Adamson House

The Adamson House is a favorite spot of mine. It is a historic house in Malibu that sits on prime ocean front property. Instead of going to the beach, I often end up here. It has a beautiful view of the Malibu Pier, Surfrider Beach and the Malibu Lagoon. I enjoyed some quiet time and reflection here yesterday afternoon. I've been reading Prayer: Does it Make Any Difference by Philip Yancey. There is a story that he tells about a spiritual seeker who visits a monastery. The monk who shows the guest to his room says, "I hope your stay is a blessed one. If you need anything, let us know and we'll teach you how to live without it". I am striving to learn how to live with less. Comfort to me has become access to the internet, a Chai latte and unlimited minutes on my cell phone. I was telling a story to one of my students the other day about "back when I was in college" (this was only 5 years ago, so I didn't think I was ancient yet), but I had a cell phone that I kept in my car for emergencies only and this came out in the course of the story. The student could hardly comprehend not having a way to meet up with friends or get directions or check the score of his favorite sports team. As we get more comfortable living independent from God, it's easy to forget why we need him. Those few hours of solitude yesterday renewed my craving to know my Lord more intimately...not just to fulfill some need or recieve an answer to a question, but rather to learn to live contently without it.