Tabitha Caplinger's Blog: TabithaCaplinger.com, page 5
November 13, 2017
Surviving The Holidays: Family Edition
Disclaimer: This is mostly about me trying to be funny. I wrote a whole other series post about loving your family. So, it's okay to laugh at this while hopefully learning valuable holiday-saving skills. 
Hide a slice of pie. Trust me. You're gonna want a second slice and there won't be one because uncle Bob will have gotten to it first and he won't have asked if anyone else wanted to split it with him or anything and you'll get mad and feel like no one ever thinks about your wants and it'll cause a fight even if just in your own head. So hide a slice of pie for later. 
Say grace but don't talk about religion or politics unless you know everyone agrees on everything already. These are tense times. Remember you don't love these people because they checked the same boxes on a ballot. You love them because you have to. You love them because they can blackmail you with video footage of the sibling dance routine you choreographed in 1982 to fill-in-the-blank song and because you ALL still remember the moves. You love them because they helped you sneak your veggies off your plate. You love them because they tucked you in at night and checked your closet for monsters. You love them because you share history together. Histories can be messy and have dark times but, good and bad, it is what makes us one. Don't let that get clouded by differing opinions over healthcare and immigration. Those things are important but so is the fact that these people have seen you fill in the blank with that funny or embarrassing thing that you're already thinking of.
Have grace. You love these people. Or you did? Come on you still do. (Refer to the last paragraph.) And they love you even if they forgot for a minute when you took the last dinner roll. So cut them some slack. Have an extra bit of patience. Don't get your panties in a wad over every choice they make you don't like. Don't look for the passive aggressive undertones of every conversation. Choose to believe the best about them and hope that they believe the best about you. This may take getting some thicker skin but do it. Maybe they don't deserve your grace. Sometimes you don't deserve it either, that's why it's called grace. (Don't make me pull a what would/did Jesus do card here, cuz I can and will.)
Get better expectations. Maybe you have this image of a Norman rockwell painting that is pristine and classy and perfect. Your holiday probably won't be that. It could come real close or it could look more like a surreal Picasso. Don't expect perfection. If aunt Doris always comments about your singleness or lack of kids or lackluster career or how you don't visit enough don't expect her to suddenly have been body snatched. Expect her to make all the same comments. Prepare a cute smile and nod and excuse to move to the other room politely. But also don't expect her to get in your face and make you feel horrible. She might get in your face but it's up to you if it makes you feel horrible. After all, if you're happy with your life than who cares what Doris thinks. And if you're not then say that, be honest. Give her a "you're right Doris, I'd love to meet Mr right cuz Friday night binge watching has gotten lonely. Thanks for praying for me." Or "yeah Doris we just aren't ready for kids yet, and we know we'll never feel ready but right now we live in a studio apartment and live off ramen so probably not the best sitch for adding a kid or two. Hopefully next year we'll have a bun in the oven and when we do you'll be among the first to know. We may even name it after you." (Ok that might be a stretch but do what you have to do.) the point is people have as much power over you as you let them. Move your expectations so they have less. Come ready to handle what might be thrown at you with love and grace and dignity. 
Wear stretchy pants and comfortable shoes. I don't think I need to explain this one. You get it. Because extra slice of pie. See #1
Embrace, reclaim and create traditions. Did you used to always play clue together, start doing that again. Always wanted to have a backyard football game, start one. Tired of watching everyone reenact those 1982 dance moves, how about you toss caution to the wind and join in. Play together. Laugh. Make fools of yourselves. Even if your little brother still cheats at clue it'll be something you consider a good memory. 
Look, this has been funny. And kind of serious. But here's the deal, your family is yours. They are your people for your whole life. Even if you don't see them everyday. Even if they get on your nerves. They are yours. (Maybe they aren't even blood but they are who raised you, who took you in when you were alone, who stick with you now...maybe they are a family of friends or neighbors. They are still yours.) no matter what kind of family you have they aren't perfect. You aren't perfect. It's called being human and we all suffer from it. Happy Thanksgiving and Merry Christmas and Happy whatever other holiday you might celebrate. *What's your favorite family holiday memory or tradition? Share it in the comments.*
Hide a slice of pie. Trust me. You're gonna want a second slice and there won't be one because uncle Bob will have gotten to it first and he won't have asked if anyone else wanted to split it with him or anything and you'll get mad and feel like no one ever thinks about your wants and it'll cause a fight even if just in your own head. So hide a slice of pie for later. Say grace but don't talk about religion or politics unless you know everyone agrees on everything already. These are tense times. Remember you don't love these people because they checked the same boxes on a ballot. You love them because you have to. You love them because they can blackmail you with video footage of the sibling dance routine you choreographed in 1982 to fill-in-the-blank song and because you ALL still remember the moves. You love them because they helped you sneak your veggies off your plate. You love them because they tucked you in at night and checked your closet for monsters. You love them because you share history together. Histories can be messy and have dark times but, good and bad, it is what makes us one. Don't let that get clouded by differing opinions over healthcare and immigration. Those things are important but so is the fact that these people have seen you fill in the blank with that funny or embarrassing thing that you're already thinking of.Have grace. You love these people. Or you did? Come on you still do. (Refer to the last paragraph.) And they love you even if they forgot for a minute when you took the last dinner roll. So cut them some slack. Have an extra bit of patience. Don't get your panties in a wad over every choice they make you don't like. Don't look for the passive aggressive undertones of every conversation. Choose to believe the best about them and hope that they believe the best about you. This may take getting some thicker skin but do it. Maybe they don't deserve your grace. Sometimes you don't deserve it either, that's why it's called grace. (Don't make me pull a what would/did Jesus do card here, cuz I can and will.)Get better expectations. Maybe you have this image of a Norman rockwell painting that is pristine and classy and perfect. Your holiday probably won't be that. It could come real close or it could look more like a surreal Picasso. Don't expect perfection. If aunt Doris always comments about your singleness or lack of kids or lackluster career or how you don't visit enough don't expect her to suddenly have been body snatched. Expect her to make all the same comments. Prepare a cute smile and nod and excuse to move to the other room politely. But also don't expect her to get in your face and make you feel horrible. She might get in your face but it's up to you if it makes you feel horrible. After all, if you're happy with your life than who cares what Doris thinks. And if you're not then say that, be honest. Give her a "you're right Doris, I'd love to meet Mr right cuz Friday night binge watching has gotten lonely. Thanks for praying for me." Or "yeah Doris we just aren't ready for kids yet, and we know we'll never feel ready but right now we live in a studio apartment and live off ramen so probably not the best sitch for adding a kid or two. Hopefully next year we'll have a bun in the oven and when we do you'll be among the first to know. We may even name it after you." (Ok that might be a stretch but do what you have to do.) the point is people have as much power over you as you let them. Move your expectations so they have less. Come ready to handle what might be thrown at you with love and grace and dignity. Wear stretchy pants and comfortable shoes. I don't think I need to explain this one. You get it. Because extra slice of pie. See #1Embrace, reclaim and create traditions. Did you used to always play clue together, start doing that again. Always wanted to have a backyard football game, start one. Tired of watching everyone reenact those 1982 dance moves, how about you toss caution to the wind and join in. Play together. Laugh. Make fools of yourselves. Even if your little brother still cheats at clue it'll be something you consider a good memory. Look, this has been funny. And kind of serious. But here's the deal, your family is yours. They are your people for your whole life. Even if you don't see them everyday. Even if they get on your nerves. They are yours. (Maybe they aren't even blood but they are who raised you, who took you in when you were alone, who stick with you now...maybe they are a family of friends or neighbors. They are still yours.) no matter what kind of family you have they aren't perfect. You aren't perfect. It's called being human and we all suffer from it. Happy Thanksgiving and Merry Christmas and Happy whatever other holiday you might celebrate. *What's your favorite family holiday memory or tradition? Share it in the comments.*
October 24, 2017
Think Before You Post
We have all heard the line, "think before you speak." While, social media might be typing and not speaking I think the same wisdom should be applied, especially in such emotionally intense and divisive times. I've written about this before. I said things like..."We are very good at hiding behind keyboards to debate politics in the name of Christianity but at the cost of the Gospel."and..."I have a love/hate relationship with social media... you might think that I think it’s all bad but I don’t. I don’t think social media is a bad thing. It’s just a thing, it’s not good or bad, how you use it determines that."But those were from serious posts, well, mostly serious. I thought this time we could have a little bit of fun mixed in with me offering unsolicited advice. So here we go.1. If you wouldn't say it to someone's face don't post it online. That's called bullying. It's not nice. Don't do it. And don't think that just because you didn't mention their name that it's cool. It's not. Even if they deserve the mean thing, or the rant, or the shade what good will it do? None. It won't do any good. You will think it made you feel better but that feeling will only last for a second then you will realize all you did was escalate a situation. So don't post the mean thing. Don't stoop to that level. You are better than that. (Pro Tip: if need be type out all the horrible things you want to say to get them out of your system and then just delete them. Repeat, delete them. Do Not Post Them.)
2. Don't make general statements that will hurt individual people. Okay, we all have a right to our beliefs and our opinions and I am all for sharing them. But often we make these big, broad statements (usually about politics) and we forget that real people are on the other side of our opinion. So sometimes, it might be best, just maybe, to not say anything at all. "But I have freedom of speech!" Yeah, I know. But perhaps it would be better to have personal conversations with individuals rather then share that incendiary statement. Conversations are a lost art. We need more conversations about issues where we talk a bit and then, here's the kicker, actually listen to the other person with compassion and empathy, and then we talk a little more. I think conversations will get more done than those big posts. Plus, a bonus of a conversation is that the other person can see your face and hear your voice and perhaps feel your patience, grace and love. They can't get any of that from characters on a screen. You might think they can but they can't. It's too easy to ignore the fact that you are a nice person who might actually care about them from a screen. And before you say well, they know me so they should know...you do it too. You forget someone's heart while reading the screen. So...personal conversations for the win!
3. Don't get wrapped up in all the drama. Like, our world and our lives are full of drama. But some of the problem is we like to focus on the negative. Let's stop doing that. Again, don't ignore that bad stuff in the world that needs to be addressed, but balance it out with some cat videos or something. When all we look at is the negative it affects us, it skews our perspective and changes our attitudes which then affect our choices. So find some positive news to share. 
