My minivan awaits.

:::

This post is written in community with L.L. Barkat’s On, In, and Around Mondays writing project, Laura Boggess’s Playdates with God, and Michelle Derusha’s Hear It on Sunday, Use It on Monday.

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For Mega Memory Month January 2010, I’ll be working on Colossians 1.The thought is (I admit this may be a bit idealistic—even unrealistic—nevertheless…) that I might add on to this chapter over time; that is, for future Mega Memory Months I could continue with Colossians 2, 3 and 4.For now, I’m going to focus on Colossians 1 without fretting about the rest. Colossians 1 has 29 verses, so that’s approximately one verse per day. Now, I know that’s a lot for my feeble mind to tackle, but surely it can be done.After all, “all things were created by him and for him” (Colossians 1:16). My mind, including its aging synapses, was created by Him and for Him. To use it for this purpose—to concentrate on memorizing a chunk of God’s written Word—seems right and good. There will be much to ponder and celebrate along the way. For example, this passage includes a long prayer, so that my memory work can take on dual purpose and meaning, breathing life into my own prayers:

For this reason, since the day we heard about you, we have not stopped praying for you and asking God to fill you with the knowledge of his will through all spiritual wisdom and understanding. And we pray this in order that you may live a life worthy of the Lord and may please him in every way: bearing fruit in every good work, growing in the knowledge of God, being strengthened with all power according to his glorious might so that you may have great endurance and patience, and joyfully giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of the saints in the kingdom of light. For he has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son he loves, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins. (Colossians 1:9-14)

Toward the end of the month, if I make it through the entire chapter, I’ll arrive at this verse:To [the saints] God has chosen to make known among the Gentiles the glorious riches of this mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory (Colossians 1:27).

Christ in you.

I’ll cling to that this month, as I struggle through the paragraphs and stumble over phrases. It’s not just about the words in me … it’s about The Word in me.Christ in me.Now that right there puts the “mega” in this month.

Dove ornament photo © 2009 by Ann Kroeker.

To participate in Mega Memory Month, visit its Headquarters post HERE.

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We were going to be late.But I couldn’t help myself.  I paused what I was doing and joined him in front of the window. And there it was, my full faced moon-friend, hanging low in the misty dark of the pre-dawn. I moved behind my boy and wrapped my arms around his ever-growing body.And. We. Just. Looked.

Just taking a moment here and there—pausing to look at the moon, sitting for a moment of quiet, turning off the television for one half-hour—we can take baby steps toward living a slower life.We can begin to listen.We can go from the rush, to a hush.The children’s book Goodnight Moon is a favorite with children. I think it’s because after full, rushed days, the simple process of saying “goodnight” to each item in the room is a child’s way of slowing. It’s an antidote to the sped-up, frenzied day the family may have endured.Goodnight moon.Goodnight cow jumping over the moon.The day is coming to a close. I think I’ll sip a little cocoa.Goodnight light and the red balloon.Turn off the computer. Look over my planner. Scribble another to-do list item. Write a thank-you note.Goodnight clocks and goodnight socks.Pull out a journal. Pen. Bible. My Utmost for His Highest. Set them on the table next to my bed. Before settling in with my books and writing, however, I prepare to tuck in the children.Goodnight little house and goodnight mouse.Room by room, I will kiss children and pray. Then I’ll climb into my own bed.Goodnight stars, goodnight airA page in My Utmost for His Highest.It says, “If I want to know the universal sovereignty of Christ, I must know Him for myself, and how to get alone with him; I must take time to worship the Being Whose Name I bear. ‘Come unto Me’—that is the place to meet Jesus.”Goodnight noises everywhere. I must know Him for myself, and how to get alone with him.And it occurs to me, as the day winds down, that I might actually be the old lady whispering “hush.”Find silence; be still.”‘Come unto Me’—that is the place to meet Jesus.”Each of us must know Him for ourselves … and how to get alone with him.Shhhh …

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Teach me your way, O LORD,and I will walk in your truth; give me an undivided heart, that I may fear your name. To walk in the truth, I need wisdom and guidance. I need to learn from the Master. In fact, I need the Lord Himself.Together, the kids, the Belgian Wonder and I are seeking Him, depending on Him, asking Him to teach us His way and give us an undivided heart. By His grace and leading, we hope to be walking in the truth.Our Boy wrote an e-mail to his grandparents in Belgium, asking about their favorite Bible verse. Grandma Kroeker wrote back that this has been one of her favorites since she was a little girl:

Trust in the LORD with all your heartand lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge himand he will make your paths straight.(Proverbs 3:5-6 NIV)

Dependency. I think that’s how we have a chance at walking in the truth—to depend on Jesus and trust in Him with our whole heart.

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For example, she wrote, “The difficult thing about days is that they must be repeated” (p. 12*).

Acedia, it seems, struggles with the sameness and repetitiveness–the apparent meaningless–of day after day after day.

It reminded me of a passage from Orthodoxy, by G.K. Chesterton. For all I know, she may quote from it later in Acedia & me; I don’t have her book here to confirm. But Chesterton, too, considers the repetitiveness of days, especially in nature. He’s addressing the premise of the modern mind–that if a thing goes on repeating itself, it is probably dead, like a piece of clockwork. He argues:

The sun rises every morning…to put the matter in a popular phrase, it might be true that the sun rises regularly because he never gets tired of rising. His routine might be due, not to a lifelessness, but to a rush of life.

He expands on this with striking analogies and suggests how God may view the repetition of days that we human adults may consider boring or monotonous:

The thing I mean can be seen, for instance, in children, when they find some game or joke that they specially enjoy. A child kicks his legs rhythmically through excess, not absence, of life. Because children have abounding vitality, because they are in spirit fierce and free, therefore they want things repeated and unchanged. They always say, “Do it again”; and the grown-up person does it again until he is nearly dead. For grown-up people are not strong enough to exult in monotony. But perhaps God is strong enough… It is possible that God says every morning, “Do it again,” to the sun; and every evening, “Do it again,” to the moon. It may not be automatic necessity that makes all daisies alike: it may be that God makes every daisy separately, but has never got tired of making them. It may be that He has the eternal appetite of infancy; for we have sinned and grown old, and our Father is younger than we. The repetition in Nature may not be a mere recurrence; it may be a theatrical encore. (p. 37, Orthodoxy, by G.K. Chesterton)

“Do it again!”

God never tires of repeating the daisy-making or sunrise. He exults in His creation.

And I’m a little part of that. I don’t know if I’m appropriately applying Chesterton’s thoughts or not, but I keep thinking about how God never tires of me, either. He never tires of listening to my prayers or praise. It’s as if He encourages me to say these things to Him, to keep it up. “Do it again, Ann!”

And I think of the repetition of our lifelong walk with the Lord. Day after day, my walk with Jesus can feel something like the half-marathon I completed one year. I really did feel that toward the end I needed to tell my feet, “Come on, another step–Do it again!” Likewise, I must remind myself to stay close to the Lord. Day after day. “Do it again!” Get up. Talk with Him. Read His Word. Pour out your heart to Him again. And again. Do it again!

And to my friends and family: Keep going, take another step, and another. Keep in step with the Spirit. Today. Tomorrow. The next day. The next. Do it again!

In winter, when the days are shorter and I (not a morning person) have a greater chance at catching a sunrise, I sometimes look out across the roof of our neighbor’s house and think of Chesterton’s example of the sunrise–God saying, “Do it again!”

I suppose we could speak it back to the Lord, just as He may speak it to the sun and the seasons. We, too, can shout it out, like children asking Him to repeat this astonishing thing, be it a moment when I grasp some truth that changes me, or when I sense His strength to obey or resist temptation, when I share a moment of joy with another believer or peace with a friend. “Again, Lord! Please! Do it again!”

I think of the sunset I saw the other night, luminous. I think of the geese shooting north, like three arrowheads. I am a child again.

“It’s so good, Lord! Encore! Do it again!”

* Acedia & me: A Marriage, Monks, and a Writer’s Life, by Kathleen Norris, Riverhead Books, a member of Penguin Group USA, Inc., 375 Hudson Street, New York, NY 10014, USA, copyright 2008

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The first words are, “Lord, before this fleeting season is upon us…”

Obviously, this fleeting season is already upon us. Already fleeting.

Nevertheless, the message is good, even now, even in the midst of the season:

Lord, before this fleeting season is upon us,Let me remember to walk slowly.

Lord, bless my heart with love and with quiet.

Give my heart a leaning to hear carols.

Grace our family with contentment,

And the peace that comes only from You.

Lord, help us to do less this busy season;

Go less; stay closer to home; kneel more.

May our hearts be Your heart.

May we simply, peacefully, celebrate You.

Lord, Before This Fleeting Season

Text by MaryAnn Jindra; set to choral music by Libby Larsen.

Remember to walk slowly.

Kneel more.

May our hearts be His heart.

May we simply, peacefully, celebrate Jesus Christ.

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Share your stories—no matter how raw or difficult. Share you concerns—no matter how foolish they may seem. Share your wisdom—no matter how you came by it. Share your mother story. The only request? Start the letter “Dear Mother” and sign it. I will compile all of the letters in a Christmas book for my wife.

