by Cathy Baker | Faith |
Our Former House on the City Street
In our former house on a city street, snow was the only hope for silence.
Every other day was filled with sounds of cars and trucks whizzing by, occasionally hitting the telephone pole that sat only inches away from the road. Across the street was the police department and catty-corner to the old home place was the fire department. No time was sacred — the blaring horn and flashing lights swooped by our house day and night. I’m thankful for their service but having a fire department for a neighbor doesn’t make for a quiet home.
But when the snow fell, there was a glorious mingling of silence and awe.
Craving more silence than a bi-yearly snow event (if we were lucky!) my heart began yearning for a quieter space — not only physically but also emotionally and spiritually. I wanted a place where my words could settle before being dampened by a siren. When our grandchildren moved 45 minutes north of the city that only fueled the desire to move even more.
And move is exactly what we did. In the past, our house was the deciding factor, not the land or lot. But this time we flipped the normal pattern. We wanted a few acres, away from any busy roads, and if possible, a mountain view. God blessed us with all three. The house is slowing becoming a home — our home — thanks to Brian’s mad house-spiffing up skills. {I plan to share some before and after pics in the coming weeks!}
This past weekend, snow fell to the tune of 4+ inches at our “new” home near the mountains. Although silence is now the norm {except for a nearby rooster crowing and hunting dogs howling}, snow is still a welcomed guest. It reminds me how vital silence is to my walk and well-being. Thankfully, we can all experience silence of the significant sort regardless of where we live. But for those like me who are uber sensitive to surrounding sounds, it’s helpful to live somewhere other than a busy city street.
Our Barn on the Hill
So why is it vital that we seek out silence (confident that it won’t go in search of us)?
- Silence is good for our health. According to this study, children living near the Munich airport had significantly higher blood pressure than children in quieter neighborhoods, putting them at risk for heart problems later in life.
- Periodic silence breeds creativity. Our minds are bombarded with texts, emails, calls, alerts, etc. Just like paper needs whitespace in order for our words to breathe, so our mind needs silent space.
- Most importantly, silence invites the voice of God to speak and it inclines our ears to hear. This virtue of silence is prized among all others as it alone has the power to usher in the only voice that brings change from the inside out. You know, the lasting type. Silence offers us the privilege and opportunity of “hearing” from the One who gives hope to the hopeless, joy to those struggling to make it through another day, peace in the midst of chaos. And as we receive it, we also give it — through our lives, the stories we write, and the songs we sing.
So, how do we incorporate more periodic silence into our daily lives? Nothing new here but it bears repeating based on the above:
- Choose it. No one else can do it for us. If silence doesn’t come easy for you, start out with one-minute intervals throughout your day. Have no agenda other than to remain silent. Speaking of which…
- Lose it. The ringer, that is. Turn off your phone and shut the laptop when practicing a time of silence.
- Refuse it. Turn off your radio when you’re in the car. I know, it’s hard for me too as I love music and the voices of Chuck Swindoll, James MacDonald, and Chip Ingram, but refuse to allow the sounds of the world {even the good sounds} to rob us from the best sound of all…silence.
The View From Our Front Porch
Before you go, in celebration of the first snow that fell at our new home and maybe yours too, savor these words from one of my favorite poets, Mary Oliver. Her poem, First Snow:
The snow
began here
this morning and all day
continued, its white
rhetoric everywhere
calling us back to why, how,
whence such beauty and what
the meaning; such
an oracular fever! flowing
past windows, an energy it seemed
would never ebb, never settle
less than lovely! and only now,
deep into night,
it has finally ended.
The silence
is immense,
and the heavens still hold
a million candles, nowhere
the familiar things:
stars, the moon,
the darkness we expect
and nightly turn from. Trees
glitter like castles
of ribbons, the broad fields
smolder with light, a passing
creekbed lies
heaped with shining hills;
and though the questions
that have assailed us all day
remain — not a single
answer has been found —
walking out now
into the silence and the light
under the trees,
and through the fields,
feels like one.
How do you incorporate periodic silence into your life? Do you find silence to be a friend or foe? Please share in the comment section!
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by Cathy Baker | Ideas, Writing |
If you’re searching for creative and unique settings to create {whether that’s writing, painting, drawing, etc.} this year, I hope you’ll find the following suggestions helpful. At the very least, perhaps one or two will jumpstart another idea!
A well-loved writing spot is nice but there’s something to be said for venturing out to discover fresh and inspiring places to write. Not only does it awaken the senses, it also infuses the mind with new plots twists and settings for our stories, poetry, and the like. So pack your common sense {necessary for some of the locations}, laptop and/or writing pad/pen, healthy snacks, water, and a fold-up chair. I’d also suggest you pack your camera if you want to use something other than your phone for taking pictures. Being able to recall the specifics of a certain locale may come in handy in the future.
