Respect the Bird

I noticed a post by one of the parenting magazines I follow that announced a movement in support of celebrating Thanksgiving and only Thanksgiving called, "Respect the Bird." What do you think? Has Black Friday robbed Thanksgiving of its significance?

I shared more thoughts on that in an essay that ran in a couple magazines this month. Check it out here if you want to read more.

Also, the winner of the drawing for The Art of Helping is... Joy.

Joy, if you could send me your snail mail address, I'll get the book off to you. Thanks for stopping by to comment!

In the meantime, Happy Thanksgiving everyone! Hope as you count your blessings tomorrow you'll find yourself counting to enough... and beyond!

Great Book For Practicing Compassion: The Art of Helping

Today I'm pleased to be part of The Art of Helping blog tour. As part of the tour I'm giving away a copy of this book. So read on to hear what author Lauren Littauer Briggs has to say about comforting others. Then leave a comment about whether you find it easy or difficult to communicate with someone who is in need.

All of us want to offer comfort and support to someone who is hurting, but we often don’t know what to say or do. The Art of Helping—What to Say and Do When Someone is Hurting addresses 30 of the most common heartaches people face and takes away your fear of involvement by helping you understand what people are feeling and going through. From over 100 interviews and her own life experiences, author Lauren Briggs shares proven advice and offers practical help with a list of what to say— and do.

Why should I read The Art of Helping?

Do you know someone who is facing a crisis and wondered what you could do to help?  Have you ever faced a difficult time and wished your family and friends knew what you were going through and knew how to help you?

I found that during my darkest hours, no one knew how much I was hurting, what I was going through or how they might help.

This is a book you’ll want to read before you need it—so that you will have ideas of what you can do and how you can respond—when you first hear the news. We want to help our family and friends through the hard times, but the right words or actions just don’t come to mind. The Art of Helping will give you the tools and enable you to turn thoughts into action.

How will The Art of Helping change me?

The Art of Helping is your go to book when life gets tough. It is a social Bible filled with concrete, tangible action items to empower you to make a difference at times when we would otherwise feel helpless. When people get this book in their hands, they always say, “How I wish I had this book when my friend needed help.”

What are some basic Do’s and Don’ts I need to know?

DON’T wait before you make contact.
DO Respond as soon as you hear the news.

DON’T SAY “If there’s anything you need, give me a call.”
DO Offer a specific thing you can do.

DON’T put pressure on yourself to do something you don’t like to do.
DO use your gifts and talents to help.

DON’T minimize what they are going through.
DO offer caring statements of acknowledgement.

DON’T ASK “When will you be your old self again? or Aren’t you over it yet?”
DO understand that once their life is touched by tragedy, they will never be their “old self” again. They will eventually reach a “new normal” but life will never be the same.

What are some of your favorite creative suggestions in The Art of Helping?

• A mother of two young children picked up a hurting family’s laundry on Mondays, took it home and returned it all laundered and folded on Thursdays.  
• A man volunteered to come mow the lawn once a week and do some simple “honey do” chores. 
• My sons brought their game boy to the hospital for a friend going through chemo therapy. Every few days they would bring a different game to swap.

How can I learn more about The Art of Helping?

The Art of Helping is reshaping the way people reach out to others. To view more information, visit my website: www.laurenbriggs.com. You can follow me on Facebook as Lauren Littauer Briggs and on Twitter as @Laurenbrgs. The Art of Helping is available in e-book and paperback formats through Amazon.com. If you would like an autographed copy of The Art of Helping, email me at Laurenbrgs@aol.com.


I was given a complimentary copy of this book from the author in exchange for posting the author’s interview on my blog. This blog tour is managed by Christian Speakers Services (ChristianSpeakersServices.com).

