Inner Chaos

Another insightful word from Nouwen...

"To bring some solitude into our lives is one of the most necessary but also most difficult disciplines. Even though we may have a deep desire for real solitude, we also experience a certain apprehension as we approach that solitary place and time. As soon as we are alone, without people to talk with, books to read, TV to watch, or phone calls to make, an inner chaos opens up in us.

This chaos can be so disturbing and so confusing that we can hardly wait to get busy again. Entering a private room and shutting the door, therefore, does not mean that we immediately shut out all our inner doubts, anxieties, fears, bad memories, unresolved conflicts, angry feelings, and impulsive desires. On the contrary, when we have removed our outer distractions, we often find that our inner distractions manifest themselves to us in full force.

We often use these outer distractions to shield ourselves from the interior noises. It is thus not surprising that we have a difficult time being alone. The confrontation with our inner conflicts can be too painful for us to endure.

This makes the discipline of solitude all the more important. Solitude is not a spontaneous response to an occupied and preoccupied life. There are too many reasons not to be alone. Therefore we must begin by carefully planning some solitude."

From an Absurd to an Obedient Life

Our brother Henri Nouwen, once again speaks to the heart...

"From all that I said about our worried, overfilled lives, it is clear that we are usually surrounded by so much outer noise that it is hard to truly hear our God when he is speaking to us. We have often become deaf, unable to know when God calls us and unable to understand in which direction he calls us.

Thus our lives have become absurd. In the word absurb we find the Latin word surdus, which means "deaf." A spiritual life requires discipline because we need to learn to listen to God, who constantly speaks but whom we seldom hear.

When, however, we learn to listen, our lives become obedient lives. The word obedient comes from a Latin word audire, which means "listening." A spiritual discipline is necessary in order to move slowly from an absurd to an obedient life, from a life filled with noisy worries to a life in which there is some free inner space where we can listen to our God and follow his guidance."
--from Making All Things New

ABSURD..................deaf
OBEDIENT.............listening

something to chew on...

The Highest Form of Prayer

Been thinking a lot recently about prayer. Why do we do it? What purpose does it serve? Does God need me to pray...what difference does it make? For some these are unsettling questions...they are for me too. But this wrestling that I'm going through is good but painful. I have been simply asking God, "Teach me to pray."

A word from someone who lived many years ago and struggled with the same issues. This a good reminder for me...

From Julian of Norwich who lived 1343 to 1413...sometimes the dead speak louder than those living...
"For the highest form of prayer is to the goodness of God."

"Just as our flesh is covered by clothing, and our blood is covered by our flesh, so are we, soul and body, covered and enclosed by the goodness of God. Yet, the clothing and the flesh will pass away, but the goodness of God will always remain and will remain closer to us than our own flesh.
God only desires that our soul cling to him with all of its strength, in particular, that it clings to his goodness. For of all the things our minds can think about God, it is thinking upon his goodness that pleases him most and brings the most profit to our soul.
For we are so preciously loved by God that we cannot even comprehend it. No created being can ever know how mkuch and how sweet and tenderly God loves them. It is only with the help of his grace that we are able to persevere in spiritual contemplation with endless wonder at his high, surpassing, immeasurable love which our Lord in his goodness has for us."

Recent Family Pics

A Tree in Memory

As most of you know, we had a miscarriage almost a month ago. It has been amazing to see the community here reach out to us anc care for us. We have a wonderful group of friends who fight for our hearts and know us well. Some couples brought us a crape myrtle tree (sp?) to plant in memory of our third child. These pics show the boys and I digging and planting the tree together. For me, it was a healing experience and great memory for me and the boys. That tree represents life and helps me to remember.

Blankets for Africa

Encounter Humanity is a vital part of the ministry that God has called us to. It encompasses our efforts to reach out and make a difference with the poor and oppressed. One of our primary focuses is Lesotho, Africa. This summer we had a blanket drive to raise funds for orphans and families there. Since it was winter there, while we have summer, the need for warm blankets is huge. So, at $5 per blanket, we were able to raise funds and provide many children with blankets. The picture above shows the actual blankets that we purchased and some of the children we helped.

If you would like to know more about Encounter Humanity and Lesotho, check out www.encounterhumanity.com. Lots of good info there.

Our auction for Africa is coming up on Thursday, October 16. Going to be a great night of fun, good food, and raising funds for our Encounter Humanity projects. If you are local to the Birmingham area, we would love for you to come and enjoy this night. Send me an email if you would like more info or to get a ticket: randy@setheartsfree.com.