A couple weeks ago I posted on Facebook that I had been reading too many serious non-fiction books and I needed some lighter fiction to read on vacation. People weighed in with some great suggestions and although I am a slooow reader I took them up on several and thought I’d report back. So here’s some fiction and a couple of terrific non-fiction books you might want to check out. Continue reading
Category: Uncategorized (Page 31 of 81)
I’ve shared before that the emotional trajectory of any given day (or hour) of my life can look a little like this.
Even if this isn’t your norm, perhaps there has been a day or two…
It seems that lately, many people around me have been facing circumstances that have thrown them for a loop even if usually their emotional life looks more like a merry-go-round than a monster roller coaster. So what do you do with all the Big Feelings?
One of the things I love about Scripture is that it’s so authentic, that often I may be experiencing something or feeling an emotion and one of the Bible people seems to jump off the pages and say “Me too!”
The community of young married couples I shepherd has started a study of David. I’m thinking David might have been a roller coaster kind of guy – a musician, shepherd, warrior, leader, and writer… As part of our study, this week we have agreed to read a Psalm written by David every day, starting with Psalm 3.
I love the Psalms because I feel kind of like a voyeur, peaking over someone’s shoulder, reading their journal. The Psalms are just so dang real!
The Psalms are FULL of All Of The Big Feelings.
Can you say drama???
But the great thing is that the Psalms model how to deal with that drama.
Religiosity may say stuff or deny – don’t admit the messy feelings.
Secularism may say emotion is god – it rules all.
But the Psalms give us a third way to deal with our emotions. Continue reading
Dear M&A,
It’s hard to believe you’re coming up on your second anniversary! In those short years you’ve faced many hard decisions, huge change, and intense challenges. Now, at the end of grad school, you face some more. More open doors and some that may shut. All with their own set of consequences.
I’m writing you this now because Dad and I have been where you are. And I’m writing it here because you’re not alone. Many who read this are trying to discern God’s will – trying to decide:
- Should I quit this job?
- Move to this place?
- Marry this person?
- Break up with that person?
- Start a graduate degree?
- Take this risk?
So today I want to tell you about a time early in our marriage when we were trying to discern God’s will. We felt like we had outgrown the setting we were in and were prompted to open ourselves to a move. We prayed, sought counsel, and explored options. In the end Dad received a call to a large church across the country in a place where we knew no one. In a place with a different pace of life, different culture, and different values.
In both the process of deciding, and the reality of living the following two years, I think we learned some things about God and His ways. I’d love to share some of our lessons, just as I’d love to hear what you are learning in this season. Continue reading
The other day, John and I walked into the Apple store right at opening. This is what greeted us.
It’s not a great picture, but all the staff (all 30 or whatever of them) lined up and CHEERED us in, clapping and woohooing!
Now cynics may be mumbling “Bah humbug! Marketing…” but not me. It didn’t matter that the employees who were cheering didn’t know us. To me they were saying we’re in this together and we’ve made it through another day and night and we’re still here. We all deserve a cheer.
We need more parades, more “atta boy’s” and “atta girl’s”.
As I write these posts I try to think of you who are reading on the other side of the screen… Continue reading
Monday I posted on the challenge of of soul detox and specifically, the impact of social media. For some of you this isn’t relevant and you can stop reading, but many are asking things like:
- If a tree falls in the forest and no one posts about it has it still fallen ?
- If I don’t post pictures of all my child’s “firsts” do they still have a chance to get into Harvard or will they be in therapy?
- WWJT*
- How many cat pictures are too many cat pictures?**
This month, Andy Crouch, the editor of Christianity Today wrote: Continue reading
So, Lent is over. All of you who have been fasting from chocolate or coffee are celebrating the return of All The Good Things. The season of entering into Jesus’ experience of sacrifice and cross-carrying, to the other side of Easter is over. Dark to Light. Death to Life. Winter to Spring. Vegetables to dessert (How lame are we, right?)
I was a little late to the Lenten party (so to speak), but I shared how I was trying to be intentional about being present to Jesus during Holy Week.
Part of that meant a social media detox – Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest – and also turning off the radio, because these are things I suspect can distract me from Jesus, and foster a less-than-healthy soul.
I thought it was going to be a terrible, awful, no-good, very boring week.
I was wrong. Continue reading
It’s Saturday morning. I’ve walked with Jesus and His disciples this past week. I’ve tried to hear the noise, the shouts, the whispers, the work sounds, the shuffle of dusty feet. I’ve tried to smell the animal smells and the sweat and the anointing spices. I’ve tried to feel the heat, and uncertainty. I’ve tried to draw near and touch Jesus’ robe.
