Blog

Jan 19 2021

Letting go of my lists and depending on God

As I stepped into the new year, one of the things I decided to do was to spend more deliberate time studying the Bible.

Although I’ve enjoyed using various devotionals, those aren’t typically geared for in-depth study.

Rather, they’re more focused on encouraging a regular time with the Lord each day.

The same is true for the Bibles & Bathrobes™ devotionals I offer here.

But I wanted something more in depth.

So, I decided to start from the beginning, using a study Bible and insights from another Bible scholar to give me an additional perspective.

In this case, I’m using The Jeremiah Study Bible—which has extensive commentary and resources from Dr. David Jeremiah and his team of experts—and With the Word: A Devotional Commentary by Warren Wiersbe.

The former provides detailed notes on individual verses (along with a lot of additional insights) and the latter provides a very brief synopsis of each chapter of the Bible, sometimes combining more than one chapter.

And when I sat down to start, I did so with Genesis 1:1.

Each day, I read a single chapter and all of the notes and commentary from both experts, underlining verses and adding my own notes and thoughts in the margins as I go.

It wasn’t long before I realized how long it would take to get to the New Testament at that pace, and I didn’t think I could stand to be away from it for that long.

So, I added a chapter from the New Testament to my study time, beginning with Matthew 1:1.

There are so many wonderful things I love about this process—and one I really enjoy is when I’ve just read something in the Old Testament that I then read about in the New Testament, too.

Although that connection is made in the New Testament writings, I just love it when it happens in “real-time” during my studies.

Another thing I cherish that I figured might happen if I really got serious about spending focused time in prayer and study of the Word was that God would deepen my relationship with Him.

And that’s happening.

Happening to the extent that I’ve been doing some drastic stuff as a result.

Like giving up my lists.

Oh, how I love lists

Let me start by saying how much I love lists.

I love the order they provide and the organizing required when I sit down to create them.

And doing that with my favorite pen: a black fine point Sharpie® and the perfect size paper or journal to write them out and bullet them just so.

Even better if a calendar is involved and I can set deadlines for getting them done.

Or some efficient technology tool that allows me to sit with my phone and upload them to the cloud so they’ll be available on any device from which I want to access them.

(If you read my recent post about turning off the tech, that last statement may confuse you, but bear with me.)

In fact, a friend told me about such a tool, a productivity app that creates bulleted lists you can move around to create priorities and hierarchies and all the orderly stuff I love.

And during that weird week of the year between Christmas and New Year’s when I love to take time to reflect and plan, I spent two whole days doing exactly that.

Reflecting, planning, and creating bulleted lists about my business and writing goals for the year ahead—all within the neat and organized efficiency of that technology app so conveniently located on my smartphone.

Then I gave the whole thing a suitable title: “Sue’s 2021 Strategic Planning”—after which I printed it out, tapped the pages together into a neat stack, and paper-clipped them to the inside front cover of my new 2021 business calendar I keep on my desk.

When lists get in the way

After all that, you can imagine my dismay when, during time in prayer last week, I distinctly (not audibly, mind you, but distinctly) heard God say, “Give me your lists.”

Ugh.

My lists, Lord?

But what about all my planning?

What about all the things I need to do in the year ahead?

How will I stay organized and on track?

How will I get things done and know what to do next?

Now, that may have been about the time when I was reading about Abraham being way too attached to his son Isaac and God dealing with him about that (Genesis 22).

Which made it pretty clear that if God was telling me to let go of something, I’d better do it.

As I considered this divine request, I realized how much my lists can get in the way.

After all, if they’ve been concocted from my agenda instead of God’s, that’s certainly not a good thing.

And if I’m so focused on crossing the next thing off my list instead of listening closely for the guidance of the Holy Spirit, I may totally miss what God had planned, instead.

Listening for the tap of God

All that reminded me of how closely I used to listen for my mom’s tap on the little desk bell she kept on her walker when she lived with us.

