Living Unhurried #63 - National Holiday for Living Unhurriedites!

Tomorrow, June 19th, is a really important holiday for Living Unhurried - perhaps the national holiday for those of us Unhurriedites who are a part of the Unhurried revolution!

June 19th is World Sauntering Day. Ain't it grand?

The holiday started in 1970 as a publicity stunt for a luxury hotel in Michigan. But wouldn't it be great if we all celebrated life and loved ones with a day of sauntering - a leisurely, aimless stroll designed for enjoyment? And perhaps we can even throw in some lingering and frolic as well!

And did you know that slow walking actually has some really good health benefits? You can actually burn more calories walking slowly than at regular speed! What a great way to relieve stress on your joints and on your brain!

So go ahead - take a leisurely and attentive stroll through your neighborhood - notice your stressed out neighbors (give them a gentle smile and greeting), the wild shades and textures of nature and the horribly gaudy yard ornaments - walk slowly, breathe deeply, notice the way that air feels as it fills your lungs, or how lovely it is to hold the hand of a friend, child or lover!

So go on out, unhurry up, get your saunter on and be grateful for life!

What did you discover in your day of sauntering?

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Living Unhurried #62

Read Psalm 139:1-12 below then take 5 minutes to imagine Jesus "already there waiting" for you in your day.

A David Psalm

 ^1-6 God, investigate my life; get all the facts firsthand.
   I'm an open book to you;
      even from a distance, you know what I'm thinking.
   You know when I leave and when I get back;
      I'm never out of your sight.
   You know everything I'm going to say
      before I start the first sentence.
   I look behind me and you're there,
      then up ahead and you're there, too—
      your reassuring presence, coming and going.
   This is too much, too wonderful—
      I can't take it all in!

 ^7-12 Is there anyplace I can go to avoid your Spirit?
      to be out of your sight?
   If I climb to the sky, you're there!
      If I go underground, you're there!
   If I flew on morning's wings
      to the far western horizon,
   You'd find me in a minute—
      you're already there waiting!
   Then I said to myself, "Oh, he even sees me in the dark!
      At night I'm immersed in the light!"
   It's a fact: darkness isn't dark to you;
      night and day, darkness and light, they're all the same to you.
(From the Message - italics mine)

Take a few deep breaths. Now imagine for a few moments what is yet ahead in your day. It may be something you're looking forward to, or something you dread. If it's true that Jesus is already there waiting and that there's no place you can flee from His presence, then imagine yourself walking into the business meeting, coffee appointment, coming home "alone" or whatever scene rises to the top.

• As you imagine the scene, where do you see Jesus waiting for you? 
• Does he have any words for you? How does he respond to seeing you?
• How do you feel knowing that He is already there waiting?
• How do you want to respond to Him? 
• As you enter your day now, do you feel any differently about what's ahead? How might you keep your eyes pealed for Him throughout the day?

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Living Unhurried #61

Small Steps of Love
by Henri Nouwen
 
How can we choose love when we have experienced so little of it? We choose love by taking small steps of love every time there is an opportunity. A smile, a handshake, a word of encouragement, a phone call, a card, an embrace, a kind greeting, a gesture of support, a moment of attention, a helping hand, a present, a financial contribution, a visit ... all these are little steps toward love.

Each step is like a candle burning in the night. It does not take the darkness away, but it guides us through the darkness. When we look back after many small steps of love, we will discover that we have made a long and beautiful journey.

from Henri Nouwen's Online devotional June 15, 2010 http://tiny.cc/h1hwd

So share an unhurried smile, handshake, a helpful hand, a financial contribution, a phone call...and contribute a long, beautiful journey of light in a world of darkness!

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Living Unhurried #60

I heard this suggested as a transformation exercise at church last Sat night and thought it'd be a great "unhurried" exercise as well.

What is a Biblical Promise that resounds with your heart? Read or recite that promise before bedtime every night this week. And if you're really courageous, pray for an opportunity to share it with someone else. Be on the lookout!

Don't have one - try one of these (put your cursor over it to get the verse)

• Heb 13:5
• Rom 8: 1
• Rom 8:31-35; 38-39
• Deut 33:12

What's a promise you cling to?

