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December, 2009
In this issue:
- Article:
Practicing Presence
- Leslie Answers Your Questions:
How can I experience God's Presence more?
- Join Leslie's Book Club on Facebook discussing Lord, I Just Want to be Happy.
- One Day Holiday Special Monday, November 30th only - All books and CD's 40% off while supplies last - Perfect for Christmas gifts!
- Upcoming Events with Leslie
- See Photo - Even non-humans are enjoying Leslie's new book, Lord, I Just Want to Be Happy
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Practicing Presence
As Christians I'm afraid we have bought into an enormous lie. We think that busyness means that we're doing something important. Today more than ever people want to be movers and shakers and are upset with themselves if they are not productive and efficient. The more they produce, the better they feel. The danger of this lifestyle is that it never ends. We must continue to produce in order to feel good and before too long we start to feel like a hamster on a wheel and don't know how to get off without our entire empire crashing.
Even those in church have worn busyness as a badge of honor and a virtue. People often say to me, "Leslie, I don't know how you do it all." or "Wow, you must really be busy doing God's work." When I am clear minded and in tune with God, I think to myself, Don't be fooled. Chronic busyness is nothing more than a false sense of your own importance, not a mark of true spirituality.
Busyness often looks like the spiritual life but it is a poor substitute for the real thing. When you spin the blades of a fan fast enough you get the impression of something solid. It is only when you slow it down do you realize that it is not what you think. Slowing down helps us see more clearly so that we can build a more meaningful life. Slowing down helps us savor the life we have and enjoy the moments that God has given us to enjoy.
God values something far more important than productivity and that is Presence. He tells us, "Be still and know that I am God" (Psalm 46:1) and "In quietness and rest is your strength" (Isaiah 30:15).
We have become so busy that we are not present to anything anymore. We are not present to ourselves, we are not present to one another and we are not present to God.
We are doing more and enjoying it less. Our frantic doing has robbed us of our being. Recent studies have shown that people are not happier living busier lives. In fact, depression, loneliness and alienation are at all time highs.
My challenge to you during this holiday season when life will automatically speed up is to intentionally slow down. Instead of doing more, do less but savor the moment. Learn to be present to yourself, to your loved ones, to the lonely and hurting, and to God.
Let me suggest a couple of ways to do this:
Refuse to hurry. Hurrying through your day indicates that you are bowing to the god of productivity; trying to get more done than may be wise. Your body feels it and other's notice it too. You get impatient with a pokey driver, irritated at the long lines because they're slowing you down. Be intentional about refusing to hurry. When you do this you will create a space to enjoy more of what you are doing instead of merely doing more. You will also be available to more readily notice the lonely, the hurting, and those that may need your smile, hug, word of encouragement or tangible help.
Savor the moment you're in. So many of us are so rushed to get the next thing done that we fail to notice or enjoy the obvious. Savor a beautiful sunset, a child's giggle, or take some time to engage in a meaningful conversation with someone. Practicing presence means you will allow yourself to be fully present in the moment you're in instead of focusing on the next job or task to accomplish. As you're present, you will see, sense, taste, feel and experience things you would have missed by rushing. Each day God brings beauty into our lives. But when we're focused on doign more instead of enjoying what we do or who were with, we miss it and our lives will be impoverished because of it.
Simplify. When we have too many choices or too much to do life begins to feel overwhelming. Jesus told Martha that she was distracted with all of her busyness. Martha wasn't doing anything wrong or bad but as Richard Rohr writes so clearly, "She was not present - most likely, not present to herself, her own feelings of resentment, perhaps her own martyr complex, her need to be needed. This is the kind of goodness that does no good! If she was not present to herself, she could not truly be present to her guests in any healing way, and spiritually speaking, she could not even be present to God. Presence is presence is presence."
Jesus reminded Martha that only one things was necessary. Presence. But in order to be present we must simplify and stop doing so much.
Practice these three things and then join me on facebook and share with me ways you are learning to be Present.
Just sign-in to Facebook and become one of Leslie's friends to start sharing now.
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Leslie Answers Your Questions
Q. I've been a Christian for a long time but I don't think I know what it means to practice God's presence or abide in him. Can you help me learn how to do this?.
