by Cathy Baker | Faith, Gatherings |
Gathering each week to worship the One true God is life-giving.
Gathering with the One, quiet and alone, is a sacred delight.
This gathering requires no preparations. Simply come.
Sometimes, especially after a hard season in life, or in the middle of one, I find comfort in setting an intentional table for two. This tea time with God isn’t a weird “fluffy feel good” practice. It’s an intentional act that flies in the face of my enemy who never tires of reminding me of past sins or current failures.
But God’s nearness is the key that unlocks both my hope and joy. So I simply come.
Two teacups sit on my farm table. One cup holds a teabag. The other holds a place at the table, reminding me that my Heavenly Father’s presence is that near.
As the kettle whistles and the water pours, my cup blossoms into rich amber. Its rising fragrance reminds me of the incense that arose from the Holy of Holies, representing the prayers of God’s people.
Let my prayer be accepted as sweet-smelling incense in your presence. Psalm 141:2
As I sip my tea — time slows to a sacred pace. I sit still and quiet.
Be still and know that I am God. Psalm 46:10
There’s nothing natural about stilling the heart and mind. (Lately, it seems the more unnatural/uncomfortable something feels, the more convinced I am it is of God.) He wants us to know Him. I can’t wrap my head around this truth but I fully embrace it with every drop of gratitude possible.
Let these truths settle deep in the soul: God never hides from us, ignores our pain, or fiddles with a phone when we speak. Nothing is too small, too big, too high, or too wide for His reach. He is ever-present.
May these truths never wear thin in the fabric of our everyday lives.
As I sip my tea, I read His Word aloud, pray, and talk with Him as I would with a friend sitting across from me. Words aren’t always necessary, just like any relationship. “Happy masks” are exchanged for the freedom that is mine through Jesus. In Him, I can be me — a repeat offender, quirky, and quite the mess, but it’s in this same freedom I recognize that “being me” doesn’t negate my sinfulness. In fact, it highlights it, and for my good. So I confess and close out our time by thanking God for who He is:
- Heavenly Father
- Holy
- Just
- Forgiving, full of grace
- Omniscient
- Omnipresent
- El Roi, the God who sees
The quiet power of our tea-for-two lingers long after the last sip, thanks be to Jesus.
Have you practiced something similar? Is there a particular name of God you’re leaning into these days? I’d love for you to share your thoughts with us in the comment section.
NEW Gift for Subscribers to the Creative Pauses Community
I hope you enjoy these five fun scripture-based coloring pages!
If you’d like to become a part of the community, simply type your e-address in the righthand sidebar. >>>> Bi-weekly posts offer a pause of goodness to your busy days, and once a month, you’ll also receive a newsletter chock-full of the latest happenings in the Tiny House on the Hill, along with ideas on ways we can draw near to God and love others well. So, come on over and sit a spell. I’d love to get to know you!
by Cathy Baker | Faith, Ideas |
Goodness knows we’ve had enough of them this winter!
Over the past couple of weeks, our area has experienced devastating floods, a tornado, and snow. Gotta love the Carolinas!
With March just around the corner, more rain is sure to come. So let’s consider some fun and meaningful ways to engage our rainy day senses:
What Can We See?
- Read rain-related verses.
- Go through old photos – not for the purpose of organizing but simply to enjoy.
- Watch the rain⏤the way droplets weigh down the leaves on a branch. Or the places where it puddles. Reading the verses beforehand can’t help but add depth to our wonder.
- Hopefully a rainbow!
What Can We Hear?
- Listen⏤really listen⏤to the soft ticking of the rain on your window, umbrella, or rooftop. Rain is a symphony of nature created by God for our listening pleasure.
- Vinyl spinning on a nearby turntable.
- Perhaps a crackling fire if it’s cold outside?
- The sloshing sound from beneath our rain boots as we jump puddles with (or without) our children/grandchildren.
What Can We Smell?
