Every Friday I try to post some of the things that have delighted or inspired me – the “soul food” from my week.
The Message translation from Psalm 23 says, “My cup brims with blessing”. That’s the way I feel! So much goodness to share today – enjoy!
If this doesn’t warm your heart nothing will…
I know this is old, but I just saw it for the first time this week and thought it was absolutely hysterical! This is particularly for my friends in Texas!
Favorite Instagram post this week!
The Spiritual Disciplines Handbook by Adele Calhounhas been a favorite of mine since it was published in 2009. Recently she came out with a new edition which I am savoring! Although many might view this as a resource book, I see it as much more.
Adele has catalogued a list of 75 different spiritual practices (13 new ones in this expanded edition) under 7 different headings. For each discipline there are reflection questions and spiritual exercises, so this would be a great book to use as a devotional, or with a small group.
Some of the new practices Adele has added include Unplugging, Visio Divina, Solidarity in Jesus’ sufferings, Waiting, and my favorite – Mindfulness/Attentiveness.I highly recommend this book!
An inspiring video. Take a minute to watch this with awe at God’s creativity and power.
A delightful book I read this week: A Man Called Ove by Fredrik Backman I hope this book is made into a movie. I almost put it down because the main character is so unlikeable for the first third, but gradually we learn more of his story in flashbacks and his community doesn’t give up on him. It is an amazing story of grace and understanding, and the ending? Oh, just wait for it!
One reviewer wrote, “If there was an award for ‘Most Charming Book of the Year,’ this first novel by a Swedish blogger-turned-overnight-sensation would win hands down”.
I look at the photo next to a post I’m reading online, and immediately my mind goes to critique like an East German figure skating judge in the 1980 Olympics.
Wow, look at those huge bags under her eyes!
She definitely shouldn’t have worn brightly patterned leggings at her age and size.
That lipstick clashes with her red hair.
Score: 3.2/10
Judgy Mcjudgerson.
And then I look into her eyes. And there I see the hope and uncertainty of all of us.
Her eyes say,
“This feels vulnerable and I really want you to like me.”
“I know I have bags under my eyes and I’ve tried everything to change that. I talk to God daily about accepting my looks.”
“I tried on five outfits before landing on this one, wanting to look fashionable and camouflage my hips, but not appear like I’m trying too hard.”
The details are different, but her eyes say she has the same conversations with herself that I have with myself.
It’s difficult for me to look at videos or pictures of myself.
And I’m reminded once again…
“Be kind, for everyone you meet is fighting a battle you know nothing about.” Wendy Mass
Jesus looks at the woman in the picture and says “You are fearfully and wonderfully made by Me. You are my beloved daughter, beautiful just as you are. Score: Infinity.”
The woman I don’t know in the photo is longing to be loved and accepted just like the one I see in my mirror. Just like you.
I walk into a ballroom filled with 500 strangers and the one person I know – the person who invited me – is in charge and busy with the drama of last minute details.
I feel alone, conspicuous, and try to resist the urge to take out my cell phone and look busy.
At least I have an assigned table so I don’t have to deal with the awkwardness of asking permission to join a group, like a lost dog looking for a handout.
I gulp, sit down, and turn to the first person I see, stick out my hand and say, “Hi, I’m Laura. I don’t think we’ve met.”
Fast forward to more recently. I walk into a large home packed with 300 people, many who are friends I’m excited to talk to. There’s good food and laughter and meaningful conversation, but there are strangers here also – people I see out of the corner of my eye who are on the fringes, feeling uncomfortable and longing for someone to talk to.
I work hard to be present to the person I’m in conversation with, but the connector in me also desperately wants to “rescue” all those uncomfortable folks on the margins.
Introvert or extrovert, we’ve all been in situations where we are the happy Golden Retriever who’s friends with everyone, and the lonely mutt, hungry for a pat on the head.
In the past week we’ve gotten two letters from people who feel like they’re on the outside and can’t get in. So I’ve been thinking a lot about this.
