Road Warriors: The Weekly Digest

 

Looking out the window....

Fake Spring #4 gave way to 3rd winter this week.  Cloudy cold days turned into rainy cold days and into snowy frigid days.  Today marks the upsurge to Fake Spring #5.  I shot this picture from my car (I had a few seconds at a red light).  Trees are blooming and the distinct smell of Bradford Pear tree blooms is in the air.

 

A cool experience...

My friend, Emily, and I went on a field trip to Englewood on Saturday.  Two of the coolest places we stopped were Enchanted Grounds and Wooden Spools.  Enchanted Grounds is a coffee shop/game store.  Along with making the best chai latte I've ever had, they sold interesting games.   Their specialty is paraphernalia for role-playing games like Dungeons and Dragons.  However, my favorite was a combination of the board games Monopoly and Scrabble.  I would have a blast playing that. I didn't buy it, but someday...

I heard about Wooden Spools before I moved to Colorado. The proprietress of our local yarn shop recommended it. If I remember right, she perused their store on a trip to Denver.  As the name suggests, Wooden Spools is a needlework store specializing in  fabric, yarn, and notions.  Of course, I was in hog heaven.  I did not leave there without a purchase.  I bought the backing fabric for a project I've almost completed (and hope to show soon).  Lord willing, I will make another trip there.

Something cool I saw this week was this car (pictured above).  I don't know (or care) what kind it is.  What caught my eye was the color.  I'm not sure how well my phone captured it, but this vehicle is a gorgeous shade of periwinkle blue.  I don't recall seeing a car that color before.

Favorite quote(s) of the week...

No Christian and, indeed, no historian could accept the epigram which defines religion as "what a man does with his solitude."  It was one of the Wesleys, I think, who said that the New Testament knows nothing of solitary religion.  We are forbidden to neglect the assembling of ourselves together.  Christianity is already institutional in the earliest of its documents.  The church is the Bride of Christ.  We are members of one another.  - C. S. Lewis, A Year with C. S. Lewis, p. 126.

This quote is going to need some setup.  I asked one of my supervisors what differentiated an Associate from an Assistant Professor.  Mr. Smartyboss put the question to ChatGPT as a joke.  This is the answer it gave, "Ah, the eternal academic riddle! Think of it like this: an assistant professor is like the apprentice wizard still learning spells, while an associate professor has earned enough XP to wield some serious academic magic!"

On the subject of affect labeling:  "...it is the art of labeling that creates space between stimulus and response."  Brad Stulberg, Master of Change, p. 144.

I'm thinking about...

My new course starts Monday (April 29th).  I'm thinking about what my students will be like.  I'm also thinking of new ways to approach the course.  I never tire of the subject, but I also don't want to teach it the same way every time.

What I read this week...

• Winnie the Pooh by A. A. Milne ✮✮✮
• The Self-Aware Leader by John C. Maxwell ✮✮✮ 
• 3 Seconds by Les Parrott III ✮✮✮

I'm currently reading...

• A Year of C. S. Lewis by C. S. Lewis
• Master of Change by Brad Stulberg
• Spiritual Authority by Watchman Nee
  

This week's blog posts...

• Square Parties:  Monday Mess Making is here.
• Five Minute Friday:  "Lonely" is here.
• First Line Friday #21: Master of Change by Brad Stulberg is here.
   

I am thankful for...

Two of my friends from church were back this morning.  Miss Molly (pictured) is in her 90s and recently had heart surgery.  

Miss Marie (not pictured because she can't be still long enough to be photographed 😁) is a warrior.  She's been fighting dementia for a couple of years.  She missed church for a few months and we wondered whether or not she would be able to come back.  Well, there she was, ready to worship.  Any time she can make it, she volunteers for our prayer team.  

These two are heroes.

From the Workshop...

Please see my latest Aunties Workshop blog post here.

