Coloring Outside the Lines: The Weekly Digest

 

Looking out the window....

 

Today was one of those take a drive, roll the windows down, sing loudly to 80's music kind of days.  It's too early for Colorado's first "fake spring," so I will call this a little taste of spring.  No, I'm not fooled; I know it's only February.  However, I'm going to enjoy all the beautiful days between the ugly cold ones.

 
A cool experience...

Once a quarter, my church has what it calls a "Dare to Care" Saturday.  these gatherings are for members of the church to participate in service projects at the church and the surrounding area.  Because of scheduling or weather, participating in these projects is a rare treat for me. So no snow on Saturday gave me the opportunity to help.  The charity my group served was Project Angel Heart, an organization that provides fresh cooked meals to those suffering from severe illness. These meals are delivered in paper bags.  Our task was to cheerfully decorate the bags.  Our group leader said that the clients feel a strong sense of connection because they are given a hand decorated bag.  The families with kids really had a blast drawing and coloring the bags.  Our table--four grown ups and a teen--laughed our way through creating these fun bags.  It was good to not only help this organization, but to be a kid for a day drawing and coloring with markers and crayons.  I hope that we get to do this again soon.

Favorite quote(s) of the week...

 

Revive Thy drooping Churches, Lord! And bid our drooping graces live; And more, that energy afford, A Saviour’s love alone can give. - Andrew Murray, The Lord's Table

Though salvation is not by the works of the law, yet the blessings that are promised for obedience are not denied to the faithful servants of God. Our Lord took away the curses when He was made a curse for us, but no words of blessing have been repealed. - Charles Spurgeon, Faith's Checkbook, p. 33.

The story went that once he [Bill Monday] was going to do the Harvard-Yale game back in the 30's on nationwide radio. The night before the game, he was having dinner with Harvard officials. At one point Monday, a Georgia alumnus and son of the south, was asked "Mr. Monday, who will you be pulling for tomorrow, Yale or fair Harvard?" Monday thought for a moment, then replied, "Neither one. You're both a bunch of damn Yankees and I wish there was a way you both could lose." - Lewis Grizzard

Every child is an artist.  The problem is how to remain an artist once he grows up. - Pablo Picasso, qtd. in Julia Cameron's The Artists Way, p. 20.

 

I'm thinking about...

 

Jigsaw puzzles.  During the "thing," many families took up putting together jigsaw puzzles as a fun family activity.  Although isolation and sheltering in place aren't necessary now (praise the Lord), most friends continue the practice.  Because I was in school and working and grieving, puzzles were the last thing on my mind.

Lately I've been asked by several different people whether I'd be interested in playing with puzzles.  In pondering it, I've come to a couple of conclusions:

 

First, assembling puzzles in a group sounds fun.  Doing it in seclusion sounds very lonely and depressing.  My friends weren't asking me if I was interested in joining their family in a challenging puzzle; they were asking if I wanted to add it to my other solitary hobbies.

 

Second, I'm terrible at puzzles.  The picture above is of a puzzle I put together during a ladies Christmas tea last year.  It was less than 100 pieces and it took me almost 30 minutes (or maybe longer) to finish it.  Maybe the frustration came because it was a competition and the faster I tried to match the pieces, the harder it became.  Even after the contest was over, I refused to be defeated by the puzzle and kept at it until I finished it.  Not fun.

Is there a system or "hack" for finishing puzzles?  Also, what do I do with it afterwards?  Put it back in the box to do again?  Mount it?  Burn it?  What?

What I read since my last digest...

• A. D. The Bible Continues:  The Book of Acts by David Jeremiah  ✮✮ (Category:  Impulse read)
• For All the Saints? by N. T. Wright  ✮✮ (Category:  Impulse read)
• Life Together by Dietrich Bonhoeffer ✮✮✮ (Category: Glorious rereads)
• Nothing to Prove by Jennie Allen  ✮✮
• Surprised by Joy by C. S. Lewis  ✮✮✮✮

I'm currently reading...

• Ever Increasing Faith  by Smith Wigglesworth
• Faith's Checkbook by Charles Spurgeon
  
• The Happiness Project by Gretchen Rubin
• The Artist's Way by Julia Cameron
  
• The Wisdom of Father Brown by G. K. Chesterton
• The Dieter's Prayer Book by Heather Harphan Kopp
  

 Blog posts since my last digest...

• First Line Friday #29:  Quest for Godliness by J. I. Packer is here. 
• First Line Friday #30:  Celebration of Discipline by Richard J. Foster is here.
• My last digest:  One Word:  "Invest" is here.
  

I am thankful for...

• The sunny weather.
  