- Step outside and catch the scent of rain. Depending on where it falls (the driveway, freshly plowed dirt, grass, or the pup), we’ll pick up on a variety of aromas. All a delight, except for the latter. 🙂
- Burn a candle as you read a favorite book. (Adorning the Dark by Andrew Peterson is a new fave of mine. This isn’t an affiliate link. I’m just a fan.)
- Soup cooking over a hot stove. Is there anything more soothing than soup on a rainy day? Besides warm chocolate chip cookies, of course.
What Can We Touch?
- Warm pj’s and flannel sheets. Need I say more?
- The hands of a loved one. A rainy night is the ideal setting to unplug and spend time with those God has placed in our lives.
- Birdfeeders. My country birdies are voracious eaters when it rains.
- A pen. Rainy days are perfect for re-engaging the art of a handwritten letter.
- Hearts and lives through prayer. Let’s pull out our prayer journal and lift up the lost and loved ones to the Lord.
What Can We Taste?
- Steamy mugs of tea. Lace it with honey and sip away.
- My go-to Weight Watchers meal from Skinnytaste, Crockpot Sante Fe Chicken. It’s a real meal everyone can enjoy.
- The rain! When’s the last time we put on our rain boots, ran outside, looked up to the heavens and stuck out our tongue? None of us are promised tomorrow, so let’s have some fun!
- The goodness of God. “Taste and see that the Lord is good.” (Psalm 34:8) Rainy days offer a pause⏤physically, spiritually, and emotionally. Set aside time to journal or make a list of specific ways you’ve tasted (experienced firsthand) God’s goodness in recent days.
“You heavens above, rain down my righteousness; let the clouds shower it down. Let the earth open wide, let salvation spring up, let righteousness flourish with it; I, the LORD, have created it.” (Isaiah 45:8)
So, which of the five senses do you most enjoy on a rainy day?
Thank you for stopping by! I hope you’ll decide to stay awhile. If you’d like to become a part of the community, simply type your e-address in the righthand sidebar. >>>> Bi-weekly posts offer a pause of goodness to your busy days, and once a month, you’ll also receive a newsletter chock-full of the latest happenings in the Tiny House on the Hill, along with ideas on ways we can draw near to God and love others well.
So, come on over and sit a spell. I’d love to get to know you!
by Cathy Baker | Faith, Prayer |
Literally.
I know, I know. It goes against everything we learned growing up. Bow your heads and close your eyes. To do anything different seems awkward.
But within my four walls, I welcome the difference, always praying with my eyes wide open. When it comes to praying with others, however, I cave to tradition.
I don’t want to look weird or feel out of place — and my spirit groans every single time.
The only way I know how to describe what happens the moment I close my eyes to pray is to compare it to a Twilight Zone episode called Little Girl Lost. A child accidentally falls through an opening in the wall and enters a different dimension. She cries while floating around in the dark, trying to reach for her dog, who suffered the same fate.
Okay, so that’s a tad dramatic but it’s true. I close my eyes to pray and everything goes dark. Everything except for the distractions. They bark louder than any dog I know.
Is it Unbiblical to Pray with Our Eyes Open?
It’s not. There’s nothing in the Bible that says our eyes must be closed to communicate well with our God. When Jesus feeds the 5,000 he prays looking up to heaven. Were his eyes open? I believe so.
“We have here only five loaves of bread and two fish,” they answered. “Bring them here to me,” he said. And he directed the people to sit down on the grass. Taking the five loaves and the two fish and looking up to heaven, he gave thanks and broke the loaves. Then he gave them to the disciples, and the disciples gave them to the people.” Matthew 14:17-19 [emphasis mine]
God doesn’t pay attention to what we wear, if we’ve showered, or if our hair is mussed or perfect. The tradition of closing our eyes is both understandable and honorable. We all want to be fully present, whether our eyes are open or closed. But since our conversation today is focused on the former, here are some tips for avoiding distractions:
How to Avoid Distractions When Praying With Eyes Wide Open
- Look up! Jesus set the example. The sky is vast and full of God’s glory. Like the ocean, it reminds us of our smallness and that is good.
