21 Days, Part II

(Via Maglio Produce)

Hello, everyone!


     This is just a quick update to let you know how the 21 Day Challenge is going, and also to extend another invitation for you to join the fun! It's never too late to start your own challenge. Whenever you begin, though, I would highly recommend enlisting a group to join you.

     Working with a friend or an online community is so helpful. In fact, I would have quit on the very first day if not for my partners (yes, I am that weak-willed). Yet because I knew that backing out would be letting them down also, I was obliged to continue. The importance of accountability cannot be overstressed.

      What a blessing this experience has been, too. It is so refreshing to start building good habits. Although the process has been trying at times, positive change is already evident in my daily life. The prognosis is good, my friends.

      If you have already begun to construct your own healthy habits, we would be delighted to hear your stories! Please feel free to share your observations in the comments below and, if you have a blog, please post a link. If you do not have one yet, why not consider starting one to log your progress?

     Still wondering whether the challenge is right for you? Then please let me encourage you to pick one or two small, daily changes you'd like to make and then jump right in to it. As a fellow procrastinator, I know that it can be difficult to commit to action. I also know, though, that we'll never get anything done unless we start right now.


Looking forward to hearing from you,

L.

21 Days: You're Invited!

(Via Craig Owens)

     "We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act, but a habit." ~ Will Durant, in summary of a portion of Aristotle's Ethics.

     There are so many of us who have an abundance of unfulfilled ideas, dreams, and projects. We think that we don't have the time to actualize those schemes, and yet, upon closer examination, it becomes clear that hours of our days are spent unproductively. We then resolve to manage our days more efficiently, and start the next morning determined not to let time escape us.

     We end the day, however, feeling exhausted and discouraged. We find either that we did not accomplish as much as we had planned, or that we are so drained by the effort that we lose our former motivation. In fact, it seems that much of U. S. American society is primarily characterized by just such a lethargy. Where is our energy? Where is our passion, our drive?

     Of the factors that contribute to this deadly ennui, I believe that the two most important are excessive luxury and broken relationships. By excessive luxury, I simply mean that we aren't consistently faced with the challenges that satisfy our human need for testing and growth. Prolonged ease leaves us feeling listless and unfulfilled. In turn, the broken relationships that enervate our spirits are those between us and God, others, and ourselves. These connections are so central to our essence that when they are unhealthy, our souls* are as sluggish as our bodies are when starved or dehydrated.

      If we want to accomplish anything, we must address these two energy-sappers. In light of that, dear reader, you're invited to join me in a 21 Day Challenge! Please feel free to choose any goals that you'd like, large or small, and together we'll attempt to build good habits each day for three weeks.

     I'll be updating this blog periodically on my progress. If you would also consider sharing your experience through comments or a blog of your own, I know that we would all benefit from it. Working together will give us extra accountability and motivation. I look forward to hearing your stories!

      Today is the first day of my challenge, and I have decided to focus on each of the three core relationships mentioned above. These are areas in which I have struggled for many, many years. I have had many false starts, but this time I've decided to take the following small, but intentional, steps:

• Praying and reading the Bible daily. Nothing is more life-giving than communing with God. I am going to try studying the same passage each day for a week, because sometimes it takes me a while to truly absorb the message. Is it the same for you, reader, or do you find that you are able to soak up meaning in a single session?
• Writing 21 character sketches. People are so fascinating, beautiful, and valuable. Often, though, I don't appreciate their worth. It's a bit of a meager start, but I hope that setting aside time to study individuals will help to turn my focus outward. Is there anyone in your life whom you take for granted?
• Eating only when I am hungry, and exercising for at least 20 minutes per day. Taking care of our physical forms is not only ethically responsible but also immensely practical, since a well-functioning body is crucial to maintaining the energy we need. Changing the world takes verve, people.

   
      Which habits will you build during your 21 Day Challenge? Why do you think we sometimes lack drive? If you plan to track your progress on a blog or some other platform, please give us a link in the comments so that we can follow along! 

Best,

L.

*Here's a curious little sidenote: The Romans called the soul the animus, or life force. If I understand it correctly, certain Far Eastern philosophies (such as Taoism) also refer to the soul as the "energy" of a person. Though I do not agree with these philosophies in many respects, it's interesting to observe how many different cultures have historically recognized the healthy soul as the body's source of invigoration and energy. This would be a fun subject to research further!

