Cardiotherapy

“Encouraging Words Today”   February 9, 2010

by Lucinda Secrest McDowell 

    One year I spent Valentine’s Day in the cardiac care unit of Hartford Hospital. This was not so I could literally have “Happy Heart Day.” This was an emergency. My husband had failed his stress test and was discovered to have clogged arteries requiring heart catheterization. Later he had a five-way heart bypass which was a huge wake-up call for us. Since Mike looked extremely healthy and fit, we had no warning of impending heart disease. However, both his parents had suffered heart problems, so he was a prime candidate. We’re celebrating Mike’s ten healthy years since heart surgery and are grateful he is doing better than before! And we are both on a more deliberate path to living healthier lives as a result of our encounter with heart disease.

   But not only is heart disease the number-one killer of women today, “heartsickness” is also a devastating reality. Too many women I meet are slowly dying from anger, unforgiveness, and stress. They, too, need cardiotherapy from the Great Physician.

   God wants us to be heart healthy. Throughout the Bible are accusations of people being hard-hearted. In the Old Testament God called the Israelites hard-hearted, and in the New Testament Jesus warned the religious leaders. Hard-hearted refers to the unresponsive, stiff, angry, insensitive, rebellious, and independent attitudes ruling our hearts. Today, many symptoms of hard-heartedness are such things as erecting walls to protect us from pain, living with an “it’s all about me” attitude, refusing to give God lordship and control over our behavior, and harboring pain and grudges. All of these hurt us and can damage our souls.

   According to Ezekiel, idolatry was the cause of hardened hearts, and God desired to replace the idolatry of the Israelites. “I will give them one heart and put a new spirit within them; I will remove their heart of stone from their bodies and give them a heart of flesh” (Ezekiel 11.19). Most of us don’t think of ourselves as idol worshipers in the twenty-first century, but we are. Whenever we focus on what we get by serving God (good luck, prosperity, long life, success in battle, power, or prestige), we are not worshiping Him simply for who He is. That is what the idols of long ago did for the people — they were simply means to a desired end.

   But God promises to renew our hearts. Just as my husband’s clogged arteries had to be bypassed with new arteries, so our souls also must be healed from heart disease. “I will give them a heart to know Me, that I am the Lord. They will be My people, and I will be their God because they will return to Me with all their heart” (Jeremiah 24.7). Then we no longer have to focus on what has kept us emotionally or spiritually clogged. The state of your heart—your soul—is all important. It helps determine who you are and how you’ll live out your days here on earth. Is your heart totally sold out to God? Are you seeking His will and His way in every decision of life? What do you need to do to exchange your heart of stone for a heart of flesh?

   In their book, The Sacred Romance, John Eldredge and the late Brent Curtis penetrated my aching, needy heart that desperately wanted to hear how God tenderly woos and romances me with His love. Their words struck a chord. “The inner life, the story of our heart, is the life of the deep places within us, our passions and dreams, our fears and our deepest wounds. . . .”

   At my age and stage of life, I think a lot about legacy. I realize that in the end it doesn’t really matter how well I have performed or what I have accomplished, even for God. But it would matter if I left my heart behind. A life without heart is not worth living.

   “For out of this wellspring of our soul flows all true caring and all meaningful work, all real worship and all sacrifice. Our faith, hope, and love issue from this fount, as well. Because it is in our hearts that we first hear the voice of God and it is in the heart that we come to know Him and learn to live in His love.” (Eldredge & Curtis)

   So, as you see hearts all over the place during this Valentine’s Week, may you be reminded of True Love and may you have a Happy Heart, a Healed Heart and a Heart for God — the Lover of Your Soul. 

“I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you;

I will remove your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh.” Ezekiel 36.26

      under the mercy, Cindy 

  

This blog was excerpted from my new book, Spa for the Soul.

©2010 Lucinda Secrest McDowell

MEEK IS NOT A 4-LETTER WORD!

“Encouraging Words Today”    February 4, 2010

by Lucinda Secrest McDowell

“I wish people thought of me as meek” I blurted out to my Beatitudes Bible study group recently. Everyone laughed.