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Living Unhurried #59

My nephews' and niece's father (not my brother who is married to their mom) died unexpectedly and tragically this past week. Sadly, none of them ever really got to say what they felt and there was unresolved issues left unreconciled. None of us know what today might bring, so please take 5-10 minutes today to dial up or sit across from a friend, a spouse, your kids, or someone you admire, or perhaps even someone with whom you are estranged, and tell them why they matter. Tell them what they add to your life. Tell them you're grateful. You will not regret such unhurried courage...

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Living Unhurried #58

Take 10 minutes at the end of your day to ponder (perhaps even journal) these three questions -

• What has surprised me? (about life, myself, God, others...)
• What has touched me? (where did I feel the greatest emotional connectiveness today?)
• What/Who has inspired me and how do I want to respond to this inspiration?

Find someone else to reflect on these questions with you - and then once a week take some unhurried moments to discuss these (mostly by listening) with your spouse, children, housemates, or friends. Help the one you're listening to to "overhear" what's going on even deeper in their hearts/lives.

Consider adding this to your "Gratitude Journal" every day for a week. What are you learning about yourself? God? Others?

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Living Unhurried #57

What can you do everyday to find health and happiness that costs you absolutely nothing?

Be grateful.

Research shows that grateful people, among other things, can boost their immune system, are more likely to attain personal goals, can be more empathetic, and place less importance on material goods and possessions.(http://psychology.ucdavis.edu/labs/emmons/)

By focusing on 3-5 things per day that you are grateful for (health, relationships, having a roof over your head etc.) can boost your health and enjoyment of life. To increase that even more, try sharing what you are grateful for with someone else.

The real challenge might be finding things to be grateful for when you are stuck in traffic or about ready to lose your job or are fighting an illness. In these moments, however, what we truly value seem to rise to the surface.

Today as you are driving home from work or doing errands, think of 3-5 things you are grateful for. Maybe even buy a little notepad to keep in your car to keep a record of gratitude. (naturally don't write it while you are driving - but maybe before you step out of the car to meet your family or friends). OR at the dinner table, share with one another what you are grateful for.

Feel free to leave a few of your thanksgivings in the comments ...

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Living Unhurried #56

How ironic - I got cut off in traffic by a guy whose bumper sticker says,

But in turning the phrase into a true Living Unhurried moment, what might you do today to practice unhurried kindness...

• let someone go ahead of you in line;
• hold the door for an entire group of senior citizens entering the store;
• help carry some groceries for your neighbor;
• pick up a bag of groceries for a friend who is struggling financially
• bring a flower to your bank teller;
• write a note of thanks to someone who has blessed you this week;
• complement a co-worker by sharing how they impact (positively) your life
• Smile at the person who just cut you off in traffic - maybe even pray peace for their life.

Keep your eyes pealed for "little" opportunities to impart blessing!

You get the idea - what did you do?

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Living Unhurried #55

Think faster is better?

If someone offered you a million dollars or a penny doubled every day for 31 days, which would you take?

A million would be nice, right?
But would you prefer over $1 billion? ($1,073,741,824 to be exact)

Sometimes the little changes and choices made every day to live more unhurriedly, more lovingly, more healthfully and alive to what is in front of you add up. So today, you needn't do something BIG to be unhurried - maybe a few deep breaths at the top of each hour saying "Thank you" to the One who has given you breath.

Revisit the Living Unhurried tips thus far...what one little thing might you do over the next few days that will multiply your ability to be fully present and enjoying the life God's given?

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Living Unhurried #54

"Blessed are the poor in spirit..."

Poor/poverty - not a word most of us like whether it is poor in spirit, pocketbook, health, aptitude, or love. When you hear this word, what does it connote? Not even the thesaurus is helpful - pauper, beggar, indigent, penniless, insufficient, inadequate, deficient. Yuck!

Blessed are the poor in spirit...for theirs is the kingdom of heaven...

