Monthly Archives: March 2018

God’s Plan A: Planning Series Part 1

God’s Plan A

by Lydia Floren

“God has a plan for your life.” For many people, this is a reassuring thought. But not for me. This idea of God having a plan for me has always been a little unsettling. Because I know how many ways I can screw thing up. For example, what if I think I’ve figured out God’s plan for me, but I misunderstand, and unintentionally set out in the wrong direction? Does that mean the train has left the station? That I am now consigned to live the rest of my life on a backup plan? Plan B?

And even if I feel like I’ve “gotten the memo,” and have a good idea of what His plan is, what if I just decide one day – as I’m prone to do – that I’m going to ditch His plan and go my own way? Am I on to plan C, or D, ….or Z?

Thankfully, God gets us. He knows we mess up. Regularly. He understands that we don’t always hear Him clearly. And he knows that we can wander way off base, out of ignorance, or just from pure orneriness. If – no,when – we do, He doesn’t relegate us to life in the loser’s bracket, to live a kind of a cosmic, “consolation prize” existence.

He just keeps on loving us, reaching out to us, calling us back to the one and only plan He has for us. His Plan A.

God’s Plan A

So what exactly is God’s Plan A?

A good life. “For I know the plans that I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans for welfare and not for calamity, to give you a future and a hope.” Jeremiah 29:11
A full life. Jesus said, “I have come in order that you might have life – life in all its fullness. “ John 10:10
A life of loving, and being loved. “If we love one another, God abides in us, and His love is perfected in us.” 1 John 4:12

Who wouldn’t want that kind of life?

Have you gotten off track? Have you quit listening for God’s direction, or maybe just decided to go your own way for awhile? Well, quit messing around and get back on track. Claim the good life, the overflowing life, the life of love God has planned for you.

Come back to God’s Plan A.

Discovering Paris – Breathe Series, Part 3

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Discovering Paris

by Lydia Floren

Paris has long been on my bucket list. So, last year in celebration of our 30^th wedding anniversary, Andrew and I finally set aside a week to visit this famous place. We stayed at an Airbnb, a 200+ year old walkup apartment in Marais, right in the heart of the city. From this prime spot, under the guidance of our dear friend Jenn, we proceeded to take in the sites and sounds of Paris. We breakfasted on quiche at the patisserie across the street. We strolled down cobblestone streets, and we sipped spiced wine at sunset on Mont Marche We peeked through a clock-face of the Musee D’Orsay and snacked on crepes from a roadside vendor. We crossed the Seine via the Pont Neuf, and gazed down the Hall of Mirrors in Versailles. And, we smiled (back) at Mona Lisa.

And, of course, we (mostly me) took lots of pictures.

Paris truly exceeded my expectations. But I never expected that it would change me the way it did. After being there a few days I started to see that In Paris, folks didn’t seem to be in a hurry. Despite the December chill, hundreds of people would sit for hours in outside cafes chatting while they sipped coffee or a glass of wine. No one gave more than a passing glance to their cellphones. I don’t remember seeing a TV. Anywhere. As I watched the way Parisians lived, I began to see how isolated my life had become, how isolating our culture tends to be. And rushed.

Parisians by their example, reminded me to live my life more relaxed, more connected and less distracted.

The real world

But Paris is not the real world, at least not my world. In that world I have responsibilities: houses to clean, jobs to do, children to tend. It didn’t take me long to plunge again into that Life. But often in the ordinary days I would find myself drifting back back to our time in Paris, and I would feel my heart smile. I would remember again that finding joy in life is not about what I do as much as how I do it.

And I would remind myself that

There is time, if I will take it, to linger over dinner, share a laugh, snap a picture.

There is resolve, if I will use it, to turn off my cellphone and clear my over-busy schedule.

There is opportunity, if I will grab it, to savor the moment, to soak in the beauty, and—most of all—to enjoy the relationships I have been given along the way.