15 Inspiring + Unique Settings:
- A construction site (in this case you may want to also pack a hard hat and ear plugs). Watching a building take shape over a period of time can inspire one to imagine their own story being built from the ground up. Or maybe the process could be used in a plot twist!
- A vacant old house or home place where only the chimney still stands. Oh, the stories an old home place can tell if we’re only willing to be quiet and listen.
- A local walking bridge. Try to enjoy this when the foot traffic isn’t busy.
- Beside a local river. Pack a lunch and a blanket. Find joy in the small wonders surrounding you.
- In the mall. Searching for fresh dialogue? Park yourself on a bench with a cup of coffee {a necessity for proper snooping} and take a listen. Or watch body language. It’s all there.
- In your local airport. Either go inside or park where you can watch the planes land. Imagine the destination of the planes taking off. Enjoy the faces of those seeing loved ones for the first time in awhile.
- On a dock overlooking a quiet lake.
- Hop on a local bus and make a round trip around town.
- Find a beautiful local garden and ask permission to write there for awhile.
- Your local cemetery. {This isn’t as creepy as it sounds.} Much can be learned from a walk through an eternal resting spot.
- Go to your local library.
- Forget the cafe — go to your favorite restaurant. Sit in the corner, order your favorite meal {or dessert}, and savor the moment, with pen in hand, of course.
- A room or area in your home where you’ve never written before. Maybe it’s the kitchen, back porch, front porch, bedroom, etc. Or if you’re a young mom, the bathroom may be your only escape. Indulge yourself with a bubble bath while you allow ideas to soak in. {Sorry, pun intended}
- Tour a local museum. Drink it in. Find a shady tree not far away, sit or park your vehicle and write down every detail you remember.
- An empty high school stadium. {But a visible spot.}
Five Bonus Settings:
- A zoo. Take a stroll through the animal park observing minute details. Who wouldn’t be awe-inspired by God’s creative design? This would be another good opportunity for lunch with a pen and paper.
- An observatory. If you don’t have one where you live, simply step outside at night. Take notes on your phone or if it’s warm outside write beside a patio lamp. If it’s cold and you’re a brave soul, write by a campfire.
- A rooftop terrace. Many cities have restaurants that offer rooftop dining. If it’s a pricey place, simply order dessert. Savor it…and the view.
- A friend’s house. And if your friend happens to have a beautiful view or a lush garden, even better! You could trade places for the day or simply ask to write when they’re out and about for a few hours. After all, what are friends for?
- Dare I say, an overnight stay? It doesn’t have to be far away but it’s surprising how a change of scenery can up our creative ante.
I’m excited to share that the original post for the above 15 ideas was recently listed in Elizabeth S. Craigs’ “Top Tweets in 2016”. You will want to bookmark her post and revisit it many times over. It’s chock-full of the most popular tweets/links!
So now it’s your turn. Is there a particular setting listed above that strikes your fancy? Is there another setting you would like to add to the list? Please share!
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by Cathy Baker | Ideas, Seasonal |
No greater gift exists than the gospel of Jesus Christ. It is the very definition of Christmas.
As mentioned in last week’s post, there seems to be a softness to one’s soul this time of year. Songs, the scent of certain foods, hymns, readings, and traditions take many of us back to simpler days. But this divinely placed soft spot also gives us unique opportunities to invite others into our story, into the story of the gospel.
I couldn’t close this Christmas mini-series without focusing on the greatest Gift ever, so here are five ways we can share the gift of knowing the one true living God (not to be confused with knowing about God). Thank You, Jesus.
5 Ways We Can Share the Gospel This Christmas
Add an extra gift to your list. Do you have those on your Christmas list who do not have a relationship with Christ? Consider purchasing a small gift that could be given in addition to a gift of their choice. This way, they might be more open to enjoying the extra gift rather than resenting it. Some ideas might be a book, bookmark, or a candle with John 8:12 written on an attached note.
Invite that person God has been laying on your heart to join you for coffee. Pray for ways to share your gospel story. It’s one story that can never be disputed! {If this person is not the same sex as you, invite your wife/husband/friend to join you. It’s just a wise thing to do.}
Give purpose to your Christmas light expeditions around local neighborhoods. This year will be the first in over twenty years that our family hasn’t driven around our local neighborhoods that we love so much. We’ve all moved to different areas but putting the kids (or grandkids!) in pj’s and riding around on holiday nights leaves lasting memories. I wish I’d thought of this particular idea I’m sharing today before our boys grew up. {We always judged the lights – how’s that for sharing the love?) Here goes: Before you go, share different ways you can pray for people you don’t know. Write them down and take them with you. Before you pull out of the driveway, pray that the Holy Spirit will make each person sensitive to His leading in praying for complete strangers on your route. Take turns praying for whatever houses you feel led to pray for. If you’re in a neighborhood and it’s safe, pull over and pray in front of the home. It doesn’t have to be a long prayer. Something as simple as “Lord, please give this family peace” is a sweet fragrance to God.
