Deep Breathing for the Soul

I can be a very task-oriented person. I love words, facts, ideas. As a result, I’m a good communicator, a strong writer. But because of those strengths, I can end up, if I’m not careful, lonely, isolated.

This summer I have two huge writing projects on my desk. And I’m working away on them (which is one reason why you haven’t seen much from me on this blog lately). But I try to take time in each day for some face time (not just Facebook) with friends, my kids and husband. I need to connect with real people in my real life, to talk, to listen, to do things together.

So I took my kids to the city to go out to breakfast and then to visit Willow’s Chicago campus. I went bike riding with friends, had lunch with another friend. We were created for community, and while I value the on-line community I find on certain blogs and Facebook, we all need actual face to face connection with other people.

How do you connect with others? How do you find friends?

Next week, I’ll meet with a writer’s group I recently joined. I actually sort of begged to get in, knowing I need other writers to talk to–people who assure me I’m not so strange. We chat via email a lot, sharing updates about our writing and careers, sharing links to stuff we’ve published online, and so on. While that’s fun, it’s not as deep as what gets shared when we gather in someone’s living room after the kids are in bed and talk about the challenges and joys of our writing journey.

We were all made for community. If we are seeking to follow Christ, we need others who can encourage us on that journey. We were never made to go it alone, especially spiritually.  What I want to know is–where do you find community and connection? If that’s missing from your life, what’s one step you could take to seek it out?

I’m guest blogging about Sabbath and its role in spiritual formation all over the place this week. It’s been fun to connect with other writers and bloggers and create some new content.

If you’re interested in using any of the articles, say in a newsletter or a church website, just leave me a comment or use the contact form to get in touch. I’m happy to grant permission for use as long as you give attribution.

Here are a few sites that are running some articles I’ve written this week:

Spiritual disciplines for writers

What Moms really want for Mother’s Day

Sailing and Sabbath

What Jesus said about Sabbath

10 Steps to Sabbath Rest

Please visit these blogs and leave a comment or question–the bloggers will appreciate it. And stop back here and tell me which article you enjoyed or which blog you want to start reading regularly!

Earth Day seems to have morphed into Earth Month, hasn’t it? Well, as Earth Month draws to a close, I written a new article on how spending time in creation can draw us close to the heart of God, and give us some space to enjoy Sabbath rest. My friend Tracey Bianchi, (author of Green Mama: the Guilt-Free guide to helping you and your kids save the planet) has posted my article on her blog. So click on over and read it, leave a comment and tell a friend!!

UPDATE: Here’s a link to on-line registration for the Simple Compassion seminar, which will be held Saturday, Feb. 20, 2010, at Breakthrough Urban Ministries in Chicago. click here to go right to the registration page.

I watch the devastation in Haiti, played out for me in living color on CNN, and find myself asking–God, what do you want me to do? How should I respond to this crisis, this suffering? Send money? Take in refugees? Go on a rebuilding mission? These are the kind of questions we’ll be wrestling with in an upcoming one-day seminar on Simple Compassion.

This seminar for women will be held Saturday, Feb. 20. Just attending will be an exercise in building a heart of compassion, as it will be held at the inner-city ministry headquarters of Breakthrough Urban Ministries. We’ll look at how we can show compassion not just in response to large scale disasters, but also right in our neighborhood, our church, our city. I’ll be teaching four sessions, but we will a lot of time for discussion and processing.

The seminar will be held from 9 to 3 p.m. Feb. 20. cost is just $35 and includes lunch and a free copy of my book Simple Compassion.

To register, email your name and contact info Mike Murphy at mmurphy@breakthrough.org, and put “Simple Compassion seminar” in the subject line.  He’ll get in touch with you to give you details.

Here’s a more detailed description of the four sessions:

1.       Compassion Begins with You. every woman matters to God, whether she’s in Sierra Leone or San Diego, in a slum or a suburb. We’ll look at some biblical women who stepped up to be difference makers, and how we can follow their lead. God has a unique calling for each of us—how do we discern that? It starts by letting go of our “little old me” syndrome and believing that God actually is calling us to be his hands and feet in the world. Even small acts of justice and compassion matter, because even if you only help one person, that person matters!

