Link Love

Getting Out of the Man Box by Thabiti AnyabwileSometimes the expectations and discussions among evangelical men sounds hauntingly familiar to plain old “patriarchy”–which I use as a pejorative, a term capturing 1950s-style subjugation of women and unfettered male dominance. I know not everyone uses the term that way, but I do and it’s difficult for me to hear it with a positive ring.

An Inside Look at a New Generation of Pastors, interview with Matt Chandler Is there a climate of hiding and trying to be pretty, or is there a climate of "I've fallen short. I need the grace of God as much today as I did five years ago"? And that's really the the climate we want to create in regards to how we do group life here, the stories we celebrate, testimonies that are given from the stage.

Pray for Your Wife Challenge, by Mike Leake May we not only pray for our wives this month but may we nurture our wives in such a way that the Lord will use us to answer those very prayers.

Daily Writing Benefits, by Ken Davis Writing is a focused activity that keeps distractions at bay long enough for you to explore wonders of the past. Sometimes it is frightening, sometimes wonderful and almost always beneficial.

What's at Stake with Internet Pornography, by Russell Moore We agree with those—often even secular feminists with whom we disagree on much—who say that a pornographic culture hurts women and children through the objectification of women, the trafficking of children, and the commodification of sex.

We're All Virgins Now, by Tim Challies God does not look upon his people as non-virgins and virgins, spoiled and unspoiled, defiled and undefiled. He does not see two classes of people: those who have waited to experience sex within marriage and those have not. So why do we? Why do we obsess about those who have experienced sexual intercourse and those who have not, like this remains a matter of the utmost significance? Why is this the one sin in the whole pantheon of sin that forever marks a person, that forever changes their status?

Link Love & the Pastor, the Plumber, and the Poet

I'm moving this weekend, have a conference for work all week, and a pile of due articles looming in front of me, so my mental acuity and creativity is somewhere below sea-level. Link-love it is. Before the links, though, the more I read actual books, books over which authors have labored and sweat blood and tears, the less I find good writing on the web. This is sad to me because I think if we're going to put content out there, it should be good content, it should be the best content.

Fellow writers: don't write because you feel something must be said—it is far better for one writer to say one thing in the most winsome way possible, than for many content-creators to say the same thing many different ways and none of them win any. There is just as much glory to be had for the plumber, the pastor, the preacher, the preschool teacher, the parent, and the pediatrician as there is for the poet. It only depends on whose glory he seeks.

Now for some good writin':

Alone With My Thoughts: I’ve been alone in the car on some rather crowded highways. That, sadly, doesn’t mean I have been driving in silence. If my windows could talk, well, parental guidance is suggested.

Cigar Smoking and Grace For the Accountability-Holder: We are looking for grace from our accountability-holders. But we ought also to be looking to how we might give grace to our accountability-holders. Maybe we ought to strive for holiness and integrity in our lives not simply out of personal religious ambition but out of relational mercy, out of a desire to not make religious cuckolds of our friends.

Is 'Background Information' Ever Necessary to Understand the Bible? Others so focus on "background information" that they end up foregrounding what is in the background and backgrounding what is in the foreground.

There’s No Such Thing as a Writer (and other thoughts for those of you thinking about writing): It is of the utmost importance that one be humble before words. They have been around for a very long time, they are very powerful, and they are a gift from God.

When is a Royal Baby a Fetus? They find out they are pregnant, they see the two little stripes on the home test, and their heart drops. They don’t know what to do; they have no help from the man who impregnated them; they already work tirelessly, raise children, and have precious little in the bank. Though every life is precious, some are imperiled from the start.

Bending Toward a Rightness:

A number of my peers have recanted, found God just too wild. Oh they still rise to say the creeds but there is no blood in their mouths. I expected by now to learn the language of God but I have only learned to love him.

I just love this. That's all. 

Link Love

Bad Writing: Bad writing is naturally mistaken for good writing. That’s because unlike good writing, bad writing hoards attention. Getting Through Slumps: I’m no expert on either preaching or getting out of slumps. But doodling tonight, I thought of six things that might help.

