Simple Sweet Day

Spoiled.

That sums up how I feel. Each day this week, sweet cards from my friends came in the mail, and packages arrived from my family. And then one dear friend braved her way to my work where she delivered a box of chocolates and this special card from her son:



Today overflowed with simple reminders of His love. I hope you felt it too!

Bold Pursuit

Some people will do anything for money. Some people will do anything for love. It's an interesting correlation, no?

So what happens when you somehow blend the two together with the backdrop of Who Wants to Be a Millionaire set in India? You get the unforgettable story told in the movie Slumdog Millionaire.

I knew the movie had been nominated for numerous awards within the Hollywood realm. That alone didn't persuade me to see the movie because my tastes don't usually agree with the critics' tastes. But after hearing friends' rave reviews, I gave in.

But they failed to warn me that the story is hard. It's more than hard; it's brutal. There were times when I wanted to leave the theater because I didn't want to have to watch the main character relive parts of his life. I wasn't emotionally prepared for the physical, mental, and emotional trauma that he went through. And yet I hung on.

The writing compelled me to. And though I'm sure it sounds a bit awkward to mention "writing" when talking about a movie, that's exactly what it was. The beginning and end are tied together seamlessly, and the flashbacks throughout are flawless.

And the great thing about a story that is filled with such darkness is that when the light shows through--and without giving anything away, it eventually does--it shines brighter than if the whole story had been filled with it.

I highly recommend seeing Slumdog Millionaire, and before it's over, you'll see what is being boldly pursued.

Telling Our Stories

Last week during the big winter storm, I left my house an hour before we were required to be at work. I navigated the ice encrusted streets, driving about 20 mph the whole way. I gripped the steering wheel with white knuckles and concentrated on the road conditions and the drivers around me to see when they might swerve. I made it to the parking lot and thought the worst was over.

That thought passed quickly when I stepped out of the car and lost my footing, despite wearing my man-like water boots. I stumbled and slid my way across the lot to a fence, gripping it like the banister around a roller rink. I treated passersby to free entertainment as I skated across the street with a look of fear emblazoned on my face.

Once inside the building, I couldn't stop talking and neither could anyone else. Everyone shared their stories about the daring drive in to work and the "almost" catastrophes of trying to walk on the ice.

Contrast these conversations with conversations on a non-winter-storm day. The scary and embarrassing parts of our lives remain hidden. We're not so quick to talk about what is really going on in our lives.

But I was reminded through our sermon today that living life in community is messy. It's dirty and painful to get involved in other people's lives. To listen to their hurts and struggles and to share your own. To trust others with your story.

But the truth is "our" stories aren't really ours to begin with. Yes, we are often the main actor/actress in our stories. But that doesn't make the story ours to keep. Our stories were meant to be shared. If you've gone through a difficult time and made it to the other side but shared the details with no one, how can others in a similar situation be encouraged? Similarly, if you've had something wonderful happen in your life but kept it a secret, how can others help you celebrate?

It's not easy because we don't practice this much. But the next time you are quick to share a story about something routine, think about another story that you might be willing to share. One that might have a positive, life-changing effect on someone. Be bold and share the latter.

A Must-Read: Parting the Waters

When my friend Tina asked me if I wanted to participate in a blog tour for Jeanne Damoff's new book Parting the Waters: Finding Beauty in Brokenness, I didn't hesitate to answer "yes." I have enjoyed reading Jeanne's postings over at The Master's Artist and had heard bits of her story through Tina, who has known Jeanne for years. So I looked forward to reading the rest of the story in her new book.

I believe that God can, and often does, use other people’s stories to change the way a person sees his/her own life. One example is Jacob Damoff’s story, which is lovingly told in Parting the Waters: Finding Beauty in Brokenness.

Jacob’s mother, Jeanne, penned his story for him. And though it's not the story she would have written for him of her own choosing, it's a story of faith and hope that glorifies God.

