The rest that works is a lot like "sunset work."

There was a little work involved for both of the above pictures that were taken last week. For the first, I thought about where the sun was going to be, took a book, sat in a hammock and waited for sunset (not much work). For the second, we went as a family to the beach along with hundreds of others and waited for the sunset (that particular evening involved a fair amount of effort - that was well worth it!). 

Preparing for a sunset usually involves a little work and a lot of unknowns. Will the sunset be beautiful? Will it be a dud? Will clouds get in the way or add to the beauty? What attitude helps make the experience worth the wait no matter what?

"Be still and know that I am God" involves similar things. We don't know how the Living God will show up even when we do the work of coming to rest, opening our hearts with a sense of wonder, observing and waiting. There are practices we can choose to prepare a certain spiritual space like breath work, centering prayer, listening to music, sketching, and etc. but we don't know if we will experience much at any given time. Sometimes, all we experience are the unforced rhythms of grace giving us life in our breath (which is something worthwhile in and of itself). But if we don't do the work of coming to a place of open presence, we can be sure that we probably won't experience much at all - like we usually won't experience much of a sunset if we aren't intentional about being in a position to see it.

Developing a regular practice of opening to the Living God and the Creative Forces of Life is a key part of living the rest that works. Developing some practices that work for you is a lot like developing practices of preparing for a sunset. Part of the process is recognizing what is in our control and what isn't, and choosing to take those potentially helpful steps that are in our control. Cultivating an active sense of wonder and humble openness is essential, but with that, the possibilities are truly endless. The bliss of Divine Love can utterly blow us away.

More power to you in doing the sunset work in your personal form of the rest that works. Thanks for journeying together!

Blessings,
Scott

(P.S. The next class on the rest that works starts next week on April 5th. Here's a link to the details: http://www.therestthatworks.com/events-calendar.html
​I hope you can come!)

​Bri and I met an Easter person the other day. 

We were looking into this little church when a nice lady introduced herself and asked if we wanted to go in. "Dee" (I changed her name) is a kind woman probably in her 70's who comes to this old church to pray a few times a week. She comes when she has the car that she shares with her granddaughter. That arrangement started after her husband died and her daughter's family moved in with her (or she moved in with them, not sure which but the former is probably much more likely. We met on Marco Island in an historic church Dee's been praying at for many years).

She prays at home but also likes going where she can settle down enough to really feel for heavenly guidance. When she asked if I knew what she meant by that it was all I could do not to preach on the rest that works.  But that would have been preaching to the choir or worse since she's probably living the rest that works better than I am. A sincere "yes" seemed plenty from me.

​Think of the pressures of having her daughter's family move in with her. I'm sure that she is thankful for them doing so, but you know that major challenges also accompany such a process. She's clearly trying to stay in a creative, graceful place no matter what challenges might be involved. I think she is succeeding. She is moving in tune with the dynamic, ever-creative Love of God. She's acting on what evolves from love as evidenced by her genuinely sharing what must have been her car with her granddaughter. Looking at the car as we walked back to our bikes, it was definitely a "grandma car" (It was the very nice Cadillac that you can see in the picture).

What hit me this morning was that Dee didn't refer to it as "her car." She called it "the car my granddaughter and I share." There was simply no ego involved.  I hadn't yet seen the car as she spoke of the arrangement. As I listened to her, I assumed that it had previously been her granddaughter's car; she was so humble about the situation, like she was thankful to be able to share a car with her granddaughter. I think that she is thankful, but not for the reason I was assuming. I think that she is thankful that she can share the car that had previously been hers alone and be helpful to her granddaughter in that way. She's thankful for her daughter's family and is happy to play her part as creatively as possible in their new situation together. She is not making them adjust to her and her previous life; she is doing her best to create a new life together with them. It's both not that big of a deal and yet also a subtle shift from how we usually work - a shift that can change everything. 

That's what Easter is all about - letting go of ego-stuff enough to clear the way for a true resurgence of life through creative love. It's part of why Jesus said, "take up your cross and follow me" and "you must lose your life to find it." He wasn't saying sacrifice for the sake of sacrifice. He was saying make investments in what gives life even if sacrifice is needed.

Not getting caught up in ego stuff is hardest closest to home - with things like our personal habits, homes and cars. For instance, had I been in Dee's shoes I probably would have called it "my car" and made it clear that "my daughter's family moved in with me." But she simply isn't thinking about things that way. She may not even be thinking about it but she's putting loving people before loving or identifying with things. She's living her version of the rest that works and it's producing the kind of freedom Jesus intended - freedom from selfish concern. Her needs are being met by loving herself and others in ways that aren't ego-centric. One of the unconscious fruits of her approach was making two complete strangers feel very much at home far away from home.

