This quarantine and social isolation has really been a difficult time for many. As a minister, I have found it to be both a very difficult experience, and a very enlightening one. In this episode, I share a few of the things I’ve realized during this time.
I have leaned a few lessons in at least three areas. The first area is my family. This isolation has given us the opportunity to prioritize family time in greater ways than we have been able to recently, in various ways, like family movie nights, and more meals together. The second area affects my role as a minister and the church I serve. How we approach the process of canceling service, and now reopening them, has been an eye-opening experience. The third area… Well, you’ll need to watch the video to find out what it might be.
The crazy thing is that God can use even times like these to make himself known to us in ways that we might not have ever noticed. I have seen God do some pretty amazing things in my life an din the lives of those around me during this time. What has he been doing in your life through this quarantine? Have you been watching?
About Random Ramblings:
Random Ramblings are just that: they are random, and I’ll probably ramble. It’s an opportunity to share a little about what’s going on in my mind. From resources, to things I’m thinking about or studying from Scripture, to fun stuff, I hope these ramblings can be a fun part of your day. These brief videos will be shared here and on my YouTube channel. You can jump over there to subscribe for only video updates, or subscribe here to be notified of posts of all kinds.
Links:
Ozark Christian College (Mug I’m using)
One proof of the inspiration of the Bible is that it has withstood so much poor preaching.
The more I learn about God, the more aware I become of what I don’t know about him.
In this inaugural episode of Random Ramblings from Randleman, I share a new coffee subscription service that I have joined called Trade Coffee. I’m two bags in, and so far, I love it. And with a little soap box discussion of coffee-related opinions, you get a glimpse into my inner coffee nerd.
I most typically brew my coffee using a pourover, like the Chemex or Hario V60. I prefer the flavors that those methods can bring out from a bean that has been roasted well. Currently, my favorite regions are either Guatemala, Ethiopia, and Kenya. I also prefer a lighter roast, because I think it brings out a better range of flavors that are inherent in the bean.
I have written several articles about how to make the perfect cup of coffee. In this series, I cover several topics, including water quality, the roast, the grind, using pourovers, and more. As you can see, this is a pretty important element in my life, and I enjoy all the subtle variations you can have in a single cup, as well as more dramatic differences between regions, roast profiles, and the beans themselves.
About Random Ramblings:
Random Ramblings are just that: they are random, and I’ll probably ramble. It’s an opportunity to share a little about what’s going on in my mind. From resources, to things I’m thinking about or studying from Scripture, to fun stuff, I hope these ramblings can be a fun part of your day. These brief videos will be shared here and on my YouTube channel. You can jump over there to subscribe for only video updates, or subscribe here to be notified of posts of all kinds.
Links:
Trade Coffee
Airscape Canister (Amazon Affiliate Link)
Ozark Coffee Company
Ozark Christian College (T-shirt I’m wearing)
Out of all the gifts the Lord has bestowed upon you, only one is for you – the Holy Spirit. All the other gifts the Lord has given you are for everybody else around you to benefit from.
Stepping Up: A Call To Courageous Manhood by Dennis Rainey (Little Rock, Arkansas: Family Life Publishing, 2011)
As the father of several kids, three of which are sons, I am poignantly aware of the role I play as a father, as a husband, and as a man, with each of them watching my life closely. Because of that, I want to model for them what it means to be a man, and to be a godly one.
Perhaps the biggest challenge that the men of our culture face is to be a man of integrity in every area. And it takes courage to do so. In Stepping Up, Dennis Rainey challenges men to be men of courage and integrity in the face of a world that pushes them to conform to a lower standard.
Rainey has identified five stages of a man’s life: boyhood, adolescence, manhood, mentor, and patriarch. In this book, he explores the responsibilities and needs present in each of the areas… And how to move up to the next.
In part, I am reading this to provide a better and more courageous example to my sons. But also, I am reading this to make sure I continue to challenge myself to step it up in every area of my life to be the man that God has called and created me to be.
Each chapter requires a very short time to read, but the implications and applications are huge. One could almost read this devotionally, except for the continual calls to action that seem to crop up on each page. This will probably take much, much longer to digest then just a simple devotional reading would allow.
I highly recommend the works of Dennis Rainey. His books on marriage and relationships have been vastly helpful for me, and this promises to be just as impacting for my life. I suggest you pick up a copy and read it, or buy one for the man in your life. You can pick up a copy on Amazon.
The Christian life is not one of attained perfection but ongoing purification.