2.       Compassion Grows in Community. The Christian life was never meant to be lived on our own. We were made for community—and sometimes, the people in our closest circles are the ones who are challenging to love.  How can we extend compassion to the people closest to us—whether they are family, church members or next-door neighbors? This session focuses on making a difference right where you are, and why you need others to come on the journey with you.

3.       Compassion Extends Beyond Our Comfort Zones.  Although we can make a difference no matter where we are, God calls us to truly see injustice around us, and not insulate ourselves from it. There are people who need God’s love and tangible help—things like food, clothing and shelter—within an hour of your door. This session will look at women who are making a difference in the Chicago area, and offer some next steps for getting involved with ministries here in the area.

4.       Compassion Offers God’s Love to the World. It is impossible to talk about God’s heart for the poor without looking at the situation in the developing world. We will look at some big issues like human trafficking, poverty, lack of clean water and others. The goal is to see these issues and see how we can take very small steps to make a difference by both what we do, and what we decide to stop doing. We’ll look at some women who have focused their energy on one global issue and are making a difference in that area.

She was just a scared teenager, conscripted as a concubine for the king. But she changed history. What happened?

A challenge from a spiritual mentor led her to fast and pray.

This week, our on-line book club is looking at the first chapter of Simple Compassion, entitled “Position.”

Just to fill you in: Each member should read the chapter before joining in the discussion each week, as well as the Scriptures listed in the leader’s guide at the back of the book.

Each week, as you read the chapter, pay attention to your soul’s response as you read. Often, God speaks to us not just through things we read, but our response to what we read. Where do you notice in yourself what one mentor of mine called “resonance, or resistance”? In other words, where do you find yourself strongly agreeing, or strongly disagreeing? Share one of these with the group.

Then, take a look at the compassion step at the end of the chapter. Share your response to the questions there: Is there a situation you’re facing that you don’t know how to handle? Are others looking to you to step up in a situation where you feel inadequate? How is your situation similar to Esther’s? Have you prayed about it?

This chapter focused on the story of Esther in the Bible. What can you learn from Esther? What do you have in common with her? What situation do you need to fast and pray about, and then speak truth in?

One of the suggested group activities is to watch the Veggie Tales movie “Esther.” It’s a very well-done, but kid-friendly, re-telling of the story. (Click here to watch a YouTube of the trailer for the movie) If you are part of a virtual group, this is something you can do with your family, rather than your group.

If you have a small group that is looking for a new book to read together in 2010, I’d like to humbly suggest you read Simple Compassion together. But don’t take my word for it. all this week you can read what other bloggers are saying about this book, as the Simple Compassion blog tour starts today. I hope you’ll visit these blogs and read their reviews, get in on the discussion. Some bloggers are giving away a copy of the book. Feel free to stop back here at my blog and leave a comment or question as well!

Here are a couple of blogs that have already put up posts. Please stop by these blogs, leave a comment. This is a fun way to discover some great new blogs to read. I’ll post the entire list later today. If you are a blogger and want to join the tour, please contact me and let me know!

http://bookbargainsreadingroom.blogspot.com/2010/01/simple-compassion.html

http://the160acrewoods.com/?p=3579

A few readers have written to me, asking about tips for reading my new book Simple Compassion with a group or book club. I really designed this book to be experienced in community, so I’m glad to offer some help, especially if you are leading a group. I spent years at Willow Creek coaching small group leaders, so if you need a coach as you go through this book with a group, I’m glad to help.

Because Simple Compassion is a 52-week devotional, it is great for a weekly discussion group. So what I will do is to have a “virtual book club” right here on my blog. Each Friday, I’ll post a question about the chapter, and we can chat about it here at Deep Breathing for the Soul (and on Facebook, as these posts show up there as well.