Compass Rose

(Via Fine Art America)

     *Phew!* We've covered a fair bit of ground in the last couple of posts, haven't we? We started off by looking briefly at what makes life worth living. Next, we considered the unique approach to failure and success that is offered by Ecclesiastes. When we asked whether life should planned or spontaneous, we determined that it's all about mindset. Knowing that our stories end well and that everything works together for our good, we concluded that we ought to engage in wise efforts such as goal-setting, yet we should also adapt to life changes with confidence.

     If you're like me, then you've realized that this kind of adaptability is not usually compatible with strict, set-in-stone plans. There is a time for everything, including the detailed daily schedules that some people (including myself) love to create. However, the unpredictability of life calls most of all for guiding principles, or values. These values, like the points on a compass, can help direct us through the many course corrections that we will have to make in our lives.

     Christ tells us that there are two supreme values, two ultimate commands: to love God and to love people. These commands and those that stem from them are quite broad, though. In fact, we are actually provided with much creative and executive freedom. Thus, my friend, we are left with this happy query: Within the context of the love of people and the vitalizing love of God, what do we really want out of life?

     For example, here are my answers:

• Service. Like many people, I want to contribute something to the world. Before I die, I want to leave a meaningful legacy--something that will glorify God, advance the Kingdom, and help others to live meaningful, fulfilled lives, as well.
• Freedom. Specifically, I mean freedom of mobility. I want to have flexibility, and I don't want to tie myself down to unimportant things such as a big house, a nice car, a comfortable neighborhood, etc.
• Learning. I want the opportunity for life-long learning. I want to continue pushing myself, and I want to continue researching, recording, creating, and exploring every day.
• Character. There are many areas in which I hope God will cause my spirit to grow. Most importantly, though, I want to be kind, honest, and fully-engaged.

     These are the four cardinal directions on the compass of my life's purpose. What are yours?

Schemes and Ventures

(Via Ali Davies)

   It is said that God laughs at our plans.

   Is that true? After all, each of us have faced a wealth of disappointments in our lives, some of which have been more severe than others. Is the failure of our dreams due to the capricious leveling of a deity who, like the Greek gods, is jealous of too much happiness? If so, what is the point of setting goals and attempting to build legacies?

   In our last post, we peered briefly into the beautiful book of Ecclesiastes during our search for answers. We discovered that all of life, including its seeming futilities, dead ends, and failures, is marching unswervingly towards the glorious end of making all things beautiful (Ecclesiastes 3:11). We found that trust in God and His eternal purposes allows us to both enjoy our present blessings and transcend our present hardships. With this in mind, we can be certain that our failures and disappointments are not at the whim of a cruel god, but rather are part of the master plan of the one true God.

   Now, though, it is time to begin the move from theory to application. As encouraging as our new perspective is, we still need to know how to proceed with our lives. The question that remains is this: Since God controls the final outcome anyway, should we bother making plans or should we simply take what comes to us?

   The glad truth is that Ecclesiastes provides us with an answer to this question, as well. Though informed by simple principles, it is not a simplistic solution. It is, however, as holistic and balanced as we would expect divine wisdom to be. That answer urges a mindset of simultaneous diligence, forethought, and resilience.

   An example of the above attitude can be found in chapter 11. Here we are told to "In the morning sow your seed, and at evening withhold not your hand, for you do not know which will prosper, this or that, or whether both will be good" (v. 6). Many of us are not farmers, so we will not literally be sowing in multiple fields. We can, however, glean the message that it is wise to diversify our efforts, since we do not know which works God will advance and which He will turn aside. We are called to plan ahead for eventualities, while at the same time we are to accept the fact that, in His perfect will, God will choose which of our ventures will succeed and which will fail.

   Let's quickly bring it all together: In this grand adventure of life, we can be confident that God will use both our triumphs and our defeats to bring about ultimate beauty. Therefore, let us be both driven and flexible. Let's dream and scheme and work hard, but let's not prize our goals so much that we are devastated if we don't actualize them. Rather, let's recognize that surprises and curveballs are equally part of God's plan, and His plan is the best. (Besides, where would be the fun in a life that could be predicted and charted to the last detail?) Let's have confidence in God's pilotage during turbulence as well as during calmer currents. Finally, let's remember to enjoy the blessings that God gives us each day.

