“Satan’s greatest victory is to convince us that the battle was only in the past; that we no longer need to be on our guard. It’s okay to relax and be comfortable.” Dwight Koopmans
Our vacation went as planned...needle work while my husband drove, and then visiting with friends, sightseeing, and shopping at each destination. After two weeks I was relaxed. C.S. Lewis once wrote, “The rebellion of your moods against your real self is going to come anyway. That is why Faith is such a necessary virtue: unless you teach your moods ‘where they get off,’ you can never be a sound Christian…consequently, one must train the habit of Faith.” If my mood of relaxation so easily diminishing my habit of making oatmeal, how much more vulnerable am I to temptation if I don’t continue to strengthen my faith daily, even while on vacation? Have you bought into the lie that the battle for your heart is in the past, so you can relax and be comfortable? Do you take a vacation from God (quiet time, prayer time, etc.)? What can you do today that will reinforce your ‘habit of faith’? Lord, I know it was no accident that I came across those sermon notes; help me to double-down on my disciplines that keep my faith strong, at home and away. Amen “And He said to His disciples, ‘Temptations to sin are sure to come...’, The apostles said to the Lord, ‘Increase our faith!’” Luke 17:1, 5 What are your thoughts? Libby Note: C.S. Lewis (1898-1963), British novelist, poet, academic, literary critic, lay theologian, lecturer and Christian apologist. He held academic positions at both Oxford and Cambridge Universities (1925-63). Although most all of his published works are still in print, he is best known for The Screwtape Letters, The Chronicles of Narnia, The Space Trilogy, Mere Christianity, Miracles, The Four Loves, and The Problem of Pain.
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“Friendship is born at that moment when one person says to another: ‘What! You too? I thought I was the only one.” C.S. Lewis I once heard someone say, “I’m a loaner. I used to think I was terminally unique, that no one could understand me…” My response was the typical bobble-head-nod signifying I could relate to feeling ‘terminally unique.’ When I was young, I thought no one could relate to the struggles, challenges and fears I faced. But then I met someone and by accident I let one comment slip. She echoed her struggle in that area and we instantly became friends. Others can be compassionate or even helpful, but there’s something about that person who can understand, the one who can relate. That was 35 years ago. Yesterday, I had lunch with my friend. Even though we haven’t seen each other for months, it was as if no time had passed. Friendship. When I’m in a group of people that share a common interest (e.g., writer’s group, ministry, book club), there’s usually one or two people that I have more in common with – quilter, raised in the same city, fans of a particular sports team, author, or hobby. We might sit together, talk in the parking lot, or go for coffee apart from others in the group. Friendship goes beyond acquaintance or even team dynamics. Friendship is personal and deliberate. C.S. Lewis also made the point that we can’t avoid acquaintances in life, but some people might live a lifetime without ever experiencing genuine friendship. Do you have friends who hang with you even when you’re separated by miles? If not, could it be an aversion to sharing your personal life with someone? What will you do today to foster a deeper relationship with an acquaintance or colleague or neighbor or relative or…? Lord, thank you for that special connection that happens in our soul which makes possible a close friendship with one or two people out of a group of acquaintances. Amen “Two are better than one, because they have a good reward for their toil. For if they fall, one will lift up his fellow. But woe to him who is alone when he falls and has not another to lift him up!” Ecclesiastes 4:9-10
What are your thoughts? Libby Note: C.S. Lewis (1898-1963), British novelist, poet, academic, literary critic, lay theologian, lecturer and Christian apologist. He held academic positions at both Oxford and Cambridge Universities (1925-63). Although most all of his published works (in four genres) are still in print, he is best known for The Screwtape Letters, The Chronicles of Narnia, The Space Trilogy, Mere Christianity, Miracles, and The Problem of Pain. “Very often the only way to get a quality in reality is to start behaving as if you had it already. That’s why children’s games are so important. They are always pretending to be grown-ups…” C.S. Lewis
Talking with another learner from the same course I discovered she had been more task-oriented when she took the class years earlier and now her results showed that she was more people-oriented. She gave me the idea of acting-as-if I was more personable. I began with emails.
Are you eager to develop a particular character quality? Is there a job skill you want to acquire? What will you do today that will help you act-as-if until you reach your goal? Lord, thank You for the grace to change such an ingrained habit, and for the coaches that helped me. Amen “Without counsel plans fail, but with many advisers they succeed.” Proverbs 15:22
“No one who values originality will ever be original. But try to tell the truth as you see it…and what men call originality will come unsought.” C.S. LewisSince I’m an individual, a unique personality with an original perspective, my writing should then also be uniquely my own. Right? It seems right, but my experience proves differently.
But in writing I’m challenged to be original, to be set apart from all other thought. Plagiarism is devalued, except for short quotes giving full credit to the initial author.
