Nestled in my favorite green chair, warmed by the fire and MIss White’s hand-sewn quilt, I was enjoying an unusually peaceful evening alone.

Suddenly the stillness was shattered by a low, snarling growl from my dog, Daisy…

Hesitantly, I stood up to turn the outside light on when I spotted the object of Daisy’s over-zealous protection - a raccoon swinging from one of the bird feeders on the deck.

My involuntary reaction was disgust.  Those stupid raccoons make such a mess!  Ugh!  What a waste of bird seed!

I was about to shoo the intruder away when I paused for an instant.  Instead of a messy pest I noticed a sweet face staring back at me and returned his gaze.  Stillness hovered under the moon-lit sky as we silently watched one another.  Looking into his eyes, I began to soften…

Where there was repulsion, there was now attraction.  Moments before, yelling at the raccoon seemed the most appropriate response; now that I knew him, that felt like a cruel way to treat a fellow creature.

Enchanted by his masked face and calm response to my presence, I smiled and went inside for the camera.  The raccoon compliantly posed as I clicked away - staring directly into the camera. I couldn’t wait to show Malcolm the photos of our late-night visitor.

What a contrast from my initial, enraged response.

Practice: Welcoming the Stranger

Sit quietly for a few minutes.  Take a few breaths.  Relax.  Enjoy the quiet.  Imagine a sense of spaciousness as you breathe in and out.  

Consider how you usually respond to strangers.  Do you tend to be welcoming, trusting, curious? Are you frightened by people who are different than you? Are you judgmental of customs and cultures unlike your own?  Are you quick to invite someone new into your “circle,” or, are you comfortable with your current cadre of companions?  Is there a particular person or type of person who you tends to invoke a strong response from you?  Who?  Why?

Spend a few minutes with how you feel about strangers, or people you think of as “strange.” 

What would it be like if you took a little time to get to know one person who is currently a stranger to you?

If you would like to develop a habit of welcoming try one of these exercises:  In the course of your day, look for, or create an opportunity to reach out to someone you normally would keep at bay. Maybe you could go out of your way to smile at or speak to someone who you normally would ignore. Perhaps there is someone in your life that you have avoided getting to know, would you want to call that person and reach out?

Remember … We are all “the stranger” at one time or another.

So enjoy the opportunity to “welcome the stranger” and open to the gifts that may unfold.

“Never lose an opportunity of seeing anything that is beautiful; for beauty is God’s handwriting - a wayside sacrament.  Welcome it in every fair face, in every fair sky, in every fair flower, and thank God for it as a cup of blessing.”
-Ralph Waldo Emerson

Mary Bea Sullivan is the author of Dancing Naked Under the Moon - Uncovering the Wisdom Within, a compelling story about her pilgrimage toward wholeness.  She facilitates spiritual retreats and workshops for women’s groups and faith communities.  Mary Bea lives with her husband, Malcolm Marler, and their yellow (white really) lab, Daisy, on Smith Lake in Alabama. For more information about Mary Bea Sullivan and her work, please visit www.MaryBeaSullivan.com.

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If we’re not busy, we feel unproductive and lazy …

That’s what we’re taught in this fast-paced, cram as many things into each day as possible world.  The modern world where everything is a rush.  Moreover, we compete by trying to show how busy we are … and the winner is the person with the most insane schedule, because obviously that means he’s the most popular and successful.

Well, maybe not. Perhaps the modern world is wrong.  Perhaps the speed and sheer volume of doing is not as important as what we focus on doing.

Perhaps we need to slow down … so that we don’t miss out on life with our constant rushing.  Slow down, stop rushing, and enjoy life.

And still get everything done.

Realizing Fast is Not Better … It’s Just Fast

It’s taken me fifty years (and I’m still not all the way there) to realize that life is better when you move at a slower, more relaxed pace, instead of hurrying and rushing and trying to cram too much into every day.

Instead, get the most out of every moment.

Is a book better if you speed through it, or if you take your time and get lost in it?

Is your work better if you’re trying to do 10 things at once, or if you really focus on one important task?

Is your time spent with a friend or loved one better if you rush through your time together or are distracted by emails and text messages, or, if you can relax and really focus on the person?

The simplest reason to slow down … life is better and is easier to appreciate.

Making Room for a Slower Pace

Here are a few ideas to consider and perhaps try, if they work for your life.  Some might require you to change something major, but they can be done over time.

