Category: Challenge

Posted on in Aging, Challenge, Faith, Focus, Journal, Just do it, Listen, Praise, Prayer, Spiritual discipline, Surrender, Thanks, Trust, Worship, Yield

Recriminations and Breathing Room

For a week or perhaps 10 days, I got all complicated about my disciplines. We were having new flooring installed in the sitting/sewing room and in order to do that we basically dismantled the room. There was yarn and all manner of sewing things moved into the office. Writing in that space became more difficult as I could barely move my chair. Somehow that overflowed into my morning disciplines. Suffice it to say I lost my focus. It was easy to heap recriminations upon myself. But not productive!

The flooring is now installed. The contents of the room have been replaced and in their original order, sort of. I will have straightening to do for many hours in the future. When we moved the yarn holders (think cloth shoe pouches that hang from the closet pole) yarn and crochet thread went all over the place.

This morning, when I sat down in my prayer chair, I realized I’d left my tablet some place. Remembered I had used my iPad in the living room. I went to retrieve it and there was no charge left. Even the attached keyboard failed to have any power. So my approach to prayer centering was greatly disrupted. That was not all bad.

Looking for a way to firmly connect with the Spirit of God, I remembered all the times I did that without any electronic devices. Just me, the Book of Common Prayer, my Bible, perhaps a dictionary and a desire to know, and be known by my God. This was a masterful reset. I know I stepped away from my disciplines, not deliberately but a little shift here, a little shift there, a little anxiety here about Bob and the dog walking in icy weather, distraction by A B and C, and next thing I knew I was walking an unproductive path.

The meditation I listened to via my smart phone spoke about finding some breathing room. And that is what I have done this morning. I have some breathing room and a path forward to better union with the Trinity.

So hopefully, now I have regained some perspective. I once again have a renewed awareness of how easy it is to abandon the way of life that is so very good for me. I found myself stumbling about with the way of self in the world. It was not fulfilling. Just frustrating and like sawdust to my soul and spirit.

Father, thank you for showing me myself clearly. Help me above all else to hunger for and maintain my connection to you. You are the source of life. You are living water to me. Keep me and direct my ways to the glory of your name. Amen.

The Rule of Saint Benedict says, “Always, we begin again.”

Posted on in Art, Challenge, Faith, Focus, Prayer, Spiritual discipline, Spiritual growth, Trust, Yield

Prayer

I was blessed and delighted to read this prayer from Lectio 365. No note is made of the author, but I think we can all pray it!

I dedicate the coming week to Jesus:  

Thank you, Jesus, for your faithful and sacrificial friendship. Help me this week to be a faithful and sacrificial friend like you.  

Thank you, Father, for loving me with all your heart, all your soul and all your mind. Inspire me this week to love you more with all of mine.   

Thank you, Holy Spirit, for listening to my many thoughts and words and dreams. Still my soul this week to listen much more carefully to yours.

I say, yes, Lord. And Amen.

We are said to be made in the image of God. I had never thought about God loving me with heart, soul, and mind. That stuns me to awe and silence.

The Trinity our faithful and sacrificial friends.

Still me Holy Spirit to listen more carefully to every thing You tell me.

How will you interact with the Trinity this week?

Posted on in Art, Book quotes, Challenge, Faith, Focus, Obedience, Spiritual discipline, Spiritual growth, Trust, Yield

Amy Carmichael

I am still delighting in her devotional The Edges of His ways.

Luke 4:30: Jesus passing through the midst of them went His way

Our new month will bring us joys, for the Lord of joy is with us; it will also bring us sorrows, for sorrows are part of life. It may bring things which would “throw us down” if they could. But they need not ever do that, for it is possible for us to do just what our Master did when, passing through the midst of them, He went His way.
As, by His grace, we go on in quietness, we shall find those words we know so well come true: “My Presence shall go with thee, and I will give thee rest.” Exodus 33:14

His Presence is always with us. He gives us rest. We need to stay in quietness and that is a serious challenge in this increasingly raucous world! Stay in quietness, trust, participate in His Presence, go on your way.

A new challenge for February. We will, with God’s help.

Posted on in Book quotes, Challenge, Faith, Focus, Obedience, Spiritual discipline, Spiritual growth, Yield

Joan Chittister and Richard Rohr

At times I read devotional thoughts from both of the above authors. The first listed below in purple print is from Joan Chittister.