It seems their collective association with the word ‘meek’ did not immediately conjure up my face! Not only that, but most people think of meek as ‘weak’ or ‘wussy’ or ‘withdrawn’ or some other characteristic quite alien to a 21^st century Type A woman like myself. But perhaps most people are wrong…

I still want to be meek. And this desire should be considered quite natural for anyone seeking to live like Jesus who ‘humbled Himself’ (Philippians 2) in order to serve others. Even our Lord’s words in Matthew 11.29 use the same root word as ‘meek’ when He says, ‘I am gentle and humble in heart.’ Why wouldn’t I want to pursue this quality even though everything in my own nature goes against it? Because Jesus told the world that those who are meek are blessed and will inherit the land.(Matthew 5.5).

Choosing to follow Christ on this path is actually a sign of strength, not weakness according to one Bible teacher, “The meek put their full trust in the Lord and wait for His work in His way at His time. The meek do not trust in their own ability nor do they act in their own strength. The Lord knows that it often appears that the loud, brash and overbearing inherit the land. But it is not really so. It sometimes looks like those who trust in themselves win the day…. The meek have the strength to wait it out and to let God work. The meek have learned that pride is weakness and meekness is strength.”   (Jennifer Kennedy Dean)

So, every time I am tempted (or even encouraged by the world) to toot my own horn, insist on my way, push for a quick solution, or jump ahead of God’s timing, I am going to make a conscious effort to wait….to rest….to release everything to God.

It is quite fortuitous that my friend Christin Ditchfield just sent me a recording of her beautiful radio voice reading the following Litany of Humility by Cardinal Merry del Val (1865-1930) which I’m now choosing to pray daily:

Litany of Humility

O Jesus! meek and humble of heart, hear me.

From the desire of being esteemed, deliver me, O Jesus.
From the desire of being loved,
From the desire of being extolled,
From the desire of being honored,
From the desire of being praised,
From the desire of being preferred to others,
From the desire of being consulted,
From the desire of being approved,

From the fear of being humiliated, deliver me, O Jesus.
From the fear of being despised,
From the fear of suffering rebukes,
From the fear of being forgotten,
From the fear of being ridiculed,
From the fear of being wronged,
From the fear of being suspected,

That others may be loved more than I, O Jesus, grant me the grace to desire it.
That others may be esteemed more than I,
That, in the opinion of the world, others may, increase and I may decrease,
That others may be chosen and I set aside,
That others may be praised and I unnoticed,
That others may be preferred to me in everything,
That others may become holier than I, provided that I may become as holy as I should,                         O Jesus, grant me the grace to desire it.

Will you join me in ‘descending into greatness’? “Blessed are those who look only to the Lord and His strength and who have surrendered the strength of their flesh for the power of the Spirit. Blessed are those who are so anchored in the indwelling Christ that outward events do not distress them or give openings for bitterness to take root. They live in the land of abundant supply.” (JKD in Set Apart)

No, meek is not a 4-letter word, at least not a bad one. It can actually be the very pathway that opens us up to new vistas we never would have noticed from the heights…

“Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the land.” Matthew 5.5

under the mercy, Cindy

©2010 Lucinda Secrest McDowell

GIVE GOD A YEAR TO CHANGE YOUR LIFE FOREVER

by Lucinda Secrest McDowell

Are there things in your life you’d like to change? Does what it takes to get ‘from here to there’ seem impossible? I have discovered that truly our God is the God of the impossible — but any significant change (such as change from the inside out – transformation) doesn’t happen overnight. It usually begins with the first step of surrender – giving over to God.

Having recently spent time with my good friend Carole Lewis, author of the new book “Give God a Year – Change Your Life Forever”, I am absolutely convinced that we don’t have to live under the circumstances of failure and disappointment, married to the status quo. Carole is the national director of First Place 4 Health – a Christian organization that helps people stay healthy on four levels – physically, emotionally, spiritually and mentally — through daily disciplines of Bible Study (giving God ‘first place’), food choices, exercise, supportive prayer and scripture memory. Her whole life exudes energy and optimism even in the midst of personal pain and tragedy as she chooses to live with ‘a thankful heart’ (the title of my favorite book of hers).

While she was writing “Give God a Year” she challenged some of her fellow authors to do just that and the results have been amazing. Not only have many lost weight, but far more important than that, everyone extols the other benefits of walking every day with a spouse, making workouts and healthy snacks a priority while traveling, having devotions first thing each morning and learning how to live a more balanced life. And the joy and fun are contagious!