Surrendered Sleep Blog Tour

There's nothing like the lack of sleep to make contentment seem impossible. Optimal functioning, whether it be mental, physical, emotional or relational depends on proper rest. But how often have we considered God's place when it comes to our sleep (or lack thereof). Today I'd like to introduce you to a new book that steps into this subject and takes the reader into the Bible for a look at sleep and what God has to say about it. Author, Dr. Charles W. Page, shares with us "Balin Jam" - Chapter 17 from his new book. Read on and then share your comments about sleep to be entered in a special sleep-centered drawing.

  Surrendered Sleep
A Biblical Perspective
Dr. Charles W. Page
www.surrenderedsleep.com
Publisher: Camino Real Pub.
ISBN-10: 9-780-983-138105 ISBN-13: 978-0-9831381-0-5 Release Date: 9/15/2011
Paperback: 189 pages
Retail: $14.95







(Nacogdoches, TX) Sleep Clinics. Sleeping Pills. Sleep Systems. With all the focus on sleep, it’s obvious to anyone breathing (or not—in the case of sleep apnea) that sleep disorders are on everyone’s minds. Can’t fall asleep. Can’t stay asleep. So many problems, but so few zzzs.

Dr. Charles W. Page has been plagued with sleep deprivation his entire adult life. Whether from the rigorous unpredictable lifestyle of a general surgeon or dealing with obstructive sleep apnea, Dr. Page sees sleep as a precious commodity. Many of his surgical patients also report sleep problems on their medical histories. It’s certainly a widespread problem.

Although there is extensive medical literature regarding sleep, insomnia and sleep disorders, there is little instruction about these issues from a Christian worldview. Sleep was God’s idea—why shouldn’t we go to the One who created rest in the first place for answers to our sleep problems. One of the reasons Dr. Page wrote Surrendered Sleep was to heighten people’s awareness of the spiritual side of sleep issues, which often goes neglected in health and medical literature.

Surrendered Sleep

A Biblical Perspective

By Charles W. Page, M.D.

CHAPTER 17

Balin Jam

Balin jam (“may you pass your night in peace”)—it’s how the Fulani people of western Africa say goodbye. This Fulani expression best captures the message of this book. Passing your night in peace, from a biblical perspective, involves a whole lot more than sleeping well. It encompasses surrendering every aspect of sleep to God. The prerequisite for having peace as we lay down to sleep is a growing, vibrant relationship with God. Everything in our lives, including sleep, flows out of our pursuit of our loving Father in Heaven. The ability to sleep is a multifaceted gift given by God, who likewise pursues a love relationship with every individual on this planet.

From God’s perspective, sleep (or its absence) is a tool designed to help fulfill His agenda in our lives and in His world. Our response should be twofold. First we must transfer our focus off our personal sleep issues and onto the Shepherd of sleep. We must fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith. Second, we need to relinquish control of sleep and allow God to shape our hearts into His image. In so doing, we may find that we sleep better.

“There is an appointed time for everything. And there is a time for every event under heaven.” A life of surrendered sleep is characterized by the ability to discern the time and seasons that God has prepared for us, and respond with a heart of thankfulness and obedience.

At times we may experience peaceful sleep because we are pursuing a wise heart. Let it propel us on to greater heights of service. When we encounter storms that threaten to steal our sleep, let us cling to God’s presence and promises with a calm heart. If disobedience presents itself in our sleep patterns, we must return to the One who removes our sin as far as the east is from the west. If God interrupts our sleep to call, instruct or intervene in our lives, our hearts must respond in obedience.

Similarly, there are times when we must offer up to God a sacrifice of our sleep. And last, if we suffer intractable insomnia and unrest, let us move forward with a peace that passes all understanding. For an enduring and expectant heart knows that our reward and perfection is waiting just around the bend.

Surrender your heart to the One whose eyes never close. Allow Him to keep you and help you to “pass your nights in peace.”

Balin jam!

 

Author Bio
Dr. Charles W. Page is a sleep-deprived surgeon. He completed medical school and residency at Baylor College of Medicine in Houston, Texas and serves as surgeon in rural Texas. Dr. Page is a fellow of the American College of Surgeons and the Christian Medical and Dental Association. In addition to his involvement in the teaching ministry of his local church, he has participated in medical mission trips to Cameroon, Pakistan, Milawe, Niger, Mexico, Honduras and Nicaragua. He and his wife Joanna live in Texas with their five children.

