Anita Mathias | Anita Mathias: Dreaming Beneath the Spires

Busyness is not just FROM the Devil, it IS the Devil (Carl Gustav Jung)

An interesting idea to explore. I came across that statement about 25 years ago in Richard Foster’s classic, “Celebration of Discipline.” As someone who always has lots of books and movies she wants to read and see, places she wants to travel to, people she wants to hang out with, and things she wants to write, I have often been over-busy. Remembering this quote helps me to prune to increase fruitfulness.

Now, for the first time in our married life (22 years!), we are not over-busy. How wonderful that is, to allow the soul to breathe, to catch up with little domestic things we have long intended to do.

Busyness is indeed one of the great enemies of the spiritual life–like ambition, materialism, pride, oh, all those deadly seven…

And how does one become less busy. In the Biblical phrase, “Enquire of the Lord” before you commit to doing things, choose a book to read, choose a project to commit to, write a blog post.

And this will take a lifetime’s practice!!

The Methodist Covenant Prayer: Beautiful, but Unnecessarily Extreme

By Anita Mathias

I am no longer my own but yours.

Put me to what you will,

Rank me with whom you will;

Put me to doing, put me to suffering;

Let me be employed for you or laid aside for you,

Exalted for you or brought low for you;

Let me be full, let me be empty,

Let me have all things, let me have nothing;

I freely and wholeheartedly yield all things to your pleasure and disposal.

And now, glorious and blessed God,

Father, Son and Holy Spirit,

You are mine and I am yours.

So be it.

And the covenant made on earth,

let it be ratified in heaven. Amen.

I like this prayer. It’s beautiful. It’s sublime. It’s noble.

It’s not mine!! It’s not something I pray. And nor do I intend to pray it.

* * *

Put me to what you will. Rank me with whom you will. Put me to doing, put me to suffering. Let me be employed for you or laid aside for you. Exalted for you or brought low for you. Let me be full, let me be empty. Let me have all things, let me have nothing.

That’s, of course, understood in my relationship with Jesus. That I will love him, and do my utmost to have my heart filled with joy and praise and happiness and peace if I am put to things I did not choose, ranked lower than I would have wanted, put to suffering or laid aside, emptied and left with nothing.

I am not saying it would be easy, but, as far as I know myself, I think I would love God whatever, follow Christ whatever. What’s the alternative? Lord, to whom should we go? You have the words of eternal life.

* * *

The Methodist Covenant Prayer was written in more fatalistic times, with a high expectation of infant mortality, of men dying young, of poverty descending in old age. It’s a bit too resigned and fatalistic for me.

And, while the Methodist Covenant Prayer is understood, of course, in one’s relationship with God, Jesus taught us that our blue sky visions are possible because of him.

I tell you the truth, if you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there’ and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you.” (Matt 17:20)

If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be given you. (John 15:7)

Greater works than these you will do, because I go to My Father.” (John 14:12)

· * *

So that’s another way of living a Christian life, of striving to live the wild dreams which God has placed in one’s heart, of trying to live in a brilliant, techni-colour world of colour and possibility and adventure and joy and variety (like the wild natural world God designed). Living in an exciting, dreams-coming-true world which an indulgent Papa is delighted to share with you, while accepting, of course, that should all the dire things the Methodist Covenant Prayer envisions happen to, you will still accept them as discipline from your Father’s hand.

Living in the Holy, Inspiring River of God (for Creative Writers)

By Anita Mathias

Ezekiel 47 is my favourite Old Testament chapter, and probably one of the most life-giving chapters in the Bible.

The Angel takes the Prophet deeper and deeper into the River of God which flows from the Sanctuary, first ankle-deep, then knee-deep, then waist-deep, and finally, deep into the “river no one could cross.” All one can do was glide in its currents, and let the river take us where it wills. The River has us.

I stop and wonder where I am in this Holy River. I am still an amphibian, rather than a salmon. I can clamber out on to shore and croak, but I am happiest swimming in its holy rapids

When I am on shore too long, not breathing in the wild life of God through the gills of my soul, I get bored and restless. I shrivel; I miss the exhilarating currents of the river directing me. And, oh what relief and joy it is to return to the unpredictable holy river of the Spirit, full of ideas, and sweetness and direction and insight and let its currents take me where they will.

Where the river empties into the Dead Sea, the water there becomes fresh.