Do less.  Cut back on the number of projects, on your task list, on how many thngs you try to squeeze into each day.  Focus not on quality instead.  Choose two or three really important things and work on those first.  Save smaller, routine tasks for later in the day and give yourself time now to focus.

Fewer meetings.  Meetings are usually a big waste of time. They eat into your day.  Schedule blocks of time without interruptions, so you don’t have to rush from one meeting to another.

Disconnecting.  Turn off your cell phone and your email notifications, etc. Have some time with no phone calls, when you’re creating … when you’re just spending time with someone … reading a book, etc.  Disconnect for an entire day.  You won’t be hurt.

Allow time to prepare and travel.  Most of us don’t allot enough time in our schedule for preparing and for traveling.  Give yourself twice the time to get ready for and drive to work.  It will allow you to slow down a little, arrive more relaxed, and perhaps arrive early.

It’a ok if it doesn’t get done.  There’s always tomorrow.  Really.  It sounds trite, but the truth is that the world likely won’t end if you don’t get that task done today.  The company won’t collapse.  Life will inevitably go on.  The things that need to get done will.

Getting rid of the unnecessary.  When you do the important things first … there will be things that get pushed back or that don’t get done.  When this happens, ask yourself if they are really necessary.  Think how to eliminate them, delegate them, or automate them.

Reduce commitments.  We’re all overcommitted.  That’s why we’re always rushing around so much.  And it’s everywhere in our lives … work, at home, with our family, our kids, social lives, sports.  We’re all trying to cram as much into our loves (and our family’s lives) as we can.  But in trying to cram so much into our lives, we’re actually deteriorating the quality of those lives.  So try to eliminate commitments. Pick a few essential activities.  The others might be nice to do, but take away from the commitments you have already decided are important.

And lastly, try being mindful.  Try to focus on the present, rather than thinking so much about the future or the past.

“Since time is the one immaterial object which we cannot influence — neither speed up nor slow down, add to nor diminish — it is an imponderably valuable gift.”
-Maya Angelou

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For those of us who are of the Christian faith, Matthew 6:19-43 is one of the clearest passages about Christian simplicity in the Bible.  Take a moment and read it through (see below).

The words of Jesus are radical as he instructs us to vow, “I trust that God will take care of my basic needs and I do not need to be anxious about anything.”  For me, it is an invitation to live radically different than I do.

I am trying to live more simply, and discovering it’s not about simple answers as much as it is about defining my priorities of what is most important.  I want to live more simply so that I can live my life with more purpose.

My problem is … I don’t really stop long enough to know what my priorities are for living today.

Do you?  How do you do it?  What is your secret?  What are your priorities?  How do you get on track to know if this action, or this purchase, or this way of thinking or living is in alignment with what is most important to you?  Please share with me below.

I think it was my Dad who told me one time that you can tell a lot about a person’s priorities by looking at his or her bank statement.  No matter what we say our priorities are, it’s about how we live our lives that is the naked truth.

And this naked truth is, quite frankly, embarrassing to my faith. I have more of almost everything that I need.  I probably have more than 90% of the human families on this earth.  And maybe you do too.

So … is living simply about feeling guilty, because I have walked that path before?  If I embrace guilt too tightly, it will surely lead to discouragement and giving this whole idea of simplifying up.  I don’t think the guilt alone is the answer.  We are called to act.

So where do we start?

In order to live more simply, I am going to set two priorities as a first step:

1.  I will spend time daily with God.  This will mean sitting in silence and not asking God for things I want, or the way I want things to be, but rather asking how I can give away what I have to offer.  This will be priority number one or I will truly be lost on this journey.

2.  I will spend time with people I love.  Relationships are important and foundational to a meaningful life.  I will say yes to time with my loved ones and no to that which takes me away.  I think this means not only saying no to other commitments requested by other people when it conflicts, but even saying no to this computer at times.

I don’t have all the answers for how to live simply today.  I do know I want to take a look at my priorities and how I spend my time and resources based on what I say is important to me.  What about you?

This is a journey towards simplicity, one priority at a time.  I haven’t arrived yet, but I’ll keep moving, and I will also sit still.

What are your priorities for living a more simple life?  Can you name one, two, or three?  I hope you will teach me something along the way.  I need you.

My wife is sitting down on the dock right now by the lake reading by herself.  It is the most beautiful 63 degree sunny day we have had in Alabama since October.  And here I am writing at my computer.  I have to go.  I want to go sit in silence next to my wife near the water, and let the bright light of the sunshine and the gentle breeze melt my anxieties away.

