Discipline?

2011 Spring shower!

I sat up till close to midnight preparing for the storm. I had to because I have two very large dogs who freak out when it storms, the cat... not so much. 5 - 12 inches of rain they said. 1.3 is what my little rain gauge said this morning. I brought my house plants in that I had placed out on the porch cuz I was afraid they would drown. I might put them back out there later today if it warms up some.


Yesterday I got 2 boxes of books loaded. Not sealed up cuz I can't find the right sized books to finish up the boxes! This is yet another reason why I shouldn't be allowed to pack books. By the way, I started reading 3 more! 


I have to pick a movie and write a 2 page paper on it's spiritual significance for Spiritual Direction class. You might think that's a pretty tuff thing to do, but unbeknownst to the movie industry (I'm sure) most movies have them. We watched Grand Tarino (sp) during our class and it's a pretty spiritual movie! Even with Clint Eastwood staring in it! Anne is going to come over sometime this week and we are going to watch "The secret life of Bees" and "Over the Hedge". I've already watch "9" and have notes but I want to have a few choices. After I watch them I should be able to pack them?


One of the books I found yesterday was a small book called "Discipline & Discovery" by Albert Edward Day. I'm thinking it might be something I don't pack, but just keep out and read a little everyday. The very first line in this book is: As Christians, we are an undisciplined people. I tend to have to agree with this statement. We, Christians, have forgotten the faithful practices that gave us our saints of old. I hardly think that people like Francis of Assisi, Teresa of Avila or Evelyn Underhill got to be who they were without discipline, do you? (If you don't know of these folks, you really should google them!) But as a church and also sadly as a country, we are undisciplined. We don't understand why we lack spiritual insight and power. 


You might not even know that there are scriptural disciplines. If you don't, I will list them. They are: obedience, simplicity, humility, frugality, generosity, truthfulness, purity and charity. I think this might be part of the reason we don't have discipline huh? These go against everything our culture stands for. They are considered "weaknesses" in our day and age. Yet, as Christians, these are things that we should be learning. These are the things that make up small groups, grow people together as they struggle with the how's, and give us spiritual insights and power! 


That's all I have to say about that today, I need to get into the shower and get to class!