Sometimes my heart feels as old as the sea. Salty. Not much joy in it. Nothing fresh. Same old, same old, same old salt.

Tired salt. Living has temporarily lost its savour.

Ah, there is only one cure for this old salty heart which has lost enthusiasm: the bubbling spirit of God—en theos–within it.

And that is to once again position itself in the river, and let the river of God, the blessed Holy Spirit thoroughly pour through my soul, irrigate it, and make it fresh again.

And so I return to the waterfall. And in returning and in rest, I am saved. In quietness and in confidence is my strength.

I return. I rest. I ask for the fountain to again pour into this bored, cold, weary, sad, distracted, unfocused soul.

And slowly, in a trickle, then a stream, then a rivulet, and sometimes a mighty river, grace irrigates my soul again.

I am enthusiastic—filled with theos, with God—again.

* * *

And the life-giving river brings life to us—and even a livelihood, the best kind!!—wherever it flows!

Swarms of living creatures will live wherever the river flows. There will be large numbers of fish, because this water flows there and makes the salt water fresh; so where the river flows everything will live. ¹⁰Fishermen will stand along the shore; The fish will be of many kinds

· * *

¹²Fruit trees of all kinds will grow on both banks of the river. Their leaves will not wither, nor will their fruit fail. Every month they will bear fruit, because the water from the sanctuary flows to them. Their fruit will serve for food and their leaves for healing.

Love this! The fruit trees which grow by the river are continuously fruitful. They bear fruit every month, because they are nourished by the water of the sanctuary.

Do you know of a tree which bears fruit every month? I don’t. It’s against the normal process of nature which requires budding and flowering before fruiting. But sometimes, God gives that supernatural instantaneous creativity, all at once as when Aaron’s staff, not only sprouted but had budded, blossomed and produced almonds overnight. (Num. 17:8). (And here are some secular creative examples—Milton, Rilke and Blake.)

* * *

And therein lies the secret of creativity without fatigue, creativity without burnout. Continuously positioning yourself in the waterfall of the God’s presence and power. Letting the Holy Spirit fill you. Returning to the waterfall when you are weary and heavy-laden and resting. Letting it restore your soul.

Letting God download ideas and sparkle and iridescence and life and joy and energy from his amazing crashing waterfall into your hungry soul, until you are full, you are full, and the joy and energy from the presence of God is still flowing, overflowing, splashing all those around you with the life which the Father is pouring, still pouring into your soul.

And these evergreen trees, whose leaves never wither, whose fruit does not fail, are a blessing. Their leaves provide healing, their fruit is food, because they are nourished and fed from the very best springs, the water from the sanctuary.

As a Christian writer learns to position herself in the waterfall of God’s presence, and power and ideas, she is in touch with an eternal source of wisdom, intelligence, beauty, ideas and creativity. And so she will never run dry.

* * *

I have been fascinated with the passage for the last three years, and have been going deeper into it—ankle-deep, knee-deep, and now waist-deep and still wading.

R. T. Kendall in his book called “The Anointing,” says the Holy Spirit flowing through you, enables you to do what you could not on your own. But without fatigue, without strain

As I shared, I was in the audience when Mark Stibbe prayed for an anointing to write on us.

And I have received it. I have written almost double of what I used to, without fatigue, without strain. Returned to the memoir I had abandoned. Page views and unique visitors are at a height. And I think I’ve written some good posts.

And to continue writing like this, I will need to continually position myself in the waterfall of God’s presence, and power and ideas. In God’s Niagara which will never run dry.

Blackberries Everywhere, Sweet as the Goodness of God

By Anita Mathias

Blackberries growing wild outside my study.

I walk along the country footpaths around my house, the hedgerows full of blackberries. They’ve been out for weeks, and I’ve seen families gather them for jam or pies, but I, I’m trying to jog, and maintain my pace, or am engrossed in my audiobook, I rarely stop to taste them.

Today, I did, and oh, they were sweet, and delicious.

And ripe with allegory and metaphor.

* * *

Whole sections of our orchard have been taken over by these brambles running wild. We’ve lived here for 8 years now. What a task it’s going to be to tame it!!

Yeah, weeds grow more readily in the garden of life than apple trees; the unwanted proliferates, but in the midst of the jungle of the never-asked-for-this, don’t-want-it which is our life, there remain fat, black, sweet blackberries. In the middle of the thorniest, most ensnarled thicket.