I admit this verse does not inspire me. It does not make me feel blessed. I think, inherently, that poverty - whether it be vocational, relational, physical with our health, aptitude, spiritual or soulish poverty, I feel vulnerable and that's why I don't like it. Vulnerable, exposed, unprotected. So, like Adam and Eve, I sew fig leaves for myself...

There are two roads when facing an impoverished area of life:

1. Protect, defend and fend for ourselves
2. Let our poverty expose our deepest desires and need for Him...and in that vulnerability, trust.

So I suppose we can be defensive, or we can be intimate. Which way are you living today? Will you be courageous enough, unhurried enough, today to sit before the Lord and talk to Him about the areas of your life where you feel impoverished/vulnerable? Pay attention to how you would rather "defend" or "deny" or "overcome" this vulnerability more than take it to the Lord. What makes you afraid to talk to Him about it?

Close your time by reading Matthew 5:3-5 from the Message:

"You're blessed when you're at the end of your rope. 

With less of you there is more of God and His rule.

You're blessed when you feel you've lost what's dear to you.

Only then can you be embraced by the one most dear to you

You're blessed when you're content with just who you are - no more, no less

that's the moment you find yourselves proud owners of everything that cannot be bought."

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Living Unhurried #53

Take a few minutes to breathe deeply and listen to this song, A little longer by Jenn Johnson



What strikes you about God's invitation? How do you want to respond to Him?

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Living Unhurried #52

Try to find a sunbeam to soak in today...

For five minutes, let your body be warmed by the sunshine. Breathe deeply and rest in His enveloping presence. Maybe even take a little nap. But if you do, remember to wipe off the drool before you go back to work or out on errands.

Enjoy the day and carry His Presence with you as you interact with others. To quote my friends Jim and Rich at Crosspoint ministries: The greatest ministry you can have is bearing your presence from having been with God, to others.

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Living Unhurried #51

Mid-morning: Take a 10 minute break where you can saunter or find some quiet space (perhaps even while you're driving - turn the radio off). Pay attention to your soul and ask yourself: "How am I really feeling? Lighthearted? Heavy-hearted? At peace? Distracted? Worried? Angry? Afraid? Hopeful? Numb?"

Then acknowledge how you really are before the Lord - it is the real you (not who you think you need to be) that He loves.

Let yourself be embraced by His Love - 

• receive His lack of condemnation (Rom 8:1) ; 
• let yourself experience how you feel with God being for you and not against you (Rom 8:31); 
• thank Him that your feelings cannot separate you from His love (Rom 8: 35, 38-39).

Continue to find spaces in your day to offer Him how you really feel...you may even ask Him, "Lord, what is at the root of these feelings? What am I afraid of? What is the compulsion behind my weariness?" etc

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Living Unhurried #50

Picture of John, the Beloved, at Mt. Angel Abbey

John was known as the beloved disciple. It wasn't a phrase others called him. It is how he referred to himself...the disciple Jesus loved...(John 13.23; 19:26; 20:2; 21:7; 21:20). He experienced a deep affection from Jesus that impacted his core identity - how he saw himself. It also was so essential to him that his heart message to the world is about Love: Loving God and loving others (read 1 John - love is mentioned over 30 times in this one short letter).

Today, as you transition between tasks, or driving between places, take a few deep breaths and repeat one of these phrases:

• "Abba, I belong to You."
• "Papa, I am your beloved."

Listen to any internal resistance, excuses or "yeah, but's" If there are any, repeat this verse: "There is no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus" (Rom 8:1) and I am in Him and beloved by Him.

At the end of the day reflect back on how this impacted your attitudes and actions throughout the day. What did God reveal to you about Himself? Yourself?

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Living Unhurried #49

Take this advice found on a poster in Powell's Bookstore, Portland Oregon!

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Living Unhurried #48

"On the day of Judgment, God will only ask one question: Did you enjoy my world?"

Traditional Jewish Saying

As you get to the end of your day, reflect back on how you enjoyed your day? 

• What parts of your day made you feel fully alive? 
• What parts seemed to drag you down? 
• Are you too busy to enjoy the beauty of spring? Or your family? or a leisurely home cooked meal? 
• What might help you enjoy tomorrow?

