Thursday, May 23, 2013

The Disruption of Peace

I love Pinterest. I've made no secret of that, and I usually manage to keep my love of it within healthy boundaries. However, it can be easy to get sucked into a sea of new ideas for recipes, activities to do with kids, home organization projects, etc. One of the great ironies of Pinterest is gorgeous photos of tantalizing desserts immediately followed by tips on how get in peak fitness shape!  For those of you that have not ventured into the realm of Pinterest, it is a site where you set up virtual pin boards to collect and organize ideas you find from around the web. One of my favorite boards is a spot where I save quotes or phrases I come across that are meaningful to me. From time to time, I'll read through them and be inspired. Some are visually stunning as well as beautifully said. This striking photo with equally striking quote from C.S. Lewis never fails to spark my imagination:

C.S. Lewis quote

However, the most visually simple pin on my words board is the one I want to share today:
Mother Teresa quote

At Mattis Avenue FMC, we have recently started using a Christian video subscription service called RightNow Media www.rightnowmedia.org There are over 2,000 videos to watch on a huge variety of topics. It's a really cool resource! One short series I've watched recently that has been meaningful to me is called 24/6 by Matthew Sleeth, M.D.  We'll be encouraging the congregation to watch it this summer in the midst of our building expansion, a project where we're all tempted to work overtime!

Book cover for 24/6 by Matthew Sleeth, M.D.

Here's how the book and video series are described on christianbook.com: "It's not easy finding peace in our digitally crazed world. How can we free ourselves from busyness and reconnect with our Creator? Offering his prescription for living a healthier, more God-centered life, Dr. Sleeth shares how his family was dramatically changed by adopting Sabbath practices---and shows how you can be transformed by a 24/6 lifestyle!" 

To me, it seems that this medicine of slowing down Dr. Sleeth prescribes is treatment for the symptoms of suffering and lack of love in our families Mother Teresa is talking about. This advice is coming from two experts on healing! When we slow down we have more time to love God and one another, which ultimately leads to peace in our homes, spilling over into how we relate to the world. My prayer today is that God will truly help me to "be still" and know that he is God, and mindfully slow down, particularly on the Sabbath. That way my family and I can be recharged and refreshed to love him, one another, and our world throughout the week. For me, reducing my use of digital devices on the weekend is something I'm working on so I can focus on the real people in front of me. I guess that means I may have to confine my love of Pinterest to the other 6 days of the week!     

Do you have any tips for mindfully slowing down and reconnecting with God?


  

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