* * *

And the question is, am I stupidly going to be too busy for the banquet?

Or am I going to slow down and savour sweetness in the midst of all the things which didn’t go according to plan, the brambles which have taken over my orchard?

Am I going to stop my mind in her I’ve-Got-To track—got to listen to this book, got to maintain my jogging pace, and instead, slowly savour this goodness given to me unasked, unbidden, freely, generously?

Fat, sweet, ripe delicious blackberries.

Today, I returned my face stained with Holy Communion. I ate those free gifts from the goodness of God.

“Abundance, I give you,” He says. “My own self, I give you. Come, eat.”

If Christianity were an Untrue Myth: Would “a Christian Life” still be beautiful?

By Anita Mathias

When I was teaching myself French, using BBC videos, I heard a French monk sum up his life of silence, community, service, work in the sun, prayer, discipline, regularity, simple eating, simple living, no private possessions, saying, “It’s a beautiful life in itself.”

I last read John Piper’s Desiring God when Irene was a baby, so I can’t quote verbatim, but Piper describes a similar statement by a French monk, and then quotes Paul, ^“If only for this life we have hope in Christ, we are of all people most to be pitied.” He goes on to say it would be foolish to live a Christian life, and follow Christ, if Christ were not in fact the resurrected Lord.

* * *

In contrast is Puddleglum, the heroic Marshwiggle in The Silver Chair.

Suppose we have only dreamed, or made up, all those things–trees and grass and sun and moon and stars and Aslan himself. . .Then all I can say is, in that case, the made-up things seem a good deal more important than the real ones. Suppose this black pit of a kingdom of yours is the only world. Well, it strikes me as a pretty poor one.

And that’s a funny thing, when you come to think of it. We’re just four babies making up a game, if you’re right. But four babies playing a game can make a play-world which licks your real world hollow. That’s why I’m going to stand by the play-world.

I’m on Aslan’s side even if there isn’t any Aslan to lead it. I’m going to live as like a Narnian as I can, even if there isn’t any Narnia ’ (The Silver Chair)

* * *

I myself have absolutely no doubt of the existence of God, or of Jesus. And, when it comes down to it, it’s because of personal experience of them.

In one of her videos, American Bible teacher, Beth Moore, says she was asked, “How do you know that Christ is real?” She answered, “If he wasn’t, then I must be crazy, because I talk to him all the time, and he answers.”

* * *

In the unlikely event that all the times small and astonishing miracles happened because I prayed; things changed; people changed; I changed—were just a coincidence; if the times when I came to prayer depressed and beaten down, and left full of joy, if all this too was illusory– it would still be worth following Christ.

Today, I read someone honestly saying what he wished on his high school bullying tormentors:

I used to wish bad things for those guys. I hoped that karma would get them. That they would be impotent. Or in unhappy marriages. Or living miserable lives. I wanted revenge but, alas, vengeance was not mine to be had.

Oh come on! Why would we choose to live in this angry mental state? This horrible turmoil. This impotent hatred. This evil, negative mental state.

How much better to follow Jesus’s instructions to “Love your enemies. Do good to those who hate you. Bless those who curse you. Pray for those who persecute you.”

And be free. And live in a mental state of peace and good will and high energy.

* * *

“Let your yes be yes, and your no be no.”

Even if Jesus were not God, would it not be better for us to be women of your word, to be trusted and relied on, rather than lying, or changing our minds, or whinging our way out of things if something better came along?

· * * *

“Do not worry. Do not be afraid, ” Jesus says many times, in many ways. “I have worried about many things in my life, most of which never happened,” said Mark Twain. So have I. So have you. Wouldn’t it be better not to worry about many things most of which never happen–whether Jesus were God, or not?

* * *

Gentleness–Jesus teaches. The Kingdom of God is within us, and so preserve your peace, and sweetness. Let there be honey within your soul.

Gentleness, he preaches: If someone forces you to go one mile, go two. If someone slaps you, don’t slap him back. He would retaliate, and you would both be bruised. Gently turn the other cheek.

Oh all this is sublime, almost to the point of insanity. Sublime, and wise. Isn’t it better to march two miles in love, and prayer, than one in hatred and resentment? Isn’t it better to have one hard, and one gentler slap, than retaliate, and end up with broken bones?

* * *

Oh Jesus, you are sublime, and you are wise, and you are brilliant, and it makes total sense to follow you teachings whether you are God, or not.