We’ll start today with the introduction, and do “Week 1: Position” next week. You can read the introduction for free by clicking here. (there’s also a link to an audio book sample on that page if you want to listen to the book). The book also contains a leader’s guide, with verses and information to help you. That guide also has a suggested structure for group time.

Every Friday, I’ll post something about the chapter, and ask for your comments. If you are reading the book with a group in your neighborhood or church, you can share your insights, questions or comments here on the blog. I hope it will be very interactive.

So let’s dive in. Read the introduction, then let’s talk about a few simple questions:

When you were growing up, how did you view God? What did you think he wanted from you?

What do you think our lives should be about if we are following God?

Where have you noticed God at work in your life lately?

After we have some comments (on Facebook or the blog) I’ll jump in with comments of my own. And feel free to respond with questions.

If you have a blog, I’d love to come “visit” it next week during our blog tour for Simple Compassion. To participate, just leave a comment here or get in touch via my website. Let me know that you’d like to review Simple Compassion, or post an “interview” with me. You can send your own questions or use ones I’ve written. You can post a review or open it up to reader questions, whatever you like. But you have to hurry as the tour starts next week. And we’re making this a highly participatory tour, asking readers to post videos or comments about how they are putting this book into action. I’m excited about the possibilites!

Blog tour participants get a free copy of the book to review! Just send me your name, e-mail, mailing address and blog URL and you can be a part of the tour.

What a week. I love to cook, so this holiday, for me, is all about the food, not the shopping. So I cooked all day Wednesday and half of Thursday, and then we ate leftovers Friday through Sunday. I still have some pretty good turkey soup left! And of course, this weekend is about gratitude, even in the face of some challenges.  

It bugged me a bit that there was so much emphasis, even on the news, this holiday weekend, about shopping. Somehow Thanksgiving has morphed from a day of thankfulness to a day to spend money on stuff we really don’t need. I’m not trying to be grumpy. I appreciate that rather than buying stuff for themselves, people are at least buying things for others—they are giving gifts. And while I refuse to get up early to shop on “black Friday,” I did do some shopping late Friday afternoon and on Saturday. But even as I am buying sweaters for people I love, I know they really don’t need another sweater. My friends know I am gift-giving challenged, and hopefully they will give me a bit of credit for at least trying.

Now that my kids are teenagers, I can pretty much avoid the toy aisle at Target. But I ventured into that section anyway, as I wanted to get some toys for the Breakthrough Urban Ministries Christmas Store. The annual Christmas Store is is a great way to help inner-city under-resourced families. Rather than just receiving a handout or gifts, families living in Breakthrough’s neighborhood (East Garfield Park in Chicago) can come to the center where the “store” will be set up on Dec. 19. They can buy items for a reduced price using regular money or “Breakthrough Bucks” they’ve earned through ministry activities throughout the year. 

What an empowering way to help those less fortunate!

In addition to collecting donations from neighbors and doing some shopping myself, I’m taking a group of neighbors down to Breakthrough’s ministry center on Dec. 19 to volunteer at the store.

If you live in the Chicago area, you might consider donating gifts or even offering your time to this very cool Christmas event. Or, pick another charity—Samaritan’s Purse is an international organization whose Operation Christmas Child provides gift boxes for children across the globe. Project Angel Tree collects gifts for children of people in prison.

As the holiday shopping season begins, consider buying a gift for someone who’s not on your list, but could use a bit of hope this Christmas season.

Oh, and with all the holiday cooking etc. I didn’t get a chance to blog about the winners of the book drawing.

So our winners are Erika S., Sherri D., Sheri, Kelly J. and Susan M. Congratulations! If you didn’t win this time, keep checking this blog for other book giveaways!

Thank you to all of you who left a comment. The generous folks at Zondervan are going to send all 13 of you who left a comment by today a free review copy of Simple Compassion. Look for an e-mail from me asking for your mailing address!

As I said, I hope each of you will take a look at the book and post a review on amazon. A number of readers are planning to lead a group through the book this year–it’s a great resource for small groups.

Again, thanks to all. And check back here frequently–we’ll be giving away other books and goodies each week.