One Another Challenge: 31 days to friendship God's way (2)
Happy Memorial Day! How was the first week of the One Another Challenge? I found the word “challenge” appropriate. It was interesting how God truly “challenged” me in the particular one-another of each day. Relationships are rich, fulfilling, rewarding, and … challenging. How about you? What have you discovered during our first week?
*Just joining us? Find our first week of challenges here…
Here are this week’s One Anothers:
Monday, May 28: Romans 16:16: “Greet one another with a holy kiss.”
Well, it probably wouldn’t bless your friend if you tried to kiss her. But in our culture, this would be translated into a hug, a squeeze of her hand, a kind and warm smile. What physical demonstration could you make to your friend, your spouse, or your children, to communicate your love to them? Do you sometimes hold back? Today take a step toward showing warmth and physical affection to your friends. Touch her arm, squeeze her hand, hug her, smile.
Tuesday, May 29: James 1:19: “Be quick to listen, slow to speak.”
If we did this every single day our friendships would be transformed! If this particular verse pricks your heart with conviction, might I suggest a fabulous book called The Lost Art of Listening (buy it here). I’m 3/4 way through it right now and being so challenge and inspired. In it Dr. Michael Nichols explains that the essence of listening is learning to suspend self in order to truly listen, understand, and empathize with another. He says, “Better listening doesn’t start with a set of techniques. It starts with making a sincere effort to pay attention to what’s going on in the other person’s private world of experience.” Today, make a sincere effort to suspend your own agenda, thoughts, and opinions and enter in to the thoughts and experience of another. Listen long, listen well. The rewards will be amazing!
Wednesday, May 30: Ephesians 4:32: “Be kind and compassionate to one another.”
“Compassion” literally means “with feeling” or “to feel with” someone. How can you “feel with” someone today. After you’ve listened, how can you feel with someone and enter into their world. Rejoice with those who rejoice, weep with those who weep. Make a conscious effort today to enter in to the feelings of another. Take time to think about what it feels like in their shoes. Consider how they might perceive things. After you’ve thought and considered this, do some small action of kindness based on what you’ve learned from feeling-with them. If a friend has a big birthday coming up, consider the mixed emotions they might feel and write them a note accordingly. If your kids are enduring their last days of school or preparing for exams, consider what feelings or anxieties they are facing and do something to let them know you care. Act purposefully (not random acts of kindness) and specifically in your kindness, so the other person knows you have thought, understood, and cared about them.
Thursday, May 31: 1 Thessalonians 3:12: “[May] your love increase and overflow for each other.”
When I think of “overflow” I think of something I just can’t help. Take some time today and think through your friends. Is there one who stands out who just makes you want to overflow with joy because she’s so special? Who really stands out in your mind? Yes, we took time to not play favorites, but today just consider, “Who really just makes you overflow?” Take a moment today and tell her how special she is to you and how she makes your cup run over with joy.
Friday, June 1: Romans 12:10: “Be devoted to one another in brotherly love.”
To be devoted in a way that shows brotherly love is to be loyal. The beauty and essence of devoted, brotherly love is the loyalty and faithfulness that is intended to mark family relationships (but sadly, often doesn’t). Who can you show loyalty and faithfulness to today? Today I have the joy of spending a family-type celebration with a non-family friend. What an honor! My prayer is to remain devoted to this particular friend, and her family, for the long haul as they walk through a particularly difficult challenge. Who is God calling you to be devoted to? What would it look like for you to remain devoted to them in brotherly love? Is that praying for her daily? Is it making monthly dates with her so you know you’ll stay in touch? Is it making a habit of calling her so you keep current with each other? What steps can you take so you can remain loyal, faithful, and devoted to a particular friend in sisterly love?
Saturday, June 2: 1 Peter 4:9: “Offer hospitality to one another.”
Invite someone over! Plan ahead for this day and open your home or life to someone. Invite a friend over for coffee or tea. Partner with your husband and have another couple over for dinner. Better yet, throw a bean party! If your house isn’t perfect, that’s even better. Remember the challenge isn’t to entertain, it’s to show hospitality. Think of your home as an soul-hospital, a place people can come and find rest for their souls, encouragement, strength, love, laughter, warmth, food, nourishment. Don’t worry about dust or the perfect menu, simply delight in blessing a friend with your presence. Smile, hug, ask questions, listen, and laugh. Enjoy!