When she got to the point that she needed more help, I worried about her falling.

So if I wasn’t within earshot, I always had a monitor on me so I wouldn’t miss the ding of that little bell.

And I need to be the same way with God.

Paying such close attention to His promptings that I know exactly what I need to do next.

And the thing I did next after I heard His directive about my lists was to eliminate them all.

Yep, I deleted them all from that app and then removed the app from my phone.

Then I got up from the couch in my study, tugged that tidy 2021 planning packet from my calendar, and fed it into the shredder.

I have to be honest that my heart sank a bit as I watched the last remnants of my agenda for the year ahead being systematically chewed into oblivion.

But overall, I’ve been much more peaceful since I let go of my lists.

No longer do I have all those things waiting for me to do and making me feel like I’m falling behind.

Instead, I finish one thing and then stop to spend time in prayer, asking, “What’s next, Lord?”

Today, that next thing was to write this post.

And I’m so glad I got to spend this time with you as I did.

Jan 18 2021

Crawling through the trunk; turning off the tech

There are so many things happening in our world that I don’t know where to start.

So, I’ll start with locking my keys in the car at Walmart earlier this week.

I can’t even remember the last time I locked my keys in the car.

But I can definitely remember that I’ve never before crawled through the trunk and into the back seat to reach the rear-door latch.

(Fortunately, I’d popped the trunk hatch to load groceries before tossing my keys onto the floorboard and locking the door behind me).

Actually, none of that was a big deal.

I’m a pretty patient person and not easily frazzled, but I did think it was an interesting statement of our current times that no one walking by even batted an eye.

Well, since my head was in the trunk, none that I was aware of.

In the more-normal-days-of-the-past, I might’ve gotten a “Lady, are you okay?” or “Do you need some help?” or “Is that really your car?”

But no.

Between everyone minding their own business behind their masks and being preoccupied with their own stuff, I guess it’s now completely normal to see someone’s feet sticking out of a trunk in the middle of the Walmart parking lot.

Good to know.

The power of Big Tech

And then there was the seemingly-overnight shift in power by Big Tech and others to put a major squeeze on conservative voices that had a Carpenters’ tune running through my head: “We’ve only just begun…”

Those dynamics have caused me to take a major pause in terms of my reliance on the current state of technology offerings.

Now, there’s nothing wrong with technology itself, because it offers many benefits and can do a lot of good.

However, the negative stuff on social media and the ability for a few tech giants to take down a major conservative platform within a matter of days clarified my need to reduce my dependence on providers who may not agree with my Christian messaging (which means I’d love to see more technology providers—especially hosting infrastructure platforms—who do!).

Because I’m certainly not going to stop sharing the good news of Jesus—but it’s pretty clear that if the platforms I rely on to do that decide against permitting me to do so, that may find a way to do exactly that.

Plus, I’ve been getting increasingly aggravated by the intrusion of continual connectedness.

When technology takes over

For Christmas, I got a new pair of Bluetooth earbuds to use when I exercise and for video calls for work.

And twice, when I’ve picked them up to pop them in, Siri (which I thought was turned off) has somehow interpreted the generated noise as a request to dial someone on my business contact list with a name that’s difficult to pronounce and with whom I haven’t spoken in years.

Then there are the Windows updates on my PC.

I can’t tell you how aggravating it is to have specifically left work open to return to at a later point, only to find out that my computer has been shut down as part of the automatic update process (and I have absolutely no idea what’s being added to my computer as part of the process).

Or that I have to jump through the hoops of setting up my smartphone again because an update automatically installed overnight (again, I have no idea what’s being changed).

Now, I know there are continually evolving security risks and that those updates are necessary to address them.

But the connected nature of things is increasingly feeling like an invasion of my privacy and loss of control.

And I really like my privacy.

Plus, I’m not keen on giving up control unless it’s to God or to a person I specifically trust.

