Monthly Archives: September 2022

September 19, 2022 · 9:22 pm

Taking Time to Make a Luxury

Photo by Barbara Webb on Pexels.com

One of life’s little luxuries for me is drinking tea–when I am taking time to actually taste it, that is. There are those minutes when I am in a hurry and gulp it down, without noticing the taste, other than that it’s wet. Those minutes are not a state of luxury for me; they are more of necessity. I’m thirsty; I gulp it down. 

The moments of luxury come when I take the time to sip the beverage, hot or cold, and enjoy the taste of it. Those moments may come in relaxation, as when I’m sitting on the front porch watching the visiting bunny chow down the weeds and grass, or when I’m in the middle of some mental activity.

What makes the luxury is a sense of deliberateness, of making space for the enjoyment of the tea. In my mind I have a picture of pushing away my “to-do” list, however temporarily, for the sake of a quiet place of refreshment. That quiet place of refreshment both calms and revives me for what’s ahead. I guess you could call it my “adult time-out”. 

While Americans  generally don’t put a whole lot of emphasis on tea-drinking, the English and Japanese are known for the rituals they developed for tea time. I don’t know if they still keep those rituals or not, perhaps a reader could fill me in. I hope they do. The world goes faster every day. In such a world, you need to deliberately take time to slow down and enjoy some luxury. It makes life richer.

©P. Booher

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September 16, 2022 · 8:00 am

Friday “Walks”–Communicating on Social Media–Helps from the Bible

Photo Credit: P. Booher

No, I know Facebook, Twitter, and other forms of social media weren’t around when the Bible was written, but people were communicating then, and Biblical ideas about communication are needed as much now as when they first appeared.

Consider these:

“…everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to become angry” (James 1:19, NIV) *

“…the prudent hold their tongues.”  (Proverbs 10:19b, NIV)

“Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen.”  (Ephesians 4:29, NIV) 

“A gentle answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger.” (Proverbs 15:1, NIV)

“A man finds joy in giving an apt reply–and how good is a timely word!” (Proverbs 15:23, NIV)

“Better a patient man than a warrior, a man who controls his temper than one who takes a city.” (Proverbs 16:32, NIV) (In ancient times, a warrior who “took a city” received all kinds of acclaim and rewards, so God is saying here that a person who controls his temper is better than that.)

“Do not make friends with a hot-tempered man, do not associate with one easily angered, or you may learn his ways and get yourself ensnared.” (Proverbs 22:24,25, NIV)

“He who guards his lips guards his life, but he who speaks rashly will come to ruin.” (Proverbs 13:3, NIV)

“The tongue that brings healing is a tree of life, but a deceitful tongue crushes the spirit.” (Proverbs 15;4, NIV)

*NIV means New International Version

Note: The Book of Proverbs (Old Testament) and the Book of James (New Testament), of all the books of the Bible, are especially noted for having much to say about our talk.

P. Booher

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September 9, 2022 · 8:00 am

Friday “Walks”–Praising God, Anyway

Photo Credit: P. Booher

The past couple weeks brought unwelcome news into my little world. I took my car into the garage and told the mechanic how it was acting; he checked it out, and told me all indications are the car needs a rebuilt transmission. My heart sank; even though I was thinking the transmission might be the problem, I hoped I was wrong. We do not have public transportation in this area, so having a reliable way to get from Point A to Point B is a definite need. I asked friends and a prayer group to pray for my transportation needs.

Things are rather bleak on the job front, too. Despite sending applications out and going on some interviews, I don’t have a job—yet.

While thinking about all this, I heard the Lord say, “Praise Me in the bitter and the sweet.” 

When I practice this, my circumstances don’t overwhelm my life. They are still there, but praising God means I’m giving attention to Him, lifting Him up and downplaying my circumstances, whether bad or good. I’m not sunk by despair nor puffed up by pride. Praising God—putting my eyes on Him—allows me to live on a more even keel.

“Praise Me in the bitter and the sweet.”

Some Scriptures: Acts 16:22-27; I Thessalonians 5:18

Update: I had the car towed to a transmission shop; it does not need a rebuilt transmission. Instead, diagnostic equipment showed a cylinder misfiring badly. The shop suggested a nearby auto repair service; that place found the car needs the valve cover gasket and spark plugs replaced. What a relief! What could have been a $2,000+repair melted into a $295 repair! Thank God!

Lessons learned:

  1. God can squash mountains into molehills.
  2. Things are not always what they first seem!

Scripture: Ephesians 3:20

©P. Booher

 

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