::Tuesday's Tea With Me::

A Cup of Tea

When the world is all at odds
And the mind is all at sea
Then cease the useless tedium
And brew a cup of tea.

There is magic in its fragrance,
There is solace in its taste;
And the laden moments vanish
Somehow into space.

And the world becomes a lovely thing!
There's beauty as you'll see;
All because you briefly stopped
To brew a cup of tea.

Tea helps our head and heart.
Tea medicates most every part.
Tea rejuvenates the very old.
Tea warms the hands of those who're cold.

(J. Jonker, Amsterdam, c.1670)

I stumbled upon this poem the other day and I couldn't wait to share it with you. It inspired me to search out a cozy nook and let my mind amble about unfettered by a schedule but spurred on by my heart. May it spark a light in your soul the way it did mine. 

What comes forth from your heart when given permission to run unbridled through capacious fields? Go for it. Let your heart run 
free this morning. Yippeee!

-Jenna Jill 

::Tuesday's Tea with Me::

Now this really knocked my socks off. God actually says No. He says no to us, he does. So it would be real good for me to get it down because then... I will represent Him better. God please teach me to say No to the things that you would say No to, and to be open and receptive to the things in my life that you say Yes to.

"We call people bad because they do not do what we want them to. We judge them for being themselves for fulfilling their wishes. We withdraw love from them when they do what they feel is best for them, but it is not what we want them to do."

-Boundaries, Cloud & Townsend

We do? Oh yes my friends. We DO!

How come we have such a hard time letting people just be themselves? Could we be thinking that if they don't except my invitation that means they don't like me? They don't want to spend time with me. But if there are strings attached, namely to make you feel good, it's really not an invitation at all now is it? It's a demand. An expectation that they meet your need.

Whoa whoa! Slow down. I'm just sitting here enjoying my cup of tea and talking to myself. If it hits home well at least I'm not the only one. Ha ha. Cuz I totally do this to people. All my friends are probably dying laughing right now.

Which reminds me of something someone shared with me just last week about getting offended. She said, "Do not always assume that if you are offended by something, that someone else did something wrong. Stop and consider the occasion and perhaps it is God that is offending you. Pointing His finger at an area where you are assuming something you shouldn't." Oh. I knew that. Yeah. Totally.

::Tuesday's Tea with Me::

I'm in one of those places in life where I am looking for God to speak to me and give me direction. Whenever I find myself in that place I start reading the signs. Literally. So I thought I would share some of the headlines and phrases that have popped out at me recently:

Dip a toe into timeless waters each morning...

(this sounds like something Laura Ayers would say.)

A House Too Small May Be A Blessing

Blow up your TV,

Throw away your paper,

Move to the country,

Build you a home.

Plant a little garden,

Eat a lot of peaches,

Try to find Jesus

On your own.

STOP

(lol. You may have seen this one.)

Whoever loves money, never has money enough;

whoever loves wealth is never satisfied with his income.

Forgiveness

Forgiveness: is setting someone else free and realizing that you were the prisoner.

Slow Down Therapy {17}

"Take time just to think. Action is good and necessary, but it's fruitful only if we muse, ponder, and mull."

A Fresh Look at "Individualism."

I read this and it really challenged my Western notion of freedom. Especially the mirage of personal freedom that fools so many of us in this culture.

"Freedom does not mean that I can decide I want my stomach to pump blood and my heart to digest food. Physical laws exist that are not negotiable. By the same token, spiritual laws exist as well. As a human being I must study both and apply both to my life to reap the most bountiful harvest from the soil of my body and soul. True freedom exists firmly within the bounds of natural and spiritual laws.

Many of the unhappiest and most deranged people throughout history have been kings, queens, emperors, dictators, rock stars (ehh hem... Charlie Sheen, Michael Jackson are a couple great examples), movie stars, business tycoons, and others who became so wealthy or popular or powerful that the fancied they were above the laws of nature as well as the laws of man. They were free to do as they chose at any hour of the day or night. Every shred of relevant historical evidence shows that a human being does not do well with such an unnatural degree of personal choice. Freedom is a good thing. Unchecked personal choice is not; it usually drives people crazy. Yet that is exactly what we have enshrined in place of true freedom. We have been taught to revere and pursue it unquestioningly.

Human beings exist in relation to each other. Real freedom cannot be separated from responsiveness to others. Merely doing what we want, in a way that ignores our connection with each other or the best interests of society, isn't personal freedom. It's time to start looking at this bill of goods we've been sold about personal freedom. It's time to question what we have been taught about individualism. Many of the attitudes that we may consider to be universal truths, are in reality a form of an American cult of individualism." -It's a Meaningful Life

This really got me thinking. I was reminded of the child that doesn't follow any of the rules. Doesn't stay within the boundaries given. They want control, they want to make adult decisions. But the healthiest and most delightful children I have seen, are those whose parents have imposed upon them, guidelines/limits. "You may play in the backyard." "Have fun riding your bike, but don't go past the end of the cul-de-sac." How playful and free that child is.

I have decided that true freedom is the choice to submit ourselves to the laws of God. True freedom is actually making yourself a slave. To commit myself, bind myself to spiritual and physical discipline. For example making a commitment, (like marriage) does indeed limit my options. But within the confines of that commitment there is endless freedom. There are dozens of examples in life to prove this true.

Go ahead. Limit yourself. Commit to something you believe in. I believe you will find great freedom there and more contentment than could ever be found in a world of open doors, endless options, and no direction. Let's not dilute ourselves with a hundred half hearted commitments, but live concentrated lives that are influential and effective.