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Long Conversations
I’m processing through my notes from Ajith Fernando’s Reclaiming Friendship: Relating to Each Other in a Frenzied World and I am a) inspired to keep striving to be a better friend; and b) grateful, grateful, grateful for the women in my life who have pressed through all of the difficulties associated with being a friend to me—and have loved me with grace. A few random notes from my reading … – Most of us don’t seem to have time for long conversations … and yet, Christian truth has a qualitative and experiential aspect to it. Truth can be enjoyed only if we are willing to linger with it, to ask…
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Cross – Shaped Love Means …
I’m really enjoying Paul Tripp’s, Broken Down House – Living Productively in a World Gone Bad. In honor of soon-to-be-here-Valentine’s Day, consider this list from chapter 13 of what it means to be an instrument of cross-shaped love: – “Not keeping yourself so busy with you and yours that you have no practical time to love others – Being committed to knowing people, because you can minister only in a very limited way to those you do not know – Being willing to have your life complicated by the needs and struggles of others – Being willing to share your physical resources with others – Being perseverant and patient even…
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Reminding Myself Too
God is giving me a great gift these days—the gift of time with family and friends, serving, learning, growing together. In the last three days alone, I’ve had the amazing privilege of laughing, crying, SPEAKING BIBLICAL TRUTH, and praying with three other women who also can be tempted to believe shame-based LIES about themselves (just like me). Each conversation has been different, but there have been similar themes: 1. Not being perfect. (At homemaking, spiritual disciplines, parenting, finances, physical disciplines, etc.) 2. Crushing despair. (“I’m such a failure!!”) 3. Instinctual resolve to DO BETTER. BE BETTER. FIX IT. (I just have to read one more book on child-rearing. I just…
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Right Side of Pain (HT: Jill Carattini)
I’ve been reading Jill Carattini for years and while I’ve admired and enjoyed her intellect, faith, and writing abilities, I never knew this about her: The Right Side of Pain Brilliant. As usual. Here’s a snippet to tempt you, but please do go back and read the entire essay. What a mind! What a heart! What a grace that she points us to God: “We shuffled back and forth between the states that sat like metaphors between our divorced parents—a summer, a spring break, a Christmas without one of them. The pain of the one we were leaving was always palpable, but we always had to leave. It’s strange…
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Please Pray for PeaceGals Moderator, “Ruth from NC”
Dear friends, The PeaceGals Moderators received some very, very hard news this morning when our own PeaceGal Moderator, and frequent commenter on this blog, and friend, “Ruth from NC” shared this prayer request with us: “Two weeks ago I detected a questionable lump at my right temple so head, neck, and brain scans were done yesterday and we saw the doctor this morning. He confirmed that the tumor is back…with a vengeance. It has overtaken the remainder of the right masticular (chewing) muscle and has invaded the right eye socket, wrapped the optic nerve, traversed the cranial wall and the brain lining. They are unable to confirm via any scans…
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Christless Christianity
Michael Horton has a new book coming out and for a limited time you can get it for 1/2-off! The details (plus videos, audio files, endorsements, etc.) are at: Christless Christianity: The Alternative Gospel of the American Church Dr. Horton is also going to be doing a live web chat with The Washington Post on October 31st. If you’re not familiar with his writings (or the amazing teaching ministry of The White Horse Inn), I encourage you to check them both out. They are definitely worth your time! I’m going to pop over to Christless Christianity and order my copy now and then I’m off to California. Happy Thursday!…
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Enjoying (learning from / being comforted by / being CHALLENGED by) Helen Roseveare
After a strong recommendation from Noel Piper in a bookstore mailing from WTS, I ordered a number of books by Helen Roseveare. This week I started Give Me This Mountain and I am thoroughly enjoying it. I also had to chuckle when I did a quick Google search of her name to learn a little more about her–and I found out that Snopes & TruthOrFiction had to do entries on her because of a story that has circulated around email-land for years re: a dying baby, a hot water bottle, and a doll. (BTW–Please please oh PLEASE don’t ever forward any emails, well, really to ANYONE EVER–with limited exceptions–but FOR…
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Thank you, New Mexico!
Just a quick note to say THANK YOU to the wonderful women who were at my New Mexico retreat this weekend! I was so blessed to get to be with you all … you made me laugh & cry & I learned a bunch too. Thank you, especially, for the beautiful cards!! Your words were a true encouragement to me … AND I just have to say: Where can I buy those “byDDeSimone05/07” cards?? (Apparently they were all made by hand by one of you amazing ladies??? Astounding!! I will never cease to be amazed by the creative and artistic gifts God gives His children.) I’m going to get some…
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Couldn’t we just give them a BREAK?!
The next time someone fails to meet our expectations and desires … Isn’t quite as friendly and warm as we’d like … Doesn’t say the right thing or do the right thing or even look the right way to us … I wonder: Couldn’t we just give them a BREAK?! You know–cut them some slack. Give them the benefit of the doubt. (I.e., maybe she’s not a JERK. Maybe she’s scared. Tired. Maybe she just received another horribly harsh call from her mother-in-law. Maybe she’s TRYING to relate well, but she can’t quite keep up with the conversation and then she feels stupid and thinks the better thing to do…
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Peacemaking & The Fall
Incredibly keen insights from GH (in Maryland) … I am going to mull on them for awhile. Happy Tuesday! Love, Tara B. “Dear Tara, I was too busy studying and preparing lessons for the young Moms’ class at VBS when your e-mail came inviting participation in your on-line survey. However, I am finally freer than I have been in a while and wanted to open some lines of discussion with you. I don’t know that I have a great deal to offer on the subject. Most has been learned in the school of hard knocks. However, having been involved in [women’s ministry] now for 25+ years, I have had many…