Lord, I want to enjoy life 

rather than skim it.

I want to behold Your beauty - 

experience the complete joy You lavish.

Help me walk tomorrow with an attitude that life is a gift

One to be opened, delighted in, enjoyed.

Help me to see each task, each person, each obstacle

as Your invitation to trust You, enjoy You, love You.

I need You - fill me with a desire to enjoy 

each breath

each flower

even each person who cuts me off in traffic;

each moment of inspiration,

each dreary, seemingly mundane task.

Oh Lord, establish the work of your hands...

In Your presence is fullness of joy.

Amen

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Living Unhurried #47

Take 10 minutes before leaving work/starting dinner and linger with this website, letting it guide you in prayer - http://sacredspace.ie/

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Living Unhurried #46

"Consider the birds of the air, the flowers of the field" (Matthew 6: 25-34)

So often Jesus refers to common everyday things for us to "consider" - to pay attention to. In these simple acts of awareness, God often reveals something of Himself to us. And often, as in the case of Him asking us to consider the birds of the air and flowers of the field, He reveals something to us about us (in this case our tendency to worry about food, clothes and missing out in life.)

Take 5 minutes today to stop and listen to and/or watch the birds. Or stop to smell your favorite budding spring blossom. Ask the Lord: "What do you want to reveal to me about yourself? About myself?" Let Him, in this unhurried moment, invite you further into His transforming love.

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Living Unhurried #45

Author Anne Lamott writes about our true wealth:

"...there is nothing you can buy, achieve, own, or rent that can fill  
up that hunger inside for a sense of fulfillment and wonder. But the  
good news is that creative expression, whether that means writing,  
dancing, bird-watching, or cooking, can give a person almost  
everything that he or she has been searching for: enlivenment, peace,  
meaning, and the incalculable wealth of time spent quietly in beauty.

"...the bad news: You have to make time to do this... What  
manic or compulsive hours will [you] give up in trade for the  
equivalent time to write, or meander? Time is not free - that's why  
it's so precious and worth fighting for.

"I think it [fighting for time to really live life] is going to hurt. What fills us is real, sweet, dopey,funny life. I've heard it said that every day you need half an hour of quiet time for yourself...unless you are incredibly busy and stressed, in which case you need an hour. I promise you, it is there. Fight tooth and nail to find time, to make it. It is our true wealth, this moment, this hour, this day."

See the whole article in the April 2010 Sunset magazine here

• In what ways are you trying to "buy, achieve, own or rent" things in order to fulfill your life?
• What time will you fight for this week?
• What might you give up for a half an hour/day of quiet time for yourself?

Remember when you say "no" to something, you are creating space for something/someone better.

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Living Unhurried #44

If we let ourselves marinate in our restlessness and dissatisfaction - if we slow long enough to pay attention to the deeper cries of our souls - we often discover a beautiful longing for a deeper, more intimate, fierce and free life. This longing is the best thing about us - calling us to live embracing all of life rather than just skimming the surface of it.

Throughout the day, pay attention to the ways you are restless - in vocation, relationships, with an aspect of your spirituality and soul. Maybe keep a list.

Then sometime tonight, create some quiet space - perhaps light a candle, take a few breaths, revisit what is restless in you  - then ask God to reveal what is the deeper longing beneath the dissatisfaction. Try to "listen" to how he is wooing you to deeper intimacy with Him.

• How is He inviting you to live in relationship with Him that will transform how you interact with the world? 
• What is He revealing to you about Himself? 
• What is He revealing to you about you?

Can you put your longing into words? Or capture it with a word picture/metaphor?

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Living Unhurried #43

"Does your spirituality seem to make your life feel smaller 

rather than making it feel larger?" 

Jeff Imbach, The River Within

Take 10 minutes today and write out a list of how your life is larger, or how you want it to be larger, because of your spirituality. What would it look/feel like to live into these longings? Or, if it feels smaller, pay attention to how you feel about it being smaller. What do those feelings actually reveal?

Hold your heart for a larger life in silence to God's heart for a minute and maybe look at your list daily to remind your heart of it's desire to live life wide open.