Today’s Simple Invitation: Do something today that feeds your soul and doesn’t cost a dime.

Keeping it Simple:

John the Baptist said, “He who has two coats, let him share with him who has none; and he who has food, let him (or her) do likewise.”  Luke 3:11

Be radically generous.  Give away a coat or anything else you have is a start.  Generosity is a step towards simplicity.

Malcolm

“Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal.  But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal.  For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.

“The eye is the lamp of the body. If your eyes are good, your whole body will be full of light.  But if your eyes are bad, your whole body will be full of darkness. If then the light within you is darkness, how great is that darkness!

“No one can serve two masters. Either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and Money.

Do Not Worry

“Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more important than food, and the body more important than clothes?  Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life^[a]?

“And why do you worry about clothes? See how the lilies of the field grow. They do not labor or spin.  Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these.  If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith?  So do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’  For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them.  But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.  Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.

-Matthew 6:19-43 (NIV)

Malcolm Marler is Director of Pastoral Care for UAB Hospital in Birmingham, AL.  In addition to his interest in spirituality and health, he loves to identify physical, emotional, and spiritual needs of persons, then design and build programs that help meet those needs.  His warmth and humor along with his powerful message of hope and grace is his greatest strength.  Malcolm grew up in Alabama and attended Clemson University (S.C.) on a football scholarship as a defensive back where he graduated with a B.A. degree in Psychology.  He is a graduate of The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary in Louisville, KY with Master of Divinity and Doctor of Ministry degrees.  Malcolm lives on a lake in North Alabama with the love of his life, Mary Bea Sullivan.  He has two open-hearted, loving stepchildren, Brendan and Kiki who are both freshman in college.  For more information or to contact Malcolm, please visit www.MalcolmMarler.com.

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“Do you still enjoy what you’re doing?” I asked Theresa as she changed out camera lenses.

“Funny you should ask.  I have been re-thinking some things,” she replied.

“Really?  How long have you been a photographer?”

“Well, I started when I was 17 and I’m 52. What’s the math on that?”  I was intrigued.  Theresa seemed so established in her work, why would she be “rethinking some things?”

While Theresa moved adeptly about her photography studio, checking lighting, adjusting backgrounds, she told her story. “This economy, it’s been hard on everybody.  I just never thought I would have to worry about my livelihood.  But when folks don’t know how they’re going to pay the rent or buy food, they sure aren’t gonna be paying for pictures.  It’s been tough.”  I shared some of my own experiences with professional challenges and we exchanged that look of mutual misery.

“I told Daddy just the other day, ‘I realize these last few years I’ve been grieving.‘ Mary, it just isn’t like me to be depressed.  But I think between the digital age and the economy, this has all hit me real hard.”

We stood silently shaking our heads in agreement. “But you know what, I’m getting ready for a career change.”

My head popped up, “You are? What kind of career change?”

“Well, I’ve decided if you can’t beat ‘em, join ‘em.  I’m taking classes on how to design websites.  I LOVE it! I LOVE working with the computer!  Imagine how great it would be to have someone who could design your website and take professional pictures to put on that site!  Also, I’m teaching classes for folks who want to learn how to use their digital cameras better.  Some for beginners, some for advanced.  I have more energy than I’ve had in years.”

Astounded, I stood watching Theresa, inspired by her ability to listen deeply to what life was offering her.  How often do we feel a sense of sadness over things changing, a desire to hold on to “what has been,” and struggle to find a way forward?

Theresa’s story is powerful because she was able to shift her focus and allowed a fresh vision for her life, new possibilities, new adventures to come into the picture.

When I called Theresa to ask if I could share her story, she was surprised and responded …

“Well of course. The way I see it, business is God’s gift to me to be given back. If something I’ve said or done will help someone else, I’m glad to be a part of it.”  And then she added, “When I now think of the last several years and the despair they brought.  There were days when I thought I was living through the worst thing possible.  But you know, now I look back on where I was and where it brought me, to THIS day and I can truly say, ‘I wouldn’t have missed it for the world.’  We are always better after the storm.”

Practice: Changing Lenses

Sit quietly for a few minutes, either in your sacred space or outside in the open.  Take a few deep breaths and scan your body.  Is there a place where you are gripping, clinging, holding on tight?

If so, place your hand there and simply breathe into that space.  You might ask if it has a name.  Silently breathe with the intention of releasing the clinging.  If it feels comfortable ask yourself, “What am I holding on to that is causing pain?”