Leave a comment to be entered in the Grand Prize Giveaway (one commenter on this blog will be randomly selected for the drawing):

Surrendered Sleep Products
Surrendered Sleep - Book
Surrendered Sleep - 8-Volume DVD Series
Sleep Songs - CD of music from Fletch Wiley
SLEEP - Lavender Vanilla Aromatherapy from Bath & BodyWorks
Pillow Mist (4 oz)
Body Wash & Foam Bath (2 oz)
Lotion (2 oz)
Candle (1.6 oz)

What Will You Do On Your Day of Rest?

When it comes to preparing for a day of rest, it helps to consider what a restful day will look like for us. We need to consider what we will do, not just what activity we'll cease from. So I have a question for you: what does an ideal restful day off look like to you? In other words, what activities recharge you?

I'm lucky to belong to a neighborhood book club that meets on a Sunday afternoon once a month. To me, it's the perfect activity for a Sabbath. It combines many things that I love and that "fill up my tank":

• social time with friends
• lively discussion
• books!
• good food
• pleasant surroundings (we take turns hosting and somehow, each of our homes feels like a haven during our book club. usually the house is quiet and the hostess will create a cozy space for us to meet - either outside on a deck or in a sunroom, or at a spacious dining table or gathered in a living room)

Take time today to envision that perfect day of rest. And then think of one thing you could incorporate in your plans tomorrow to move toward celebrating that perfect day.  Also think of ways you could intentionally add more and more of those elements over time (or maybe brainstorm one activity, like my book club, which includes multiple aspects of your perfect day).

Then share what your perfect day of rest would look like. I'd love to hear.

What's Wrong With Average Kids?

Where all the women are strong, all the men are good looking and all the children are above average - Garrison Keillor

 This describes the fictional Minnesota town of Lake Wobegon. But I think it also embodies what we wish our towns and families to be described as.

We live in a competitive society and nowhere is that more apparent than the arena of parenting. We want our children to succeed. We want them to live good lives. We want them to make something of themselves - to be "above average".  Being simply average apparently doesn't cut it any more.

In yesterday's Chicago Tribune, John Keilman's column did a great job exposing this side of parenting. Check out his article here. Then please, come back and tell me what you think. Tell me, are you afraid of having children who are average, or of being average yourself?

Clear The Decks

It's Saturday again. Are you planning to rest tomorrow? If so, what will you do today to make that more likely to happen?

Today's tip, as part of our ongoing Saturday Sabbath Starters, is this: clear the decks. This means take care of those niggling tasks that you've been putting off all week (or for the past several weeks). Maybe there are forms from the start of school that piled up all week. Do them now! Don't leave them until Sunday evening. Or maybe you have bills to pay. Set a timer for 15 minutes and see how many you can get done.

Whatever you can do today to take a bite out of the things hanging over your head will leave you that much more room to relax. Leave them hanging and they'll tickle at the top of your head all day, making it less than restful.

Join me in this! I've taken two one-hour stints to knock out the paperwork that's been piling up in my inbox. It feels so good to nearly see the bottom. And having accomplished something today will allow me to feel free to relax tomorrow.

Give it a try and see how it works for you!

Handling Dashed Expectations

“Progress always heightens our expectations, and we willingly go along for the ride. But before we board that train, it’s helpful to remember that “unrealistic expectations are but premeditated resentments.” If we don’t settle the issue of expectations versus contentment at the onset, it will mean problems later.”

~ from  In Search of Balance: Keys to a Stable Life by Richard A. Swenson, MD

In what areas of your life are you experiencing progress, or at least change? Have you thought at all about what it has done to your expectations as Swenson suggests?


