a drop of water

Pokemon Platinum is planned for release on March 22, 2009 according to Amazon.  I played quite a bit of pokemon in elementary schoool, middle school, high school and post-college.  I probably won’t get it though since I need to get my life in order for StarCraft II.

There is no release date yet unfortunately, but at least we are making progress after 2 years since its announcement!

– What experiences of prayer and meditation have you had this week?
– What temptations did you face this week?
– What movements of the Holy Spirit did you experience this week?
– What opportunities to serve others have you had this week?
– In what ways have you encountered Christ in your study of the Bible this week?

These were noted in Chapter 21 (Radical Prayer) of Richard Foster‘s book, Prayer: Finding the Heart’s True Home. They were questions that he and a group of friends committed to asking and answering each week in hopes of growing to be better disciples of Christ. I really appreciate the directness of these questions. Each one seems to imply that doing “A” has great benefit and at the same time admits there are barriers, “B”, that we must face in community by being intentional of “C”.

• Question 1: “A” is prayer and meditation. “B” is a fast paced life. “C” is taking time out of the busy schedule and assigning worth and dependence to hearing from God and letting God meet you in prayer and meditation.
• Question 2: “A” is overcoming temptations. “B” is being jaded or having a hardened heart towards sin. “C” is actively understanding our own weaknesses so that we can, in community, build up those areas where we are tempted.
• Question 3: “A” is experiencing the Holy Spirit’s movements. “B” is relying so much on our own understanding, knowledge and perspective that there is little room for anything else. “C” is actively seeking to see the Holy Spirit’s movements and testing them in community.
• Question 4: “A” is serving others. “B” is thinking that what doesn’t affect me directly, is not worth my time. “C” is actively listening and being aware of the needs of people around us, as if they were (are) our own.
• Question 5: “A” is encountering Christ in the Bible. “B” is assuming you understand the familiar stories completely and that there is no more value in reading what you know already. “C” is seeing the Bible as living and active, where we do not just learn about Christ, but where we actually meet Christ.

With the turning of the year I’ve been trying to formulate questions to evaluate the health of different areas that I consider crucial to inviting (and discovering) God into my life.  All of these areas are interrelated and sometimes difficult to separate, but trying to understand them individually helps me better understand their influence on each other.  This list is by no means exhaustive (and there is no implication by order), but intended to be a concise list of questions to poignantly touch key issues in our lives today.

Spiritual Health

1. What are the prayers that I have prayed?
2. Where have I grown more dependent on God in my life?

Physical Health

1. How much time do I spend creating and cultivating with my mind and body versus consuming and condemning?
2. How can I grow and mature in my physical intimacy with my wife?

Resource Health

1. Where are am I giving, saving, and spending finances, time, energy and creativity?
2. Where am I undercommitted and where am I overcommitted?

Educational Health

1. Where and from who am I learning from and being inspired by?
2. Who am I teaching and investing in, hoping to inspire?

Work Health

1. Am I satisfied with my level of dedication to work?
2. Am I bringing good to my coworkers, customers and managers?

Relational Health

1. How am I intentionally loving the people most important in my life?
2. How am I intentionally loving the people in my life who I would prefer not to love?