Things I Caught Along the Way

In my personal library, I have over a hundred and fifty books on prayer. These books range from how to pray like the Desert Fathers of the Third Century (who fled from the cities to the desert in order to meet with God in solitude and silence) to how to influence suburban America by prayer walking. Books that teach about prayers of petition, praise, intercession, not to mention praying for friends, family members and the needs of others. Others portray prayers of examination, reflection and praying through the Bible. You get the idea, a lot of books about prayer. Did I mention I really like books?

Some of these books have been instrumental in challenging my life of prayer with God over the years. But, if I’m honest, when I think about prayer, there’s an image that out weighs all these pages of the sages. It’s the image I have of a mentor of mine during my late teens, early twenties. There he was sitting in a chair -  early in the morning – every morning. Praying. At times, words were flowing or passages of Scripture being quoted. At other times, silence, not a word was uttered, rather simply being present before God. I have images of him driving to and from work, praying as he drove. He would pray for me and others, as well as upcoming Bible studies, ministry endeavors, and the like.

Talking to God Without Words

The God of the Bible is a relational God. He is a communicative Being. From the Garden of Eden in Genesis to the very last words of the Book of Revelation, God interacts and communicates to His people. God walked with Adam in the cool of the day. He spoke to Abraham in a vision. Jacob encountered God in a late night wrestling match and God spoke to Joseph through dreams. For Moses, a burning bush, lightening, earthquakes, clouds, fire, tablets and snakes all became God’s instruments of communication. God spoke to Balaam through a donkey and to Peter through a rooster. Elijah found God as a gentle whisper in sheer silence and David as he lifted his voice in song. Jeremiah understood God through an almond tree. Isaiah saw a vision of heaven and a coal touching his mouth, while Daniel simply received a message from God as a mental picture. At other times, God got creative and imaginative. For over a year, the prophet Ezekiel laid on his side as a message from God to the people of Israel. On another occasion, Ezekiel took a clay tablet, drew on it and then destroyed it in front of the people and simply said, “Yup, that’s what God says…” Another prophet, Hosea’s, very life circumstances became a prophetic parable, a dramatic representation of the heart of God for His people. Scripture says that God also had some prophets say nothing verbally, rather they acted out God’s message like a mime. (You may have to dig a little to find that one). Jesus Himself used seeds, birds, flowers, children, kings, fish, nets, coins, hillsides and stories to communicate to the people of God. Jesus very life was a 4D display of God in the flesh (see John 1:1, 14, 18).

How did God communicate to humanity throughout Scripture? He utilized every possible means.

Think about it.

Discovering Who I Am

 “Who Am I…?”

This is the age-old question. Throughout the ages, philosophers, theologians, poets, psychologists, even historians have all made attempts to answer this question. Interestingly, of all the creatures of creation, humans are the only one’s who say, “Who Am I…?” The very one’s who were created with the greatest significance in the image of God seem to somewhere along the way have forgotten who they are. Henri Nouwen, in the book Spiritual Direction, points out that many of us are now prone to answer this question and define ourselves in one or more of the following ways.

I am what I do…

“I am what I do.” When I do good things and have a little success in life, I feel good about myself. But when I fail, I start getting depressed. To define yourself based on what you do is to live on an emotional and spiritual roller coaster. Isn’t this largely what one is doing when they experience what is commonly called a midlife crisis? They reach an age or season in life and they look around while asking themselves, “what have I done with my life…?” Then, based on what we’ve perceive we’ve done, we calculate how we’re doing. Our evaluations are often nothing more than the byproduct of how we faired when we compared what we’ve “done” to our peers and those around us.

As we get older and our body begins to deteriorate, rendering us unable to physically do much, all we’ll be able to say is, “Look at what I did in my life… look, look, look, look, I did something good…” Our value, worth, significance and identity will be nothing more than a distant memory and perhaps a faded plaque on the wall.

I am what other people say about me…

Another way we are prone to define ourselves is, “I am what other people say about me.” This is tricky and often subconscious. But, we have to admit, we often expend a tremendous about of head-space worrying (or at least thinking and imagining) what other people are saying about us (or at least what they think about us). Further, they don’t even have to say it or actually think it, but if we think they think it – it can control us just the same. Often, it’s not so much what other people think about you that is the problem; it’s what YOU THINK – THEY THINK.