“Seek God, not where God lives,” write the Desert Monastics.

The search for God comes one day to the point where we know without a doubt that we are immersed in God. Bringing ourselves to finally recognize that is the essential task of life.

There is no such thing as “getting” God. The fact is that we already have God. God is not somewhere else. God is everywhere. God is here. With me. In me. Now. It is the awareness of that presence which life intends to teach us to cultivate.

Richard Rohr’s website Center for Action and Contemplation posted “What Do We Do with the Bible? Many Voices; One Text”

Carl McColman wrote “A mystical reading of the Bible sees it as a conversation with many voices chiming in. When we read the Bible to connect with those compassionate and just voices, it is not only the Bible that is saved, but we ourselves also become more whole.

“A mystical reading of Scripture can be a way for you to reconnect with the uncreated light that shines at the heart of those ancient words of wisdom and love.” Carl McColman, Read the Bible Like a Mystic: Contemplative Wisdom and the Word (Broadleaf Books, 2025)

I have been trying to read the New Testament with the ideas put forth in Practicing the Way by John Mark Comer. I have finished Mark and Matthew. To me this method is similar to mystical reading. Not trying to look up cross reference and words meanings as in Bible study, but absorb the Word, let it soak into me and do its work on God’s behalf. As Joan Chittister wrote, keep me aware Lord of that presence which life intends for me to cultivate.

Oh Lord, yes, make me more whole. Reconnect me with your uncreated light! Strengthen my awareness and open my eyes and ears to Your closeness, in me and with me. Amen.

Posted on in Aging, Amazing Creations, Challenge, Faith, Joy, Memories, Spiritual discipline, Spiritual growth, Thanks, Trust

Where is Your Trailing Beauty?

Bob let me purchase a two drawer filing cabinet recently. When we moved to this smaller house I disposed of a large 4 drawer cabinet and went to a filing box instead. That box was getting jam-packed and there was no more room in it. The filing drawer in my desk had the same issue. So, I have spent the last couple of weeks trying to move and organize files and then actually be able to FIND some of those items. It is a wonder that we collect so much stuff.

I am notorious for misplacing things. I recently filled out papers on what I wanted done about my burial service. Then I could not find the papers. Eventually decided I had thrown out the newest papers along with the old ones and had to begin again!

This brings me to ask, what did you do with the joy you collected during the holidays? Where is the peace you gathered from the Christmas services?

Whatever may be the tensions and the stresses of a particular day, there is always lurking close at hand the trailing beauty of forgotten joy or unremembered peace.

HOWARD THURMAN

Can you find that trailing beauty of forgotten joy? This is one reason I journal! Or your unremembered peace? Can you locate that easily?

Do you remember me writing about glimmers? I think Thurman was referring to some stronger joys and peace, but you could begin with those glimmers. Have you been keeping a glimmer journal? This thing that brings you delight? Something that makes you stop and smile.

This morning the bluebirds gathered in the barren oak tree out front and reminded me that the Starlings had emptied out the meal worm feeder yesterday. The snow was less deep than yesterday so I immediately grabbed a hat, got the meal worm bucket, and went to fill the feeder. The wind has been increasing all morning. The chimes have not stopped ringing for more than a moment. I stood in the shelter of our tiny porch and filled the feeder. hung it up for them to find. It did not take them long at all! They are filling their little bellies and I am delighting in their company. I can hold this trailing beauty. The next time I have difficulty sleeping I can recall it.

I think this a practice we can all get behind. You might want to copy the quote above and stick it on your bathroom mirror or place it in your wallet. We can each use reminders.

Posted on in Amazing Creations, Challenge, Faith, Just do it, Nature, Spiritual discipline, Spiritual growth, Thanks, Trust

Darkness and Light

The opening photo was taken in Colorado, 2020 by our friend Dan Cooksey.

Our church offered the congregation the book, A Light Upon My Path, Daily Devotions for Advent & Christmas this year.

We enjoyed sharing selections at various mealtimes. I was reading the entry for January 6, Epiphany. The author for this entry, Laurie Brock, was contrasting navigational methods and mentioned, “I can think of nothing as inefficient as a star.” She went on to write about celestial navigation over the centuries. She pointed out that “One necessary part for celestial navigation by stars is darkness.”

