Simplify!

I am realizing that simplifying requires making difficult decisions. I have the opportunity to really simplify my life but it would be at the expense of several others. Yes they would survive but there would be disappointment and hurts, that far to many, have already experienced. So figuring out what, where, when and how to simplify is more difficult than I had anticipated. It's not just my decision to not watch television or to read one less book or to not volunteer for one more task. Those things are the easy ones because they only affect me.

The Prayer room by itself is simple but when we undertook having 5 churches use the facility simple went out the door. I'm not regretting that move and I'm not complaining about them. I am looking at my focus of simplifying and wondering how to hang onto the things that are important to me all the while realizing that they are taking away some level of simplicity. The idea of simplifying is more than waking up one morning and making it so. If I am not careful I could wake up one morning and find that I have simplified my life down to nothing. I can't just get rid of everything that seems to be difficult. I can't forget every person that seems to drain me. I can't ignore every leading that seemingly comes from God.

Psalm 1 comes to mind......... I am guessing that there must be some direction for me in the words of these verses.

BLESSED (HAPPY, fortunate, prosperous, and enviable) is the man who walks and lives not in the counsel of the ungodly [following their advice, their plans and purposes], nor stands [submissive and inactive] in the path where sinners walk, nor sits down [to relax and rest] where the scornful [and the mockers] gather. But his delight and desire are in the law of the Lord, and on His law (the precepts, the instructions, the teachings of God) he habitually meditates (ponders and studies) by day and by night. And he shall be like a tree firmly planted [and tended] by the streams of water, ready to bring forth its fruit in its season; its leaf also shall not fade or wither; and everything he does shall prosper [and come to maturity]. Not so the wicked [those disobedient and living without God are not so]. But they are like the chaff [worthless, dead, without substance] which the wind drives away. Therefore the wicked [those disobedient and living without God] shall not stand [justified] in the judgment, nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous [those who are upright and in right standing with God]. For the Lord knows and is fully acquainted with the way of the righteous, but the way of the ungodly [those living outside God's will] shall perish (end in ruin and come to nought).

Simplify!

As my grandson would say, "No more wake ups." That means Ann Marie is coming home today! While I always accomplish much when she is away I never realize the full benefits of it because it is mixed with missing her. This time in my attempt to simplify I spent the week sorting and filing 5 years worth of records and receipts. I had gotten so busy doing ministry that I ignored our personal responsibilities. God things always come before everything don't they? Well about 50 hours in total and I am 75% there. Five years makes some big stacks when you keep the receipts for everything. Okay so they were boxes and not just stacks.

It does feel good and there have been some revelations as well. I have committed to NOT do what we have been doing for those years. It's not that I regret any of it but when you are living life in a state of delusion you do corresponding things. This was a difficult task because I said I was not going to do my normal reflection exercises this year, yet, here I was sorting my life pile by pile.

Organizing will bring simplicity for 2008. When I need information I will know right where to get it. There is a freedom that comes from not having to look at these stacks every time I add to them because I'm just to busy to file them right then. As the mail has arrived this week I have already experienced the sense of accomplishment that comes from having a place to file it and I don't mean in another box and another stack. It is a beautiful thing to look into my little black box and see file folders with the names of each utility company, insurance company etc..

This may not sound very spiritual but it is very much so for me. God was very organized and Jesus taught about organization. I could not keep on doing the God thing here and ignoring the God thing there. One part of God's word can not contradict another part of His word. One part of my life can not contradict another part of my life.

In closing God has a book with our names written in it. A book is for information. It is a written record. If God can keep all of mankind organized in one book then I should be able to keep this short life of mine in an organized manner as well.

Simplify!

The hours are counting down in December and 2007. It is shaping up to be one of the most memorable years of my life. Nothing stands out as bad and nothing stands out as extraordinary. What does stand out has been the simplicity of that.

I am a visionary. I am very creative. Yet this year there has been no new vision and nothing creative. It's been being still and letting God be God. Oh there have been temptations. I would have loved to sink my teeth into a couple seemingly great opportunities this year. It has been spoken of me in the past that I was a WOW person. If you wanted wow then Ed was the man. The only wow that comes to mind for this year is how simple life has become. By no means am I saying that I have it down or that I don't have a long way to go. Most assuredly there is more to do in that direction. But I can't remember a year without a wow. Some big event or undertaking that was bigger than life. Today the only thing bigger than life thing to me is God. I am so aware of how little I understand and know about Him. Yet I am equally aware that I am closer to Him than ever before.

I have been thinking that I have lost my creativity or that I am out of energy and that I have lost my edge. That may all be true when it's in the worlds perspective but as for my relationship with God...... I have the energy of ten men and I feel like I'm still on the cutting edge of not so much as to what He's doing but as to who He is and how much He loves me and what He has done for me. So long as I take every thought captive to the word of God I spend my days living in God's house, gazing upon His beauty, and sitting at His feet. Many say that they want that. I have it. I think the difference is that for most it is a dream and we all know that dreams are just thoughts that didn't receive enough effort to become reality.

And here's the truth. I had to spend days in God's house, gaze upon His beauty and sit at His feet long before He gave us Onething Prayer Center. Until recently I thought the journey I am on today began 5 years ago. As of this writting it has been revealed that it began about 25 years ago. I'm sure that I may actually see at some time how it began long before that but it is amazing to be able to look back and see that some of my choices have and are turning out to be good ones.

Out of revelation of my relationship with the father has come a correct response.