Permitted or Pursued? I have to think that egalitarians would grow quieter in their critiques if we could point to more women within our ranks who convincingly demonstrate equal, complementary value in our churches.

Body Image: Changing the definition of what we want these bodies to look like doesn’t get anywhere near to solving our problems.

Biters: Then, with calculated persistence, they began to eat each other, each to the death.

Heart Idols: 20 piercing questions from Tim Keller. These are great questions to ask ourselves.

A Deeper Beauty: Women, "Hot Wives," and Christ: While it’s a distinctly God-glorifying thing for a young man to really, really, really like his wife, it’s possible that some women might feel pressure to be some sort of gospel version of [supermodel whose name you shouldn’t really know here]. 

Link Love

What Do the Noseguard and the Center Talk About: [He] writes, “we are having this discussion on the fifty yard line in a full stadium.” That’s well-said. There are a lot of onlookers to this discussion. The stadium feels filled with four types. Woman in the Image of God: You see, being made in God’s image does more than establish the equality of all people (although is does); it is does more than simply level the playing field between men and women (although it does); it does more than argue for the sanctity of human life (although it does). Understanding that you are made in the image of God gives you a way to finally make sense of your life, to finally know who you are.

Is Romans 1 About Homosexuality? So those who teach that this passage is not fundamentally about condemning homosexuality are correct. Paul’s main point is not about homosexuality. It is about the consequences of idolatry. But that doesn’t meant that it has nothing to say about homosexuality.

Fasting from Twitter and Facebook: This isn't really too much about actually fasting, but just being mindful of our use. A good short listen.

Love this:

Link Love: white dudes edition*

Why Ministers Need the Wilderness by Mike Leake: "When the Lord bruises a man in the wilderness he doesn’t hide behind “correct theology” and call it “just speaking the truth." He, with dust in his throat, simply holds the hand of the mother who lost her infant." (If you only read one of these link loves, read this one)

Our Shining North by Timothy Willard: "I read the popular blogs and articles and commentary and cultural hoo-ha and I wonder who among us loves the Word."

The Mystery Unfolding, Grasping: A Maundy Thursday Reflection by Jared Wilson: "For Paul, mystery is not something unsolved. It is something that was once unsolved but is now available and visible. But it’s still a mystery. It doesn’t cease being a mystery."

I Hate My Church by Seth McBee: "People saw Paul as filled with grace for those he walked with. Most that leave their church are just the opposite. They have nothing good to say and sound bitter, spew slander, and are outright hateful against the church."

We're Not the Ones God Has Been Waiting For by Daniel Darling: "But there is a subtle danger in seeing ourselves as the last best hope for the church. Like Peter on the night of Jesus' crucifixion, what we give up to warm our hands by the fire of acceptance will leave us burned."

7 Questions for Christians About the Gay Marriage Debate by Barnabas Piper: "If we believe in a sovereign God, then why are we so fearful? This could apply to just about any area of life, but apply it liberally to our societal fears. God is in charge. He knows what’s up. Represent Him well in all spheres of life, trust His reign and chill out."

*I only realized after I looked at this week's compiled links that it was a buncha white dudes this week. 

Link Love

Why We Need More Women in Ministry: "Second, male leaders can intentionally seek out female input. Women have an incredible wealth of wisdom, insight and parallel perspectives to offer the Church and the world—as men do." Should a Christian Dentist Fire His Too-Hot Hygienist? "At the root of this is, I fear, a kind of misogyny which identifies women themselves as the problem rather than one’s own lust and self-control. That’s not what the Bible teaches."

Sanctification in a Season of Singleness: "I think that this regular emphasis on our roles as men and women, husbands and wives, mothers and fathers, and so forth can obscure the one aspect of our identity that we have in common..."

In light of some blog-battles recently, regardless of where you stand on issues, we all ought to stand in goodwill and charity toward one another. It is not enough to simply admire someone's level-headed in matters of controversy, without taking a cue for oneself. A few bloggers had some good things to add.

The Blogs, the Battles and the Gospel: "I commend these seven rules to my fellow bloggers and to all of us who engage in online discussion."