And so it is with writing. I began by mimicking my favorite authors and those I read most often. It took a while for my style to begin to emerge, and it's still forming years later. I still endeavor to focus on my truth, to better tell my story, to better use my voice. Does it feel like your efforts are still similar to the works of others? Are you trying hard to be original? What shift can you make today to practice telling your truth? Lord, thank you that I am unique from finger prints to perspective; help me to tell my truth in my craft. Amen “For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.” Ephesians 2:10 What are your thoughts? Libby
“Grief drives [people] into habits of serious reflection, sharpens the understanding and softens the heart.” John Adams
C.S. Lewis, a writer and Cambridge professor, journaled his reflections that "sharpened his understanding and softened his heart" as he wrote, “For a good wife contains so many persons in herself…my pupil and my teacher, my subject and my sovereign…my trusted comrade, friend, shipmate, fellow-soldier…my mistress; but at the same time all that any man friend has ever been to me. Perhaps more.”
I don’t know who said, “If I allow [grief] to pass through my life without trying to change it or escape from it, grief will leave me a more finished person.” This has certainly been true of my experience. I feel I will be better able to walk the path of grief and pain again when the time comes because I know there is a rainbow at the end of the storm. Are you remembering a loss that still stings the open wound in your heart? Have you allowed yourself to fully walk through the grief yet? If not, what can you do today to allow grief to walk you through to recovery as ”a more finished person”? Lord, thank You for allowing me to yell at You in anger yet still You stayed by my side and accompanied me through the grief journey. Amen “Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me.” Psalm 23:4 “The Lord is near to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit.” Psalm 34:18
“Count the lessons learned from failures as rungs upon the ladder of progress. Press onward toward the goal." Anonymous
If I hadn’t viewed each false start as a learning experience I might have thrown it down in complete frustration and never finished it. It’s not finished yet, so I might still have more to learn (like go buy a pattern), but I’m keeping frustration at bay by viewing my ‘do overs’ as lessons learned.
Do you every try to fix something and then realize you needed to start over? When you have to start over, do you get frustrated? How will you change your thinking so a ‘do over’ doesn’t feel like a failure?
“Accountability is the key to integrity…Corruption comes when we avoid accountability.” J.R.R. Tolkien (Frodo Baggins, The Hobbit)“So, how many days did you have a quiet time this week?” Yikes! I wasn’t expecting that question. I had just joined an accountability group and I expected to be held accountable for getting the prescribed materials read and ready to discuss, which I did. No one would know that I did five of the short lessons—designed for daily study—the night before in one marathon session. When I had finished I was pleased with myself that I had covered all the materials. I justified that I did it more effectively since I would better be able to discuss the topic having just studied it the night before.
We met as a group for a year. By the end of that year my quiet times were as much a part of my morning as combing my hair or brushing my teeth. Now, years later, when I lead an accountability group I ask the same question. The material is secondary to developing a good habit that will impact the remainder of our lives. Do you view an accountability relationship as a partnership? What good habit do you want to develop in your life? Who will you approach to ask to be your partner, and hold you accountable to develop this habit? Lord, thank You for giving me someone who cared enough to hold me accountable and left her mark on my life. Amen Note: John Ronald Reuel (J.R.R.) Tolkien, CBE, FRSL (1892-1973), an English writer, poet, philologist, and professor, best known for The Hobbit, The Lord of the Rings and The Silmarillion. A close friend of C.S. Lewis (author of the Narnia series), they were both members of the informal literary group known as the Inklings.
“Good things as well as bad are caught by a kind of infection. If you want to get warm you must stand near the fire… If you want joy, power, peace, eternal life, you must get close to, or even into, the thing that has them.” C.S. LewisIn that place between sleep and awake I think, What day is it? When it dawns on me it’s Monday I moan, “Another six days.” I look forward to being around those who always seemed to be happy, even when life is hard. It seemed they have something I don’t have. Not sure what it is, but I know that I want some of it.
One Sunday the new girl in the Singles Class said to me, “Sunday is my favorite day of the week.” I agreed but was curious to learn if she felt the same. She said, “You guys are all so fun and encouraging.” She included me in that comment. Had I become fun and encouraging? Had the peace and serenity from the others rubbed off on me? It reminded me of the old adage around choosing a tennis partner who’s better than you, because they challenge you to be a better player. Had I become a better person by hanging around positive fun-loving people? Apparently.
