Tag: rhythm

Christmas Spirit (in July)

snowmansand

 

It’s July 25th. Christmas day is exactly 6 months behind us. It seems far away from my mind now. Time has shot by, but the happenings of the day are sort of fuzzy. Every year I hear people say, “I wish the season of Christmas spirit lasted all year.” Or, maybe they even claim it does in their hearts. It does in some ways for me, but the greater reality is that I go from season to season, and at different times certain things stand out as more special. In the summer, I enjoy the outdoors more probably for the simple reason that I spend more time outdoors because of good weather. In the winter, I appreciate my close ties with immediate family and working on my interior life in substantial ways that play out in the months that follow the hard work of that time.

Defining what is the Christmas spirit can be slippery, because each person may hold a bit of a different emphasis. The gift of the Incarnation is celebrated that day, and the love, goodwill, grace, and peace of that event can inspire us to live that out toward, God, others, and hopefully ourselves.

What is the “Christmas Spirit” to you? What of it can play out in July?

What one (or more) thing/s will you do to fill your life with this spirit this weekend?

Let’s try a concerted effort at a Christmas in July experiment for the next day or so, and see what happens.

Thanks for coming by.

All about Rhythm…

A fascinating book detailing opting for rhythm in life instead of balance is…

Your Life in Rhythm , (Tyndale Publishing) by Bruce Miller.

978-1-4143-1977-3

 

Bruce may be a bit too analytical for his own good, but his insights are excellent, and completely advantageous for anyone feeling burned out, or feeling too busy. Scads of practical helps and strategies make this an ideal book for groups, interesting discussions, and swift implementation.

Miller solidly proves that balance is a burden, with a built-in pose to secure, while rhythm offers us the freedom to live and function like organic creatures. He shows how the rest of the natural world around us operates in rhythm, and this approach is quite livable. The author makes the distinction between two helpful ways to view time: Kairos and Chronos, and includes a number of case studies that are followed through their progress, making the transformation, for the willing reader, more likely.

Ruth Barton’s Sacred Rhythms is far more poetic and filled with an artistic, even natural rhythmic approach in its actual style. It feels more peaceful to read, then this kind of handbook approach, which is still quite viable. However, if a reader thinks Miller will read like Barton, brace for disappointment. This is written cut and dry, masculinely, with strategies, tips, tricks, and lists. Miller has an engineer’s mind. I feel it’s nice to read a variety of voices on the topic of living life in rhythm, and I would actually suggest both books.