Dude, Watch Your Jargon: "The easiest thing to do in a world where we get more air time but less ears is to nestle ourselves into a rut of discourse. We speak macro-jargon."

On the Separateness of Preaching and Healing: "Some broken people you want to love, and other judgmental people (even though we know in our hearts that this, too, is a form of brokenness) you want to give a double-barrel of exegesis."

And this week's winner of all, Say Something Right Now, or Else! "Silence is not always golden. But the “say something, or else!” form of public shaming is frequently manipulative and the cries are sometimes best ignored."

Link Love

I didn't realize until after I compiled this Link Love that all these have to do with crossing cultural barriers and seeing things from another's point of view. Something we could all use a little of. God's Gonna Cut You Down: God gives law its potency, the law gives sin its strength, sin gives death its sting, and the devil tells lies with all of it. And as with all effective lies, there is truth in it. That's why it works so well.

Preaching that Cuts to the Heart: The "cultural references," then, are simply my way of entering the world of my hearers, helping them understand at a deep level what is shaping their daily work, their romantic and family relationships, their attitudes toward sex, money, and power.

Listen to Your Critics: When we listen to our critics in an unhealthy way, we cave to their concerns because of the peer pressure. When we listen to our critics in a healthy way, we lay down defensiveness and try to figure out what of their concerns fits with our root convictions.

Christian Sub-Culture and the Stay-at-Home-Mom: Yes, our culture may devalue the role of the SAHM, but within the church we tend to do the opposite. We practically canonize her.

To This Day: A spoken word poem beautifully illustrated and recited. The video falls short by missing the reality of the only hope we have being Christ, but it does a great job of illuminating and giving voice to a very real problem with bullying in schools today. BELOW.

Link Love

I'm no avid pinner on Pinterest. But I pinned a few images from my dream home a few years ago. A few days ago a friend said, "I always imagine you in a Vermont farmhouse. Or a Kentucky bootlegger's shack. Something rustic," and I was reminded of this beaut. Here's the original post.

I shattered the screen on my iphone this past week, rendering it unusable, so I've been phone free for the last four days. Not only have I not missed the convenience of the apps, I haven't really missed the traditional phone components either. A friend pointed me to Sarah's Bessey's post on being phone free. It makes a girl think.

In Systematic Theology class this week we talked about the resurrection. With guest appearances in our notes from John Donne, Rudyard Kipling, John Updike, and NT Wright, I tweeted it was an Lit/Theology nerd's dream. Here's an article from Christianity Today about why the bodily resurrection matters.

Peter Leithart has a powerful little piece over on the First Things blog this week. No matter where you stand politically, this is important. "Division was essential to the social renewal [Christ] came to accomplish, because those who followed him, torn from comfortable networks of kin and religion, formed the nucleus of a new kind of community."

My dear friend Andrea wrote about mothering and saying no. I can't always sympathize with posts on mothering, but I can definitely identify with saying no, in order to say yes to something better. If you're a parent or you're just plain busy, please take a moment to read this treasure.

My parents were big fans of dirt while we were growing up. It could have been the seven brothers I'm sandwiched between—a losing battle for the germaphobe however you try. More likely, though, it was because they knew there was something healthy about dirt, good old Pennsylvanian dirt, rich with history and nutrients. The Dallas band Air Review produced this beaut last year and I still love it. I may not have been America's Son, but I sure was his sister.

Link Love

This week is marks 40 years since Roe v. Wade and we'd be remiss if we didn't sit and reflect on what that has meant for our country, regardless of which side of the fence you sit. It's worth noting this year's March for Life is anticipated to be the largest ever and it is primarily made up of young people. Young people. That gives me hope. Jared Wilson wrote a great article this week on why we need to do away with utilitarian arguments against abortion. All life is valuable because God attributes value to it, not because we do. A few years ago I realized that I had not ever fully understood the Gospel, even though I had spent much of my life thinking I had. I searched for books that could give voice to what I was feeling, finally landing on Gospel Wakefulness by Jared Wilson, and Mere Churchianity by Michael Spencer. Luma Sims has just released her new book Gospel Amnesia and while I haven't yet read it, Gloria Furman's review of it makes me want to add it to my 100 in 2013 list.