In response, many mothers’ hearts stream down the comments under this post at the site. You can submit your Mother Letter there, but apparently many others have been submitted to him via e-mail, as well. And some, like the one I’m offering, are also posted at the blog of the letter’s author.As his invitation has spread across the mama-blogosphere, moms are offering what bits of wisdom and insight they’ve gained thus far in their parenting adventure. And I can’t help but think of the lesson I was reminded of in my recent moment of Ann-insecurity (would that be “Annsecurity”?)–that all the different stories and bits of advice are a reminder that motherhood is a multi-faceted, personal-yet-communal experience. Many stories should be told, because the specifics of one personal revelation may be just what’s needed for another mom to be encouraged.In other words, just as both Anns (this Ann and that Ann) along with thousands of other Anns and Susans and Helens and Elizabeths have blogs reflecting their unique ways of thinking and communicating, every mom has a letter to write to this mother.If you haven’t yet composed your mother letter, please consider participating. I know I’d love to read your letter, so I’m sure this woman, the recipient-Mother of The Mother Letter Project, will be blown away. Wouldn’t you like to be part of that?Here’s the letter I composed. I wanted to share it with you, as well.

Dear Mother,*Blink*That’s how fast it happens. I’m sure you’ve noticed it. When you brought home your newborn, you probably fell into some kind of rhythm and routine. Next thing you know…*Blink*Baby starts rolling over. And crawling.*Blink*Now he’s toddling and talking.*Blink*First day of first grade: he climbs onto the school bus with a cartoon-emblazoned lunchbox in hand, turns around to wave, smiles and “catches” every kiss you blow.*Blink*Eighth grade: he shuffles onto the school bus jamming to an iPod and glances back, hoping you don’t embarrass him publicly.*Blink*“Mom, can I have the car keys?”*Blink*You’re shopping for extra-long twin sheets for dorm room beds.Okay, I’m only speculating about the car keys and sheets. I’m not quite there yet—but it’s coming. Soon.I know, because…I’ve blinked.*Blink*Other moms warned me about the mom-blink.“Enjoy them while they’re little,” they’d advise. “Savor every moment now, because you just blink, and…oh, they grow up so fast!”I appreciated the sentiment, but no one would tell me how.How was I supposed to savor changing three-ton diapers, mopping spit-up off the kitchen floor and chasing after my toddler only to find him splashing his hands in the toilet water?How was I supposed to enjoy them while facing a mountain of laundry, and I was so tired the only way I could keep my eyes open was to prop them up with toothpicks and guzzle a jug of black tea…how?I’m the mother of two teens, an 11-year-old and a seven-year-old. So I can attest to what those moms were saying: they do grow up in the blink of an eye.Now I would like to offer something no one managed to pass on to me—an idea of how to enjoy and savor the kids while they’re little.I suppose it sounds like a no-brainer, but here it is:Slow down.Does that sound obvious? Forgive me, but it took me a little while to “get it.”I had to choose to slow down enough to look each child in the eye.I had to remember to slow down enough to smile…to laugh…to relax…to breathe deeply.In the early days of parenting, I wasn’t slowing down enough to listen to what my girls were really saying. I needed to learn to ask a follow-up question and listen a little longer.I grew to love slowing down enough to read a story… slowly…more than once.To play UNO and Monopoly. That takes a while!I love living slowly enough to sit down for a meal…at the table…and give thanks.You may already slow down enough to let your kids enjoy some free time to play uninterrupted. You’ve seen them build an imaginary fortress or fairy land, and your schedule may be flexible enough to just hang out with them and watch them build. Instead of dragging them off to the umpteenth organized activity, you may be living slowly enough to take them sledding.No, wait a minute. If you’re already living that slowly, you know you can let your husband take them sledding.While you sit and sip hot tea.And while you’re sitting there sipping tea, or coffee, or chai—not because you need the caffeine, but to enjoy the flavor and the smell and the feel of the warm mug against your hands—you yourself are slowing down. You’re stopping…stopping to savor these moments of motherhood that race past in a blink.When you slow down like that, when for a few minutes you forget Mount Laundry and the blob of spit-up on the kitchen floor, life isn’t such a blur.Living a slower life, you can see things more clearly. You’ll sit in the quiet and look out the window—really look—at the snow angels and lumpy snowmen formed by mittened hands in the back yard.You can feel.You can pray for your children…for their hearts, their souls, their just-a-blink-away futures.And when you do this, when you slow down like this, it’s okay to go ahead and blink. You can even shut your eyes for a few minutes and recall a look or a lisp or a laugh. You aren’t missing anything at all.Enjoy the peace.Later, you’ll open your eyes when the kids and your husband tumble in the back door, chunks of snow dropping from their snowsuits and boots…they’ll beg you for hot chocolate and popcorn. You’ll look at their pink-cheek grins and chattering teeth and crazy hair smashed and smooshed by their knit caps, and you’ll sigh. This. This is what those moms meant. And thank the Lord your life was slow enough to see it and savor it…and so was theirs.This is how.We all know that they grow up fast.All the more reason to slow down.Merry Christmas!Ann Kroeker

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The purpose of memory, in my view, is not to up the word count and be able to spout off verses at will. It is so that we will be transformed by the word that is written on our hearts, that we will recognize the Father’s voice more easily, that we will draw ever closer to Him.So don’t give up. Don’t be discouraged. Let the words you DO know steep in your soul, and let the Lord breathe life to you through them.Press on dear sisters!

Esther at Outward Expression wrote a similar thought at her blog — that as she works on memorizing, “the goal is to, in countless small ways, come closer to Him whose Word it is.”Great stuff.With their words as a lead-in (and without further ado), here are my Top 2 MMM Memorization Tips:Tip #1: Pray the Passage.In these waning days of October, make Mega Memory Month more meaningful (forgive the alliteration overkill) by praying the words. Even if you need to open your Bible and have the words right there for easy reference, use the passage, phrases, verses, truths, as part of your interaction with the Savior in prayer. The words can be a launching point to dialogue with the Lord and prompt specific, powerful worship.Tip #2: Speak and Discuss it. Ask someone to listen to you recite it. Then talk with him or her about its meaning. By saying aloud the words to someone else, its truth can communicate. By talking about our passages with someone else, we can turn this memory challenge into a couples devotional time or meaningful friendship discussion, adding interpersonal connection, depth and insight to what we otherwise might simply be privately cramming into our mental storage units.These two tips may not be the most efficient or effective for sheer word-preservation — but by adding meaning and purpose, they may cause the passages to stick  more deeply not only in the mind, but also in the heart and soul, where we’ll ultimately need it most. And these tips may also allow you to experience something richer and more meaningful with the Lord Himself.No matter how “mega” your challenge is ending up, whether long or short, mega or modest, please try these two tips. Like Jennifer advised, let the words you do know steep in your soul, and let the Lord breathe life into you through them.A few practical notes:This coming Monday I’ll post my final Progress Report including Mr. Linky (so you can link your posts, as well). It will be the last progress report before the end of October, when we’ll post our last hurrah (see next note).This coming Friday, October 31st, marks MMM Final Celebration/Presentation Day. It’s a day to celebrate any and all words that have been tucked away for safe keeping. If you’re so inspired or inclined, I’m encouraging some kind of final presentation.No ideas? You could:

• Write it out in calligraphy
• Write it out in colored pencils or markers (have the kids decorate it, or doodle something yourself)
• Print it out on fancy paper and frame it
• Videotape yourself reciting it and post somehow on your blog
• Audiotape yourself reciting it and post somehow on your blog (anyone know how to podcast in WordPress.com?)
• Or, if you’re low on time and creativity, simply type it all out one last time.

I’ll post my own final presentation and include another Mr. Linky.Be sure to sync up at some point, so we can celebrate with you!Please visit participants who link to a Celebration/Presentation Post and leave an encouraging comment.Tomorrow’s Sunday. The perfect day to test run these Top 2 MMM Memorization Tips. May they help you recognize the Father’s voice and draw you closer to Him.If I may close by expanding on Jennifer’s exhortation:Press on dear sisters — and brothers (I know you’re out there)!

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• Laughter from upstairs. Two children putting dresses on stuffed animals.
• Neighborhood swimming pool. Having one’s own pool sounds like a lot of fun, but sharing the cost with neighbors and knowing there are lifeguards on duty is a mighty fine alternative.
• Books, books, books! Whether I’m enjoying the story of a fiction book or ideas and information from nonfiction, I’m grateful for books…and for the people who write and publish them.
• Blogs. What did we bloggers do before there were blogs? I guess we journaled. Or we just kept all of those words bottled up inside {shudder}.
• Modern Medicine. Eleven years ago, Belgian doctors accurately diagnosed and operated on The Belgian Wonder, saving his life after his aortic valve was destroyed by a bacterial infection. Today, strangely, his brother-in-law is in the same Belgian hospital, while doctors treat a dangerous infection in his leg. We also await the outcome of a friend’s cancer treatment. As we wait and pray, we’re grateful that God has allowed for advances in antibiotics and other technology and medicines–some of the many means by which surgeons and doctors can treat illness and disease.
• Dishwasher. Although we could live without a dishwasher and wash our plates and cups by hand, I’m still grateful to have the helping hand of our machine. We were able to find a water- and energy-efficient model, reducing my guilt at the frequent loading and unloading we deal with some days.
• Washing Machine. While we could certainly wash dishes by hand, I shudder to imagine washing clothes by hand. I know it can be done and was done for millenia and is done in other countries even now, but wow. I guess I’m a spoiled, soft, American housewife. The thought of washing by hand–such a lot of work! I’m so grateful to be able to run the clothes through the machine (which also happens to be an energy- and water-efficient model, by the way).
• Clothesline. I really like hanging clothes to dry during the summer months. We’ve strung a clothesline between a tree and the swingset, and I can hang up three loads a day if I need to. I love heading out there with the basket loaded down, our happy dog padding along beside me and flopping down to chew on a stick while I clip our T-shirts and shorts onto the line. It’s quiet. I ponder and pray.
• Bibles. The fact that I can use the plural to write that word is something to be grateful for. In some countries, to have a complete copy of the book of John to study would be marvelous. I have all 66 books of the Bible in more than one version! I have my main Bible, and another that is broken down into portions to read through in a year. And I have a small one that was a gift to me years ago that can fit in a purse. And I have the King James version I bought for myself when I was in junior high. And the Living Bible that I bought after I didn’t understand the King James. So many translations to choose from–all in my own home. I am so thankful to have such extravagant access to the written word of God. I should be poring over it.
• Food. Following news of the global food crisis leaves me grateful to have enough money to buy supplies at the grocery. 
• Goodwill. The store, as well as the attitude. The Goodwill store has been the first place I stop when we’re interested in shopping for clothes or household items. Sometimes we turn up a single blouse or an interesting tray for the kitchen. However, every once in a while, we hit the jackpot. So, whoever donated the queen-sized purple Pottery Barn crinkle puff bedspread–I could kiss you! Thanks, also, for the coordinating summer-weight quilt. And the purple floor lamp. You helped me affordably redecorate the shared bedroom of two girls who longed for that exact quilt.
• All that I need for life and godliness. A friend of mine reminded me of this verse found in 2 Peter (1:3): “His divine power has given us everything we need for life and godliness through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness.” It’s been so true that just at the right time I’ll be given some word or some reminder that will answer the cry of my heart or a deep questioning of my soul. His divine power has given me everything I need for life and godliness…through my knowledge of Him. 