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Living Unhurried #42

 "When Jesus peeks in and says 'hi' - examines our 'usness,'

really looks it over, and says, 'I love you' 

then I have real-life...

[my life is reflected in another's eyes].

When he loves us we begin to exist as persons, not things

[i.e. nor merely for our accomplishments, possessions, or who we know.]"

~Brennan Manning in Souvenirs of Solitude [bracketed words added by me]

How might you let God peek into your life and say, "Hi" today?

• Imagine him coming to your cubicle, your kitchen sink, popping out at the drive thru window, walking with you to your car... how does having him notice you as you really are encourage your heart?

• Take a few moments to pop into someone else's life and say "hi" and let them know you love them just as they are - send a text, a phone call, a letter - for it is when our "usness" is reflected "in the glow of someone else's eyes," says Brennan, that we realize our effective essence.

• How does being "noticed" by God or others make you feel?

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Living Unhurried #41

Esther DeWaal, in her book Lost in Wonder writes: "...[find] something that catches your attention and translate it into an image which tells me more about itself and more about my own self, my reaction, my relation to it" (30).

She suggests using the rhythm of a traditional Japanese tanka poem: 5 unrhymed lines -  the syllable counts per line are 5, 7, 5, 7, 7

The sun peeks gently
Alluring blossoms to rise
Alluring my heart
Awakening my great hope
Stirring desire for oneness

The soft morning hues
Gently rouse me to embrace
while I deeply breathe
Wanting to hold this moment
Lingering in the mercies



You get the idea...

She continues, "Having a set form to hand is like having a net, a framework, in which to trap words...and to catch that momentary glimpse, the hint, the elusive moment of beauty or mystery or pain or amusement" (30).

Over the weekend, use the 5,7,5,7,7 rhythm to try and capture the moment in a net. As you ponder what has come forth, ask God, "What are you revealing to me about me? About yourself?"

Please share your creations!

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Living Unhurried #40

"The present moment, like the spotted owl or the sea turtle, 

has become an endangered species."

~Philip Simmons in Learning to Fall, Blessings of an Imperfect Life

Take 5 minutes today in the late afternoon - before you transition from work back to home or perhaps a fe moments before making dinner. In these five minutes, pay attention to the present moment - start by taking a few deep breaths, then close your eyes and use your ears and nose to pay attention (perhaps even invite others around you to join in this exercise. This could be fun for kids too, just ask them to answer inside their own hearts, then you can share about it afterwards:

• Who is around you? 
• What are the the sounds, the smells? Do you like them or dislike them? What do they remind you of?
• How do you feel right now? 
• Ask God to tend to you here now as you sit in stillness, attentive to this present moment. 
• Ask Him, "What manna have you given me today, for today, that I must fold into the rest of this day?"

Breathe deeply and ask for His peace to continue to shine on you as you attend to the relationships and work you have left in the day.

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Living Unhurried #39

Set an alarm to go off every three hours (i.e. 9, noon, 3, 6, 9pm) - stop for 5 minutes, breathe deeply and ask the Lord, "Who may I tend to in prayer?"
Lift whoever comes to mind up by name into the Lord's presence.

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Living Unhurried #38

 
I love this website, www.pray-as-you-go.org with guided reflections/meditations on Scripture. Really cool bells, and music and reflections facilitated by people with really cool accents!

So take a 13 minute break today and listen to today's Pray-As-You-Go - http://www.pray-as-you-go.org/mp3/PAYG_100503.mp3
Consider downloading the week to your iPod or mp3 player for the week and set aside 15 minutes to let your soul reflect/rest in His love each day.

How do you need God to be Your way? Show you the way?

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Living Unhurried #37

Listen to this BBC debate on Sabbath.
What strikes you - what might you want to do/not do to capture the commodity of time in your relationships this week?



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Living Unhurried #36

I find it ironic that our culture has both a lust for safety/security as well as for busyness - because often when when we are in a hurry, we are less safe. For instance, consider your driving habits when you're late for an appointment. Do you dash in and out of traffic - take a few more risks than you would otherwise? Just yesterday a person, with young kids in the back seat, no less, cut across 2 lanes of traffic to turn right in front of me. Apparently my blinker was considered merely as nice car bling.