Don’t be mistaken; what people say about you has great power. When people speak well of you, you can walk around quite freely. But when somebody starts saying negative things about you, you might start feeling sad. When someone talks against you, it can cut deep into your heart.

I am what I have…

Or, we might say, “I am what I have.” There’s a human tendency to let our things and our stuff determine our identity. The square footage of our homes, to the model of our cars, to the little designs on our hip pockets can all subconsciously serve as the building blocks of how we define ourselves in the eyes of others.

How much energy goes into defining yourself by deciding “I am what I do,” “I am what others say about me,” or “I am what I have”?

You are not, fundamentally, what you do, what other people say about you, or what you have. You are loved by God.

In the book, A Traveler Toward the Dawn, John Eagan describes an encounter he has with his spiritual director on the sixth day on his annual, silent eight-day retreat, “John, the heart of it is this:  to make the Lord and his immense love for you constitutive of your personal worth.  Define yourself radically as one beloved by God.  God’s love for you and his choice of you constitutive your worth.  Accept that, and let it become the most important thing in your life.”

“Who am I?” 
“I am one loved by Christ.”
-Thomas Merton

Consider the first human, Adam. God created Adam for the very purpose of finding pleasure in his union with the Creator of the universe.  Before Adam was given any assignment, role or responsibility, he was put in a place conducive for intimacy with the Almighty.  Scripture says,

“The LORD God took Adam and placed him in the garden of Eden.”  
(Genesis 2:15)

The Lord God took Adam and put him in the garden of Eden. The word “garden” used here means, “a place of enclosure.” The word “Eden” means, “delight or pleasure.” In other words, Adam was enclosed in the place of God’s pleasure and delight. God always surrounds those in whom He takes pleasure and finds delight. This is how the first human defined himself. His identity was not based on what he did, what other humans thought, or what he had. It was based solely on what God said. And, God said, “You are loved.” If we were to rewrite Genesis 2:15 with this expanded understanding, perhaps it would look like this:

Keepers of the Stream

There was once a town high in the Alps that straddled the banks of a beautiful stream. The stream was fed by springs that were old as the earth and deep as the sea.

The water was clear like crystal. Children laughed and played beside it; swans and geese swam in it. You could see rocks and sand and rainbow trout that swarmed at the bottom of the stream.

High in the hills, far beyond anyone’s sight, lived an old man who served as Keeper of the Springs. He had been hired so long ago that now no one could remember a time when he wasn’t there. He would travel from one spring to another in the hills, removing branches or fallen leaves or debris that might pollute the water. But his work was unseen.

Discovering Who I Am

“Who Am I…?”

This is the age-old question. Throughout the ages, philosophers, theologians, poets, psychologists, even historians have all made attempts to answer this question. Interestingly, of all the creatures of creation, humans are the only one’s who say, “Who Am I…?” The very one’s who were created with the greatest significance in the image of God seem to somewhere along the way have forgotten who they are. Henri Nouwen, in the book Spiritual Direction, points out that many of us are now prone to answer this question and define ourselves in one or more of the following ways.

I am what I do...

“I am what I do.” When I do good things and have a little success in life, I feel good about myself. But when I fail, I start getting depressed. To define yourself based on what you do is to live on an emotional and spiritual roller coaster. Isn’t this largely what one is doing when they experience what is commonly called a midlife crisis? They reach an age or season in life and they look around while asking themselves, “what have I done with my life…?” Then, based on what we’ve perceive we’ve done, we calculate how we’re doing. Our evaluations are often nothing more than the byproduct of how we faired when we compared what we’ve “done” to our peers and those around us.

As we get older and our body begins to deteriorate, rendering us unable to physically do much, all we’ll be able to say is, “Look at what I did in my life… look, look, look, look, I did something good…” Our value, worth, significance and identity will be nothing more than a distant memory and perhaps a faded plaque on the wall.

I am what other people say about me...