It’s a good exercise, to stop and be thankful. To turn to the Giver of all good gifts and give thanks.Merci beaucoups, mon Dieu, L’Eternel, Seigneur Jesus.For more thankfulness overflowing on the Internet, visit Sting My Heart.

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[Updated: Visit the ten boom Museum website for a fantastic 360-degree, narrated tour—you’ll feel like you are right there (be sure to enter the hiding place itself, in Corrie’s bedroom)]

The trip that we just took to Europe was all about family. As you know, the primary reason to be there was to celebrate The Belgian Wonder’s parents’ 50th wedding anniversary. Before and after that event, we were with other members of his big family, sharing meals, chatting, and generally catching up. It’s been, after all, three years since we were last with them. All of The Belgian Wonder’s 13 nieces and nephews have changed dramatically in that time, and it was our first time meeting the youngest member of the family, a nephew.

As a result of this people-time-priority, we did very little sightseeing and even less shopping.

However, after the 50th, when we were in Holland staying at CenterParcs, the family asked us if we wanted to do anything in addition to visiting the beach and enjoying the CenterParcs facilities (such as its indoor water park). Did we want to see anything special? Visit a cheese-making farm, perhaps, or an historic old windmill?

I said that I’d love to visit the Corrie ten Boom museum in Haarlem and then go to Amsterdam and tour the Anne Frank house. In the several visits to Europe we’ve made in 17 years of marriage, we had never made it up there. It was about a two-hour drive from where we were staying.

As it turned out, everyone was interested in going, even if they only ate ice cream in the city centers while we took the tours. We were glad we didn’t have to lose a day with these people we see so rarely and want to build memories with, in order to see the two sights.

All together, our group added up to 24 people, 11 of them children.

To get that many people out the door packed for a day outing in the vans and cars caravaning two hours to Haarlem (we planned to park our vehicles in Haarlem and take a 30-minute train ride to Amsterdam afterward) was quite a feat. Not surprisingly, we got a bit of a late start and had to make a couple of pitstops en route. All to be expected, of course.

We parked by the train station, where we bore witness to the fact that Dutch people really do use their bikes (snapped through the van windshield):

Then we rushed to get to the museum.

When we got to the door, the English tour was about to begin. Whew! We were just in time.

We started to enter, but the tour guide started pushing the door shut. “Sorry,” she said, “but this tour is full. We can’t take anyone else. Sorry.” Thump. The door shut.

We stared for a moment, unsure what to do. Just then, another guy brushed past us, explaining in English, “We made arrangements beforehand and reserved this time.” He knocked, spoke to the guide who cracked open the door, then slipped in and pressed the door shut behind him.

On the green door hung a little sign with two clocks on it, one for the Dutch tours and the other for English:

“Next English tour: 3:30 p.m.”

It was early in the day, and we were faced with a decision: should we skip the Ten Boom museum and go to Amsterdam, stand in line for the Anne Frank house, and risk such a long wait that we might have to leave without seeing it, too? Should we give up Anne Frank and figure out how to spend an entire day in the small town of Haarlem until the 3:30 tour, which would mean getting back very late? Or should we scrap all the plans and return to the indoor waterslides?

Here’s the outdoor plaque posted on the exterior wall. I got the sinking feeling that this was all I’d capture of the museum (click to enlarge):

Nobody wanted to make the final decision, because I (and our immediate family, but particularly I) was the main one who wanted to take the tour. I felt utterly incapable of making the decision–I didn’t want to be the one forcing all those small children to hang around the city with nothing to do for a day just so that I could see the museum. But I also wanted to do this one thing very badly. All we could agree on was lunch. We walked out to the town square and ate sandwiches next to a big sculpture:

To buy time and do something fun, someone proposed we take a canal boat ride and see the city. The conclusion gradually seemed to be that we would take the ride and then head on back to CenterParcs. It appeared that we would pass on both the Ten Boom museum and the Anne Frank house.

On the canal boat, I worked hard to accept this reality. I handed the camera to The Belgian Wonder, who takes better photos than I, and asked him to snap some shots on the ride. He went to the back where most of our group was sitting, and I stayed toward the front to hear the narration.

As we passed a beautiful windmill at a fabulous angle, I leaned over to see if he was getting a nice shot of it–but he was on a borrowed cell phone making a call! I waited to see if he would finish and get a shot, and he hung up just in time to snap a good one, which was the centerpiece of one of my postcards from Holland.

The Belgian Wonder continued snapping photos on the ride, and eventually moved back into the front to report that he somehow convinced the good people at the Ten Boom museum to change their schedule around so that we could tour it at 2:30 instead of 3:30. This meant that we could finish the canal ride and go straight to the house, take the tour, and get our 24 people home at a reasonable hour.That’s the story of how I had to sacrifice Amsterdam and the Anne Frank house, but was able to see the Ten Boom museum after all.

I just wanted you to know how challenging it was to pull off, and how extra-pleased I am to offer you the following virtual tour. Here is the ten Boom living room, where the tour began:

We walked up some narrow stairs and gathered in the living room. I whispered to The Belgian Wonder, “Take a lot of photos.” In this peaceful, tranquil space, as the tour guide began telling us the ten Boom family history, The Belgian Wonder was snapping away as subtly as possible.

He even took photos of the family portraits on the walls:

In the bottom left photo, you can see a shot of the room that we were in, looking very much the same. The windows have that same decorative top as they did long ago.

Corrie organized and led a Christian girls’ club in the home before the war, something like Girl Scouts. The photos below show her with some of the girls in their uniforms:

After giving an overview of Corrie’s story and explaining how the family got involved with the Resistance, the tour guide took us up the extremely narrow, tight stairs to Corrie’s bedroom, the location of the Hiding Place. To form the space, the ten Booms smuggled bricks in, a few at a time, to create a false wall.

The wall would have been, of course, solid. Somebody at some point took out a section for visitors to see (and climb) inside:

The room with the shaft of light streaming in seemed so serene. Such a contrast to the reason for the Hiding Place–to protect people in a time of terror.

The design was ingenious, building a simple cupboard on the left as a secret entrance:

The Jews in hiding would open the cupboard and climb through the back of the bottom shelf. The back raised and lowered from the inside. Once everyone climbed through, they placed a basket with linens to fill that spot, lowered the door, and from the outside, it looked like a simple cupboard against a brick wall:

I climbed in after everyone else had a turn.

The guide said that with lots of practice drills, the people they were hiding could get to the Hiding Place in 70 seconds after the alarm was sounded. This included stripping the sheets (taking the sheets in with them) and flipping the mattress, if they were in bed (so that no body heat could be felt), or scooping up all dishes, cups, napkins, and eating utensils if it happened while eating.

On the fateful day that the Gestapo came, the six people they were protecting made it to the Hiding Place safely. The ten Booms would put an Alpina sign in the window when it was safe for people to come to the house who were part of the Resistance. If not, they’d pull the sign out. This is the sign:

That day, when the Gestapo came up the very alley where we waited outside for the tour, they pounded on the heavy green door. Betsie snatched the Alpina sign from the window. Sadly, one of the Gestapo saw her do that and figured it was a signal. When they entered to search, he placed it back in the window, and a few more people came to the house thinking it was safe and were taken in for interrogation.

The Gestapo found the spot where the ten Booms hid their extra ration cards and false passports. It was in the stairway:

But they couldn’t find the people. They knew that they were in the house, but they just couldn’t figure out where. Then they decided to starve them out. The people were stuck in the Hiding Place for two-and-a-half days without water, while the Gestapo posted guards, waiting.

One day, a Dutch police officer was put on duty. Little did the Germans know, he was part of the Resistance. He found a chance to get them out, so he helped them onto the roof and through a window into the neighbors’ house, who helped them escape. They all made it out, and the Dutch police officer disappeared until after the war, as well, because he would have been found out.

Here’s the view of the neighbor’s roof (the lower orange roof). The window was blocked off at some point over the years, but it’s the same building:

Here’s the view from the roof in a couple of directions, which was interesting to see even if we weren’t imagining a fearful bunch of Jewish people quietly climbing through to safety:

We passed through the remaining room, where the attic access was (the dark spot upper center):

Several photos were under the cases, including a sampling of the ration cards they had to secure in order to feed the people they were protecting:

Also, there were photos of Corrie with a wide variety of people throughout the world where she had spoken the message of salvation and hope and forgiveness after the war.

