Woke Up Early

Given my luck lately, I've decided it's my body's way of warning me that death may be imminent and I should get up and enjoy the hell out of today. :)

My list of To Dos is long and boring. But I shall persevere. I have this mental image of leaving the office today with NOTHING OUTSTANDING.

I will give you a moment to bask in the glory of that goal.

Now, what are you all doing reading this post?! GET TO WORK! But mostly, have a great day today.

I am. :)

Far be it from me...

To share something "churchy." But I actually really like the message of this and if you don't want to think about "God" think about something else (peace? fulfillment? purpose?), but I think the message still applies. (And if you're wondering, I am working. This was in S's email, which I am currently going through.)
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Spiritual Growth by Subtraction

by GORDON ATKINSON on AUGUST 19, 2010



My wife and I agreed that last Sunday had a Quaker feel to it, so we went to the San Antonio Quaker meeting for an hour of extravagant silence. I spent the first twenty minutes as I usually do – settling in and getting used to the quiet. But soon the question of the day became apparent.

“How will I serve God now that I am no longer a pastor?”

I’m working under the assumption that every Christian needs a ministry. I let go of one ministry, so I’ll need to find another. Right now I’m mowing the grass at Covenant Baptist Church. But I don’t know if that’s my official calling for this season of life or just an interim gig.

So I was sitting there with the Quakers, kind of contemplating my life, kind of wondering what the future will bring. Time was ticking by slowly.

I counted the boards on the wall.

I listened to the creaking pews as Friends shifted their weight.

A man cleared his throat.

An elderly woman fiddled with a toy horse. I wondered why she brought it and what story was behind it.

And then two phrases came to my mind. I almost think I heard them, but I don ‘t know. It was something between thinking and hearing.

Meister Eckhart… and… Empty yourself.

My wife has a book of meditations by Meister Eckhart that she has kept on her nightstand for years. The back of this book says that Meister Eckhart, who died somewhere around 1329 A.D., was a mystic, prophet, feminist, philosopher, preacher, poet, genius, convicted heretic, and administrator.

Administrator? Really? That seems a little out-of-place in that edgy list, but perhaps feminist heretics of the 14th century needed flowcharts. What do I know? Anyway, whatever else he did with his life, the Eck Meister wrote some amazing things. My favorite is this:

“What good is it if Mary was full of grace unless I am full of grace? And what good is it if Christ was born 2000 years ago, if he is not born in me, in my time, and in my culture?”

Yeah, that’s pretty stout stuff, if you ask me. I’ve been thinking about that one meditation for about a decade, and I still haven’t reached the bottom of it. But on this Sunday morning I remembered another thing that Meister Eckhart once wrote.

“God is not found in the soul by adding anything, but by a process of subtraction.”

You and I could debate that statement, I guess, and perhaps there are plenty of exceptions. But I think as a general rule, it’s got the ring of truth. Especially for American Christians, who are probably too busy for their own good and for whom spirituality is often just another list of things to do.

Suddenly I saw my life in a different way. I’ve been thinking of myself as MISSING things. MISSING a calling and NEEDING TO FIND another one. But is my life empty enough to hear from God? Is my life empty enough to have room for my next calling? I wondered what else God might want me to let go of.

“Empty yourself.” That phrase kept ringing in my mind. I breathed deeply, in and out. Then I got my notebook and wrote this in it:

“Empty yourself of everything, every encumbrance, and I will show you what to do next.”

Gordon Atkinson

More Top Fives

squeaky78 asked for the Top Five Men I’d Go to Bed With

( One expected and four you've probably never heard of )

catwomyn5 wants to know the Top five things you would like to do before you retire. (I am guessing this means related to work?)

1. Publish a novel. (So it’s my “second” job. I’d still like to do it before I retire.)
2. Win a case that will make a major difference to a social cause I support.
3. Be asked to speak at ASC’s graduation some day.
4. Work in some sort of political context. I’d like to be a Chief of Staff, please. ;)
5. Run a successful and profitable practice on my own.

redrobben asked for the Top 5 Reasons That Prove Why Bewize is an Amazing Attorney. :-)

Thanks for the compliment! I’m not necessarily sure I agree all the time, but I’ll tell what qualities I think I embody well.

1. I listen to my clients. Really listen to them.
2. I tell anyone that’s full of BS that they are full of BS. Bosses, judges, clients, etc.
3. I don’t take myself too seriously.
4. I remember that every case is important to someone.
5. Even if I’m afraid of the repercussions, I still do what I truly think is right so that I can sleep at night.