Sunday, June 3: Galatians 6:10: “As we have opportunity, let us do good, especially to those of the household of faith.”
As you join with your local congregation to worship today, look around and see where you can do good. You don’t need to force it, stress, or strive, just simply ask God to show you what opportunity you already have, and to help you walk through that door to bless those in the household of faith. Invite another family over after church for a casual lunch. Be spontaneous. Another idea: before Sunday take some time to write hand-written thank you notes to each of your pastors or staff. Deliver them to their offices on Sunday. Or just pick one. Don’t worry about how little your step is, just do some good to some dear brother or sister in the household of faith.
{Oh I pray you enjoy these challenges this week! I’m so excited to practice these with you. I can already feel God working in my heart. I pray you can too. Bless you today, and thanks for reading!}
Week's end with thanks
- Reunion with some of Jeff’s and my college friends … priceless gift.
- That all are still walking with Jesus.
- Laughter, laughter, and more laughter.
- Sleeping in.
- First run after a month of kicking that flu … tired but good.
- 3+ hour drive to talk with my man.
- Dutch with stetson hat, holster, spurs, guns. My little cowboy.
- Nana’s love, care, and delicious food.
- Coconut prawns.
- Finishing the busy season.
- Oregon Women of the Word conference; God’s amazing faithfulness.
- Perspective.
- Being reminded how big God is and all He’s doing around the world.
- Dreaming.
- Heart-talks.
- Learning to listen.
- Reading for fun.
- The Proposal with my man cuddled under a quilt.
- Baby ducks hatching on the front porch.
- Sleepy-eyed kids, so warm, puppy breath.
- Knowing Him by name.
- Warmth.
- Acceptance.
- Grace.
- A counselor who helps me find the broken places inside.
- Providence.
- How God directs our steps.
- That nothing’s wasted.
- That our misery is our ministry.
- Jane.
- My friend Dawson, of 28 years, going to be a daddy!
- Swapping stories and laughing until our sides hurt.
- Cookie dough in the kitchen with the girls (just a little!)
- Ping pong.
- Sneaking in late.
- Watching children sleep.
- Gratitude.
- A cup running over.
- Fresh coffee.
- His whisper, “Rest.”
- Obeying…
#8 Streamline your mail {52 bites}
This past Tuesday marked the end of our busy season. You know, the season where you just focus on keeping everyone fed, clothed, and reasonably content, without much thought to organization, creativity, and goal-setting. That was pretty much our season since September 18th when our house sold and we entered a wonderful but indeed full season of moving and ministry. But we have purposefully slated our summer for family, recreation, and rest and we are so excited for it!
Now that my brain is a little less cluttered my house can follow suit. We have indeed been purging, organizing, de-cluttering everything from Jeff’s office at church to the kids’ toys to my clothes closet. It feels so good!
Thankfully, there is one area that remains reasonably under control and that is paper. I’m ruthless. Tsh encourages us to take this bite and streamline our mail so we’re not swallowed whole. Here are my two favorite ways:
Automatic Bill-Pay/Paperless bills::
Hopefully by now we are all doing this, right? It makes life so much easier! All of our donations (except tithe) are automatic deductions, as well as our savings transfer, Roth IRA, utilities, and bills. I love that at this point the only thing I have to remember is to pay rent on the 1st. That’s it. Beautiful. This also means that not much mail comes to our door. We’ve opted for paperless, and I love that you can look up statements online anytime you wish. If you haven’t done this yet, take the time and sign-up and simplify your life!
Open the mail outside::
After the kids and I walk to the mailbox we walk straight into the carport, to the recycling bin, and toss almost everything straight inside. Junk mail isn’t allowed in the door and I don’t need catalogs laying around telling me about all the things I need (ok, occasionally I allow Anthroplogie in … it inspires me to take old things and make them look cool). Anything worthwhile is taken out of the envelope and the envelope goes straight into the recycling. That way the only things allowed inside are the actual bill/correspondence/item of importance that requires attention or filing.
