Lisa notes

What’s up in November

By LisaNotes November 7, 2013 Life updates 16 Comments

I am praying . . . through Scotty Smith’s Everyday Prayersprayer journal

I am thinking . . . about pages to add in my new prayer journal made with choir friends from a Ladies’ Night In

I am studying . . . Sitting at the Feet of Rabbi Jesus by Lois Tverberg and Ann Spangler for my One Word 2013: Jesus (I loved Tverberg’s Walking in the Dust of Rabbi Jesus earlier this year)

I am (also) reading . . . blogger Glennan Doyle Melton’s Carry On, Warrior that I stumbled upon at my public library (exciting!)

I am pondering these words . . . Jesus measured up for us so that we wouldn’t have to live under the enslaving pressure of measuring up for others—including ourselves. – Tullian Tchividjian (from Glorious Ruin)

I am (working on) memorizing . . . Ephesians 1:15-18

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I am thankful . . . for a quick trip to Auburn this week to see both my girls

I am appreciating . . . my oldest daughter cooking supper for me and for my 18-year-old inviting me to choir class with her Wednesday afternoon (didn’t turn down either of those offers!)

I am happy . . . that Auburn has such a fun mascot in Aubie who spontaneously joined the choir at a Breast Cancer awareness event

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I am looking forward to . . . the Auburn Gospel Choir’s Unity Concert next week with the Alabama Afro-American Choir

I am wondering . . . why the person who sold me his used mp3 player didn’t first remove his music

mp3

I am listening to . . . his music anyway—including some old-school groups I loved once upon a time (The Eagles, James Taylor, Fleetwood Mac, Chicago)31-Days-of-Books-at-Lisa-notes.gif

I am resolving . . . to think twice before doing another #31Days blogging challenge next October, even though I enjoy it each year

An activity for the weekend . . . our monthly family meal at my brother’s house on Friday—the menu is Mexican!

A picture to share . . . the family and food at the Loachapoka Syrup Sopping Day outside of Auburn

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What’s something happening in your day today?

The Simple Woman’s Daybook
…where every day is a blank page

The Simple Woman's Daybook

past Daybooks

Permission granted: Pray

By LisaNotes November 6, 2013 Prayer, Spiritual disciplines 29 Comments

permission-grantedThey may be out there, but I haven’t met them yet—the ones who can honestly say, “Oh yes, my prayer life couldn’t be better!”

Instead, most everybody I know, including me, admits our praying could use more cultivating.

So when I left Outdoor Church again Saturday without having prayed with my friend Brea, I knew my prayer practice still needed more, well . . . practice. After all, wasn’t it just a month ago that I did the exact same thing?

Last month Brea was worried about her ex-husband (she has a big heart, my friend Brea). She said he wasn’t doing well financially or physically and she was concerned. I told her I’d be praying.

This month she told me the doctor found spots on her lung. She has an appointment Thursday. I asked her if she was scared. She said she doesn’t want to know what it is. But, she also said, it is what it is, and regardless, God is still wonderful.

Again, I said I’d be praying.

And I have been praying for her. Privately. That’s fine; God hears. It’s good.

But what I wanted to do, what I meant to do—and what I’d been convicted to do—was pray for her with her.

  • After the sermon, I’ll do it.
  • No? Then before lunch is served, I’ll do it.
  • But now . . . I’m back home again. And I never did it.

I don’t even know why.

She wouldn’t have thought me weird, I know that. And I don’t mind praying aloud with others; I find it a joy.

So why do I hesitate to initiate? Am I waiting for someone to grant me permission to speak? To talk to God out loud only when asked?

I know it’s irrational. God made this clear to me long ago—we have his permission to pray aloud.

Granted, let’s still ask permission from others before we launch into prayer over them.

But we don’t have to ask permission from God. He approves.

Prayer doesn’t have to be only between God and me. It can also be between God and me—and you.

I think he’s quite happy when we pull him more directly into our conversations anywhere, anytime.

I can’t regain the opportunity I lost last Saturday to pray together with Brea for her peace about Thursday. I’ll have to just keep praying for her by myself.

And keep praying for myself, that next time, I won’t wait for her to ask me to pray; I’ll ask her instead if I can. I’ve got a feeling she’ll say, “Of course!” And that God will say, “Good!”   

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November is my month for The Practice of Being Present to God (i.e., prayer). I hope to practice initiating prayer more with others.

How often do you ask others on the spot if you can pray together?

In what ways would you like to improve your practice of prayer?

RELATED:

Spiritual disciplines this year from An Altar in the World:

Songs of the Church

By LisaNotes November 4, 2013 Church, Guest posts, My stories, Worship 3 Comments

songs-of-the-churchEvery denomination has its traditions.

But within the broader traditions are often smaller individual ones.

The overall tradition in the church of my youth was ‘worship without instruments.’

At home though? It looked a little different . . .