There was this photo of some of the people who had stayed with the ten Booms, Jewish people who had come to them for protection:

It was for these people (and others) that the ten Booms risked and sacrificed their lives. Corrie is the only one from her family who made it out alive, after eleven months in concentration camps.

In the dining room, where the signal clock sat in the window, the tour guide turned our attention to the back side of a tapestry that Corrie often used as an illustration (sorry about the glare):

It’s just a big mess of strings, all different colors wadded up in no pattern or form. Then he read a poem that she herself would read when showing the tapestry. I think it’s this one that I found online:

Life is But a Weaving

My life is but a weaving

Between my God and me.

I cannot choose the colors

He weaveth steadily.

Oft’ times He weaveth sorrow;

And I in foolish pride

Forget He sees the upper

And I the underside.

Not ‘til the loom is silent

And the shuttles cease to fly

Will God unroll the canvas

And reveal the reason why.

The dark threads are as needful

In the weaver’s skillful hand

As the threads of gold and silver

In the pattern He has planned

He knows, He loves, He cares;

Nothing this truth can dim.

He gives the very best to those

Who leave the choice to Him.

Then he had someone flip it around to the front side:

A crown of life.

Corrie’s received hers.

And offered it directly back to the Savior, I’m sure.

What a life. I loved, when reading The Hiding Place, how real she was. Her sister, Betsie, was so pure and childlike in her faith, trusting the Lord at His Word so simply and earnestly, praying continually. Corrie was the one exclaiming, “Fleas!” Corrie was the one who wailed, “Betsie, how can we live in such a place!”

But Betsie immediately began to pray, “Show us. Show us how.” Corrie wrote, “More and more the distinction between prayer and the rest of life seemed to be vanishing for Betsie” (p. 197, The Hiding Place, by Corrie ten Boom with John and Elizabeth Sherrill, Bantam Books, New York, NY, copyright 1971) Betsie is the one who said to thank God for the fleas. Corrie is the one who  was aghast. “This was too much,” she wrote. “‘Betsie, there’s no way even God can make me grateful for a flea.'”

But Betsie insisted that the verse says to give thanks in all circumstances, not just in pleasant circumstances.

Corrie prayed. But she was sure that Betsie was wrong.

And of course later they realized that the reason they had so much freedom to worship and pray and study God’s Word and sing was because of….the fleas.

Anyway, I tell that famous story only because I love how this extraordinary woman, Corrie ten Boom, was also quite ordinary–at least she presented herself that way. And she found herself in “such a time as this,” and rose to the occasion by faith.

As a result, she got to see the Lord work in her life in extraordinary ways.

After the war, she spoke about forgiveness in all kinds of settings. The most dramatic occasion was when she returned to Germany with that same message, and a guard, one of their first jailers, approached her.

“How grateful I am for your message, Fraulein,” he said. “To think that, as you say, He has washed my sins away.”

He stuck out his hand to shake hers. She preached the need to forgive, but kept her hand at her side. As angry, vengeful thoughts boiled through her for the horror, pain, and suffering he caused, she “saw the sin of them. Jesus Christ had died for this man; was I going to ask for more? Lord Jesus, I prayed, forgive me and help me to forgive him.”

She struggled to raise her hand. She felt no spark of warmth or charity. She couldn’t forgive the man…not on her own.”

Jesus, I cannot forgive him,” she prayed. “Give me Your forgiveness.”Then she described what happened next:

As I took his hand the most incredible thing happened. From my shoulder along my arm and through my hand a current seemed to pass from me to him, while into my heart sprang a love for this stranger that almost overwhelmed me.And so I discovered that it is not on our forgiveness any more than on our goodness that the world’s healing hinges, but on His. When He tells us to love our enemies, He gives, along with the command, the love itself. (p. 238, ibid.)

The ten Boom house was a place of Christian prayer, protection, safety, love, faith, and forgiveness. And I felt so privileged to finally be able to  walk through it and almost feel it.

I was flipping through the book The Hiding Place and saw this quote from Betsie:

“There are no ‘if’s’ in God’s world. And no places that are safer than other places. The center of His will is our only safety–O Corrie, let us pray that we may always know it!” (p. 67, ibid)

O friends, I think that both Betsie and Corrie would want us to ask for the same thing:

Let us pray that we may always know God’s will, and always be at the center of it.

* * *

If you haven’t read The Hiding Place, please consider purchasing it today using my affiliate link (click on the image):

Also, introduce your children to Corrie and Betsie ten Boom by reading them Gutsy Girls, Book Two: Sisters Corrie and Betsie ten Boom (for affiliate link, click on image):

The post The Ten Boom Museum – Betsie and Corrie ten Boom appeared first on Ann Kroeker, Writing Coach.

We could have simply cleaned up from breakfast and gathered around the table in one of the rented cottages.

Then we thought of gathering at the dock, where the children had been so occupied scooping up shrimp, oysters, and crabs. But that was a fairly busy spot, and we didn’t want to be praying and singing alongside crabbers.

Then one of my sisters-in-law suggested we go along the water’s edge, past the volleyball court, to a little spot that was a bit more secluded.

We strolled along toward the spot, chatting as the breeze swept across us, cooling the air. The sun shone as we settled down on a bench overlooking the marina. The children wondered what brought them to this spot off by itself.Here’s the view from one direction:

Here’s the other:

We gathered to hear a story, pray, and sing a few songs.

The theme?

Let the little children come to Jesus.

The same sister-in-law who suggested this beautiful location told that simple little Bible story hoping to engage the youngest among us (her husband is next to her, holding cards in place that formed a little puzzle-picture of Jesus with the little children):

Then we sang “Oh, How I Love Jesus” in Kituba, the language of my father-in-law’s youth while growing up in Belgian Congo. The youngest children had learned it to sing at the 50th Wedding Anniversary fete, so they all joined in. Then we sang it in French and English. Whoever knew it in his or her language joined in when possible.

We sang “Jesus Loves the Little Children” in English.

We sang “The Wise Man Built His House upon the Rock” in French. Actually, everyone who spoke French sang it, while the rest of us listened.

Someone closed our time together praying in French and then in English.

Such a simple time in such a beautiful setting for all our kids to be reminded that Jesus warmly invited the little children come to Him.

And for all the big kids to remember that He invites us, too.

You.

Me.

Wherever we are—by the water’s edge, at the computer, in our beds at night, or while walking in the woods. Whether we’re half a world away on vacation or at home in the back yard, hanging up laundry, He invites us to come to Him.

He says we are to become like little children in order to enter the kingdom of heaven.

Mono Zola Yesu…Oh, how I love Jesus!

The post Let the Little Children Sit by the Water's Edge and Come to Him appeared first on Ann Kroeker, Writing Coach.

“As the media theorist Marshall McLuhan pointed out in the 1960s, media are not just passive channels of information. They supply the stuff of thought, but they also shape the process of thought. And what the Net seems to be doing is chipping away my capacity for concentration and contemplation. Once I was a scuba diver in the sea of words. Now I zip along the surface like a guy on a Jet Ski.” (p. 57)

It reminds me of Neil Postman’s book Amusing Ourselves to Death: Public Discourse in the Age of Discourse, which was written before the Internet had such widespread influence.Carr says that his literary-type friends are also having trouble staying focused on long pieces of writing. One blogger who was a lit major used to read books voraciously, but wonders–even worries–if not only the way he reads has changed, but also the way he thinks?Another guy admitted that he now has “almost totally lost the ability to read and absorb a longish article on the web or in print.” And another wrote, “Even a blog post of more than three or four paragraphs is too much to absorb. I skim it.”Looks like I would have already lost him by now, were he reading this post.Carr quotes Maryanne Wolf, author of Proust and the Squid, saying that she:

worries that the style of reading promoted by the Net, a style that puts “efficiency” and “immediacy” above all else, may be weakening our capacity for the kind of deep reading that emerged when an earlier technology, the printing press, made long and complex works of prose commonplace…Our ability to interpret text, to make the rich mental connections that form when we read deeply and without distraction, remains largely disengaged. (p. 58).

Is Carr right? Are we as a society or even worldwide losing the focus of slow, attentive reading?The article warns:

 Never has a communications system played so many roles in our lives–or exerted such broad influence over our thoughts–as the Internet does today. Yet, for all that’s been written about the Net, there’s been little consideration of how, exactly, it’s reprogramming us. (p. 60)

Carr talks about Google’s goals as a company, and described the company founders’ desire to turn their search engine into an artificial intelligence that might even be connected to our brains. He quoted one of the two founders, Larry Page. “The ultimate search engine is something as smart as people–or smarter.” And then the scariest quote of all:

Certainly if you had all the world’s information directly attached to your brain, or an artificial brain that was smarter than your brain, you’d be better off.