As my kids started off the school year, I had no idea that I'd been building up some expectations. They're in new grades. Our school has experienced a big turnover in administration. But I hadn't been thinking about what that meant. I'd been assuming school would go on as before. I had expectations that things would only change in positive ways.


Guess what? I'd been putting together a nice set of resentments. And as changes have rolled out over the past week, my expectations have turned into just that: resentments. I'm at the point now where I need to take those expectations off the shelf and examine them. I need to do battle with those resentments. Because I truly desire contentment. And I agree with Swenson - as long as I don't settle the issue of those expectations, there will be problems down the road.


And sometimes those expectations are simply expectations that things will stay the same, or change will work in our favor. How I handle my disappointment over little things like the fact that our school no longer allows food at celebrations and the kids aren't allowed to play on the grass at recess any more matters. I have a chance to choose contentment in the midst of these insignificant situations. And I have a chance to model that for my kids. Do I have the guts to do it?


How about you? Have you had any expectations that were disappointed lately? How aware are you of the expectations you have and there potential to derail your contentment? Do you agree or disagree with what Swenson says? Leave me I comment. I'd love to hear what you have to say.

We're All in This Together

Isolation

Do you ever feel like you’re the only person who messes things up the way you mess things up? Everyone around you seems to have it all together. And here you are, bungling life at every turn. That sense of being the only ones to fail can get in the way of accepting ourselves. It can make contentment with ourselves close to impossible.

As often as culture can be blamed for some of our problems, this is one of the areas where it has moved in a positive direction in recent years. Authenticity and transparency are buzz words today. And this means that people feel freer to admit their failings and shortcomings. Granted, we also get to see a little bit too much of some people’s dirty laundry. But on the whole, people don't work as hard to hide their every fault.

Why is this good? Because it breaks that isolation. For example, in my mom circles there's a certain sense of relief that comes when another mom admits to a failing, such as yelling at her kids. We all think, aha! I'm not the only one. Suddenly we’re not alone. And we don’t feel so messed up. We're reminded once again that we are, after all, human.

Does this absolve us from doing wrong? Absolutely not! But it does free us from the oppression of guilt. And more importantly, it gives us the proper perspective. Only God is perfect. And while we're encouraged by Scripture to "be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect" (Matt. 5:48), admitting our imperfection also means admitting we can't do this on our own. And neither can anyone else around us. As human beings, we’re all in this together.

The next time you're tempted to come down on yourself for messing things up, remember that you are human. Remember that we all mess up. We're all in need of forgiveness. Acknowledge that it comes with being a clay-footed being. And see if that doesn't stir you to a greater sense of acceptance of who you are (even as it also stirs in you a longing for a day when sin will be past).

Plan a Meal That Will Let You Rest

It's Saturday again. Will you be taking a day of rest, a Sabbath, tomorrow? If so, what can you do to prepare for it today?

Last week we looked at starting small by putting out the clothes you plan to wear the next day (or putting them out the day prior to when you'll take a day of rest). This week I'd like to talk about meal planning - not planning your whole week or month's meals, just a plan for meals on your day of rest.

Why put together a meal plan? For one of two reasons:

• If you're a foodie, then you might want to plan a meal that allows you to play and explore in the kitchen. To make it less like work (and save making a trip out to the grocery store), it helps to have everything you need on hand. This means sitting down the day before and selecting which (new?) meal you'd like to make. And then taking the time to be sure you have all of your ingredients and going out to buy whatever you still need. This is how my husband likes to operate. Having time to plan and prepare a meal is enjoyable to him.
• If, on the other hand, you're like me and cooking is a necessary evil, then you'll want to free up your day of rest from this chore. This means you also need to plan your meals, and in particular the big meal of the day, whether midday or evening meal. Then you'll want to shop for any ingredients you don't have on hand. But for you, there's another consideration: you may want to think about planning a no-cook meal or a prepare-ahead or crockpot meal. Anything you can do to free yourself from the kitchen will provide you with more opportunity to rest. It may mean you tap your foodie spouse to be the chef for the day (like I sometimes do. Except when DH offers to cook, which is actually more often than not).

