Raindrops and Whiskers
Here are a few of my favorite things from the interwebs this week:
On blogging as a spiritual discipline: In Which Sarah Bessey Writes a Guest Post for Introverted Church.
"Writing has given me permission to contemplate my life in a daily rhythm, looking for the touches and movement of God across the day."
"And sometimes the sharing of my life, especially the tender and still bruised parts of it, the parts without answers or neat bows of seven steps to whatever-it-is, is as much an offering to God as I can imagine, it’s sometimes the only way I know how to pray and worship."
On the Green Commission: Confessions of a Tree Hugger on Reject Apathy.
"God doesn’t want us to carelessly trash the planet in the name of progress, even if we think Jesus is coming back soon. He wants us to use it responsibly and to care for it."
"I for one hope my generation will do better at setting an example in speech, in conduct, in love, in faith, and in purity -- beginning with myself. And I pray we'll humbly, eagerly and intentionally seek to learn from those Christians who have been at it longer than we have -- even if they drive a gas-guzzling Buick instead of a Prius."
"And then I am chiding myself, “You’ve not dwelt in the heart of worship for a couple of weeks. You could have repented and surrendered and returned to live in Christ so much sooner!” And I am sort of thinking, “I don’t really deserve God’s help and blessing….”
And then I realize, “When was it ever about my deserving?”
You barely listen to my statements of failure. Instead you clothe me in your best robes. You put a ring on my finger, and sandals on my feet. You have a feast and celebrate, serving the best steak. There is music and dancing."
On What to Get Pops for Father's Day: Careers, Yard Work, Grilling, and Porcelain Thrones…We Have the Perfect Father’s Day Gifts! at Plant With Purpose.
"Every family has a joke about dad’s “throne,” so why not help another father build a better and healthier future for his family by providing an ecological latrine."
Why not, indeed?
"The problem is that you, the grieving person, don’t know what you need and your loved ones don’t know how to help. This disparity often leads to a lot of conflict and unmet expectations, on both sides."
"My encouragement to anyone who is grieving is that when you are hurt by words, action, or inaction, to discuss your hurt as soon as you can with the person who hurt you."
"O God, since Thou art with me, and it is Thy will that I must now apply myself to these outward duties, I beseech Thee, assist me with Thy grace that I may continue in Thy presence. To this end, O Lord, be with me in this my work, accept the labor of my hands, and dwell within my heart all Thy fullness." Brother Lawrence, The Practice of the Presence of God
And of course my favorite photos from my brother and my Flag Day Celebration:
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| And then our decorating took a turn for the politically incorrect: A People's History of Flag Day. |