Blogging can feel a bit like pouring choice wine down a wooden pail riddled with holes at the bottom. I wonder sometimes, "Am I making a difference? Over a decade of words are here and what good have they done at all except make me a bit better writer?" I think every serious writer grapples with these questions and more, so this short audio by John Piper was helpful for me this week.

I've heard from many of you about how helpful my 100 in 2013 post was and so I thought you'd enjoy reading Josh Stringer's post on how to read 50 books in 2013. I've adopted a few of his suggestions already this month and have found them to be helpful.

"There's no one good enough for you!" I cannot tell you how very many, many, many times I've heard those words. Not only do those words make me wonder if all the single men have absorbed the idea that they're not good enough for anyone, but it also makes me wonder if I've literally spent the last 30 years crafting an image of myself that is simply not true. I am not good and I do not need someone "good enough" for me. Ruth Rutherford writes with her typical humor and poignancy here in Debunking the Myth: No One Good Enough.

I'm a huge fan of hot drinks, and hardly a respecter of what's actually in them at all. This recipe for homemade chai is from one of my favorite blogs and I can't wait to try it!

I'm adverse to any sort of conflict, either initiating it or being on the receiving end of it. When I say adverse, I mean I feel sick to my stomach and terrified almost instantly when conflict rises. It's something the Lord continually sanctifies in me, gently leading me into situations where others critique me or I need to critique them. Thom Rainer highlights seven characteristics of an effective critic here. Very helpful.

Alcohol, Marriage, and Telling the Truth

Here are some articles I've enjoyed recently: One Alternative to Pessimism and Optimism by Emily Freeman. I tweeted this week that most people assume I'm an optimist and extrovert, but that I think that's just proof that God can transform a pessimist and introvert. This post came on the heels of that and I loved it. As believers we get to walk in the freedom of Christ, in Christ, and with Christ—regardless of how bleak or perfect things appear.

Two Types of Leadership by Adrian Warnock. One thing that gives me pause often is the reality that in many ways the social climate of our generation exists mainly in a virtual way, ie. social networking, email relationships, skype, etc. This article discusses the ways we're shaped by leadership in our lives, and what kind of leaders we end up being, highlighting the propensity these days to be led by others online, and landing on two distinct leadership styles.

What's Worth Staking Your Ministry On? on Gospel Driven Church. This short post hit home for me because I come from a background where drinking was taboo for various reasons—everything from alcoholism in the family to a desire to "keep a brother from stumbling" kept me from touching alcohol for many, many years. In the past few years, God has been gracious to reveal my heart and more importantly His heart in the matter. I loved how this question was answered.

#1 Career Mistake Capable People Make by Greg McKeown. Greg talks about four steps capable people make that end up shortchanging them in the future. I saw my friend link to this article as I was juggling a design freelance project, a counseling phone call, and an article due that night—needless to say, it came at the perfect moment.

The Cost of Writing Truth by Tony Woodlief. My friend Tony never fails to bring me back time and time again. I wept reading this, partially because I know what writing the truth has cost him, but partially because there is a careful and beautiful line every writer walks, and the boundaries are always a little blurry.

At Last by Jared Wilson. I shared this on facebook and I thought everyone was going to burst at the seams! I mean, let's face it, we're all a sucker for the groom's face at the first sight of his bride. Well, at least I am. But the parallel Jared draws is so much more beautiful and sweeter than any earthly image of marriage.

Loudmouths, Controversy, and Women in the Church

I have writer's block. Some Big Name Bloggers will tell you there's no such thing as writer's block, only being undisciplined or not doing the work of writing. But I have something to tell them: I HAVE WRITER'S BLOCK. I can't spit out a halfway coherent and beautiful sentence, and I have tried. I take full responsibility for the block—early morning classes, a full time job (and starting a new position at my job), dozens of writing assignments this month, a roommate getting married, leading a home-group, and trying to manage other's expectation for my life. All that to say, I'm okay with a little writer's block.