4. Don't believe everything you see on social media. People lie. There really are fake news sites. It's called click bait and they just want you to like and click and share so they make money. Also if its not verifiable news don't "share it just in case." Take the extra minute to verify. Let's not add to the negative noise. 
5. Don't share EVERYTHING you see/read.Okay, we've all been there. We see something and it's funny, we share. Cool. We see something and it's interesting, we share. Cool. We see something and it warns others of danger, we share. Cool. But you don't need to share everything. Not everything is funny, interesting, or necessary to others. So ask yourself if this was worth sharing. Maybe come up with a system, like if on a scale of 1-10 you find it a 9 in laugh production then share, if it was only a 2 then maybe not. If I'm friends with you on social media I want to connect with you, and here your thoughts and hear about your life, not just see twenty million cooking videos. 
6. Don't add people to groups without their permission. Okay, this one might just be me. But don't add people to groups without asking them first. Invite them to your group, sure. Share your group in your newsfeed and let people know what it's about and how to join if they want to. But don't just add them. Then they have all these groups and they don't know what they are and it gets overwhelming. (PS: if you added me to a group there's no hard feelings, I still love you. You didn't know, heck, I didn't even know how much it throws my OCD out of whack. We're cool. If I added you to a group in a moment of weakness you have my deepest and sincerest apologies.)
7. Block the haters. If someone or their newsfeed is toxic to you, unfollow them. Don't make a thing about it. Don't announce it to the world. Just add a point of separation. You'll have more peace in your life without seeing all the stuff they post that makes you mad or hurts your feelings. Sometimes ignorance is bliss. I'm not saying unfriend everyone who thinks differently then you, we need to be open to other people's points of view, but if it's making you an unhealthy level of stressed, angry or sad then it's okay, we understand. Sanity is important. 
8. Ask yourself if what you are presenting to the world is helpful. I'm not saying everything has to be profound and life-changing. But I remember Lisa Bevere talking about the need to "pastor" her social media. That struck a cord with me. We may not all be pastors but for those reading who are Jesus-followers you are a representative of Christ to those around you, even online. You won't be perfect but I think we can all try a little harder to make sure the things we are saying online aren't deterring people from hearing the Gospel. I don't mean you have to always be sharing the Gospel online but if you are saying you are a Jesus-follower but showing hate, meanness, impatience, rudeness, selfishness, etc all the time (or most of the time) those can hurt our witness. Again, you aren't going to be perfect and that is 100% okay but we can try to make sure, as much as is possible, that what we post, tweet, snap and Instagram doesn't give people the wrong idea about Jesus. Simply asking ourselves if our feed would make someone want to be introduced to Jesus or not could do wonders. Maybe even ask why you are posting/sharing/tweeting what you are about to. Is it to throw shade? Is it because your angry or afraid? Is it from selfish motives if you are really honest? Is it prideful? Or is it good, and noble, and pure, and honest, and loving, and kind, and thankful, and gracious...I don't think i need to go on. You get it. 
So, there you have my thoughts, or tips, or opinions on what/how to think before you post. Social media doesn't have to be the monster that drives us all to the edge of sanity. If we take a little time, use a little wisdom, it can be a glorious tool for connecting, building relationships and helping others. What are your tips on using social media for the good? Or even your pet peeves. Comment them below, but remember to be nice, please.
2. Don't make general statements that will hurt individual people. Okay, we all have a right to our beliefs and our opinions and I am all for sharing them. But often we make these big, broad statements (usually about politics) and we forget that real people are on the other side of our opinion. So sometimes, it might be best, just maybe, to not say anything at all. "But I have freedom of speech!" Yeah, I know. But perhaps it would be better to have personal conversations with individuals rather then share that incendiary statement. Conversations are a lost art. We need more conversations about issues where we talk a bit and then, here's the kicker, actually listen to the other person with compassion and empathy, and then we talk a little more. I think conversations will get more done than those big posts. Plus, a bonus of a conversation is that the other person can see your face and hear your voice and perhaps feel your patience, grace and love. They can't get any of that from characters on a screen. You might think they can but they can't. It's too easy to ignore the fact that you are a nice person who might actually care about them from a screen. And before you say well, they know me so they should know...you do it too. You forget someone's heart while reading the screen. So...personal conversations for the win!3. Don't get wrapped up in all the drama. Like, our world and our lives are full of drama. But some of the problem is we like to focus on the negative. Let's stop doing that. Again, don't ignore that bad stuff in the world that needs to be addressed, but balance it out with some cat videos or something. When all we look at is the negative it affects us, it skews our perspective and changes our attitudes which then affect our choices. So find some positive news to share. 4. Don't believe everything you see on social media. People lie. There really are fake news sites. It's called click bait and they just want you to like and click and share so they make money. Also if its not verifiable news don't "share it just in case." Take the extra minute to verify. Let's not add to the negative noise. 5. Don't share EVERYTHING you see/read.Okay, we've all been there. We see something and it's funny, we share. Cool. We see something and it's interesting, we share. Cool. We see something and it warns others of danger, we share. Cool. But you don't need to share everything. Not everything is funny, interesting, or necessary to others. So ask yourself if this was worth sharing. Maybe come up with a system, like if on a scale of 1-10 you find it a 9 in laugh production then share, if it was only a 2 then maybe not. If I'm friends with you on social media I want to connect with you, and here your thoughts and hear about your life, not just see twenty million cooking videos. 6. Don't add people to groups without their permission. Okay, this one might just be me. But don't add people to groups without asking them first. Invite them to your group, sure. Share your group in your newsfeed and let people know what it's about and how to join if they want to. But don't just add them. Then they have all these groups and they don't know what they are and it gets overwhelming. (PS: if you added me to a group there's no hard feelings, I still love you. You didn't know, heck, I didn't even know how much it throws my OCD out of whack. We're cool. If I added you to a group in a moment of weakness you have my deepest and sincerest apologies.)7. Block the haters. If someone or their newsfeed is toxic to you, unfollow them. Don't make a thing about it. Don't announce it to the world. Just add a point of separation. You'll have more peace in your life without seeing all the stuff they post that makes you mad or hurts your feelings. Sometimes ignorance is bliss. I'm not saying unfriend everyone who thinks differently then you, we need to be open to other people's points of view, but if it's making you an unhealthy level of stressed, angry or sad then it's okay, we understand. Sanity is important. 8. Ask yourself if what you are presenting to the world is helpful. I'm not saying everything has to be profound and life-changing. But I remember Lisa Bevere talking about the need to "pastor" her social media. That struck a cord with me. We may not all be pastors but for those reading who are Jesus-followers you are a representative of Christ to those around you, even online. You won't be perfect but I think we can all try a little harder to make sure the things we are saying online aren't deterring people from hearing the Gospel. I don't mean you have to always be sharing the Gospel online but if you are saying you are a Jesus-follower but showing hate, meanness, impatience, rudeness, selfishness, etc all the time (or most of the time) those can hurt our witness. Again, you aren't going to be perfect and that is 100% okay but we can try to make sure, as much as is possible, that what we post, tweet, snap and Instagram doesn't give people the wrong idea about Jesus. Simply asking ourselves if our feed would make someone want to be introduced to Jesus or not could do wonders. Maybe even ask why you are posting/sharing/tweeting what you are about to. Is it to throw shade? Is it because your angry or afraid? Is it from selfish motives if you are really honest? Is it prideful? Or is it good, and noble, and pure, and honest, and loving, and kind, and thankful, and gracious...I don't think i need to go on. You get it. So, there you have my thoughts, or tips, or opinions on what/how to think before you post. Social media doesn't have to be the monster that drives us all to the edge of sanity. If we take a little time, use a little wisdom, it can be a glorious tool for connecting, building relationships and helping others. What are your tips on using social media for the good? Or even your pet peeves. Comment them below, but remember to be nice, please.
October 9, 2017
Love, True Love.
You're totally thinking about that marriage scene from Princess Bride, right? As I typed the title it's what I was thinking of. But this isn't about marriage. Not really. It's about loving others. Why is it that the people we love the most and the people we want to love us can be the ones who hurt us the deepest? Or the ones we hurt?I know, this opened up light hearted and got deep real fast. But it's something I've been thinking about. Several years back I sat in Jeanne Mayo's living room, listening to her talk about balancing family and ministry and she made a statement I will never forget. (I'm sure I am paraphrasing this at least a little but mama will forgive me and you will still get the point.) She said,"don't let the people who are most important to you become the most common."What does that mean? Don't take your loved ones for granted. Really I think it can go deeper, don't take love for granted. 