But, oh, how delighted I am that you are indeed my Lord, and my God!

Can an Individual Change Another Through Prayer Alone?

By Anita Mathias

I have a good friend, who prays constantly.

He married, when very young, a woman who’s “feisty,” in his words, and bossy and critical. (They have 6 children, and not much money, so my sympathies are with her).

Anyway, my friend told me that when he sees something he does not like about his wife, or one of his children, he makes a note of it on the little index cards he uses to pray, and takes it up with God.

For instance, he started praying that his wife would be more gentle with him.

That his son, whose ambition it was to own Microsoft would love God more than money.

That his children would be less mean to each other.
* * *

And most of these things came to pass.

But not without several changes in my friend himself. These included an emotional and nervous breakdown during which he was unable to work and accepted the Kingship of Jesus over himself (the very Lordship he had so wanted his children to acknowledge.)
* * *

Back to my question. Can an individual change another through prayer alone?

Yes, I believe so.

If prayer works, and is for real–and the whole thrust of Scripture tells us that does and is–than prayer can change anything, including the people we love.

It takes a while, it takes faith–and since God has a sense of humour which borders on the perverse–it might often involves changes in the deep structure of our own personalities.
* * *

Prayer is dynamite–explosive in its power–and we are invariably caught in the friendly fire of our prayer for another.

And change, the shedding of our dragon skin–is never without pain.
* * *

When I see a desperate need for change in someone else, which neither my advice, nagging, bullying or manipulation can bring about, I resort to prayer. (As I get wiser, I am glad to report, this is becoming more of a first resort rather than a last resort.) And it does work, invariably, in surprising ways.

Hudson Taylor had this amazing goal and motto, “To Move Man, Through God, by Prayer Alone.” He used this in small things (when his employer forget to pay him) and in large, to raise tens of thousands of pounds for the China Inland Mission.

The hearts of people are in the hands of God, and he sways them how he wills. And an old adage goes, “Prayer is the hand which moves the hand of God.”

(An edited archive post)

Why I go to Charismatic Festivals

By Anita Mathias

Georgian Bainov with his fiddle

Photo: Better photo of Heidi dancing here :)

Heidi Baker dancing in the River of God before her talk

I no longer attend a Charismatic church, but do occasionally go to Charismatic meeting or conferences. I’ve been to three this year, to RiverCamp, Revival Alliance and to listen to Patricia Bootsma, leader of Toronto church made famous by the Toronto Blessing.

A blog commentator seemed bemused as to why I do go. I am reasonably careful and intentional about my use of time—certainly lead an examined life!–so obviously wouldn’t go without good reason, but it’s good to try to verbalise the reasons.

1) Ah, this is perhaps the biggest reason: Worship.

Sometimes, one’s spiritual life can get mind-centred, or me-centred. You know, praying about one’s concerns, praying for guidance, learning about God from the Bible, reading about the spiritual life. It is ME seeking God.

What setting aside a few days to worship God in community gives me is the experience of worship. Forgetting self, forgetting all the restless thoughts of a restless mind, forgetting everything, just submerging myself in the sea of God. Oh, how lovely that is, to forget self, leave self behind, and soak in the sea of God.

Oh, I love it, love worship, but worship is the weakest link in my spiritual life. I am not very good at it alone at home—simply because I have not practised enough. My mind takes over and talks to God. I tend to pause the worship music and meditate on the lyrics. But in the company of hundreds of others, I am carried away by the music, by the lack of distractions, by the fact that I can’t really escape from the room or pause the music–and oh, I worship God, and I find that my soul was craving for it!!

We are made for worship, that is what we will be doing in heaven, and, so worship fulfils a need of even the most cerebral soul.

2) People like Heidi Baker, John Arnott and Bill Johnson have a deeper faith and knowledge of God than I do. They write and speak well. So in listening to them, I see a high water mark of the joy, faith and miracles which, to my way of thinking are part of “the normal Christian life.” I realize there’s so much more. I want to strive for it.

2) My work–writing!!–is very intense, and so am I. I cannot go on writing for long weeks without a break. I could go to Europe, and do so, several times a year. So far in 2012, I’ve been on three trips to Istanbul, Ireland and Copenhagen, and to three Christian conferences.

I found both stimulating and very interesting, but the latter will have a far greater influence on the course of my life than the former. The latter have brought me more joy, and, more importantly for me, wisdom and direction.