• When we live hurried we don't eat as well as we'd like - choosing fast and convenient over leisurely and nutritious.
• When we live hurried, we overtax our schedules and suffer from sleep deprivation and exhaustion.
• When we live hurried, we settle for shallow social connection vs. long, lingering fellowship - and complain about loneliness.

In what ways is your hurriedness threatening your life/health?
What might God be inviting you toward?

Live the Unhurried Revolution!

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Living Unhurried #35 - Celebrate!

We celebrate things like birthdays, anniversaries and sports team victories.

 Are you too hurried to enjoy the life God is giving? 

Consider thanking Him by partying well!

I do not celebrate life enough because, well, I'm too busy and often, I try to make the celebration way too elaborate. Consider these questions and respond with whatever wells up in your heart to do or say!

• When was the last time you celebrated something or someone?
• What was a favorite celebration in your life? Describe what made that celebration memorable. What does that say about your needs in regard to celebrating well?
• What keeps you from celebrating life, friends, self, God, and loved ones?
• What needs a little celebration in your heart and life?
• Even if it is only for a half hour, plan to celebrate something profound (or seemingly ridiculous) next week. Take a walk, go dancing, bake your favorite cake, uncork some bubbly, laugh, fingerpaint a card and give it to your kid (or a kid at heart) - and celebrate, at the minimum, that you are Loved! 

And let me know what you celebrated!

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Living Unhurried #34

At lunch today, think of a person (or persons) who inspire you - they could be historical figures or contemporaries - personal acquaintances, or people who you've admired from afar. For 5 minutes, list out what inspires you about their life/lives? What have they chosen to do (and not to do) that has earned your respect?

With open hands, sit silently and listen to God's responses to these questions:

• "How does this connect to my heart and life?"  
• "What are you inviting me toward?"

Note: If self-condemnation or jealousy from comparison arises, ask God to reveal to you how He sees you and loves you. And remember, a condemning voice is not from God (Rom 8:1)


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Living Unhurried #33

"The Christian with depth

is the person who has failed 

and learned to live with his failure." 

~Brennan Manning in Souvenirs of Solitude

Agree or disagree with this quote? Why or why not?

When you hear the word failure - what does it conjure up in your soul? Do you feel tension somewhere in your body? Do you remember an earlier event or circumstance where you failed and maybe, perhaps, even felt shame? Who would you most hate to be seen as?

Brennan says that we often are blocked toward moving toward some of the most important things in life (esp. love -whether of God, self or others) because of our fear of failure.

Sometime today, create some space to journal or think about this:

• What very important thing (loving God, self or others) might you be avoiding for fear of failure? 
• How does being hurried (busy) distract you from attending to the most important things?
• Would you characterize your faith as being shallow or deep? (shallow=not accepting weakness, failure, brokenness; deep = accepting weakness, failure, brokenness in the light of God's love)
• How would you love this week if you knew you could not fail?
• How might you create space to attend to loving God, self or other this week?

"What the world longs for from the Christian faith

is the witness of men and women daring enough to be different, 

humble enough to make mistakes, 

wild enough to be burnt in the fire of love, 

real enough to make others see how unreal they are. 

So Jesus, let Your word not shine in our hearts but let it burn. 

Let there be no division, compromise or holding back...

goad us to that daredevil leap into the abyss of Your Love..."

~Brennan

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Living Unhurried #32

"To truly know love, 

we must receive it in an undefended state - 

in the vulnerability of a 'just as I am' encounter."

~David Benner in The Gift of Being Yourself

Tonight before bed, replay the encounters of your day - asking God to reveal to you the encounters in your day where you displayed defensiveness - it may occur while driving, while interacting with another person, maybe even within yourself or with God. 

Once you have one scene in mind, ask God to reveal to you what is beneath your defensiveness - what are you afraid of? What are you trying to protect?What unresolved conflict might there be lingering in your soul?