Here are five things I think it’s important for us to remember:Continue reading
“Worship is saying, ‘You are God. I’m not….'” Lauren Chandler
A dear friend of mine in New Zealand has been sending me posts like the one below, leading up to an event they are hosting called “Reboot, Refresh, Revitalize”. What a great way to start each day – with Scripture and a question to ponder!
And if you need another reminder of the power and majesty of God this weekend...
Clouds belched buckets of rain, Sky exploded with thunder, your arrows flashing this way and that. From Whirlwind came your thundering voice, Lightning exposed the world, Earth reeled and rocked… Psalm 77:16-19
And lastly, my favorite Instagram this week…Sometimes you just need a cute puppy pic.
That’s it for me! What’s brought you joy or encouragement this week?
Last week was Ash Wednesday and the beginning of Lent. I was in Florida and John was in Thailand when he wrote this in an email:
Can I let you in on a secret? I’m so much more a Christmas guy than an Easter person; I know it sounds sacrilegious, but I love THAT part of the story, cuz of the hope and the joy (and the presents)… And the absence of all that ‘sin talk’ and the beatings, trials abandonments and crosses.
There’s a little scene where the two unlikely heroes of the Lord of the Rings, Sam and Frodo, are hiding and near death, and Sam says, “Do you think think they’ll ever tell our adventure, Mr. Frodo?… ‘Maybe Sam, but this is the part where the children will say, skip this part, Dad, I don’t like this chapter.‘” I know how Frodo feels, on Ash Wednesday.
My response? Me too, me too, me too!
Lent is the part of the story that is ugly and messy and requires humility and self-examination and I’d really rather avoid both thank you very much. Continue reading
The expanse of the balcony looked totally empty as it should be until a movement far away caught my eye. A young woman with long blond hair had been sitting alone, her hair hiding her face. She got up and hurried out.
We have a Saturday night worship service at our church and because it is small, we close off the balcony. At the end of worship a few weeks ago I had to go up to talk to our tech people. This is when I spotted the balcony girl.
Clearly she wanted to see but not be seen. She wore both hope and grief like strong perfume that almost hovered around her in visible clouds. Continue reading
In Christ alone my hope is found, He is my light, my strength, my song; this Cornerstone, this solid Ground, firm through the fiercest drought and storm. What heights of love, what depths of peace, when fears are stilled, when strivings cease! My Comforter, my All in All, here in the love of Christ I stand.
Standing in worship, it felt like I was singing through gritted teeth.
The words were there, but not the heart.
I was having a toddler moment a few weeks ago – frustrated, confused and metaphorically crossing my arms, and stamping my foot with cries of “LORD! I. DON’T. GET. IT!!” Continue reading
Yay Weekend! I know these Friday posts are such a hodgepodge, but I hope you each find something to delight, inspire, or motivate you.
Some of you will be into the Super Bowl, some not, but I pray this weekend God will meet you and refresh you in ways that only He can.
First, a quote from my friend, Sharol Hayner. Her husband, and our friend, Steve, died just over a year ago.
As for us with my brother’s death, this has been a year of absorbing the reality of loss and trying to choose joy, and envision life again.
Sharol sent an update this past week which included this reflection. Her image has been one that has rolled around in my head all week. It is beautiful and hopeful and maybe as helpful to you as it’s been for me.
Grief is like living in a house with many rooms, each with a different name: sadness, anger, fear, celebration, remembering, joy, gratitude. A friend suggested that the key to abiding in this house is to leave the door to each room unlocked and even opened. I frequently visit these rooms and will occasionally get stuck in one of them. I’ve learned that I must keep the door open so that I can get out. This has been helpful when a room overwhelms me and I am tempted to lock the door from the outside and never enter or lock the door from the inside and never leave. I will always live in this house as it is God’s place for me. But the house itself isn’t named Grief. It is named Life. There will be new rooms in time. Gratefully, I don’t live there alone. God is always there, ready to meet me and walk with me into each room. Many of you are there with me as well.
Along those same lines…If everything in your life feels broken, this may be the song you need today.
