I 8 Wednesdays--Pride Mountain

It’s a seductive hike. I’ve trekked it. And I’m going divulge one of my greatest fears about sending my name out in the world in this pursuit to be published—that His name would slide underfoot with the moss and leaves as I follow the trail.

I’m referring to the Sherpa-led pathway up Pride Mountain. This is one Sherpa you don’t want to follow. It’s the deceptive voice whispering in your ear any and all success you’ve garnered is because of your prowess, your diligence…your strength. Your giftedness. And while you may be incredibly devoted to your talents, pouring hours of effort into your craft daily, the Sherpa consistently reminds you you’ve almost reached the mountain peak—urging you to keep going. You’ve almost conquered. Mixing truth with lies, he tells you all credit goes to your legs, your determination, your keen sense of direction, and your knowledge stretching from East to West.

May I be held accountable whenever I climb so far up Pride Mountain I’ve lost sight of The Giver of All Gifts.

Last week in Bible study our pastor’s wife (one authentic woman) gave us a list she found online (sorry, I don’t have a reference) revealing some eye-opening symptoms of pride. It certainly made me rethink some ways I live…

Symptoms of Pride:

>Are your feelings hurt easily?

>Does it irritate you when people don’t agree with you?

>Does it really bother you when someone corrects your mistakes?

>Do you find yourself giving more criticisms more than compliments? Are you often critical of other people and pointing out their faults and failures, rather than their good points?

>If someone has hurt you or done you wrong in the past, do you hold bitterness and resentment against the person?

>Do you seek praise for things over which you have no control?

>Do you feel offended or not appreciated when not given credit for something you have done?

>Do you often compete or compare yourself with someone else? Are you always trying to do better or have more than some other particular person?

“I lift my eyes my eyes up to the mountains—where does my help come from? My help comes from the Lord, the Maker of heaven and earth. He will not let your foot slip—he who watches over you will not slumber…” Psalms 121: 1-3

*photos by flickr

Booking a Vacation

In many ways reading a good book can be just as replenishing as taking a vacation.

Here are some similarities I’ve found between reading an enticing book and going on vacation:

* While reading a book, you meet people you might not ordinarily convene with.

* You learn about exotic and unusual locations and potentially new customs and social codes.

* Depending on the voice of the author, you might find yourself surrounded by a whole new way of speaking/communicating as you read.

* It’s easy to spend hours swept up in another world.

* Your brain feels satisfied and relaxed.

* You stay up later than usual, immersed in the newness and escape of it all.

* Routine worries and distractions fade into the distance.

How about you—booked a vacation recently?

photos by flickr

Encouragement

We interrupt the regularly scheduled One Question Friday for this:

Recently I received one of the greatest compliments of my life and here’s the kicker, it has nothing to do with me and everything to do with God.

A living and active God—who has gifted me with encouragement—who has gifted me with words.

Reading this post by Mark Sayers encourages me in ways I cannot explain during this time of grief (the link on his blog shoots you back to a book review I wrote here at All in a Day’s Thought, several days ago for The Vertical Self). What a reminder of how God works in His children, using us to glorify Him even when we don’t realize that is what we’re doing.

This is such a beautiful cyclical example of God’s Spirit at work, I hope you’ll take the time to click to read more about The White Stone (and feel free to scroll your curser down a bit to read my book review to understand more).

How have you been encouraged in faith lately?

I 8 Wednesdays—TV Shows

Every Wednesday I’ll give you a list of eight. This Wednesday I’m divulging eight TV shows that captured my attention for extended periods of time.

Family Ties

The Cosby Show

The Wonder Years

Santa Barbara

Beverly Hills 90201 (I never said I wouldn’t be embarrassed sharing these)

Oprah

Friends

LOST

*photos by flickr

Delicious Reads

I’m reading some good stuff and I plan to give you a one sentence wrap up to flesh out the good of each book.

The Marriage Project by Kathi Lipp
This book is unique from all other books on marriage I’ve read and the first hook was the playful and encouraging way the author writes.
~~

The Help by Kathryn Stockett
Can you say expert on writing enticing characters starting page one, continuing, continuing…?
~~

Wishing on Willows by Katie Ganshert
Katie clearly has poured effort into making every sentence pop…an intentional practice.

Esther by Beth Moore
After what, 8 or 9 of her studies, it never gets old—the lady is anointed (Esther and Beth).
~~

Plot & Structure by James Scott Bell
I’m soaking up every word (and underlining just about every other word) as I delve into rich wisdom from a writing guru.

Noble Efforts to Engulf the Moon by Wendy Paine Miller
I wrote it, I owe it to myself and the characters to keep working out the kinks.

The Bible
It really doesn’t get any better than this.

*I have an article here at Sage Girls Ministry
** and my column here at Exemplify

***photos by flickr

Good Friday

Good

Friday

*photos by flickr

The Vertical Self by Mark Sayers

*Special Thursday Book Review*

When trying to discern who you are, do you look around you or do you look to the One who holds the answer? In The Vertical Self, Sayers plunges the depths of how easy it is to manipulate image in today’s culture. As though pulling from a deck of cards you can select a “cool” image, a “glamorous” one or perhaps something “sexy.”

He writes, “Welcome to the world in which we are told we can be anyone we want to be, where identity is no longer based in sense of self but rather in the imagery we choose at any particular moment.”

Sayers examines what it means to be defined by horizontal impressions, what the world thinks of you versus understanding who you are in an all-loving, holy, vertical relationship with God.

I appreciated the refreshingly honest perspective throughout The Vertical Self. In this age of Facebook, Twitter, blogs and profuse access to reinventing self and playing with image as though it’s a puzzle, Sayers holds Christians to account, reminding us where our foundation is and who we can trust.

I love this next paragraph so much I have to quote it for you. It has special meaning to me because two weeks ago I said good-bye to my father. Walking through the hospital door seeing my father in his brain-dead condition was one of the hardest things I’ve ever done. I pulled a small white rock from my purse and placed it in his unresponsive hand. Between sobs, I reminded him that he’d be getting a new name soon.

The next day we took him off the ventilator. Thankfully he passed quickly, clutching Jesus as he left this world…perhaps reading or hearing his beautiful new name for the first time.

Sayers writes, “I think I now understand in some small way how God feels as he sees us. Probably we initially appear to him like a newborn baby—messy and covered in goo and muck. But he looks beyond all that. He lifts our faces; he looks deep into our eyes and sees the image of God, the potential for shalom. He sees us fully redeemed, exactly as he designed us when he knitted us in our mother’s wombs. This is why he calls out to you. He is beckoning you from the future to become your true self. He holds in his hand a white rock with your true name on it.”

*little did I know when I wrote this post for Exemplify weeks ago I'd be going through my own grief when it posted