Pray before our feet hit the floor. Opportunities, especially during this season, are ripening all around us. Pray that the Holy Spirit would make you sensitive to His leading as you go through your day. Purposeful prayer is a potent weapon!
Bake cookies. But don’t stop there! Choose cookie cutters that hold a symbol of the gospel story: a star, cross, heart, cradle, etc. Be creative! Write out a corresponding verse (Google “scripture” and then a particular shape or object and see what happens!). Attach your verse and note to the cookies. Or use Psalm 34:8, “Taste and see that the LORD is good”. Deliver the cookies with a warm smile and release the results to God.
I pray that you and your family will have a
beautiful,
blessed,
grace-filled,
forgiven and Gospel-driven Christmas.
{And a Happy New Year! See you in January!}
This is Christmas: not the tinsel, not the giving and receiving, not even the carols, but the humble heart that receives anew the wondrous gift, the Christ. – Frank McKibben
You might like:
The Meaning of the Gospel – Tim Keller
by Cathy Baker | Seasonal |
“Forgiveness is the fragrance that the violet sheds on the heel that has crushed it.” -Mark Twain
Fragrances during the Christmas season can evoke a mix of emotions, even unexpected ones. One whiff of vintage vinyl and I become ten years old all over again, upstairs in my grandmother’s house where we played Johnny Mathis and Bing Crosby. Or the scent of firewood freshly split for the woodburning fireplace transporting me back to a house filled with love, laughter, and impromptu family concerts in the den.
The sense of smell is a powerful sensory.
In fact, it’s the most sensitive of the whole bunch. Perhaps this is why Mark Twain’s quote catches my heart every time. Sometimes it’s my heel that tramples on another. And then there are times when I must be the one to release the fragrance of forgiveness because of the bruised and imprinted heel marks left on my own life. Just as the violet doesn’t decide as to whether or not it should forgive the heel that stepped upon it, neither do I.
For how could I, a forgiven soul through the fragrance of Christ, even consider withholding it from another?
There seems to be a spot divinely embedded in the heart that softens at Christmas, offering unique opportunities to forgive even the smallest of offenses. People attend a Christmas Eve services, send cards, bake cookies, visit neighbors and nursing homes, etc. The list goes on!
Below are a few ideas on ways we can practice the art of re-gifting the fragrance of forgiveness this year:
- Re-gifting the fragrance of forgiveness happens when we first forgive ourselves. Much like the gift of grace, we cannot give to others what we ourselves do not possess. If we are in Christ, we do possess forgiveness⎯but embracing it for ourselves often proves to be more difficult than offering it to others. {Or at least that’s what I’ve found to be true in my own life.} Poor choices I made years ago still quicken tears in my eyes more often that most know, but at the core of my sadness, I know that God, through Christ, has forgiven me for those past sins. It’s only because of my confidence in Christ that I can move forward in joy. And you can, too. Need a little reminder today of God’s gift of forgiveness toward you? Savor His words found in 1 John 1:9, Isaiah 43:25,26, Acts 3:19, Isaiah 1:18, etc.
- Re-gifting the fragrance of forgiveness happens through simple, thoughtful gifts. If you know that you’ve offended or hurt someone in your circle of life, take a few moments to write a note and attach it to a plate of cookies. Leave it on their doorstep and let your written words open the door to future conversations.
- Re-gifting the fragrance of forgiveness happens when you forgive someone else before they even ask for it. This goes beyond the realm of what’s expected but isn’t that what Jesus did at every turn? You can forgive them quietly in your heart or by extending your forgiveness through a card or letter. Not sure where to begin? Dayspring offers biblical greeting cards that will help get you started. Sometimes that’s all we need, right? If the person in need of forgiveness has passed, write a letter to him/her. Then throw it away or burn it, symbolizing the release that’s taken place within.
This Christmas, and every day, may we be the fragrance of Christ through the way we love, serve, and forgive others. When others see, hear, and rub shoulders with us, may they catch a whiff of the costliest, most extravagant fragrance of all.
“But thanks be to God, who always leads us triumphantly in Christ and through us spreads everywhere the fragrance of the knowledge of Him.” 2 Corinthians 2:14
Who needs Chanel Coco Noir Eau de Parfum under the tree when the sweetest fragrance of all lies within us?
Is there a particular scent that evokes a past memory for you at Christmastime? Please share!
Week 1: Re-gifting the Gift of Grace
by Cathy Baker | Faith |
Who can forget the episode of Seinfeld when Dr. Tim Whately is accused of re-gifting a label maker to Jerry?