Any I have to share my favorite picture of the week – Muslim girls waiting to fist-bump the president, taken after Obama gave a speech in Baltimore against anti-muslim rhetoric.
(AP Photo/Pablo Martinez Monsivais)
“There are voices who are constantly claiming you have to choose between your identities. … Do not believe them. … You fit in here. Right here. You’re right where you belong. You’re part of America, too…You’re not Muslim or American, you’re Muslim and American. And don’t grow cynical.”
On my nightstand…The Art of Memoir. You guys! Oh my goodness, this book! It has me obsessed. Each sentence feels like I need to chew it like a cow chewing her cud, squeezing every bit of flavor and nutrition out of it.
And there is so much there to absorb! It is fascinating whether you’re an aspiring writer or a reader. One of the reviewers wrote: “…Anyone yearning to write will be inspired, and anyone passionate to live an examined life will fall in love with language and literature all over again.”
Here’s a sample…
“That’s the quality I’ve found most consistently in those life-story writers I’ve met. Truth is not their enemy. It’s the bannister they grab of when feeling around on the dark cellar stairs…”
I took this book out of the library but it’s all I can do not to grab a pen and underline huge chunks of it!
Lastly…For those Super Bowl party goers or watchers...I tried this recipe recently (the easy version) and had people ask for the recipe so I thought I’d share it here as an option for a Super Bowl party this weekend. Enjoy!
Super Bowl Sunday Hot Corn Dip Recipe
So there are two ways to do this – the easy way is by using this or any similar corn salsa you like:
If you use a bottled corn salsa just skip down to the mayo part 🙂
You really can totally play with this, but here’s the “real” recipe:
2 TB butter
3 1/2 cups corn kernels (can use corn from 4 ears of white or yellow corn or use canned mixture)
1/2 ts. salt
1 cup finely chopped yellow onions
1/2 cup finely chopped red bell peppers
1/2 cup chopped green onions (green and white parts)
1 jalapeño seeded and minced (I’d omit)
1 tsp minced garlic (I’d use more)
1 cup mayonnaise
1 cup (4 oz) Monterey Jack cheese, shredded
1 cup (4 oz.) Sharp cheddar cheese shredded
Tortilla scoops or Frito scoops for dipping
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Melt 1 TB butter in leg heavy skillet over medium-high heat. Add corn, salt and pepper. Cook stirring occasionally, until golden brown, about 5 min. Transfer to bowl
Melt remaining TB of butter in the skillet. Add the yellow onions and bell peppers and cook, stirring occasionally, until the onions are wilted, about 2 minutes. Add the green onions, jalapeño and garlic and cook, stirring for 2 minutes, or until veggies are softened.
Transfer to the bowl with corn.
Add mayo and 1/2 of Monterey Jack cheese and 1/2 of Cheddar cheese, mixing well.
Pour into 8 inch square baking dish (or whatever).
Sprinkle with remaining cheese.
Bake until bubbly and golden brown – 10-12 minutes.
Yield: 6 cups of dip. 12-18 servings.
That’s it for me. What has been delighting, inspiring, or motivating you this week?
“Adventurously expectant” is my “one” word for 2016. As I sit here in my pajamas I don’t look or feel it.
I wrote earlier that this year I am going putting some practices into my life to help me pay better attention to what God might want to teach me through this “one word”.
One practice is looking at places in Scripture where these words are fleshed out. Peter is certainly one I think of as “adventurously expectant”. i can’t picture him sitting around in his pajamas, so I decided to look at one of his “moments”.
When I look at a passage, I always try to look for (at least) 2 things:Continue reading
Today you start your new job – a big, important change-the-world job, and we’re so proud of you!
I know your kindness and competence will win the day, but I also know that as you carefully choose your professional outfit this morning, the “hyper-responsible you” will be worried.
You know there will be days when you mess up, or there’s a misunderstanding, or you have to say hard words, or ask forgiveness in your job, just like in all of life.
And you may feel like you did when you were 5 years old and wrote this sign, taping it to your bedroom door.
“Do not come in! P.S. I will be under the covers.”
I think what you meant (what all of us often mean) is: Continue reading
