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| My back yard |
Ten years ago Linda and I went to Vancouver where I was the speaker at a weekend conference for Chinese Jesus-followers. I spoke on spiritual formation and transformation things, especially the need for one's doing to arise out of one's being. The conference took place at Trinity Western University.
When the weekend was over we stayed at a phenomenal Bed and Breakfast in Vancouver. Our host we the daughter of author and professor James Houston. I was familiar with Houston, who was one of the founders of Regent University, and a professor of Spiritual Theology there. Linda and I had three days at this B&B, from which we explored the beautiful city of Vancouver.
I was thinking of this trip today, and about Dr. Houston. I checked out his works at amazon.com. One of his books is The Transforming Power of Prayer: Deepening Your Friendship with God. I ordered a used copy and it arrived today.
I began the read. Wow! Houston is a great writer, and his thinking runs deep. Here we have a lifetime of prayer and God-companionship expressing itself. When I see this I slow down. I will not speed-read through a sumptuous organic garden.
It begins: "Prayer is keeping company with God... I began to see prayer more as a friendship than a rigorous discipline. I started to become more of a relationship and less of a performance... I made up my mind that the desire to pray and keep company with God would become the primary concern of my life. Prayer would come even before my public ministry."
I am hooked... on another book.
This is the kind of Jesus-follower I want, I need, to hear from.