Note: C.S. Lewis (1898-1963), British novelist, poet, academic, literary critic, lay theologian, lecturer and Christian apologist. He held academic positions at both Oxford and Cambridge Universities (1925-63). Although most all of his published works (in four genres) are still in print, he is best known for The Screwtape Letters, The Chronicles of Narnia, The Space Trilogy, Mere Christianity, Miracles, and The Problem of Pain. “Friendship…is a relation between mankind at their highest level of individuality.” C.S. Lewis I just got back from a writer’s conference. At one point another writer approached me and said she had read one of my short stories. She told me how much she enjoyed it. That was a first. I had never before had anyone approach me with a comment like that. A certain kind of joy surged through me knowing that God had used me, through something I wrote, to bless someone else. Later that same morning the singer/songwriter, Josiah James, who was leading worship at the conference, shared his story about meeting Lincoln Brewster, and of Lincoln asking to record Made New, one of the songs he had written. Then he shared the incredible feeling he had when he began to hear his song on the radio. “He’s a writer, too,” I thought, “he knows what it’s like to be published.” We had both labored over our creations, both hoping and praying they would one day glorify God and bless others. We had both felt the amazing honor that God bestows on those who answer the call to use our gifts in service to others. At that moment it felt as if a non-metallic alloy had soldered our souls together, we were connected by a common experience. I still had not spoken to him, nor did I need to. I felt a sort of kinship, a friendship with him as a fellow artist—a songwriter and a writer—both serving God with our gifts.
Are you aware of the gifts God has given you? Do you practice those talents so that one day you might use them to serve God? What will you do today to progress along the path of blessing others with you talents? Lord, thank You for the affirmation that someone actually reads my words and is blessed by them; it helps me know I’m on the right tract, following Your call to write for Your glory. Amen “As each has received a gift, use it to serve one another, as good stewards of God’s varied grace.” I Peter 4:10 What are your thoughts? Libby Note: C.S. Lewis (1898-1963), British novelist, poet, academic, literary critic, lay theologian, lecturer and Christian apologist. He held academic positions at both Oxford and Cambridge Universities (1925-63). Although most all of his published works (in four genres) are still in print, he is best known for The Screwtape Letters, The Chronicles of Narnia, The Space Trilogy, Mere Christianity, Miracles, and The Problem of Pain. “It is Reason herself that teaches us not to rely on Reason only…our abstract conception of God cannot be supplied by Reason: she will be the first to tell you to go and try experience.” C.S. Lewis People told me if I gave up sugar I would think more clearly, as if a fog would be lifted and everything would become clear. I was skeptical about this, but I gave up sugar anyway for health reasons. Surprisingly, after sugar withdrawals of about five to six days, I experienced the effects. It felt as if I had taken off tinted glasses and was seeing differently, both in thought and judgement. A similar thing happened when I came to know Jesus personally. People told me although my circumstances would not likely change overnight, I would feel lighter, less weighed down by my troubles…I would be joyful, I would feel loved. After I genuinely gave up trying to control my life and turned it all over to Jesus, I no longer felt alone. I felt the companion of a guiding Light. All these analogies—fog, tinted glasses, lighter, loved, not alone, guiding light—were all only attempts to describe something that is indescribable. Words fail me when I try to explain a relationship with someone I can’t see or touch, and who can only be heard in my heart and mind, but not my ears. It would be like trying to describe the fourth dimension (omnipresence)…I can’t fully understand it so how can I describe it. In both cases, however, I needed to make a commitment in order to see the results described. I could not give up sugar except for my morning cereal. And I could not accept who Jesus is and still hold onto skeptical notions in case it wasn’t true. Neither of them would work without leting go of reason and genuinely experience it for myself. (The difference between experiencing sugar-free and God is, I can always eat sugar again but I can never un-know God once I've met Him.)
Are you trying to reason that God is real? Are you trying to reason that all that is said about God could not possibly be true? When are you going to personally experience it for yourself? (*) Lord, thank You for greeting me spirit-to-spirit even though I only had the smallest measure of faith in the beginning. Amen “Taste and see that the Lord is good; blessed is the one who takes refuge in Him.” Psalm 34:8 What are your thoughts? Libby Note: C.S. Lewis (1898-1963), British novelist, poet, academic, literary critic, lay theologian, lecturer and Christian apologist. He held academic positions at both Oxford and Cambridge Universities (1925-63). Although most all of his published works (in four genres) are still in print, he is best known for The Screwtape Letters, The Chronicles of Narnia, The Space Trilogy, Mere Christianity, Miracles, and The Problem of Pain. (*) A simple prayer, said with a sincere heart without reservation, is all it takes to meet God. An example might be: God, I don’t understand all about you or your son Jesus, but I want to! I give up trying to control my life…I’ve made a mess of it on my own, making all sorts of mistakes. I want to follow your lead all my life and try to live in a way that is pleasing to you, but I need your help. Please come into my life, forgive my mistakes, and be my Friend, my Savior and Lord. If you just prayed this prayer, feel free to contact me at [email protected] for support and encouragement. |
WelcomeI love the wisdom of the ages gleaned from relevant quotes. In them there is a connection to the human experience that crosses all borders. Join me as I relate my personal experiences, and link the wisdom of the quote to the Source of all wisdom: God's Word, the Bible. Enjoy, Libby Categories
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