The Gift of Simple Pleasures

Diana has been challenged and inspired recently with Ann Voskamp’s blog (A Holy Experience) and book (One Thousand Gifts). Ann is a poetic, gut wrenchingly honest writer who dares us to live life fully right where we are and to embrace everyday blessings. So in recognition of the power of gratitude and in the spirit of my last journal to live in appreciation here’s the beginning of my list of simple pleasures:

The texture of wooden bowls, driving rain on a tin roof, stained glass windows, the power of a horse running, the summiting experience, the shimmer of the sun on water, mountain music, the taste of early morning coffee, the distant whistle of a train, a bubbling brook, the crackling of campfire, art, ocean waves breaking, the friendship of a dog, the atmosphere set by candles, the creativity of photography, softly clanging wind chimes, a fire red sunset from the backyard, ethnic foods, interesting architecture, the poetry of the Psalms, smell of fresh baked bread, leaves rustled by the wind, family albums from past generations, antiques, momo dumplings brought over by Nepalese neighbors, cold mountain streams, fresh mowed lawns, scenic routes, wedding receptions, the beauty of creative word play, the playfulness of a puppy, our daughters’ drawings, Adventures in Odyssey, big shady oak trees, worship music, porch swings, sound of a whippoorwill, cool shapes of drift wood, picking up seashells, championship ball games, homemade ice cream, the sound of a Harley, the smell of the earth after it rains, used bookstores, a graying beard, mountains, the greening of spring, fresh garden vegetables, afternoon cup of tea, brilliant autumn colors, Phil Yancey’s writings, a well written novel, Vivaldi, a story told from a senior, a classic car show, family traditions, the roar of a waterfall, a rummage sale “find”, home sweet home, an unexpected kiss, a long distance call from our son, the power of lightening, whirlpools, meaningful prayer times, wild and open places, cold showers on hot days and hot showers on cold days, discovering new authors, the striking of my grandfather’s clock, animals in the wild, a front porch rocking chair, reunions with old friends, laughter of our children, fields of flowers, March Madness, the sound of screen doors…

Here’s Ann, “[A friend] dares me, and I don’t even blink. Could I write a list of a thousand things I love? Sometimes you don’t know when you’re taking the first step through a door until you’re already inside…I grab a scrap paper out of the ash-woven basket at the end of the counter…Across the backside, on a whim, a dare, I scratch it do: Gift List. I begin the list. Not of gifts I want but of gifts I already have.
1) Morning shadows across the old floors
2) Jam piled high on toast
3) Cry of a blue jay from high in a spruce

“That is the beginning and I smile. I can’t believe how I smile. I mean, they are just common things and maybe I don’t even know they are gifts really until I write them down and that is really what they look like. Gifts He bestows. This writing it down – it is sort of like… unwrapping love.”

Passing It On: Know What I Mean?

“In twenty-five years what do you think you’ll tell your family I passed on to you as a father?” I posed that question to the girls as we sat eating a scrumptious Father’s Day breakfast. Call me a bit bold or a little bit crazy but none-the-less, as fathers we do pass on a lot to our children. Here’s what I mean: My friend Sam – “His life has been characterized by a genuine preference for reluctance, followed by simple confidence and high performance…He’s been a good man, a good husband and father." ESPN’s Hannah Storm – “I remember Dad always picking himself up, relentlessly positive and always pushing new ideas.”

So I’m left to ponder. What am I passing on to my children? I’m not sure I want to know. What do I want to pass on to my children? It’s innumerable. Character is important. Love for God’s Word. Holy Spirit awareness. Importance of family. Humor and laughter. Being real and vulnerable in community. The Christian life is not perfection, it’s a transforming process. Creative living is good. ALL of these are good but let me focus on three others.

I want to pass on a spirit of enjoyment and appreciation. There are so many simple pleasures and daily happenings to appreciate in this life. They are just busting out all around us. This hasn’t always been the norm for me. I can be a “glass half empty person” but what I want to pass on is an enjoying the moment to the fullest. Here’s what I mean: appreciating a well written novel, classical music, a fire red sunset from the backyard, a story told from a senior, a classic car show, the summiting experience, the roar of a waterfall, garden growth, art, antiques, mountain music,a rummage sale “find” coldness of the creek..