We walked into Jerusalem with excitement last Sunday, out to Bethany to eat and rest with friends, back into Jerusalem filled with stress, activity, agendas, fear, and hatred, out to Bethany to be anointed, and in for the Last Supper and Passover. Out to the Mt. of Olives for prayer, and into Jerusalem for His trial and death.
Here’s one of the things I’ve noticed. Everyone was watching.
Judas watched for an opportunity to hand Jesus over. (Mt.26:16)
Jesus asked His disciples to keep watch with Him on the Mt. of Olives. (26:38)
Peter watched from a distance when Jesus was arrested. (26:58)
Many women watched from a distance at the crucifixion. (27:55)
But one person did more than watch. He courageously drew near after Jesus had been crucified. (Mt. 27:57-61)
When a criminal was executed the body was often left unburied or put in a pauper’s field. A relative, like a mother might ask for the body, but Joseph of Arimathea was a wealthy member of the Sanhedrin.
The Sanhedrin. One of the groups committed to getting rid of Jesus. But Joseph had become a disciple. And now he went to Pilate and advocated for Jesus. Asked for the body. Gave him a burial in a new tomb. He didn’t follow at a distance. He drew near and honored Jesus.
Joseph felt the sacrifice and was willing to share in it, not just watch.
Watching from a distance is like scrolling through our Facebook newsfeed and “liking” what we see others post. It’s like giving Jesus a wink and a thumbs up without getting our hands dirty. Without any cost to us.
Sometimes Easter morning can feel like that. Just a thumbs up for Jesus before we return to our agendas.
The thing I’m thinking about this morning is how Jesus was “all in” for us. How He didn’t watch from a distance, but drew near and loved us thoroughly and sacrificially. Because of the cross…
There is nothing we can do to make Jesus love us more, and nothing we can do to make Him love us less.
Forgiveness in Christ is there for the taking, but it’s not cheap. It’s not meant to be appreciated from a distance. It’s only as we draw near that we learn that grace cost Jesus everything. And as we do, we see that grace isn’t the permission to withdraw, but the courage and power to step in.
Praying that you and I will draw close this Easter…
It’s Thursday morning as I write this. I’m sitting at “my” table at Starbucks, greeting regulars in this coffee community between reading the account of Jesus’ last Thursday before the cross.
As I am sitting here, a friend stops by my table. A friend going through a dark, dark, time.
Her own cross. Her own death, waiting for resurrection.
She made a brave choice, but the pain on this side seems worse than ever. Betrayal from people near her, loss of community, questions of God. It’s her “good” Friday and she can’t see to Easter Sunday yet.
I think of her as I learn from Jesus walking through His Thursday and Friday before Sunday. We focus so often on how Jesus is God and perfect, and we aspire to be transformed into people who look more like Him, that we sometimes miss the ways He looked like us. He had friends who let Him down, and desires for an easier way, but in His most Thursday and Friday moments maybe we can learn from Him.
- On Jesus’ darkest days He gathers with His people. He leans into community. He speaks truth and He asks for help. (Mt. 26:17-46).
- He gives thanks.(Mt. 26:27, 30) Not a fakey “Praise the Lord I’m dying here!”, but a genuine gratitude for patches of God-light in the midst of darkness. A sunrise, a loaf of bread, a hug, fresh spring breeze. There is power in thanksgiving in the midst of hard circumstances.
- But Jesus leans into His Father more than His community. He prays, because He knows as important as the company of friends is, the company of God is the only sure thing. (Mt.26:39)
- There is a rhythm of engaging and withdrawing. Going into Jerusalem and going out to Bethany to stay with friends. Sitting with his home team around a meal, and sitting alone in the Garden of Gethsemane, a short distance away. (21:1, 10, 17, 18; 26:6, 30, 36) Time for processing, and preparation, silence and solitude.
- He’s doesn’t hold back. He pours out His heart. (Mt. 26:39)
“My Father, if there is any way, get me out of this. But please, not what I want. You, what do you want?”
- He submits to His Father’s will because He trusts His good plans. He trusts His Father’s ability to bring redemption and resurrection. New life out of painful death. (Mt. 26:39)
As I think of my friend right here at Starbucks, I also think of many of you who are reading this in offices and homes and dorm rooms around the world. Is it Thursday or Friday for you today? As you look at this hard time are there choices Jesus made that might be helpful to you?
We don’t have a priest who is out of touch with our reality. He’s been through weakness and testing, experienced it all—all but the sin. So let’s walk right up to him and get what he is so ready to give. Take the mercy, accept the help. Hebrews 14:15-16 MSG
**Just a quick note…I’ve changed the commenting system. The good news is it is easier to comment. The bad news is that the first couple of times you comment the system requires me to “release” or “approve” your remarks before they show up. I try to stay on top of it, but don’t worry if your comment doesn’t show up immediately! 🙂
Are you joining me in fasting from social media, and entering into the last week of Jesus’ life? Great! If not, no worries. Maybe you are doing other meaningful things. I’d love to hear! My goal has been to make as much space for Jesus as possible. To enter into His death so I can better understand the resurrection.