Read Psalm 23 - Imagine God, your Shepherd, in that scene of defensiveness: this time, He is leading you, renewing you, guiding you with staff and rod, and pursuing you in love. What happens to your defensiveness as you encounter His Shepherding?

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Living Unhurried #31

Take 10 minutes today and listen to this song by Misty Edwards. Then pray a prayer of response - \

• what part of the song strikes you? 
• Does it echo your prayers in any way? 
• In what ways do you neglect your heart? His heart?
• Pray that God will open your heart to trust His love.

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Living Unhurried #30

"When you are interiorly free you call others to freedom, whether you know it or not. Freedom attracts wherever it appears. A free man or a free woman creates a space where others feel safe and want to dwell. Our world is so full of conditions, demands, requirements, and obligations that we often wonder what is expected of us. But when we meet a truly free person, there are no expectations, only an invitation to reach into ourselves and discover there our own freedom.
Where true inner freedom is, there is God. And where God is, there we want to be."
~ Henri Nouwen

• Would you describe yourself as "interiorly free"? Why or why not?
• As you open doors today (car, house, bathroom etc) pray that God will open your heart toward this interior freedom.

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Living Unhurried #29

Over the weekend, take a stroll and think about, "As what kind of person do I want to be remembered?" Make a list -
How are you ordering your life to be that kind of a person? What might need to be different for you to see more of that now in the present tense?

Who might you share this with?

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Living Unhurried #28

"Here's the great danger: When the present tense disappears in your life, so does the manna. The mysterious, life-giving blessed grace of God only comes in the day you have. If you miss that daydreaming about the future of longing for the past, your soul will never find its only source of nurture and you'll never survive the journey. Without the ability to see what God is doing today you are always anxious, never at home, and thus never joyful."
Craig Barnes in Searching for Home, 118.

Describe the last time you were able to be fully present with yourself, God or another? 
What keeps you from being present?

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Living Unhurried #27 - the only "rushing" that's allowed

 St. Gertrude of Helfta (late 1200s) directed her followers:


"In the evenings, rush into the embrace of ... Jesus, your lover and cling to a kiss of his amorous heart."


What is your first reaction when you read this? (What emotions does it elicit? Does it draw your or repel you?)


Describe a time you've wanted to rush to greet someone you love.  Pay attention to how you feel as you think about that time.

What might it look like to "rush into the embrace" of Jesus - to cling to his love? 

Every evening - rush into His embrace - unhurriedly recounting how He has "kissed" you throughout the day.

This is the only "rushing" that is allowed :)

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Living Unhurried #26

A little Monday morning meditation - at noon today, look at your schedule/calendar/week...is there any time for "self-tending" this week? What do you need so that you can be filled up and flow out to others? A nap? Exercise? to say "no" to someone's invitation? To say "yes" to someone's invitation? To have a seemingly frivolous evening doing something you enjoy?

How might doing one thing to tend to your own soul help you make better choices in your life/schedule/relationships overall?

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Living Unhurried #25

Over the weekend write someone a hand-written letter of appreciation - yes, the old fashioned way - using a pen and some paper. As you put it in the envelope to mail or hand to the recipient, say a prayer of blessing for them...that God would continue to write His story upon your friend's heart.

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Living Unhurried #24 - fashionable sleeping bag for your iPhone!

Yup - that's right! The folks at www.sabbathmanifesto.org have created a sleeping bag for your iPhone - sort of a fun little reminder to help us live a little less hurried. I love the idea!

What other technology in your life might need a sleeping bag? TV? Computer? wi-fi modem? Kindle? Nook?

Surely I won't suggest one for any of you playing with a new iPad toy!

Maybe tonight, tuck in your technology, light a candle, and write a letter to God about what's going on in your life and heart. Pay attention to how you feel and what is going on in your soul - are you anxious? Hopeful? Have unanswered questions? Fears? Angry? Tell Him - He's big enough to take it on and be with you in the midst.

Blessings

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Living Unhurried #23

Cook something from scratch this week - no boxes, mixes, frozen or microwaves. Fresh ingredients, thoughtfully prepared. As you work, pay attention to your heart anxieties and/or calming. Try to incorporate at least one "scratch" cooking/baking day per week and share with others!