I want to pass on an attitude of adventure. John Eldredge captured the idea well in the quote included in one of his writings, “Don’t ask yourself what the world needs. Ask yourself what makes you come alive, and go do that, because what the world needs is people who have come alive.” I want my children to discover the God-given adventure that He has placed in their heart. And it very well might be unconventional. Here’s what I mean: it could be a summer learning language in Germany, studying the cello, raising seven children with a homesteading focus, doing graduate work in ethnomusicology, starting an outreach to surfers, adopting children from Ethiopia, opening a tea room on a university campus, becoming a writer or artist…

I want to pass on a heart for worship. A king Davidisque type of worship…passionate, real and undignified. A heart that stands solidly on revelation and engages the emotions. Unquestionably it is worship of the Triune God and goes way beyond the eleven o’clock hour of Sunday morning. Here’s what I mean: it daily acknowledges God’s worth when writing music, standing in wonder at the Grand Canyon, gazing at the stars, touring in Ireland, marveling at the birth of a child, enjoying blueberry harvest, listening to Hillsong, hiking in a National Park…

So what about you? What are you wanting to pass on to your children? It’s worth thinking about, if you know what I mean.

Remembering the Forgotten God

Francis Chan put his finger on the problem with his book title, The Forgotten God. He says that from his perspective, “the Holy Spirit is tragically neglected and for all practical purposes, forgotten. Speaking of forgotten, did you remember that last Sunday was Pentecost, and did you commemorate it in some fashion? It’s amazing that we let one of the pivotal events of the Christian calendar (along with Christmas and Easter) slip through our fingers.

Pentecost means “fifty” and is celebrated fifty days after Passover. In the Old Testament it was called the Feast of Weeks (the day after seven completed weeks) and coincided with the wheat harvest of spring. Jews from distant countries traveled to Jerusalem to participate in this festival. There they would bring the “first fruits” of the wheat to give as an offering to God. Traditionally “the synagogue was usually decorated in greenery, flowers and baskets of fruit to symbolize the harvest aspect” of Pentecost. It’s akin to our Thanksgiving Day.

It was also tradition to read from Ezekiel 1 when they met at the Temple. Imagine hearing this read, “I looked, and I saw a windstorm coming out of the north—an immense cloud with flashing lightning and surrounded by brilliant light. The center of the fire looked like glowing metal…” And then imagine experiencing this, “Suddenly a sound like the blowing of a violent wind came from heaven and filled the whole house where they were sitting. They saw what seemed to be tongues of fire that separated and came to rest on each of them.”

The Holy Spirit’s role in our lives has fallen on hard times in part because of the excesses by some, but it was Jesus himself who said, “It is for your good that I am going away. Unless I go away, the Counselor will not come to you…” Without the Spirit we are left hung out to dry. We are left without a Teacher, without a Counselor and without a Comforter. I know personally I had forgotten about the Spirit for years until someone abruptly called my attention to His mighty indwelling. It turned out to be a revolution in my heart as He began to fill, control, motivate, dominate, captivate and direct my life.

Want to celebrate next year? Try out these ideas: set a festive table with greenery and flowers, bake some fresh homemade bread, read passages about the Holy Spirit leading up to Pentecost, follow the Anglican tradition of wearing all white, attend a baptism, hang a dove as a symbolic decoration, have friends over for a prayer time, light candles, make a huge fruit basket for a table centerpiece… All are opportunities to remember the Forgotten God and celebrate His coming at Pentecost.