Another way we are prone to define ourselves is, “I am what other people say about me.” This is tricky and often subconscious. But, we have to admit, we often expend a tremendous about of head-space worrying (or at least thinking and imagining) what other people are saying about us (or at least what they think about us). Further, they don’t even have to say it or actually think it, but if we think they think it – it can control us just the same. Often, it’s not so much what other people think about you that is the problem; it’s what YOU THINK – THEY THINK.

Don’t be mistaken; what people say about you has great power. When people speak well of you, you can walk around quite freely. But when somebody starts saying negative things about you, you might start feeling sad. When someone talks against you, it can cut deep into your heart.

I am what I have...

Or, we might say, “I am what I have.” There’s a human tendency to let our things and our stuff determine our identity. The square footage of our homes, to the model of our cars, to the little designs on our hip pockets can all subconsciously serve as the building blocks of how we define ourselves in the eyes of others.

How much energy goes into defining yourself by deciding “I am what I do,” “I am what others say about me,” or “I am what I have”?

You are not, fundamentally, what you do, what other people say about you, or what you have. You are loved by God.

In the book, A Traveler Toward the Dawn, John Eagan describes an encounter he has with his spiritual director on the sixth day on his annual, silent eight-day retreat, “John, the heart of it is this:  to make the Lord and his immense love for you constitutive of your personal worth.  Define yourself radically as one beloved by God.  God’s love for you and his choice of you constitutive your worth.  Accept that, and let it become the most important thing in your life.”

“Who am I?”
“I am one loved by Christ.” 
-Thomas Merton

Consider the first human, Adam. God created Adam for the very purpose of finding pleasure in his union with the Creator of the universe.  Before Adam was given any assignment, role or responsibility, he was put in a place conducive for intimacy with the Almighty.  Scripture says,

“The LORD God took Adam
and placed him in the garden of Eden.” 
-Genesis 2:15

The Lord God took Adam and put him in the garden of Eden. The word “garden” used here means, “a place of enclosure.” The word “Eden” means, “delight or pleasure.” In other words, Adam was enclosed in the place of God’s pleasure and delight. God always surrounds those in whom He takes pleasure and finds delight. This is how the first human defined himself. His identity was not based on what he did, what other humans thought, or what he had. It was based solely on what God said. And, God said, “You are loved.” If we were to rewrite Genesis 2:15 with this expanded understanding, perhaps it would look like this:

Now the LORD took the human that He had intimately formed and put him in a place surrounded and enclosed with the reality of God's pleasure and delight.  –Genesis 2:15 rewrite

This original common-union is one of the most vivid pictures of love.  Love, was to be the primary expression of Adam’s existence. Out of this love, Adam would “work and take care of” the garden. Adam was not defined by his work, responsibility, status or position in creation; rather he was defined by the reality of God’s love. He didn’t work to earn God’s approval. He didn’t strive to acquire God’s love. He was loved. All of his life and relationships were to flow out of this central truth. And, so it is for us. “You are God’s beloved child, in whom He is well pleased.”

I AM THE BELOVED...

Ephesians 3:16-17 :: REWRITE

The following is an expanded re-write of Ephesians 3:16-17.

 ¹⁶I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, ¹⁷ so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith.

–Ephesians 3:16-17 NIV

I pray that the very core of your heart, the executive center of your being, the citadel of your soul, will be fortified and strengthened by the endless power of God’s Spirit. May you be built up, not according to your lack, but His boundless supply. The purpose of such strengthening isn’t for your own honor, making a name for yourself, or even expanding your own kingdom. On the contrary, this infusing of God’s power is that you may, more and more, live out your life as if Christ were living His life through you. Don’t be content with Christ’s provision of an eternal destiny. But, implore Him to be your traveling companion throughout this journey called life.

Don’t just tidy up your soul the way you’d clean your house prior to a visit from an out-of-town guest. Yard mowed. Bushes manicured. Landry put away. Yet, all the while, the closets are a mess, and so will be the rest of the house, once they depart. No, invite Christ in. Give Him refrigerator rights. Grant Him keys to the closets and access to the attic. Don’t stop there, go ahead, turn over the title and move into the guest room yourself. Let Him run the affairs of your home and all of your comings and goings…

Decided but not Discipled...