So instead here are some things I've been mulling over since I read them: 

Watch Out for Loudmouths I can't tell you how many times I've used a word to describe someone's beliefs, or assigned a particular characteristic to a group of people, and it was just simply incorrect. No, not all Charismatics believe that if you don't speak in tongues you're not saved. No, being a Calvinist does not mean you don't evangelize. No, being an egalitarian does not mean you're holding pep-rallies braless and branded in the middle of the street. This article speaks of loudmouths in the church and how knowledge divorced from love, well, it's just puffed up, a clanging symbol, and banging gong.

Is the Sabbath Still Relevant? "If we did set apart one day each week for rejuvenation in God, we would immediately add to every year over seven weeks of vacation.  And not for doing nothing but for worship, for friends, for mercy, for an afternoon nap, for reading and thinking, for lingering around the dinner table and sharing good jokes and tender words and personal prayers." Love this short, convicting piece.

Women and The Church My friend Paul has been writing some of his thoughts on women and the church. Paul and I are in agreement about most things theological, except this subject. But his willingness to engage, dialogue, ask questions, and always, always, always submit to the Holy Spirit and the Word consistently blesses me. I've enjoyed reading his thoughts here and regardless of where you stand on the issue, I think it would behoove you to check into these posts.

Do you Love Controversy or People? Internet controversy is everywhere, overwhelmingly so sometimes. This article was timely and good. "Is it love for God and neighbor that gets you into controversy, or is it a proud desire to strut your opinions, flaunt your learning, and see your enemy discomfited?"

Church as Creature of the Word Matt Chandler, Josh Patterson, & Eric Geiger just released a book called Creature of the Word. Since 2/3 of the authors are also my pastors, I feel like I can say with some certainty that this interview is spot on and makes me love my church so much more.

Many people come to The Village expecting that it's going to be as perfect as the podcast they've listened to for years, and well, that's just not the case. We're imperfect, we're doubting, we're stumbling, we're confessing, we're repenting. But here's what we are more than anything: creatures of the Word. We love the word at my church—and because of that, we love God, we laud Him, we exalt Him. We understand that we're the created, the creatures. He's the Creator. And His word teaches us that.

In the same way, that's what I want to do at Sayable. I want to point you to the Word. I want to point me at the Word (You know that's what most of what I write here comes from, right? My simple, confessed need for the words of God?). Writer's block or not, I never want to sit under reader's block.

God, make your Word, your breath, your Son real to us today and let us be students always. 

LINK LOVE

Some breadcrumbs I've picked up around the internets recently that I've been stuffing away until I could share them all with you. I suppose there's no time like the present.

Preaching to Ourselves by Joe Thorn "But the reality is, the more important the truth, the more dangerous it is when we drift from it. And we all tend to drift. We forget. So we need to hear, and hear again, the truths we think we already know."

Making the Most of Your Mornings by David Mathis "The Jesus who got up early, while it was still dark, to pray, and rose from the dead very early in the morning, is the same Jesus who will not break a bruised reed or quench a smoldering wick. He is not just our example, but our Substitute."

Eisegesis in Esther by Wendy Aslup "Conservative, complementarian Christians need to get better at confronting poor teaching among their own on women in Scripture. When prominent complementarians use such eisegesis on a Biblical text involving the sexual subjugation of a woman and no other complementarian leader confronts them, the whole of teaching on submission in marriage, male eldership, and a woman's particular role in reflecting the image of God gets tainted."

Who Taught You to Fear? by Donald Miller "He does not force us to face our fears, nor does he ridicule us because our fears are unfounded. Instead, He is simply with us. He sits by us, He comforts us, He provides for us, He loves us. All the while we fear, for no reason. Even death does not merit fear. Not from His perspective."

Angry with God by Geoff Ashley "It is never right and good to be angry at God, but if you are, don’t stay there. Humble yourself and move toward Him."

Made for the Party by Amber Haines "My church has taught me that the body was made for taking a few breaks, meant to live out the metaphor in full, stomp the weight of world into the ground. There’s joy at the table, we leaning back on our elbows, free to cackle, eyes expectantly on Jesus as He pours the free cup."

