by Cathy Baker | Faith |
by Cathy Baker
Remember this post?
Today’s date with your artist within includes a trip to your local coffee or tea shoppe. Now, this is my kind of date!
“Write out your ideal day. Take yourself out to a coffee shop or cafe. Settle in with a notepad and give yourself permission to dream. Imagine, in vivid detail, your ideal day. Where are you? What are you doing? Who shared the day with you? When did you wake up? What did you eat? What activity did you engage in? Fill in the details of your day. Be specific.” -Julia Cameron, The Miracle of the Artist Date
Save the Date:
Play time comes easy for some. For others, like myself, not so much. Don’t get me wrong. Spending time with my grandchildren, hanging out with friends (especially during “lobby time” at the Blue Ridge Mountains Christian Writer’s Conference!), and mountain trips with my hubster makes me downright giddy. But sometimes the seriousness of intentionality tempers my more playful side. For instance, instead of writing about my ideal day I’d be more likely to write out my current to-do’s and details for future projects. It just seems like a better use of time. (wink wink)
Sometimes the best use of time is releasing the need to find the best use of time.
You’re Invited:
Pick a day. Pack up your notebook and head to your favorite cafe. Your date awaits. If you want to go on a double date, let me know!
So where are you and your artist within headed for your day-dreamy date? If you’re at the conference with me this week, I have a feeling the cafe of choice will be The Clouds. 🙂
[As
always, I welcome any comments you would like to share! I’m at Blue
Ridge Mountains Christian Writer’s Conference this week so it will be a
few days before I can respond.]
by Cathy Baker | Faith |
by Cathy Baker
{ Day 9 }
Today, remember the bell ringers and red bucket holders. When you pass by the Salvation Army volunteers, make eye contact. Thank them for braving the cold and consider asking them if they would like a cup of coffee or cocoa…and then make your way to a nearby coffee shop or McD’s.
When delivering their treat, ask if there’s a specific way you can be praying for them this Christmas season. If time allows, pray with them on the spot.
“If you can’t feed a hundred people, then just feed one.” Mother Teresa
by Cathy Baker | Faith |
Future gathering ideas will include friends, family, neighbors, etc., but since the quality our time with others is directly impacted by the time spent with our heavenly Father, I can’t imagine a better place to begin this journey than with God as our ever-present guest.
With a plethora of posts on ways to make the most of our quiet time with the Lord at our disposal, I’ve chosen to keep this gathering focused on the simplicity of our time with Him.
First, let’s consider how we feel when in the company of someone we love.
- Are words always necessary?
- Is there a sense of ease?
- Do we slip on our happy mask or bask in the freedom to be who we really are?
- Do we dominate the conversation or is there pleasure in listening to him/her?
- Does it feel more like a ritual/duty or pure delight to be in their company?
Before the cup is poured, consider: Do the above questions reflect how we feel in the presence of our Maker? If not, perhaps we have a skewed view of God. Yes, He is to be revered, but that doesn’t negate the fact that he describes Himself as our heavenly Father – and is there a more tender relationship than that of a child and parent?
With this in mind, let’s find a comfy seat for ourselves and pull up an empty chair, representing our ever-present Father.
As we sip our choice o’ beverage, let’s keep Psalm 46:10 before us: Be still and know that I am God.
[Stillness is an intentional act that many of us have to initially “force” ourselves to do. It doesn’t come natural to our flesh but in stillness, our souls soar.]
He desires to be known. The God of the universe who set this world spinning desires for me (and you) to know Him personally. I can’t wrap my head around this truth, but I fully embrace it with every drop of gratitude possible.
[The Hebrew verb know in this verse means something much more intimate than the word used in everyday language. It’s means to experience at the deepest level. It’s knowing more than mere facts. It’s experiential knowledge at its best.]
With cup in hand and the empty chair before us, be reminded just how very near our heavenly Father is in the midst of our ordinary days. Exhale, for it’s usually here I forget to breath. How to take in such awe-inspiring truth?
Linger a little longer and simply close in prayer, preferably aloud.
Oh, the beauty of this gathering of two.
Only to sit and think
of God,
Oh what a joy it is!
To think the thought, to breathe the Name
Earth has no higher bliss.
Frederick W. Faber