Paris….it’s been awhile. My heart still smiles.

For more, read Breathe Series Part 1, and Breathe Series Part 2

Breathing In God’s Presence

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Breathing In God’s Presence: Breathe Series, Part 2

by Lydia Floren

I eat fast. Too fast. I’ve mentioned this before 😊. When I eat quickly, I do so for one reason: so that I will no longer feel hungry. I get that. But in order to “experience” a meal (as I think most foodies must do) I’ve learned it is important to slow down. When I do, I can appreciate the tastes that cross my palate, the combination of flavors and textures. And eating slowly gives me the opportunity to enjoy my dinner companions. I have found that when I “dine” like this, the whole experience – delicious and delightful – becomes imprinted in my memory. So, whenever I think about it, it brings a smile to my face.

That is what meditating on God’s word is.

Meditating?

I know, I know. I’m just like you. When I think of meditation, I envision eyes closed, legs crossed, elbows on knees, fingers touching, humming to new-age music. But Christian meditation is far different. It is not emptying the mind but filling it with the truth – and the Presence – of the One God.

When we focus on one or two verses, or even one or two words from the Bible we are able savor the truth offered to us. For example, a few years ago my friend Debra was going through a very difficult time. She told me later that these nine words were her lifeline: “The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want.”

Here are links to some other examples of meditation:

Meditation

Polishing

Christian meditation involves spending some time in solitude and silence, thinking about just a few verses, or part of one verse. When we do this, we experience God’s presence and taste His fruit. And that experience lingers in our memory. Every time it comes to mind, it lifts our hearts and makes us smile.

So take time every day to partake of the rich meal God has set before you. Take a bite, and then another. Relish the food and the conversation. Enjoy the company of The Most Amazing Person in the Universe, the one who knows you best and loves you most.

“My cup overflows.” Psalm 23

Breathe. Just Breathe. (Breathe Series, Part 1)

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**Breathe. Just Breathe. (*Breathe Series, Part 1)***

by Lydia Floren

Depression took me by surprise. I’d never struggled with that particular problem. Anxiety, yes. But the overwhelming feeling of gloom and doom, the closing in, even the belief that the world might be a better place if you weren’t in it? That I had not experienced, at least until last year.

A shroud of sadness

At first, I didn’t even realize what was happening. It would come and go. A feeling of hopelessness. A lack of energy. Unexplained tears. Even after I connected the dots and figured out I was depressed, it took me awhile to pinpoint what might be triggering it. For me it was light—or rather, the lack of light. A particularly overcast summer introduced a shroud of sadness into my life. It clung to me as the days grew shorter and shorter, near-paralyzing me as its tenacles tightened.

Breathe. Just breathe.

How does one survive such oppression? Such a threat to one’s vitality? I know as a physician (and now, through experience) that there are lots of things that can help: a special light in the morning, medication to change the brain chemistry, regular exercise, a healthy diet, positive people, connecting with God every day.

But some days are just hard. A friend who has struggled with depression for years once explained it like this:

“Some days you just breathe. All you are supposed to do that day—all you CAN do—is take your next breath.”

Breathe. Just breathe.

You may be depressed, or stressed, or overwhelmed. You may be blindsided with anger or pain or hopelessness or fear. And some times, some days, nothing seems to help.

God understands.

God understands. God doesn’t expect nearly as much from us as we expect from ourselves. But because we live in a performance-based culture, it hard for us to wrap our minds around that fact. It is difficult for us to grasp that our true worth–our value to God, to ourselves, to the world–is not based in what we do, but in who we are.

Our true worth–our value to God, to ourselves, to the world–is not based in what we do, but in who we are.

Once that truth sinks in, it changes everything. We can relax. It is easier to accept that some days, what we are supposed to do—and all we are called to do—, is to breathe. Just breathe.

PS: Here’s a great song I’ve been singing lately:

Breathe, by Jonny Diaz https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hnjeMwxFuBA