According to Carr, Page said that in a 2004 interview with Newsweek. He really did.Is nobody nervous about that?I’m telling you, that is the stuff of science fiction novels, people. And yet, it’s not scary or uncomfortable at all to a generation of kids growing up with avatars and second lives online. It would seem like a perfectly normal progression to stick a contraption on one’s head and gain access to all kinds of information simply by thinking a question–and getting immediate answers. No need to study for tests anymore, or store up information in one’s head. It’s all right there in a gadget. What’s weird about that?, our children will wonder. They’ll shake their heads and make fun of their old-fashioned parents, so “out of it.””They don’t get it. We don’t need school anymore–we have artificial intelligence. Right here at our fingertips.”I’m not even dreaming this up, because I hear kids say this already. “Why would I need to memorize anything? I just Google it and get all the information I need.”Maybe I am an old fogey, but I’m with Carr:

[Google’s] easy assumption that we’d all ‘be better off’ if our brains were supplemented, or even replaced, by an artificial intelligence is unsettling…In Google’s world, the world we enter when we go online, there’s little place for the fuzziness of contemplation. Ambiguity is not an opening for insight but a bug to be fixed. The human brain is just an outdated computer that needs a faster processor and a bigger hard drive. (p. 62, 63)

In my world, contemplation is something to be practiced and developed, not lost; and my brain is something to be exercised and developed, not supplanted. The computer and search engines are tools at my disposal, not a substitute for learning and thinking on my own.What kinds of mental disciplines should we put into place in our lives to fight this?How can we slow down as we recall how to read deeply and start practicing it?What shall we change about our reading in order to focus on one article long enough to absorb it, understand it, consider its premise and argument, and then talk with someone else about it?How can we keep from clicking away and skimming and clicking away again?How can we learn? Think? Truly read?This speed-reading is affecting our ability to study, stick with, and (with the aid of the Spirit) comprehend God’s Word.Which will affect, in turn, our prayer life.Our minds will be fickle and flit from thought to thought, always looking for the next quippy quote that takes little time to “get.”We must pray more slowly, read more slowly.To do so, we may need to live more slowly.If I may finish with a more secular thought from that article, here’s something else Carr wrote:

The kind of deep reading that a sequence of printed pages promotes is valuable not just for the knowledge we acquire from the author’s words but for the intellectual vibrations those words set off within our own minds. In the quiet spaces opened up by the sustained, undistracted reading of a book, or by any other act of contemplation, for that matter, we make our own associations, draw our own inferences and analogies, foster our own ideas. Deep reading, as Maryanne Wolf argues, is indistinguishable from deep thinking.If we lose those quiet spaces, or fill them up with “content,” we will sacrifice something important not only in our selves but in our culture. In a recent essay, the playwright Richard Foreman eloquently described what’s at stake:              I come from a tradition of Western culture, in which the ideal (my ideal) was the complex, dense and “cathedral-like” structure of the highly educated and articulate personality—a man or woman who carried inside themselves a personally constructed and unique version of the entire heritage of the West. [But now] I see within us all (myself included) the replacement of complex inner density with a new kind of self—evolving under the pressure of information overload and the technology of the “instantly available.”

As we are drained of our “inner repertory of dense cultural inheritance,” Foreman concluded, we risk turning into “‘pancake people’—spread wide and thin as we connect with that vast network of information accessed by the mere touch of a button.”

So many quotable quotes just in that section…Read slowly the things worth your time. Don’t lose those “quiet spaces opened up by the sustained, undistracted reading of a book, or…any other act of contemplation” you might enjoy this summer.Make associations.Draw your own inferences and analogies.Foster your own ideas.Read deeply; think deeply; pray deeply.I suggest we get countercultural.Anyone for a long, slow, summer read in the hammock?

The post Is Google Making Us Stoopid? appeared first on Ann Kroeker, Writing Coach.

Jesus, be the Lord of my life today in new ways.Change me any way you want.Wash me clean from every sin.Fill me with your Holy Spirit.Make me a channel of Your love and grace.Make me an instrument of Your mercy and justice.Bring glory to Yourself in me and through me.If it pleases You, use me today to lead persons into this sacred pilgrimage of exalting You as Lord, for all You are by sharing this prayer covenant with others.I pray in the Mighty Name of Jesus. Amen

As I began praying it, I thought about how radical this is–it’s utterly yielding one’s self to the Lord to have His way with me. “Here I am, Lord; I’m all yours.” Here am I. Send me!Today I read the story of the rich young man (Mark 10:17-22). The man runs to Jesus and falls on his knees asking, “Good teacher…what must I do to inherit eternal life?” After Jesus reviews the commandments that the man is sure he’s kept since his youth, Jesus says, “Go, sell everything you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.”The man’s face fell. He went away sad, because he had great wealth.Could this prayer be similar–with me starting out as hopeful as that young man, eagerly running up to Jesus and falling to my knees, saying, “Jesus, be the Lord of my life…change me, fill me, use me…” Then, when He actually shows me something specific, will I walk away sad because I’m afraid to let go of the life I’m living? Will I be too weak to really let Him be Lord of my life in new ways? Will I be too afraid to let Him change me any way He wants?I feel like the father in the story in Mark 9. Jesus said, regarding the healing of the man’s son, “Everything is possible for him who believes.” Immediately the boy’s father exclaimed, “I do believe; help me overcome my unbelief!”I want You to change me, Lord; help the part of me that’s afraid to change!And I’m comforted by what Jesus told his disciples after the rich young man went away. “With man this is impossible, but not with God; all things are possible with God.” (Mark 10:27).If it feels impossible to yield completely, remember that with God all things are possible.Jesus, be Lord of my life in new ways…and help me let You be Lord of my life in new ways.

The post Jesus, Be the Lord of My Life Today in New Ways appeared first on Ann Kroeker, Writing Coach.

May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart

be pleasing in your sight,

O LORD, my Rock and my Redeemer.

(Psalm 19:14)

May the words of all our “mouths”–may the words of our blogs–be pleasing in His sight.

Let it be so.

The post Blogger's Prayer appeared first on Ann Kroeker, Writing Coach.

Sometimes I’m undisciplined and need more structure; other times, structure starts to feel too much like a to-do list and I’ve missed the point—that quiet time tools help me connect with the Savior and deepen my relationship with Him.

When I become too rigid, I allow for spontaneity and creativity in my moments alone with God. Having a lot of ideas on hand allows me to vary according to my current state.

I hope that this collection of Quiet Time ideas to try (a combination of the ones I’d pulled together yesterday mixed with the ones you added in the comments) serves a launching point for you to seek a richer and more meaningful experience with the Lord.

1. Scribing

Last Sunday at church, two guys in our class said that they are writing out the Bible by hand, word for word, beginning with Genesis. They feel that the act of writing slows them down and brings incredible focus, and they see things in the Scriptures that they never noticed before. They call this practice “scribing.” Susan, an artistic designer and lover of color, tossed out the idea of using colored pencils to add even more to the scribing process–I love that idea!

2. Less Ambitious Scribing

A friend in the class joked that she was doing something similar, but less ambitious, than those guys and said she’s writing out Matthew. Same motivation–to slow down, focus, and interact personally with the Lord via the text. She brackets things that stand out to her, to return to and spend time with in meditation and prayer. Others of you said that you wrote out whatever passage stood out to you in your broader reading plan.

3. Bible Reading Plans.* Lots of reading plans in one place

Check out these links for reading plans to find one that suits you.

• Read the Bible in 90 Days:  This accelerated reading plan was mentioned. I found this website link that I assume is related.*
• One-Year Reading Plans. There are a lot of these plans you can download to follow, reading through the Bible in one year using your own Bible, checking off passages as you go. Here’s one I found in a quick search that also offers the option of a three-year plan. And here’s another from Crosswalk that you can use online that just pops up the reading of the day when you go to the link. If you’re fixing breakfast and have your laptop nearby, you can even click on a “Listen” option and have it read to you.*
• One-Year Bible. This is a reading plan laid out in book form. It actually divides up and breaks down passages into daily readings that include a passage from the Old Testament, New Testament, Psalms and a Proverb. The sections are dated, so it’s all physically laid out to easily follow–open up to today’s date and read. You can take it with you on errands to read while waiting for basketball or ballet practices to end, which makes it more portable than the online reading plan mentioned above that would rely on Internet access.*
• Search the Scriptures is a three-year Bible reading plan with study questions incorporated into it. It takes the reader slowly and meticulously through the entire Bible. The guy who told me about it meets monthly with a friend who is also on track with the same book to discuss what they’re learning.*
• Vary translations. Someone told me she reads through the Bible every year using a reading program, but chooses a different translation every time, to get a fresh perspective. Kristen M. mentioned that she has a Bible with two different translations side-by-side. 
• Psalter/Proverbs reading plan is a simple and basic discipline. If all else fails, if other plans fall apart, I can always fall back on this.

4. One Book Daily for a Month

Read one book of the Bible every day for a month. If you read the gospel of John or Romans every single day for 30 days, you’re sure to know it intimately—I imagine the original recipients of Paul’s letters pored over them like that, trying to mine them for all their worth. We have even easier access—you have your copy; I have mine. If we can find the time, this could be a powerful undertaking.

5. Ambitious Memorization

The Belgian Wonder’s grandmother memorized all of James and was working on 1 Peter at the end of her life. A friend of the family in Belgium memorized the entire book of Mark and did a dramatic recitation one time for a special evening that my in-laws said was very powerful. In college, I tried to memorize the Sermon on the Mount. I think I got up to Matthew 5:26 and ran out of steam.

6. Less Ambitious Memorization

For those who can’t embark on a massive memorization project, go ahead and tackle a few verses at a time. Helping my kids learn their verses for AWANA has beefed up my own repertoire. And then, when I’m out and about and don’t have time to read a lot, I can still repeat one of those verses and meditate upon their truth.

7. Dividing the Bible into Sections

I couldn’t figure out what to call this method that Prairie Chick explained. Here’s her description.About a year ago I sectioned my Bible off (with sticky page bookmarks) into 6 blocks (one for each day of the week omitting Sunday):* The law (Gen-Deu)* History (Josh-Esther)* Wisdom (Job-Sol)* Prophets (Isa-Mal)* Gospels (Mat-John and Acts)* Church/Epistles (Romans-Revelation)[updated—She reads a chunk daily from each section: Monday=Law, Tuesday=History, Wednesday=Wisdom and so on, with one day off.] She said that it has helped her see how everything ties together and has seen connections and links she might have missed otherwise.

