Merry Christmas!!!

Since I haven't posted anything yet this week, I thought I would throw out a little note. I have some posts I want to get up but I just haven't really had the time or desire to this week.

So...let me just say "Merry Christmas" to my readers. I'll meet you here again next week.

Friday's Feast

Appetizer: What is a word that your family uses that would not be considered common?
Well, you see, my family is southern, and there are more uncommon words in our vocabulary than I can count! But seriously, I hear that in other parts of the country folks don't use the word ya'll. It's a staple around here. And my grandma has some word variations that I'm not even sure I could spell.

Soup: What theme of calendar do you have on your wall this year?
I haven't even had a wall calendar up this year. In years past I had a weather calendar which I thought was rather cool because I'm a weather junkie.

Salad: Name 3 people you speak with on a daily basis.
my Mom, my Grandma, and my brother

Main Course: If you could put a new tattoo on someone you know - who would it be, what would the tattoo be of, and where would you put it on them?
I do not think tattoos are attractive at all, no offense anyone. So, I would not put one on anybody.

Dessert: What is the last beverage you drank out of a glass bottle?
I think it was a Peach Nehi...and I sure would like to have one right now!

Join the feast!

Book Notes--Where's Your Focus?

This is the final post from my book notes. Just thought I'd throw that in.

In the story of Peter walking on the water, when he focused on the storm around him, he sank. I've always sort of looked down on Peter because of this, but not any more. I see now how I'm just the same, and how difficult it is to stay focused. But how can you focus on Jesus in the middle of a storm? I mean, the voice of God can be still and small sometimes, but storms have a tendancy to clamor rather loudly for our attention. Storms are hard to ignore, in nature and in life.

Think about a thunderstorm for a moment. There's loud thunder, pelting rain, rapid flashes of lightning, and cutting wind. If you're out in a storm you are gonna be affected by it. It engages all of your senses and demands to be noticed. If you're caught out in a thunderstorm, two words usually come to mind: seek shelter.

Now contrast your experience of the storm once inside your shelter to what I just mentioned. You can still hear the thunder, but it's not quiet as loud. If you stay away from the windows you may not see the lightning at all. You no longer feel the rain or the wind. Yes, shelter is a nice place to be during a storm. In the same way that a house offers us protection from storms in nature, Christ offers us shelter in the storms of life.

But how do we focus on Jesus when there's a storm raging all around us? How do we avail ourselves of this shelter? Ortberg's answer in the book is this: by feeding our minds the right things. We are often way to careless about that to which we expose our minds. Ortberg gives a couple of "laws" of mental focus that I thought were interesting.

1. You are what you think. The way you think determines so much about you.
2. Your mind will think most about what it is exposed to most.

Makes sense to me. The good news is you can put these "laws" to work for you. How to put these to work for you is a whole other topic I suppose, but Ortberg shares a couple of practical suggestions.

1. Meditate on Scripture. Memorize the Word of God.
2. Rituals and symbols. A lot of Christians panic when they hear those words because they fear it indicates legalism and various other things. That's not what Ortberg is talking about though. Rituals and symbols can serve as reminders of the way of life we have committed ourselves too.

My application of this right now is trying to memorize Psalm 84. It's a beautiful passage that pushes my mind, which likes to wander, back in the right direction.

Have you any thoughts on the matter?

Office Pictures

The office is looking all festive with Christmas decor. I thought I'd share a few pics. Having the office in an actual house makes it easier to achieve that cozy Christmas feeling, don't ya think?

Friday's Feast

Appetizer: Name something you'll miss about 2005.
Nothing I guess.

Salad: What is one thought that went through your mind today?
I wish there was more ice so I wouldn't have to go to work. (We had our first real blast of winter weather today and I was so hoping to get a day off.)

Soup: On a scale of 1-10 with 10 being highest, how compassionate would you say you are?
I don't know, an 8 or so. I often feel more compassionate than I act.

Main Course: If you could invent something, what would it be?
artificial vestibular nerve--so me and all the other people with inner ear damage could resume normal functioning

Dessert: Do you prefer salty snacks or sweet treats?
I love both!

Come join the feast!

Book Notes--How Big Is Your God?

"We are not convinced that we are completely safe in the hands of a fully competent, all-knowing, ever-present God."

That statement from Ortberg really hit me hard because I realized instantly that it applied to me. I say that I believe, but I do not live as if I am convinced. I live fearfully, as if my well-being depended on me. I've come face to face with this fear over the past year as I've wrestled with inner ear damage. Not able to do some things for myself, I've had to depend on help from my family. I begin to fear for my safety and well-being when the "what-ifs" kick-in. I'm sure you're familiar with the game. It goes something like this: "What if I no longer had my family to help me? What if this gets worse instead of better? What if...what if...what if?"

What if I really had the faith I profess to have?

Dave reminded me of a good quote the other day: Don't tell God how big your problems are, tell your problems how big your God is. It's meant to be more than a nice thought. It's meant to be a way of life. How do I get there?

Book Notes-Being Resilient

Yes, yes, I'm still covering book notes. Only a couple more though.

Ortberg uses the story of Joseph to make some points about the storm. If you know the story of Joseph then you know he faced a number of storms. When facing the storm you find out what lies inside you because the storm forces key decisons. This is not going to be a very well composed post. I just want to share the three characteristics of resilient people that Ortberg discusses in the book, resiliency being a very important characteristic when facing a storm. These were very helpful for me and I've been rolling these ideas around in my mind since reading the book.

1. Resilient people exercise controll rather than passively resign. This means controlling what you can, however small and not giving up. Joseph faced situations that probably tempted him to give up, like being sold into slavery and thrown into prison unjustly. Joseph didn't give up though. He was wholly faithful even in difficult situations.
2. Resilient people remain committed to their values when tempted to compromise. We may be most tempted when life doesn't turn out like we planned. We start rationalizing like this: "I don't have a spouse like other people, what would it hurt if I watched just a few minutes of that movie..." or "I'm stuck in this low paying job so I'm sure God will understand if I don't tithe for a while..." Don't go there. Don't compromise. Joseph didn't. He refused the attempts of Pharoah's wife to seduce him.
3. Resilient people find meaning and purpose in the storm. If we let them, storms can give us a new perspective on other people and their suffering. We can reach out to others in compassion and understanding.

If you haven't read the story of Joseph, let me encourage you to do so. In fact you can click right here and read it over at Biblegateway.com.