In life, with busyness and struggle, we can forget that our spouses, kids and grandkids, parents and grandparents, need to know we love and value them. We assume they know it and so we get wrapped up and forget to tell them. Stop it. And don't just tell them...show them. I thought about lots of things I could say to follow up with, about what love is and isn't, but as always, God's Word says it best. 1 Corinthians 13 is called the love chapter. It's read a lot at weddings. (I'm still not talking about just marriage.) But it's not just for spouses. Really it is sandwiched between chapters talking about leadership and spiritual gifts. We lead with love. It starts in our homes and families and then ripples outward to the rest of the world. So how do we love well?1. Love is patient and kind;I know that is pretty self-explanatory but we don't always live it. The people closest to us are the ones who get the least of our kindness and patience. We will talk to our husbands and children with more meanness, bitterness and anger then we would ever speak to a stranger. We aren't trying to be mean. We do love them but we think they know it and so we don't have to try as hard. Strangers get our civility and politeness and our family gets what is left over because we think they know us enough to know we love them. We aren't perfect people and frustration and fatigue will sometimes get the better of us. But what if we were most patient with our own kids, we were most kind with our spouses? What if we watched our words as much in our homes as we did outside them?2. Love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant or rude. It does not insist on its own way;Are you selfish? Of course you aren't, me either. I mean none of us wants to admit we can be selfish. But we like things our way. We like to be in control. We like to set the rules. But that isn't love. Real love, God-love, is selfless. It thinks about others first. Is that how you treat your family? Do you think about their needs before your own? (All the moms are shouting yes, but I'm not talking about just all the things we do for our little ones because they are little and we are big and so we have to.)I mean are you okay with coming in second? Are you okay with not getting what you want the way you want? I'm not saying it can't ever be about you but this isn't about details, this is about an attitude. What is your attitude? Is it my way or the highway or is it respectful and compassionate? Do you compromise?Let's not just think about our actions but our speech, Do you nag and complain? Why? Is it because you aren't in control and aren't getting your way? How we do something, the heart behind it, is just as important as what we are doing? After all, we don't want an eye-roll and huff from our kids when they are serving so we should watch our own eye rolls and huffs when we are serving them. And when you have a need, voice it with love. Don't assume people know what you need and want just because you huffed through the room. Talk to them. Tell them how you feel and why and ask for help. You can't expect people to meet your needs in your relationships if you aren't expressing them. I repeat, don't nag, that is not the best way to get the job done. Don't do it. (And while I'm on expectations, can we stop putting expectations on people that only Jesus can fulfill in our lives. A person cannot be your happiness and peace and strength and joy. They can help, they can add, but they can't be. Fulfillment is through Jesus not other relationships.)3. It is not irritable;Okay, so this ties in with the last point but I think it bears repeating. What is your attitude towards people, especially your family? Motives matter. Attitude matters. Words matter. We all get tired and cranky but we need to respond in love. Even when we don't feel like being loving. Trust me, I have a hard time with this one too. I'm not judging, I'm just saying, we can do better. We should do better.4. It isn't resentful, it does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth.Forgive people. Jesus forgave you. He tells you to forgive others. It's more for you anyway. But in our families we can let wounds fester and ooze and they poison our relationships. Don't hold grudges. Admit when you are wrong and apologize.Don't make excuses for this part either. Don't do the whole, "well they don't call me and they don't make time for me and they talk to me this way, blah blah blah." It's not about what they do. It's about what you can and should do. You can't blame your actions on someone else. You control you. And let's look for the positive in people rather than nitpick the negative. After all, God chooses not to see your sin anymore so offer a little of that to your family. 5. Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never endsLove doesn't quit. It doesn't give up. It might get tired (and sometimes even annoyed) but it keeps going. It keeps working. It keeps serving. We don't get to choose how we love. We just love like Jesus. We offer grace like Jesus. We practice forgiveness. We ask the Holy Spirit to help us be kind and patient and selfless because we can't do those things without Him. We give our families the best of us not the worst, not just what's left. We are bankrupt without love. Our families, no matter how they may appear on the outside, are bankrupt without love. Let's choose to love them extravagantly. "...we have three things to do to lead us toward that consummation: Trust steadily in God, hope unswervingly, love extravagantly. And the best of the three is love." 1 Cor. 13:13 PS: I feel the need to clarify one thing, if you are in a situation that is abusive, love yourself enough to get out and don't feel bad for it. This post isn't about those situations, it isn't about staying when wisdom and safety say you should go. Some relationships, even with family are super toxic and harmful. If that is your situation love and forgive from a distance.
In life, with busyness and struggle, we can forget that our spouses, kids and grandkids, parents and grandparents, need to know we love and value them. We assume they know it and so we get wrapped up and forget to tell them. Stop it. And don't just tell them...show them. I thought about lots of things I could say to follow up with, about what love is and isn't, but as always, God's Word says it best. 1 Corinthians 13 is called the love chapter. It's read a lot at weddings. (I'm still not talking about just marriage.) But it's not just for spouses. Really it is sandwiched between chapters talking about leadership and spiritual gifts. We lead with love. It starts in our homes and families and then ripples outward to the rest of the world. So how do we love well?1. Love is patient and kind;I know that is pretty self-explanatory but we don't always live it. The people closest to us are the ones who get the least of our kindness and patience. We will talk to our husbands and children with more meanness, bitterness and anger then we would ever speak to a stranger. We aren't trying to be mean. We do love them but we think they know it and so we don't have to try as hard. Strangers get our civility and politeness and our family gets what is left over because we think they know us enough to know we love them. We aren't perfect people and frustration and fatigue will sometimes get the better of us. But what if we were most patient with our own kids, we were most kind with our spouses? What if we watched our words as much in our homes as we did outside them?2. Love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant or rude. It does not insist on its own way;Are you selfish? Of course you aren't, me either. I mean none of us wants to admit we can be selfish. But we like things our way. We like to be in control. We like to set the rules. But that isn't love. Real love, God-love, is selfless. It thinks about others first. Is that how you treat your family? Do you think about their needs before your own? (All the moms are shouting yes, but I'm not talking about just all the things we do for our little ones because they are little and we are big and so we have to.)I mean are you okay with coming in second? Are you okay with not getting what you want the way you want? I'm not saying it can't ever be about you but this isn't about details, this is about an attitude. What is your attitude? Is it my way or the highway or is it respectful and compassionate? Do you compromise?Let's not just think about our actions but our speech, Do you nag and complain? Why? Is it because you aren't in control and aren't getting your way? How we do something, the heart behind it, is just as important as what we are doing? After all, we don't want an eye-roll and huff from our kids when they are serving so we should watch our own eye rolls and huffs when we are serving them. And when you have a need, voice it with love. Don't assume people know what you need and want just because you huffed through the room. Talk to them. Tell them how you feel and why and ask for help. You can't expect people to meet your needs in your relationships if you aren't expressing them. I repeat, don't nag, that is not the best way to get the job done. Don't do it. (And while I'm on expectations, can we stop putting expectations on people that only Jesus can fulfill in our lives. A person cannot be your happiness and peace and strength and joy. They can help, they can add, but they can't be. Fulfillment is through Jesus not other relationships.)3. It is not irritable;Okay, so this ties in with the last point but I think it bears repeating. What is your attitude towards people, especially your family? Motives matter. Attitude matters. Words matter. We all get tired and cranky but we need to respond in love. Even when we don't feel like being loving. Trust me, I have a hard time with this one too. I'm not judging, I'm just saying, we can do better. We should do better.4. It isn't resentful, it does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth.Forgive people. Jesus forgave you. He tells you to forgive others. It's more for you anyway. But in our families we can let wounds fester and ooze and they poison our relationships. Don't hold grudges. Admit when you are wrong and apologize.Don't make excuses for this part either. Don't do the whole, "well they don't call me and they don't make time for me and they talk to me this way, blah blah blah." It's not about what they do. It's about what you can and should do. You can't blame your actions on someone else. You control you. And let's look for the positive in people rather than nitpick the negative. After all, God chooses not to see your sin anymore so offer a little of that to your family. 5. Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never endsLove doesn't quit. It doesn't give up. It might get tired (and sometimes even annoyed) but it keeps going. It keeps working. It keeps serving. We don't get to choose how we love. We just love like Jesus. We offer grace like Jesus. We practice forgiveness. We ask the Holy Spirit to help us be kind and patient and selfless because we can't do those things without Him. We give our families the best of us not the worst, not just what's left. We are bankrupt without love. Our families, no matter how they may appear on the outside, are bankrupt without love. Let's choose to love them extravagantly. "...we have three things to do to lead us toward that consummation: Trust steadily in God, hope unswervingly, love extravagantly. And the best of the three is love." 1 Cor. 13:13 PS: I feel the need to clarify one thing, if you are in a situation that is abusive, love yourself enough to get out and don't feel bad for it. This post isn't about those situations, it isn't about staying when wisdom and safety say you should go. Some relationships, even with family are super toxic and harmful. If that is your situation love and forgive from a distance.
October 2, 2017
The Great TV Post of 2017
If you have spent any amount of time with me, following me on social media, reading this blog, you know I have very deep feelings about television. My life-long relationship with my best friend was born out of our mutual love for a television show and tv keeps us going at a long-distance. Seriously, we have tv date nights weekly where we simultaneously watch a show together and text each other our commentary. We are hilarious by the way. Because of my great love/obsession with television this season is like my Christmas. Fall tv premiere week(s) is the most wonderful time of the year. I am so happy that my shows are returning and thus my imaginary connection to several fictional characters who I have missed greatly over the summer months will be rekindled. People are always asking me about my shows and I can never fully explain because, well, because TV!! (I'm not even going to be able to completely explain it here because if I cover every show I love and why, this will become the blog post that never ends. Don't even get me started on the shows who failed me...I'm talking to you Heroes and that Lost ending.)So what are the shows I'm ready to fangirl over this year...1. SupernaturalI have spent 12 seasons with the Winchester boys and I am in for life, through the good, the bad, the ugly, and the pie. Not every episode is killer, not every season is perfect but I don't care because I care about those boys. (Last season I spent 30 minutes in my living room, yelling at the tv, lecturing Mary Winchester on Sam and Dean's behalf. Yes, it happened and I'm not even ashamed.)
(Supernatural gets 2 GIFs because I couldn't help myself, yellow fever is my fave episode, and I said so.)
PS: If a show makes me care about the characters I am way more forgiving about other weaknesses and will keep watching. If I don't care about the characters it better have some good questions that make me want to come back...an example of that would be Whispers. I couldn't find myself liking or really caring about any of the characters but it had good questions so I kept coming back. I sometimes wondered why I did but they always seemed to scrape up enough to pull me back with. 2. ArrowI love Oliver Queen. I just do. My husband knows so its ok. It's just a crush, though a sometimes soul-crushing crush. Like that time they wanted us to think Oliver was dead and while we all know he couldn't be dead because he's the main character in the show but we were still worried because he fell off a snowy mountain after being stabbed with a sword so it looked bad, real bad and I wasn't okay for that whole Christmas hiatus. Sorry for the run on sentence, I get that way about Ollie. But I can't help it I love this show and I can't wait for the new season because I NEED TO KNOW WHAT HAPPENS!
*I also watch the Flash, SuperGirl, Legends of Tomorrow and Agents of Shield. And I will be watching Black Lightning. I'd put GIFs for them all but refer back to paragraph 3.3. This is UsDo I even have to explain the awesomeness that is this show? Great cast. The acting is perfection. The writing is spectacular. It hits you in all the feels. Just talking about it makes me feel the feels....I'm not crying, you're crying. 
4. The Good DoctorSpeaking of feels, did you watch the pilot of The Good Doctor? If the answer is no, go watch it now...seriously, I'll wait. Okay, I mean can you even? Oh, my heart. I don't even have words, its just so good. So good. SO. GOOD. 
