Today, I'll start with explanations (and/or caveat). First, I am aware of the issues some folks take with Renovare (the organization with which Richard Foster and James Smith are associated), in particular to the Renovare Bible. My reply: If I only read works by infallible men, I will only be able to read God's inspired Bible (KJV, as that was good enough for Paul...old time joke for those who have never heard it). I hold everything up to the plumbline of God's Word, and if it does not match, I blow it away like chaff. But, I believe all Truth is God's Truth, and I keep the wheat. Be forewarned: I'm sure I'll have my share of chaff you will have to blow away as well.

Secondly, what to do about Laubach's label as a "mystic" and some of his more controversial entries? Mystic: a person who attains or believes in the possibility of attaining insight into mysteries transcending ordinary human knowledge. May I suggest Jonathan Edwards' "Divine and Supernatural Light"? (Yes, the same Jonathan Edwards who wrote "Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God.") Edwards points out that Jesus himself tells Peter (Matt. 16:17) "Blessed art thou, Simon Barjona, for flesh and blood hath not revealed it unto thee [that Jesus is Christ, the Son of the living God], but my Father which is in heaven." Edwards' thesis is that "a divine and supernatural light immediately imparted to the soul by the spirit of God [is] shown to be both a scriptural and rational doctrine."

As to Laubach's more controversial entries, the experiment in telepathy being one, I can only suggest two situations: 1) He used the inadequate words available to him to describe what was happening; 2) He really believed in telepathy, and, in that case, I'll leave it in God's hands and not let it lead me into an obsessive focus on either the gift (if true) or the foolishness (if false).

Third, after writing my first "soul adventure' entry, I could hear the voice of a former student: Mrs. Lang, I don't get it. Could you put that into concrete images, please? So, today, I shall try to stay concrete.

The question is where to begin? How far back do I go in my history to show concrete examples of why I believe God speaks to each of us daily? I think I would prefer to bring up examples as they fit a specific topic since there are far too many from which to choose. Instead, let me give an example from yesterday.

I had occasion to go to an event which would place me in the company of my former community -- the community from which I was not sent out with blessings, but sacrificed (with my permission) for the sake of others. Living sacrifices that are still present always make for awkward reunions even if the sacrifice tries to make it easy for everyone. I felt I needed prayer, but also felt a little guilty that I would need prayer, and who should I ask anyway? The Lord took care of the situation. A friend thought she saw me speeding on the freeway and called to tell me to slow down. Laughingly, I told her I was sick at home. She then asked if she could do anything for me. She was the perfect person to pray for me -- she knew and had experienced exactly what I was going through. I have experiences like this every day. What Laubach stretches me to believe is that I can receive divine and supernatural light every minute 24/7 -- and I don't have to be a monk to do so.

As to my "dance card," my "teams," my "too many notes" running together in the song of my life, here it is in concrete details: I am a child of God in whom Christ dwells, a wife, mother, grandmother, walking prayer partner, sitting prayer group member, library volunteer and library book group discussion leader, visitor of an elderly friend, teacher to ten English students, cook and server once-a-month for the homeless and once for Sk8 Church, in community and worship Sunday and Wednesdays, in Russian class on Mondays, but not getting to my studies, not getting to my writing, not getting to decluttering my house.

The small "not getting to" activities bother me (The big "not getting to" vision activities used to bother me as well until I held open my hands and realized if God wants them to come to pass, they will.)

Now, for the concrete why I needed to Stop. Think. Listen. Here are two examples: Librarians get overwhelmed with work after holidays. My family does not travel for holidays. Since the hours were not filled in on my calendar, the Monday of Thanksgiving week, I started to volunteer to come in. The Lord nudged me, "Wait! What are you doing?" I did not go in. Secondly, I was asked to re-join a prayer group (which I have missed) on a new day. I looked at my calendar and thought I could do that...until the week before the meeting date when I remembered I had a student coming later on that day of the week. I would have been driving down the grade at noon, back up for the afternoon, and back down again for the evening, and back up again to go home!

Distractions is a new category for me. I have decided to let God tell me what my distractions are. For the most part I find the same activity can be a distraction or it can be a calling. I have the freedom to read books but the Lord laid on my heart that two (perfectly appropriate) books I was currently reading were distractions (one from the library -- yay!; one I had bought because I got a second book for 50% off -- sigh). Facebook is sometimes a distraction, sometimes not. Social events are sometimes distractions, sometimes not.

So! Concrete version of first entry is now finished. From now on, I shall try to include concrete details with my metaphors.