05.08.21 - week 103
i ruined mom’s birthday
no shame in the fun …
Ecclesiastes 3:12-13 - I perceived that there is nothing better for them than to be joyful and to do good as long as they live; also that everyone should eat and drink and take pleasure in all his toil—this is God's gift to man.
solomon had it all … money, pleasure, and power beyond what any of us will ever experience. yet in reflecting on life, he noticed the small things. the joy in a project completed, the vibes of a good meal, and the simple happiness in doing good.
paul said to timothy that God ‘richly provides us with everything to enjoy.’
when david describes God’s deliverance of Israel in psalm 126, its described as … ‘our mouths were filled with laughter our tongues with joyful shouting’
sometimes followers of jesus can be a bummer to hang out with because our seriousness about sin + hell can mute our ability to pause and live like today is a good day in this present age.
interestingly enough, many people fighting injustice or doing politics give off some of this same vibe, namely that there’s too much work to do to waste time having a party or watching the sunset.
i’m convinced one of the hidden gifts that God gave each of us through the difficulty of the COVID season is a delight in small things.
- i remember last summer, i was in orange county w. my family + kristen’s sister at the beach. we were in a place where restaurants were open, but where we lived they weren’t. so we stopped quick right before closing time and ate at Olive Garden. now i don’t want to come across elitist, but that was definitely the first time in my life i was DELIGHTED to be inside eating at Olive Garden.
- each week at ‘good news in the neighborhood,’ i meet people who say that it’s their first time in-church in-person in over a year. without fail, they express surprise at how much they missed it and how pleased they are to be with people + hearing the singing etc.
- i hate kids baseball. compared to the fun of flag football or basketball, it’s slow + the games are long + in chi-town it’s usually cold most of the season. but watching my son graham play the last few weeks, i have been so joyous because last summer he never got to play at all.
there’s three examples from my life, quick off the top of my head … have you realized how precious time with extended family is?
have you stopped complaining about the commute and have a bit of longing to joke around in the hallway with co-workers?
although this world isn’t our final destination and we have inevitable daily struggles and difficulties, God gives a beautiful world to enjoy.
true followers of Jesus should, love to laugh, and eat, and tell stories and eat some more, because while we wait for Jesus to come back, one of the best ways to worship him is enjoying the things he has made.
so no shame in the game of joy … we celebrate good from God. everywhere something good is happening, God is being kind to us. so let’s make this summer of 2021, this summer of new re-firsts, one of thanking God for his good gifts.
if it’s good … its FROM Him.
KG Korner
(a few wise words from lady kristen macdonald)
To women on Mother’s Day weekend
God made each woman, including you in his image. You find yourself in a season that He has appointed for your life. If it’s a good season, enjoy it. If it’s a difficult season, keep praying - it won’t last forever. Some of you became moms as a long-hoped for dream come true, while others of you have become mothers through marriage or through unforeseen circumstances. We know that God’s Word says that children are a heritage from the LORD, a reward and yet whichever season of motherhood you find yourself in, I’d be shocked if you couldn’t admit that it has its moments filled with utmost joy but there have also been a bountiful amount of difficult ones too. The best thing that we can be to the children in your life is women of faith that pray for our families and the women in our lives and believe the promises of God on their behalf.
Let’s not forget where we have been before and that not everyone is not walking in the same shoes as you. Almost sure as shootin’ there’s a woman you know (even if you don’t realize it) that longs to be a mother and yet because of the circumstances that have been allowed in her life she has yet to hold a child in her arms. She has prayed more prayers than she can count and her pillows have tear stains. Let’s pray for that woman today, that God would uphold her on this difficult journey, and that she would experience God’s presence and joy and at every twist and turn God would fill her with an unwavering faith.
There’s probably a mom you know with little ones that is lacking sleep and feels like these long days may go on forever. She has heard the phrase, “the years are short and the days are long,” but motherhood feels harder than what she thought she was signing up for. Let’s be women who encourage these weary moms, let’s pray their babies would put the hours of sleep together that they need. And I hope that when they vent about how difficult the isolation of the last year has been we’d have compassion for them. Let’s pray for this dear one, that God would meet her in the mundane of her days and give her simple joys; that she’d be clothed with strength and dignity and that her home would be filled with laughter.
Oh how the mother of teenagers needs your friendship and wisdom and prayers! She got to this stage faster than she could have thought and she feels the tension of letting her son or daughter gain independence and yet wants so badly to guide them in the right direction. Lets pray for her to have wisdom in what to say and do and for her response when inevitably her teenager acts like a teenager.
Whether it’s your mom or aunt or friend there’s a woman you know who made it out alive (LOL) to the empty nest stage. Some have found it exciting and liberating whereas others have felt it more as an identity crisis. Let’s pray that this woman would find joy in this season and that she would rejoice and cheer for her adult children in their new endeavours.
We know life is short, and that surely there is a woman missing her mother today. She treasures the memories they shared and still wants so badly to make her mom proud. Let’s pray for comfort for her today. Let’s be women who encourage and honor and love the mothers we know in our life. There but for the grace of God go you & I.
a thing on leadership
post post-modern self-harm
the endless ability to access other peoples highlight reels and compare them to our frustrating realities is a deeply confounding problem for many. this is not a new observation, but i have been realizing that it is a new(er) form of self harm.
during my youth pastor days, i got to know many young people (mostly young women) struggling with cutting. something intense was happening inside them that was more painful than the physical pain of bleeding a bit. i’m not a mental health professional, so i don’t understand it perfectly, but i feel a lot of compassion towards it.
i wonder if the endless doom-scrolling you do of her smart kids or his manicured lawn or her flawless joanna gaines house or his successful business or his athletic kids or her chiseled body or or or … is something similar?
by looking at what you wish you had, you are in fact pummeling yourself towards what may initially look like motivation towards achieving, but is in fact more like punishing yourself for not achieving it?
#superchristianguy
book review
gentle + lowly: the heart of Christ for sinners + sufferers -dane ortlund
this is a book i wouldn’t normally read due to a publisher + cover i generally don’t resonate with. however, so many people i know recommended it that i decided to give it a try. ortlund uses many short chapters to look at Jesus Christ through the lens of many reformation + puritan era thinkers to remind us of His heart towards us. rather than marked by brutality or aggressive need to rehab us, ortlund shows us Jesus as kind + accepting + moved to compassion for us even in our failures.
the first few chapters especially were a refreshing balm to my heart. if you are down or struggling, this book will help you re-see Jesus for who he really is, maybe not who your hurts or hang-ups have caused you to see Him.
stuff to click on
the hottest junk food in europe is something called ‘french tacos’ … i found this story about it funny + interesting …
if you followed jesus as a teenager or young person, this song will bring some nostalgia that i am guessing you will love, old church basement is a vibe