I'm currently reading through King Jesus Gospel by Scot McKnight. The aim of the text is to explore the meaning of Gospel and Salvation as presented throughout the New Testament. His premise is that we've settled for a view of "gospel" and "salvation" that may be less than biblical. The book explores how the Gospel and Salvation are presented theologically in the New Testament (via Gospels, Paul, Peter, etc).

The foundational introduction contends that we have placed much emphasis on people Making a Decision for Jesus. However, such a decision may not be congruent with them actually becoming Disciples of Jesus.

Below are a few quotes from the opening chapter:

"The primary barrier to the power of Jesus' gospel today - that is, a view of salvation and of grace that has no connection with discipleship and spiritual transformation. It is a view of grace and salvation that, supposedly, gets one ready to die, but leaves them unprepared to live now in the grace and power of resurrection life."

"Evangelism that focuses on decisions short circuits and - yes, the word is appropriate - aborts the design of the gospel, while evangelism that aims at disciples slows down to offer the full gospel of Jesus and the apostles."

"We cannot help but conclude that making a decision is not the vital element that leads to a life of discipleship."

"Our focus on getting young people to make decisions - that is, "accepting Jesus into their hearts" - appears to distort spiritual formation... focusing youth events, retreats, and programs on persuading people to make a decision disarms the gospel, distorts numbers, and diminishes the significance of discipleship."

Guided Prayers

  If you are weary of some sleepy form of devotion,

probably God is as weary of it as you are.
~Frank Laubach

If you're looking to engage God and explore different forms of prayer, check out pray-as-you-go.

They offer a daily podcast (10-13minutes) that provides space for stillness, silence, reflection and simply being with Christ.

There are many different expressions of prayer found in Scripture. There are times to come to God with our lists of needs and concerns. There are also times to simply follow the Spirit's leading in prayer. Another form of prayer is simply allowing another guide our times of reflection and prayer. Pray-as-you-go offer daily reflections of such a genre. I'm committing utilize these guided-narrated prayers several times a week simply as a means of engaging God in a different manner than is typically a part of my weekly/daily rhythms...

Journaling Resources

Journaling slows down the mind to the pace of the hand

so the soul can catch up to the speed of life.

Here are a few online resources to explore journaling...

Examen.me
This is a website that allows you to create a user profile and save all your reflections. It offers daily readings, prayers, etc. You can reflect on a passage, or engage a prayer of examen. You can search entries, as well as export them to you hardrive.
http://www.examen.me


Journler
Journler (spelled as is...) is a downloadable program that allows you to save entries to your computer. You can integrate images, sound and video into journal entries. They can be searched by text, date or tag.
http://journler.com

Ommwriter
Ommwriter is a downloadable program that over-rides your screen - pushing all other programs and notifications to the background (and silent)... I has various background tracks that can be played as you write.
http://www.ommwriter.com

RECOMMENDED READING :: ENGAGING SCRIPTURE :: MEDITATION

Here are a few books that you may find helpful in learning how to engage Scripture more reflectively.

Recommended Reading:

The Message Remix : Solo by Eugene Peterson

Life with God: Reading the Bible for Spiritual Transformation by Richard Foster

Eat this Book: a conversation in the art of spiritual reading by Eugene Peterson

ENGAGING SCRIPTURE :: THROUGH THE LENS OF HIS-STORY

There are a number of ways of engaging Scripture...

One is to engage it through the Lens of His-Story.

To look at engaging Scripture through the Lens of His-Story…

Stories are powerful. They shape how we see the world.

All of human life is shaped by some story.

I can only answer the question
“What am I to do?”
if I can answer the prior question
“Of what story do I find myself a part?”


(Alasdaire MacIntyre)

The way we understand human life
depends on what conception we have of the human story.
What is the real story of which my life story is a part?

(Lesslie Newbigin)

Scripture is the most powerful story ever recorded.

It is literally, HIS-STORY. It is the Story of God’s pursuit of humanity. In fact, you can take the first 3 chapters of Genesis and the last 3 chapters of Revelation and you have pretty much the complete story in and of it self. Now much happens, we know in between…

If Scripture were a Drama or a Play, it could be broken up into 6 Acts.

