Grab a fork.

Can anything be sadder than work left unfinished? Yes, work never begun. –Christina Rossetti


You know how it is.

It’s Saturday morning, time to pick up the house a bit. I start out in the dining room, hoping to find the tabletop again under the week’s accumulation of stuff. There’s a book on the table that belongs in my office, so I head down the hallway to put it in its place. Along the way, I spot a dirty sock in the hallway, so I head to the laundry room. There’s a stack of clean clothes on the dryer. Better put ‘em away, of course.

And before I know it, I am standing back in the dining room, holding a book and a dirty sock and wondering what on earth I was going to do. It’s enough to make a grown woman weep. I set out with grand intentions and wind up spinning my wheels.

Funny how starting a new year can make us stop and take a look at our lives, seeing loose ends and vowing (again) to tie them up, once and for all. But where to begin?

It’s a bit like eating an elephant, really. The way to be successful at a task is to take it one “bite” at a time. Learning to read Greek or reading the entire Bible in a month may seem daunting, but commit to reading even a few verses each day (in English), and before you know it, you’ve finished the Gospel.

What elephantine spiritual undertaking is begging you to take the first bite? 

(This week, let’s take a look at some spiritual disciplines.)

Monday Prayer comes more naturally sometimes if we just don’t try so hard. Today, spend some time in conversation with God. Speak just as you might with a close friend. Matthew 6:5-15

Tuesday Meditation can open your heart to hear God’s voice. Sit relaxed but tall, eyes open or closed. Pay attention to your breathing. Listen. Matthew 7:7-12

Wednesday Fasting does not necessarily involve food. For a few hours, do without something that matters. Maybe it’s your cell phone/ computer; maybe you will choose to fast from food. Whatever you choose, be deliberate. Matthew 6:16-18

Thursday Is reading the Bible something you do regularly? If you find it hard or boring, consider trying again—with a different version, such as The Message. Begin either with the Gospel of Mark or a favorite Psalm. Mark 1:14-20

Friday Our lifestyle can get in the way of seeking God. Today, focus on generosity and consider either making a charitable donation or giving away some things you no longer need. Psalm 112

Saturday Solitude also allows us to shift our eyes from self to God. Take time today to be alone, unplugged and quiet. Rest in God’s comfort. Habakkuk 2:18-20

Sunday Worship is a joyful spiritual discipline we celebrate together. As you leave this house of worship, take the experience with you into the world. Romans 12:1-3


Existence is a series of footnotes to a vast, obscure, unfinished masterpiece. –Vladimir Nabokov

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