Awareness of Surroundings

It is possible to becomes so completely self-aware that it becomes self-absorption.  At this point a person can loose touch with the world around them.  It is also possible to become distracted in this life so as to lose touch with the important details of life.  Mindfulness requires that we become aware of the things that surround us, events, and activities.  This awareness comes to us moment by moment through our senses.  God has blessed us with 5 senses to allow awareness of the world around us.  We can cultivate mindfulness by focusing our awareness through our senses to become more keenly attune to the things around us. 

Mindful Viewing of the Night Sky

When I observe Your heavens, the work of Your fingers, the moon and the stars, which You set in place, Psalms 8:3 (HCSB)

Take some time to look up at the night sky while in town with ambient light surrounding you.  Then take a trip away from ambient light.  Spend time observing the Glory that David spoke of in this Psalm.  Notice the literal thousands of stars that never reach your awareness, because we fail to look up.  Thank God for this new awareness and worship Him.

Mindful Nature Walk

...the animals in the wild, the birds of the sky, and the fish of the sea that pass through the currents of the seas. Psalms 8:7-8 (HCSB)

Find a nature preserve or park with lots of trees.  Take a walk noticing the diversity of animal and plant life.  Soak in the beauty of God's creation.  Pay attention to the various sounds of nature.  If you are walking with someone, notice them as well.  The sounds of his/her steps, breathing, voice, etc.  If the wind is blowing note how it moves the leaves.  Be careful to note the small things as well.  Take time to notice the colors, textures, shapes of all that is around you.  Praise God for the glory of His creation. 

Mindful Walking

He keeps us alive and does not allow our feet to slip. Psalms 66:9 (HCSB)

This activity is similar to the nature walk.  In this exercise you pay attention through your senses as you walk.  Your focus is on the moment rather than the thing you are walking to (meeting, exercise, work, etc).  You pay attention to your steps.  Focus on your breathing.  If you can, notice your heart rate.  Then there is the things around you that will pass through your awareness.  Careful though you want to be aware of your walking not distracted by these things ;do not hold on to your awareness of them, just notice.  Pray as you go thanking God for life and keeping your feet steady on this walk and in life. 

Mindful Day in the Sun

The heavens declare the glory of God, and the sky proclaims the work of His hands. Day after day they pour out speech; night after night they communicate knowledge. There is no speech; there are no words; their voice is not heard. Their message has gone out to all the earth, and their words to the ends of the world.
In the heavens He has pitched a tent for the sun. It is like a groom coming from the  bridal chamber; it rejoices like an athlete running a course. It rises from one end of the heavens and circles to their other end; nothing is hidden from its heat. Psalms 19:1-6 (HCSB)

This is a good practice in the early fall when the warmth of the sun is contrasted with the coolness of the air.  In this exercise you spend time taking in the warmth of the sun.  Noticing how it feels.  Paying attention to the changes in temperature that you experience as you walk in and out of the shade or as the wind blows.  Notice the rays of sun created as it passes through trees that are losing their leaves.  If there are clouds on that day look up and notice the various shapes.  We were much more mindful of the clouds when we were young now we barely notice them at all.  Except to complain about the rain or being overcast.  Allow the Heavens to declare the glory of God.  Listen as the sky proclaims the work of His hands.  Pause, listen, and worship.

Mindful Music Listening (and Making)

Praise the Lord with the lyre; make music to Him with a ten-stringed harp. Sing a new song to Him; play skillfully on the strings, with a joyful shout. Psalms 33:2-3 (HCSB)

Often with the advent of personal electronics we tend to listen to music while doing something else.  In this exercise you simply stop doing the "something else" and listen.  Appreciate the melody and harmony of the music.  Allow the lyrics to come into your awareness through active listening (not passive as we often do).  Note the tone and quality of the music.  If you have the opportunity, go listen to the music live.  If you are a making music sing (or play) a new song to Him.  Allow the Spirit of God to raise your praises to the throne room of heaven.  Focus intently on the gift of music and praise God for this wonderful gift.

Mindful Thankfulness

You answer us in righteousness, with awe-inspiring works, God of our salvation, the hope of all the ends of the earth and of the distant seas. You establish the mountains by Your  power, robed with strength. You silence the roar of the seas, the roar of their waves, and the tumult of the nations. Those who live far away are awed by Your signs; You make east and west shout for joy.
You visit the earth and water it abundantly, enriching it greatly. God�s stream is filled with water, for You prepare the earth in this way, providing ?people? with grain. You soften it with showers and bless its growth, soaking its furrows and leveling its ridges. You crown the year with Your goodness; Your ways overflow with plenty. The wilderness pastures overflow, and the hills are robed with joy. The pastures are clothed with flocks and the valleys covered with grain. They shout in triumph; indeed, they sing. Psalms 65:5-13 (HCSB)

This passage is filled with activities of mindful thankfulness to God.  Take time to notice and then praise God for: Awe inspiring works, the powerful ocean waves, magnificent mountains, rain, streams, rivers that give precious water for life sustaining crops, green fields, flocks of animals on hills.  The list of things to be thankful for is endless.  In this activity you simply allow yourself to become aware of them and then turn it into a praise to God. 

