Honesty ^ Curiosity ^ Follow-through
Clear, productive thinking can’t be sustained without honesty. Without it, cognition gets tangled, threadbare, compromised, structurally unsound…
Curiosity – an appetite for discovery – is a sustainable fuel. It steadily propels the soul's rambles, pilgrimages, and ascents.
I wonder if follow-through can become a habit. It is certainly a discipline – a practice I seek to cultivate and deepen. I aspire to the art of finishing; I suffer the empty ache of failing to finish.
Copyright Scott Burnett 2006
Showing posts with label Endurance. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Endurance. Show all posts
Monday, October 23, 2006
Monday, September 11, 2006
Vision
Vision is cultivated in a context of Hope, and connects directly to Emotional Endurance [see table].
“Without a Vision is a people made naked”
Proverbs 29:18a (Young’s Literal Translation)
I had no idea that this was the literal translation! In the ancient context, nakedness meant poverty and shame; there was nothing erotically provocative about it.
In this proverb, vision obviously refers to something more than physical sight: it’s the ability to look into the future and see the prospect of joy, abundance, accomplishment, meaning…
This sort of vision has to do with attending to invisible things. I believe that every human is given something that only she/he can see; an internal treasure that needs to be externalized – the intangible made tangible. It relates to incarnation. Each of us is to champion what’s been entrusted on a spiritual level – sowing, cultivating, harvesting, distributing… to the enriching of our relational circles.
Copyright Scott Burnett 2006
“Without a Vision is a people made naked”
Proverbs 29:18a (Young’s Literal Translation)
I had no idea that this was the literal translation! In the ancient context, nakedness meant poverty and shame; there was nothing erotically provocative about it.
In this proverb, vision obviously refers to something more than physical sight: it’s the ability to look into the future and see the prospect of joy, abundance, accomplishment, meaning…
This sort of vision has to do with attending to invisible things. I believe that every human is given something that only she/he can see; an internal treasure that needs to be externalized – the intangible made tangible. It relates to incarnation. Each of us is to champion what’s been entrusted on a spiritual level – sowing, cultivating, harvesting, distributing… to the enriching of our relational circles.
Copyright Scott Burnett 2006
Saturday, September 09, 2006
Hope
“Why art thou cast down, O my soul? And why art thou disquieted within me? Hope thou in God, for I shall yet praise Him, who is the health of my countenance and my God.”
Psalm 42:11 (21st Century King James Version)
Hope is integral to Emotional Endurance [see table]. What feeds my heart’s fire if not hope? And what distinguishes hoping from wishing? For me, hope is the belief that God is planting goodness in the future so that it’s already taking root and blooming as we step into each unfolding day.
Here's an ancient prophetic poem that was composed by a person who understood the valley of deep trouble. His words have the heartbeat of authenticity.
“There I will give her back her vineyards,
and will make the Valley of Trouble a door of hope.
There she will sing as in the days of her youth,
as in the day she came up out of Egypt.”
Hosea 2:15 (New International Version)
First, God promises to restore vineyards, which represent abundance and gladness. Then follows an image that I find profoundly moving: God will transform the valley of trouble into a door of hope. The lowest, most disturbing circumstance becomes the threshold to a good future.
The second sentence begins with the response of the people, which is carefree singing: a picture of rejuvenation and festivity. The closing line references release from slavery, and the long-awaited freedom to engage life.
That’s what this Fourfold Fitness thing is about, really [see intro]. I don’t need to be a slave to disconnection and disintegration; by God’s grace, I’m free to cultivate practices that increase my capacity for living.
Copyright Scott Burnett 2006
Psalm 42:11 (21st Century King James Version)
Hope is integral to Emotional Endurance [see table]. What feeds my heart’s fire if not hope? And what distinguishes hoping from wishing? For me, hope is the belief that God is planting goodness in the future so that it’s already taking root and blooming as we step into each unfolding day.
Here's an ancient prophetic poem that was composed by a person who understood the valley of deep trouble. His words have the heartbeat of authenticity.