She quoted that the Milky Way in “now NOT visible by 99 percent of people living in the United States and a third of the people living in the world because of all of our artificial light.” That is incredibly sad. We have been so eager to get rid of the darkness that we can no longer view the heavenly light easily.

Laurie made a good point that we need the darkness to see all of our God. Have you been comfortable with darkness? Can you try to enjoy this short season of diminished light now that we are moving towards the summer solstice when we have the longest day once again and the hours of light are increasing as we move towards it??

Some of our neighbors leave their outdoor lights on year round. When the birds are migrating I want everyone to turn them off as suggested by most of the naturalists. We have gone so far in demanding artificial light at night that our incessant lighting can mess up the migration routes.

A driving force behind the up to one billion birds killed globally each year by human-built structures is artificial light at night (ALAN), or light pollution. The new technology telling us so much about migration has also helped illuminate the magnitude of ALAN’s impact: For the September night that BirdCast predicted 594 million birds would be in the air, an overlaid map of light pollution showed the gauntlet those birds would have to pass through. “Suddenly the whole system of evolving to move at night is under potentially extreme pressure,” says Farnsworth, “pressure that birds would not experience otherwise, and it is creating chaos.” https://www.audubon.org/magazine/new-golden-age-observation-revealing-wonders-night-migration

Audubon goes on to point out that the migration numbers are huge and we are mostly unaware of the movement of these birds!

Light pollution, darkness, fear, finding our way we can learn about all of these things. Are we willing to change even one thing that we might know our God better? You are unlikely to be able to see the Milky Way from your neighborhood, but you can become aware of migration times, watch for the movement of God during the darkness of winter, and draw close to the Light of Life as you are called to bear that light.

We have responsibilities and we can honor God by honoring those responsibilities. I just ordered the stickers that go on the outside of the windows that show birds they should not fly there. Many birds crash into windows on houses because they think it is a clear path. Some of our stickers are getting old and losing their grip on the glass. This is one small thing we can do for the birds in the daytime.

Light, darkness, ours to behold. We need not fear the dark because we have the Light of Life with us.

 In him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind. 5 The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it. John 1:4-5 NIV

Posted on in Challenge, Faith, Joy, Listen, Look, Praise, Prayer, Spiritual discipline, Spiritual growth, Thanks

Bored?

Are you tired of the day to day humdrum of life? This recent quote from Gratefulness.org reminded me how precious the humdrum can be.

Normal day, let me be aware of the treasure you are. Let me learn from you, love you, savor you, bless you before you depart. Let me not pass you by in quest of some rare and perfect tomorrow.

MARY JEAN IRION

Each year as Bob and I age we realize we have lost certain qualities of strength and health that we never even considered when we were younger. I am forever telling young folks they have NO IDEA how strong they are! The above quote made me wonder what am I taking for granted today that in all likelihood may be gone tomorrow, a mere memory?

Oh normal day, treasure that you are!

Posted on in Amazing Creations, Challenge, Faith, Poetry, Spiritual discipline, Spiritual growth, Surrender, Trust, Yield

Poem

My poetry muse seems to flow in fits and starts. Here is a recent prayer/observation.

Absolute©MollyLin Dutina 2026

Mid-January and the trees are reduced to absolute sticks
Cypress needles have fallen
Other trees have shed leaves that are lodged in its branches
Yet Cypress is bare

Clump River Burch is stem with black scars
Nothing to show for its summer growth
Just another inch or so taller
Stems rise from common base area

A few oaks have held their dead leaves
In the winter wind they sound chilly
And out of place
Shrubs are all naked

And yet You promise to revive them come spring
Hold my barren soul Lord
I yield to You my bare scaffold of bony intentions
I wait in the arctic arena of winter

You are my source of life
The sap that fills my veins
Grow me into a plant that delights You
Hold me in this barren time

And when the season is right
Fill me with Your life and fruit
Shine Your light of life through me
Make me a bush on fire with Your love

For now, I rest in Your arms
Those everlasting arms of love
Attached to the unseen vine of life
Where my soul finds absolute meaning

We yield to the timing of the Almighty, we wait and hold fast to the promises.