Simplify!

For some reason my attention was drawn to commercials yesterday. Let me say "I HATE COMMERCIALS!" Especially ones that speak down to me which is probably 98% of them. Anyway with my crusade for simplicity my attention perhaps was looking or listening for ways to simplify and so commercials got more attention than normal.

What I heard and saw was not what I am seeing as simplifying. This year the power toothbrush seems to be a major item. Then there are the banks promoting cell phone accessibility for paying bills, transferring funds and checking my balances. While these items and many more are presented as ways to improve life and make what would be otherwise wasted minutes valuable I am not of the same mind. Do I really need to pay bills while I'm at the movies? Do I not remember what I deposit and what I spend to the degree that I must have access every moment of every day to my balance? As for transferring money, how many accounts am I supposed to have? Let's just say for a moment that these things are really valuable and I'm not conceding that, what will I do with these rescued seconds or even minutes? If I were to use every device that is being touted as time saving and improved for my benefit how much time would I gain in a day? NONE! There is only 24 hours in a day. I will simply put more into the that 24 hours and the real question then is will that be a benefit to me?

What will I get when my cell phone drops signal in the middle of my payment of the bill that I didn't pay until 4:58pm on the last day that it's due because I thought I could do it on my phone and I CAN'T. Frustration? The idea of paying bills on my cell phone means that I can do it while I'm doing something else. That's not what I see as simplifying. I know that I am just focusing on the cell phone thing but I can make the same case for any number of other "delusions" as well.

INSTANT GRATIFICATION! Now there's a familiar term. There are times when I can recall where God moved instantly. But more often I see a God of patience. I am reminded that there is no security in what God is doing. Only in who He is. In the past I have been draw by what God seems to be doing and where He seems to be doing it. Simplifying for me now is to focus on who He is.

Simplify!

As part of my simplify focus I have decide to not undertake any new thoughts. You might ask how I intend to accomplish that as thoughts just come and go as they please don't they? NOT! Well at least partially not.

2 Corinthians 10:3-6 The world is unprincipled. It's dog-eat-dog out there! The world doesn't fight fair. But we don't live or fight our battles that way—never have and never will. The tools of our trade aren't for marketing or manipulation, but they are for demolishing that entire massively corrupt culture. We use our powerful God-tools for smashing warped philosophies, tearing down barriers erected against the truth of God, fitting every loose thought and emotion and impulse into the structure of life shaped by Christ. Our tools are ready at hand for clearing the ground of every obstruction and building lives of obedience into maturity.

It is true that thoughts come at will but I am in control of how much attention they get. I determine whether they are worthy of action or trash to be discarded. This may sound like more work than simplifying. The word says, it's not when I use my powerful God tools.

The best example I can use is that of a power drill. A power drill makes putting a screw into something much easier than doing so with a non-powered screw driver. In fact I'm not sure why the non-powered screw driver hasn't been placed in a museum. The power of a drill has so many advantages. This is true for all power tools. I do not own many but I have a friend who has them all. If I have a major project I call him up and ask him to bring his tools. I enjoy the benefits of what he has bought and paid for.

I do not have all the understanding and wisdom that God has. I don't have the patience that God has. But, by virtue of my relationship with him He allows me to use His power tools. My friend/God makes sure that the tools are ready for use. The battery is always charged and all the add on tools are there ready for me and my task.

It's true that much of my confusion, my outer collapses come from loose thoughts and emotions and impulses. Perhaps I am still trying to put the screw in with an old fashioned non-powered screw driver. I think I'll make a call to my Friend/God who has all the latest greatest power tools.

The tools have been bought and paid for! The tools have been made ready! The tools are at hand for my use! I am equipped to clear my mind of every obstruction! I am prepared to build my life of obedience into maturity!

Simplify!

Simplify - to make less complex or complicated; make plainer or easier.

I have determined to not get reflective during this holiday season as I usually do. I have instead decided to focus on simplifying. I want to make my life less complex, less complicated, plainer and easier.

Jesus said in Mark 12:29-31 29 The first and principal one of all commands is: Hear, O Israel, The Lord our God is one Lord; 30 And you shall love the Lord your God out of and with your whole heart and out of and with all your soul (your life) and out of and with all your mind (with your faculty of thought and your moral understanding) and out of and with all your strength. This is the first and principal commandment. 31The second is like it and is this, You shall love your neighbor as yourself. There is no other commandment greater than these.

If there are no greater commandments than these then I can simplify by focusing on these two things. To help me with this I can take a sheet of paper and draw a line down the middle. On one side I write Love the Lord and on the other side I write Love others. This becomes a measuring stick as to where my thoughts and actions are focused.

My first official action of focus on this was to send a letter to someone we have known for 27 or so years. We were very close and recently his actions ended him up in prison for 30 some years. I will not go into detail as love records no record of a wrong done. Lesson number 1. Last week I was led to look him up in the federal prison system and was surprised how easy it was. I sent him a letter which was personal. I received his response today. He shared that nobody has written him in the 4 years he has been in there other than his mother a couple of times. Nobody has visited him in that same time period other than his mother a couple of times. How sad. This is a man who is paying for his sin but are we to forget him like he never existed? Why have I not written sooner? Especially when I have forgiven him years ago. Why can we as people and more so as Christians find it so easy to disregard a person?

There is no greater commandment than these!

More.. Just Thoughts

Selah! (pause and think on that) It's good to not have to make conversation, to be able to just pause and think on what already is verses what may be.