Are you and I willing to give God this next year – Jan. 28, 2010 through Jan. 28, 2011 – to make substantial changes in our lives? Carole would urge us to dig down deep in the recesses of our heart, soul, mind and body and ask God to show us the greatest needs for change in own life, then write them down. “Are you willing to give God the next year of your life? A year from now you can be in exactly the same spot you are today or your life can be radically different. The choice is yours. You have the power to change direction, but do you want to?”

If you want to take this journey, begin by making two lists –  God’s Part and My Part. On God’s Part, list 5 changes that can only be fulfilled with God’s divine intervention (I sometimes call these ‘impossible prayers’ but, of course, nothing is truly impossible with God and that’s the whole point). The other list is My Part – 5 specific things you can do each day for the next year that will bring you closer to achieving those lasting changes you so desire in life. Then concentrate on two words – pray and obey!

Carole elaborates in her book, “Our God specializes in situations that seem impossible. When we begin praying about the problem, we invite God to come in and help. He is only too happy to show us what our part of the problem is so that we can start doing what we must do to make it better.”

Sometimes Mike and I feel that living a balanced life – physically, emotionally, spiritually and mentally – is almost impossible in the 21^st century with its constant demands on our time and energy. But we are praying about starting a First Place 4 Health group here in the Hartford area for 12 Wednesdays after Easter, stepping out in obedience to do our part for health (and the FP4H Bible study for that session will be the one I just wrote “God’s Purpose for You”). Let us know if you’d like to join us.

I heartily recommend First Place 4 Health to you and Carole’s new book (go to www.firstplace4health.com for more info) and will close today’s blog with her own words: “Learning to love God supremely and to give Christ first place in everything is a process; we will not learn how to do it overnight. That is the main reason I’m asking you to give God an entire year in which you will pray and obey.”

“Call to Me and I will answer you

and tell you great and unsearchable things you do not know.” Jeremiah 33.3

• • • under the mercy, Cindy

©2010 Lucinda Secrest McDowell

“UNPLUGGED and RECHARGED” – January 14, 2010

by Lucinda Secrest McDowell

For the next seven days I plan to go “unplugged” — disconnecting from the internet, cell phone, television and other high tech devices so that I may concentrate on important low tech pursuits such as listening to God’s Voice, interacting face-to-literal-face with Real People, and physically exploring the natural beauty of the Texas boondocks.  I am so ready for this! As part of my “Rule of Life” (see Jan. 1^st Blog) I occasionally take time away to rest, recreate and rejoice. This time, being the first of the year, I shall also look forward to getting recharged for all that is ahead in this new year of 2010.

This is not a luxury, but a necessity if I am to have the kind of life that God calls me to. Why? Listen to the author of Running On Empty: “If you live in North America, you are a prime candidate for slow death by overstimulation. Your environment is busy depleting you with noise, distractions, and the compulsion to always be in a hurry. If I had set out to destroy my identity as a beloved child of God, I couldn’t have done better than living in America at the start of the twenty-first century. The greatest threats I’ve encountered are not the arguments of skeptics or the lure of drinks, drugs, or sex. The greatest threats are the constant busyness and frantic hurry that demand my allegiance.”

I’m all too familiar with the consequences of letting distractions and ‘noise’  drown out the voice of God: when there’s no time for solitude and silence all my activities cease to be effective, my words lose meaning and my ministry lacks power. As I look at the great saints of old, one quality they all share is their attentiveness to God in solitude, and so that has become one of the spiritual disciplines I’m seeking to build into my modern life.

“In repentance and rest you will be saved, in quietness and trust is your strength” (Isaiah 30.15) Kenneth Boa, in Conformed to His Image, encourages us to be hushed before God “so that we can listen with our spirit to Him and enjoy His Presence. This discipline also extends to our relationships with people. Silence in the presence of others can be practiced by deliberately speaking less than we otherwise would.” This week I plan to spend some time in silence listening to God. But I also look forward to special times spent in the company of some of my favorite sisters and yet by listening to them I will also be disciplining myself to open my ears more than my mouth. “The discipline of silence before God and people relates to the practice of self-control; the more we develop inner control and composure, the less we will feel compelled to gain outward control over people and circumstances.”

