my world at the moment. Unexpected gifts like side yard pumpkins, cardinals on the mailbox, a post card from an old friend. It’s been a long year of world problems and political battling. Just turning on the news can turn up my stress level. I need the gift of peace and the gift of pausing. I need the reminder that God is still in control and God’s Light still shines brightly even when it feels dark. And I need the Hope of new life that can be found in the arrival of a baby.
We are all waiting for the gift of Light to arrive.
We all need to new eyes to see the gifts and light around us.
We all can prepare our hearts for the gift of Baby Jesus and the celebration of his arrival.
That’s what the season of Advent can provide for us. It can give us time and space to get our hearts ready! Advent is the season of preparing for the Gift of Jesus and it starts this year on December 2nd. Celtic Advent starts earlier, on November 15th. The Celtic Christians use 40 days of preparation before Christmas just like the 40 days of Lent before Easter. Maybe you need a little extra time this year to get your heart ready.
How can you get ready for the gift of Jesus this year?
When a baby is coming there is a lot to do and lots to plan for. And special gear to acquire in order to be ready for the baby’s arrival.
What things need to happen in order for you to prepare Him room?
Do you need to clear your calendar?
Do you need to make a plan?
Do you need to prepare mentally or change your attitude?
What does this look like?
Talk to God about this.
Can you get ready for the gift of Jesus as a baby, a baby who needs our time and attention?
Are you and I willing to accept this a receive Jesus as an infant?
How are you willing to change your life in order to give baby Jesus the attention and care he needs?
Consider this today.
Talk to God about how you can receive and prepare for Baby Jesus!
PUT ON SOME BABY LOTION let the smell remind you to prepare for the gift of the Baby Jesus.
You can help your church community, small group or youth group prepare for Advent and Christmas this year with a Sacred Space Prayer Experience. This is a series of prayer stations that can be set up as a stand alone event or use individual stations like one The Baby Lotion Station as a response to a sermon or teaching. It is found in the Christmas Incarnation Sacred Space Prayer Experience.
I also have an Advent Waiting Prayer Experience. You can purchase and download both of these Sacred Spaces at Freerange Worship. The Kits come with leader’s guide, supply lists, and photos of how to set up the prayer stations. Along with all the instruction signs in PDF to print out for each station.
You might want to try some coloring pages or posters from my friend Adam Walker Cleaveland at Illustrated Children’s Ministry.
Or Check out the great PDF Calendar for Celtic Advent and Beyond from Contemplative Cottage. This is last year’s calendar but it has great ideas for an action to take each day of Advent.
You might want to buy some baby supplies like a baby bottle, or diapers, or a bottle of baby lotion to have on hand as symbolic reminders that the Light of the World is being born and it’s time to prepare for his arrival. And Take time to receive the Gift of Baby Jesus!
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