They answered God’s call to love their neighbors, quite literally. They didn’t ask, “Who is my neighbor?” but “To whom can I be a neighbor?”…[read more]
New Article on Provoketive
Listening, Heart Wide Open
We need to hear people’s stories. Not just the ones we want to hear, the triumph-of-grace-over-sin, feel-good, happy-ending tales of a life turned to Christ. Not just the kind that make the people cheer in victory, that another soul has been rescued from the clutches of Satan. We need to hear the stories that make us squirm. The ones that cause us to lie awake nights, asking the deeper questions about sin, salvation, and grace.
Here are a couple of links to just such stories: Life Abundant, a guest post on Andrew Marin’s blog; and this one, the most recent post on Ryan Nix’s blog, Queer as Faith. (Nix’s posts are much less about being the “gay Christian dude” and more about drawing us back to the heart of the Father. Incredibly inspiring and often convicting, the posts are very well-written; it’s worth checking out some of the others as well.)
Often, we might say that we ought to get to know real-life LGBT people. But the subtle underlying message we hear or sometimes speak is, “So that they come to know Christ and give up their lifestyle of rampant sin.” The fault in that is two-fold. First, it’s incorrect to assume anything about someone’s faith (as seen in the links above). Second, it’s never a good idea to enter a friendship with an agenda.
Most of you know where my heart is. If we’ve talked, then chances are I know where yours is. No one is being asked to jump immediately on board the train and change their thinking, certainly not overnight. But we do need to hear what people different from ourselves have to say. It’s not a matter of listening with an open mind but an open heart. When we do this kind of open-hearted listening, we are offering ourselves to G-d to work through us and in us.
Who will you listen to today?
30 Days, 50,000 Words, and 1 Novel Later
Hey folks!
I’m back from the padded room of novel-writing. And guess what? I did it! I wrote a novel.
The harsh reality is that it isn’t what I would call “good.” Well, some parts of it are great. Others stink. It’s possible that with some (all right, a lot) of editing, it might be worth publishing. But at the moment, all of that is irrelevant.
The point, for me, was not just to prove that I could do it. I began not with a goal of reaching the magical 50,000 words, but with the intent to finish the novel. I managed to do both, but I would have been content to have the plot wrapped up. I needed to develop the self-control to finish what I started.
I have this terrible habit of self-editing. I write stuff, then I go back and think, “That sucked. Gotta revise.” I can’t get past the mistakes I’ve made. I’m so busy living in my writing’s past that I can’t create its future. I also tend to get hung up on the middle of the plot. I start strong, I know where it’s all going to end up, but I can’t decide which path to take to work my way there.
Is that anything like real life? How often do we get sucked into the whirling vortex of second guessing ourselves? Do we have an end point in mind, a goal, and wish we were there—forgetting about the present? Taking the time to move forward, to know where we’re headed, but to stay in the moment—that’s the challenge.
I’m going to take the skills I learned out into the world. I want my life, as well as my writing, to have flow, direction, and purpose.
Here’s to finishing what we start!
Reinventing Advent
I’m taking a much-needed break from novel writing to muse about the holiday season.
Last night, we lit our Advent candle. My husband has adapted the liturgy for use at home with our kids. Every night, we say a blessing, light the candle, read Scripture, and recite the Lord’s Prayer. We had the chance to talk a little about what the Bible verses mean. It’s exciting to see the kids processing what they read, trying to understand with their hearts the deeper truths hidden in the familiar stories.
I have to admit, this is the one season when I truly miss traditional church liturgy. The church we currently attend doesn’t do that sort of thing. Normally, I don’t mind. But when Advent rolls around, I find myself longing for the days of attending a church with stained glass windows and a pastor who wears robes. I yearn for the beauty of the old Christmas hymns, sung by a choir with organ accompaniment.
If I’m honest with myself (and I do try to be honest, if nothing else), I know I wouldn’t want all that pomp and ceremony all year. Most of the time, even though I do like traditional hymns, I enjoy the praise band more (especially when they’re playing an updated version of a familiar hymn). I like worshiping in a building where neither the music nor the message is overshadowed by pretty architecture.
But then comes Advent, and I miss it.
Which is why I enjoyed our family celebration last night. It had just the right amount of scripted recitation without feeling like we were just going through the motions. We are celebrating the joyous occasion of the birth of our Lord, but it is also solemn and holy. For that fifteen minutes each night, we are honoring the Lord with our words and actions.
How are you celebrating the season?
Article on Education
Another post on Provoketive:
My husband is a teacher. I appreciate that, because it gives me a window into the world of public education. Recently, Dear Husband was looking for information on Diane Ravitch. He came across an excellent speech she gave at Stanford University in August of 2010. Our favorite moment is when she suggests that No Child Left Behind is a foolish endeavor. She likens it to the federal government demanding that the police reduce crime to zero percent within 10 to 15 years. If they are unsuccessful, police officers will be fired and police departments will be closed. [read more]
New Post Up
My latest on Provoketive:
I don’t know about anyone else, but I am heartily sick of trendy “masculine Christianity.”
As far as I can tell, the definition of masculine is culturally driven and narrowly defined. I credit my favorite description of this to author James Howe in his YA novel Totally Joe: “Guy-guy.” You know exactly what he means—the type of person who is, in one way or another, a shining example of what it means to be a real man. Not just someone whose interests encompass home repair, cars, or video gaming, but someone who is considered undeniably male. Anyone outside that has crossed the lines of what is healthy manhood into the dangerous waters of undefined gender roles. [more]