A. I know what you mean. I don't think many of us get actual training in learning how to experience God's presence or still small voice. We know we should but actually knowing what to do to make that more likely to happen isn't taught very often.
I don't claim to be an expert in this. I am still learning so I will share some of my observations and experiences with you and some ways I have learned to experience God more fully. Perhaps other's can comment so that we can collectively learn other ways that we have learned to abide in Christ and he in us.
First we are not going to experience God if we are too busy to hear him or even notice him. God assures his people that he is always present with us (Hebrews 13:5) but we are not often present to him. He says he is in us, all around us, and Paul reminds us that "in him we live and move and have our being (Acts 17:28). We are never alone (Luke 17:21) and so the problem isn't figuring out how to get God to be present to us, but rather how to get us to be aware of God's Presence that is already with us.
Recently I was struck by the words of Job. He said, "Behold he passes by me and I see him not; he moves on me but I do not perceive him" (Job 9:11). God is in us and with us but we don't perceive him. In another example, Jacob woke up from his sleep and said, "Surely the Lord is in this place, and I wasn't even aware of it" (Genesis 28:16).
So how do we learn to be more aware of God? First, slowing down and being still is key to perceiving God's Presence. He tells us to "be still and know that I am God" (Psalm 46:10). Our lives are so full of noise that we must be intentional about creating pockets for quiet and stillness. I'd recommend making silence a regular part of your daily prayer. I have discovered that prayer is much more about listening for God than telling him what he already knows. Start with 5 minutes of silence and work up to 20-30 minutes each day. When distracting thoughts start swirling around in your mind, just gently let them go and return to being still.
One way of thinking of this period of silence is being willing, eager and open for God to make himself known. You can't make yourself "see" him or "perceive" him anymore than you can make a seed take root. But you can make it more likely that a seed will take root if you prepare the soil and water the ground. In the same way, practicing the discipline of stillness and silence, prepares you heart to "notice" the Presence of God more readily. It prepares your heart to be "in tune" with a larger spiritual reality that is always there, but like radio waves or cell phone waves, we can't "experience" them unless we are tuned in to the right frequency.
For more information and answers to other relationship questions, visit Leslie's blog at leslievernick.blogspot.com.
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Even dogs are giving Leslie's new book rave reviews!
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is a licensed counselor (DCSW, ACSW, LCSW) with over 25 years experience helping individuals, couples, and families enrich their relationships.
ONE DAY HOLIDAY SPECIAL!
November 30th
all in-stock books
and CD's are
40% off retail price (while supplies last)
Click Here to Order
Discount Coupon Code
Thank09
at checkout
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You can also join Leslie's book discussion group on Facebook on her newest book, Lord, I Just Want to Be Happy.
Just log on to Facebook and then... |
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Click Here to Join the Book Discussion
Upcoming Events:
December
Dec 12 Barnes & Noble, Prominade Shops at Saucon Valley, 2 - 4pm EST, Book Signing of Lord, I Just Want to Be Happy
Dec 14 Moody Midday Connection Radio 1pm EST
January
Jan 18-19 First Assembly of God, Fargo, ND
Jan 26 Fellowship Alliance Chapel, Medford, NJ
March
Mar 12-13 Hearts at Home, St. Johns, MI
April
Apr 9-11 Penn Valley Church, Telford, PA
Apr 16-18 First Covenant Church of Sacramento, Cordova, CA
To book Leslie for a speaking event, call
1-877-837-7391
or visit:
Leslie communicates God's truth with ease and practical application. She is a gifted communicator and counselor. Leslie understands the pulse of today's women. Her sessions at our Design 4 Living Conference received 5 stars! I would highly recommend Leslie to any group that is looking for Real-Truth and Real-Life Application!
Debbie Alsdorf
Author/Speaker/Women's Ministry Leader
Design4Living Ministries
Livermore, CA
Leslie Welcomes
Your Questions
Leslie wants to help you grow in your personal and relational effectiveness. Send your questions about dealing with difficult people, stress, or relationship issues to:
Leslie@LeslieVernick.com
Then, visit Leslie's blog as she posts her responses to one question per week.
Note: Due to the volume of questions that Leslie receives, she is unable to respond to every question.
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