Wanda & I are pleased to announce that our book is now available in print! 
From 
I hate paying bills! There is never enough cash to clean the slate every month. I keep thinking there has to be a better way to do this, to not feel so frustrated and anxious every two weeks. So, I wondered, is there a way to turn bill paying into a spiritual practice that would contribute toward shaping me in a contemplative way?
Jesus taught that we should not be anxious as to what we will eat, what we will wear, or where we will lay our heads, because our loving God is aware that we need all these things and has provided us with abundant resources. I do have all those things and so much, much more. As I look around my place I see the vestiges of the materialistic society I have bought into. Maybe there are things here I do not need that drain my resources in maintaining them.
Also, the priniciples of simplicity and generosity come into play. We are not to squander our resources to the point that we can not share our abundance with others who are in need, who have less than we do. I believe God gives some people an abundance of resources in order to cultivate compassion in them to share with those who have much less. There are materials in my craft room which I could make into gifts, an extra table and gently used clothes I could donate to a charity resale shop.
Then there is gratitude. My grandmother always told me to count my blessings. In fact she loved to play a hymn about it on her organ. She survived the Great Depression and the World Wars by relying on and thanking God for everything she did have – which wasn’t much.The disciple of gratitude keeps our minds on the blessings that we do have instead of moaning over the things we do not have. This will clue me in to the abundance provided to me by a generous God, much of which I don’t stop to notice.
So, back to the bills. I think if I look at each bill and contemplate how that service or item benefited me (or those I blessed with gifts purchased), then gratitude would swell instead of anxiety. Thanks, God, for providing enough for that dental bill, and for guiding me to a gentle, compassion and skillful dentist. Thank you for the roof over my head and for a place where my family feels safe and cared for. Thank you for the abundance of food available to me every day.
And while I’m at it, I could write a check to my church or favorite charity who uses the resources to help others who need the basic elements of life which I take for granted.
Maybe if I consider these principles while paying my bills, it won’t be such an onerous chore!
Wanda
Shell MountainAfter hearing canned Christmas music in stores and restaurants since October, adnausium, most of us are sick and tired of it. The day after the big one, we race to pack away our CDs and decorations until next year.
In church, though, the four weeks leading up to the big birthday, we don’t sing the joyous hymns. We wait until the Eve to celebrate in full voice. I have found that because of this I don’t get tired of rejoicing so quickly.
Officially, according to the church calendar, the Christmas season is not officially over until Epiphany. This year that occurs on Jan 6. And that’s a good thing, because those beautiful hymns are still running through my brain.
I forget who said it, but I love the quote, “One who sings prayers twice.” That is so true for me. I love the old hymns throughout the year because the melodies are haunting and the lyrics poetic. I was amazed growing up that as I learned new things in the Bible and new concepts of faith, I was often surprised to find them within the words we sang. And I love those melodies still.
I wonder, if a church decides to favor contemporary praise music over those old hymns, will the lyrics be as moving? Will we still be praying as we sing? I’d like to believe many styles of music can lift our hearts to God no matter the genre.
When did you pack away your holiday tunes?
Are there lyrics that sink deep into your soul and draw you ever nearer to God?
W