Here’s the thing…I love the movies with inspiration and uplift, and PROFOUND TRUTH. I love the big movie music that convinces you there is good in the world and you can be part of it. But the soundtrack to this week so far has been more like The Shawshank Redemption than Rocky.
As I’ve read each day I’ve asked, “Lord, what do you have to show me about Yourself and what do you have to show me about myself?” Additionally, I’ve tried to put myself in the place of the disciples. The thing that strikes me is that the disciples loved Jesus and like kids looking up to a hero, they were anxious to please, but it was so confusing.
Holy Week was confusing because they assumed Jesus’ agenda was their agenda. Just like me. Here’s some of what I’ve been noticing and asking…
Sunday
When Jesus rode into Jerusalem on a donkey instead of a horse like a conquering military hero (kind of like driving into New York in a Mini Cooper), everyone cheered even though His mode of transportation was weird. They were still hopeful that He was going to be “their guy”.
John Ortberg says,
Palm Sunday represents all the times that we get really excited about Jesus because of what we think He can DO FOR US rather than who He really is, and what He really offers.
Surrender is acknowledging that there is a God and it is not me. So most of disciples are wrestling with this confusing process of bringing their agenda in line with Jesus’.
Monday
Jesus curses the fig tree and clears the temple. The fig tree, like me, like many, looks green and healthy from a distance, but up close is not bearing fruit – the true mark of submission and discipleship. Are we about looking fruitful or actually bearing fruit through the power of Jesus? Where’s the fruit?
Tuesday
Each day Jesus leaves Jerusalem and goes out to stay in Bethany with His “home team” – Mary, Martha, and Lazarus. Mary, in spite of the confusing events, is in tune enough with Jesus that she quietly anoints Him with expensive perfume. Do we have a rhythm of engaging and withdrawing? Do we have a community of support and partnership? Is there enough stillness in our life that we are sensitive to the acts of devotion Jesus might ask of us?
Wednesday
It’s possible to be close to Jesus but not give our heart to Him, not bear fruit, not embrace His agenda. Judas wants Jesus for what He can do for him. Judas holds onto his own agenda.
In our family, both my husband John and I like to drive. We like to be in control. We’ve come to the agreement that I drive during the day and he drives at night, but that’s only because I have night blindness.
I have no depth perception. Things are NOT as they appear to me at night! I had to learn the hard way – accidentally driving through stop lights, over curbs, and getting lost – that I need to surrender the keys at night.
I surrender the keys to John at night because I trust that he sees things more clearly than I do.
When we surrender to God we’re saying “I admit that things may not be as they appear to me. I trust You to know better.”
I can’t surrender my agenda to God unless I trust He has my best interest at his heart.
Those are a few of my thoughts as I’ve read. What is proving to be meaningful to you this Holy Week?
How’s Lent been going for you? Me? I’m really terrible at it. My husband majored in Lent, growing up Catholic, but not me. It was never part of our faith tradition, and now it always seems to sneak up on me and all of a sudden it’s Ash Wednesday and I’m stressed about what I should or shouldn’t be doing or giving up, and what the meaning is supposed to be.
Am I supposed to identify with Jesus’ sacrifice or am I supposed to fast from worldly stuff that is sucking the life of Jesus out of me, or am I supposed to pull back to reflect on All Of The Deep Things?
Those words “should” and “supposed to” float through the air in slow motion like a hand grenade or a heat seeking missile looking for where it can do the most damage. I end up feeling muddled and guilty that I haven’t done it “right”, whatever “right” is.
I can’t find the word “Lent” in my concordance, and certainly not “Thou shalt prepare for Easter by…” But I do think intentional preparation for Easter is a good thing.
I think the idea of Lent is to help us pay attention to God and life and death and resurrection the way it would be good to pay attention to Him all the time – like at 5 o’clock on a July evening when we’re sitting on the patio eating burgers, or on October 3rd in line at the grocery store.
So I’ve muddled through Lent again this year, unlike a young friend I mentor who has fasted from pop (but only brown pop), and sweets (but not on on her birthday or during the week she was in Italy, and chocolate covered almonds don’t count). I laugh at her, but she says even this has really helped her pay attention and turn to Jesus in the moments she wants things she is sacrificing.
You cannot have resurrection without death.
Hi, I’m Laura – a Jesus-follower who gets it wrong a lot, but is still beloved just like you.
