paravanes:meditations

  Photo (c) Deborah Evans  How open are you to change? How open are you to new ways of seeing the world? How open are you to leaving something (or someone) behind and taking on something (or someone) new? How open are you to learning and practicing new habits, new priorities, and new perspectives? Salvation in Jesus Christ is about transformation. When you examine Jesus' relationship with his disciples, you see him leading and guiding and protecting them through a series of challenging, authentic, transformational experiences. You see Jesus working miracles, reaching out to the marginalized and rejected and showing God's care and concern, conflicts with the traditional religious leaders, political arrest and execution, resurrection, and ascension (moving beyond physical limitations). Almost none of this happens when Jesus is alone. What he does, he does with his disciples. Why didn't Jesus just speak to and lecture his disciples instead of leading them through these events?...

In past years, I have thought of   “back to school”   time as a time to return to routines. This year, after reading DeliberateLIFE’S back to school issue, I am thinking more about transformation, rethinking routines, and beginning a familiar process in a new way. Getting ready for back-to-school in a new way means understanding I don’t know this process of shopping, planning, arranging for after-school schedules, etc., as well as I imaged. As a college student, I chose the liberal arts because I was fully committed to lifelong learning and learning for its own sake. What did I learn from reading this back-to-school issue? I learned paper bags aren’t a green, earth-wise choice. They contribute to the tons of food and food packaging waste slowly burying the earth we live on and (hopefully) love. Sleek, efficient, and yes---cute—alternatives are available for packing those lunches and sending them off to school. I learned I don’t have to put aside all of my ...