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Linda's thoughts and questions and ruminations on walking with God, as well as what's happening in the ministry...

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Sharpen the Saw

One of the most important—and most neglected—concepts from Stephen Covey’s 7 Habits of Highly Effective People is “Sharpen the Saw”. Covey describes it so well:

Suppose you were to come upon someone in the woods working feverishly to saw down a tree.

"What are you doing?" you ask.

"Can't you see?" comes the impatient reply. "I'm sawing down this tree."

"You look exhausted!" you exclaim. "How long have you been at it?"

"Over five hours," he returns, "and I'm beat! This is hard work."

"Well why don't you take a break for a few minutes and sharpen that saw?" you inquire. "I'm sure it would go a lot faster."

"I don't have time to sharpen the saw," the man says emphatically. "I'm too busy sawing!"

We can chuckle at the woodsman for his short-sighted foolishness and wasted energy, but are we willing to stop when our own saw needs sharpening? In order to the best steward of all our resources, we need to be renewed---physically, mentally, spiritually and emotionally. How full are your tanks as you begin this new year?

This is certainly a biblical concept: “In the early morning, while it was still dark, Jesus got up, left the house, and went away to a secluded place, and was praying there. Simon and his companions searched for Him; they found Him, and said to Him, ‘Everyone is looking for You.’" (Mark 1:35-37) People were clamoring for Him, but Jesus intentionally powered down the laptop, shut off the smart phone and went away to a quiet place.

If Jesus needed to break away from people and ministry to be alone with His Father, how much more do I? The most neglected commandment (especially among those in ministry!) is to remember the Sabbath. And the Word speaks of many types, cycles and lengths of Sabbath.

I do quite a variety of things in ministry, but at core are two inseparable priorities: Bible teaching and Spiritual Formation. There are a lot of shaky practices of “spirituality” (which can mean just about anything nowadays), some of which are not Christian at all. And I am saddened by how few believers are truly grounded in the Word. But our goal in Psalm One is that the head, heart and hands all follow hard after God in Christ-centered, Biblically grounded spiritual growth. A solid foundation of the entire Scripture and strategic practices of spiritual growth and renewal must weave together if we are to be authentically transformed into the image of Christ.

I continually sharpen my teaching with continued education, seminary classes, conferences and other ongoing input from solid teachers. My studies in Israel, Egypt, Turkey and Greece expanded my understanding of Scripture and teaching at levels I never imagined. In December I will return to study again in Israel.

But along with the head level, I must recharge my heart by spending time at the feet of Jesus. I lead Days of Refreshing, Refocus and Refuel Retreats, and other transformational gatherings to challenge believers to develop spiritual disciplines of biblical meditation, memorization, application, silence, journaling, prayer, sacred rhythms, rest, confession, worship, direction and so many other aspects of walking intimately and unceasingly with God.

Before 2012 gets away from me, I need to refocus and refuel myself. I need to be refreshed. I need to be still and quiet enough to truly listen to His voice. I need extended time at the feet of Jesus. So in March/April, I am going away for a short sabbatical.

This is not a vacation. This is not a ministry trip. This is time spent alone with God. Seeking God can be both the most exhausting and most exhilarating activity in which a human can engage. It does not just happen. It might be very hard work, but it pays off in an endless and eternal ripple effect. We must pursue God and seek Him intentionally. This is what I teach, and also what I want to practice.

After thirty years in full-time ministry, after twelve years of hitting it hard in Psalm One, with many great opportunities coming in 2012 and beyond (including some time with you Aussies and possibly a few other far-flung friends), a sabbatical would be timely and wise.

Here’s how you can help: If you are aware of housing I might be able to use to pull away alone with God for a while, please let me know immediately. You may have a place, know about a place, or know someone who owns a place. This could be a beach house, cottage, log cabin, monastery, chalet, convent, mountain retreat, vacation home, school dorm, bungalow, condo or crib…anywhere in the world. (I get around a lot—Britain, Ireland, Oz, NZ, Canada, other countries…who knows where I’ll wind up next?) Somewhere peaceful, private and quiet. And affordable (my budget allows anything from free to cheap)

We’ll see what God has up His big sleeve. I don’t want to limit Him. I’ll pray about any location or setting. I need to be in a life-giving place. God knows where that is. And He can pull together housing, transportation, finances and all necessary logistics to free me up to wander and walk and talk with Him.

So please contact me right away if you can think of a possible place. And give to Psalm One Ministries if you would like to help underwrite this sabbatical. And pray for an intimate, joyful, peaceful and powerful time spent with the Lord. And expect the fruit of this retreat to bless all those around the world who are touched by Psalm One.

I keep thinking of Jesus saying, (in a different context), “It is to your advantage that I go away”. And hopefully, many will benefit from what God brings back through this sabbatical. Extended time with God can bring fresh insight, clear vision, and an ability to hear from God. I want this ministry to flow out of God’s direction, God’s Words, God’s power. Without an occasional sabbatical like this, it is far too easy to work out of my own limited strength and vision.

So for my sake, for your sake, and most important of all, for God’s sake, I’m going to slip away alone with Jesus for a little while…

With His love and mine,

Linda

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