“There I will give her back her vineyards,
and will make the Valley of Trouble a door of hope.
There she will sing as in the days of her youth,
as in the day she came up out of Egypt.”
Hosea 2:15 (New International Version)
First, God promises to restore vineyards, which represent abundance and gladness. Then follows an image that I find profoundly moving: God will transform the valley of trouble into a door of hope. The lowest, most disturbing circumstance becomes the threshold to a good future.
The second sentence begins with the response of the people, which is carefree singing: a picture of rejuvenation and festivity. The closing line references release from slavery, and the long-awaited freedom to engage life.
That’s what this Fourfold Fitness thing is about, really [see intro]. I don’t need to be a slave to disconnection and disintegration; by God’s grace, I’m free to cultivate practices that increase my capacity for living.
Copyright Scott Burnett 2006
Saturday, September 02, 2006
Fourfold Fitness Table
Strength | Flexibility | Endurance | Balance | |
Spiritual | Integrity | Humility Transformation | Courage Loyalty Perseverance | Grounding Beauty Upright |
Cognitive | Creativity | Teachable Broadminded | Curiosity Honesty Follow-Through | Wisdom Awareness |
Emotional | Joy Gratitude | Generosity Kindness Adaptable | Hope Vision | Peace Humor |
Physical | Muscle | Motion | Stamina | Agility Rest |
(Financial) | Income | Giving / Spending | Savings | Budget |
Tuesday, August 29, 2006
Fourfold Fitness
The soul’s topography won’t fit within the languages of tongue or pen. It’s like trying to capture the vastness and detail of a natural landscape in the frame of a photograph.
But knowing the terrain of our own depths is necessary for fully engaged living. Some people have an innate knack for soul navigation; others need a map and compass.
I use a four by four grid, where the intersections create “intention zones” integral to my joie de vivre. The four components of my humanness are: Physical, Emotional, Cognitive, and Spiritual. The four key attributes of fitness (IMHO) are: Strength, Flexibility, Endurance, and Balance.
The next few soul-friending posts will describe some of my intention zones. I hope there will be ideas and inspirations for you. However, I hasten to underscore that it’s just a map I’ve sketched to help make sense of my personal topography; it’s not intended to be comprehensive, absolute, or directly transferable. But maybe it’ll provoke you to undertake your own “depth cartography”.
Copyright Scott Burnett 2006
But knowing the terrain of our own depths is necessary for fully engaged living. Some people have an innate knack for soul navigation; others need a map and compass.
I use a four by four grid, where the intersections create “intention zones” integral to my joie de vivre. The four components of my humanness are: Physical, Emotional, Cognitive, and Spiritual. The four key attributes of fitness (IMHO) are: Strength, Flexibility, Endurance, and Balance.
The next few soul-friending posts will describe some of my intention zones. I hope there will be ideas and inspirations for you. However, I hasten to underscore that it’s just a map I’ve sketched to help make sense of my personal topography; it’s not intended to be comprehensive, absolute, or directly transferable. But maybe it’ll provoke you to undertake your own “depth cartography”.
Copyright Scott Burnett 2006
Monday, April 17, 2006
Sunday, March 12, 2006
James [Mr. Buzzkill] part one
The first paragraph of the Letter from James (New Testament) includes the phrase, “of mature character with the right sort of independence.” [J.B. Phillips Translation]
I want that. I really, really want that. The trouble is that James says it comes as a gift of trials and temptations. (Deng-it!)
James says to trust the process: “...let the process go on until that endurance is fully developed.” If I’m extrapolating correctly, what’s being suggested here is that independence (the right sort, at any rate) depends on patience.
Hmm... Yet another paradox of the faith-venture of following Jesus.
I want that. I really, really want that. The trouble is that James says it comes as a gift of trials and temptations. (Deng-it!)
James says to trust the process: “...let the process go on until that endurance is fully developed.” If I’m extrapolating correctly, what’s being suggested here is that independence (the right sort, at any rate) depends on patience.
Hmm... Yet another paradox of the faith-venture of following Jesus.
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