• Some closure:  Pastor Doug's memorial service is February 15th.
• Friends who care.
• A new laundry service.  Apparently after one too many kerfuffles with our current laundry repair service, our leasing office decided to switch companies.  My hope is that it means better machines, better prices, and most importantly, better customer service.
• LED and florescent light bulbs.  Yes, I still use--and like--CFL bulbs in some of my lamps (they still sell them at Lowes).
  
• Soap and water.  
• Squirrels.
• My new iron.  I killed my old one by knocking it off the ironing board one time (or two) too many.  #RIP
• My plants.
  

 

 

First Line Friday #30: Celebration of Discipline by Richard J. Foster

 

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

 

 

Title:  Celebration of Discipline
Author:  Richard J. Foster
Genre:  Christianity/Spiritual Formation

  〰First Line〰

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Superficiality is the curse of our age.   The doctrine of instant satisfaction is a primary spiritual problem.

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Synopsis:  (From Goodreads) 

A newly repackaged and updated 40th anniversary edition of the timeless guide that has helped numerous seekers discover a richer spiritual life infused with joy, peace, and a deeper understanding of God, updated with a new introduction by the author and a new section: "Entering the Great Conversation about the Growth of the Soul."

Hailed by many as the best modern book on Christian spirituality, Celebration of Discipline explores the "classic Disciplines," or central spiritual practices, of the Christian faith. Along the way, Foster shows that it is only by and through these practices that the true path to spiritual growth can be found.

Dividing the Disciplines into three movements of the Spirit, Foster shows how each of these areas contribute to a balanced spiritual life. The inward Disciplines of meditation, prayer, fasting, and study offer avenues of personal examination and change. The outward Disciplines of simplicity, solitude, submission, and service help prepare us to make the world a better place. The corporate Disciplines of confession, worship, guidance, and celebration bring us nearer to one another and to God.

Foster provides a wealth of examples demonstrating how these Disciplines can become part of our daily activities—and how they can help us shed our superficial habits and "bring the abundance of God into our lives." He offers crucial new insights on simplicity, demonstrating how the biblical view of simplicity, properly understood and applied, brings joy and balance to our inward and outward lives and "sets us free to enjoy the provision of God as a gift that can be shared with others." The discussion of celebration, often the most neglected of the Disciplines, shows its critical importance, for it stands at the heart of the way to Christ. Celebration of Discipline will help Christians everywhere to embark on a journey of prayer and spiritual growth.

 〰First Thoughts〰

Five years ago during my degree program at CCU, I quickly read through Foster's book as part of research for a class project.  This time around, I'm taking each chapter slowly while working to more strongly implement the disciplines outlined in the material.

I've always believed that the tenets of Christian theology included both theory and practice.  The basic (or "classic" as Foster deemed them) spiritual disciplines are no exception.  Not only do I want to teach the disciplines well, but I want to live them even better than I teach them.

  〰Update〰

I recently posted an update on entry #26.  If you are interested, it is here.

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

First Line Friday #29: A Quest for Godliness by J. I. Packer

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

 

 

Title:  A Quest for Godliness
Author:  J. I. Packer
Genre:  Church History/Theology

  〰First Line〰

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Horse racing is said to be the sport of kings.  The sport of slinging mud has, however, a wider following.  Pillorying the Puritans, in particular, has long been a popular pastime both sides of the Atlantic, and more people's image of Puritanism still has on it much disfiguring dirt that needs to be scraped off.

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Synopsis:  (From Goodreads) 

A Quest for Godliness explores the depth and breadth of Puritan spiritual life. Drawing on a lifetime of study, renowned evangelical theologian and church leader J. I. Packer surveys the lives and teachings of great Puritan leaders such as John Owen, Richard Baxter, and Jonathan Edwards. He examines the Puritan view of the Bible, spiritual gifts, the Sabbath, worship, social action, and the family. The Puritans' faith, Packer argues, stands in marked contrast with the superficiality of modern western Christianity.

In a time of failing vision and decaying values, this powerful portrait of the Puritans is a beacon of hope that calls Christians to radical commitment and action, both of which are desperately needed today. Beautifully written, A Quest for Godliness is a moving and challenging exploration of Puritan life and thought.

 〰First Thoughts〰

I freely admit to being quite ignorant when it comes to the Puritans.  Childhood images of the Puritan pilgrims in their buckled hats and collars (think Thanksgiving coloring pages) flood my mind.  Theologically, I know absolutely nothing about what Puritanism's beliefs and practices were, much less how they would have an effect on current day Christianity.  I mentioned here that I attended the 2022 Evangelical Theological Society (ETS) conference when it was in Denver.  Part of the conference amenities included a bookstore with a deep discount on purchases for members.  I've read several of Packer's books, so this volume piqued my interest.  

Like Spurgeon's Lectures to My Students this large work will be on "long read" mode.  It will most likely take me several months to work through the entirety of the book.  

 

 〰Update〰
I recently posted an update on entry #26.  If you are interested, it is here.

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