Scripture as a 6 Act Drama

1. Creation: God Establishes His Kingdom
2. Crime/Crisis/Fall: Rebellion in the Kingdom
3. Israel: The King Chooses Israel
   1. Scene I: A People for the King
   2. Scene II: A Land for His People

Interlude: Intertestamental Period 

       4. Jesus: The Coming of the King - Redemption
       5. NT & the People of God
             Scene I:  New Testament and the Early Church – Jerusalem to Rome
             Scene II:  the ongoing story of the Church – To the ends of the Earth
       6.   Restoration of all Creation: The Return of the King

Helpful tips for engaging Scripture through the lens of His-Story.

1. Begin to see Scripture as more than a collection of stories in which we can extract morals and principles from. It is useful for this, as well as for establishing doctrine and teaching. But, all of that needs to be framed in the context of the over-arching narrative of Scripture.
   
   
2. Begin simply by reading through the Bible.(systematically // chronologically).
• Bible Reading Plans.
  
  
3. The following are some books and resources I've found helpful in this area:
   
   
   • God's Big Picture: Tracing the Storyline of the Bible, 
   •  Drama of Scripture, The: Finding Our Place in the Biblical Story
   • Whole Bible Story, The: Everything That Happens in the Bible in Plain English and  
   • The Story, NIV: The Bible as One Continuing Story of God and His People.
     
     

NEW SERIES :: SPIRITUAL PRACTICES

Pretty stoked about the new series we're kicking off at New Community tonight.

Four weeks dealing with a few central Spiritual Practices....

The Voice in Silence

Silence your body to listen to your words...
Silence your tongue to listen to your thoughts...
Silence your thoughts to listen to your heart beating...
Silence your heart to listen to your spirit...
Silence your spirit you listen to His Spirit.

In silence you leave many and be with the One.

-Mama Maggie

LIFT :: Leadership Institute for Transformation

It's easy to get caught up doing good stuff... All the while not realize the atrophy that's beginning to take place deep within one's soul.

Moreover, it can be challenging to find venues conducive for helping us to facilitate on-going learning and spiritual formation. The LIFT courses are a great way to be challenged as a leader, interact with others on the same journey and engage spiritual practices for a healthy soul and sustainable rhythms of life and ministry.

Day 20 of Lent :: Accepting the Cross

“A certain man from Cyrene, Simon, the father of Alexander and Rufus, 

was passing by on his way in from the country, 

and they forced him to carry the cross.” 


(Mark 15:21)

We can only imagine the awful weight of the cross Jesus carried.  It was not just the weight of beams of wood that pressed down upon Him. It was also the weight of the burden He carried for those whom He loved.  He came to offer them life, and they returned death.

Jesus fell from the crushing weight of pain and grief; how many times He fell, we do not know.  We do know His physical strength was failing because the soldiers recognized it and forced a man from the crowd to help Him carry the cross to the place where He would be crucified.  Perhaps the soldiers were afraid that He would die before reaching the top of the hill.  Simon, the man of Cyrene who picked up Jesus’ cross, was just a bystander who paused on his way into town, but without hesitation, he took the weight of the cross to save Christ’s strength.

Reflection: I would like to think that had I been there, I would have rushed from the crowd and volunteered to carry that cross for You.  But, would I have had the courage to face the Roman soldiers and risk being forced to join You on a cross?   Would I have really been so eager to share Your cross if it meant that I might have to die on one as well?  

Would I have been willing to risk everything to ease Your suffering for a few moments, letting You know that You were not alone?  Or would I stayed away because “I have my own crosses already.  I have as much as I can bear without taking on the added burdens of others.”  Too, what would people think of me, if I were seen consorting with criminals and enemies of Rome in such a public spectacle? 
So instead of offering to help, would I have tried to become invisible in the crowd?  When the soldiers were looking around for someone to press into service, would I have looked away and pretended not to notice what was happening?

It is easy to pretend not to see the needs, the grief, and the suffering around me every day.  It is easy to pretend not to hear the cries for help that come in many forms from those among whom I walk every day.   It is easy to convince myself that I am too busy, too tired, or have too much on my plate already to get involved in the lives of others.  There are simply too many who need too much.