Embracing the contemplative spiritual life does not come naturally to Type A personalities like me. However, in the past few years I have come to not only appreciate but actively yearn for this dimension in my own lifestyle. Psalm 46.10 reminds us to “Cease striving and know that I am God.” Thomas Merton points out that “contemplative prayer nourishes the inner life and begets a luminous serenity that can permeate the various components of exterior life. It is a spiritual homing device that attunes us to the Presence that alone can satisfy our deepest longings.”

I’d love to display that ‘luminous serenity’ of one who has had her deepest longings satisfied from time with her Abba Father! But in order to filled, I must first beemptied…. In order to get recharged, I must first unplug. In a way, it’s a discipline of letting go of control (or at least the idea of being in control, we never really are, are we?). I won’t be checking facebook or seeing if anyone commented on my blog, or answering emails – even if they’re from publishers and event planners eager to engage my services!

And the world will go on without my being ‘connected’ that way! In fact, I probably won’t be missed at all! Dr. Richard Swenson loves to remind me that “God did not create you to be all things to all people all the time all by yourself. If you’re trying to do that, you’re insulting His creative wisdom because He created you with limits. He wants to be God and run the universe; He doesn’t want you to be God and run the universe. Yes, honor God by your work, but then honor Him again by your rest. Sometimes God may want you to sit on a stump and admire the woods for three hours because He created that for you to enjoy.”

So…have a great week and just in case you wonder what I’m up to? That’s me out in the Texas woods, sitting on a stump….

“Here’s what I want you to do: Find a quiet, secluded place so you won’t be tempted to role-play before God. Just be there as simply and honestly as you can manage. The focus will shift from you to God, and you will begin to sense His grace.” Matthew 6.6 MSG

under the mercy, Cindy

©2010 Lucinda Secrest McDowell

Encouraging Words Today – January 7, 2010

__________________________________________________________________

“VOWS” – January 7, 2010

61 years ago this week a couple of twenty-somethings vowed to love, honor and obey one another ‘til death do us part’ in a beautiful church wedding in south Georgia.

And so they have. Kept their vows, that is.

Including the ‘for better, for worse’ and the ‘in sickness and in health’ parts. I know this because those youngsters were my parents – Pratt and Sarah Secrest — and I have spent a lifetime witnessing the unfolding of vows made before the Lord and one another. Today as I look at their 61st anniversary picture, I note that it wasn’t like their grand and glorious 50th celebration surrounded by family, lifetime friends and original wedding party. This year it was quieter and yet still festive as both have a twinkle in their eyes. So many thoughts go through my mind — memories and moments too precious to share on a public blog, but vivid to me as I ponder them in my heart.

Thanks, Mama and Daddy, for living out a life of faith and faithfulness, generosity, encouragement and perseverance. You both continue to be a great blessing and inspiration to me on my journey through life, love and legacy. My prayer is that today you may know God’s presence and promise: “I will be your God throughout your lifetime—until your hair is white with age. I made you, and I will care for you. I will carry you along and save you.” Isaiah 46:4 NLT

I was into my thirties by the time I made wedding vows in front of God, a full choir, four ministers, extended family and my large loving congregation at Menlo Park Presbyterian in California. I was ready for marriage (or so I thought) and so thankful that God had (finally) brought Michael McDowell into my life! We used the sacred vows of the church ~ “…and I do promise and covenant before God and these witnesses to be your faithful and loving wife, in joy and in sorrow, in plenty and in want, in health and in sickness, to love, cherish, and support you as head of our marriage, directing our family to Christ who is head of the church. I honor you as a unique and gifted man of God and promise to encourage you to become all God has created you to be. This I freely and gladly choose to do in obedience to Christ who is Lord in everything, till death do us part, according to God’s holy law. This is my solemn vow.”

(By the way, I saved 100+ copies of our wedding bulletin to use if we ever made it to our 25th anniversary and needed them for a party — guess I thought by 2009 the world might be short on paper or something. p.s. We did use them, well a few… will save the rest for our 50th)

For Mike and me, celebrating our 25th anniversary recently was a time for thanking God for His Grace and Mercy to us – his Faithfulness to our family. So we chose to go on a weekend adventure with our four young adult children and on the last night we all six watched our Wedding Video for the first and only time (lots of laughs…)

This picture, however, is from the weekend’s Vow Renewal as we stood before God, a small group of witnesses and those same four children and promised all the same things all over again. I even wore my wedding dress, simply because I could!

