Daybook *2 week edition

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Out my Window: Happy little trees… my hill is dabbed with bright yellow amidst all browns, greens, and, naked trees.

Enjoying: Loving the Maples trees! They are gorgeous this year and appear to glow yellow. The beautiful hill and lake views as I drive to work. Surprising gorgeous sunrise after much fog.

Listening to:  Finished Jeannie Gaffigan’s new book When Life Gives You Pears: The Healing Power of Family, Faith, and Funny People. I loved it so much. I would very much like to hang out with Jeannie. So much wit and wisdom in this book. I enjoyed the presentation format of the audiobook. It was a fast, enjoyable listen, I am sure if I had gotten the hard copy I would have blown through it quickly. Great reminders of the power of God and prayer, the humanity of life, family and priorities, how we all get lost at times, gratitude. Also really good ideas of how to love and care for friends and family who are sick.

Listened to Ravi Zacharias at the Brooklyn Tab about our role in culture and challenging us to love well, he does a different take on Jonah.

https://www.brooklyntabernacle.org/media/sermons/20191006/fish-out-water?fbclid=IwAR0PXN_OGSmWUCP0rHHdugqm8BaIFcoNHqoIkUhwV9QfQOwlyozUjRSELLU

Listened to a few Holy Post Podcasts: The interviews that Skye Jethani has on after the show are very interesting. https://www.holypost.com/holy-post-podcast/episode/745a2417/episode-357-nones-love-nuns-and-us-versus-them-with-david-fitch

https://www.holypost.com/holy-post-podcast/episode/266d43ce/episode-355-the-future-of-the-church-with-mike-erre-part-1

I am in the middle of this one. I can’t wait to finish. I love John Perkins and am looking forward to the interview. https://www.holypost.com/holy-post-podcast/episode/1f0b288b/episode-374-parting-words-to-the-church-on-race-and-love-with-dr-john-perkins

Reading: Reading has slowed down for whatever reason. I switched my carry around book to The Next Right Thing by Emily P. Freeman. I listened to the audio awhile ago but I had wanted to get the book to re-read and mark up. It is an easy read, but with some depth, and real nuggets to ponder. I won a hard copy from Amy Odland’s blog https://amyodland.com/blog/ so that was exciting. I moved Unhurried Leader: The Lasting Fruit of Daily Influence by Alan Fadling by my bed because I am almost done with Matthew Henry’s Quest for Meekness and Quietness of Spirit.

Pondering: Sacred echoes on holiness and pursuing holiness in podcasts, sermons, and a talk I went to. I went to see Chip Ingram and he talked about how our culture is much more like the early church culture than the last century. He challenged us to be truly living out our hope and loving people well. He was talking about the shift in apologetics and how it went from having a good argument to having a good relationship and earning a chance to speak truth into someone’s life. People aren’t asking the same questions. I am noticing that with a new friend of mine. I so enjoy her and am thankful for her, but she really doesn’t have too many questions about religion or the Bible, first she doesn’t have the background, but also she wants to be a good person and is content with that being met by listening to the Sunday “talks.” Church meets that need for her. So I am pondering what is it that sets me apart at school, in the store, with my friends, or even in the Body of Christ? How am I pursuing holiness? Am I? Is there areas that are stumbling blocks that keep people from engaging with me about these things, or it wouldn’t cross their minds to ask me because that area looks no different. Is my talk and walk lining up? Is it an aroma to those being saved and to those perishing?

Learning: Learning that if I listen and look, God will tell me what I need to know about Him, or the moment, or myself. I feel like the last few months He has let me see inside a few situations of other people who each played out a tendency of mine in a non spirit controlled way. It was painful to watch for their sakes, and I pray for both people, but it was also painful for me to see something that I have the temptation to do played out, and what it really looks like. Praying that I will continue to take to heart what I saw and really learn to listen and obey instead of continuing along in what I think is best or because I am already committed to something. Learning to hold things loosely and hand situations and people over to God (not that He doesn’t already have them) but keeping my heart and mind from wanting to be someone’s savior, or to be so honest and raw that the focus is on me, not God. Sorry if this paragraph feels cryptic. I try not to share other people’s stories but these two events that I was a spectator of really impacted me deeply. They are such visuals of how easily I can get off track with the best of intentions, and the damage that can be done in it. I need the guidance and leading of the Holy Spirit along with the accountability that comes with being part of the Body of Christ.

Home: Still in need of a full day at home to gain control of some spaces, but I am somewhat keeping up, and doing seasonal tasks slowly.

Fitness and Mental Health: A little schlogging and a little pilates but nothing consistent in the exercise department.  Mental health: I have had opportunities to connect with some people who refresh my soul. It reminded me how much I need to be intentional with my long distant friends for the sake of the friendship, but also for my mental health.

Giving Thanks: Protection from a deer that crashed into my van and that we have a auto mechanic friend who fixed it for us that same day. My younger still enjoying his job and doing well, schedules working out, my older having the confidence and wisdom to step away from the job he has, and being wise as he looks for a new one. Laughing with my husband. Getting to see a good friend twice in a week. Getting to see Chip Ingram again. I appreciate his ministry, the simplicity but the encouragement to practice the gospel. The amazing beauty of this October. It has been an awesome fall. For subbing opportunities, for provisions, what God is doing in some of the ladies’ lives in our church.

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