And yet I remember something You said, something about taking up my cross and following You.  You said something about becoming a servant of all and putting myself last and others first. 
Is this what it means to be a servant?  Jesus, are You showing me what it means to be that kind of servant?  Is this man from Cyrene modeling for me the path of discipleship?

Must Jesus bear the cross alone,

And all the world go free?

No, there's a cross for everyone,



And there's a cross for me.


(Sam Cooke)

Prayer: “Lord, forgive me for becoming so preoccupied with myself that I have become deaf and blind to the grief and suffering of those around me.  Forgive me for my indifference.  Forgive me for covering my eyes and looking away from the needs of others.  Heal my callousness that has caused me to become numb to others’ pain and hurts.

“Constantly remind me, Lord, that I cannot love You without loving others as well.  Help me always remember that to be a follower of Yours means that I share in the burdens of others.  Help me see these burdens and begin to extend my hands to help.  Lord, show me someone whose cross I can help carry.”

The Journey Begins :: Marah :: part two

Over the last several weeks in New Community, we've been looking at the Israelite's journey from Egypt to the Promise Land. Interestingly, God choose to take them on a route other than the one that would have been the most direct.

Why? What was His purpose in doing so?

There were lessons He wanted them to learn, principles He wanted them to understand. He was forming them into the kind of people He wanted them to become. 1 Corinthians 10 teaches us that they were given as examples for us to learn from.

What can we learn from them? Are there ways in which God dealt with them, that He also deals with us? Are there principles He wanted them to embody, that He also wants us to embody as well?

The following are a few reflective thoughts inspired by Exodus 15:22-26.

v. 22 :: Voices, Death & New Identity

22aThen Moses led Israel from the Red Sea and they went into the Desert of Shur.

Our journey with God isn’t designed to always be comfortable.

We all need voices in our lives that remind us (regardless of how good our present circumstances look) that this is not our destination…

Who (or what) are the voices in your life?

The Journey Begins :: Marah :: part one

Though written centuries ago, it is as relevant today in our own lives, as it was thousands of years ago. I’m amazed, again and again at how rich passages of Scripture are and how much can be learned from them. Especially passages, like the passage in Exodus, where Israel journeys to Marah. The following are a few principles regarding spiritual formation and discipleship that we can learn from Israel's experience found in Exodus 15:22-24.

Israel had just finished singing their song of triumph. Deliverance from the bondage of Egypt wasn't the destination, rather it was simply the beginning of their journey with God. It is with this journey, that God began the process of forming Israel into the people He had called them to be.

There comes a time for all of us,
where the songs of our lips are tested by the fortitude of our hearts and the way of our feet.

The journey isn’t just about getting us out of Egypt,
it’s about getting Egypt out of us.

We often think of Israel's time in the desert as dreary experience, but consider how the prophet Jeremiah portrays God's perspective. 

 ²I remember the devotion of your youth, how as a bride you love me and followed me through the wilderness, through a land not sown. ³Israel was holy to the LORD. Jeremiah 2:2-3

As the echo's of Israel's song can still be heard on the banks of the Red Sea, God leads them away from that which was comfortable and represented safety into the desert.

The Journey Begins...

God miraculously delivered the children of Israel out of the bondage of Egypt. He powerfully lead them through the Red Sea. But, this was only the beginning of a long soul-searching journey through the desert. As we explore Israel’s journeys in the desert, the places they went, the lessons they learned, we discover that there is so much we can gleam for our own lives today. 

Three weeks ago, we kicked off the series, The Journey Begins and I have to say it has been exciting... As I've spent hours simply reflecting on Israel's journey and how God interacted with them, I'm amazed at how similar our own journey with God is. No wonder the Apostle Paul said, "For I do not want you to be ignorant of the fact...that these things happened to them as examples and were written down as instruction for us (1 Corinthians 10:1-14).

MAKING YOUR NEW YEAR'S RESOLUTION STICK

Recently I picked up Chip and Dan Heath's new book Switch: How to Change things When change is Hard. I really enjoyed their previous book Made to Stick, so I've been looking forward to reading Switch.

