driven to spiritual discipline

The more tired I feel, feel like I am being put upon, or unfairly judged or anything in that vein, the more I tend to isolate. Then I only see things that are all about my world and my self in that world.

However, my path and passion is to glorify God. The one who has created, forgives, and continues to redeem me in all time and circumstance.

At the very time it feels like pressure from both outside and inside myself is driving me down, that I need to spend more time "doing my job" and fulfilling the expectations of other folks, I am aware that I really need to spend more time in the spiritual disciplines both individually and with others.

Worship, Bible reading and reflection, and prayer are three that I desire to spend more time in with other people. I need to invite others to do that.

Meditating, prayer, reading the Psalms, waiting on God...at least in the morning and at night...I am starting to do more of on my own.

I am developing a journal for folks who visit with Fairlawn West to help them in their spiritual journey and possibly how they could do that through Fairlawn West. I am copying from a journal that Kate (my older daughter) received when she visited Goshen College two years ago. I started working on it at that time, but couldn't quite discern all the kinds of things that I would need to do to transfer it from the college context to the church context. Then a few months ago I received a little booklet from Renovare that spelled out 6 ingredients that could help us in our spiritual journey and with some very specific things we could do in that process. Those six were what I was looking for. I hope to have this personal journal done with in a few weeks to have available so that as folks are guests of our congregation, they could take this with them to help them become more clear about their spiritual journey and the process they are in to find a spiritual home.

I am looking for folks who are also "weary and heavy ladened". Together we could journey to Jesus who will give us rest. That we might take his cross upon us. I am having coffee this afternoon with an old friend who was a powerful spiritual influence in my life and I know he is feeling the burden in his life. It starts with us burned out sinners seeking Jesus...as brothers and sisters on the road.