Give yourself the gift of a few more deep breaths, feeling the heat from your palm on the spot you have located.  Linger with this for awhile, breathing in, breathing out.  After the tension dissolves, release it.

Take a few moments to honor whatever grief or sadness may have come up for you in this exercise.  If there is something that is troubling you deeply, it may take a while for the sadness to subside, for you to be able to release your grip.

Maybe you would like to close with a prayer. Here is an example or, or you may wish to create your own.  “Loving Creator, thank you for your faithful, imminent presence in my life.  I release to you this sadness (name it?) and commit to the intention of keeping my eyes open to the new paths that are in front of me.  Amen.”

Could we change our attitude, we should not only see life differently, but life itself would come to be different.  Life would undergo a change of appearance because we ourselves had undergone a change of attitude.
-Katherine Mansfield

Change your thoughts and you change your world.
-Norman Vincent Peale

Mary Bea Sullivan is the author of Dancing Naked Under the Moon - Uncovering the Wisdom Within, a compelling story about her pilgrimage toward wholeness.  She facilitates spiritual retreats and workshops for women’s groups and faith communities.  Mary Bea lives with her husband, Malcolm Marler, and their yellow (white really) lab, Daisy, on Smith Lake in Alabama. For more information about Mary Bea Sullivan and her work, please visit www.MaryBeaSullivan.com.

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Zacchaeus was a seeker who wanted to become a believer.

The importance and urgency of his quest came together when he heard that Jesus was walking through his hometown of Jericho.  The “time” was now and he needed to get himself to Jesus.

But how?  As a short man he would not be able to see Jesus if he stood among the crowd.  So he saw a sycamore (fig & mulberry) tree as his way to Jesus.  With a short trunk and broad limbs this tree was easy for Zacchaeus to climb.  When Jesus saw him in the tree, he looked into Zacchaeus’ soul and saw a person who was living in public desperation.

Zacchaeus’ ached to live out the meaning of his name, “pure.”  He had heard Jesus say “blessed are the pure in heart for they shall see God.”  Zacchaeus wanted to heal the disconnect between who he could be and who he actually was.  Every seeker knows this ache.

So when Jesus called out to invite Zacchaeus to come down from the tree, He walked with him through the crowd and into his plush home … and Zacchaeus jumped to run into the changed life Jesus was offering him.

Zacchaeus “saw” God because Jesus had “purified” his soul.  Then the fun began for everyone else.  Zacchaeus enacted his remorse for having hurt people through abuse of his power and thereby he gave half of his possessions to the poor.  And if others could show him his guilt, then he would make restitution four times the amount of his sin.  He felt the connection of “forgive us our debts as we forgive our debtors.”

Jesus had reconciled Zacchaeus to Himself in such a way that Zacchaeus could be reconciled to all of Jericho.

A commitment to the Lordship of Christ and the biblical message of living in right relationships undergirds a healed community.

Zacchaeus, who upon accepting Christ, realized that he needed to act rightly toward all the people with whom the teachings of Scripture.  They were then compelled by the Holy Spirit to make things right with those whom they had harmed.  By being reconciled to God, Zacchaeus received the desire, courage and faith to be reconciled into an honest relationship with people. 

Zacchaeus’ story reminds me of a brother from Uganda who described the “4 Pillars Approach” to reconciliation:

Repentance before God;

Reconciliation before people;

Restitution by putting things right, and;

Resurrection by walking in the light.

Jesus summary statement of this miracle revealed the thread that connected his entire ministry, including what we are hearing as we listen to the New Testament … “For the Son of Man came to seek and to save what was lost.”

Pastor Les Hollon

Zacchaeus the Tax Collector

Jesus entered Jericho and was passing through.  A man was there by the name of Zacchaeus; he was a chief tax collector and was wealthy.  He wanted to see who Jesus was, but being a short man he could not, because of the crowd.  So he ran ahead and climbed a sycamore-fig tree to see him, since Jesus was coming that way.

When Jesus reached the spot, he looked up and said to him, “Zacchaeus, come down immediately. I must stay at your house today.”  So he came down at once and welcomed him gladly.

All the people saw this and began to mutter, “He has gone to be the guest of a ’sinner.’” But Zacchaeus stood up and said to the Lord, “Look, Lord! Here and now I give half of my possessions to the poor, and if I have cheated anybody out of anything, I will pay back four times the amount.”

Jesus said to him, “Today salvation has come to this house, because this man, too, is a son of Abraham.  For the Son of Man came to seek and to save what was lost.”