- Journal prayers first. Write down the specifics first, and then pray. This way, when praying with our eyes open, the things we want to pray for surface quicker. Distractions, at least for me, tend to happen more when my heart/mind isn’t warmed up.
- Whenever possible, pray aloud. Hearing the words help to cement them in the heart. By the same token, praying out loud also helps me to “hear” the sins that are trying to squeak in the back door of my heart. Sometimes the simple tone of my request says it all. Combining the two ⏤eyes open and aloud⏤changed my prayer life.
Other Times We Can {and Should} Pray with Eyes Wide Open
- When driving. Or when the guy on your bumper scooches up just a little too close for comfort.
- When we’re outside. “Listen to this, Job; stop and consider God’s wonders.” Job 37:14
- As we go through our day. Ephesians 6:18 encourages us to be alert in prayer. Staying attuned to the beauty and heartache that surrounds us every day gives us continual reasons to walk and pray throughout our day.
Writing is often cathartic and this post is one of those moments for me. If praying with my eyes wide open isn’t unbiblical and if my spirit groans when I try to pray like everyone else because of pride, I need to confess it and move forward in faith. Because this is what we know:
Eyes open, eyes closed. It matters not, as long as the heart is engaged.
Did you notice the new title Creative Pauses…from the Tiny House on the Hill? I share a little more about the why behind the newly revised on my About Page.
Thank you for stopping by for a visit! I’d love for you to stay awhile. If you’d like to become a part of the Creative Pauses community, simply type your e-address in the righthand sidebar. Bi-weekly posts offer a pause of goodness to your busy day and they automatically land in your inbox. Once a month, you’ll also receive a newsletter chock-full of helpful tidbits on drawing nearer to God and loving others well.
So, come on over and sit a spell. I’d love to get to know you!
by Cathy Baker | Faith, Prayer |
Intentional is my “one-word” for the year.
Some think the one-word movement is hokey. I know because that was me not so long ago. And yet, in a world that tugs on us with the same fervor as a hungry toddler, embracing a word that points us to the Word offers an intentional act that can help us stay focused.
Many areas in life deserve more intentionality on my part, but none more than prayer.
Below are three ways I’m learning to re-engage the power and beauty of prayer in my own life. I’d love to know how you’re doing the same in the comment section below. We are in this together, after all. *smile*
1. Re-visit the Why
Why pray? If we were raised in the church, our whys likely roll off the tongue easily. But what about today? What about prayer stirs us to set aside time on a busy morning? What do we believe about prayer that causes us to risk embarrassment by thanking God for our food in public places?
For me, this “why” surfaced first: because I can⏤because we can. Thanks be to Christ’s sacrifice, we can converse with the One True God⏤, the One who formed us, the One who redeemed us, sanctified us, loved us beyond comprehension, quieted us, healed us, and empowered us to live more like Jesus.
It is impossible to grasp the reality of this magnificent privilege and remain the same.
What is your “why” and how does it change your intentions for 2020?
2. Scribble Your Prayers
Scribble, you say? Okay, maybe that’s not exactly what I mean, but one of the best pieces of writing advice I ever received was to scribble my rogue ideas and rough drafts in a plain spiral-bound notebook. Not fancy ones, like those Brian used to bring home from France. {I’m not sure what it says about me that I asked for paper instead of perfume, but let me just say that this was no ordinary paper. The crisp white sheets were smooth as glass yet thick enough to resist any bleed-through.}
But this same sheet of paper sat blank because I didn’t want to waste a “good” sheet for what could be the worst paragraph ever.
And therein lies the beauty of a solid-colored spiral-bound notebook. The sheets are thin and anything but crisp⏤but they are brimming with words. There’s no concern about messing up or writing the wrong thing on a cheap piece of paper.
