Here we go again

We're bracing for the second winter storm warning in the past week.  Between today and tomorrow, we should get another 12-16 inches of snow. This picture is of our driveway the morning after the last snow; I ended up plowing the driveway three times just to stay ahead of the snowfall - complete in my red ski suit, goggles and a cowboy hat.  I wish I had a picture of myself!  Our friend Eliane is due to arrive from France tomorrow night, just after the storm warning is lifted.  I hope the airport will remain open here in Denver.

The work on the house is slowing down now; I could easily spend 10 hours a day for another week working on renovations, but life must go on.  From this point on we'll have to work on the rest over the weekends.  I am trying hard to get my business website up and running this week, as well as finishing all the paperwork to set up Storm Guides as a non-profit organization.  I made several phone calls to local churches and mission agencies yesterday, just trying to get my foot in the door.  I'm learning that just because you leave a phone message doesn't mean you'll ever get a return call.  I find this to be a strange part of American culture, that we don't reply to phone calls or emails.  How does anyone do business here?

I've been reading an interesting book called "Emotionally Healthy Spirituality".  The main idea of the book is that it is impossible to be truly mature spiritually, while at the same time remaining emotionally immature.  The two go hand-in-hand.  As we "grow up" spiritually we have to experience a corresponding emotional development.  Many Christians consider themselves to be deeply spiritual, while at the same time being full of bitterness, unforgiveness and anger.  It just doesn't make sense.  One of the principles that I really appreciate in the book is that of "Contemplative Spirituality" - meaning that we learn the blessings of slowing down enough in life to hear the Lord, and to enjoy Him in the midst of life's busyness.  Here is what he says about our pace of life:
     "Another way to discover how much we need to slow down relates to how attentive we are to God during our activity.  God speaks to each one of us every day - through Scripture, creation, dreams, silence, traffic jams, boring workdays, interruptions, conflicts, job losses, relationship breakdowns, successes, failures, and betrayals.  Jesus described this as his "sowing of seeds." Our problem is that many of these seeds are "snatched away immediately" or die prematurely due to external pressures or our absorption with other interests and concerns.  Most of these seeds are lost because we do not pay attention.  When I have sufficient "slowing-down time" alone, I find that my activity is marked by a deep, loving communion with God.  Then Christ's life, more often than not, flows through me to others."

     I believe that one of my greatest challenges, and weaknesses, is the lack of this "slowing-down time" during the week - time to rest, to listen, to reflect on the challenges that life is throwing my way.  This was a huge part of my own burnout, and one of the issues I continually tried to bring to the leadership table while I was in NAMESTAN.  And yet I can be so obsessive-compulsive about getting stuff done that I lose all perspective on life and the value of contemplation.  Maybe that's why I don't sleep well at night...??  There must be a way to accomplish all the necessary details of life, while still maintaining a healthy dose of rest, joy and contemplation.