“Remember the fire on the alter must be kept burning at all times. It must never go out.”  Leviticus 6:13

Because I’ve lived in Florida most of my life, fireplaces are unique and intriguing to me.  We visited Alan’s daughter for Thanksgiving in Decatur, Ga where the wood burning stove mesmerized me, as usual.  Because I wake up a couple of hours earlier than the rest of the gang, I’ve had to learn how to stoke the fire in the stove.  The first time I tried this, I had no idea what to do, but I was freezing.  I saw the glowing coals in the stove, but obviously there was little heat. So I had to figure out how to rekindle that fire.  I added wood. Nothing happened. Then I remembered the fireman’s words to the school kids about fire needing three things: fuel, heat, and oxygen. Ah, oxygen. I figured someone must have slowed down the fire the previous night so it wouldn’t go out.  If the hot coals are preserved for the morning, the fire-building process doesn’t have to begin from scratch. I looked around, found a little lever near the bottom of the stove, pulled it out, and pooof–I was cookin’!

I’m so glad that God lit the fire within me–when I first believed– and the Holy Spirit took up residence, creating an eternal presence in me. But like that banked fire, when I wake up each morning, I need to stoke the coals that have been quietly burning through the night. I need to add oxygen and more fuel to that fire. I add that needed fuel and oxygen by reading his Word and through prayer.  The Holy Spirit, who is eternally alive in me, bursts into full flame.  The warmth and light of God once again shines bright for the whole world to see. I go forth into the day, living for the glory of God so others will feel His warmth and see His light.  It’s a daily ritual that I look forward to. . .keeping that fire burning!

“I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.   ⁶ If you do not remain in me, you are like a branch that is thrown away and withers; such branches are picked up, thrown into the fire and burned.” John 15:5-6

I was working in my vegetable garden a couple of months ago and noticed a “volunteer” tomato plant. I had definitely not planted this one so it must have sprouted from a stray seed blown over from the compost pile. The main branch of this volunteer plant appeared to be broken, the stem bent at a 90 degree angle, probably damaged during a big nor’easter that went through during late September.  I basically ignored this little unnecessary plant thinking that, since the stem was broken, it would probably die of its own accord anyway. Continue reading →

Proverbs 14:4  “An empty stable stays clean, but no income comes from an empty stable.” 

I think I’ve perfected the art of maintaining a clean and empty stable.  I have perfected the life of introspection and contemplation. In fact, I so enjoy my time alone that I’ve had to learn how to intentionally and deliberately develop a healthy balanced life.  I think I’ve finally come up with an equation that works:

lone time + selected people-interaction-time =  a joyful life  

Honestly, I love my time alone.  It’s both ordered and creative; it’s productive and uncomplicated.  It’s my empty and clean stable.  But like Solomon points out in his proverb, my stable may be clean, but it’s not producing an income.   In other words, it’s not producing the richness and fullness, the hope and joy, that a balanced life brings. So every now and then, I make that intentional and deliberate decision to clutter up my clean stable with people and the little difficulties that sometimes come along with human interaction.  As long as I’m intentional about how I spend my people time, the payoff is always bigger than the energy I’ve expended.

Continue reading →

When I was a kid I was fascinated with escalators.  They were easy.  I only had to step one time, then go along for the ride.  Easy and effortless. . .until I reached the top, that is.  Then I had to time my stepping off just so. One day I tripped and fell.  Didn’t so much like escalators anymore.

Many parts of my life became much like that escalator. I just got on for the ride. Followed where the steps went. Tripped more times than I’d like to remember. For much of my life, my journey went with the flow.  It seemed that life had a hold on me and my job was to accept what life had to offer. But as the years went by my escalator of life kept running faster and faster.  The stress built up little by little over time. If you’d asked me, I’d have told you I loved my life. I was a teacher. What’s not to love–high school kids are a trip–full of life. The material was intellectually stimulating. I liked all the planning and the challenge of trying to tantalize kids with interesting ways of learning.  Before I knew it though, that escalator was moving at mach speed.  Finally one year I reached my limit of more and more and more and more responsibilities attached to the job.

Continue reading →