Sane, Simple, Sacred: Time to Think and Be

Time to Think and Be

a chalkboard my husband recently constructed...

It is impossible ever to estimate rightly the essential significance of the Quaker movement without a clear appraisal of the importance of this *call to stark sincerity. And this call to sincerity lies at the root of the Quaker attempt to live the simple life.There is no fixed standard of simplicity. What is simple for one person often seems very complex and extravagant for another person. There is no known calculus for simplicity. Simplicity at its best and truest is this utter honesty of heart and life, this complete sincerity of soul before God and in relation with our fellow men so that we truly struggle to be what we tell God we want to be and what we profess in our social relations to be. A Quaker must get out and keep out of the ruts of duplicity and sham. That is a basic Quaker way of life which gets back to its original spirit.

~ Rufus M. Jones

It just seems like a good day to contemplate this statement. I've "bolded" the sentence that I really want to digest today. Remnants of the furious storm in the prairies reached northeast Indiana during the night, and all is still outside. Our Ladies' Home Connection (Bible study and luncheon) was cancelled this morning in response to school delays and closures leaving me unexpected but welcomed time to think and be. I don't intend to waste a minute of it!

*A "call to stark sincerity" ... What a concept!

6 comments:

elaine @ peace for the journeyFebruary 22, 2013 at 1:56 PM
And now I am contemplating it as well.

I spent 7 years in the Quaker church. I adore this group of believers! Even so, I'm called to think upon this thinking again today. Thank you for the reminder.

~elaine
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JackieFebruary 22, 2013 at 3:42 PM
I hope that all is well after the storm...
Regarding simplicity....sigh. I need more of it in my life.
Hugs to you and yours.
Love,
Jackie
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SueFebruary 23, 2013 at 12:27 PM
"Simplicity" such a simple word, with so much to think about, as i have gotten older it seems to be one that begs me to try it on for size. Thanks for sharing, I always leave here with much to ponder and am always so blessed.
Hugs,
Sue
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DeeFebruary 23, 2013 at 8:57 PM
Sue and I had to cancel our day because of weather... but I had the best day with Frank...it was meant to be. :)
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PamelaFebruary 27, 2013 at 10:32 AM
The bolded quote added itself to my journal. A lot of food for thought. "Utter honesty" is my heart cry.
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"We simplify, not just to be less busy, even though we may be right to pursue that. Rather, we simplify to remove distractions from our pursuit of Christ. We prune activities from our lives, not only to get organized, but also that our devotion to Christ and service for His kingdom will be more fruitful. We simplify, not merely to save time, but to eliminate hindrances to the time we devote to knowing Christ. All the reasons we simplify should eventually lead us to Jesus Christ!" (Donald S. Whitney)

Dedicated to my sister-in-law, Beth--a TRUE home manager....

"I work for a King. He has put me in charge of his home. When He comes to see how I have managed His possessions and His children, I do not want to be found wanting. I want to do my best. Everything I have is on loan from Him. I have room and board and a job to do, but it is all for Him. Therefore I want to dress my best and do my best in all my work. I also want to be creative, for this is a sincere attempt to glorify Him and His beautiful creation. How I manage my home is a form of worship to Him." --Lydia Sherman

"A man should hear a little music, read a little poetry,
and see a fine picture every day of his life,
in order that worldly cares may not obliterate the sense of the beautiful which God has implanted in the human soul."

~Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

Contentment makes poor men rich.

-Benjamin Franklin

"What I am gradually discovering is that in the writing I come in touch with the Spirit of God." ~ Nouwen

~~"Reading without reflecting is like eating without digesting."~~Edmund Burke

C.S. Lewis: "To trust Him means, of course, trying to do all that He says. There would be no sense in trusting a person if you wouldn't take his advice. Thus if you have really handed yourself over to Him, it must follow that you are trying to obey Him."

"To live content with small means; to seek elegance rather than luxury, and refinement rather than fashion; to be worthy, not respectable, and wealthy, not rich; to listen to stars and birds, babes and sages, with open heart; to study hard; to think quietly, act frankly, talk gently, await occasions, hurry never; in a word, to let the spiritual, unbidden and unconscious, grow up through the common--this is my symphony." William Henry Channing

“Finish each day and be done with it. You have done what you could. Some blunders and absurdities no doubt crept in; forget them as soon as you can. Tomorrow is a new day; begin it well and serenely and with too high a spirit to be encumbered with your old nonsense.” – Ralph Waldo Emerson

The Apostle Paul: "But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus." (Philippians 3:13-14)

"It's a good thing to have all the props pulled out from under us occasionally. It gives us some sense of what is rock under our feet, and what is sand. It stops us from taking anything for granted. It has also taught me alot about living in the immediate moment. I am somehow managing to live one day, one hour at a time." Madeleine L'Engle

FIVE CERTAINTIES
WITH WHICH TO
START YOUR DAY

God holds you. Each day he carries us in his arms. Psalm 68:19 NLT
God sustains you. THE LORD is my Shepherd [to feed, guide, and shield me], I shall not lack. Psalm 23:1 AMP
God covers you. He will cover you with His pinions, and under His wings shall you trust. Psalm 91:4 AMP
God pours His love upon you. Through each day the Lord pours his unfailing love upon me. Psalm 42:8 NLT
God will not fail you. The unfailing love of the Lord never ends! Lamentations 3:22 NLT

THE BLOGGER'S PRAYER Lord, help me to learn to spell without spellcheck, manage to visit all that visit me, and post regularly - all in 5 minutes a day, so that I can clean house and take care of my family. Help me to not look at every occurrence in my life as a blog post, and to quit taking pictures of weird things to share as well. Please Lord, help me to stop talking about my blog friends as though they are next door neighbors or someone I have known all of my life. And help me, dear Lord, to think of something witty and wise to post tomorrow.
Love, The Dust Bunny Hostage

Sane, Simple, Sacred

Mercy

Time to Think and Be

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