The Christian Celebrity by Tim Challies "We cross into a culture of celebrity when we assume that merit in one field or one discipline necessarily carries that merit to other fields or disciplines. More particularly, it comes when we transfer the authorityof one field into another, so that we assume the guy with the popular blog must be a great expositor of the Bible (thus transferring the authority of his success in social media into authority the pulpit)."

The Bride of Christ is a Hot Mess by Doug Wilson "In the meantime, we do not need for the bishop to proceed up the central aisle, like the biggest crow in the gutter. We do not need another message from Doctrine Man, with ten rivets in each subpoint. We do not need the worship leader to take us through yet one more orgasmic chord progression. We don’t need a doctrine of responsible stewardship and sustainability that worries more about how many times we flush than how many babies we kill. We do not need any more cardboard cut-out celebrity pastors, grinning at us, as smug as all dammit. In short, we don’t need any more of what we currently have. A.W. Tozer once cuttingly observed that if revival means more of what we have now, we most emphatically do not need a revival."

I STACKED UP TEN BOOKS

A fellow blogger has taken on the mammoth task of blogging through her bookshelves all this week—and I admire her for it! I wish I was able to do the same, but alas, most of my books have found themselves on the bookshelves of others and so I'm left with my measly top ten.

(Full disclosure: in writing this down tonight, I'm mostly procrastinating on the other writing I'm supposed to be doing. But I'm hoping that this small exercise will get my fingers moving in the right direction. Also, if you buy one of these books after clicking off my site, I might make a penny or two of that sale. So if enough of you buy, I might be able to get a snow-cone next week.)

These are not in any sort of order, except the order in which I thought they looked the prettiest all stacked on top of one another. Call me OCD or call me an artist, I think they're interchangeable.

A Circle of Quiet by Madeleine L'Engle
This was the first piece of creative memoir I ever read, back in high-school. It set the stage for every single thing I have written since. Every sentence of mine has been crafted through the sieve of Madeleine's books, fiction and non-fiction. Her Crosswicks Journals are my favorite four of her books, of which this is one.

Mudhouse Sabbath by Lauren Winner
I read this book in about two sittings, a rarity for a Winner book (Girl Meets God, Real Sex, etc.). It was probably the first book I ever read on theology and perhaps the one which tempers me back, draws me in, and helps me to find some medium of faithfulness to the small things when my nature is to shout Grace! more loudly than anything else.

Mere Churchianity by Michael Spencer
This book was recommended to me by Jared Wilson (who wrote one of the books further down) as the closest book he could recommend for a memoir[ish] about someone who'd experienced what his book called Gospel Wakefulness. I only just recently read it, but Spencer's story and thoughts on being in church for decades and only fully understanding the gospel recently resonated very strongly in me. It's not memoir, but it could be.

The Valley of Vision, a book of puritan prayers
For several years, while my mind was teetering on the edge of dangerous thoughts and my soul was tempered with a form of the gospel, and not the fullness of it, my wise mentor and friend would have me take these prayers and rewrite them in my own words. There has been no discipline better for my fingers or my soul than this. So often my spiritual problem is that I cannot say the words that are simmering deeply in me, these prayers unlocked those words.

The Sacred Journey by Frederick Buechner
This book is more yellowed, written in, and falling apart than any of my books. I have read and reread it numerous times, each time more captured by his fluid sentences and depth of story. Buechner is one of my favorite authors, but this book stands apart from all the rest as he tells the story of his life and faith.

Desiring God by John Piper
I have not so much read this book as absorbed it. I have "been reading"  it for years, still unfinished. The concept that God is most glorified when we are most joy-filled, and that our fullness of God comes from seeing the glory of God has absolutely, unequivocally changed my life. And it changes it yearly, weekly, daily, moment by moment. At every moment when my joy lacks, it is easily found in Him. At every moment when my joy is found, it is easily found in more fullness of Him.

