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Being A Pat Of Butter

Godly Men: Being Deliberate With Our Wives and Kids

I ran across this quote from Minnesota radio personality Garrison Keillor.

Being A Pat Of Butter

By way of disclaimer, I know nothing about this man, other than what I just read in a quick Google search. I can’t vouch for his website, his radio show, or his books.

But this quote is especially poignant.

The father of a daughter is nothing but a high-class hostage. A father turns a stony face to his sons, berates them, shakes his antlers, paws the ground, snorts, runs them off into the underbrush, but when his daughter puts her arm over his shoulder and says, Daddy, I need to ask you something, he is a pat of butter in a hot frying pan.

I have found this to be true in my relationships with my kids. And I think it’s a pretty universal fact. Fathers parent their sons differently than they do their daughters.

We train our boys to become men. We expect more different things from them than we do our daughters. We fiercely protect our little girls, no matter what their age.

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Book Review – All Things Bright And Strange by James Markert

All Things Bright And StrangeThis is not the first book by James Markert that I have read and enjoyed. Not too long ago, I read and reviewed another book by Markert, The Angel’s Share, which I thoroughly enjoyed. I entered into this novel expecting no less, and I was not disappointed.

All Things Bright And Strange is once again set in the early 20th century, immediately after World War I, and in the rugged hills of Appalachia, near Charleston, South Carolina. The town is Bellhaven, and there is something strange going on in the woods. The leader of the community is a man by the name of Ellsworth, who after his experience in Germany during the war, doesn’t really want to lead anyone anymore.

And yet events begin to unfold that draw him into a struggle between good and evil, between life and death, for both him and those he loves, and the community as a whole. As he discovers the history of the chapel in the woods, the meaning of all the birds in the area, especially the cardinals, and the strange draw the town has on people, he must make a difficult choice to lead the townspeople in a direction they may not want to go.

I really enjoyed the supernatural element of All Things Bright And Strange. Markert has a knack for weaving an amazing tale of reality, filled with elements of the supernatural, in a way that leaves you hungry for more. I could hardly put the book down, and will probably seek out more of his work in the future.

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Coffee Break – 04.30.2018

Your Monday Dose Of Inspiration

On this day in history: In 1789, George Washington took office as the first elected U.S. president. In 1803, the U.S. purchased the Louisiana Territory from France for $15 million. In 1938, Happy Rabbit appeared in the cartoon Porky’s Hare Hunt. This rabbit would later evolve into Bugs Bunny. And in 1939, the first railroad car equipped with fluorescent lights was put into service. The train car was known as the “General Pershing Zephyr.”

Coffee Break

Today Is National Bugs Bunny Day!
Let’s have a cartoon marathon!

The Many Faces Of Coffee – Have you ever heard of coffee honey? No? Then read this.

The Libraries Of Famous Men: Louis L’Amour – I have read almost every single book written by Louis L’Amour, most more than once. He’s one of my favorite authors of all time. I have often wondered what he read, and here’s a snapshot of his library. I completely love this article!

Bread Clips – You wouldn’t think there is enough information about a simple bread clip to warrant an entire article… But there is. And it’s pretty interesting.

Bubble Wrap – My kids love this stuff. And the ones that don’t pop easily are a massive disappointment to them. Here’s a brief video showing how it’s made.

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Memorize Scripture: Psalm 119:49-52

Hiding God’s Word In Our Hearts

Stanza seven, along with the stanzas immediately before and after it, carry a singular focus to them, understanding who God is by a careful study of his Word. In these verses, the particular focus is that of God’s comfort during times of suffering. You can see it in Psalm 119:49-52:

Psalm 119:49-52

The idea of comfort is prevalent in this passage, with the word “comfort” being mentioned twice, in verses 50 and 52, and the phrase “you have given me hope,” which also conveys the idea of comfort, found in verse 51.

It’s interesting to note that while the whole stanza is focused on the psalmist’s need for comfort, his only prayer in this passage is one for hope. He seems to immediately understand that the comfort that God can bring is only to be found in the hope that God offers. The comfort he seeks is not a specific request for his suffering to be removed; it is more of a request to be reassured that God’s promises never fail.

That’s an interesting perspective that we need to keep in mind in the present day. We often ask for God to remove those things which cause pain and suffering, and to be sure, he does do that, but it is more in line with Scripture to seek God’s presence and reassurance during such times than to seek to have them removed from our lives. Don’t get me wrong; I’m not suggesting that we seek out suffering, I’m only suggesting that our views of it may be limited and flawed.

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The Gospel of Matthew

An Introduction

One of the most effective ways I have found to study the Bible is to break it up into small passages and study them separately. I have been doing this with the Gospel of Matthew this year, and have found it to be incredibly effective for digesting Scripture in such a way that it can bear fruit in my life, rather than just simply reading it and then forgetting it.

Introduction to Matthew

I call this method the Golden Nugget approach. I have written about it here, but in a nutshell, you simply read until God points out three things to you that you think he wants you to pay attention to. Why three? Because I can remember three easier than I can remember five, or nine, or some other amount. I take these three things, and then I watch for God to teach me about them throughout my day, assuming that if he pointed them out to me, then he wants to teach me something about them.

It has worked for me over the years. I still read through the Bible annually, much of it more than once. But this method has enabled me to apply the passages I read into my life easier, and hopefully I become more of the person God wants me to be.

I have been studying the book of Matthew in this way this year, jotting down my thoughts and journaling about what I read. I’d like to share some of my insights here and work my way through this amazingly practical gospel.

But first, let me share an introduction to the Gospel of Matthew, some details about the author, the date it was written, and the original audience. Knowing this can help us place a lot of what Matthew says in context, and can give us a deeper understanding of his work.

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Book Review – Becoming A Welcoming Church by Thom Rainer

Becoming A Welcoming ChurchI have long been a fan of Thom Rainer and his books on church leadership and church growth. But one of his most recent works may just be his best yet. Although it is small, and you can sit down and read it in a couple of hours or an evening, Rainer’s book, Becoming A Welcoming Church, is one of the most vital works on how to attract people to our churches, and how to retain them. To use a phrase he repeats often within these pages, it’s a gospel issue.

Let’s face it. Church culture in western culture is largely running from 35-50 years behind the times. In other words, what worked in the 60s, 70s, or even in the 80s or 90s, doesn’t work anymore in 2018. And if we are going to present a life-saving message to a word that needs to hear it, our methods need to change to something the culture can hear and respond to. That means, among other things, that we need to make sure that when we have a guest in our churches, we make them feel loved and welcome, and give them a reason to come back. Because the more they return, the more they have the opportunity to hear the message of the gospel. It’s that important.

Rainer’s book covers every aspect of what a first time guest might experience. From the church website to the welcome center and greeters, he covers it all. To read this through in one sitting is easy. But to really absorb what he is saying, you might need to read it again and again, and pass it on to other leaders in your church.