Anniversary Two Three

Selecting a romantic location for our 23rd anniversary on June 4th proved to be more difficult than I expected. As we looked over options we could have chosen Paris, Lisbon or Santorini. It could have been Nevis, Venice or Florence. In the end we decided on Hinton, a quaint little railroad town nestled in the beautiful mountains of southern West Virginia. While there we stumbled across The Chestnut Revival Café and Tea House for a delightful afternoon of conversation, reading, homemade bread and peach iced tea. Hinton was a good choice. For while we have been blessed to travel a decent amount over the last few years, we find ourselves gravitating to the simple pleasures of life.

Truth be told, we are also opportunists when it comes to celebrations. So when we traveled to Colorado last month to see Daniel at Timberline, we took advantage to have an early anniversary celebration. One of the memory makers was eating at the Encore Restaurant where we enjoyed flatbread pizza (Mozzarella, Roasted Tomato, Basil), Falafel Burger w/Hummus, and a rocky road ice cream sandwich for dessert. Encore has been described as “cloistered cool of fine dining and the comforting casualness of a hip neighborhood spot.”

Another memory maker was spending the day at the Tattered Cover Bookstore. How many people do you know who would pass up all the Denver attractions to spend the day at a bookstore? With the theme “Eat, Sleep, Read” it was our kind of place and filled with nooks and crannies, overstuffed chairs and antique tables as well as a Coffee and Tea Shop. So while we enjoy the simple I guess in the end we are a bit cosmopolitan as well.

One more thing about our anniversary, I am blessed to be married to a woman who is a lifelong learner. I read a book a month. My wife reads a book an evening. She is amazing and a wealth of insight. Whether it’s health food, flowers, chemistry, vitamins, child development, Spanish, Bible, numbers, pioneer days, exchange rates, music, Mexican history……….. she knows a good deal about it.

Now together, I am glad we are on a journey of learning together. We are learning what companionship means at mid-life. We are learning to be more vulnerable and how much we need an authentic community. We are learning there is a wonder and wildness to life, and freedom to those who obey. Together we are learning. I wouldn’t want to be on this journey with anyone else.

A Valueless Life?

At what point does a life become valueless? Many voices have given an answer to this question throughout the generations. During World War II phrases were thrown around like, “they were killed because they had handicaps... useless eaters...unworthy of living...individuals lower then beasts.” In ancient Rome babies would often be left to die if they were “illegitimate, unhealthy or deformed, the wrong sex, or too great a burden on the family.”

Move out of the realm of history and we are left to sort through our own personal perceptions of life - an unborn child tests likely to be born with Down’s Syndrome, a stroke leaves a family member with a very uncertain future, a parent suffers with Alzheimer’s, your life becomes connected with the disabled. As he has at other times in the past Phil Yancey gives helpful insight:

“At times, despite our best efforts to honor other’ pain, we encounter suffering that seems utterly devoid of meaning. I am thinking specifically of a man with Alzheimer’s disease; the daughter tries to tend to his needs, but every day her heart is broken by the sad shell of what used to be her father. Or I think of the severely disabled child with an IQ in the 30-40 range. The child may live a long life lying motionlessly in a crib, unable to talk, unable to comprehend, soaking up hours of expensive professional care.

“‘What is the point of their lives? Do their lives have any meaning?’ asked Dr. Jurgen Trogisch, a pediatrician who works with the severely mentally handicapped.

“For many years Dr. Trogisch could not answer the question of meaning. Then he ran an introductory course to train new helpers, and at the end of the one year training period, he asked the helpers to fill out a survey. Among the questions was this one, ‘What changes have taken place in your life since you became totally involved with disabled people?’

“Here is a sampling of their answers:
• For the first time in my life I am doing something really significant.
• I feel I can now do things I wouldn’t have thought myself capable of before.
• I am more responsive now to human suffering and it arouses in me the desire to help.
• It’s made me question what is really important in life.
• I’ve become more tolerant. My own little problems don’t seem so important any longer, and I’ve learned to accept myself with all my inadequacies. Above all I’ve learned to appreciate the little pleasures of life.

“As Dr. Trogisch read over these and other responses, he realized with a start the answer to his question. The meaning of suffering of those children was being worked out in the lives of others, his helpers, who were learning lessons no sophisticated educational system could teach.”