Posted on in Challenge, Faith, Obedience, Praise, Prayer, Thanks

Even Rumi Knew

Rumi was an influential figure in Sufism, and his thought and works loom large both in Persian literature and mystic poetry in general. Today, his translated works are enjoyed all over the world. (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rumi)

I have read portions of his work compiled in a book by Coleman Banks entitled The Essential Rumi. I find his work and wisdom quoted in so many places! He lived 1207-1273.

Recently Gratefulness.org posted

“Thankfulness brings you to the place where the Beloved lives.” Rumi

We could all benefit from more thankfulness and gratitude. It does our hears and minds good. Jesus gave thanks repeatedly in the Gospels. He took the five loaves and two fish and gave thanks. He thanked the Father for giving wisdom to the humble and lowly. And the Scriptures go on and on showing us how Jesus was thankful to the Father for the many blessings in life.

The Beloved, I read, as our Lord. God sent Jesus to redeem and save this world. Every person on earth needs the Beloved.

We are also called the Beloved of God. We are deeply loved, cherished and valued. Do you believe that about yourself? It is true. Utterly and amazingly true!

Sometimes I just quote online sources to save time!

The word beloved is also used repeatedly throughout the New Testament. A notable use of the word is at the baptism of Jesus. In this scene, all three Persons of the Trinity are revealed. God the Father speaks to the Son from heaven: “This is my beloved Son in whom I am well pleased” (Matthew 3:17; Mark 1:11; Luke 3:22). Then the “Holy Spirit descended like a dove and rested on Him” (Mark 1:10; Luke 3:22; John 1:32). God again calls Jesus “beloved” at the Mount of Transfiguration: “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased; listen to him” (Matthew 17:5). We can learn a little about the loving relationship shared by the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit by God’s use of the word beloved. Jesus echoes that truth in John 10:17 when He says, “The reason my Father loves me is that I lay down my life—only to take it up again.” https://www.gotquestions.org/beloved-in-the-Bible.html

He destined us for adoption as his children through Jesus Christ, according to the good pleasure of his will, 6 to the praise of his glorious grace that he freely bestowed on us in the Beloved. Ephesians 1:5-6 NRSVUE

Glorious grace bestowed freely upon us in Christ, the Beloved. That gives me cause to be thankful and reside where the Beloved lives!

Sufi Whirling, the prayerful dance such as Rumi participated in

How might you participate more in thankfulness? It’s not just for turkey anymore 🙂

Posted on in Art, Book quotes, Challenge, Faith, Listen, Look, Obedience, Praise, Prayer, Spiritual discipline, Spiritual growth, Trust, Yield

Not An Engineering Lesson

I have been trying to apply myself to read through all of the Gospels, not as a study work, but just to absorb and pray the stories of Jesus afresh for 2026. Having finished Mark I am now in Matthew.

You have likely heard the Scripture story about the house built upon the sand?

24 “Everyone, then, who hears these words of mine and acts on them will be like a wise man who built his house on rock. 25 The rain fell, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house, but it did not fall because it had been founded on rock. 26 And everyone who hears these words of mine and does not act on them will be like a foolish man who built his house on sand. 27 The rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell—and great was its fall!” Matthew 7:24-27 NRSVUE

I think all too often I have heard it like a lesson in engineering. If you look for images about that passage you are given house upon house built upon rocks or sand. It hit me this morning that Jesus was teaching that the ones who HEAR the words and ACT on them are wise. He compares the wise to a good engineer, but the lesson is even for those who cannot build anything. Hear and act: the continuous call to obedience. Hear the words and act upon them. How do you personally accomplish that?

I have also decided to review music by some of my favorite artists. Recently Benjamin William Hastings has been my artist to listen to. He caught my attention about three years ago with his song “That’s the Thing about Praise.” This same chapter in Matthew has the verse he wrote about with Cody Carnes in “Take You At Your Word.” The YouTube video has the lyrics. The opening artwork caught my attention as an apt descriptor of the narrow gate.

13 “Enter through the narrow gate, for the gate is wide and the road is easy that leads to destruction, and there are many who take it. 14 For the gate is narrow and the road is hard that leads to life, and there are few who find it. Matthew 7:13-14 NRSVUE

Hear and act. Choose the narrow gate, the hard road that leads to life. We are also promised life and that more abundantly! (John 10:10)