Simply Sharing

6/13/13 Sharing, among friends in the faith, isn't complicated---it's encouraging. Tuesday night was encouraging for me as gals in our simplici-TEA group "simply share"d with each other. Some sharing was done during the group time but "real" sharing continued as we sipped tea (or coffee) with yummy cake and listened one on one or two or three.

A 2000 Honor Book publication  provided some fun, simplistic tidbits for us to share in the group

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If I Really Wanted to Simplify My Life, I Would....

• Take the scenic route home. Don't worry. Don't hurry, and don't forget to take time to smell the flowers.--Charles "Tremendous" Jones. You can turn the wheel toward a more serene experience. (emphasis mine, p. 84-85)
• Keep addresses and telephone numbers in the one place. (Information you can't find is information you can't use., 108-109)
• Go for depth over breadth. The best portion of a goo man's life is in his little, nameless, unremembered acts of kindness and love. William Wordsworth. To simply live well, dig deep into what truly matters. (p.126-127)
• Turn off as much noise as possible. In quietness and trust is your strength. (Isaiah 30:15) Noise complicates; silence simplifies. (p. 131)
• ....stay focused on the truly important things in my life. If people concentrated on the really important things in life, there'd be a shortage of fishing poles. (Don Larson, p.134)

How good and pleasant it is when God's people live together in unity. (Psalm 131:1)

How pleasant it was to "simply share" with sisters in the faith.

Sereni-TEA notes access for group members.

Life of Simplicity: a "re-brew"

6/12/13 Trying to "brew" up a life of simplicity?  Life changes require infusions of new ingredients in much the same way a cup of tea needs to be infused with just the right blends.Often times a little serenity is needed for a lifestyle 0f satisfaction.  Last night's discussion on contentment led to that conclusion. But.....also as in a cup of tea, there are dregs/dissatisfactions that need to be discarded in order to diminish any bitterness.

In life, some of those are anxiety, comparison (which can lead to envy)   fear, (of an unknown future) and greed. All of these "poisons of discontent" can stymie ones life of simplicity and thwart spiritual growth, as well.

 

There are also those dregs from the past that hold us back & keep us prisoners to those "if only" thoughts........ ; diasppointments,  failures,  regret and unforgiveness. 

Rob Bugh, pastor at Wheaton Bible Church, says, "A lack of forgiveness keeps you walking through life backwards and you miss what is in front of you----the joy of the present,"

Trying to brew life afresh so that you con enjoy the moment............... discard those dregs!

"What brings you joy?"

6/10/13 "What brings you joy?" That's what the sign at Yates and Shady Grove asked.

Not happiness, but true joy. Happiness is too circumstantial. Dependent on what's happening in your life. An "under the circumstances" viewpoint/location. A location where Mary Ann Frazier says no Christian should reside. Christ's beloved should rise above their fleeting circumstances and experience deep joy based on their relationship with Him.

You will show me the path of life;
In Your presence is fullness of joy;
At Your right hand are pleasures forevermore. (Psalm 16:11)

The "lasting" answer is found in that verse. True joy, in all its fullness, regardless of one's circumstances,  is found in the Lord's Presence. A question and a verse worthy of meditation.

SABBATH SNAPSHOTS: " signature green apples"

6/9/13 Writers & lyricist often use the literary devices of irony or "opposite truths" to emphasize a point.  Figuratively, the lyrics in "Little Green Apples" let us KNOW the TRUTH that is opposite of the words penned as crooned by cowboy singer, Roger Miller, because.....God DID  make little green apples, and it does rain in Indianapolis in the summer time.  

Not sure if that song inspired the owners of the Alluvian, a boutique hotel in Greenwood, MS but.....they have little green apples everywhere.  Green apples are their signature.

"little green apples" at the Alluvian check-in desk

"little green apples" on the "lounge" coffee table

A bowl "little green apples"  welcome all to the Alluvian lobby. 

"little green apples"  at the 3rd floor elevator

Green apples: an Alluvian signature. Yet, no one knows why---at least no one I asked had an answer. A "true" signature is a "characteristic expression." Of what?" What might little green apples mean? I bet the produce supplier doesn't care, he's just thrilled that they chose one of his products.
For me---simple, crisp, clean eye candy!

Sweet TEAs of life

6/8/13 Tea words have been whirring in my head as I've tried to squeeze in a few simplici-TEA thoughts while on my "Great Escape" weekend. Some teas just aren't sweet. Anxiety being one of the first that comes to my mind. I certainly don't need to brew up any of that. If it does start brewing in my mind I become crotche-TEA---and the irritabili-TEA that flows forth is bitter and that's hard to swallow especially for those closest to me.

My morning quiet time, on the terrace of the Alluvian, with the hotel's Gideon Bible open to Psalm 16 had me meditating on verse 8---a great antidote for anxie-TEA.  Ringing of the nearby Episcopal church bells turned my thoughts away from negativi-TEAs to one of the sweet teas in my life.

Securi-TEA.