Do you have a plan for your Sabbath meal yet? What can you do today to make mealtime more enjoyable and less like work? If you do this already, let me know. I'm interested to hear what other people do for work-free (or less work) Sabbath meals.

Finding Our Purpose in Life, Our "Inner Necessity"

“By slowly converting our loneliness into a deep solitude, we create that precious space where we can discover the voice telling us about our inner necessity- that is, our vocation.” 

Reaching Out: The Three Movements of the Spiritual Life 

by Henri J. M. Nouwen

" What is the meaning of life?" "What am I here for?" "What do I offer the world that no one else can?"

I remember in college hearing other students ask these questions and wrestle to find the answers. And I asked those questions myself. In fact, the older I get, the more I ask the latter two questions. Why? Because I don't want to get to the end of my life and find I've missed out on being who I was meant to be.

Some people seem to settle into their place in the world rather quickly. They have a knack. They have a clear ability that leads them into a field of work in which they thrive. But, particularly in the world of today, many more people flounder. They move from job to job. They find good work, interesting work, but never quite feel fulfilled. They haven't found their calling. Or as Nouwen would say, they haven't found their "inner necessity".


So how do we create that "precious space"? How do we convert our loneliness into a deep solitude in a face-pace, information-laden culture?


It's not easy. But if the reward is finding that voice that reveals our "inner necessity", then isn't it worth it? Should we not slowly settle into a deep solitude where we can listen?


If you've created space for listening to that voice and have discovered your inner necessity, please share what you did and what it has meant to you.

The Benefits of Transition

It's a week of transition in my household as my three children return to school this week. We're enjoying the last  drops of summer laziness, even while filling a pitcher of preparedness for the new routine to come. And like every year, ever since I was a little girl, my heart has been going pitter-pat at the thought of a new school year. I've always approached back-to-school time with gleeful anticipation and with good reason: transition grows us. Here are some benefits I think we gain and which can boost our contentment as we go through transition of any kind:

1. Transition offers a new start with new opportunities. This is one of the things I've always liked best about fall and a new school year. The change in teachers and classmates seemed to offer up the chance for new relationships (or improved ones). And it meant the chance to learn new things. So how about you? As we head into fall and a new school year, even if you (or your children) aren't headed off to class, what new opportunities are presenting themselves? Is there a volunteer position you've been thinking about trying that starts up in fall? Will you be encountering new people during the course of your daily routine? Take the time to look at your routine with fresh eyes and search for the opportunities that might be there.
2. Transition creates a chance for careful consideration. At least I hope it does. It's common in American culture to think through life and make resolutions when we approach the New Year. But why not do the same during any transition and particularly prior to a new school year? Sure, it takes time to do this, but when you think of how streamlined your life can be when it's aligned to your priorities, it is well worth it. Can you find a two- to three-hour stretch of empty time (or even longer) where you can contemplate your dreams and purposes, and can evaluate your current activities and commitments against the grid of those dreams  and purposes? Do so, then resolve to make changes where activities don't fit.
3. Transition gives you an excuse to dump the bad stuff. Things are changing already, so why not take some control over that change yourself? In your time of contemplation, did you discover habits you've fallen into that sabotage your productivity? Make a vow to dump them and then change up the patterns that trigger those habits. I'm planning to chunk my activities during my work day in an effort to ditch the rabbit-trail mentality that leads me astray too often. But it doesn't just have to be habits. Anything that has been weighing you down, that you have the power to get away from, can be dumped as part of your transition - even unhealthy relationships.

Embrace the new season that's upon us. Look for other benefits that come from transition besides these. Purpose yourself to work within the transition toward a deeper level of contentment.

Preparing to Rest

Do you take a day (or two) off each week? Or do the demands of life spread themselves across all seven days? It's hard to get away from everything that needs to be done, isn't it. But here's the thing:

We need rest. We were made to rest. Our bodies have limits, beyond which they lose optimal function. And it's not just nighttime rest that we need. We also need regular intervals of longer cessation from work and striving. Vacation is one way we recharge for longer periods, but our bodies need a more regular break. To function best, we need a day of rest each week. We need a Sabbath.