   Work hard, take risks, and have fun.

Ciao!

The Incredible Christian Life

(Via Wikimedia)

   What is the vita beata, the good life?

   What is worth our lives and deaths?

   Perhaps life is worth living when we fill every moment with pleasure. Perhaps we are best off pursuing the best houses, the best cars, the best food, the best books, the best lovers. Assuming that we do accomplish the unlikely feat of maintaining such a state of euphoria, though, is it worthy of our deaths?

   When we die surrounded by gold plates, fine wines, sports cars, jets, and private libraries, all of these things will be divided up amongst heirs who knew we only valued their persons if and when they contributed to our obsessive indulgence. Our memories, if they persist, will portray us as selfish, petty, immature, and heartless. In the end, if oblivion is what waits beyond the grave, what do a few moments of bitterly won rictus-grin-frenzy weigh against eternal darkness?

   Perhaps, upon reflection, it is best that we live a life of service. We must dedicate ourselves to humanity, sacrificing every moment to the advancement of mankind. We will carve out a better world, and what we have given in "blood, sweat, and tears" will burn our names into the annals of history.

   Then we will die. We will leave this world, and the women whose rights we so toiled to protect will continue to submit themselves to mistreatment. Slavery, though legally abolished, will persist in secret. Parents will abuse children. Strangers will be exploited. Politicians will remain corrupt, citizens will remain both destroyed and destructive. Our human efforts to hold back that foaming tide will be for naught.

   "Vanity of vanities, all is vanity," says the Preacher.



   Yet.

   There is a twist in the plot. What was once a world of despair and futility becomes a thrilling masterpiece of shifting, dancing light. How can this be? Our hope, fellow soul, is in this: We are not the only characters in this narrative.

   Divinity. The Supreme Being. The King of kings. He Who is perfectly righteous and just. The One Who is love. Jesus the Savior. When God takes the stage, extraordinary things happen.

   This Deity has "put eternity" in our hearts. We were meant for immortality. We were meant to seek the big picture. Even though, in this temporal plane, "no one can find out the work that God does from beginning to end," we know that "He has made everything beautiful in its time." With this glorious thought, and in the presence of this glorious Being, we can rest knowing that evil is only the darkness in Rembrandt's Return of the Prodigal Son. It is shading, deep and poignant, in the hands of the Master Artist, Who will furthermore bring about perfect justice "in the fullness of time."

   Our hope is that this magnificent Creator took that very evil on Himself by allowing Himself to be crucified in order to heal our relationship with Him. It is not just our suffering which He has used to craft His perfect story, but also His own. Trusting Him, we can be confident that the conclusion to which He is masterfully drawing the seemingly disparate threads of history will be magnificent, because He Himself is so. Trusting Him, we can be confident that nothing is better than for us "to rejoice, and do good" in our lives. As the writer of Ecclesiastes says, "Every man should eat and drink and enjoy the good of all his labor -- it is the gift of God."

   So, what is the vita beata?

"Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter:

Fear God and keep His commandments,

For this is man's all.

For God will bring every work into judgement,

Including every secret thing,

Whether good or evil."

   Love God. Love your neighbor. Trust Christ for your righteousness. Do the good works that He has given you to do. And while you're at it, have a rockin' good time.

   That, my friend, is the incredible Christian life.

Happy Birthday, Big

   Today, April 24th, is my grandfather's birthday.

   My grandfather's story is an incredible one. He traveled broadly, read deeply, and loved God for all of His magnificent beauty. He took a brave, often lonely stand on his principles. Through his little congregation and his newsletter, The Mariner's Log, he nourished the spiritual lives of people all over the globe, from his home state of Oregon to the far-off lands of Russia. He loved little children, and his heart was full of both passionate fire and tender warmth. He was a full-color hero, whose love of God, people, and beauty was truly outstanding.

   This blog, such as it is, is dedicated to him. As we celebrate God's transformative goodness in our lives, as we work to appreciate the resplendent beauty all around us, and as we seek out the incredible Christian life, let us do it in memory of a man who modeled all of those goals and more: A man who is now truly alive, and is on the best leg of his adventure yet.


   We love you, Big.