::Tuesday's Tea With Me::

Golly it has been so cold in the mornings. It was so cold the other day my hands nearly stuck to my steering wheel. However... it's been perfect for a nice hot tea to start off the day No?


So I was fiddling with my new record player yesterday and I was trying to get certain radio stations to come in clearly. I was turning the knob this way and that, and out of the radio pops this voice that says, 

"Good intentions will not provide spiritual strength." 

I sat there thinking on that for a second and the voice kept going...

"We cannot possibly be prepared for life's challenges without practicing spiritual discipline such as fellowship, prayer, and reading about God's promises."

The man kept talking but I quickly fumbled for the off button so I could process those words before my brain moved on. That's pretty deep. 


How will I have time for spiritual disciplines such as prayer (connecting with God) if I have 5 gadgets in front of me, that with the touch of a button, connect me to people? I can become so over-connected with people that there is no opening to hear that still small voice. And frankly that quiet gentle voice is the one that really matters. It's what guides me along my very own unique path. I don't want to follow the masses. I want to be Jenna.


How can you observe a discipline daily, that will strengthen your spirit? That will cut your attention loose from all the wires and let your soul take a breath of fresh air? Is it a morning walk? Is it charging your phone in the kitchen instead of your nightstand? Is it keeping electronics out of your bedroom? Spending 20 minutes of undivided attention with one child, or one pet? Not answering phone calls for a day or two and returning messages later? How can we block all those things that seek to grab our attention and distract us. Because meaning to slow down, is not slowing down. And delayed obedience is disobedience.


Just something to think on. Love you guys. Hope this cold weather affords you a quiet moment to reflect and be intentional with your time. Your life.


Hugs,
-Jenna Jill

::Tuesday's Tea with Me::

“Understanding will never bring you Peace. That’s why I have instructed you to trust in me, and not your own understanding. Human beings have a voracious appetite for trying to figure things out, in order to gain a sense of mastery over their lives. But living on this earth presents you with an endless series of problems. As soon as you master one set, another pops up to challenge you. The relief you had anticipated is short-lived.”

That sense of relief is something we all seek. It is the peace that comes from being near to God. It is the same feeling we had as children when our parent would take us in their arms and all was well. As adults, our parent is God. And in His presence there is peace and rest.

Are you suffering from depression, are you overwhelmed, can’t catch a break? Do you feel like one wave after another has beaten you down, and you cannot catch a breath? Are you drowning? Or maybe you’re angry. Maybe you don’t like losing, and you feel that you haven’t been able to beat this game called life.

Believe it or not, it is not a game. As I press on in this journey I realize it is a relationship. No wonder we get so frustrated with life at times. (Y'all know relationships can be messy, unpredictable, and frustrating.) What if life is a relationship too?

You know that friend of yours who is dating the girl that is “just playing games with him.” Why do we tell him to dump her? Because love is not a game. Life is not a game. Relationships are done from the heart. This life can not be understood without a heart connection to the author of life. We are living a story, and the author is the most powerful being in existence. Trust him. (I’ll tell you a secret.... He likes good endings.)

“My peace is not an elusive goal, hidden at the center of some complicated maze. Actually, I am Peace. Draw near to me. I love you. I enjoy you. Look to me and lean not on your own understanding.”

Sometimes we must stop seeking understanding and seek God (our master and the author of our life story.)

“Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding, in all your ways submit to him and he will make your paths straight.”

Proverbs 3:5-6

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.