Switch is all about change. How companies change, or don't. How people change, or don't. What factors contribute to a person/organization becoming successful in actually changing. The God of the Bible is a God of change. As Christ-followers, we are to be continuously experience ongoing change and transformation into the image of Christ (see Romans 8:29, Galatians 4:19, etc). There is a component of human change that can only come from the power of the Spirit of God. Yet, at the same time, there are practical elements of intentionality that we can engage that better posture us to experience such personal transformation and growth. Below are a few summary points by the Heath brothers regarding change from their book Switch.

1. Don't be ambitious. When change is hard, aim low. A friend of ours, the editor of a wellness magazine, has a "1-Song Workout" that she does on days when she doesn't feel like working out. She tells herself, "All I have to do is work out for one song," but of course she often gets in a groove and finishes a full workout. So don't set an ambitious New Year's resolution like "I'll work out four times a week." Instead, plan to do "1-Song Workouts" on Monday and Thursday. Leave yourself room to overachieve -- that feeling of "nailing it" is what will keep you hooked.

2. Watch for bright spots. If you're trying to eat healthier, for instance, don't obsess about all the times that you slip and eat an Oreo. Instead, keep a constant watch on what does work. If you ate healthy food all day yesterday, how did you get away with it? Was it because you had healthy "heat & eat" food that was easy to fix? Was it because you never let yourself get so hungry that you'd crave fatty foods? Did you avoid the office lunch at the Mexican place? If you can understand what allowed you to succeed, you can do more of it. That's bright-spots thinking. (Need a refresher on "bright spots"?)

3. Make simple tweaks in your environment. If you're trying to increase your savings, pay with cash and leave your cards at home. If you're trying to diet, carry around a Ziploc of apple slices. If you're trying to jog, lay out your clothes the night before. If you're trying to stop oversleeping, set up a double (or triple?) alarm system. (Or buy a Clocky with your Xmas gift cards!) This stuff sounds insignificant, but it will make a big difference.

4. Rely on planning, not willpower. Your Resolution calls for a new way of behaving. And that's a challenge because you've been practicing the old way of behaving for a long time. The old way is well-paved and familiar and comfortable. So you can't just bet on willpower or good intentions to ensure your success. Use your planning skills. Get yourself on the hook for something! Don't plan to "learn Spanish." Register for a Spanish course at your local community college. Do it right now -- you're already online. Or don't "try hard" to go to the gym in the morning. Email your friend, right now, and tell 'em to come get you at 7am on January 3.

5. Publicize your resolution. We all know peer pressure works. So use it on yourself.  Tell everybody you know what your resolution is. They'll bug you about it, and you won't want to disappoint them. Just knowing that they know will make you more likely to succeed.

Reflection Precedes Resolutions...

Why do people make New Year's Resolutions? What fuels such "solutions" that are often seeming infused with very little resolve. In fact, according to most studies and surveys, only about 8 percent of Americans successfully achieve and follow-through on their New Year's resolutions. An overwhelming (or rather 'underwhelming') 45 percent fail by the end of January!

Regardless of all the sub lining reasons to this, I think part of the dilemma is that we start looking at the new year from the wrong vantage point. Often the best way to move forward is to look backwards. As the saying goes, Life is best understood backwards, but it can only be lived forward. In other words, reflection should precede resolutions...

Of all the things Americans make time for, reflection is very rarely one of them. The reasons for this and the consequences thereof could be the subject of numerous posts. In short, the word reflect comes from two Latin words: re, meaning "back," and flectere, meaning "to bend."

"To reflect, then, is to bend back something, like the way a mirror bends back an image, providing an opportunity for a closer look." (Ken Gire in The Reflective Life).
Personally, I have found the practice of reflection to be significant in my life with-God. Reflection(s) captured can serve as points of orientation and direction for the future. Several times a year I get away for a day or two on a personal retreat. One of the things that is always integrated into these times is extended periods of prayerful-listening-reflection.

One of the questions I reflect on is:

• God, what are the main things You’ve been trying to teach and form within me lately…?

As simple and potentially insightful as this is, I've found that very few people ever take a few moments to ask God this question.

Before I/we can make any grand resolution of what we will do in the future, it is imperative that we gain an understanding of what God has been endeavoring to produce within us in the recent-present.