-Luke 19:1-10 (NIV)

Photo:  Scan from 19th century bible storybook, Half Hours With the Bible, New Testament, New York: Clifton Publishing Company.  Jesus coming through Jericho.  Zacchaeus is in tree, so he could see Jesus.  Public domain.

This article was written by Les Hollon, Pastor of Trinity Baptist Church.  For more information about God and your place in His world, contact Dr. Hollon, click over to Trinity Baptist Church.

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Article by Malcolm Marler

As I sat in the meeting with a group of fellow co-workers (not my chaplain team), I was caught off guard by the comments of one of the group members. He critiqued a workshop that I had recently led in front of the group, and he told me how disappointed he was that I didn’t talk enough about some things he thought would have been more helpful to the audience.

I felt my face grow warm with embarrassment and I was aware of the tightness in my throat and the defensiveness in my voice.  Finally, I just sat back and listened, though I could feel the sadness in my heart and the pit in my stomach that he (and maybe others) was not impressed.

He did not approve.  I was not all that he wanted me to be, I had failed to impress or to be held in high esteem by this individual.  My stress level was on high alert.

Can you remember a time when you were criticized by a co-worker, a family member, or your spouse or partner?

Can you identify with the feeling of wanting to either flee or run away, or stand your ground and verbally justify yourself or actions?

Do you remember the pit in your stomach, the hairs on the back of your neck standing up, or the crushed feeling?

Some of us flee, some of us fight, some of us just retreat.

When we buy into the idea that our worth in this world is based on whether or not someone else believes us to be worthy, or tells us how wonderful we are, we’ve moved away from the simplifying life and closer to the complex one.

We can’t control what others think of us, good or bad, even though our thoughts and actions are constantly planning to do just that.  The things we buy, the things we say, the way we try to live so that others will think of us well, guarantees us that simplicity in our life will be lost.

Trying to control others is an energy inefficient way to live to say the least.

Finally … I’m learning that my deepest lessons are learned when I look at what someone has said or done to me that was hurtful and ask the question, “How have I done this to others in my thoughts or actions?”

Now we are getting to the heart of it if we can be so brave to examine it closely…

To meditate on it.  To pray about it.  ”When or where have I done this to others in my thoughts or actions?”

Richard Foster says, “Simplicity is not merely a matter of having less stress and more leisure.  It is rather an essential spiritual discipline that we must practice for the health of the soul.”  Maybe it is time to gently let go of always needing to win, to be right, or to impress others so that we can be reassured of our worth.

Richard Rohr recently said in one of his daily meditations, “What if we gave up needing to be right for Lent?”  Wow, now THAT would be a sacrifice!

Know this truth — you are enough, you are blessed, and you are loved.  The Creator, the Sacred One, Yahweh, Allah, God have said so.

And that, my brothers and sisters, makes all the difference.  Thanks be to God.

Today’s simple invitation:  Ask the question over and over again in a 5 minute prayer, “When have I looked to others for approval?”  And then thank God for the blessing of being enough.

Malcolm

Our Father, who art in heaven, Hallowed by thy Name.  Thy kingdom come.  Thy will be done, On earth as it is in heaven.  Give us this day our daily bread.  And forgive us our trespasses, As we forgive those who trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation, But deliver us from evil.  For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever and ever.  Amen.

Malcolm Marler is Director of Pastoral Care for UAB Hospital in Birmingham, AL.  In addition to his interest in spirituality and health, he loves to identify physical, emotional, and spiritual needs of persons, then design and build programs that help meet those needs.  His warmth and humor along with his powerful message of hope and grace is his greatest strength.  Malcolm grew up in Alabama and attended Clemson University (S.C.) on a football scholarship as a defensive back where he graduated with a B.A. degree in Psychology.  He is a graduate of The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary in Louisville, KY with Master of Divinity and Doctor of Ministry degrees.  Malcolm lives on a lake in North Alabama with the love of his life, Mary Bea Sullivan.  He has two open-hearted, loving stepchildren, Brendan and Kiki who are both freshman in college.  For more information or to contact Malcolm, please visit www.MalcolmMarler.com.

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Have you ever have one of those unproductive days?  You know.  One of those days when you just feel a little lazy.  One of those days where you don’t want to work on anything on your to-do list?

We’ve all had those days.  I have.  None of us are productive all of the time.  The type of day where I did a little work but not everything I had planned.