8. Reading in Chunks

Joni found that reading chunks of Scripture at a time was very rewarding. I have also enjoyed reading an entire epistle, for example, in one sitting, and then going back over it in chunks the next few days (this is a less ambitious option than reading the entire thing every day for a month).  

9. Reading Scripture aloud to the kids.

Stretch Mark Mama tossed this one into her comment, and I’ve found this to be true in my life, as well—when we’re having a devotional with the kids and reading a passage of Scripture, God speaks to us, as well as the kids.

10. Quiet Time on the Go

Tootie said that she has enjoyed some great prayer time on the go as she runs. She focuses on a person or couple during each running session. Multi-tasking with a spiritual twist! I would add that this could be incorporated into any repetitive-style exercise (stationary bike, treadmill, rowing machine, walking, jogging, etc.) and even in the car. A good friend of mine told me that once a month, she has a long, one-hour commute for her job and commits to praying the entire time.

11. Quiet Time in the Shower

More than one mom knows that sometimes the only quiet times possible are in the shower (or bath), and even those are often, unfortunately, interrupted. One person pointed out that if her time of prayer and meditation gets emotional, there’s water and a towel on hand to dry her tears.

12. One Verse for the Day

Kristen described several things she has done, but mentioned that her husband prefers to simply meditate on one verse throughout the day. I wanted to include this idea, because it complements the other ones. After reading longs chunks or a devotional or whatever else we might do, taking just one verse from the broader passages allows us to absorb it and contemplate it (and I mean that in the active-thinking, basic sense of the word).

13. Journaling

Always a great tool for my prayer life. This probably has a thousand variations—perhaps you can offer ideas about how you use journaling in your quiet time?

14. A-C-T-S as a prayer plan

Pray first Adoration, then Confession, then Thanksgiving, and finally Supplication. When I learned that technique, the teacher added L to the acrostic, for Listening, even those “ACTSL” isn’t a memorable word. It sounds a little like “axle,” though, doesn’t it? Sorry. I digress. I’ve used the ACTS(L) method with a journal and also just verbally or silently without pen-to-paper. Here’s a simple explanation from a UK-based ministry.

15. S-T-A-R-T

Susan recommended another acronym.S- Scripture (jot down the scripture you read- either word for word or a summary)T- Thought: What is God saying to you via that scripture?A- Action: What action will you take in your life based on that scripture/thought?R- Requests: What requests do you need to make of the Lord in prayer?T- Thanks: What do you need to thank God for?This leaves out listening, and also the “adore,” but she said this works better for her as a guide to quiet time as a whole.

16. Ask Questions of a Passage

Here are some questions to pose while reading a passage of Scripture:* What is the subject of this passage?* When and where is this taking place?* What does this teach me about God?* What does this passage teach me about belonging to and following Jesus?* Is there a commandment to obey?* Is there an example to follow (or is it showing an example of how not to live)?* Is there a promise to claim?* What is the most meaningful verse in this passage (and why is it most meaningful)?I recommend writing down your answers in a journal. It’ll be interesting to look back on.

17. Devotional Books

These can offer a story or insight from someone, Scripture passages, and sometimes prayers. I’ve used old classic books as well as daily subscription types. Our Daily Bread is one that I used in college–it’s still available printed, but also online. My Utmost for His Highest is also available online, along with Streams in the Desert, and Spurgeon’s Morning and Evening, among others. Anna added Daily Light.

18. Scripture-based Book Studies

Beth Moore’s books or Blackaby’s Experiencing God, or headier stuff like a survey of the Old or New Testament are Scripture-based books that can inform our quiet time. CBD has a list of Bible studies in various categories. Have you used any in particular that stand out?

19. Commentaries

Online Bible commentaries are handy, like the one you can find here. Lots of other places, too, if you do a quick search.

20. Get-Started Guides

Mariel Davenport offers Bible study encouragement. This post offers thoughts on finding the quiet, and here are her studies.

So many ideas!

May we all head off to our respective quiet places and spend time listening to the Lord by digging into His Word and pouring out our hearts to Him in prayer.

Trust in him at all times, O people;
pour out your hearts to him,
for God is our refuge.
(Psalm 62:8)

______________________________

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• Last Sunday at church, two guys in our class said that they are writing out the Bible, word for word, beginning with Genesis. They feel that the act of writing slows them down and brings incredible focus, and they see things in the Scriptures that they never noticed before. They call this practice “scribing.”
• A friend in the class joked that she was doing something similar, but less ambitious, than those guys and said she’s writing out Matthew. Same motivation–to slow down, focus, and interact personally with the Lord via the text. She brackets things that stand out to her, to return to and spend time with in meditation and prayer.
• Another guy in the group is going through a three-year daily Bible study book called Search the Scriptures that will take him slowly and meticulously through the entire Bible. He meets monthly with a friend who is also on track with the same book to discuss what they’re learning.
• I’ve mentioned my Psalter/Proverbs reading plan as a simple and basic discipline. If all else fails, if other plans fall apart, I can always fall back on this.
• Journaling. Always a great tool for my prayer life. This probably has a thousand variations–perhaps you can offer ideas about how you use journaling in your quiet time?
• A-C-T-S as a prayer plan, praying first Adoration, then Confession, then Thanksgiving, and finally Supplication. When I learned that technique, the teacher added L to the acrostic, for Listening, even those “ACTSL” isn’t a memorable word. It sounds a little like “axle,” though, doesn’t it? Sorry. I digress. I’ve used the ACTS(L) method with a journal and also just verbally or silently without pen-to-paper. Here’s a simple explanation from a UK-based ministry.
• One-Year Bible. A few years ago I picked up a One-Year Bible that actually divides up and breaks down passages into daily readings that include a passage from the Old Testament, New Testament, Psalms and a Proverb. The sections are dated, so it’s all physically laid out for me to easily follow–open up to today’s date and read.
• One-Year Reading Plans. One doesn’t need to invest in a One-Year Bible to read through the Scripture in a year. There are a lot of these plans you can download to follow using your own Bible, checking off passages as you go. Here’s one I found in a quick search that also offers the option of a three-year plan. And here’s another from Crosswalk that you can use online that just pops up the reading of the day when you go to the link. I guess this is more like having an online One-Year Bible. If you’re fixing breakfast and have your laptop nearby, you can even click on a “Listen” option and have it read to you.
• Vary translations. Someone told me she reads through the Bible every year using a reading program, but chooses a different translation every time, to get a fresh perspective.
• Devotional Books. These can offer a story or insight from someone, Scripture passages, and sometimes prayers. I’ve used old classic books as well as daily subscription types. Our Daily Bread is one that I used in college–it’s still available printed, but also online. My Utmost for His Highest is also available online, along with Streams in the Desert, and Spurgeon’s Morning and Evening, among others.
• Scripture-based Book studies, like Beth Moore’s books or Blackaby’s Experiencing God, or headier stuff like a survey of the Old or New Testament. CBD has a list of Bible studies in various categories. Have you used any in particular that stand out?
• Commentaries online are handy. There are a lot, like here, here, and here. Lots of other places, too, if you do a quick search.

I look forward to collecting some more ideas in the comments! Please share ideas and tools for how your time with the Lord has become richer and more meaningful.And then be sure to pop back over to Rocks In My Dryer to offer more great insights and ideas to people’s pressing questions today at Backwards WFMW.Oh, and feel free to browse my previous posts of things that have worked for me.

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I affirmed his plan. “I think that’s a great idea. That’s exactly the thing to do. If you start praying now, when you’re young, you’ll have prayed about her all those years when you finally meet her. That would be amazing. I’ll pray for her, too.”

He nodded. “I’ll ask God to show her to me. If He tells me to go this way…” (a step to the left) “then I’ll go this way, and if He tells me to go that way…” (a step to the right) “I’ll know to go that way.”

“That’s exactly the thing to do,” I said, thinking of it more abstractly, as the verse in Isaiah suggests (“Whether you turn to the right or to the left, your ears will hear a voice behind you, saying, ‘This is the way; walk in it.'”).

“Because then,” he continued, taking a couple of steps forward by way of illustration, “if I’m walking along and God stops me right in front of a girl…”

He stopped abruptly and looked up with wide, earnest eyes. “Then I’ll know,” he said. “She’s the one.”

I nodded.

He nodded.

“That’s powerful,” I said.

He nodded and walked off to get his snowsuit on and play in the snow.

As I sat here thinking about it, I remembered a Wayne Watson song that came out back in the early ’90s, called “Somewhere in the World.”

Somewhere in the World
Somewhere in the world today
A little girl will go out to play
All dressed up in mama’s clothes
At least the way that I suppose it goes
Somewhere in the world tonight
Before she reaches to turn out the light
She’ll be prayin’ from a tender heart
A simple prayer that’s a work of art
Chorus
And I don’t even know her name
But I’m prayin’ for her just the same
That the Lord will write His name upon her heart
Cause somewhere in the course of this life
A little boy will need a godly wife
So hold on to Jesus, baby, wherever you are
Somewhere in the world out there
That little girl’s learnin’ how to care
She’s pickin’ up her mama’s charms
Or maybe, swingin’ ’round in her daddy’s arms
Somewhere in the world to be
Though the future’s not real clear to me
Theirs could be a tender love
Grounded in eternal love above
Chorus
And I don’t even know her name
But I’m prayin’ for her just the same
That the Lord will write His name upon her heart’
Cause somewhere in the course of this life
A little boy will need a godly wife
So hold on to Jesus, baby, wherever you are

I don’t know her name, but wherever she is in the world, a little girl should know that two grownups are praying that the Lord will write His name upon her heart…that she’ll hold onto Jesus.

