I like yoga... but

Taking advantage of the RPA's generosity in giving out free yoga classes, I decided to join a number of heavily pregnant women in bending our bodies week in, week out. And I have to say that i miss it so much that I hired a dvd to do some at home. (Please try not to imagine me as a lump in a jump suit like some of these women are. I'm not THAT into it.)

It concerned me that so many women were happy to listen to the yogic chants and accept them. Because, lets face reality, life is busy. If sitting on a mat, breathing deeply and raising arms is called valid exercise, I'm there. 

But until I went along, I never realised how much yoga exercise and the religion (Buddhism?) is related.

We chant things which are meant to help us deal with the birthing process. Here was one: "Imagine your contractions like a lotus flower, opening up and giving way to new life that you have created." This one wasn't so intrenched with alternate religion. But often, despite my relaxed state of consciousness, I would change the things the teacher would tell me so that the yoga class became for me, a meditation on God's power to create and his life-giving words.

It got me thinking to how great it would be to teach Christian meditation classes. There is so much value in sitting, stretching, and ridding yourself of all selfish thoughts and focusing on God. For example, when we chant in yoga "I am truth", this could very easily be altered to reveal something actually true: "God is the source of all truth. God is truth." Very simple really. Even better, we could use bible verses which say exactly this.

Here's another yogic chant I know you'll all get excited over " I bow to the infinite wisdom inside myself." Wow. And people say Christians are arrogant.

One of my many dreams in this life involves running classes so that Christians can learn to meditate properly. Meditate on Christ's words, because they are the only ones that will satisfy the thirst. Dwelling on why we're here, giving our anxieties to Him and of course, finding joy and peace in his boundless qualities. With a little bit of stretching as a side order.

Where to start? Anyone?

Marriage in the Pastorate Number 1

I am in the process of re-reading a book on marriage. More specifically, marriage in the pastorate. And I’ve had some very thought-provoking quotes to share with you.

I’m still not sure if I’ll recommend this book to other pastors’ wives, because I’m only in the first chapter and I can’t vouch for what I’ve forgotten is in the rest of it.

But here’s something for us to be inspired by and/or think about.

A Pastor’s wife in the states spends her week as a teacher in an urban ghetto in the USA. She also has a 2 year old son. Her husband is a pastor in this same disadvantaged area of the city. She sees her ministry as providing quality education to the poor of her country. And loves doing it. But this is what got me. When someone commended her for her work and asked her about what she does and why she says “We’re doing everything we can to bloom in the place where God has planted us.”

I found this extraordinary. It’s really nothing new, but it got me thinking about how often God moves me places, and I don’t have this attitude. I’m not necessarily talking about my situation now, but certainly, earlier in life I feel like I have planted my feet in the mud and God has had to carry me kicking and screaming. It makes me think of all of the missed opportunities because I wasn’t willing to blossom. I just wanted to be. Just plant me somewhere and we’ll see how I do.

What a huge loss for me. For others. I don’t want to “just be” where God has planted me anymore. I want to blossom! Give me bouquets that I have discovered along the way! I’ll take them and share them around to bring the joy of Christ into the hearts of whoever my neighbour is.

So much of my life has been wasted, and I’m sure much more to come. But hopefully, it will no longer be wasted by my immaturity in God’s plantings for me and my family.

I’m a Mum now, and my attitude will be reflected in my children. This time of my life, more than ever, should I be focusing on accepting God’s hand.

I don’t want my children to resent the Lord because I’m depressed that “Dad’s away on a leadership conference/ preaching overseas/ ministry gathering.”

More than anything, I am blessed because my husband is spending his life serving the Lord. And I admire him for that, and love him for it, and get inspired by it. Because to live is Christ and to die is gain. I read these things and think I believe it. Until the reality of what this might mean hits home. Maybe I will have to spend several weeks a year looking after a team of little bratty children Craig helped me create all on my own and I will get lonely. So what??? This is the game, Nicole! We’re not in training or at the afterparty. This is it. And however long Craig is away for the Lord’s work, I want my kids to get excited that “Dad is away doing the most important job in the world. He is serving our God and King. What a privilege it is for us to be a part of it!”

 

 

 

 

Married to a Pastor. London & Wiseman, Regal Books, 1999

A word of warning about decluttering...

I sometimes get a little carried away when I’m cleaning. Like, for example, when I cleaned out Newtown to come to live here. Some things I just couldn’t be bothered looking through and/or packing. So I just threw them away. If I hadn't used a kitchen utensil for 6 months, I thought It must be pretty useless. My thinking was that i'll just make do with something else. "Into the bin, my useless, cluttering, unnecessary junk-friend!"

Today, after toying with many other options for an egg holder (mug, bowl, between my knees) I finally settled for the muffin pan. And as I sit here eating my boiled eggs out of a muffin tin, I’m starting to think that I need to reassess my criteria for chucking. Maybe I should have kept one egg holder out of the six I had. Because, surely, one day in the next year, I would feel like boiled eggs for breakfast. Even when they weren’t high on my list of top breakfast choices earlier. You can never be too sure of the future. Lesson one - sometimes you need something only once a year.

I also think, from this morning’s dilemma, that I probably have a low view of modern inventions. I’m not even sure how modern an egg holder is. It probably dates back to the prehistoric Neolithic man, but even so. That man had an idea, and it made his life easier. I probably should give that man some respect, and not throw out every egg holder I have in a naive cleaning fit. Lesson two - some inventions are useful.

Thank you for your not-so-subtle rebuke, Neolithic man. I hear you loud and clear. Respect.