5. Everything ElseOkay, so this has barely scratched the surface of my Hulu watchlist. (I'm still mad at Hulu for that app update and I still hate it. If you want to read that rant, go read it.) But here is the rundown of everything else...mostly. Sitcoms: Sometimes you just need 21 minutes of fun and laughter while you eat tacos. My family loves American Housewife, Blackish, Big Bang Theory, Kevin Can Wait, The Goldbergs and we were impressed with the pilots of Me, Myself & I and Young Sheldon. I am also digging Wynonna Earp and will give Star Trek: Discovery another episode or two. I like Bull, Macgyver and Hawaii Five-0 (My daughters both love Steve McGarrett.)I am sure there are more I'm missing. I know that seems like a lot and you are asking yourself how I ever get anything else done and how I manage to find time to write any books or feed my kids but I am really good at time management. Plus, and while as a writer this is slightly embarrassing to admit and I am working on it, I don't read a lot. Well, I read during the day, some, when I'm not writing. But television is my escape. I love grabbing the good chocolate and curling up with a good show and getting lost in it's world. TV is my thing. I don't knit or jog or paint... I watch tv and I love it!What are your favorite tv shows? Really I want to know in case I am missing something brilliant. Oh, I totally forgot that I absolutely cannot wait for the new season of Stranger Things. (I really didn't get into any Netflix originals but I'll stop because you've got a life and I now want to make waffles.)
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(Supernatural gets 2 GIFs because I couldn't help myself, yellow fever is my fave episode, and I said so.)PS: If a show makes me care about the characters I am way more forgiving about other weaknesses and will keep watching. If I don't care about the characters it better have some good questions that make me want to come back...an example of that would be Whispers. I couldn't find myself liking or really caring about any of the characters but it had good questions so I kept coming back. I sometimes wondered why I did but they always seemed to scrape up enough to pull me back with. 2. ArrowI love Oliver Queen. I just do. My husband knows so its ok. It's just a crush, though a sometimes soul-crushing crush. Like that time they wanted us to think Oliver was dead and while we all know he couldn't be dead because he's the main character in the show but we were still worried because he fell off a snowy mountain after being stabbed with a sword so it looked bad, real bad and I wasn't okay for that whole Christmas hiatus. Sorry for the run on sentence, I get that way about Ollie. But I can't help it I love this show and I can't wait for the new season because I NEED TO KNOW WHAT HAPPENS! *I also watch the Flash, SuperGirl, Legends of Tomorrow and Agents of Shield. And I will be watching Black Lightning. I'd put GIFs for them all but refer back to paragraph 3.3. This is UsDo I even have to explain the awesomeness that is this show? Great cast. The acting is perfection. The writing is spectacular. It hits you in all the feels. Just talking about it makes me feel the feels....I'm not crying, you're crying. 4. The Good DoctorSpeaking of feels, did you watch the pilot of The Good Doctor? If the answer is no, go watch it now...seriously, I'll wait. Okay, I mean can you even? Oh, my heart. I don't even have words, its just so good. So good. SO. GOOD. 5. Everything ElseOkay, so this has barely scratched the surface of my Hulu watchlist. (I'm still mad at Hulu for that app update and I still hate it. If you want to read that rant, go read it.) But here is the rundown of everything else...mostly. Sitcoms: Sometimes you just need 21 minutes of fun and laughter while you eat tacos. My family loves American Housewife, Blackish, Big Bang Theory, Kevin Can Wait, The Goldbergs and we were impressed with the pilots of Me, Myself & I and Young Sheldon. I am also digging Wynonna Earp and will give Star Trek: Discovery another episode or two. I like Bull, Macgyver and Hawaii Five-0 (My daughters both love Steve McGarrett.)I am sure there are more I'm missing. I know that seems like a lot and you are asking yourself how I ever get anything else done and how I manage to find time to write any books or feed my kids but I am really good at time management. Plus, and while as a writer this is slightly embarrassing to admit and I am working on it, I don't read a lot. Well, I read during the day, some, when I'm not writing. But television is my escape. I love grabbing the good chocolate and curling up with a good show and getting lost in it's world. TV is my thing. I don't knit or jog or paint... I watch tv and I love it!What are your favorite tv shows? Really I want to know in case I am missing something brilliant. Oh, I totally forgot that I absolutely cannot wait for the new season of Stranger Things. (I really didn't get into any Netflix originals but I'll stop because you've got a life and I now want to make waffles.)SaveSaveSave
September 26, 2017
Blessed Are The Peacemakers
"Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called sons of God." Mt 5:9 ESV"You’re blessed when you can show people how to cooperate instead of compete or fight. That’s when you discover who you really are, and your place in God’s family." Mt 5:9 MSG"Blessed [spiritually calm with life-joy in God’s favor] are the makers and maintainers of peace, for they will [express His character and] be called the sons of God." Mt. 5:9 AMPI've been thinking about this verse a lot lately. I recently read an article that digs deep into its meaning. One quote said..."Peacemaking tries to build bridges to people. It does not want the animosity to remain. It wants reconciliation. It wants harmony. And so it tries to show what may be the only courtesy the enemy will tolerate, namely, a greeting. The peacemaker looks the enemy right in the eye and says, "Good morning, John." And he says it with a longing for peace in his heart, not with a phony gloss of politeness to cover his anger."The rhetoric in America right now is divisive and filled with anger, hate, hurt. We are so easily becoming hypocrites in our words and social media posts, not because we mean to, but because we stopped listening to people. We stopped caring about people. 
You care about people, I know you do. I'm not trying to hurt your feelings. But can we take a moment to really look at our words and actions and those social media posts and assess how caring they really are, how caring they might seem to someone who doesn't know you personally and doesn't have enough relationship with you to give you the benefit of the doubt? (That last part is mostly about the social media stuff because we all need to be adult enough to realize that not everyone you are friends with on social media really knows you or your heart, so you can't just assume that because you also post about loving Jesus that they will feel the love in everything else you post.)Anyway, my heart has been hurting. Not because the country I love, and I do love it, is in turmoil, but because people are hurting. People are oppressed and broken and scared and we stopped caring about that and started caring more about political agendas. I don't care about your political ideology, right, left, red or blue. I don't want to debate about whether or not "taking a knee" is disrespectful or offensive. I am not telling you not to stand up for your beliefs or even to stop sharing your opinions. But for the love of God, and people, can we please stop shouting it so loudly that the cries of the broken and oppressed and hurting and scared are drowned out? Can we please take as much time to listen to a differing opinion as we do in sharing ours? (And by listen I mean actually listen, not just hear and then get defensive.) If you want to talk about standing for a flag, go ahead, but speak just as loudly (and often) about the need for racial equality. If you want to defend the lives of the unborn offer help to women in need. If you want to fight terrorism, start by loving your Muslim neighbor as Jesus would want you to. (He ate with sinners remember.) Have your beliefs and convictions but don't forget about the humans, the ones created in the image of your God, on the other side. You don't get to ignore their humanity, their need, their pain because of your own. We can't say we love our neighbor, that we care about people unless it extends beyond our thoughts and into our actions. I repeat my earlier statement, I love my country. I love Jesus more. Let me just put it out there for you, I am a Jesus- follower before I am an American. So, as much as I love this country, I will not put it above obedience to Christ and his commandments. What are those?"...and you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul (life), and with all your mind (thought, understanding), and with all your strength.’ 31 This is the second: ‘You shall [unselfishly] [a]love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no other commandment greater than these.” Mark 12:30-31 AMPMy neighbors aren't just my neighbors either, they are my co-workers, my classmates, my President, politicians, journalists, NFL players, my friends and my enemies. Loving them doesn't mean agreeing with them. If you don't then don't, but do take to heart how you disagree with them. Think of the words you are using, are they dehumanizing, hate or fear fueled...or are they kind and compassionate? After all it is His kindness that leads us to repentance and we are vehicles of the kindness of our Father for others to come to know Him. That is most important. The Gospel of peace, the hope we all have in Christ is our primary directive as believers. Your politics must take a back seat to the Great Commission. It is not enough to have a "Biblical world view" if you don't treat others with a Biblical love. That article continues with..."So we pray and we take whatever practical initiatives we can to make peace beginning with something as simple as a greeting. But we do not always succeed. And I want to make sure you don't equate peacemaking with peace-achieving. A peacemaker longs for peace, and works for peace, and sacrifices for peace. But the attainment of peace may not come. Romans 12:18 is very important at this point. There Paul says, "If possible, so far as it depends upon you, live peaceably with all." That is the goal of a peacemaker: "If possible, so far as it depends on you . . . " Don't let the rupture in the relationship be your fault."As peace makers we can't close our eyes to injustice (any injustice), we can't be distracted by shallow issues that will never be as important as people's souls. We can't justify ourselves by what was or what is, or who is president, or who was president, any longer. We have to make God and His Word most important. We have to make being a Jesus-follower and leading others to Jesus priority, the thing that colors every other thing we say and do and believe. We have to find the balance between stating our opinions and merely adding to the hateful noise. Let's choose the battles that rescue people from pain and brokenness and introduce them to a Savior who cares so very deeply for them that He gave up all His rights to die for them. He didn't wait for them to agree, and neither should we. Here's one last excerpt from that article..."When Jesus spoke of enemies, why did he confine himself to prayer and personal greetings and blessings and individual deeds of generosity and kindness? Why didn't he talk about the issues of national humiliation, and Roman oppression, and political corruption, and the unbridled militarism of his day? Was he utterly out of touch with the big issues of his day? No. There is another explanation for why he preaches the way he does. In Luke 13:1–5 some people confronted Jesus with one of Pilate's atrocities. Here's the way he responded: "There were some present at that very time who told him of the Galileans whose blood Pilate had mingled with their sacrifices. And he answered them, "Do you think that these Galileans were worse sinners than all the other Galileans, because they suffered thus? I tell you, No; but unless you repent you will all likewise perish." He took a major social outrage of injustice and turned it into a demand for personal, individual repentance. "Unless you repent you will all likewise perish!" That's what he always did. Why did he do this? Because for Jesus the eternal destiny of a human soul is a weightier matter, a bigger issue, than the temporal destiny of a nation."