I have set the Lord always before me; Because He is at my right hand, I shall not be moved. (Psalm 16:8)

That's real security......and that's sweet!!!

On the Road Again

6/6/13 Hooray Hooray, it's finally the day.! T-Cups Trek #13 begins today. It's my annual girls' trip with five FUN friends---can it still be called a "girls" trip when all are in their 60s and at least 3 are Medicare card holders!!!

Each year it is like a "great escape" for us---no responsibilities, errands, babysitting or  work. This year it's a "mystery trip" and I'm the only one who knows where we are going---scary thought.

Blues Highway Trip started with lunch at The Gallery in Merigold, MS (chocolate cobbler for dessert) & shopping at  McCarty's pottery.

Hot tubs at the Shack-up Inn come with an "outward motor" & guess who has to crank it??? 

A cold cokey cola at the Crossroads of the Blues---Highway 61 S and 49 E---think Delta Blues singer Robert  Johnson. Do you know his story? We do!

Aspects of Simplicity: Slowing

6/5/13 "Simplicity" has been an often recurring theme in my blog posts this year as far back as March 12. At least that's what a "Dotsy Details simplicity" google search indicated. For the next 3 weeks I hope to share more snippets of simplicity from the specifics of a "Summer Refreshment" study,  "simplici-TEA."

"Slowing" snippets from last nights study group:

• All true and lasting simplicity will be an overflow of one's central (heart) relationship with the Lord. 
• To simplify, Dallas Willard says one must, "Ruthlessly eliminate "hurry" from your life. 
• "Multi-tasking" is the newly coined word for "hurry sickness." Americans always seem to be in a hurry to accomplish more. 
• "Hurry sickness" is not about having a disordered schedule; rather it's about having a disordered heart. (John Ortberg) 
• Hurry is an inner condition that is fear-based. 
• Moving quickly while walking in-step with God is NOT "hurrying."
• Everything we do must come forth out of love NOT just from following rules or checking off a to-do list.
• My cuppa "simplici-TEA" could use a little brevi-TEA, and humili-TEA blended in as well a BIG scoop of "intentionali-TEA" as slowing doesn't come easy for me.

For info and assignments needed, simplici-TEA participants may click on these links and sign in with own email address and own email password when prompted. Protected because only you know your own email password.

Slowing

Simple verses

Tea With Thee
WARNINGS from yesterday, in case you missed it.

Today's "simple truth" (for me) came in this morning's Commercial Appeal.   "Labor intensive" value of a great caramel cake caught my eye. Well, that's my all-time favorite cake---I could just suck the icing right off of it. But, who has the time to make it & caramelize all that sugar. At my house, BURNING would come into play.

What I loved was the simple solution given----one with a punch. Just order one from Sugarees, in New Albany, MS makes them, which a previous blog stated but.....according to the CA article, you can request EXTRA icing. So-o-o grateful for that tasty tid-bit!!!

Oh my........ that's worth "slowing" for!  If I practiced "slowing" by taking 5 minutes to walk from my kitchen to the living room with a piece of caramel cake in hand, I'm sure just focusing on & savoring that icing would simplify the process.

Simplicity TEST

6/4/13 "Simplici-TEA begins tonight. In order to allow the participants access to materials, I have "tested" adding an established a link for them from the blog. Hopefully, by clicking on the warning link below this will allow them to choose the item/items needed and then "save as" a Word document or PDF file on their own computer which they can then manipulate without changing my original. For those not in the group, items might not make much sense though they might be open at a later date to anyone interested.

WARNINGS

Remember this is just a test.......do you feel like you should hear beeps and hear the Emergency Broadcast System of the 60s
announcer saying....."This is only a test!"

SIMPLICITY: ART OR DISCIPLINE?

6/4/13 My "working" definition of simplicity is a freedom from worldly values which allow a person to fully embrace a life with the Lord at its center---loving Him, and loving others by blessing (praising) Him and benefitting others---which will overflow in true joy and balance in one's life. This "overflow" will be unique to every individual. This simplicity, when seen as a spiritual discipline, will manifests itself as one does the right thing, at the right time for the right reasons.

On the other hand, simplicity can freely express the diversity, imagination and creativity of each unique individual, created by God.

Art of Simpicity by Candy Paull, 2006

Art or discipline? Maybe simplicity is a little of both.

Corporate Meditation & Prayer: A Blessing

6/3/13 What an encouragement from today's prayer group---not only from the scripture choice itself but also through the praise and petitions of these seasoned prayer warriors. 

Encouragement from a scripture passage (1 Corinthians 2:1-10) which affirms that Paul & effective preachers/teachers rely on God's leading by His Spirit.  Thus, the "hearers" faith will rest on God's power and not human wisdom or effort or tech savvy presentations or charisma of the teacher. Go God!

3) I came to you in weakness with great fear and trembling. 4) My message and my preaching were not with wise and persuasive words, but with a demonstration of the Spirit’s power, 5) so that your faith might not rest on human wisdom, but on God’s power. (1 Corinthians 2:3-5)

And the prayer group said, "A-men!"