 

Five Minute Friday: "Lonely"

Ironic this word should come up now.  I recently finished a book called The Path Out of Loneliness.  While the author, a mental health clinician and Christian, acknowledges that there is an epidemic of loneliness that started prior to, but was exacerbated by, the pandemic, he gives an exhaustingly confusing set of messages.  On one hand, he champions for seeking professional help while on the other hand, he asserts that expert mental health help isn't needed.  While making an effort to seem empathetic, the author all out blames the sufferer for his loneliness.  It's falls in line with the false premise that basically if you read the Bible and prayed more, you wouldn't be _________.

So, is he right?  I doubt it.  While Bible reading and prayer are essentials to one who is a Christ follower, it isn't the solution to everything.  Christian counseling literature doesn't support this notion (I'm not talking about "self-help" books put together in 15 minutes by some goober in his basement.  I'm talking about reputable books and journal articles).  The Scriptures don't support this lazy brand of faith either.  I heard Pastor Rick Warren (among others, including my own pastor) say that the Bible is full of "one-another" passages that cannot be obeyed or fulfilled outside the context of community.

So, why does this word put such a burr under my saddle?  It's not the word itself, but the attitude it arouses from people which, quite frankly, pisses me off.  For example, I had to explain more than once to my church's Marriage and Family Pastor and his wife that there's nothing available fellowship-wise or help-wise for the "unicorns"--those of use who are older who've neither married nor had children. They didn't know--and it didn't phase them at all.  I'm not being heard.

Apparently we are not family.

But it's our fault we are lonely?

Bite me!

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In case you missed it:  

* My latest Weekly Review:  "As It Sits," is here.
* My latest First Line Friday Post: "#21: Master of Change" is here.
* My latest Wednesday Hodgepodge post, "One Word-Finish," is here.
* My latest book review of Good to Great is here.
* My "24 in 2024" list is here.
* My 2024 reading challenge:  "Full Shelf Challenge V.2" is here.
* My latest Monday Mess Making post on my Auntie's Workshop blog "Square Parties" is here.

First Line Friday #21: Master of Change by Brad Stulberg

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

 

Title:  Master of Change
Author:  Brad Stulberg
Genre:  Self-Help

  〰First Line〰

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It was shaping up to be the trip of a lifetime, but for reasons no one could have imagined.

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Synopsis:  (From Goodreads) 

A revelatory book on rethinking change, creating a rugged and flexible mindset and identity, and developing habits for life's intensifying flux. From social disruptions like economic recessions, pandemics, and new technologies to individual disruptions like getting married, career transitions, and becoming a parent, we undergo change and transformation—both good and bad—regularly. Change is not the exception, it’s the rule. Yet we endlessly fight it, often viewing it as a threat to our stability and sense of self. Master of Change flips this script on its head and offers a path for embracing and even growing from life’s constant instability. Brad Stulberg, sustainable excellence expert, coach, and bestselling author of The Practice of Groundedness, offers a new model that describes change as an ongoing cycle of order, disorder, and re order—yes, we return to stability, but that stability is somewhere new. Drawing on modern science, ancient wisdom, and daily practice, Stulberg offers concrete principles for developing a mindset called rugged flexibility , along with habits and practices to implement it. Along the way, Stulberg In the end, Stulberg reshapes our entire perception of change and shows us how to grow in its midst—ultimately helping us move forward better, stronger, and wiser than we were before.

 〰First Thoughts〰

My pastor recommended this book during a sermon.  I balked a bit at first, but with all the changes going on with me right now, my hope is this book will be useful.  You would think that with all the changes I've experienced over the past seven years, I would be gung-ho for help with effectively navigating new things.  I think my problem is "change fatigue," which is probably not a thing, but if the wealthy can have "decision fatigue," I can have "change fatigue."

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

As It Sits: The Weekly Digest

 Looking out the window....

Colorado is in the throws of "Fake Spring #4."  We've had a few days of refreshing warm weather.  On my drive from church today, I saw several trees and shrubs in bloom and the brown winter grass is starting to show the green of the changing season.  Alas, 'tis not real spring yet--there are cold temps and snow in the forecast.

Favorite quote(s) of the week...