You care about people, I know you do. I'm not trying to hurt your feelings. But can we take a moment to really look at our words and actions and those social media posts and assess how caring they really are, how caring they might seem to someone who doesn't know you personally and doesn't have enough relationship with you to give you the benefit of the doubt? (That last part is mostly about the social media stuff because we all need to be adult enough to realize that not everyone you are friends with on social media really knows you or your heart, so you can't just assume that because you also post about loving Jesus that they will feel the love in everything else you post.)Anyway, my heart has been hurting. Not because the country I love, and I do love it, is in turmoil, but because people are hurting. People are oppressed and broken and scared and we stopped caring about that and started caring more about political agendas. I don't care about your political ideology, right, left, red or blue. I don't want to debate about whether or not "taking a knee" is disrespectful or offensive. I am not telling you not to stand up for your beliefs or even to stop sharing your opinions. But for the love of God, and people, can we please stop shouting it so loudly that the cries of the broken and oppressed and hurting and scared are drowned out? Can we please take as much time to listen to a differing opinion as we do in sharing ours? (And by listen I mean actually listen, not just hear and then get defensive.) If you want to talk about standing for a flag, go ahead, but speak just as loudly (and often) about the need for racial equality. If you want to defend the lives of the unborn offer help to women in need. If you want to fight terrorism, start by loving your Muslim neighbor as Jesus would want you to. (He ate with sinners remember.) Have your beliefs and convictions but don't forget about the humans, the ones created in the image of your God, on the other side. You don't get to ignore their humanity, their need, their pain because of your own. We can't say we love our neighbor, that we care about people unless it extends beyond our thoughts and into our actions. I repeat my earlier statement, I love my country. I love Jesus more. Let me just put it out there for you, I am a Jesus- follower before I am an American. So, as much as I love this country, I will not put it above obedience to Christ and his commandments. What are those?"...and you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul (life), and with all your mind (thought, understanding), and with all your strength.’ 31 This is the second: ‘You shall [unselfishly] [a]love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no other commandment greater than these.” Mark 12:30-31 AMPMy neighbors aren't just my neighbors either, they are my co-workers, my classmates, my President, politicians, journalists, NFL players, my friends and my enemies. Loving them doesn't mean agreeing with them. If you don't then don't, but do take to heart how you disagree with them. Think of the words you are using, are they dehumanizing, hate or fear fueled...or are they kind and compassionate? After all it is His kindness that leads us to repentance and we are vehicles of the kindness of our Father for others to come to know Him. That is most important. The Gospel of peace, the hope we all have in Christ is our primary directive as believers. Your politics must take a back seat to the Great Commission. It is not enough to have a "Biblical world view" if you don't treat others with a Biblical love. That article continues with..."So we pray and we take whatever practical initiatives we can to make peace beginning with something as simple as a greeting. But we do not always succeed. And I want to make sure you don't equate peacemaking with peace-achieving. A peacemaker longs for peace, and works for peace, and sacrifices for peace. But the attainment of peace may not come. Romans 12:18 is very important at this point. There Paul says, "If possible, so far as it depends upon you, live peaceably with all." That is the goal of a peacemaker: "If possible, so far as it depends on you . . . " Don't let the rupture in the relationship be your fault."As peace makers we can't close our eyes to injustice (any injustice), we can't be distracted by shallow issues that will never be as important as people's souls. We can't justify ourselves by what was or what is, or who is president, or who was president, any longer. We have to make God and His Word most important. We have to make being a Jesus-follower and leading others to Jesus priority, the thing that colors every other thing we say and do and believe. We have to find the balance between stating our opinions and merely adding to the hateful noise. Let's choose the battles that rescue people from pain and brokenness and introduce them to a Savior who cares so very deeply for them that He gave up all His rights to die for them. He didn't wait for them to agree, and neither should we. Here's one last excerpt from that article..."When Jesus spoke of enemies, why did he confine himself to prayer and personal greetings and blessings and individual deeds of generosity and kindness? Why didn't he talk about the issues of national humiliation, and Roman oppression, and political corruption, and the unbridled militarism of his day? Was he utterly out of touch with the big issues of his day? No. There is another explanation for why he preaches the way he does. In Luke 13:1–5 some people confronted Jesus with one of Pilate's atrocities. Here's the way he responded: "There were some present at that very time who told him of the Galileans whose blood Pilate had mingled with their sacrifices. And he answered them, "Do you think that these Galileans were worse sinners than all the other Galileans, because they suffered thus? I tell you, No; but unless you repent you will all likewise perish." He took a major social outrage of injustice and turned it into a demand for personal, individual repentance. "Unless you repent you will all likewise perish!" That's what he always did. Why did he do this? Because for Jesus the eternal destiny of a human soul is a weightier matter, a bigger issue, than the temporal destiny of a nation."
September 4, 2017
What Do I Know Of Holy?
This past week the world lost a great man, prayer-warrior, shepherd-pastor and spiritual legend. Sam Mayo was someone who lived as Jesus with skin on. His celebration service was this past Saturday morning and my husband and I couldn't make it to Atlanta in person so we sat at our kitchen table and watched the live feed online. I'm not going to lie, it was a little weird sitting in our pajamas, sipping our coffee and attending a funeral. But for two hours we were captured by the Spirit that was present and the words that spoke of one man's legacy. It was also one of the most challenging two hours of my life. When someone dies we are used to people thinking of only nice things to say about them. When those nice things are so true and pure they bring a tinge of conviction with them. Sam wasn't someone I spent much time with. His wife Jeanne and her mentoring in my life and ministry is my main connection to this family, but I have met Sam and I have heard her speak of him only as her hero and they weren't just words they were truth. Once again she stood on the stage of this service and spoke about her hero and I mourned at what the world lost and wondered if my life would even come close to being remembered this way. What made Sam this kind, (in Mama Jeanne's words, God's kind) of spiritual legend? A lot of things, most of them small things that were part of his normal day. Loving people, prayer, kindness, meekness, (I could list all the Fruit of the Spirit but you get the idea) and one word that pricked at my own spirit, HOLINESS. (Really, it was two words, blazing holiness, a match setting a forest fire.) 
We don't say that word a lot in church anymore. We like to talk about love and grace and mercy and those are all wonderfully important parts of life with Christ. Holiness is less attractive, it's even a little uncomfortable. But in Revelation we find description of Heaven and the angels worshipping around the throne and what are they saying? Holy, Holy, Holy is the Lord. And in 1 Peter 1:16 we find a verse throwing back to what was written in Leviticus, "Be holy, for I am holy." (There are plenty of other references to holiness if you want to take a look.)Holiness matters. What is holiness though? I am sure there are plenty of better definitions and studies and doctrines than what I am about to give but here goes...I think holiness...... Is being set -apart. It's being different. It is raising your personal standard. Obviously we are talking about sin and avoiding that, but I think holiness is more. One of Mama Jeanne's phrases that I have held on to has been, "others may, but I may not." There are some things in this world that might not be sin, they might not even be that bad but they aren't good for me, They aren't going to help me get where God wants me to go and therefore I must avoid them. They may be things that you don't have to avoid and that is okay. Holiness isn't so much about legalism and movie ratings and making rules as it is about being obedient to what God is requiring of me. I've messed up here. I have waded into waters that I should have stayed away from. I told myself it wasn't sin, it was okay. But the Holy Spirit told me it wasn't, not for me, not for where God wanted me to go.For me, seeking holiness goes further than avoiding sin, and past the justifications I could make and into being who Jesus wants me to be even when others are doing differently.It means not asking what can I get away with, or how far can I go, or how close to sin can I get but rather, God, what do you want me to do? What is okay for me? What is the standard you are setting for me? ... Starts with our relationship with God. It's about seeking Him, being close to Him. Being led by Him. Galatians 2:20 says, "I have been crucified with Christ and it is no longer I who live but He who lives in me." When I begin a relationship with Jesus I am choosing to die to self, I am choosing to give up control, I am choosing to let Him be in charge. I can't be holy separate from Him. I can't really be holy, truly and completely holy, period. But the closer I am to Christ, the more I yield to His will and listen to His direction, the closer I get to holiness. Why am I even talking about this? Because I want to be different. I want to reach all that God has for me. I want to fight the good fight and finish the race and I want to finish it well. Not for my own gain. That celebration service was inspiring because it wasn't so much about Sam Mayo as it was about Jesus. I don't want my life, my very distant future funeral, to be so much about me as it is about Jesus. That isn't going to be easy. Living Chosen rarely is. I have to fight my wants and peer pressure and cultural standards. I have to be fearlessly obedient in the face of warring emotions. I have to work to stay connected to God so that I can hear His heartbeat and stay in tune with it. In some ways holiness will look different for me than it will for you. As far as it goes beyond the black and white of Scripture it will become personal to you and your purpose. So, I can't tell you what not to watch or listen to or read or play or say or do or think. I can't give you a list. What I can do is tell you to get close to Jesus. Spend time with Him daily and let Him tell you what is and isn't good for you. And when He does, and He will, listen, be obedient. It won't be easy but it will be worth it. Here's a little bonus material courtesy of Addison Road. This has been a song that has really spoken to my heart. I love the honesty of the lyrics. Holiness isn't about having all the answers, it's about pursuing Jesus, and I think this song speaks that so beautifully.
We don't say that word a lot in church anymore. We like to talk about love and grace and mercy and those are all wonderfully important parts of life with Christ. Holiness is less attractive, it's even a little uncomfortable. But in Revelation we find description of Heaven and the angels worshipping around the throne and what are they saying? Holy, Holy, Holy is the Lord. And in 1 Peter 1:16 we find a verse throwing back to what was written in Leviticus, "Be holy, for I am holy." (There are plenty of other references to holiness if you want to take a look.)Holiness matters. What is holiness though? I am sure there are plenty of better definitions and studies and doctrines than what I am about to give but here goes...I think holiness...... Is being set -apart. It's being different. It is raising your personal standard. Obviously we are talking about sin and avoiding that, but I think holiness is more. One of Mama Jeanne's phrases that I have held on to has been, "others may, but I may not." There are some things in this world that might not be sin, they might not even be that bad but they aren't good for me, They aren't going to help me get where God wants me to go and therefore I must avoid them. They may be things that you don't have to avoid and that is okay. Holiness isn't so much about legalism and movie ratings and making rules as it is about being obedient to what God is requiring of me. I've messed up here. I have waded into waters that I should have stayed away from. I told myself it wasn't sin, it was okay. But the Holy Spirit told me it wasn't, not for me, not for where God wanted me to go.For me, seeking holiness goes further than avoiding sin, and past the justifications I could make and into being who Jesus wants me to be even when others are doing differently.It means not asking what can I get away with, or how far can I go, or how close to sin can I get but rather, God, what do you want me to do? What is okay for me? What is the standard you are setting for me? ... Starts with our relationship with God. It's about seeking Him, being close to Him. Being led by Him. Galatians 2:20 says, "I have been crucified with Christ and it is no longer I who live but He who lives in me." When I begin a relationship with Jesus I am choosing to die to self, I am choosing to give up control, I am choosing to let Him be in charge. I can't be holy separate from Him. I can't really be holy, truly and completely holy, period. But the closer I am to Christ, the more I yield to His will and listen to His direction, the closer I get to holiness. Why am I even talking about this? Because I want to be different. I want to reach all that God has for me. I want to fight the good fight and finish the race and I want to finish it well. Not for my own gain. That celebration service was inspiring because it wasn't so much about Sam Mayo as it was about Jesus. I don't want my life, my very distant future funeral, to be so much about me as it is about Jesus. That isn't going to be easy. Living Chosen rarely is. I have to fight my wants and peer pressure and cultural standards. I have to be fearlessly obedient in the face of warring emotions. I have to work to stay connected to God so that I can hear His heartbeat and stay in tune with it. In some ways holiness will look different for me than it will for you. As far as it goes beyond the black and white of Scripture it will become personal to you and your purpose. So, I can't tell you what not to watch or listen to or read or play or say or do or think. I can't give you a list. What I can do is tell you to get close to Jesus. Spend time with Him daily and let Him tell you what is and isn't good for you. And when He does, and He will, listen, be obedient. It won't be easy but it will be worth it. Here's a little bonus material courtesy of Addison Road. This has been a song that has really spoken to my heart. I love the honesty of the lyrics. Holiness isn't about having all the answers, it's about pursuing Jesus, and I think this song speaks that so beautifully.
