Monday, April 1, 2013

Let's Begin "My One Word" !

"Be silent, and know that I am God."  Psalm 46:10 (NLV)


When my son was in 2nd grade, his first year at the local public school, he had difficulty adjusting.  His complaint to me was that his classroom was loud.  Having been in his room a few times, I knew that generally the class was well behaved and not overly boisterous.  What I realized when I went in for a conference was all the visual stimulation, the clutter and busy-ness of the classroom and the fast paced schedule.  It all made it hard for him to quiet his mind enough to concentrate on his lesson.

That was an "ah-ha" moment for me.  It clarified something I had been trying to understand for years:  The world in which we live is loud! And I don't just mean it's filled with noise (which is it!). It's colors are loud, it's demands on our time & energy are loud, we are visually assaulted with images, our schedules scream "hurry up", we talk about the ticking of clocks of self-imposed, culture-imposed, and even biological deadlines (presumably getting louder as time moves on).   All this NOISE makes it difficult, and sometimes impossible, to focus on the important things in life.  We can easily get distracted, off track, and confused. 

We all need to find a way to slow down.  The medical world is finally discovering what God has been telling us for countless ages:  REST.  Rest is essential.  Quiet is necessary.  Let go and let God!  "Be silent, and know that I am God."  Psalm 46:10 

We need to limit the noise of living in order to focus on the important things of life.  The book My One Word will help us do just that. 

This Friday, April 5th, we begin with the video and book series, My One Word.  If you have not yet purchased your book, it's okay.  Most orders from Amazon come within a few days :)  And you don't have to do any reading before our first session, anyway.  Order your book and relax.

If you have your book and want to start reading, here's what I suggest as an order of importance:
1) pg 181-184 Video Discussion Guide (scan the questions, we will discuss them after the video)
2) pg 13-16 Introduction
3) Chapter 1
4) Reflection questions at the end of Chapter 1

After this week, the reading will be important for you.  It is how you will narrow down your One Word, which we will all eventually share with one another.  Sharing our word is essential in being held accountable to it.

I strongly recommend a journal.  While there is often some blank space after the reflection questions at the end of each chapter, it's not very much.  As I was journal-ing today, I found that by writing out what I at first thought was a non-answer, I eventually came around to something more significant.  It was through the process of slowing down to write that allowed me to see what was really going on.  There may be things within the chapter you'd like to make note of, too.   And, you may want to note things that stand out to you in the videos as well, since this is what most of our discussions will be based upon.*
Your journal can be anything, by the way.  It can be an old notebook, a binder with lined paper, or just some paper stapled together.  Whatever you have that you can keep with your book and bring to your computer and/or our sessions.
If you've never 'journaled' before, don't let that intimidate you.  It's just the latest word for writing because the word 'writing' often intimidates people!  It's just writing down what comes to mind, making note of favorite ideas, and jotting down things that bring up more questions for you.  It doesn't require much time, either.  There is no quota of pages to be filled or number of words.  Put your thoughts on paper - there is no judgement or critique.

*If you are following on-line and not attending Friday mornings, start or join a discussion on the reflection questions or group questions on our blog (note: if you receive updates via e-mail, you must go to the blog to enter a Comment).  The group questions from the video don't rely on having seen the video; it is the discussion between us that is vital.  Visit our blog, www.reonlineblog.blogspot.com, and the web page and blog at www.MyOneWord.org for even more support and connections!

I am so excited to get started!  Thank you for joining me on this journey of life change!!

Your Partner in Ministry,
Shelly

"Kind words are like honey - sweet to the soul and healthy for the body."  Proverbs 16:24



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