When Pratt and Sarah and Mike and I exchanged vows at our weddings we were making a commitment to one another without qualifiers and disclaimers (there was no phrase ‘as long as we both shall love.’) Perhaps we assumed we’d reciprocate in love and loyalty, but our vows said nothing about being loved in return. We made a vow, a covenant, a promise to our spouse, based on our intentions and not on their meeting our expectations. The reality is that all who do such things will eventually find them hard to keep when life gets messy and love is tested. That’s why we make them before God and with God. Because if I’ve learned anything at all about marriage, it’s that God is Faithful! Our 1984 wedding verse continues to be a promise to all who make such vows: “They will be my people, and I will be their God. I will give them singleness of heart and action, so that they will always fear me for their own good and the good of their children after them. I will make an everlasting covenant with them: I will never stop doing good to them…I will rejoice in doing them good and will assuredly plant them in this land with all my heart and soul.” Jeremiah 32.38-41

~ under the mercy, Cindy

©2010 Lucinda Secrest McDowell

Encouraging Words Today – January 1, 2010

“LIVING INTENTIONALLY” Happy New Year 2010!

Every year I prayerfully choose a verse to hold before me as I journey through the days ahead. This year I came across one that encourages me to lift my vision to seek beyond what is evident — searching for all God may have in mind to do both in me and through me.

“Keep your eyes open for God, watch for His works; be alert for signs of His presence. Remember the world of wonders He has made.” Psalm 105.4-5 MSG

I love that there are many active words in this passage:

• Keep your eyes open for God…
• Watch for His works…
• Be alert for signs of His presence…
• Remember ….

For me, this is a warning not to get complacent with life as I know it, but to continually engage in my own sphere but also to actively seek what God is doing in the world!  Easy to say ~ hard to do. Without an intentional plan, I could easily squander my time and energies with no clear focus. Perhaps that’s one reason I am embracing an ancient practice known as developing a ‘Rule of Life’ – a time-honored practice that has helped ordinary people live extraordinary and deepened spiritual lives through a personal living covenant with God. Living intentionally comes from my desire to integrate both my daily life experiences and my spiritual life through spiritual disciplines.

Pastor Pete Scazzero says that a ‘Rule of Life’ is an “intentional, conscious plan to keep God at the center of everything we do. It provides guidelines to help us intentionally pay attention and remember Him…It is meant to be a framework for freedom, providing healthy boundaries while leaving plenty of room for flexibility and individuality. A good ‘Rule of Life’ works best when it challenges us.”

So…as a New Year begins, I have set before me a new ‘Rule of Life’ which I’m sure will be tweaked and refined throughout time, but at least I hold it before me (along with this year’s verse) to guide me on the journey:

Lucinda Secrest McDowell’s Personal Rule of Life

• • Practice Contemplative Spiritual Disciplines through Daily Office/Divine Hours each morning (and afternoon/evening) which incorporate Silence, Prayers (including Prayer Journal), Scripture, Devotional Reading and Hymnody.
  • Observe Sabbath one day a week as a time for rest, reflection and worship. Twice a year take a personal retreat where I accomplish absolutely nothing except rest, reflection and recreation in the presence of God.
  • Study God’s Word personally as well as participating/teaching regular group Bible Study for mutual support, accountability and knowledge.
  • Continue to invest time, energy and resources in Relationships with Family, Friends, Colleagues, Neighbors and Church Family. Look for ways to encourage, support and connect.
  • Fully engage in all my Work ‘as unto the Lord’ and seek to practice the presence of God wherever I serve or labor. Grow in my skills as a writer, speaker and teacher.
  • Maintain physical Health through good food choices and regular exercise (especially walking and biking with Mike). Seek to stay balanced physically, spiritually, emotionally and mentally.
  • Expand my Global Worldview and discover ways to reach out in compassion, relief and prayerful redemption to needy people locally, nationally and internationally.

The beginning of a New Year is a great time to take stock of our lives and thank God for His faithfulness thus far, pledging to trust Him fully for all that lies ahead…. Thanks for reading my new blog “Encouraging Words Today” and I hope you’ll stay with me as the year unfolds.

“Keep your eyes open for God, watch for His works; be alert for signs of His presence. Remember the world of wonders He has made.” Psalm 105.4-5 MSG

~ under the mercy, Cindy

© 2010 Lucinda Secrest McDowell