If anyone would like to acquire humility, I can, I think, tell him the first step.  The first step is to realize that one is proud.  And a biggish step too.  At least, nothing whatever can be done before it.  If you think you are not conceited, it means you are very conceited indeed. C. S. Lewis, A Year With C. S. Lewis, p. 97.

Pursuits that align with your core values and shrink a big, unwieldy, and overwhelming world to make it feel smaller and more manageable are useful for integrating significant changes into your life and walking confidently into the unknown.  Brad Stulberg, Master of Change, p. 32.

We as followers of Jesus are not called to be known for what we're against; we are called to be known for what we're for--and what we're for is absolutely amazing.  Pastor Robert Gelinas, Kingdom Categories, Part 1, April 14, 2024.

I'm thinking about...

In Luke 18:8 (ESV), Jesus asks, "when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on earth?”  Though I've been a follower of Christ for several decades, my faith can be weak in some areas.  Some of the promises of God range from frightening to too good to be true though they are absolutely reliable.  I know that no true element of Christianity can be fully experienced in a vacuum.  However, it is becoming increasingly clear that in most areas of spirituality, I am on my own...and I hate it.

I learn a lot from participating in worship, reading books, listening to sermons, taking notes, and trying to find ways to implement what I'm learning.  However, sometimes believers have to "hook up" faith with one another.  I know this sounds mean, but I can't let just anyone pray for me.  If I'm believing for one thing, but the person I asked to pray is believing for something else, we're working at cross-purposes.  Worse yet, instead of praying, I have too many people in my life who tell me what God can't or won't do.  Their assumptions are not based on Scripture, but on theirs or someone else's experience.  Like I heard one minister say, "I don't have time to preach to you so you can pray for me."

Is there anyone around who just believes the Bible "as it sits"?

What I read this week...

• The Release of the Spirit by Watchman Nee ✮✮
• Winnie the Pooh by A. A. Milne ✮✮✮
  

I'm currently reading...

• Master of Change by Brad Stulberg
• The Self-Aware Leader by John Maxwell
• Spiritual Authority by Watchman Nee
  
• Lectures to My Students by C. H. Spurgeon
• A Year of C. S. Lewis by C. S. Lewis

I am thankful for...Tutorial videos with accurate instructions.

From the Workshop...

This set was made for a co-worker who is due later this year.  It's called "Angel Afghan."
The pattern can be found here.

 

 

 

 

Nu Thang: The Weekly Digest

Since the Simple Woman's Daybook is no longer a thing, I thought I'd find a way to include things that don't quite fit with my other blog series.  I will include some of the old prompts while including some new ones.  I'm also eliminating (or at least changing) some of the prompts.  For example, "Titters from the Twitter (and other places)" will now be called "Now That's Funny Right There."  The former seems like a dorky name since I'm not on Twitter (or X, or whatever) anymore.

Looking out the window....

The warm beauty of the sunshine streaming through the "big window" (my sliding glass door that doesn't go anywhere...unless you want to die) contradicts the chill in the air inside my apartment.  Both my electricity and gas are out due to high winds in the area.  The power company thought a preemptive shutdown would minimize the danger of wildfires in the area.  The electricity I understand, but the gas?  Really?

A cool experience...

I did a nerd run to Belmar Library during spring break.  On the entry wall were these gorgeous art quilts.  I do not know the artist, but I enjoyed seeing the display.  These were just the pieces that were at my eye level.  There were several more displayed

Favorite quote(s) of the week...

No man can hope to be felt who cannot make himself understood.  If we give our people refined truth, pure Scriptural doctrine, and all so worded as to have no needless obscurity about it, we shall be true shepherds of the sheep, and the profiting of our people will soon be apparent. - Charles Spurgeon, Lectures to My Students.

I'm thinking about...

Our last sermon series at church.  Pastor Robert Gelinas just finished a series called "The Potter's House" based on Jeremiah 18:1-4.  The entire series was excellent and I highly recommend it.  However, I'm personally struggling with the final sermon.  Each message showed how the steps of creating pottery are analogous to our spiritual journey.  In the final message on finishing, Pastor Gelinas mentioned that occasionally a pot will crack after its final firing.  He tried to encourage us by saying that the "cracks" of life are OK and God can still use cracked pots.  

