Comments on: Blogging the Spirtual Disciplines http://www.twelvewitnesses.com/2007/07/17/blogging-the-spirtual-disciplines/ Let these stones be a witness to what we have done here this day. Tue, 22 Nov 2011 19:54:22 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.2.1 By: Joe Kennedy http://www.twelvewitnesses.com/2007/07/17/blogging-the-spirtual-disciplines/#comment-7540 Joe Kennedy Wed, 18 Jul 2007 03:26:03 +0000 http://www.twelvewitnesses.com/2007/07/17/blogging-the-spirtual-disciplines/#comment-7540 your skull and mine, lu. your skull and mine, lu.

]]> By: Lu http://www.twelvewitnesses.com/2007/07/17/blogging-the-spirtual-disciplines/#comment-7535 Lu Tue, 17 Jul 2007 19:59:27 +0000 http://www.twelvewitnesses.com/2007/07/17/blogging-the-spirtual-disciplines/#comment-7535 No, you're not splitting hairs. I agree with your assessment. I think all too often we look at that "quiet time" as just something else we supposed to do, something we check off our list. If we haven't done it and trouble comes, we think it's because we aren't "spending time with the Lord" or "in His Word". So we suddenly start pouring ourselves into a daily quiet time. But rarely do we, in the midst of it, really connect with God; we just read, pray, and check it off the list. It's kind of like eating penut butter without any jelly. Fine in occasional fingerfuls, but ultimately rather dry, and if done in longer doses it leaves us thirstier than when we started. Does that make sense? I was the same. Not until I really started journaling what I heard God saying within the passage I was reading, or started asking Him to help me understand the meaning and listening for His explanation -- asking Him to talk to me, with me -- did I start really connecting with Him. For all the wrong roads Gwen Shamblin has taken over the last decade, this is one thing she used to teach in her Weigh Down Workshop tapes/cds, etc that was vital to my spiritual growth. To <i>listen</i> for God. It seems that this is the "year of the disciplines" for me. I started the year reading Foster's book while also coaching/mentoring a couple of college girls reading it as well. About the time we finished, our pastor started a teaching series of these disciplines on Sundays (we're at "Worship" now). And now ya'll are starting to go through them. Goodness! Maybe God's trying to get something through my think skull... No, you’re not splitting hairs. I agree with your assessment. I think all too often we look at that “quiet time” as just something else we supposed to do, something we check off our list. If we haven’t done it and trouble comes, we think it’s because we aren’t “spending time with the Lord” or “in His Word”. So we suddenly start pouring ourselves into a daily quiet time. But rarely do we, in the midst of it, really connect with God; we just read, pray, and check it off the list. It’s kind of like eating penut butter without any jelly. Fine in occasional fingerfuls, but ultimately rather dry, and if done in longer doses it leaves us thirstier than when we started. Does that make sense?

I was the same. Not until I really started journaling what I heard God saying within the passage I was reading, or started asking Him to help me understand the meaning and listening for His explanation — asking Him to talk to me, with me — did I start really connecting with Him. For all the wrong roads Gwen Shamblin has taken over the last decade, this is one thing she used to teach in her Weigh Down Workshop tapes/cds, etc that was vital to my spiritual growth. To listen for God.

It seems that this is the “year of the disciplines” for me. I started the year reading Foster’s book while also coaching/mentoring a couple of college girls reading it as well. About the time we finished, our pastor started a teaching series of these disciplines on Sundays (we’re at “Worship” now). And now ya’ll are starting to go through them. Goodness!

Maybe God’s trying to get something through my think skull…

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