John Maxwell, How High Will You Climb?
(Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson, 2014), p. 70
Attitude is the determining factor of whether our failures make or break us.
Book Review – Wounds Are Where Light Enters by Walter Wangerin Jr.
Several years ago, I was exposed to the stories of Walter Wangerin when I watch a performance of his story, Ragman, at a youth leader’s conference I attended. At that moment I was hooked. I purchased Ragman: And Other Cries OF Faith and devoured it. Every now and then, I get it out and reread a story or two for inspiration, but I have never pursued any of Wangerin’s other works.
Until now.
I recently received a copy of Wounds Are Where Light Enters, and I am having a hard time putting it down. Several of the stories I have read through tear blurred eyes, and others have stirred my soul like I remember the Ragman story doing.
In this volume, Walter Wangerin relates several stories from his life, from both his role as a pastor and his role as a father. Each of these stories provides a glimpse of the incredibly expansive grace of God, sometimes in relation to those Wangerin has ministered to, but more often to Wangerin himself.
I have been inspired and encouraged by reading this book, and I’m sure that it will be one that I return to for strength and encouragement in days to come. I know that the grace of God has peeked out of these pages, and is daring me to see it in the everyday events of my own life.
Book Review – Whisper by Mark Batterson
I have been an on and off fan of Mark Batterson’s work for several years. I was a big fan of his book Primal, and it was an excellent help to my spiritual growth at a time when I desperately needed it. I was less enthusiastic about his book The Circle Maker. I felt like it was a bit of a stretch, and presumed too much that Scripture didn’t support. So I was slightly hesitant to read Whisper. But I am glad that I did.
I can’t place it on par with Primal for a couple of reasons, but I did find it encouraging and helpful. In Whisper, Batterson strives to discover and explain the different ways that God speaks to us today. He identifies seven different voices through which God communicates, and digs deep into each of them, one at a time. The first one he discusses is Scripture, God’s primary way of communication to his church today.
I was somewhat disappointed at the level of trust he places in the other six voices though. It seemed as if he held these voices – desires, doors, dreams, people, promptings, and pain – as authoritative as God’s Word. I disagree with that. I believe that God can, and does, communicate through some of these other voices; but I do not think they are to be held to the same level as Scripture.
Coffee Break – 03.05.2018
Your Monday Dose Of Inspiration
On this day in history: In 1845, the U.S. Congress appropriated $30,000 to ship camels to the western U.S. In 1922, “Annie Oakley” (Phoebe Ann Moses) broke all existing records for women’s trap shooting. She hit 98 out of 100 targets. In 1946, Winston Churchill’s “Iron Curtain” speech in Fulton, Missouri, popularizes the term and draws attention to the division of Europe. And in 1963, the Hula-Hoop was patented, although it first hit the market in 1958. An estimated 25 million Hula-Hoops were sold in its first four months of production alone.
Today Is National Cheese Doodle Day!
It’s time to get your fingers orange!
Smoking Your Iced Coffees – I want to try this. Yes, it is literally adding smoke to an iced coffee, for the purpose of adding additional, smoky, flavors. If you want to try one out, you can get it here.
How To Fold A T-Shirt – I know what you’re thinking… This isn’t something that needs to be taught. And you should be right. But take a look, and prepare to learn something new about something as simple as folding a shirt. You can also check out the infographic here.
The Blue Man: An Ozarks Legend – I am intrigued by the mythology of local areas where I have lived. And just around the corner from where I live now is a place where the legend of the Blue Man can still be heard occasionally.
Sardine Feeding Frenzy – I love some of the videos produced by BBC Earth. This one fascinated me for a while.
Memorize Scripture: Psalm 119:25-28
Hiding God’s Word In Our Hearts
In the third stanza of Psalm 119, we saw the psalmist feeling rejected and alienated. He continues that description in the fourth stanza, but provides a positive outlook at the same time. You can see the first half of this stanza in Psalm 119:25-28:
In the latter half of the last strophe, the psalmist described the alienation he felt due to his solid commitment to God’s Word. In the first half of Daleth, the fourth stanza, he gives two more results of the world’s hatred: humiliation and sorrow.
In verse 25, the writer states that he has been “laid low in the dust” because of his commitment to God and his precepts. The Hebrew word here is closely associated with the concept of “cleaving,” meaning he feels so low that he has bonded intimately with the dust he lies in. That feels pretty low, and permanent.
In verse 28, he states that his “soul is weary with sorrow.” There are a lot of good reasons for sorrow, but here, the writer seems to connect it to the rejection, alienation and humiliation that has been directed at him due to his commitment to God.
Seems kind of bleak, doesn’t it?
Whatever weakens your reason, impairs the tenderness of your conscience, obscures your sense of God, or removes your relish for spiritual things – that is sin to you.
Susanna Wesley
Coffee Break – 02.26.2018
Your Monday Dose Of Inspiration
On this day in history: In 1919, Arizona’s Grand Canyon was established as a National Park with an act of the U.S. Congress. Ten years later, in 1929, President Coolidge signed a bill creating the Grand Teton National Park. And in 1933, a ground-breaking ceremony was held at Crissy Field for the Golden Gate Bridge.
Today Is National Pistachio Day!
If you don’t like pistachios, go buy some for me!
Drink Four Cups Of Coffee A Day And You Could Live Longer – I already knew this, but to have a study confirm it is nice. And, at the rate I’m going, I should live forever.
Because Paper Has Soul – I write a lot, most of it digitally. But I love the concept of analog even more. I journal on paper, usually with a fountain pen. I write letters on an old Royal typewriter occasionally. Why? Because paper has soul.
Is The F-35 A Trillion-Dollar Mistake? – This is a lengthy article about the new F35 warplane, but if you are an airplane or jet fan, you’ll find it interesting.
4K Stormlapse – It has been rainy here all week. Not really stormy, but steady rain. So here is a timelapse of storms to help you out.