August 30, 2017
Conqueror
I am so excited to welcome Mandy Fender on the blog today to talk about #LiveChosen and to introduce us to her latest release, Conqueror! 
First, I want to say that I am so excited to be a part of the #LiveChosen blog. I have followed it for a while and have been encouraged every time I’ve read it! Now, to be a part of it is amazing and I hope to encourage others like I have been encouraged!It has always been my heart to be tactfully transparent, meaning that I share the vulnerable places of my life—my struggles, my fears—in the hopes that I will be able to shine a light on the One who sees me through them. So, now, here’s the fun part…my raw confession.All of my life, I have had this need to please others, to be liked by everyone, for everyone to like what I do. But, is that even possible? No, it’s not. Yet, I still tried.On my journey to becoming a real-life author (something I have always wanted to be), I sought approval from everyone in the field and that’s when the bomb dropped. I received my first heart-wrenching feedback—feedback that I will never forget to this day.Written down in black and white from a fellow writer/author/peer were the words…"You are not capable of ever writing a solid novel. It’s not something you should pursue. Put it up (referring to my manuscript) and move on to another field."I wish I could say that I did not cry, that those words did not reach my heart, but they did. They had. I wanted to throw in the towel, wave my white flag and surrender. I wanted to rip every word up that I had ever written. My dreams were crushed in an instant, but the story swirling around in my head would not relent.I knew God had given me the idea. I knew that this story was something I was supposed to write for His glory, but how could I write it knowing that I was not good enough.God nudged my spirit and I started researching writing online. I built my craft and learned from my mistakes. I grew as a writer and tried again. I polished that manuscript that I was incapable of writing and I fixed it as best as I could then sent it out again for feedback.This time…hope.The feedback was positive and led me to critique partners and editors, who helped me to polish my very first novel, Defier: The Girl Who Stood, even more.Once I felt confident, I sent it to publishers.And, guess what?No one wanted it.Another fail.Another heartbreak.Now what?What if you’re not chosen? Can you still live chosen?In my heart, I knew God had called me to write this story and share it, but how was I supposed to do that when it seemed like it had no market value in the book world?So, I prayed.God worked on my heart and mind. He reminded me that I did not need anyone else’s permission to fulfill His will for my life and, at some point, I had to realize that I was worth more than other people’s opinion of me and my work. If God gave me this dream, who was I to let others stop me from living it?I did what I never thought I’d do, took a leap of faith, and published the book myself. I had to get over my pride and trust God. He constantly reminded me of my purpose and the whole reason I wrote the book in the first place, which was to honor Him first and foremost.“You were chosen to tell about the excellent qualities of God, who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light. 10 Once you were not God’s people, but now you are.” 1 Peter 2:9-10 (God’s Word Translation) I no longer live in darkness, so I must write about the light.Instead of pleasing everyone else and following the rules of society, I remind myself that I write for the audience of One because I know how undeserving I am of His perfect love, yet He still loves. I’ve pushed Him out of my life, dragged Him back in, just to ignore Him again, yet He still loves. I’ve betrayed Him, sinned against Him, turned my back on Him, yet He still loves. Every time I fall short, He makes up the difference, picks me back up, and sets me on the right track again.I am living proof that you don’t have to be perfect to live chosen, you just have to be willing to be taught by our perfect Savior and follow Him. And you don’t have to be perfect to write, you just have to be willing to write the story you were meant to tell, the story He put on your heart.I write because I choose to #LiveChosen.Blessings,Mandy Fender
Mandy Fender is an award-winning author, speaker, and blogger who hopes to glorify God and uplift others. She guest blogs for Broken, Beautiful, and Bold and has a monthly inspirational article in a local newspaper. Her writing has been featured in Devozine magazine for teens and Epifiction. It is her aim to live and love like Christ and her writing is just another avenue to do that. She's a new homeschool mom and serves in full time ministry with her husband in the great state of Texas.Website//Facebook//Twitter//Instagram//Google+
-A Christian Dystopian Series- The Final Battle is on the Horizon . . . Still heartbroken over the loss of her best friend, Sky, Lennox must face her own demons as she continues to fight against Ahab and the Regime. She now serves as a combat medic, desperately searching for survivors in war-torn America. But as the Regime grows stronger and begins to genetically enhance both humans and animals, she questions whether she and her fellow Sparrows are doing enough. After an encounter with a Prowler changes everything, she must choose between vengeance and faith in God because the next mission she goes on could be her last. Secrets will be revealed. Pasts will be forgiven. Defiers will be strengthened. When all hope seems lost, who will be left standing?AmazonGoodReads*Defier and Sparrow (the first two books in this series) will be FREE to download on August 31st. EEK!
Click the image above to be taken to the giveaway page and enter! Calling all book readers! Join us as we celebrate Mandy Fender's release of CONQUEROR, book three in the Defier Series, on August 31st from 8-10 PM EST (7 CDT and 5 PST). Grab your favorite drink and snack and be prepared for a fun night of chatting with the author and special guests, games, and giveaways. Special guests Julie Hall and Charles Franklin will also be sharing their books and joining in the fun.
First, I want to say that I am so excited to be a part of the #LiveChosen blog. I have followed it for a while and have been encouraged every time I’ve read it! Now, to be a part of it is amazing and I hope to encourage others like I have been encouraged!It has always been my heart to be tactfully transparent, meaning that I share the vulnerable places of my life—my struggles, my fears—in the hopes that I will be able to shine a light on the One who sees me through them. So, now, here’s the fun part…my raw confession.All of my life, I have had this need to please others, to be liked by everyone, for everyone to like what I do. But, is that even possible? No, it’s not. Yet, I still tried.On my journey to becoming a real-life author (something I have always wanted to be), I sought approval from everyone in the field and that’s when the bomb dropped. I received my first heart-wrenching feedback—feedback that I will never forget to this day.Written down in black and white from a fellow writer/author/peer were the words…"You are not capable of ever writing a solid novel. It’s not something you should pursue. Put it up (referring to my manuscript) and move on to another field."I wish I could say that I did not cry, that those words did not reach my heart, but they did. They had. I wanted to throw in the towel, wave my white flag and surrender. I wanted to rip every word up that I had ever written. My dreams were crushed in an instant, but the story swirling around in my head would not relent.I knew God had given me the idea. I knew that this story was something I was supposed to write for His glory, but how could I write it knowing that I was not good enough.God nudged my spirit and I started researching writing online. I built my craft and learned from my mistakes. I grew as a writer and tried again. I polished that manuscript that I was incapable of writing and I fixed it as best as I could then sent it out again for feedback.This time…hope.The feedback was positive and led me to critique partners and editors, who helped me to polish my very first novel, Defier: The Girl Who Stood, even more.Once I felt confident, I sent it to publishers.And, guess what?No one wanted it.Another fail.Another heartbreak.Now what?What if you’re not chosen? Can you still live chosen?In my heart, I knew God had called me to write this story and share it, but how was I supposed to do that when it seemed like it had no market value in the book world?So, I prayed.God worked on my heart and mind. He reminded me that I did not need anyone else’s permission to fulfill His will for my life and, at some point, I had to realize that I was worth more than other people’s opinion of me and my work. If God gave me this dream, who was I to let others stop me from living it?I did what I never thought I’d do, took a leap of faith, and published the book myself. I had to get over my pride and trust God. He constantly reminded me of my purpose and the whole reason I wrote the book in the first place, which was to honor Him first and foremost.“You were chosen to tell about the excellent qualities of God, who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light. 10 Once you were not God’s people, but now you are.” 1 Peter 2:9-10 (God’s Word Translation) I no longer live in darkness, so I must write about the light.Instead of pleasing everyone else and following the rules of society, I remind myself that I write for the audience of One because I know how undeserving I am of His perfect love, yet He still loves. I’ve pushed Him out of my life, dragged Him back in, just to ignore Him again, yet He still loves. I’ve betrayed Him, sinned against Him, turned my back on Him, yet He still loves. Every time I fall short, He makes up the difference, picks me back up, and sets me on the right track again.I am living proof that you don’t have to be perfect to live chosen, you just have to be willing to be taught by our perfect Savior and follow Him. And you don’t have to be perfect to write, you just have to be willing to write the story you were meant to tell, the story He put on your heart.I write because I choose to #LiveChosen.Blessings,Mandy FenderMandy Fender is an award-winning author, speaker, and blogger who hopes to glorify God and uplift others. She guest blogs for Broken, Beautiful, and Bold and has a monthly inspirational article in a local newspaper. Her writing has been featured in Devozine magazine for teens and Epifiction. It is her aim to live and love like Christ and her writing is just another avenue to do that. She's a new homeschool mom and serves in full time ministry with her husband in the great state of Texas.Website//Facebook//Twitter//Instagram//Google+-A Christian Dystopian Series- The Final Battle is on the Horizon . . . Still heartbroken over the loss of her best friend, Sky, Lennox must face her own demons as she continues to fight against Ahab and the Regime. She now serves as a combat medic, desperately searching for survivors in war-torn America. But as the Regime grows stronger and begins to genetically enhance both humans and animals, she questions whether she and her fellow Sparrows are doing enough. After an encounter with a Prowler changes everything, she must choose between vengeance and faith in God because the next mission she goes on could be her last. Secrets will be revealed. Pasts will be forgiven. Defiers will be strengthened. When all hope seems lost, who will be left standing?AmazonGoodReads*Defier and Sparrow (the first two books in this series) will be FREE to download on August 31st. EEK! Click the image above to be taken to the giveaway page and enter! Calling all book readers! Join us as we celebrate Mandy Fender's release of CONQUEROR, book three in the Defier Series, on August 31st from 8-10 PM EST (7 CDT and 5 PST). Grab your favorite drink and snack and be prepared for a fun night of chatting with the author and special guests, games, and giveaways. Special guests Julie Hall and Charles Franklin will also be sharing their books and joining in the fun.