Sometimes, when journaling our prayers, it’s easy to feel stuck and unsure of what to write. We may skip a day, a week, or longer because we don’t know where to begin, leaving the page blank.
But when the imperfect spiral-bound pages make themselves available for imperfect words and sentences, there’s a freedom at work that I can’t explain.
“Scribbling” tips:
- Write like no one else will read it but God. It’s a safe place to pour out your hurt, your dreams, your doubts–whatever is on your heart. King David paved the way in Psalms, showing us how to trust God with our honesty while never failing to recognize His majesty.
- Try different methods. There’s no one way that’s right for everyone. Over the years, I’ve used an organized prayer notebook with tabs for praise, confession, intercession, and salvation. I also have stacks of plain notebooks, some started but never finished, and others filled with my failures and God’s faithfulness.
- Keep a tiny journal with you at all times. Be intentional, watching for God’s goodness as you move through your day. Eventually, you will create your own pocketful of praises. {Don’t miss the tiny journal opportunity below!}
3. Incorporate “Touchpoints” of Prayer
To be clear, there’s nothing sacred about touching anything. But using everyday touches to prompt a prayer is a simple and intentional way to stay connected with God throughout our day. Such as:
- Washing the dishes. Let the water running over your hands remind you to pray for those who are spiritually thirsty without Christ. We pray for their salvation so that their innermost being will flow rivers of living water. (John 7:38)
- Steering wheel. As you take hold of the wheel, let your grip serve as a reminder of God’s closeness to you, praising God for surrounding you with His presence. “Those who trust in the LORD are like Mount Zion, which cannot be shaken but endures forever. As the mountains surround Jerusalem, so the LORD surrounds his people, both now and forevermore.” (Psalm 125:1,2)
- Feet to the floor. This “touchpoint” is mentioned in 4 “Touchpoints” to Connect with God Throughout the Day, the latest gift for current/new subscribers. The moment our feet touch either the coldness of hardwood flooring or the warmth of cozy slippers in the morning, let that touch prompt us to offer God our first thought of the day. It can be as simple as, Thank you for a new day, Thank you for fresh mercy (Lamentations 3:22, 23), or Have Your Way Today, Lord.
“Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will hear you.” Jeremiah 29:12
How would you like to become more intentional in prayer? Share in the comment section below to help cement your intentions, encourage others, and have your name placed in a random giveaway for a pair of mini journals.
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by Cathy Baker | Faith, Seasonal |
I know, I know. Here I am mentioning Christmas and we’ve not even carved a turkey yet.
But there’s a good reason, maybe two. In last week’s Tiny House Tuesday, I shared how this would likely be the final 2019 post due to dad’s recent surgery. {Thank you for your prayers. He continues to recover well.}
Also, despite the desire to create “Silent Night” December days, the real soundtrack that plays for many of us sounds more like the song Grandma Got Run Over By a Reindeer. But it’s not the reindeer that runs us slap over. It’s the shopping, the list of to-do’s, the baking⏤the parties that extroverts enjoy and introverts survive.
So let’s decide now⏤before the traveling, the turkey, and the rush to buy maximum-strength Tums⏤to prepare our soul for the celebration of Christ with holy intent, refusing to allow circumstances to decide for us:
Preparing My Soul Through Prayer
Before animals go into hibernation, they prepare a safe place to lessen the chances of being ambushed by other animals. Many of us shift into a whole other gear during the holiday season. It’s almost as if November and December deserve a separate calendar. Starbucks Chestnut Praline holiday drinks pack on the pounds, while the checking account quickly disintegrates beneath the weight of the Amazon delivery truck. In our “hibernated” state, we can become easy prey, leaving us vulnerable for a cultural ambush.
But prayer protects our holy intentions to stay focused on Christ by purposefully shifting our gaze heavenward, gaining clarity we do not naturally possess.