Here's where I'm struggling.  First, let me give a caveat:  I'm not questioning my Pastor's teaching; I'm questioning how I supposed to apply the teaching.  Previously, we heard a series called "Better Than Before."  It also used pottery as an analogy.  In this case, it was Kintsugi pottery--broken vessels repaired with lacquer mixed with gold.  The cracks in this pottery are repaired in a manner that makes the container stronger.  The repair is akin to how God's "repairs" make us stronger than before.

So, the confusion lies in whether the goal is for me to let the "cracks" show, or pray in hopes that they will be repaired to make me a more acceptable vessel.  What marred parts of my life are dangerous cracks, and which are mere beauty marks that make me unique?  While it sounds simple, this conundrum has been gnawing at me for a while.

What I read this week...

• Pray Big by Alistair Begg  ✮✮✮
• The Blessing of Humility by Jerry Bridges ✮✮✮✮
• The Path to Wholeness by Dr. Mark Mayfield ✮✮
• The Path Out of Loneliness by Dr. Mark Mayfield ✮✮
• Not A Fan by Kyle Idleman ✮✮✮✮

I'm currently reading...

• Lectures to My Students by C. H. Spurgeon
• A Year of C. S. Lewis by C. S. Lewis
• Winnie the Pooh by A. A. Milne
• Release of the Spirit by Watchman Nee
  

This week's blog posts...

• Square Parties:  Monday Mess Making is here.
• One Word--Finish:  The Weekly Hodgepodge is here.
• First Line Friday #20: The Substance of Our Faith by Douglas Sweeney is here.
   

I am thankful for...

A good report.  I recently had my first colonoscopy.  I had no polyps or any signs of disease.

From the Workshop...

Please see my latest Aunties Workshop blog post here.

 

First Line Friday #20: The Substance of Our Faith by Douglas Sweeney

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

 

Title:  The Substance of Our Faith
Author:  Douglas Sweeney
Genre:  Historical Theology

  〰First Line〰

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There would be no history of doctrine if Jesus had not promised the Spirit to disciples in the upper room before his crucifixion.  Or, at least, the history of doctrine would have proven far poorer.

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Synopsis:  (From Goodreads) 

Doctrine is central to Christian discipleship and maturity. Unfortunately, it is often sidelined in churches' teaching ministry as irrelevant or impractical. Countering this, leading church historian Douglas Sweeney defines doctrine as church teaching intended for the shaping of daily faith and practice.

The Substance of Our Faith addresses introductory issues in the study and application of historical doctrine, incorporating a unique global and catholic perspective. It addresses the Spirit's role in the rise of doctrine in the early church, the authority of Scripture and tradition in the development of doctrine, the challenges of doing global historical theology, the nature and purpose of doctrine, and implications for teaching the faith today. Specifically, Sweeney advocates that those who teach the Christian faith in all churches do so in communion with the saints who have come before.

〰First Thoughts〰

This book is part of my hunt for a good set of textbooks for the courses I teach.

 

In teaching Christian Doctrine and Theology, the concepts I long for my students to assimilate are what is the faith, why is the faith and how is the faith.  What, meaning what is the scriptural and historical basis of the faith.  Why, meaning why do the particular doctrines matter.  How refers to the means by which believers apply the what and the why to real life,  What I don't want is for the subjects to become esoteric and impractical.  

 

My hopes for Sweeney's book is that first, he doesn't just present dry historical facts but shows how doctrine developed in both theory and practice. And second, that the author's mention of the Holy Spirit (as evidenced by the first line of chapter one) does justice to how intricate the Spirit's role is to doctrine.  It has been my observation that many "scholarly" works out of fear of being seen as Pentecostal (?!) minimize, or completely omit the depth of the Spirit's role in the formation and development of the Church and its doctrines.

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