This, streamlining the mail, is really a rather small and insignificant item in the grand scheme of things. Since this week’s bite is fairly simple, consider re-visiting some of the other bites you haven’t tackled yet … For example:
Create a Family Purpose Statement (my personal favorite)
Make a Debt-Free Plan
Establish Your Morning Routine
{I pray your Memorial Day weekend can be restful and restorative, wherever you are and whatever you do. Thank you so much for faithfully reading and traveling this sacred mundane road along with me. You’re a gift! }
*How’s the One Another Challenge going? Are you showing equal concern for friendships today? I pray God is meeting you as you choose His way!
How to throw a Bean Party (and why!)
Reader Lacey created this fun way to bless those in need through fun, fellowship, and good friends! Check out her idea for a Bean Party, then get creative and throw your own! Enjoy…
My heart broke as I watched a video describing the suffering in Africa. For years I never wanted to hear, because what in the world could I do about it? Still, my heart beckoned so I asked God,
“Will you please show me if there is something more I could do? ”
His answer: Rice and beans.
Did you know that most of the world lives off of this simple meal every day? Here’s why…it’s cheap, healthy, versatile, and filling! An idea was birthed. I invited several of my friends, made two crockpots of beans, and two rice cookers full of rice.
My friends were sweet. They came. They brought their kids. Everyone ate and they were pleasantly surprised it actually tasted good (I prayed hard!). People brought whatever money it would’ve cost them to feed their family that night. We pooled our money together and sent a check to an organization that helps fight poverty through the hope of Christ (my favorite is Compassion International).
What resulted was hanging out with people I love, a practical teaching example for our children, prayer over those less fortunate than ourselves, and the satisfying feeling of taking something mundane…dinner…and turning it into something more…glorifying.
How to throw a Bean Party::
1. Invite friends.
Pick a date and let your friends know about the party and the cause. Decide ahead of time what organization to give toward. Be enthusiastic!
2. Make beans.
To make the beans, any beans, you can buy them dry, they are super cheap this way. You soak them overnight in water. (Fill jar 1/3 full of beans, then fill to the top with water.) Then drain and rinse, then boil them in water, or stick in crockpot. It takes about 1-2 hours for them, and sometimes you have to add more water. Don’t cover them completely or it will boil over. You know they are done when you can squish them in between your fingers. (You can add onions and salt for flavor.)
Italian beans:
Saute onion and garlic in olive oil til cooked. Add to beans with water and chicken boullion (as much as you want for flavor) and either dry or fresh basil (fresh basil definitely tastes better). Cook on the stove top for about 15 min or in a crockpot for 2 hours.
Thai beans:
Combine 1 T. soy sauce, 2 cloves minced garlic, 2 teaspoons brown sugar, and 2 teaspoons peanut butter. Stir in about 1 c. of beans (the more beans you have you should double/triple your recipe above), heat on stovetop for about 15 min or in a crockpot for 2 hours.
Chinese beans:
I like this best with white beans…Saute onions and garlic in butter. Add beans and soy sauce and chicken boullion for flavor. If you like more juice, add water b/c this can get salty (probably why I like this kind so much)!
Mexican beans:
Blend black beans, salsa and water with chicken stock. The salsa I ended up using was really hot, so I added Sassi Fresh Dips Chili Cotija dip to it that we got from Costco…it mellowed the heat a little. You could also do plain Greek yogurt or sour cream.
3. Eat beans.
While giving money is an important part of the party, it’s also important to eat the meal. When we eat the rice and beans we’re identifying with much of the world that lives on that meal day after day.
4. Pray
Pray for those bound by poverty. Pray specifically. Choose a country. Look up online for specific needs.
5. Give
Count the money everyone contributes and give through a reputable organization to those in need. Do it right there at the party, so everyone can be part of the process. Pray over the gift, that it can be distributed to just the right people at just the right time.
6. Go home full … in every way.
Good food, fellowship, and the joy of generosity. THAT sounds like a party to me! Thanks for reading.