Category: Open My Eyes

“The average person looks without seeing, listens without hearing, touches without feeling, eats without tasting, moves without physical awareness and talks without thinking.” Leonardo da Vinci Author Joan Chittister tells the following story of a conversation between a wise one and their disciple: “Where shall I look for enlightenment?” the disciple asked.“Here,” the wise one…

“Chronos (croh’-nohs) is sequential time. The Bible speaks to Chronos when it says, Teach us to number our days, that we may gain a heart of wisdom. Psalm 90:12 NIV We are hyper-aware of Chronos. We hear, “Don’t waste time”, “Time waits for no one”, “Time is of the essence”, and “Time is money,” and…

************ As the Sunday feast approaches, let’s think about rest. On the 6th day, God created human beings:So God created human beings in his own image.    In the image of God he created them; male and female he created them. Then God looked over all he had made, and he saw that it was very good!And evening passed…

Jesus had no clock or calendar in the wilderness. No appointments to keep. No responsibilities to discharge. Nowhere else He had to be. Nothing to do except be present with His Father. Does that sound as good to you as it does to me? Sometimes it seems that our whole world has gone Through the…

We don’t know a lot about Jesus’ days in the wilderness. Only 6 verses mention it (Matthew 4:1-2, Mark 1:12-13, Luke 4:1-2) outside of the temptation. All we know is: 40 days and nights, fasting, very hungry, tempted. Apparently, that is all we need to know. The rest was between Jesus and His Father. Jesus…

Yesterday, I wrote at length about a refrigerator that doesn’t function the way I want. I said that it was a simplification for me to just drink tap water. That is not completely true. I am greatly blessed to have clean, available tap water. That is not true in places like Africa, Flint, Michigan or…

One thing Jesus encountered in the wilderness was simplicity. There were no distractions, no complications. Just nature, and God. Nothing else was needed. Nothing else was wanted. ********** Not that life was simple in those days. An agrarian society was at the mercy of nature. Poverty and slavery were rampant. The Jews were suffering under…

The Quakers have a tradition called “Centering,” also known as “Palms up, palms down.” It is similar to the steps I posted on Saturday, consisting of Release, Receive and Rest. PREPARE*Sit comfortably, with your hands resting on your lap. *Gently notice your breathing as you become still. RELEASE YOUR BURDENS*Turn your palms down and allow yourself…

These steps help me settle myself as I prepare to meet with God. I use them to practice solitude, silence and stillness. *FIND A PLACE WHERE YOU CAN MINIMIZE DISTRACTIONS.Silence all TV, radio or online chatter.Don’t sit where you can see waiting chores. Let them wait without guilt. This is your time with God. *RELAX…

On summer mornings, when I would sit outside for my quiet time, I was constantly aware of an underlying hum of traffic on the expressway a mile away. Except on Sundays, when there was no traffic. Everything felt so peaceful on Sundays. Silence and stillness were plentiful in the wilderness, but they are rare commodities…