Dear Reader (to continue with my blog, i suggest you read...otherwise you may soon be offended)

Please skip the first little block if you have no interest in parenting, as you will be bored to death before you hit my epiphany:

Today my son and I are trying a new schedule. I'm a fairly undisciplined person, though I usually refer to myself as simply flexible and spontaneous. I do agree with those who say children thrive under structure. While I don't think that rigidity is answer, a parent who accomplishes what they need to and helps their children do the same is off to a good start. My version of structure has always been to get ensure that I (or my child) do what were supposed when we should, as opposed to when it is scheduled.

For example, babies need food and babies need sleep. So (unless I should wind up with multiples), I decided to let my children eat when they're hungry and sleep when they're tired. With my son, this meant letting him nurse longer than some would suggest. (Which turned out be be a wise choice because of various milk issues) After the two week mark (and I solved nursing issue #1- milk supply), I also let him sleep longer than health professionals suggest instead of waking him up for feedings. Between us and him, we naturally morphed as a family into a (very loose and flexible) daily schedule. It worked quite well!

So reader, why am I telling you all of this? It really does have something to do with you! I desire to honor my Redeemer (Happy Birthday Jesus BTW) with my time! I have a responsibility to glorify my God and further His Kingdom. In order to do that, I must work hard to maintain a healthy marriage, as much as is up to me, and raise God-serving children. After that I must diligently work to make disciples through hospitality and relationships. But lately, I've been going in circles trying to finish all of the things I'm supposed to get done. So I decided that I should just write out my day so I see when I have time available to check things off my list.

As I wrote out our busy week on paper, I found myself desperately searching for time to read and write. But between book, blog and the occasional freelance article, the little time I saw didn't look like it would add up to much. As I stared blankly at nap-times and church obligations I simply laid my pen down, prayed and then tried to "sleep on it" (right after I got my tumultuous analytical brain to calm down). Somewhere in my dreams God impressed this message upon my heart:

If (by the Grace of God) I wrote a spiritually challenging best-seller, how many people's lives would I truly help facilitate change in? On the other hand, if I lead my children in the Way that they should go through love AND discipline and help form them into Approved Workmen who will share the Gospel and make disciples who will make disciples who will...If I do this, will my efforts not touch more lives to the glory of God through the generations than anything I put on paper?

It is this conviction my friend, that has lead me to set aside time for teaching and praying, reading and playing. It is this same conviction that leads me to believe it is not my time to be writing a book. Neither is it a time to completely lay down the pen that the Lord has blessed me with.

This is where you come in. As I have said before, I must write. I have to trust that through social networking, blogging and you passing things on to your friends, God will bring the readers whose lives I need to touch. This means that after being a wife, parent and disciple-maker, you get my best efforts. You get my best pen and ink, my best inspirations and my deepest internal battles. I'm guessing with no book and no freelancing, you will see more of the deep theological debates that my brain has with my heart and more of the "great ideas" that I usually wake up and giggle at (or loathe) the next day.

Will you come? I hope you'll join the discussion by praying things out between you and God AND by leaving comments! Follow with blogger, Google+, Facebook or Twitter (@eliciajohnson) and let's grow each other!

Mondays With Margaret: Practicing the Art of Listening

...as I practice the art of listening to God, I am discovering that he is surprisingly talkative even in the silence. Prayers are not going unanswered as much as he is responding in unexpected ways. Listening to God's voice requires more than just my ears; it requires my eyes, my mind, my spirit, my entire being to recognize the God-nudges in life.

-Margaret Feinberg in her book The Organic God

Oh how I wish this were an easier lesson to learn! I pray and wait for God to answer; I try to use my spirit and my mind to listen. But one of the statements that most catches my eye (and my heart) in this passage is the challenge to listen with my eyes. How often does God show us the answers to our questions by lining things up (opportunities, people, even trials) around us?! In my life, I have seen this play out over and over. One day I'll learn to pray, listen, and then confidently watch the world around me knowing that my God is sovereign. He won't forget about this little girl!

The second, and most powerful thing for me was Margaret's label for listening: an art. It truly is a skill that you fumble around with at first. Maybe you don't always capture the correct vision. Quite possibly you'll fail more than you'll succeed in the beginning. But when a follower of Christ begins to practice listening to God, he or she will slowly begin to hear and confidently obey (step two of this whole listening thing) their Father. Isn't it a complex and beautiful thing, conversing with Maker of everything wondrous?! Who are we, that He would even take notice of our plees? We are joint heirs with Christ and ever thankful for the grace He bestows!

I Find God In the Mountains

I find God elsewhere, but it just doesn't feel the same as the mountains. During the business of life it takes a lot of conscious effort to sit down with my Bible to read and pray. It's an even bigger struggle to patiently wait until I feel the peace of God's presence. For me to linger even longer for His guidance in Bible study and my life's current issues almost causes over-exertion. The to-do list on my fridge calls my name.

It's hard for me to find God's joy, until I step on a trail. It's as if I scurry around and God is just an arm's length away. He's there and we converse, but we're not really intimate. As soon as I enter the refuge of the lodge-pole pines, I feel as if God has wrapped His arms around me.

Maybe it started at summer camp. I've been a Christian for about 17 years. When I was a child, my parents sent me to the mountains for at least one week every summer for kids' camp and eventually teen camp. Even when we were stationed at a military installation overseas, I managed to go to a retreat that included climbing Mt. Fuji. Much of my spiritual growth happened at these camps.

There's just something about being removed from cell phone reception, schedules and the burdens of "real life". I was forced to concentrate on the tasks at hand; hiking, floating a river and getting to know the Creator of the wonders around me. With so many distractions removed I soaked up everything each speaker said. When they set aside time for devotions, I found a place where I couldn't hear or see people. The only sounds were that of creaking trees, scurrying squirrels and the rushing river.

Jesus often retreated to the wilderness to be alone or pray. My favorite is in John 6:15 after He fed the five thousand. The people were amazed at His miracles. The verse says, "Therefore when Jesus perceived that they were about to come and take Him by force to make Him king, He departed again to the mountain by Himself alone." One of my biggest struggles is pride. This is often manifested in a desire to be recognized. When Jesus knew it was not time for Him to be exalted, He retreated to the mountainside.

The mountains became such a haven for me that even at a young age my parents recognized and utilized it. My parents did foster care and I connected with a few of the girls in really cool ways. Unfortunately one young lady, whom I consider a sister to this day, provoked me to my tipping point and ended up with a bloody nose. To calm me down and figure out what was going on my dad immediately got me in the truck and drove to one of my favorite spring hunting spots. We hiked around and just picked wild flowers and watched bear cubs while God slowly worked on my heart.

Did Jesus receive this same assurance from the Father while in the wilderness? I don't know. He sure went there a lot. One thing I am sure of; I am truly blessed to live here.