August 21, 2017
Finding My Identity In Christ
God, I don’t understand? Why me? 
I had been a Christian for about ten years. Many women of faith had poured their hearts into me to help me grow, and it was taking way too long for my perfectionist self. For ten years, the pot had been boiling, and it was finally boiling over. I couldn’t understand why God had chosen me and poured the lives of so many spiritual women into me, all for so little return. Why would He do this? What was in it for Him? I didn’t realize then that even though I thought I was finding my identity in Christ, I was really finding it in the world. All my life I had been exposed to humanist thinking. The well-meaning people around me had told me how unique and special I was (at least, until I finished high school). In practice, the world I grew up in encouraged me to find my identity by comparing myself to those around me. I compared my appearance to models in the magazines, my talents to people I knew or heard about, my bank account to that of others…and finally, my spiritual growth to that of spiritual women I knew. What I was doing was not much different than admiration of celebrities, royals or politicians. God’s plan wasn’t for me to be exactly like the faithful women I admired. He had a new and different, but equally valuable, path in mind for me. Finding that path has been challenging. One day, after a lot of prayer, God showed me that my self-worth problem was really a problem of disobedience. God says that to him I am incredibly valuable (Isaiah 43: 1-7). I didn’t agree, and therefore I didn’t believe Him. I realized that if I had a child, and I told him to clean his room, he would be free to disagree that his room needed to be cleaned- as long as he actually obeyed and cleaned it. That day, I finally got past my roadblock, but it required learning that I could agree that God had the right to decide my worth even if I disagreed with His conclusions. That was just the beginning. I had to learn that it was ok to prefer quiet Bible study to public evangelism, and that even though we are all called to tell our friends about Jesus, that that may look different for me than it does for someone else. I had to learn that it was okay to dislike crowds and large noisy gatherings. Even though I love attending my church’s big conventions, during the worship concerts I now give myself permission to step outside the door.I’ve even learned to embrace my inner geek. I’ve always loved science fiction, but giving myself permission to admit that I like writing it and would even like to be published someday has been a harder sell. A harder sell to me, that is. My husband is incredibly supportive and even helps me come up with ideas. My friends have been one hundred percent there for me, but most of them can’t relate, and there is a part of me that yearns to be just like them in every way so that I’ll be accepted. That feeling is false.My friends love me and already accept me. Unlike people in the world, my sisters in Christ love me for who I am and not for who they would like me to be. That feeling that I won’t be accepted unless I am just like them? It comes from my own sinful nature. God gave me so many people, opportunities and situations to encourage me, but I still didn’t step out on faith because I wanted to be JUST LIKE the women of faith that I admired. It took me years and two deleted books to overcome. So who am I in Christ? The truth is that I don’t know, and I’m finally okay with that. I know part of who I am, but I also know that God has dreams for me that aren’t fully realized yet. I’m excited to find out what they are. I’ve realized that I can be just like the women of faith that I admire in what matters most. I can imitate their faith, love, mercy, humility and so many other spiritual qualities without sacrificing any of what makes me unique in God’s eyes. What do you think God’s dreams for you are? It can be scary to consider that God may have dreams for you that aren’t currently part of your plan. Can you let go of your dreams, just for today, and ask God to show you what He’s planning for you? Facing the future takes courage, but it’s not as scary as it seems. I’m ready for the grand adventure. Are you?H. Halverstadt is a Christian science fiction writer and blogger. Her Facebook page, H. Halverstadt Books, posts reviews of Christian speculative fiction. Connect with Heather here.
I had been a Christian for about ten years. Many women of faith had poured their hearts into me to help me grow, and it was taking way too long for my perfectionist self. For ten years, the pot had been boiling, and it was finally boiling over. I couldn’t understand why God had chosen me and poured the lives of so many spiritual women into me, all for so little return. Why would He do this? What was in it for Him? I didn’t realize then that even though I thought I was finding my identity in Christ, I was really finding it in the world. All my life I had been exposed to humanist thinking. The well-meaning people around me had told me how unique and special I was (at least, until I finished high school). In practice, the world I grew up in encouraged me to find my identity by comparing myself to those around me. I compared my appearance to models in the magazines, my talents to people I knew or heard about, my bank account to that of others…and finally, my spiritual growth to that of spiritual women I knew. What I was doing was not much different than admiration of celebrities, royals or politicians. God’s plan wasn’t for me to be exactly like the faithful women I admired. He had a new and different, but equally valuable, path in mind for me. Finding that path has been challenging. One day, after a lot of prayer, God showed me that my self-worth problem was really a problem of disobedience. God says that to him I am incredibly valuable (Isaiah 43: 1-7). I didn’t agree, and therefore I didn’t believe Him. I realized that if I had a child, and I told him to clean his room, he would be free to disagree that his room needed to be cleaned- as long as he actually obeyed and cleaned it. That day, I finally got past my roadblock, but it required learning that I could agree that God had the right to decide my worth even if I disagreed with His conclusions. That was just the beginning. I had to learn that it was ok to prefer quiet Bible study to public evangelism, and that even though we are all called to tell our friends about Jesus, that that may look different for me than it does for someone else. I had to learn that it was okay to dislike crowds and large noisy gatherings. Even though I love attending my church’s big conventions, during the worship concerts I now give myself permission to step outside the door.I’ve even learned to embrace my inner geek. I’ve always loved science fiction, but giving myself permission to admit that I like writing it and would even like to be published someday has been a harder sell. A harder sell to me, that is. My husband is incredibly supportive and even helps me come up with ideas. My friends have been one hundred percent there for me, but most of them can’t relate, and there is a part of me that yearns to be just like them in every way so that I’ll be accepted. That feeling is false.My friends love me and already accept me. Unlike people in the world, my sisters in Christ love me for who I am and not for who they would like me to be. That feeling that I won’t be accepted unless I am just like them? It comes from my own sinful nature. God gave me so many people, opportunities and situations to encourage me, but I still didn’t step out on faith because I wanted to be JUST LIKE the women of faith that I admired. It took me years and two deleted books to overcome. So who am I in Christ? The truth is that I don’t know, and I’m finally okay with that. I know part of who I am, but I also know that God has dreams for me that aren’t fully realized yet. I’m excited to find out what they are. I’ve realized that I can be just like the women of faith that I admire in what matters most. I can imitate their faith, love, mercy, humility and so many other spiritual qualities without sacrificing any of what makes me unique in God’s eyes. What do you think God’s dreams for you are? It can be scary to consider that God may have dreams for you that aren’t currently part of your plan. Can you let go of your dreams, just for today, and ask God to show you what He’s planning for you? Facing the future takes courage, but it’s not as scary as it seems. I’m ready for the grand adventure. Are you?H. Halverstadt is a Christian science fiction writer and blogger. Her Facebook page, H. Halverstadt Books, posts reviews of Christian speculative fiction. Connect with Heather here.
August 17, 2017
3 Books You Think Everyone Should Read- Book Lover's Blog Hop
“Sometimes, you read a book and it fills you with this weird evangelical zeal, and you become convinced that the shattered world will never be put back together unless and until all living humans read the book.” ― John Green, The Fault in Our StarsHas a book shattered your world? Has it changed you, broken you, fixed you, opened your eyes or your heart? Books can expand our horizons and take us on adventures and speak truth and sometimes it is all so lovely and beautiful and overwhelming that we have to share it, we need others to share in the experience. Here are the books myself, and some other author friends, feel all living humans should read. (No pressure though, Only add them to your TBR if you want to. We will still like you even if you don't.)
Brandy Potter If you know me at all, my choices for this might surprise. Many will think that Nora, Jane or a Bronte will be on this list, but no. I love them do not get me wrong, but for me, being someone who likes to think and to laugh as well my choices are:God the Ultimate Auto-Biography by Jeremy Pascall - It is HILARIOUSHound of the Baskervilles by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle - Not the BEST Holmes story but the best stand alone bookCat among the Pigeons by Dame Agatha Christie - Poirot at his best with a GREAT plot twist!
Jo Linsdell I have read so many great books so it’s hard to cut it down to my top three. I’m going to go with books that have stayed in my top list over the years, and still give me feels even years on.The Diary Of A Young Girl by Anne Frank - I think everyone should read this book at least once in their lifetime. I first read this book as a child and it had a huge impact on me. Worth rereading a million times over.The Picture of Dorian Grey by Oscar Wilde - I loved this book. Oscar Wilde at his best.Angela’s Ashes by Frank McCourt - This book was so honest and raw. It really touched me.
Belinda Bekkers The Elements of Style by Strunk & White.Montana 1948 by Larry Watson.The Mosquito Coast by Paul Theroux
Angela Guidolin 1. “The Road To Ruin” by economist James Rickards. He explains in plain terms how to protect our wealth from the next financial crisis that can be triggered, at any moment and what are the dangers of a cashless society, where in a few keystrokes authorities can freeze our assets—like they did it in Cyprus in 2012 and in Greece in 2015.2. “The Biggest Secret ”by David Icke. He exposes the web of powers and people who really rule our world. Nothing is what it seems, and questioning everything is the key to safeguard our freedom and civil liberties. In my blog post published on 16 August I discuss it in more depth.3. “Nineteen-eighty-four” by George Orwell is not just a science fiction masterpiece, it is a guide to understanding where we, humanity, could end up if we don’t protect our liberties. Newspeak (leaders saying something, but meaning something else), the rewriting of history (for example “Iran was behind the 9/11 attacks”), the pervasive surveillance of everyday life (from smartphones, smart TVs, driverless cars, Alexa, Google Home, et cetera to the “Chinese-style Internet” proposed by UK Prime Minister Theresa May, the Internet of Things and cashless society), a war that never ends (the war on terrorism), the Ministry of Truth (governments imposing fines on social media and search engines for allowing so-called fake news to be spread), and Doublethink (“The power of holding two contradictory beliefs in one's mind simultaneously, and accepting both of them… To tell deliberate lies while genuinely believing in them…”), for example, are very much current hot topics.