Yet that day of rest doesn't just magically appear. It's no longer a part of our culture. What this means is that if we're to give ourselves a weekly break, we need to be intentional about it. The responsibility for making it happen rests (no pun intended) with us. And it requires, ironically, some work to carve out that time for a day off.

So I'd like to begin a weekly post here about some practices we can use to prepare the way for a day of rest. I'm calling them "Saturday Sabbath Starters". We'll look at some actions we can take the day prior to our Sabbath that will pave the way for a restful 24 hours. In my case, I have typically made Sunday my day of rest, hence my preparations occur on Saturday. If your situation requires you to work on Sunday, then you may need to implement your Sabbath preparation on a different day.

Here's my first suggestion for those of us desiring to capture a day of rest:
The evening before, select what clothes you'll wear that day. If you're like me, that means a set of church clothes and then relaxing clothes for the remainder of the day.
If you have young children, put out their clothes as well. And encourage older children pick what they'll wear.

Try it. Then let me know what impact this Sabbath Starter had on your day of rest. We'll add other practices in weeks to come.

Where Are You Empty?

“The primary reason God withholds certain blessings, the lack of which creates big, empty places in our hearts and lives, is so He can fill those empty places with Himself. He cannot fill with the best what is already full with the mediocre.” ~ Lydia Brownback, Contentment: A Godly Woman's Adornment

Where are you empty? What is it you are lacking right now? Maybe it's a sense of security as our nation and world struggle through unprecedented economic uncertainty. Maybe you find yourself at the end of your rope in parenting - you have no idea what to do next. Maybe you're lonely, even in those times when you find yourself surrounded by people.

We all have those times in our lives where we are crying out to God for something that we lack. And He seems silent. He doesn't seem to care. Could it be like Brownback suggests, that God would rather we be emptied to allow room for Himself? 

What would happen, if in those moments where we face that lack, that emptiness, instead of asking God to fill it with what we desire, we ask Him to fill it with Himself? We have nothing to lose. But maybe we have everything to gain.

Augustine is known for praying a prayer that acknowledges this as truth. It goes like this:

“Thou hast made us for thyself, O Lord, and our hearts are restless until they find their rest in thee..”

 I wonder if I'm daring enough to pray that prayer, to stop asking God to give me what I want, and instead ask Him to give me what He wants. Are we daring enough to let go of the mediocre so that we might be filled with the best?

How to Fit It All in Your Schedule

Last year I surveyed a group of women about the biggest challenge they face in their everyday lives. The response was nearly unanimous: dealing with their schedules. But I don't think it's just women, I think everyone today - men, women, children - is faced with a dazzling array of options and opportunities so numerous that it gets paralyzing. We go, go, go and do, do, do. And at the end of the day when we flop in to bed exhausted, all we can think about is what we didn't get done or we missed out on doing.

How do we handle this? What do we do with the overload in our schedules and the frustration of never feeling caught up and always being tired? I think much of the answer lies in finding balance. And to find balance, we need to regularly visit our priorities and allow them to guide our decisions about our time.

Today I found a post over at Michael Hyatt's blog that offers a very practical tool for taking control of time issues. Being proactive in ways like this can take us a long way toward bringing balance to our daily lives. And balance is one of the keys to contentment with our schedules. Check out Creating an Annual Time Block and see what you think.

Can That New School Outfit Make You (or Your Kid) Content?

Back to school shopping and contentment. You might not think the two topics relate, but stay with me here. Think back to when you were a school-aged person. Remember what made you at least a little excited about going back to school (and for most of us, that wouldn’t be sitting at a desk all day or doing homework)? Was it your new Wonder Woman or Patridge Family lunch box? Or maybe that cool Trapper Keeper your mom finally let you have. Maybe you spent hours shopping for, and then modeling in front of your bedroom mirror, that new first-day-of-school outfit.