Reducing tech reliance

So, I started disconnecting from the internet by turning off the WiFi on my devices when I’m not using them.

And I’m evaluating my workflows to see what tech dependence I can eliminate in a new determination to return to a simpler way of life.

Which means that I recently deleted two of my favorite writing and productivity apps from my phone (painful).

And I’m using paper-based (yes, you read that right) processes as much as possible to gain more control of my privacy and to reduce my reliance on technology tools.

No, it won’t be the most efficient way of doing things.

Nor the most convenient.

But both of those benefits are a trap of technology, since Big Tech is counting on the fact that we can’t live without them.

However, I know people who live quite happily—and more peacefully—without any internet access at all.

They use paper calendars, lick stamps and envelopes to pay their bills, and know how to balance their checkbooks with a monthly statement that arrives in an actual mailbox that creaks when you open the door.

And to visit with those they love, they write a letter or pick up the phone to call or text.

Now, I certainly don’t plan to eliminate internet access.

After all, I make a living online (often writing about technology, in fact); there are many benefits to being intermittently connected; and that’s how I get to engage with you.

But one thing’s for sure.

When my current smartphone needs to be replaced, I’ll be considering a simple flip phone, instead.

This post is adapted from Sue’s Perspectives column in the latest edition of The Empowered Traveler™ Newsletter. If you’re not already a subscriber, you can do that here: Subscribe to Sue’s newsletter.

Jan 10 2021

Giving God your zero

Social media is certainly interesting right now—with lots of upheaval on sites like Facebook, Twitter, and Parler.

Many who have enjoyed a robust following are finding the bottom is dropping out seemingly overnight.

Others are being banned for “violating” the rules in some way.

And still others are voluntarily calling it quits on platforms with which they can no longer agree.

The result?

The need to start from zero somewhere else.

With zero content and zero followers—completely starting from scratch.

Of course, some are finding they don’t have a choice in the matter—but others are doing so as a matter of choice.

I made that choice over a year ago, leaving Facebook and later Twitter, too.

Starting from zero with God

All that got me thinking about the dynamics of starting from scratch.

Of the willingness to give God our zero and trust Him with the outcome of doing so.

I read about four guys who did the same during my devotionals this morning: Andrew, Peter, James, and John.

In Matthew 4:18-22, we read the description of how they became Jesus’ followers:

¹⁸As Jesus was walking beside the Sea of Galilee, he saw two brothers, Simon called Peter and his brother Andrew. They were casting a net into the lake, for they were fishermen. ¹⁹“Come, follow me,” Jesus said, “and I will send you out to fish for people.” ²⁰At once they left their nets and followed him.
²¹Going on from there, he saw two other brothers, James son of Zebedee and his brother John. They were in a boat with their father Zebedee, preparing their nets. Jesus called them, ²²and immediately they left the boat and their father and followed him.
NIV

When Jesus called them to follow Him, they immediately got up, left everything and everyone behind, and did exactly that.

I wonder how many of us would be willing to do that today.

To leave behind our comfortable lives and follow Jesus into the unknown.

To give Him our zero and trust Him with it.

To do what’s needed in the context of our call to put His kingdom first.

His will be done.

On Earth, as it is in Heaven.

The willingness to leave what’s familiar, to depart previous success, and start from scratch can be a hard thing to do.

But God will honor your willingness to do exactly that.

If you trust Him with your zero and step with Him into whatever He has next.

Jan 08 2021

The peace the world really needs

In the midst of the upheaval and uncertainty that surrounds us, many are seeking inner peace.

Which is what Jesus can provide.

His peace is different than what the world offers.

And that’s exactly what we need.

A lasting and effective alternative to the temporary, self-reliant solutions that will persistently fall short.

Trying to find inner peace within the chaos that surrounds us is impossible without Jesus.

Because only He can provide the consistent, powerful, and eternal peace we seek.

John 14:27 (NIV), Philippians 4:6-7 (NIV), I Peter 5:7 (NIV)