And she should know that there’s a six-year-old Boy tromping around in the snow wearing purple boots and a blue snowsuit praying that at just the right time, the Lord will direct his steps and stop him directly in front of her.

So that he’ll know:  She’s the one.

* * * * *

Watch on YouTube: Somewhere in the World-Wayne Watson

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A few years ago we bought a preformed Advent wreath at Michael’s. I wrapped some ribbons and beads around it, stuck some plastic red berries into the greenery here and there, and deemed it ready for service. It was hardly an example of artistic brilliance, but it would serve us fine. It was festive. It would hold the candles.

We’d never celebrated Advent as a family, so this was an experiment. The church we attended at the time didn’t observe a liturgical calendar, so we didn’t even have a traditional corporate Advent experience. We were on our own to figure out the meaning of the candles and unearth some appropriate Scripture verses and devotionals.

From time to time, I dream up ideas like this as a potential family tradition, but I never know if it will “take.” You know what I mean?

Sometimes I suggest some clever outing or activity, trying to force it to happen…then it turns out not to be right for our family. Or maybe the idea was fun, but nobody asks about it again. Then it just fades away—it might serve as a pleasant memory, but not a lasting tradition.

Then there are those times when it works.

It “takes.”

It becomes something to ask for, something to look forward to, something to count on, something that brings back memories and builds on them.

When that happens, it becomes a tradition.

The Advent Wreath Tradition

The Advent wreath turned out to be one of those things that worked. It “took,” and now it’s a tradition.

When we bring out that ribbon-adorned wreath and set it up in the center of the table, its appearance and presence for the next few weeks says, “Christmas is coming—time to reflect.”

I look forward to the hush that comes over the family when we turn off the lights and gather around the table. The kids who can read eagerly anticipate looking up verses to share. We take turns reading passages, listening for the key words. Sometimes we try some creative activity. Sometimes we try to sing a carol. Sometimes we have a good conversation about it, and sometimes we meander and get off on tangents. But three things are consistent:

• we light the candles
• try to bring it back to the Bible verses, and
• end in prayer.

Candles Create Quiet to Reflect

We light the candle and read the verses in the dim light. We all tend to speak softly because the soft candlelight encourages a quieter atmosphere. It’s a natural setting for prayer.

I love how it ushers in a quiet moment at the end of the day, so still, so reflective—a countermeasure to the hectic pace of the surrounding culture; an antidote for the poison of consumerism that dominates the Christmas season. As the years have progressed, I think it’s proven to slow us down for a few moments in order to focus on Jesus Christ and the Incarnation in particular.

The candles each represent something. I’ve seen several suggestions for what they can stand for:

• Week 1: Hope, or Prophecy/Prophets, or the Patriarchs
• Week 2: Peace, or Bethlehem, or the Prophets can be this week instead of the first, or the Holy Family
• Week 3: Joy, or Shepherds, or John the Baptist
• Week 4: Love, or Angels, or the Magi, or Mary

So …pick your favorite combination, I guess, unless your church traditions insist on a particular series.

Advent Week 1: Peace

This week’s candle could represent peace, Bethlehem, the Holy Family, or the Prophets. The Boy insisted that it was the Holy Family candle. His Sunday School teacher said so. I was hoping to focus on Bethlehem and Peace.

So I asked him, “Who is the Holy Family?”

“Joseph, Mary….and….the donkey?” he replied.

We talked it over and determined that while the donkey was very useful, he probably wasn’t considered family. We came up with a more appropriate family member to take its place.

I pointed out that Mary and Joseph were just a couple until they got to…brilliant segue here…Bethlehem.

Then that’s where Jesus was born, so that’s when they became a Holy Family.

In Bethlehem.

I was hoping to talk about Bethlehem and peace. All the verses I’d looked up were about peace. And there are a lot of verses about peace. We couldn’t get to them all.

Scripture on Peace

Here are some that we read:

• Isaiah 9:6-7  For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Of the increase of his government and peace there will be no end. He will reign on David’s throne and over his kingdom, establishing and upholding it with justice and righteousness from that time on and forever. The zeal of the LORD Almighty will accomplish this.
• Micah 5:5-6  He will stand and shepherd his flock in the strength of the LORD, in the majesty of the name of the LORD his God. And they will live securely, for then his greatness will reach to the ends of the earth. And he will be their peace.
• Luke 2:14 (heavenly host appearing before the Shepherds praising God) “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to men on whom his favor rests.”
• John 14:27  (Jesus speaking) “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.”
• Romans 5:1-2 Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand.
• Colossians 1:19-20 For God was pleased to have all his fullness dwell in him, and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether things on earth or things in heaven, by making peace through his blood, shed on the cross.
• Colossians 3:15 Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful.

As we read them, we listened for the key word: Peace.

Every time the kids heard it, they were to hold up their pointer finger like a candle.

*Peace*

*Peace*

*Peace*

There are so many important verses about peace. We missed some good ones. I think we should revisit the best ones and look up the ones we missed.

Songs on Peace

We remembered that this morning at church we sang “O Little Town of Bethlehem.” I love that song. We tried to sing a verse or two tonight as a family, but we’re not very strong singers. It’s too bad we couldn’t enjoy the carol, because the lyrics are so great. They tie all those possible candle concepts together:

O little town of Bethlehem, how still we see thee lie!

Above thy deep and dreamless sleep the silent stars go by.

Yet in thy dark streets shineth the everlasting Light;

The hopes and fears of all the years are met in thee tonight.

For Christ is born of Mary, and gathered all above,

While mortals sleep, the angels keep their watch of wondering love.

O morning stars together, proclaim the holy birth,

And praises sing to God the King, and peace to men on earth!

How silently, how silently, the wondrous Gift is giv’n;

So God imparts to human hearts the blessings of His Heav’n.

No ear may hear His coming, but in this world of sin,

Where meek souls will receive Him still, the dear Christ enters in.

Where children pure and happy pray to the blessèd Child,

Where misery cries out to Thee, Son of the mother mild;

Where charity stands watching and faith holds wide the door,

The dark night wakes, the glory breaks, and Christmas comes once more.

O holy Child of Bethlehem, descend to us, we pray;

Cast out our sin, and enter in, be born in us today.

We hear the Christmas angels the great glad tidings tell;

O come to us, abide with us, our Lord Emmanuel!

You’ve got the Holy Family, peace, and Bethlehem, all wrapped up on into one carol.

I grabbed the lyrics from Cyber Hymnal in 2007, where they included a short detail about Phillips Brooks’ inspiration as he penned the lyrics:

Brooks wrote about his horse­back jour­ney from Je­ru­sa­lem to Beth­le­hem, where he as­sist­ed with the mid­night ser­vice on Christ­mas Eve, 1865:

I re­mem­ber stand­ing in the old church in Beth­le­hem, close to the spot where Je­sus was born, when the whole church was ring­ing hour after hour with splen­did hymns of praise to God, how again and again it seemed as if I could hear voic­es I knew well, tell­ing each other of the Won­der­ful Night of the Sav­ior’s birth.

“Again and again,” he wrote, “it seemed as if I could hear voices I knew well, telling each other of the Wonderful Night of the Savior’s birth.”

Repeat the Story with Advent Traditions, Year After Year

Again and again, year after year, Advent after Advent, generation after generation, we tell the story of our dear Savior’s birth.

Each year when we light those candles, we start the story again. Whatever passages we read or songs we sing, whatever we emphasize week after week during Advent, we’re basically telling the story to each other, passing it along–the truth of Christ incarnate, fully God and fully man. We keep passing it down along the long line of believers. For now, it’s our responsibility.

This morning during the offering, a musician in our church sang with his wife a song that he wrote. The message of the song was just that–the passing along of the story down through the generations, the story of Jesus Christ, of salvation, of the virgin birth, the cross, the resurrection, the Holy Spirit. Makes me think of two other hymns. They aren’t Christmas carols, but they are a good reminder of what this whole season is about: telling the story.

 I Love to Tell the Story

I love to tell the story of unseen things above,

Of Jesus and His glory, of Jesus and His love.

I love to tell the story, because I know ’tis true;

It satisfies my longings as nothing else can do.

Refrain

I love to tell the story, ’twill be my theme in glory,

To tell the old, old story of Jesus and His love.

I love to tell the story; more wonderful it seems

Than all the golden fancies of all our golden dreams.

I love to tell the story, it did so much for me;

And that is just the reason I tell it now to thee.

Refrain

I love to tell the story; ’tis pleasant to repeat

What seems, each time I tell it, more wonderfully sweet.

I love to tell the story, for some have never heard

The message of salvation from God’s own holy Word.

Refrain

I love to tell the story, for those who know it best

Seem hungering and thirsting to hear it like the rest.

And when, in scenes of glory, I sing the new, new song,

’Twill be the old, old story that I have loved so long.

Tell Me the Old, Old Story

Tell me the old, old story of unseen things above,

Of Jesus and His glory, of Jesus and His love.

Tell me the story simply, as to a little child,

For I am weak and weary, and helpless and defiled.

Refrain

Tell me the old, old story, tell me the old, old story,

Tell me the old, old story, of Jesus and His love.

Tell me the story slowly, that I may take it in,

That wonderful redemption, God’s remedy for sin.

Tell me the story often, for I forget so soon;

The early dew of morning has passed away at noon.