Now think back with me some more: how long were you happy with those things? That lunchbox was probably pretty cool for a few weeks, maybe even the whole school year, or at least until it got dented when you accidentally dropped it down the stairs. The Trapper Keeper might have satisfied you only until you had long enough to stuff it full. Then once you realized how heavy it was, it might not have been “all that”.

And the outfit? Now we’re treading on dangerous ground. The staying power of a new set of clothes might only last as far as the edges of the playground. It did for me. I remember one year going to school on “casual dress day” (at my parochial school this is what they called special days where you didn’t have to wear a uniform). I was wearing what I thought was high fashion. I had on a new shirt and… a pair of culottes, those wide-legged knee-length pants that were all the rage in the ‘70’s. But here’s the thing: when I arrived at school, I stood at the edge of the blacktop looking out across the kids playing there (my school had a parking lot for a playground – actually it still does). And among those kids, not a single girl was wearing culottes. And that’s when I learned that “fashion” is not for the faint of heart. Suddenly I didn’t want to be seen in my new outfit. I didn’t want to be different, no matter how “fashionable” it would have been. I turned and ran the entire eight blocks home to change clothes.

Now I’m not shopping for new school clothes for myself this year. And I’m not going to stop my kids from picking out an outfit that they think is “fashionable” for the first day of school. But as we approach back to school shopping, I’m reminded of how we tend to rely on external things, like outfits and lunchboxes, smart phones and minivans, to give us satisfaction through their potential to effect our “image”. But if we’re not content with ourselves without those props, chances are, we won’t be any more so with them. And whatever satisfaction we gain from them will be only momentary.

We are made to be more than consumers, more than people labeled by our accessories. We’re made to be image bearers of the One who made us. If we can find our satisfaction in that, then it won’t matter how we accessorize on the outside. The new back-to-school gear (or whatever it is that we adults shop for this time of year) will simply be another thing to enjoy for itself and not for what it does for our image. And that’s contentment for back to school and beyond.

Stringing Beads of Contentment

What does "contentment" look like?

On the first day of August, in blistering heat, contentment for me was relaxing beside a pool on a shaded lounge chair while my girls played nearby in the water. Ah, bliss!

Recently I also found contentment while sitting in a pop-up camper listening to the rain patter on the roof as I played a game of Bananagrams with my family.

And today, I'm content to sit alone in my office, scented candle burning, dog lazing nearby, as I type away at my computer.

You see, contentment can encompass so many different experiences and moments. Maybe contentment for you today is something entirely different from the examples I just mentioned.

Here's the thing: practicing the discipline of contentment means finding ways to string these moments together in a tighter and tighter strand until they seem one unbroken moment. Does contentment mean an idyllic life of continuous enjoyment? No. But it does mean learning to find that settledness in the midst of any and every circumstance.

How about you? What has contentedness looked like for you lately?

Welcome to the Discussion

For the past few years I've been researching, contemplating, and speaking on the topic of contentment. And I've been trying to learn how to practice contentment as a discipline. It's been an interesting journey. It has shown me the depth of my lack when it comes to being satisfied with various areas of my life. And it has revealed the promise of true depth and maturity that this discipline holds.

Why a blog about it? I'm curious to hear what other people think (besides the authors I have been reading, whose work I'd encourage you to discover for yourself). Am I alone in my struggle with learning how to be content? Are other people content already? Or have others simply given up trying?

I want to know. I want to begin a dialog about contentment - not contentment as an ends to achieve, but contentment as a lifestyle and a discipline. And even more, I want to bring others into a conversation about what I've been learning about the connection between practicing contentment and growing in spiritual maturity.

If any aspect of what I mentioned above interests you, welcome. Introduce yourself. Share your thoughts. Join me as I ask questions about what happens when we begin counting our needs, our desires, our blessings; counting to the point where we reach enough... and beyond.