“Remember, our prayers do not need to be long. Sometimes a word or two will suffice.” — David Jeremiah
Preparing My Soul Through the Celebration of Advent
The word Advent comes from a Latin word that means “coming.” It’s a 4-week celebration that captures our longing to celebrate the first arrival of Jesus, as well as the Second. Advent can be celebrated in several ways⏤calendars, Advent displays with 25 drawers or pockets to fill, devotionals, etc.
This year, I’m reading Walter Wangerin’s Preparing for Jesus: Meditations on the Coming of Christ, Advent, Christmas, and the Kingdom. (The Kindle version is 2.99). Up until now, I celebrated Advent quietly and privately. But this year, through my church, small group, and my children, I learned the beauty of biblical community. I still have a lot of room for growth, but more on that in 2020.
For now, I hope you will join me on Instagram beginning December 1st as I plan to celebrate Advent through scripture, prayers, prompts, and poetry each day leading up to Christmas. It’s one way we can pause to celebrate our glorious Christ together. {Each day will also include a *tiny* snapshot of Christmas at the Tiny House on the Hill.}
“God is coming! God is coming! All the elements we swim in, this existence, echoes ahead the advent. God is coming! Can’t you feel it?” — Walter Wangerin
Preparing My Soul By Planning Wisely
Before Thanksgiving (ideally), set aside a few minutes to gather your people and pull out the calendar. Decide what you’ll say yes to and what you’ll decline⏤guilt-free. You may not know which parties or events you’ll be invited to in December, but you can determine the number of events you want to occupy your family calendar. Jot down a few traditions you enjoy as a family and refuse to budge for they are the builder of memories that will last a lifetime.
“The heart of a man plans his way, but the LORD establishes his steps.” Proverbs 16:9
Preparing My Soul in Song
Our turntable rarely stops spinning during the Christmas season. I play Bing Crosby, Frank Sinatra, and Johnny Mathis because it reminds me of cooking in the kitchen with my grandmother while her stereo spun these crooners in the background.
But nothing stirs this soul like Michael Card’s The Promise and Andrew Peterson’s Behold the Lamb. One can’t help but sing when Word-immersed lyrics grab hold of both heart and mind.
“The Savior has rescued us that we might sing the song of the redeemed. May we sing it well. May we sing it constantly. May we sing it passionately. May we sing it for his glory and the advancing of his gospel until the time comes when our songs will never end.” — Bob Kauflin
Preparing My Soul in the Pause
When we choose to pause, to slow down and consider our days, we’re able to see unique opportunities to celebrate and share the love of Christ during this particular season. To help in this effort, subscribers (or as I like to say, “our *tiny* community), will receive an easy-to-print download called KEEPING CHRISTMAS.
Here are four possibilities for using this resource:
(1) Read the daily entry that includes a scripture verse and the simple but meaningful way to make Christ known that day.
(2) Read the few words of scripture beside each Sunday and meditate on them throughout the week.
(3) Do both!
(4) Print all three pages and cut each day into daily slips, using them as inserts for your Advent calendar.
If you’re not yet a part of the community, come on in and take a seat. We hope you’ll make yourself right at home in the Tiny House on the Hill.
In addition to KEEPING CHRISTMAS, you’ll also receive a PRIVATE VIDEO CHRISTMAS TOUR of the Tiny House on the Hill!
Hop over to the sidebar and you’ll find a space at the top eagerly awaiting your email address. You can unsubscribe at any time. If you’re already part of the community {thank you!}, watch for your link in today’s Monthly Letter.
Now that the tiny studio build is coming to completion, watch for exciting opportunities coming our way in 2020! But for now, I hope you’ll follow me on Instagram and join in the Advent celebration beginning Sunday, December 1st.
“Awake, my soul!” Psalm 57:8
I pray this Thanksgiving and Christmas season will offer sweet opportunities to bless others, glorify God, and hold our families a little tighter than normal.
