Good Morning!

Many years ago, I heard someone speak on success. This person used a quote by Alan Lakein; “Failing to plan is planning to fail.” Although the quote was used to encourage the development of strategy to be successful, I think the principle can be applied to our spiritual lives as well. I need a more purposeful direction in my spiritual life. Do you? I would like to be a person who hasn’t wasted any of the time, talents, or gifts God has given me. I know if I’m not intentional about matters of the spirit then I will allow mediocrity to settle into my walk of faith. And in essence, plan to fail. I want a vibrant, tenacious, and glory-giving faith. I want a faith that shines and makes God smile. I believe crafting a personal rule of life for myself and sharing the journey with others will help.

“Take your everyday, ordinary life – your sleeping, eating, going-to-work, and walking-around life – and place it before God as an offering. Embracing what God does for you is the best thing you can do for him. Don’t become so well-adjusted to your culture that you fit into it without even thinking. Instead, fix your attention on God. You’ll be changed from the inside out. Readily recognize what he wants from you, and quickly respond to it. Unlike the culture around you, always dragging you down to its level of immaturity, God brings the best out of you, develops well-formed maturity in you.” Romans 12:1,2 The Message

St. Benedict of Nursia, around A.D. 540, developed a rule of life for believers to follow. He had been a young man of privilege and a student in the art of persuasive speaking. However, he discovered that his fellow classmates were more interested in the pursuit of pleasure than truth. Benedict desired something more for his life so he left school. Over time and with God’s help, Benedict “sorted out what it means to live the Christian life in a pagan world. … [He] came to the full realization that God’s call was toward humility, as expressed both in contemplation (a life of prayer) and community (a life of love). This twofold priority became the backbone of Benedict’s rule of life.”

St. Benedict’s rule of life is the basis for Stephen Macchia’s book, Crafting A Rule Of Life, which we will use for our study.  The study and discussion will only be available in a Facebook Group format. I hope you’ll join me! We begin on April 17th. For more information on the study and details for ordering, click here.

Blessings,

Mimi

References: The Message – Eugene H. Peterson; Crafting A Rule Of Life – Stephen Macchia