I wouldn’t want to only go to retreats and conferences, but sometimes there is an emptiness in hedonistic travel, and I crave quietness, wisdom, and God. Ideally, I would construct holidays with time to seek God, as well as to explore.

3) I do pray most every day, but at home, I am mainly reading, writing and blogging. I am not setting aside long hours to seek God’s face, to seek his direction. At retreats and spiritual conferences, that’s all I do!

So I sometimes get direction for the year ahead, as when I received clear direction that it was time to return to writing and to wrap up my memoir in the course of the next 12 months.

This has only happened once, but we receiveda prophetic word which significantly changed my daughter Zoe’s confidence, emotional state, and sense of call and direction.

If a life is a work of art, always in flux, in spending time with God, I receive fresh direction; good ideas; ideas for tweaks to blogging, daily routines, financial practices etc; encouragement, guidance, and new inspiration. And occasionally a sentence or two or a clear direction from God.

If one thinks of time as a raw material, a resource, then investing your time, and more importantly, your whole will and spirit and soul into seeking God and God’s guidance is a great investment.

4 “Better is one day in your house than a 1000 elsewhere.”

Well, is it true, or isn’t it true? If it’s true, why not act accordingly?

I guess by choosing to spend days in praise and worship and listening to Bible talks from those far deeper in the holy river of God, I am making this choice: that a day in God’s house is better than a thousand elsewhere.

6 It’s a great experience for children to spend time thinking of spiritual things, and to develop a depth to their own spiritual lives. Being young, being impressionable, they have had spiritual experiences, like being slain in the spirit, which I have not had.

7 My theology on this is borrowed. However, I first received the Holy Spirit and the gift of tongues when someone prayed for me to. I experientially know that I am more likely to be touched and refilled with the Spirit when someone deeper in the River prays for me to, or when I spend a long time in God’s presence seeking this. And being filled to overflowing with God’s spirit is a prize well worth seeking!!

I have two retreats planned, one in Germany, one in Wales, which will combine a rest, long walks, some exploration, and much time resting, learning and being strengthened in the holy river of God.

In which I Practise Praying Every Ten Minutes: The Ten Minute Worship Revolution

By Anita Mathias

Irene, delighted with and thankful for the sash of her new dress!

I have attended two conferences organized by John Arnott, on whose beat the hugely influential Toronto Revival was born. They have influenced the course of my life—deeply introducing me the love of the Father; immersing me in soaking prayer ; and, most recently, introducing me to a ten minute worship timer.

A worship timer?

Carol Arnott was incurably ill, and went to the Community without Walls in Germany, where Rolland Baker was healed of dementia and cerebral malaria.

There Dr. Arne Elsen suggested the 10 minute worship revolution, using a timer or a buzzer which goes off every ten minutes, when you stop everything and worship. He cures five terminally ill patients, mainly cancer patients a week, through this infusion of positivity, joy, thankfulness, worship and praise.

Well, I was interested. I have seen 3-4 people bedbound with ME, who have been cured by stopping spiralling negative thoughts (I am too ill to do this—talking will tire me—walking will exhaust me etc.) and exchanging them with positive self-talk through the Lightning Process (a highly effective neuro-linguistic programming course, which I haven’t been on. Not religious as far as I know. )

So, this every ten-minute worship really should bring an infusion of the positive thinking which is a neglected aspect of Jesus’ teaching, not to mention joy and praisefulness (both things I have sought) into one’s day to day life.

Zoe and I bought one the day we heard of it. I adore it and have used it every day for the last two weeks.

It’s will probably take 3 weeks to fully get into the habit of it, and for new neural pathways to be created. And I will report on any changes in my temperament and emotional state in about six months.

But the first two weeks (which is about how long it takes to get the hang of it, and to begin reaping the benefits, according to successful users) have been peaceful and happy. I don’t know how I will be able to live without it. If I turn it off for a nap or while having coffee with a friend, and then forget to switch it back, something feels wrong. I am less productive, time seems more lumpy and stolid instead of flowing in a grace-infused stream.

* * *

So here’s my experience. I haven’t been using it exclusively to worship, though, increasingly, that is what I am doing every ten minutes.

