Yes, I’m forever collecting quotes. Ponder these miscellaneous few from the meaty files of C.S. Lewis:

Originality:
“Even in literature and art, no man who bothers about originality will ever be original: whereas if you simply try to tell the truth (without caring twopence how often it has been told before) you will, nine times out of ten, become original without ever having noticed it.”

Truth vs. Comfort:
“If you look for truth, you may find comfort in the end; if you look for comfort you will not get either comfort or truth only soft soap and wishful thinking to begin, and in the end, despair.”

Prayer:
“What seem our worst prayers may really be, in God`s eyes, our best. Those, I mean, which are least supported by devotional feeling. For these may come from a deeper level than feeling. God sometimes seems to speak to us most intimately when He catches us, as it were, off our guard.”

Literature & Reality:
‘Literature adds to reality, it does not simply describe it. It enriches the necessary competencies that daily life requires and provides; and in this respect, it irrigates the deserts that our lives have already become.”

“How we spend our days is, of course, how we spend our lives.” ~Annie Dillard

I’m back. We took a brief roadtrip to Charleston, S.C., and thoroughly enjoyed our historical visit - minus the heat wave. Good to be home and have internet access again. We’re such creatures of habit. How have you been?

Annie Dillard’s quote prompts me to ask: How are you spending your days?

Nothing else profound or philosophical at the moment. I’ve got articles and reading to catch up on, laundry, and a birthday dinner to plan. If you have a good carrot cake recipe, do send, and I’ll love you forever.

Blessings on your new week!

Hi friends. I’m taking a mini-break to do some things with hubby. He’s recuperating well since the open heart surgery a few weeks ago and we thank you for the prayers. Feel free to browse around and drop a comment or two. I’ll post again next weekend.

God bless your week!

“Busy-ness…can be a way to avoid God, the meaning of life, and life itself.” ~ Sidney S. Macaulay

“I’m sorry I haven’t emailed or called, I’m just so busy I can’t think straight!”

“Well, I can’t get a CAT scan yet. I’ve got two deadlines next week.”

Do these busy people sound called or driven? Gordon MacDonald, in his book, Ordering Your Private World, describes characteristics of driven people. If I remember correctly, he described them as:

* highly competitive
* value accomplishments and results more than anything else
* strive for bigger and more visible endeavors
* try to impress people with their busy schedules
* spend little time on relationships with spouse, family, friends, and God.

Our society highly esteems the workaholic. And it’s easy to become compulsive. More and more we cave to frantic, exhausting lives, filling our time with important things, maybe, but not God’s best for us. Oswald Chambers urges us:

“Beware of anything that competes with loyalty to Jesus Christ.”

What does this have to do with busyness? Well, if our relationship with Christ matters at all, we’ll desire His will concerning our vocation, avocation, and all our relationships. When we’re truly intent on setting our hearts on things above, we’ll check with Him before committing to projects. Sometimes we have to run out of fuel before we realize that He’s just not giving us the grace to go forward for a reason.

Are you sinking? Stop, drop to your knees, and lay your agenda on God’s altar. Let Christ help you discern the best use of your time. He teaches us how to prioritize, discern, and to even say no. With Him, we find time to nurture our relationships and stop giving busyness as our excuse for neglect. When Christ enables us to live out our calling, He not only releases us from the need to perform, He breaks the yoke of bondage when it comes to drivenness. After all, our needs and identity are met fully in Him. We don’t need bigger and better endeavors to feel good on the inside.

It’s a rat race out there. Life will always be a challenge. But with Christ, there is grace and peace because we’re following His path for us.

Feel the quicksand around your knees already?

Don’t panic. Pray. Then modify your schedule as the Holy Spirit leads. You may have to give up something ‘good’ for something ‘better.’ Trust Him. And remember: God’s agenda always has room for what’s truly important.

Just a tidbit today to hopefully inspire:

“The goal is to live creatively, not to experience individual creative events. Resist the pressure to create something artistic and perfect in order to prove yourself creatively. The goal of a creative life is expression, not perfection; you have the freedom to pour out your heart to God, regardless of how well you do it.” ~ Alice Bass, author of The Creative Life

“There is an eagle in me that wants to soar, and there is a hippopotamus in me that wants to wallow in the mud.” ~ Carl Sandburg

Are we stuck in our comfort zone? There are benefits, you know. But the cost of staying stuck may involve eternal consequences. Sometimes staying stuck means we’re unwilling to move forward because we don’t trust God with the outcomes.

Think about it. If we’re to live our calling, staying stuck is not a real option. Yes, pushing through the boundaries of comfort = change. And change is scary. But God can give us the grace and courage necessary to change all the habits that keep us stationary.

You are not alone.

“For it is God who works in you to will and to act according to His good purpose.” ~ Philippian 2:13

I’m with you on this journey of change, my writerly friend.