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Living Unhurried #22

We have become slaves to the fast, the quick, the convenient. Pay attention to ads today (tv, radio, billboards, internet, stores etc) - what values are being heralded?

Take 10 minutes at the end of your day to ask the Lord: "In what ways did I succumb to and/or justify rushing the present to get to the future? Lord, what am I missing?"

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Living Unhurried #21 - "Power down and live in the present tense"

Maybe a good way to Sabbath once a week - can you do it? What makes it difficult for you to unplug?

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Living Unhurried #20

There is a deep need for soul care - especially among the ones who are leading us spiritually! Being less hurried is NOT so much about not doing anything - as much as it is about living in the present (and being present with others), paying attention to the compulsions underlying our drivenness and asking God with what He might be inviting us to join Him.

Take 5 minutes and read this article in Christianity today online.

Then take another minute of silence and prayerfully lift up your spiritual leader(s) - How might you encourage your spiritual leadership to care for their soul?

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Living Unhurried #19

Living Unhurried #19 - Good Friday: Take a few moments to imagine yourself in the scene of watching Jesus, carrying his cross, on the way to die. What is it you'd like to say to Him?

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Living Unhurried #18

Living Unhurried #18 - If you end up lingering with people longer than you expected and cannot get to this tip (or other things on your to-do list), then celebrate - you've chosen well!

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Living Unhurried #17

Look at one thing under a magnifying glass today. What do you see that you didn't notice with your bare eyes? Ask God to "open the eyes of your heart" to see Him in fresh ways.

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Living Unhurried #16

 Before bed, take 10 minutes and ponder, perhaps asking the Lord, "Am I making any decisions out of fear?" List them out, paying attention to how you feel as you engage with these. What might God be inviting you toward?

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Living Unhurried #15

 After work/before dinner today, take 5 minutes to ask the Lord, "Who are you inviting me/us to pray for in these moments." Tend to whomever comes to mind by silently holding them before the compassionate heart of God. 

Join the unhurried revolution.

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Living Unhurried #14

Take some time to revisit and/or re-engage with the Living Unhurried tips that you'd like to try -

Happy last weekend in March!

Join the Unhurried revolution!


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Living Unhurried #13

"Fast" from the internet for a day and pay attention to what else your heart turns toward for connection.

Join the unhurried revolution!


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Living Unhurried #12

Living Unhurried #12 - what playful thing did you enjoy (lose track of time playing) as a kid? Find time to do that this upcoming week.

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Livin Unhurried #11

Pick one 5 minute "decluttering" activity and do it 6 days in a row. You don't have to finish it, but do it faithfully each day - set a timer. As you are decluttering ask God to reveal to you what He wants to declutter in your heart and life - especially those things interfering with you creating space for Him.

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Befriending Ourselves - by Henri Nouwen

Claiming the Sacredness of Our Being

Are we friends with ourselves? Do we love who we are? These are important questions because we cannot develop good friendships with others unless we have befriended ourselves.

How then do we befriend ourselves? We have to start by acknowledging the truth of ourselves. We are beautiful but also limited, rich but also poor, generous but also worried about our security. Yet beyond all that we are people with souls, sparks of the divine. To acknowledge the truth of ourselves is to claim the sacredness of our being, without fully understanding it. Our deepest being escapes our own mental or emotional grasp. But when we trust that our souls are embraced by a loving God, we can befriend ourselves and reach out to others in loving relationships.


from March 21 Bread for the Journey www.henrinouwen.org

Living Unhurried #10

"Consider the birds of the air...the flowers of the fields..." Take a moment to watch/listen to the birds or smell "spring" blossoms. Ask the Lord, "What are you inviting me toward?"

 

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Living Unhurried #9

"Faith is often understood as accepting something you cannot understand...

However, when Jesus talks about faith he means first of all 

to trust unreservedly that you are loved, 

so that you can abandon every false way of obtaining love."

~Henri Nouwen

Before bed tonight - take a few moments to reflect, "In what ways did I experience God's love today?" Maybe start a journal listing of His Loving advances toward you.

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