Pushing Away Distractions to Mindfulness

Certainly, man walks about like a mere shadow. Indeed, they frantically rush around in vain, gathering possessions without knowing who will get them. Psalms 39:6 (HCSB)

This verse lists 3 things that get in the way of mindful living.  First is walking for show not in genuineness.  The side you let others see is a mere shell of the person God created you to be.  Second is busyness.  Busyness allows escape from pain and suffering, but in the process robs you of joy and life.  Third, preparing for the future, while disregarding the day.  When all your energy is spent living for a day that has not yet arrived you lose the life that God has given you today.    

These are just some ideas for practicing mindful awareness.  There are many more that perhaps I will have a chance to post.  Maybe you have some Ideas of your own.  Please feel free to post any ideas in the comment section below to share with others.  May God richly bless you and your awareness of His awe inspiring works. 

In the beginning...

Some people wonder where we have come from. There is a strong connection that we often feel when we are looking at where we have come from. Just today (as I am writing this) I was able to visit an apartment that I lived in when I was just 5 years old. I am sure that my wife and kids were thinking "what is the bid deal." In fact the apartment was noting special. And yet it has a strong connection for me! It is where I have come from. It is special (if only to me). Maybe you have a similar experience as you visit some place from you past or think upon some memory from long ago.

I am also reminded of when we visited the Oregon trail interpretive center with the kids. There is a rich history for people who live in the northwestern United States. We have a heritage of those who gave up so much to settle here. Even if we are not direct descendant of the pioneers we are connected to them as they forged the way for those that would follow. It is a special history. It has a strong connection if we let it.

Connections are very important. We are living in a time that it can be very easy to head down the path of disconnect and never look back until we come up missing. The problem is that we can go so fast and so far that we can not only lose our way, but we can completely forget that there was a way at all. Lost, disconnected, people without a past, and in many ways without a future as a result.

In the beginning...

Those words are words of understanding, connection, history, belonging. In the beginning can be some of the most lovely words to a wayward soul. In the beginning can remind us of our connection to, people, places, the world around us, the universe, and most importantly to God. In the beginning is the third most precious gift that God could give us, first life, second new life (salvation) and then the story of how we got here. That may seem a bit over dramatic to you, but if it does I believe that it is because we have lost our sense of connection to God as the creator of the universe. We have lost our purpose to connect and worship our creator. We should be in awe every time we contemplate origins.

In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. Before that it was empty, formless, without any substance. Before God spoke there was nothing and at his word fullness came. Before God no light after God He said let there be and there was...

...Light. Think about the nature of light. It dispels darkness. It puts an end to the darkness. It penetrates the darkest corner. It gives life. Everything is dependent on light for life. He was the light and the world was in darkness. He brought light to us. He invented light. He spoke light into existence and it was good. What would life be like without light? God is the light of men. He dispels our spiritual darkness and give us spiritual life. God said let there be...

...sky. He wrapped the earth lovingly in a very important blanket we call the atmosphere. Oh the wonders that this atmosphere contains. If I were to post them all this lesson would become very long. Celebrate: oxygen (we need it to breath), carbon dioxide (plants need it to breath), the clouds and rain (bringing life giving water), the ozone layer (protecting us from the sun intense rays), on and on. Minor changes in the content of the earth's atmosphere would have life impossible on this planet. God spoke the sky into existence and it was Good. What praise can you give to the Lord for his perfect wrapping of this planet we call home? God said let there be...

...water and land. Land indeed is a very handy thing! Well it is good and it was God's idea. Again like the atmosphere the land was just right for life to exist. It is perfect to produce life and sustenance for life. Praise His great provision. Many are separated from the land. We get our food out of plastic and metal. We are thankful for the food itself (most of the time), but we have lost our sense of connection to the dirt that made that food possible. We are more inclined to think of dirt as an inconvenience than a blessing. The same goes for water. "Rain rain go away come again another day." Bless the Lord for his wonderful provision of water. Thank Him for the earth beneath our feet. Give Him glory for His perfect plan to sustain life on this wonderful place that he has given us to live. He also caused the land to be productive. Food was His idea. We are sustained by God's goodness every time we eat! We are sustained by God's goodness every time we breath in oxygen produced by the vegetation around us. Think upon your favorite fruit and now say, "It is Good!" Thank you Lord for your wonderful provision we praise your mighty hand! God said let there be...

...Stars, moon, and Sun. Up to day 4 it is likely that God was the source of light (see John 1:5; Psalm 104:2; Habakkuk 3:3-4; and Revelation 22:5). On the forth day God created the Sun and placed it just right to sustain life.

The moon to give light to the night sky and to regulate the tides, and months.

The stars to guide the seasons.

I think we have lost connection with the lesser lights. Our own light (man made light) becomes a barrier to seeing the magnificence of God's created "lesser lights." The next time you are away from the bright city lights stop for a moment and see what the night sky looks like and be amazed. See the hand-iwork of God.

The next time you feel the warmth of the Sun imagine how cold how lifeless we would be without it. It would not take long for life to cease existing if the sun were to stop giving it's light. How dark it would be how that darkness would completely envelop us and surround out with a soul killing darkness. Lord we thank you for the light. Not just the "greater light" that governs the daytime sky, but for the light of Your word. The Light of Your Son. The Light of Your Truth Amen. It was good; And God said let there be...

Next Topic Creatures on the earth.