It’s true that re-gifting is often frowned upon but some gifts are just meant to be given more than once. Over the next few weeks, I hope you’ll join me as we explore what it means to re-gift these types of gifts⎯those purchased in the eternal and wrapped by the love a Savior. Today, let’s unwrap and re-gift the gift of grace.
Moments ago, I stepped outside and saw a full rainbow stretched out above the mountain range. I took a quick picture but it began to rain. I ran inside to see if my speedy shot had captured this promise written across the sky in brilliant colors. As you can see, I barely caught the edge. By the time I returned outside for a better shot, the clouds had crept in, obscuring my view.
Some promises are like that, wouldn’t you agree? We’re told (or we say) just the right words at the right time but then desires shift, taking our well-meaning promises with them.
But God {the most powerful word duo ever written} — He is the keeper of promises.
In verse 4 of Ephesians 2, it says that because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions.There is nothing in us or about us that motivates the Lord’s favor. We deserve wrath, but through Christ, we instead received grace, which many define as “unmerited favor from God”. And this undeniable, powerful, life-changing favor changes everything. It alters the choices we make, our desire to serve, our priorities, and the way we love others. God’s unmerited favor toward us changes everything. So how can we not turn around and show the love of Christ to others?
If we are going to practice re-gifting this Christmas (and throughout the year) let it begin with the gift of grace. Here are just a few practical ways we can put this desire into practice.
Re-Gifting Grace:
- Re-gifting grace happens when we pray for those who have hurt us or for those who are hurting us still. There is something about lifting a person’s name before God’s throne that slowly and quietly begins to allow us to see that person as God sees him/her. It may or may not erase the pain associated with the name but it will be offering grace through the gift of prayer.
- Re-gifting grace happens when we give others permission to be different. A sweet friend (and one of the most humble women I know) and I sometimes tease how the world would be a much better place if everyone would just think like we do. {Yep, I just admitted that – just keepin’ it real here, friends!) We giggle and then proceed to slurp down our coffee {I didn’t say the world would be a better-mannered place!) Truth is, I think we all struggle with those who are different from us. Maybe it’s politics (as we can all attest to), our beliefs, questioning whether or not a believer should drink a glass of wine, or get tatted. The list goes on. This is where knowing the Word for ourselves (instead of believing hand-me-down beliefs) cultivates a life that’s willing to release others to be different and into His loving care. Perhaps this comes in the form of refusing to gossip or tear down the person. Or inviting him/her over for a warm dinner. Or it could be as simple as offering a warm hug or a kind word — or no words at all.
- Re-gifting grace happens when we offer grace to ourselves first and foremost. The old adage rings true – we can’t give away what we ourselves do not possess. In Christ, we can rest in God’s unmerited favor whether we feel like or not. In fact, it’s when we least feel like resting in His love that we need it the most. The enemy reminds us of past choices, forgiven-but-former sins, and anything else he believes will mar the beauty of God-given grace. Our ability to both receive and rest in it proves the enemy wrong every single time. Every.Single.Time.
Let’s give re-gifting another try this year! I don’t know about you but focusing on eternally-produced gifts helps me to stay focused on the Gift HImself, Jesus Christ. Our Messiah, deliverer, healer, grace-giver, mercy-laden Savior. Thank You, Jesus.
What’s one way you can extend grace to another person this Christmas?
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If you’re searching for creative and unique settings to create {whether that’s writing, painting, drawing, etc.} this year, I hope you’ll find the following suggestions helpful. At the very least, perhaps one or two will jumpstart another idea!
I’m excited to share that 
all around us. Pray that the Holy Spirit would make you sensitive to His leading as you go through your day. Purposeful prayer is a potent weapon!
There seems to be a spot divinely embedded in the heart that softens at Christmas, offering unique opportunities to forgive even the smallest of offenses. People attend a Christmas Eve services, send cards, bake cookies, visit neighbors and nursing homes, etc. The list goes on!
Moments ago, I stepped outside and saw a full rainbow stretched out above the mountain range. I took a quick picture but it began to rain. I ran inside to see if my speedy shot had captured this promise written across the sky in brilliant colors. As you can see, I barely caught the edge. By the time I returned outside for a better shot, the clouds had crept in, obscuring my view.
In verse 4 of Ephesians 2, it says that because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions.There is nothing in us or about us that motivates the Lord’s favor. We deserve wrath, but through Christ, we instead received grace, which many define as “unmerited favor from God”. And this undeniable, powerful, life-changing favor changes everything. It alters the choices we make, our desire to serve, our priorities, and the way we love others. God’s unmerited favor toward us changes everything. So how can we not turn around and show the love of Christ to others?