Refrain

Tell me the story softly, with earnest tones and grave;

Remember I’m the sinner whom Jesus came to save.

Tell me the story always, if you would really be,

In any time of trouble, a comforter to me.

Refrain

Tell me the same old story when you have cause to fear

That this world’s empty glory is costing me too dear.

Yes, and when that world’s glory is dawning on my soul,

Tell me the old, old story: “Christ Jesus makes thee whole.”

This Christ Jesus, born in Bethlehem, makes us whole.

May you enjoy the story this week, the truth, the Christ.

May you experience His peace.

______________________________

Are the demands of motherhood keeping you from a rich relationship with God?

With ideas from mothers in all seasons of life, Ann Kroeker’s book offers creative, practical, and enjoyable suggestions to help you discover how a passionate relationship with God is possible in the midst of motherhood.

“The Contemplative Mom gives busy, loving, kid-centered mothers permission to rest, like a tired child, in God’s strong arms. An important book.”

—Rachael and Larry Crabb, authors and speakers

Buy your copy

The post I Love to Tell the Story: How Advent Traditions Invite Us to Reflect, Together appeared first on Ann Kroeker, Writing Coach.

Many years ago I saw an article explaining how Billy Graham read through both the book of Psalms and the book of Proverbs each month.

He read one chapter in Proverbs per day—Proverbs 1 on the 1st day of the month and so on through the 31st. I guess he’d read several on the 28th of February to make it to the end (certainly wouldn’t want to neglect the Proverbs 31 woman).

Then he read five psalms daily to be able to finish the entire book and cycle around to begin again with Psalm 1 the next month.

He said that the book of Psalms taught him how to get along with God, and the book of Proverbs taught him how to get along with his “fellow man.”

This made a great impression on me.

So I tried it.

A Proverb a day worked pretty well, but I got a little overwhelmed by Psalms.

Take, for example, a long psalm like 119. Reading all of that and four other psalms in one day felt like too much compared to Day 1, when on Billy’s plan, I would read Psalms 1-5. They’re shorter.

I guess for devotional reading, I needed a more predictable length. 

Then I started using the psalter in a copy of The Book of Common Prayer that I picked up at a bookstore.

In the back, the entire book of Psalms was divided up into more or less equal portions—one portion for the morning, and another for the evening. This made each day’s reading so much more manageable and predictable in length. Plus, by having a morning and evening reading, I could bracket my day with psalms.

I used that psalter for the first year or so (I wasn’t entirely consistent, but I followed the plan pretty well—I’d catch up after missing a day or two). The translation used in the Book of Common Prayer offered a slightly different emphasis at times, as the wording was slightly different from the translation I used more often (NIV).

Eventually, however, I found that I wanted to go through it using the NIV.

One afternoon when I had some time on my hands, I opened up my NIV study Bible and right on the pages, I marked up the book of Psalms in pencil to follow the same pattern of morning and evening readings. Now I had my own psalter to follow, right there in my own Bible. Handy.

I haven’t always used it, but when I hit a point in my spiritual life when I crave that consistent routine, I start up in the Psalms, on whatever day it happens to be, and begin the cycle.

Today is the 26th.

This morning’s reading began with Psalm 119:105, “Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light for my path.”

I looked up from my Bible and asked one of my daughters, who was finishing up her cereal, if she recognized it. She shook her head.

“But it’s famous!” I exclaimed. “Amy Grant sang it using the King James version.” I proceeded to sing, “Thy word…”

“Oh! Yes, I remember it now.”

And the same morning reading today included a passage that I love:

“The unfolding of your words gives light;
it gives understanding to the simple.
I open my mouth and pant,
longing for your commands.
Turn to me and have mercy on me,
as you always do to those who love your name.
Direct my footsteps according to your word;
let no sin rule over me.”
Psalm 119:130-133

The unfolding of your words gives light.

Perhaps it’s the writer in me that responds to that so intensely, but it brings me hope as I work with words and offer them to the world. I seek understanding and I seek to offer words that give light.

This link takes you to an online psalter from the 1928 Book of Common Prayer.

If you’re on the computer a lot, you could log on and start your day with something meaningful on the screen—and in your heart—before launching your work, blog, or play.

______________________________

Are the demands of motherhood keeping you from a rich relationship with God?

With ideas from mothers in all seasons of life, Ann Kroeker’s book offers creative, practical, and enjoyable suggestions to help you discover how a passionate relationship with God is possible in the midst of motherhood.

“The Contemplative Mom gives busy, loving, kid-centered mothers permission to rest, like a tired child, in God’s strong arms. An important book.”

—Rachael and Larry Crabb, authors and speakers

Buy your copy

The post Psalter/Proverb Devotional Reading Plan appeared first on Ann Kroeker, Writing Coach.

I’d hear her at the front desk from my office next door. “Good morning and thank you for calling. How may I help you?” Her voice was soft, sweet, comforting, and relaxing, like water slipping along a creekbed. More memorable than her voice, however, was her disposition and overall attitude in life−her voice was a reflection or perhaps even a manifestation of her sweet spirit.

We only worked together a year or so, and then both she and I left that place and moved on to other things. I saw her a couple of years ago and she looked−and sounded−great. I learned a lot from her during those few months of listening and working next to her. She modeled something I needed to remember for life. She modeled a lot of important things, actually, but one in particular stands out to me.

“I may be foolish or naive,” she told me one time after dealing with a stressful phone call, “but I always give people the benefit of the doubt.”

When people were rude to her, she assumed they had a bad day. If they messed something up, they must be struggling with something. If they forgot a lunch date or deadline, they had a lot on their mind.

She called it giving people the benefit of the doubt. It wasn’t simple, however, and required a lot of strength and depth of character. Barbara had learned to let things slide off her back. She was rarely offended. If someone hurt her feelings, she quickly forgave him or her and always gave people another chance. She didn’t judge. She wasn’t bitter. She seemed to practice the proverb, “A man’s wisdom gives him patience; it is to his glory to overlook an offense” (Proverbs 19:11). She overlooked many offenses−I heard her doing it. She was kind and loving, gentle and generous. She modeled a gracious heart every single day.

I thought of Barbara when I read a story in O magazine a year or so ago written by a life coach who worked with executives who had little sympathy for their employees’ actions. They assumed the worst−that their workers were lazy or didn’t care.

She told them a story in her seminars and classes. The story went something like this (if you can find a link, I’ll put it in; for the life of me, I can’t locate it online):

You’re waiting for a red light. You’re late and feeling stressed. The light changes, but the lady driving the car in front of you doesn’t move. You can tell she’s messing around in the car−she isn’t paying attention to the light. You tap your fingers on the steering wheel, waiting for her to start moving. You grumble. You honk. You finally shout, “Hey, lady, the light changed! Get a move on!” even though your windows are up and she can’t hear you. You honk again, exasperated. Then you can’t believe your eyes−the lady gets out of the car and flings opens the back car door! What, can’t she find her cell phone? Unbelievable! Thanks to this driver, you’re about to sit through another cycle of this light! Honk honk!

She’s leaning across that back seat fumbling around, and you realize that she’s unlatched a baby from its car seat−the child was choking, and she’s frantically clearing his throat.

There was a reason.

There’s almost always a reason.

I thought of Barbara, because Barbara would have given the driver the benefit of the doubt. “I’ll bet something’s wrong,” she would have thought. “Maybe she’s distracted with some bad news, or maybe her baby is in the back seat with a problem.” In fact, I’ll bet Barbara would have thought, “Maybe I should see if I can help.”

That’s how Barbara is.

That’s how I want to be.

As I was working on this post, I had to save it as a draft in order to meet a friend for coffee. The Boy was with me. The light changed at a major intersection and every car in the oncoming lane was at a standstill. Our turn. We accelerated to cross the road when a woman in a van blew through the light! I slammed on the brakes and pushed on the horn so that it wailed its complaint at her. She glanced over and offered a vague gesture−could have meant anything.

“That lady ran a red light!” I exclaimed.

“That’s wrong!” The Boy remarked. “She should be arrested and put in jail.”

Here was my chance. I thought of the Baby in the Back Seat. I thought of Barbara. Then I said, “Well, maybe she was rushing to the hospital with her sick child. Or maybe she was distracted and just didn’t realize what she was doing. We don’t know, do we?”

“No.” he said. “Maybe…maybe there’s a fire.”

“Right. Maybe she’s rushing to help someone. We just don’t know. She probably shouldn’t go to jail,” I said. “It’s very dangerous to run a red light−she needs to be careful. But we’re safe and no one got hurt. That’s important.”

We don’t want the world to take advantage of us or Barbara or anyone who has a big and forgiving heart. But couldn’t we all use a break from time to time? I’ve had a baby in the back seat before, crying nonstop, needing attention. I know what it’s like to have distractions and not be thinking on my feet.

Thank you to anyone who has given me the benefit of the doubt and forgiven me for forgetting something or making a mistake. If I didn’t say what I should have said or missed an opportunity to listen well, I’m very sorry. Thank you for letting it go.

Thank you, Barbara. I probably tested your character every other day.

Thank You, Lord, for putting these reminders in my own life.

Like this post from Shalee’s Diner. She reminded me of that story in O magazine. Her thoughts reminded me of my lessons-in-living from Barbara. What Barbara called “benefit of the doubt,” Shalee calls “perspective.”

I hope you take time to read Shalee’s post. She poetically prays for a heart that gives people the benefit of the doubt, that gets some perspective−even, perhaps, a bit of God’s perspective.

We don’t know the reasons behind people’s actions. We don’t know why they do what they do.

But He does.

We can trust Him to know and give us grace−and allow us to give others grace in return.

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