Jesus, My Father, the CIA, and Me by Ian Morgan Cron
This book, to me, is so much like The Sacred Journey in so many ways. I saw it on a bookshelf at Barnes and Noble and stood there reading it for over an hour. I could not put it down until I inched nearer and near to the end, which is when I began reading it as slowly as I could to make it last. The last several chapters of this book have profoundly affected me recently.

Somewhere More Holy by Tony Woodlief
I would like to tell you that I love this book because Tony is a friend or because I know what this book meant to his family, but the truth is that I loved this book, wept through this book, healed from this book long before I knew Tony at all. When we finally did become friends, I had to confess that a year after I bought the book, it was still sitting on my side table, teaching me things, reading me as much as I have read it.

Gospel Wakefulness by Jared Wilson
If there is only one book on this list that I recommend to every person, it is this one. I say that because of these words by D.A. Carson, "The first generation loved the gospel, the second generation assumed the gospel, and the third generation hated the gospel." Whoever we are, we are one of those people, and every one of us needs the gospel more and more every day. I do not know of a better book to commend for that purpose but this one.

The Complete Stories by Flannery O'Connor
You didn't think I'd forget this one, did you? I don't care who you are, you ought to have read Flannery O'Connor. In one of these stories we find ourselves, a putrid, filthy mirrored reflection or a stark, staggering realization, it's there. I do not know of a better communicator of the state of the heart than dear Flannery.

Bonus:
A Two-Part Invention by Madeleine L'Engle
Here's another one of her Crosswick's Journals and my second favorite of all her books. This one is about her marriage and family. Beautiful.

Okay, what about you? What are your top ten books? Blog them or comment below! I'd love some new recommendations (even though, I confess, I read the same books over and over and over again...). 

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JUDGING COVERS

I have never been one to listen to the writing coaches who say to "write through the fear" or "face the blank page and just write." I'm more of a start five paragraphs and erase every single character because I can't believe such drivel exists inside of me and then go into a quiet room and stare at the ceiling for three hours. You think I'm kidding, I'm not. Perfectionism, anyone? My default is to just give one of those generic "this is what's going on in life" sort of posts and I placate my perfectionism by saying, well, the folks at home, see? Or, well, linking up to interesting content is kind. Or, well, what else am I suppose to do?

The truth is that it's fear, though, plain and simple. It's fear that keeps me from posting anything and fear that drives me to post anything at all. I'm not asking for you to analyze that (I have good, wise people who address this fungus of my soul often and without fear, thanks.), I'm just telling you so that you can know that I'm built of fear, through and through. Books can't be judged by their cover and neither can people, which is what I think that idiom was intended to mean anyway.

So here's a cover, judge away:

READING: 

I don't read a lot of blogs. I just find that my soul gets bogged down if I'm spreading it thin and there are so many blogs and so many opinions and I want to give the best part of me to real live relationships as much as possible. This means that my google reader gets thinned out often and only the staples remain. One of those those staples is a brilliant teacher of the word from my church, Jen Wilkin. Her most recent post illustrates perfectly why I'm continually rooting out the extra voices in life.

I also clicked over to Allison Vesterfelt's blog this week when she wrote about how she handles conflict with her husband. I'm not married, obviously, but every good story contains conflict and my life isn't without it. So this post encouraged me to live palms up.

Emily Freeman is new to my feed reader, but I'm loving everything she puts out. This recent post on envy hit me squarely mostly because I don't think of myself as someone who struggles with envy, but this week, oh friends, this week the green monster has hitched an unwelcome ride on my shoulders. Her post was timely and good.

LISTENING: 

My church just put out a single of Come to Me, sung by the lovely Lauren Chandler. I've been listening to a rough copy recorded by one of my sound guy friends for a few months, but now that it's real and legit, I'll be listening more. So good.

I'm a sucker for hymns. I love singing theology because I love singing what IS true instead of what I want to be true or wish to be true. This version of Well With My Soul has been playing constantly this week.

LOVING: 

My yankee roommate is pretty amazing. I don't know if I tell you guys that much. But she is. One of the best people in my life. She's good at asking questions and she's good at just sitting beside me when my soul doesn't need counsel, just friendship. The other day she brought home the best chocolate known to man and this clinched the bestness of her.