Read the rest here

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“God is worth praising every way we know how.”

Have you ever had to break from tradition to tell God thanks?

Join me today at Mike Allen’s blog, ‘growing up Church of Christ.’ I’ve been blessed by the stories he shares there. Some make me laugh, some make me cry, but they all make me praise God.

Related:

Make a Difference: Growth in Leadership {Book review}

By LisaNotes November 1, 2013 Book reviews 16 Comments

Perhaps the most important attribute of any successful leader is the desire to grow in every season of his or her life.
– Dr. Larry Little

You may be thinking, “I’m already a good leader. Why do I need to read about leadership?”

Maybe, “I’m a stay-at-home mom. This is NOT applicable to me.”

Or maybe a million things in between.make-a-difference

But I encourage you to rethink any hesitancy about reading a leadership book.

Whether you think you’ve arrived at work or not, you still have room to grow. And whether you think you have minimal or no influence over others in your job or at home, you have more impact than you realize.

Dr. Larry Little and Melissa Jackson from The Enrichment Center Group surveyed more than 200 successful leaders in a variety of fields about their wins and losses. Then David Rupert (an excellent writer I’ve been following for years) consolidated the information into an organized and interesting book, Make a Difference, centered around six traits of the acronym “GROWTH.”

  • Gratitude
  • Responsibility
  • Ownership
  • Willingness
  • Tough calls
  • Health

Each trait is broken down into manageable chunks, including examples of real-life stories, vision to put it into practical use, and encouragement to make it your own.

One thing evident in this modern society is we need direction. Our world has plenty of people who attempt to lead. The problem is that too many of them struggle with character issues, a lack of passion, and misguided management techniques.

As I read the book, I considered ways the information could apply to me, and without fail, relationships and roles came to mind. For instance, under the Ownership section, I was reminded of my leadership role as a parent. Under Tough Calls, I was inspired to not shy away from hard decisions I currently need to make.

It’s humbling, but we are in this place at this moment to make a difference.

As long as we’re still here, we all still have work to do. And we all should want to do it with excellence.

What you do, and how you do it, affects somebody. When you dissect relationships you’ll realize that each and every one of us has a role in shaping and molding the thoughts and actions of others. This is called influence.

I’ve not been in the traditional workplace for several years now, but I found this book to be just as applicable to my roles now as spouse/parent/friend/blogger/etc. as when I was a working accountant. We all have people around us that we influence for good or bad. Why not work to enhance our lives for everyone’s good?

I appreciate books like these; they encourage us to never stop growing. We can choose to make a difference.

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My thanks for the review copy of this book

On the blog in Oct ’13

By LisaNotes October 31, 2013 Archives 2 Comments

This month on the blog:

God’s love cannot fail

By LisaNotes October 31, 2013 Book quotes 4 Comments

God doesn’t love you because you’re so wonderful (although I’m sure you are!). If you’re trying to earn and keep his love through your goodness, forget it.

A better way is to put on Christ, and let God love you as he loves Christ. That is a perfect love that will not and cannot ever fail.

: : :trusting-god-jerry-bridges

Excerpt from Trusting God

This infinite, measureless love of God is poured out upon us, not because of who we are or what we are, but because we are in Christ Jesus.

Note that in Romans 8:39, Paul says that “[nothing] will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.” The love of God flows to us entirely through, or in, Jesus Christ. The term in Christ is one Paul uses frequently to refer to our spiritually organic union with Jesus Christ.

Jesus speaks of this same union in His metaphor of the vine and its branches in John 15. Just as the branches are organically related to the vine in a life-giving union, so believers, in a spiritual sense, are organically united to Christ. Just as the parts of the body are organically related to its head, so we are spiritually related to Christ in this same way.

It is very important that we grasp this crucial concept that God’s love to us is in Christ. Just as God’s love to His Son cannot change, so His love to us cannot change because we are in union with the One He loves. God’s love to us can no more waver than His love to His Son can waver.

We are constantly tempted to look within ourselves to seek to find some reason why God should love us. Such searching is, of course, usually discouraging. We usually find within ourselves reasons why we think God should not love us.

Such searching is also unbiblical. The Bible is quite clear that God does not look within us for a reason to love us. He loves us because we are in Christ Jesus.

When He looks at us, He does not look at us as “stand alone” Christians, resplendent in our own good works, even good works as Christians. Rather, as He looks at us, He sees us united to His beloved Son, clothed in His righteousness. He loves us, not because we are lovely in ourselves, but because we are in Christ.

Here then is another weapon of truth that we should store up in our hearts to use against our doubts and the temptation to question God’s love for us. God’s love to us cannot fail any more than His love to Christ can fail.

– Jerry Bridges

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My book review of Trusting God

Thanks for all the comments you’ve made during this month of book quotes. I read and value each one! I also appreciate the book recommendations you left. More for my to-read list . . . .

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