**NEW** First Line Friday #1: Practice Resurrection

 

Thanks to Carrie at
Reading is My Superpower
for the Link-up

Hey y'all.

With such a great reading year (I read more than 60 books this year) paired with such a dismal showing of reviews (I reviewed one book this year...and it was one I didn't even like), I thought I would try something new.

While I hope to continue reviewing books, I'd like to have a quicker, more consistent way to share what I'm currently reading.  Even if you read different genres of books that I do, I hope what I share encourages you to either keep reading, or pick up a book if you haven't in a while. While searching for something else--which is usually how it works--I found Carrie's website and link-up. I thought that a quick share of the first line and a synopsis of a book I'm currently reading would be fun.  So here goes.

Book:  Practice Resurrection:
A Conversation on Growing Up in Christ. 

Author:  Eugene H. Peterson

Genre: Religious Nonfiction:  Practical Theology

〰First Line〰

                                                                          

Church is the textured context in which we grow up in Christ to maturity. 
But church is difficult. 
Sooner or later though, if we are serious about growing up in Christ,
we have to deal with church.

                                                                          

Synopsis:  (From Hoopla Digital):

There is no question that bringing men and women to new birth in Christ is essential. But, argues Eugene Peterson, isn't it obvious that growth in Christ is equally essential? Yet the American church does not treat Christian growth and character formation with equivalent urgency. We are generally uneasy with the quiet, obscure conditions in which growth takes place. Building maturity in Christ is too often relegated to footnote status in the text of our lives.  In Practice Resurrection Peterson brings the voice of Scripture, especially Paul's letter to the Ephesians, and the voice of the contemporary Christian congregation together in understanding what is involved in the practice of becoming mature - growing up to the "stature of Christ."

So, what's the first line of the book you're currently reading?

Goals and Goblins: The Weekly Hodgepodge

Join the fun! 

Come on over to 

From This Side of the Pond 

for the Hodgepodge link-up!

Did you set any goals for the new year this time last year? Did you meet them or miss the mark? Tell us more if you're comfortable sharing. 

If you will remember, in my review of Michael Hyatt's Your Best Year Ever, I mentioned how much more in-depth and organized Hyatt's take on goal setting was.  Earlier this year (because I was running behind) I worked through the book and set goals for the year, I did the prescribed exercises and did my best to set (as he termed them) SMARTER goals.  I was pleased to see that I did meet some of my goals.  However, most of them involved various reading goals.  Some of the major--and what I considered more important--goals fell very short.

Where I believe I went wrong was that while I followed Hyatt's formula to set the goals, I didn't follow through with his instructions to consistently review--and if necessary reevaluate, update, or eliminate--the progress of each goal.  In fact, I didn't go back and look at my goals until this question came up.

I know, bad Auntie.

This time, it shouldn't take as long to set my 2023 goals.  Many of them will be updated versions of my 2022 goals.

Hey, when you know better, you do better.

What are three words that might describe the kind of person you were this past year or describe in some way how your life looked? 

Running on empty.

What's something new you ate, saw, heard, or experienced in 2022? What did you think?

This past November, I attended the ETS (Evangelical Theological Society) annual conference.  Normally, this conference is held in another state, so it being so close in downtown Denver was something I couldn't pass up.  I became a member of ETS after I graduated and started teaching theology courses at CCU.

The conference consists of presentations of papers on various theological subjects.  I lean more to the side of practical theology so I chose presentations along that same vein.  Yes, even though I have a theology degree, too much theory without practical application still bores me out of my gourd.  I also bought several good books  (they offered great discounts). 

If this conference ever returns to Denver, I'll most likely attend again.   Who knows, maybe I'll have an opportunity to present a paper at an out-of-state conference some day.

Oxford Dictionary has announced it's word of the year for 2022, and it's this-goblin mode. Huh? Have you ever heard this phrase? Used this phrase? It's defined as "a type of behavior which is unapologetically self-indulgent, lazy, slovenly, or greedy, typically in a way that rejects social norms or expectations." This year they allowed the public to choose amongst three finalists. You can read more about that here. If you were in charge, what word would you declare word of the year for 2022? 

First, this "word" is ridiculous.  From the definition, goblin mode seems to have many derivatives: an unemployed person, someone who is friendless, a psychopath, and a basement dweller at his/her mom's house.  

Sheesh! 

Do these people know what a goblin is?  The dictionary definition of goblin is, "(in folklore and fantasy fiction) a mischievous, ugly creature resembling a dwarf."

Really?

Second, if I could choose the 2022 word of the year, it would be RESPECT.  Respect for others, self-respect, respect of property, etc.  It seems to be missing from the vocabulary of too many people.

Any special plans for an end of year celebration in your house or town? The travel channel says the world's best New Year's Eve celebrations will happen in Copacabana Beach-Rio de Janerio, the Orlando theme parks in Florida,  London, Sydney, New York's Time Square, Edinburgh Scotland, and Paris. If you could attend any one of these which would you choose? Tell us why? 

As of today, I don't have any special plans for ringing in the new year--but that is subject to change.  If I could choose any of the celebrations destinations listed, I'd pick the theme parks in Orlando, Florida.  Why?  One, I've never been; and two, this time of year, it would be wonderful to visit somewhere warmer and with some humidity in the air.  We just had some of the coldest temperatures on record in the Denver metro area.  Even after more than five years, I apparently still have thin Southern blood.  Oh well.

Insert your own random thought here. 

Stay tuned for something old, something new, nothing borrowed (Dave Ramsey says NO!), and probably something blue on my other blog.