​I don't think it's a coincidence that our word "home" is connected to the most ancient known word for God - "Om." The longer I live, the more I value simple, sincere, home-making love - the kind of love that puts us and those around us at home through love that values them more than any thing, including status. That's the kind of simple yet powerful love Dee is living as evidenced in our few moments together. It's the kind of love Jesus shared throughout his ministry, all the way to a cross. It is simple but potentially miraculous because of it's purity and grace. It opens doors where ego-centric approaches erect walls. It overcomes painful crosses through inviting a resurgence of the Creative Forces of God. I think that's why I felt inspired as we left that little church. In the small but sincere way of a certain feeling, Easter came early for me.

Of course, we don't have to go to a church to do what Dee is doing. We simply need to have some way to settle down and feel for the unforced rhythms of grace that give life. More power to you in feeling for them, finding them and moving with Creative Love in the details of your life. That's what the rest that works is all about. 

Thanks for journeying together and Happy Easter!

Blessings, 
Scott

(P.S. The next class on the rest that works starts next week on April 5th. Here's a link to the details: http://www.therestthatworks.com/events-calendar.html
​I hope you can come!)

 
When I think of St. Patrick, I ponder celebrating life the way the Irish do. I think of the rich green pastures of Ireland, relaxing and having a beer at the pub, the way St. Patrick would point to the Trinity by holding up a three leaf clover and the ways our Creator is expressed in Life (which includes us). 

It reminded me of this parable today:

"One day, a wealthy man took his son into the country to show the boy how poor people lived. On their way home, the dad asked his son, "Now do you have an idea of how poor people live?" The son said "Yeah." So the dad said, "What did you learn?"

The son answered:
"I saw that most of them had a few happy dogs running around their yard and we have one who sleeps most of the day while we're gone. We have a pool that goes to our garden and they have a creek that doesn't end. We have fancy lanterns lighting up our garden at night but they can really see the stars. We have a nice, fenced yard but they live on fields that go further than you can see. We have servants but they seem to enjoy serving each other and their community. We have walls around our property while they protect each other. We're comfortable but pretty cooped up and anxious. They seem more free. Kinda makes me wonder what it really means to be rich."

The boys father was speechless as he yearned to live differently.

Let's keep trying to embrace the miraculous ways of Life in us as well as around us. More power to you in whatever helps you move freely with the Creative Forces of God that give Life. Thanks for encouraging me in the same and thanks for journeying together!

Blessings,
Scott

(The next class on the rest that works starts on April 5th. Here's a link to the details: http://www.therestthatworks.com/events-calendar.html
​I hope you can come!)

​The kids were playing around with my old trombones and a trumpet last night. It was awful (and fun). Listening to good music this morning made me chuckle and reminded me of how things really work.

Love is an octave above everything else. It is both elevating and grounding, like one feels at a truly beautiful concert as your body responds to the music. It’s a gut-level, freeing experience.

We are all learning how to love better. Part of the process is learning what creates harmony and what doesn’t. Learning to love includes patience with the process (including patience with ourselves and others).

More power to you in gaining ears to hear and creating harmony in your life.
Thanks for journeying together as we all seek that.
 
Blessings,
Scott

Playfulness is a big part of the rest that works. That's why we find it in the first step of entering the rest that works:

"Trust the Living God in Whom "we live and move and have our being" with the confidence and playfulness of an adored child— because you are (Acts 17: 28)."

Reclaiming a playful spirit is part of why Jesus said to become like little children. He said that doing so was key to entering the kingdom of heaven (Matthew 18:3).

I think that I was supposed to remember this today. It came up repeatedly in yoga this morning and then in a TED talk my publisher recommended by Shanda Rhimes. She talks about "the Hum" as I talk about 'the Creative Forces of God" or "the Flow," but I like "hum" a lot too. It's an active, creative movement of spirit that we can feel within us. It involves a light-heartedness that opens us to the energies that bring life from within (our breath and heartbeat are examples of these creative forces as well. We can tap into them mindfully if are willing to do the work of aligning with them). The Creative Forces of God feel good, right and even holy (make sure and watch to the end and you'll get my point). Tapping into them and how they feel helps us to re-enter "the Hum."

Thanks Shanda and Steve (my publisher).

And thank you for journeying together! More power to you in really claiming your adventure with God through the rest that works.

Blessings,
Scott

(P.S. The next series on the rest that works will be April 5th - May 10th. Details can be found on the events calendar: http://www.therestthatworks.com/events-calendar.html)