apply your heart to discipline. . .

So, the other day I had a long phone conversation with a dear friend; she lives in another state.
We have been young and now we are old. . . between us, we've raised 15 children.
We talked about shifting rolls, about expectations and how change is almost always perceived as loss; we shared common confusion and challenge and the suprising revelation of sin--hmmm, how could it be?
And I reminded my friend that really, God has brought us to an amazing season of life-let's pursue Him with single minded devotion. . . and she agreed.
From my bookshelf I pulled down a worn copy of Spiritual Disciplines for the Christian Life by Donald Whitney-the book our women's Bible study will read for 7 weeks this summer. I cherish my old copy-the inside cover is inscribed. . . we wanted to share this book with you, praying that the Lord will deal especially bountifully with you in 1994-with love. . .

I read the introductory chapter, Spiritual Disciplines. . .for the Purpose of Godliness-I thought about my friend, about our talk.
Curious, isn't it. . .God is commited to my holiness; He will
assuredly work Christlikeness in me, yet I'm not merely to wait for holiness, I'm to pursue it! "Make every effort to live in peace with all men and to be holy. . ." Hebrews 12:14 (the verse I've taped to my bathroom mirror)
hmm, this is a good book-the author examines the channels of God's grace: Bible intake, prayer, worship, evangelism, service, stewardship, fasting, silence and solitude, journaling and learning.
Spurgeon wrote, "I must take care above all that I cultivate communion with Christ, for though that can never be the basis of my peace-mark that-yet it will be the channel of it."

So, I wrote to my friend. . .I told her about my plan to deliberately, consistently put myself in the path of Jesus through the spiritual disciplines, that He will change me from the inside out. And I told her about my Bible intake that day, because sometimes just being accountable to another believer is spiritual exercise, don't you agree?