Systems Versus Sitting

by Kathi Lipp | | 12 comments

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I am a systems girl.

Give me a new system, whether it’s in my house, on my computer, or for my calendar and I’m in my happy place. I feel deeply that if I have a good system, along with enough Post It Notes, I could rule the world.

So, when I signed up for the course on developing a devotional system, I thought to myself, “This is it! This is the secret sauce I’ve been missing all these years. If I just had a devotional system that really worked, my quiet time will be so much deeper.”

I got my system all organized (my inner Office Supply Geek was leaping for joy). There was a place for my Bible notes,

The Radical Dance of Celebration and the Sacred

by Kathi Lipp | | 2 comments

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For years, I’ve heard the same message in sermons, Bible studies, magazine articles, and on social media: Christmas is not about the gifts, decorating, how the Christmas ham is prepared, parties or even Christmas cookies. We are all supposed to stop doing All. The. Things. and simply reflect in the glow of our Charlie Brown Christmas tree and spend the entire month rereading the story of Christ’s birth from Luke.

And for all those years, I’ve felt guilty about being madly in love with the “stuff” of Christmas. I love having friends and family over to eat, drink (hot chocolate) and be merry. I enjoy filling our grown kids’ stockings with care. I adore planning for our family’s

Possession Obsession

by Kathi Lipp | | 6 comments

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Oh, it starts innocently enough.

It’s that small (or not so small) obsession with shoes. A little time on Zappos.com never hurt anyone.

Or the collection of books that seems to be growing by the nightstand (because Amazon 1-click makes it just that easy…)

It’s that drawer of gadgets, full of tools that will save you oh-so-much time in the kitchen or at work.

I’ve been there so many times – when I’ve been buying too much. More than I need or could really even use. Amazon becomes dangerous. Going to the mall becomes a mind battle. And don’t even get me started on darkening the doors of a Barnes & Noble. I’ve caught myself too many times in the grips

We Were Made for Work

by Kathi Lipp | | 7 comments

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While visiting our cabin in the mountains can be a magical experience, what it takes to keep it running is not. It’s a lot of hard work. After signing the mortgage paperwork and living through the first winter, we realized just how hard. Besides our regular jobs, there’s always a long list: clearing brush, taking down dead trees, chopping firewood, cooking meals, changing sheets, and cleaning the chicken coop. We are forever preparing for the next season.

We’ve learned to invite guests with a caveat: In the morning, we will cook you a glorious breakfast (for which the chickens have provided the main ingredient) and keep the coffee pot full. In the evenings, we will have cheese and crackers

Inviting the Holy into My Humble

by Kathi Lipp | | 5 comments

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As a child, I did just about anything to avoid work. This included paying my brother to do my chores; hiding dirty clothes under my bed; and one memorable time, putting dirty dishes in the oven so my mom wouldn’t see them.

As an adult, I figured out the only one I was hurting with my laziness was myself. Dishes that didn’t get done one day were still going to be waiting for me the next day. Laundry would pile up until my kids were tempted to use bandanas as underwear—or just go commando.

So as I got older, I learned the art of distraction to soldier on and get things done. Folding clothes wasn’t so bad as long as