Leslie Conzatti Only 3 books? Well, as far as books that have stuck with me ever since I read them:Everybody should read Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury. It’s message is similar to that of Orwell’s 1984, but the overall tone of the novel is rather more thought-provoking and hopeful than the creepy, depressing outcome of other novels.Everybody should read the Lunar Chronicles by Marissa Meyer. It’s fairy tales and romance, yes--but it is also VERY good sci-fi mixed in, and readers of all ages can enjoy the delightful mix and balance she has brought to the whole adventure.Finally, if you haven’t read The Broken Empire Trilogy by Mark Lawrence--you don’t know what you’re missing, and you don’t know what truly awesome literature is. The book presents as “grimdark fantasy” but the more you look… that map in the front looks a WHOLE LOT like Western Europe… and it’s easy to imagine this as a separate word… till somebody starts muttering words to some ancient song that nobody knows anymore… and it’s “American Pie” by Don MacLean… I tell you, there is nothing in the world like a good post-apocalyptic fantasy written by a former scientist.
V.L. Jennings 1. A Wrinkle In Time 2. Harry Potter3. Narnia *Journey To The Center Of The Earth and Diary of Anne Frank are close to my top three as well.
Just B. Jordan Personal taste in books can vary so much from individual to individual, so my answers will be geared toward fellow sci-fi/fantasy lovers out there. ;)Ender’s Game. I think it’s the best sci-fi I’ve read so far. It just sucked me in and kept me flipping pages. There is so much to think about after reading that book.The Stormlight Archive. Epic Fantasy at its finest. If you love high fantasy, this is a must read.The Door Within series. This geared toward young adults. It was one of my favorites as a young teen, and part of what awakened my love for fantasy. And it’s Christian spec-fic! A fun, clean read for any young people you know.
Jebraun Clifford 1. Pride and Prejudice because it’s an absolute classic and has great characters and such a fascinating setting.2. A Wrinkle in Time because it’s a great adventure sweeping through the galaxies.3. The Chronicles of Narnia (I know that’s cheating because it’s a series, but I can’t help myself!) because it’s such a great analogy to the Christian walk and a fun and exciting read to boot!
Skye Hegyes I’m sure I’m going to be the oddball here because I don’t believe in making someone - or even telling someone they should - read a book that isn’t in a genre they don’t like, so I hate lists like this where you have to pick three books that everyone should read. That said, here are the top three I’d recommend rather than state you have to read it.The Magician’s Nephew by C.S. LewisHitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas AdamsThe Kissing Hand by Audrey Penn
MeThese are in no particular order but each of them affected me deeply. 1. To Kill A Mockingbird by Harper Lee (Probably the first book I couldn't put down.) 2. Johnny Got His Gun by Dalton Trumbo (The first book to make me cry.)3. The Screwtape Letters by C.S. Lewis (Such awesome truth between the lines of fiction.)So, there you have our recommendations. We would love to know yours so comment them below. And don't forget to check out these awesome authors. You rock socks!!!
Brandy Potter If you know me at all, my choices for this might surprise. Many will think that Nora, Jane or a Bronte will be on this list, but no. I love them do not get me wrong, but for me, being someone who likes to think and to laugh as well my choices are:God the Ultimate Auto-Biography by Jeremy Pascall - It is HILARIOUSHound of the Baskervilles by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle - Not the BEST Holmes story but the best stand alone bookCat among the Pigeons by Dame Agatha Christie - Poirot at his best with a GREAT plot twist! Jo Linsdell I have read so many great books so it’s hard to cut it down to my top three. I’m going to go with books that have stayed in my top list over the years, and still give me feels even years on.The Diary Of A Young Girl by Anne Frank - I think everyone should read this book at least once in their lifetime. I first read this book as a child and it had a huge impact on me. Worth rereading a million times over.The Picture of Dorian Grey by Oscar Wilde - I loved this book. Oscar Wilde at his best.Angela’s Ashes by Frank McCourt - This book was so honest and raw. It really touched me. Belinda Bekkers The Elements of Style by Strunk & White.Montana 1948 by Larry Watson.The Mosquito Coast by Paul Theroux Angela Guidolin 1. “The Road To Ruin” by economist James Rickards. He explains in plain terms how to protect our wealth from the next financial crisis that can be triggered, at any moment and what are the dangers of a cashless society, where in a few keystrokes authorities can freeze our assets—like they did it in Cyprus in 2012 and in Greece in 2015.2. “The Biggest Secret ”by David Icke. He exposes the web of powers and people who really rule our world. Nothing is what it seems, and questioning everything is the key to safeguard our freedom and civil liberties. In my blog post published on 16 August I discuss it in more depth.3. “Nineteen-eighty-four” by George Orwell is not just a science fiction masterpiece, it is a guide to understanding where we, humanity, could end up if we don’t protect our liberties. Newspeak (leaders saying something, but meaning something else), the rewriting of history (for example “Iran was behind the 9/11 attacks”), the pervasive surveillance of everyday life (from smartphones, smart TVs, driverless cars, Alexa, Google Home, et cetera to the “Chinese-style Internet” proposed by UK Prime Minister Theresa May, the Internet of Things and cashless society), a war that never ends (the war on terrorism), the Ministry of Truth (governments imposing fines on social media and search engines for allowing so-called fake news to be spread), and Doublethink (“The power of holding two contradictory beliefs in one's mind simultaneously, and accepting both of them… To tell deliberate lies while genuinely believing in them…”), for example, are very much current hot topics. Leslie Conzatti Only 3 books? Well, as far as books that have stuck with me ever since I read them:Everybody should read Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury. It’s message is similar to that of Orwell’s 1984, but the overall tone of the novel is rather more thought-provoking and hopeful than the creepy, depressing outcome of other novels.Everybody should read the Lunar Chronicles by Marissa Meyer. It’s fairy tales and romance, yes--but it is also VERY good sci-fi mixed in, and readers of all ages can enjoy the delightful mix and balance she has brought to the whole adventure.Finally, if you haven’t read The Broken Empire Trilogy by Mark Lawrence--you don’t know what you’re missing, and you don’t know what truly awesome literature is. The book presents as “grimdark fantasy” but the more you look… that map in the front looks a WHOLE LOT like Western Europe… and it’s easy to imagine this as a separate word… till somebody starts muttering words to some ancient song that nobody knows anymore… and it’s “American Pie” by Don MacLean… I tell you, there is nothing in the world like a good post-apocalyptic fantasy written by a former scientist. V.L. Jennings 1. A Wrinkle In Time 2. Harry Potter3. Narnia *Journey To The Center Of The Earth and Diary of Anne Frank are close to my top three as well. Just B. Jordan Personal taste in books can vary so much from individual to individual, so my answers will be geared toward fellow sci-fi/fantasy lovers out there. ;)Ender’s Game. I think it’s the best sci-fi I’ve read so far. It just sucked me in and kept me flipping pages. There is so much to think about after reading that book.The Stormlight Archive. Epic Fantasy at its finest. If you love high fantasy, this is a must read.The Door Within series. This geared toward young adults. It was one of my favorites as a young teen, and part of what awakened my love for fantasy. And it’s Christian spec-fic! A fun, clean read for any young people you know. Jebraun Clifford 1. Pride and Prejudice because it’s an absolute classic and has great characters and such a fascinating setting.2. A Wrinkle in Time because it’s a great adventure sweeping through the galaxies.3. The Chronicles of Narnia (I know that’s cheating because it’s a series, but I can’t help myself!) because it’s such a great analogy to the Christian walk and a fun and exciting read to boot! Skye Hegyes I’m sure I’m going to be the oddball here because I don’t believe in making someone - or even telling someone they should - read a book that isn’t in a genre they don’t like, so I hate lists like this where you have to pick three books that everyone should read. That said, here are the top three I’d recommend rather than state you have to read it.The Magician’s Nephew by C.S. LewisHitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas AdamsThe Kissing Hand by Audrey PennMeThese are in no particular order but each of them affected me deeply. 1. To Kill A Mockingbird by Harper Lee (Probably the first book I couldn't put down.) 2. Johnny Got His Gun by Dalton Trumbo (The first book to make me cry.)3. The Screwtape Letters by C.S. Lewis (Such awesome truth between the lines of fiction.)So, there you have our recommendations. We would love to know yours so comment them below. And don't forget to check out these awesome authors. You rock socks!!!
August 7, 2017
A Prayer For My Daughters
Dear Heavenly Father, Sometimes I wonder why you entrusted me with these two wondrous girls. I feel like I fail them daily. My own selfishness lashes out and wounds their tender hearts. I am far from the picture of the mother I think they deserve. But I am grateful to be their mother. I am honored to have been given the gift of raising these two beautiful souls. Help me. Help me to give them grace so they will understand and accept Your grace. Help me to teach them strength and courage in a world that will try to tame their wild hearts, steal their joy and destroy their faith in You. Help me to show them their beauty and value is found in You so that no person will ever be able to make them feel like less and they will never feel the need to compare themselves to others. Help me to be an example of Your love to them and others so they will be women who love deeply, love well and love without fear. Help me to speak with kindness to them, about them, in front of them, even when harsh words may seem more satisfying in the moment, so that they understand the power of our words. Help me to say I'm sorry when I am wrong, to ask forgiveness and be humble so they won't be afraid to do those things and pride won't keep them from all You have for them. Help me to love, honor and cherish their dad, and him me, so they will have a picture of a good marriage and will set standards for that same love in their own relationships.Help me to teach them about You, and show them what it looks like to walk with You daily, through the good and bad, so that they will be able to walk with You all the days of their lives.Help me to love each of them uniquely and unconditionally, because that is How You love us.Help me to let go of the things only You can do and trust You with their lives even when I can't be with them. There is so much more my heart longs to say but I can't find the words. But I think it can all be summed up in this final request...Help my girls to encounter You in so many beautiful ways that they can't help but fall madly in love with You. Amen.
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