Sometimes we didn’t get enough sleep; sometimes we just don’t have motivation; sometimes we get distracted by a new game …

So when this happens, what do you do?  It’s a matter of finding ways to still get the important things done when not feeling productive, and also allowing yourself to take breaks now and then.  Our minds and bodies need periodic breaks … we can’t go full charge all the time.

Here are some strategies for combating (or surviving) unproductive days:

Get rid of distractions.  What is it that’s distracting you today?  Whether that’s some new website you discovered, a forum, a new computer game or whatever … if you find a way to block yourself from that distraction, you can get a lot more done.  It’s not easy, I know.  Here’s a good method: disconnect the Internet. I know I get a lot more done when I do that.

Find something interesting.  If you’re not feeling motivated, it may be that the things on your to-do list bore you.  You need to find something interesting to do.  This can be a challenge for some … but try this: take a step back, close your eyes, and just let your mind go.  What would be fun to do today?  How can you get outside of your normal routine?  What are you passionate about?  What would be fresh and new to you?  Let the ideas flow, then start writing them down. Then choose something fun and exciting from your list, even if it’s not something urgent.   Getting excited about something is the best way to get out of those unproductive doldrums.

Put something awful at the top of your to-do list.  If there’s a ask or project you’ve been putting off for awhile, something that you really need to do but to not want to do … put that at the top of your list for today .. and several other things you need to do below that. The result?  You might not do the thing at the top of your list.  But in order to procrastinate on that dreaded item, you work through a bunch of other things on the list.  Productive psychology!

Walk.  Sometimes you just need to get the blood circulating.  Sitting at your desk all day can take a lot out of you.  Get up, walk around, go outside if you can.  Ten minutes of fresh air can get you relaxed and ready to crank out the work.

Listen to music.  Nothing gets you going better than a good tune.  Try it.  Anything that’s got a good beat will do.  Really.

Take a nap.  Despite our work culture frowning on nap-taking … naps are the ultimate productivity tool.  If you can sneak in a nap, it always helps you out.  You’ll feel refreshed and much more ready to tackle your work.

Relax.  If you don’t get anything done today, does the world end?  No.  Many time, particularly if you have been doing a lot of work, your brain just needs a rest.  Take so rest.  Let yourself rejuvenate.  If you can take the day off, do it!  If not, focus on activities that allow you to relax and recharge.

What are your favorite ways to make the most of a lazy day?

“The simple act of playing positive attention to people has a great deal to do with productivity.”
-Thomas J. Peters

“Increased productivity is made up of 1000s of small improvements. Just like Gulliver who was held down by 1000s of threads. Each one doesn’t seem to mean much, and in the case of a thread, can be easily broken. But 1000s of them can have a very strong effect.”
-Source Unknown

“Productivity is being able to do things that you were never able to do before.”
-Jim Manzi

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There was a Matthew behind the Gospel of Matthew.  Matthew, a person much like us, wrote the Gospel which bears his name.  Like us, he knew the stress of fear and the power of hope.  He felt the anguish of guilt and the joy of forgiveness.  He cried and laughed.  And his life came together on the day Jesus called him to the ultimate adventure, “follow me.”

Those words were the invitation of a lifetime.  And by saying “yes” to the offer, Matthew walked into eternal salvation.  Such is the gospel’s power to transform us when we:

Accept our need for Christ;

Believe in Christ;

Commit our life to Christ. (Matt. 9: 9-13)

When Matthew arose from his tax collector’s table to follow Jesus, he became a first-hand witness to the world’s most amazing story.  Feeling responsible, he wrote an account of what he had seen and heard so future generations could know the events of Christ’s virgin birth, messianic ministry, atoning death, and victorious resurrection.

Forty years went by after Christ’s resurrection before Matthew wrote his account.  Then under God’s inspiration, he penned the tale that is told the world over.  The last verse of his twenty-eight chapters climaxes not only the Great Commission but his entire Gospel.  It’s the promise of Jesus never to abandon us, “and surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”

Blessing Spoken into Matthew’s Life

It is likely that Matthew was in the crowd when Jesus began his formal teaching ministry (Matt. 5-7).  Through these 111 verses, Jesus taught us how to relate successfully with God, people, ourselves, Creation, and possessions.  As Moses had earlier climbed Mt. Sinai to receive the Ten Commandments, Jesus went to a high spot to deliver a Sermon on the Mount.  Upon hearing Jesus teach, his spiritual hunger was fed and thirst quenched.  The Sermon opened with a divine model for spiritual fulfillment called the Beatitudes.  The following is a biblical model of spirituality based on the Beatitudes taken from Matthew 5:1-1:

Attitude           Need 

Happiness        Humility (assessing self from God’s perspective)

Result: the Kingdom of heaven  

Happiness        Sorrow (vulnerable to the pain of others)

Result: God’s comfort

Happiness        Patience (trust in God’s timing)

Result: earthly blessings

Happiness        Godly Desires (wanting to do God’s will)

Result: contentment

Happiness        Mercy (commitment to love)

Result: God’s mercy

Happiness        Pure in Heart (motivationally clean & clarified)

Result: seeing God

Happiness        Peace-Making (bringing shalom to people)

Result: being a child of God

Happiness        Righteous Indignation (persecuted for enacting Biblical principles) 

Result: Kingdom of heaven

Matthew’s Call to Follow

Look at the following passages from Matthew Chapter 9:

9:9  Seeing Matthew’s burden of anger against his native people and his readiness to stop being a tax collector against his people, Jesus offered him a chance to begin a new life.  Following Jesus equals walking & talking in God’s best for our lives. 

9:10  Matthew knew that God’s best was to be shared, not hoarded.  So he invited his friends to join him in salvation.  During the party’s celebration - Jesus gave “them” his presence.  God’s best transforms life and is to be celebrated.   

9:11  The will of God sets us free for others but the Pharisees lacked the compassion to be happy for Matthew.  Not being stirred by God’s universal hope for everyone, they couldn’t walk the bridge to a cross-cultural experience and party with the social outcast.  They wanted their change, not God’s change, for Matthew’s friend.  Lacking compassion impoverishes our soul. 

9:12  We have to desire God’s best if our lives are to experience the best.  Acceptance of our need frees us from false pride. 

9:13 Following Jesus requires searching for answers God’s way.  From their homework assignment Jesus hoped the Pharisees would see they were walking in the wrong direction and that through hearts touched by compassion, they would join in the party. 

Matthew knew first-hand that Christ keeps His promises.  Therefore a person who chooses to follow Christ will never be led and left.  To follow Jesus is to be with Him forever.  

Pastor Les Hollon

As Jesus went on from there, he saw a man named Matthew sitting at the tax collector’s booth.  “Follow me,” he told him, and Matthew got up and followed him.

While Jesus was having dinner at Matthew’s house, many tax collectors and “sinners” came and ate with him and his disciples.  When the Pharisees saw this, they asked his disciples, “Why does your teacher eat with tax collectors and ’sinners’?”

On hearing this, Jesus said, “It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick.  But go and learn what this means: ‘I desire mercy, not sacrifice.’  For I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners.”

-Matthew 9:9-13 (NIV)

When he had gone indoors, the blind men came to him, and he asked them, “Do you believe that I am able to do this?”  “Yes, Lord,” they replied.

-Matthew 9:28 (NIV)

“No one sews a patch of unshrunk cloth on an old garment, for the patch will pull away from the garment, making the tear worse.  Neither do men pour new wine into old wineskins.  If they do, the skins will burst, the wine will run out and the wineskins will be ruined.  No, they pour new wine into new wineskins, and both are preserved.”

While he was saying this, a ruler came and knelt before him and said, “My daughter has just died.  But come and put your hand on her, and she will live.”  Jesus got up and went with him, and so did his disciples.

Just then a woman who had been subject to bleeding for twelve years came up behind him and touched the edge of his cloak.

-Matthew 9:16-20 (NIV)

This article was written by Les Hollon, Pastor of Trinity Baptist Church.  For more information about God and your place in His world, contact Dr. Hollon, click over to Trinity Baptist Church.

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Article by Malcolm Marler

A few months ago I wrote the following words to my wife, Mary, in an email:

“When we move from the lake, my hope and prayer will be that whatever and wherever it is, it will be a step toward radical simplicity.  A step towards making time for relationships, yours and mine, as well as with others, and a lifestyle that is enriched by doing what we love, and not what we feel like we have to do.  I don’t know what all of that means, but I like to dream of it.”

And so my simplicity journey began. It was a step, a beginning, a stirring, a calling to walk a new pace.

In Richard Foster’s book, Freedom of Simplicity, he states that simplicity is rooted in the spiritual.  Simplicity is not about becoming an ascetic and hating material possessions.  It is about understanding that happiness through owning stuff is limited, and our peace, joy, and inherent value comes from God.

Last evening I worked the night shift in the hospital from 4pm-8am. The night shift has its own pace and intensity.  When I’m the only chaplain in the hospital, my beeper is a constant invitation for me to be present with persons who are going through incredible, life changing events.  As I walked the steps from room to room, person to person, I tried to listen to that still, small voice that whispers deep inside all of us.

