Another Update In Thoughts

Welcome back. I have missed your wisdom, the discipline of writing, the thinking it takes to craft something worth saying, the pursuit of sentences that ring (with beauty and truth), and the glory God gets when we treasure Him more each day.  Here is what I have been learning since we last met:

Awake My Soul is like a soul-stirring hike through the Scottish highlands.
“They” say chicken roosts need to have 1 foot of space per chicken; it’s more like 6-8 inches, assuming your chickens like each other.
Those of us who lack humility also lack an understanding of God’s grace.
A joyless life is one spent on serving self.
Clearing a small forest with modern tools takes a long time; what must life have been like for folks back in the day!
Clear, well-crafted, meaningful vision and mission in ministry are essential.
We are created by God for God (Col 1:16, 1 Corin 8:6).
One definition of joy:  not the absence of difficult circumstances but the presence of God in the midst of them (RS).
The danger in a religious society is that we have enough knowledge of Christ to be inoculated against the person of Christ for the rest of our lives (RS).
Ducks are dirty, and they kind of stink.
Joy is the megaphone of evangelism.
Women have the ability to take in considerable amounts of inputs at the same time—it’s astounding.
Jesus is the ultimate example for those who are married:  completely faithful, head of the body (loving and serving His bride by giving His life for her), and submissive to God (respecting the role His Father held by submitting to Him).
Everything in life gets old, except Jesus (as the ageless one).
Listening well earns us the right to hear the next thing a person in need wants to share.
Our modeling of walking with God speaks loudly to our kids—so does what we do when we fail.
Love is not a spiritual gift b/c every spiritual gift must be an expression of love: Exhort, teach, encourage, give, lead, serve–in love!
The Bible isn’t primarily prescription for how to live; it’s primarily revelation from God about God.  Knowing God helps us know how to live.
Weeds are relentless (see my driveway and Gen 3:18).
Godly love is authentic, meaning expressions of love come from the place where love is deeply felt, rather than expressions of love coming as an attempt to show love.
Conflict tends to produce pursuers and avoiders—I’m a pursuer, and it’s typically self-serving.
When time is not used well, it can seduce the best of men (MM).
God is in charge of our careers—and pretty much everything else in our lives.
Giving our spouses space to grow in God is ultimately an act of faith in God.
There is wisdom in finally seeing hardship and blessing as two strands of the same cord of God’s goodness.

Question:  What have you been learning recently?