Towards the end of Jacob's freshman year, Jeanne packed and delivered a bag to Jacob so that he could spend the night at a friend's house. Jeanne told him that she loved him and to be careful and received an "I love you, too. I will" in return. She knew he was going canoeing as part of a school field trip the following day, but she didn't know it would be a life-changing event. That an accident would occur. That the water, which was supposed to provide pleasure for a fun outing, would rob Jacob of oxygen and part of his life. And that the Damoff family would lose the Jacob they knew.

The Jacob that was pulled from the water arrived at the hospital in a coma. The medical community opined that he would spend the rest of his life in a "permanent vegetative state." And though the family accepted those words as the medical community’s best guess as to Jacob’s future, their faith told them that Jacob’s future was ultimately in God’s hands and that He would have the final say.

I have no idea how Jeanne typed her family's story without short-circuiting the keyboard; I’m sure that tears flowed in abundance as she bravely relived the events surrounding Jacob's drowning. For although theirs is a story of hope, they faced many hurdles along the way.

Readers will appreciate that Jeanne doesn’t sugar-coat the process. She discusses the jealousy, frustration, exhaustion, and communication breakdowns that occurred while her family tried to continue their normal routine in addition to making treatment and placement decisions for Jacob and taking care of his needs. And thankfully, they had the help of their friends and the community of Marshall, Texas, surrounding them in ways that they couldn't have asked for or imagined.

Throughout Parting the Waters, the Damoff family’s example of living faith shines brightly, reflecting a God who shines even brighter.

Please check out what others are saying about Parting the Waters here. And if you want to see pictures of memorable events from the book (you know you do!) and learn more about Jeanne, check out her website here. And last, but not least, take less than two minutes out of your day to watch this amazing book trailer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jk1aZTJJawQ

Glorifying His Name

Meander on over to Morning Coffee with Renae to see what I wrote on John 12:23-33.

More Than Just a Man

Due to work, I watched only a few minutes of the inaugural festivities today. The pieces of the inaugural speech that I caught were inspiring. Not really unexpected or any different than what previous presidents have said after taking the oath of office.

And yet, one person after another who was interviewed expressed hope for and excitement about the future. From celebrities to commoners who sat at the very back of the mall, everyone united behind this one man.

Unity is so difficult to attain, so the glimpses of it today were beautiful. But such confidence--that of being united behind a mortal man--is confidence misplaced. The oath gives credence to this.

The oath's conclusion--"so help me God"--deserves renewed attention and devotion. The problems that our country face are too big for the president, the vice president, his cabinet, the Congress, and the Supreme Court. It seems that we, as a country, have forgotten Who is in charge. And until we re-learn to give Him all of our praise, honor, adoration, as well as all the glory, I don't foresee much change on the horizon.

Call me a pessimist, or even better, prove me wrong. Pray for our leaders and for our country--that we would stop using every opportunity as one for self-glorification. And above all, pray that God would shower us with His mercy and grace.

New Beginnings

Each January, I enjoy opening a new calendar filled with beautiful pictures and lots of blank squares. After I add in the birthdays, I start to contemplate the endless possibilities for filling in the squares. Should I plan a trip for MLK weekend or take that time to recuperate from grading? (Thankfully, I settled on the latter.) How about Presidents' Day weekend? Are there any good concerts coming this way that I can't miss?

The main difference between this year and previous years is that I am reluctant to fill up the squares. After having taken a break from virtually all activities during Christmas--other than spending time with family, I discovered that I am being more selective with what I add back in to my schedule. I am thinking through the time commitment involved with each activity and trying to assess whether it is something that I can and should participate in. Many great opportunities exist to fill my schedule, but not all of them are right for me at this time in my life.

In the end, I decided to rejoin my small group as we pursue a study of the Psalms, which goes well with my writers' group's upcoming project to put together a Psalms devotional. I will also be going through Dave Ramsey's 13-week Financial Peace University. As far as my blogging, I am sure that I will post on the previous activities from time to time and have also committed to guest post on Renae's blog on January 27 and to review two new books that will be making blog tours in the coming months. Obviously, it doesn't take long to get a full schedule in place.

What activities are you looking forward to this year? What steps do you take to make sure that you aren't overcommitted?