Contemplations of a Mommy "Monk"

Mumblings of A “Mommy Monk” I woke up this morning at 5 am to a sweet little boy snuggling under my covers. I used to enjoy my quiet mornings alone with the Lord. My morning would begin with a shower, a cup of coffee and my Bible. Now, I wonder where that quiet has gone and I’m lucky if I get a shower in before lunch. As I fret about the lack of time to read my Bible and I grumble about being awoken so early, I hear a quiet whisper. You seek the scriptures to find Me, but I am much closer than that. Maybe snuggling my two year old is a deeper connection to Jesus than a formal quiet time. I remember that Jesus said we must be like a child to enter the kingdom of heaven. In some ways, this seems intuitive. Children are naturally more spiritual than adults. They are less burdened with the daily grind of life. They have eyes to see their guardian angels and to experience the hand of God in creation. Unfortunately, I have been indoctrinated with a belief that God mus...

The line was taught, my face was serious while my hands furiously reeled in the line. I looked up to see a great clump of seaweed and an empty hook. Those blasted fish stole my bait again! My hands were freezing as I attempted to place the wet slimy minnow on the end of the hook for one more try. I cast rather indelicately, not expecting anything other than a piece of grass to get caught on my hook. After three grueling hours in 30 degree May weather enduring the blasting winds, I was finished. I had envisioned an eventful and enjoyable day with my husband. He was being such a patient teacher while I sat in frustration and boredom freezing my fingers off. He graciously took me home for some hot coffee and a warm breakfast promising that the afternoon would be better. My husband is an avid fisherman and I had hoped that I would catch the bug too on our “date” together. Instead, I caught nothing and ended up disappointed. I thought this was supposed to be an adventure, but all I did was ...

Dream Big I have a dream – a vision. It’s just a dream though. It feels like it could just disappear like a mist the moment I awake. Like most dreams, the details are sketchy, but it seems like something important…. I guess dreams are the stuff that hope is made of. Instead of inspiring hope, my dream fills me with fear. I responded to the Lord readily with “here I am Lord, send me,” but now I don’t know where to go. Of course I’m excited by the dream but I’m not really a dreamer. I’m a practical girl in a practical world. How do I make the dream come to life? I dove right into the deep water and now I’m realizing I’m not a very strong swimmer. Oh Lord, can I please go back to the shallow end and get some swimming lessons? Or am I to learn as I flail about helplessly? Joseph (in the Bible) was a dreamer too. I wonder if he felt overwhelmed or frightened by the dreams God gave him. How in the world could he plan to become the manager of Pharaoh’s empire? Who knows what Joseph was thinki...

Heather Cox’s Workshop Topics Extreme Makeover: Heart Edition Just like the Cinderella story of transformation from rags to splendor, our hearts need a complete makeover to be truly beautiful. Inner beauty (a gentle and quiet spirit) and clothes that won’t wear out begin the makeover. Next you will meet your new personal trainer in order to get in shape spiritually. Lastly, we will discover health food for the soul in order to maintain our heart’s true beauty! Mumblings of a Mommy “Monk” Heather’s signature workshop centers on contemplative prayer in the life of a busy woman. How does a mother of three little kids experience contemplative prayer? How can overextended women find time for silence and solitude? What are the benefits of centering prayer and how can we make connection with God a true priority in our lives? Awakening Your Senses to God Do you want eyes to see the face of the Almighty and ears to hear the voice of the Almighty? We each long to know how it feels to touch Him a...