Today is a rest day after a sixteen hour shift, a Sabbath, a reminder to get all the sleep I need, and to be quiet.  I went down to our dock on the lake and read some of Foster’s book in the warm sunshine that hinted that Spring is coming.  Thank God.  It is the first time I have done so in months.  I was reminded of the beauty surrounding me.  I went for a walk down our quiet country road with Daisy, our yellow lab.

I need an internal beeper to invite me home more often.

The truth is, all of us do have an internal beeper that calls us to be present where we are. It’s the beep, beep, beep of our heartbeat.  It’s the beep, beep, beep of our breath moving in and out of our lungs.  It is the beep, beep, beep of our mind dreaming dreams.  It calls us home and reminds us that life is good, and that we need to be still and quiet.

Maybe it is time for us to listen to our internal beeper more closely? Maybe it is time for us to be quiet long enough so that we will remember that we are alive?  Maybe it is time for us to know that life is a gift from God?

Taking time to be still and quiet is a step on the journey toward simplicity.  Can you hear it?  Beep, beep, beep.

Today’s simple invitation: Spend 5 minutes (or more) being quiet.  Listen to each breath you take.  End with the words, “Thank you God.”

Malcolm

“Teacher, which commandment in the law is the greatest?”  He said to him, “’You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind.’  This is the greatest and first commandment.  And a second is like it: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’  On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.”

-Matthew 22: 36-40

Malcolm Marler is Director of Pastoral Care for UAB Hospital in Birmingham, AL.  In addition to his interest in spirituality and health, he loves to identify physical, emotional, and spiritual needs of persons, then design and build programs that help meet those needs.  His warmth and humor along with his powerful message of hope and grace is his greatest strength.  Malcolm grew up in Alabama and attended Clemson University (S.C.) on a football scholarship as a defensive back where he graduated with a B.A. degree in Psychology.  He is a graduate of The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary in Louisville, KY with Master of Divinity and Doctor of Ministry degrees.  Malcolm lives on a lake in North Alabama with the love of his life, Mary Bea Sullivan.  He has two open-hearted, loving stepchildren, Brendan and Kiki who are both freshman in college.  For more information or to contact Malcolm, please visit www.MalcolmMarler.com.

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One of the dictionary definitions for “integrity” is, “adherence to moral and ethical principles; soundness of moral character; honesty.”

Seems simple enough.  Yet if we choose to be vigilant about what we say and do, we might find it is no easy task…

Maybe I am just projecting my own shortcomings on all of you.

Recently I have had a few occasions where I “noticed” how I was hoping to wiggle out of “full disclosure.”  In one case, there were some messy, hard things happening in the relationship and it seemed easier to gloss over them than it was to be straight with the other person.

In the short-run that strategy can work, but over time my little “white lies” always tend to pile up into a heap that becomes unmanageable. The gifted psychotherapist, Virginia Satir had a saying about “taking out the trash” every day in relationships.  I guess we would have a lot less to clean up if we “noticed” the trash we were about to throw down and avoid making the mess in the first place.

Just the other day I was dealing with someone in a business transaction. When she came to our home I knew we were going to interview other people for the “job.”  In fact, I intended to tell her that.  But when she was sitting there at my kitchen table in the flesh, it felt too uncomfortable to tell her the truth.  After a couple of days, I got up the nerve to let her know our plans.  She was gracious and understanding, but I could tell she was hurt.  I hoped to remember to be more honest from the beginning next time. 

This integrity business can be as simple as following up with someone when we say we will, or as big as fidelity in our marriages.  I bet it is like lots of things, in order to create a life of integrity, it requires making a habit of choosing to be honest every little step of the way.

Integrity-in our thoughts, our speech, our actions … it takes a lot of “noticing.”  But hopefully living out our moral and ethical principles will lead to better relationships and better sleep at night!

The integrity of men is to be measured by their conduct, not by their professions.
-Junius

Mary Bea Sullivan is the author of Dancing Naked Under the Moon - Uncovering the Wisdom Within, a compelling story about her pilgrimage toward wholeness.  She facilitates spiritual retreats and workshops for women’s groups and faith communities.  Mary Bea lives with her husband, Malcolm Marler, and their yellow (white really) lab, Daisy, on Smith Lake in Alabama. For more information about Mary Bea Sullivan and her work, please visit www.MaryBeaSullivan.com.

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