A year ago I took on the task to start tweeting through The Valley of Vision, a book of prayers that has encouraged me and discipled me (if it's possible for a book to do that). As with most things I do in life, I lost steam quickly. But people kept following and retweeting and I felt like it was a shame to let it go entirely. Enter Bliss Spillar, a fellow tweeter and VOV lover! He'll be helping out over there and is already doing a great job. So I love that. For sure.

DOING: 

Went to go see Moonrise Kingdom, wore the only thing Scoutish I owned, a shirt I made a few years ago with a tie around the neckline. Love the movie. Didn't stop grinning through the entirety of it. I'm serious.

One of my lovely girls from home, played a show with Seryn in Dallas last week. It was special to see her playing alongside one of my favorite bands; it was special to bring all my DFW friends to meet her. But it was most special to just SEE her. We spent the next morning together just laughing, crying, praying, and loving one another. I love that girl.

Two and a half years ago I vowed to never buy a car again. But here's the deal: I can't drive the same car for the rest of my life. And it's really, really hard to buy a car when you're a single girl who barely knows the trunk from the hood. I'm blessed to have a roommate with a big brother who takes his role very seriously with all of us as 625 Meadow. Within 24 hours we found this little car and she became mine! It was the most painless, easy car buying experience of my life.

I love my job. Have I mentioned that recently? I really love my job. This image was snapped recently while we were setting up for a viewing of Goodnight, Red Light, a documentary we filmed about human trafficking in India. I hate trafficking and this is almost entirely why I love my job.

Last night Matt finished up a six month series we've been doing at church on Galatians. It has been one of the most challenging and pastoring series I've ever walked through and I'm so glad that I have another few months of walking through it with my homegroup as we finish up the material. Listen to this series, friends, seriously, listen.

That's all folks. Long enough? Got my fingers moving, that's for sure!

SOME THINGS and OTHER THINGS

I still don't have my new laptop—shipping from China apparently takes longer than the three days to get here they promised me. Who knew? 


I figured this might be a good time to share a few little nuggets. Some photos from my trip, in case you're not friends with me on facebook or following me on Instagram. Some places I popped up around the web recently that you might have missed. Some little thoughts rolling around in my head that were probably tweeted if you're following me around over there. Some verses that are sticking to my ribs. Some writing by others that is settling on my shoulders. You know? Just some nuggets. 

Some verses that are sticking to my ribs these days: 

Galatians 5:1 — It was for freedom that you have been set free.

Psalm 87:7 — Singers and dancers alike say, 'All my springs are in you!'

Some places I popped up on the internet in the past few weeks: 

Are You a No Girl? at Single Roots

The Gospel from the Red Light District at GENERATE Magazine

Sleeping Alone at The High Calling

Some thoughts rolling around in my head these days: 

I make much of God in my conversation not only because...

Hey, God cannot be mocked, so stop worrying about...

One of the best decisions I make every day is to be fully...

Some writing that is settling on my shoulders and in my heart: 

One thing that will make your soul explode by Emily Freeman at Chatting at the Sky

Whispering Along a Thin Trembling Thread by Tony Woodlief at Image Journal

Telemachus to Odysseus by Bradford Winters at Image Journal

Rural Ministry is Not Second Rate by Jared Wilson at The Gospel Driven Church

Some photos of places and people: 

Cabin on a lake, my roommates come to visit me for a day and their car gets totaled, the sunsets are spectacular every night, and it rains torrentially the entire eleven hour drive to Chattanooga.

A pygmy goat keeps me company every day, I cuddle this sweet boy every night, the wonderful Sara Kristen does a field photoshoot with me, I write. A lot.

I hide out on this porch, write to the sound of this waterfall, read and read a lot.

I visit my best friend, her husband, they catch fish, I write more. 

I get to see my siblings and niece, I am a happy, happy, HAPPY girl.

No photo of this, but on the drive home I see my brother who’s been in Afghanistan for a year and who I haven’t seen in two YEARS! 

I bring my friend Olive home to Texas with me. We drive for 28 hours, through a microburst in Ohio[!], stopping for a quick overnight in Nashville.