1) Thankfullness

I usually stop when my ten minute timer goes, and thank God for something. Often something I may not have otherwise thanked God for. New people following my blog on Facebook or Google Friend Connect. The blog’s growth. The success of my children. The sweetness of Roy. The glory of my dog, and ducks and rabbits (okay, I adore animals!!). Blue skies. The orchids in the room. Time to pray. To read. To study the Bible. To write. Gratitude that earning a living is not all-consuming, but leaves us time to be organised and peaceful and quiet.

And my mental state slowly changes through this discipline of praise every ten minutes. Becomes more positive, more ebullient.

2) My Use of Time Significantly Improves

I have never worked full-time, and have worked part-time for about 3 years, teaching at Ohio State University, Binghamton University, and William and Mary, as a Graduate Teaching Assistant, and Adjunct Professor variously.

So my work habits have really been those of a dreamy, dilatory, distractible writer than a professional.

But, my goodness, this timer really helps. So, I am reading articles in the New York Times or the Guardian. But really should be writing. The buzzer goes; I worship. And, if by the time the buzzer goes again, I am still dilly-dallying, well then, I know something is seriously wrong, and settle down to work.

Yeah, you just can’t procrastinate and waste time that much when you are going to pray every ten minutes!!

It keeps me on track—with what I intend to do, what I have done, what I am going to do that day. Sort of gets me back into the river of surrender and discipline.

3) It keeps me positive. Roy, who is used to, and loves, working for hours with intense concentration was appalled at the thought of being interrupted every ten minutes.

However, once, when I was telling him off (very gently, and most justifiably:-), he burst into a huge grin. “Now you will never be annoyed with me for more than ten minutes at a time,” he said. Yeah, it’s very annoying when you are telling someone off and timer goes off telling you it’s time to worship God, and you have to drop your moaning. And praise God!!

Seriously though, the first few days, my timer often caught me thinking something negative about something or someone, and instead I found something to be thankful for in that person or situation.

The second week, it’s been rarer to be caught out thinking negatively by my timer. It is truly beginning to change the tenor of my emotional life.

4) Impact on Family Life

We have long, leisurely family meals, which last nearly an hour. And the buzzer goes off several times during dinner. And we all go round the table and thank God for one thing we are grateful for.

And of course, consciously expressing gratitude makes you more grateful.

5) Praying in Tongues adds a depth to one’s prayer life, especially in areas in which one may not quite understand why one is stymied, or what or how one should pray. I usually pray in tongues haphazardly, when my heart is full, though I do so most days. Now I have a little slot for it.

6) Prayer to be filled with the Spirit is a prayer which is always answered (Luke 11:13). And to be filled with the Spirit is one of the desires of my heart—both to experience the joy and wisdom of the filling, and to be able to bless people from the overflow of God’s life in me. My timer reminds me to pray for this.

7) Awareness of God’s Presence. Again, using the worship timer helps me to be more aware of the presence of Christ, right here in the room with me, and in his hands a stream of bubbling waters which he offers to anyone who is thirsty and comes to him to drink.

Praying briefly every ten minutes incorporates prayer into the rhythms of my real and emotional life. I find that I am frequently living and working in an ambient state of praise and prayer, coming a tiny step closer to the injunction to pray continuously.

8) Worship is a weaker element of my spiritual life. I need the tides of communal worship to really lift my spirits into self-forgetful worship. I haven’t practised worshiping alone that much. So the worship timer is introducing this neglected dimension into my prayer life.

9) Visualization—Praying every ten minutes is a rich practice. Sometimes, I just relax and visualize. Me dancing with Jesus. Jesus breathing the Holy Spirit on me. (John 20:22). Me dancing in the waterfall of God’s presence and power and creativity.

10) Big Asks—I am using this exercise to be thankful, praiseful and to worship, to just love God and be, rather than for big-wrestling change-my-life kind of prayer. But if I am conscious of a need as my buzzer goes—I am stuck with my writing; worried about a kid, I send up celestial smoke signals, of course. Please help.

Incorporating it into work and exercise—If the buzzer goes off while I am reading or writing, which I often am, I pause, thank, praise, pray, and resume. If it goes off while I am walking and listening to a novel, or an easy theological book, rather than search through all my pockets for my iPhone, pause it, pray, then rewind to get into the flow, I simply multitask, and silently thank God for the book, the glory of the day and the fields around us, while the narrator continues reading me the book.

Yeah, so I am happier, more on track, more peaceful since I started using the ten minute worship timer. I recommend it.

(And here’s the link to Catch the Fire timer I use.)

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