Today I am guest posting on Mary DeMuth’s site. I absolutely love Mary’s heart for people. She is the ultimate encourager. And she is a beautiful writer. Her memoir Thin Places is a powerful look at moments in life when God comes near. Here is one of my “thin places.”
I know that God is always with me. Always with me. I do.
But there are times, brief moments, when He feels so near that the lines between heaven and earth are beautifully blurry.
A couple of weeks ago I finished John Ortberg’s The Me I Want To Be. I LOVE this book. It got me thinking, brought clarity to the cloudiness, answered questions I didn’t know I was asking, and offered peace to replace some of my stirring. My copy is all marked-up with underlines and notes of promptings that need to be further explored. To force myself to do the hard work and dig into some of the dark corners of my soul, I’ve asked my extra-small group if we can read and discuss. I am so grateful that they agreed. This morning as I flipped back through the book, this passage stood out:
God has existed from eternity – but he has never had a relationship with you before. He wants to do a new thing with you. The problem many people face when it comes to spiritual growth is that they listen to someone they thing of as an expert – maybe the pastor of their church – talk about what he does, and think that is what they are supposed to do. When it doesn’t work for them – because they are a different person – they feel guilty and inadequate; they often give up.
God has a plan for the me he wants me to be. It will not look exactly like his plan for anyone else, which means it will take freedom and exploration for me to learn how God wants to grow in me. Spiritual growth is hand-crafted, not mass-produced. God does not do “one-size-fits-all.”
He goes on to say:
A spiritual discipline is simply an activity you engage in to be made more fully alive by the Spirit of Life.
So I’m curious, what do you that makes you feel most fully alive?
Here are a few of mine:
Going to hear a great singer-songwriter perform at an intimate setting
An impromptu afternoon drive with my windows down, music blaring
Sunday mornings at Cross Point (and the inevitable long lunch afterwards)
Spending time investing in (or being just plain silly with) my nieces and other favorite kids
I’ll go ahead and admit it. I am a huge Don Miller fan. I love EVERYTHING I’ve read that he has written. And I love EVERYTHING I’ve heard him say. His words simply resonate.
I readBlue Like Jazz when I was in my late twenties and pretty skeptical of the religious rigamarole. Don’s candor and sense of humor made me want to reexamine my religion, and more importantly my faith. A few years later I devoured A Million Miles in a Thousand Years. Again, Don challenged my thinking and encouraged me to explore what it means to live a great story.
Always warm and engaging, Don feels like a kindred spirit, walking just a few steps ahead, talking me through the path he has taken, and subtly warning me of its pitfalls.
That is why I can’t wait to read the rerelease of Searching for God Knows What. (I know, I can’t believe I haven’t read it yet, either.)
I’m also jazzed because my buddy, and Thomas Nelson editor extraordinaire, Bryan Norman crafted this amazing game that I can play (and potentially win prizes) while I read. So for the next several weeks I’m going to read, play-along, and possibly blog about the journey.
Would you like to join me? Details about the game are below.
Twelve games played over eight weeks are built into the book Searching for God Knows What. Each game requires you to sleuth, decode, think, and find…well…God knows what. Be one of the first to decipher the clue and claim your reward: Incredible prizes exclusively for those who play the game. Plus, you’ll find new opportunities to connect with Don directly, meet other fans, and earn points with every action you take. It’s fun, easy, and addicting. So take just two minutes, and let’s start searching!
Starting the week of July 19, 2010—for eight weeks—you will receive clues.* Each clue will lead you to a game hidden in Searching for God Knows What. To play the game, here’s what you need to do:
Step One: Go to www.DonaldMillerFan.com and sign up for an account or use your Facebook account to sign in. Step Two: Take actions, create groups, and get new clues each week. Step Three: Decode the correct answers and enter them at www.SearchingForGodKnowsWhat.comto solve the puzzles and be eligible for prizes. Step Four: Win!
*If you’re joining the game late, no worries. All clues will be available at SearchingForGodKnowsWhat.com until the end of time so you can play whenever you want.
If you’d like to win a copy, leave a comment below sharing a few words about an author that has impacted your life.
Winners will be selected on Monday at 12 PM.
Disclosure of Material Connection: I received one or more of the products or services mentioned above for free in the hope that I would mention it on my blog. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”
Update: Winners Selected and Notified on July 19th. Thanks everyone for your comments. I loved hearing what authors have impacted you.
Today is the day we all have been waiting for, or at least the day I have been waiting for.
Today is the official release date for my pastor and Thomas Nelson author Pete Wilson’s debut book Plan B.
Have you ever had a shattered dream? An unmet expectation? A failed plan?
Does it feel like life is full of disappointment?
If so, you need this book.
If not, you still need this book. (Because unfortunately sooner or later, I’m pretty sure that you will be knocked down, feeling hopeless, and desperate for understanding.)
Plan B is a life-changing reminder that God does his best work in hopeless situations.
The “Is that contestant on American Idol a Christian?” Scorecard
102. When they get kicked off and have to sing their final song they end it with an altar call = +2 points
103. They sing Stryper’s “to Hell with the Devil” during their audition. = + 1 point
104. They change the lyrics of Stryper’s “To Hell to with the Devil” to “To Heck with the Devil” because frankly those Stryper boys really had no call to sing that. = + 2 points
To add up your score with over a 130 other ideas on this scorecard, visit stuffchristianslike.net.
I feel like I go through seasons where everyone I know is talking about “StrengthsFinders.” And thankfully this is one of those seasons, because I love, love, love talking about Strengths. (Check out Spence talking about them here and Jenni talking about them here.)
“Hide not your talents. They for use were made. What’s a sundial in the shade?” – Benjamin Franklin
Do you have the opportunity to do what you do best every day?
Chances are, you don’t. All too often, our natural talents go untapped. From the cradle to the cubicle, we devote more time to fixing our shortcomings than to developing our strengths.
To help people uncover their talents, Gallup introduced the first version of its online assessment, StrengthsFinder, in the 2001 management book Now, Discover Your Strengths. The book spent more than five years on the bestseller lists and ignited a global conversation, while StrengthsFinder helped millions to discover their top five talents.
Here my top five Strengths:
Focus People strong in the Focus theme can take a direction, follow through, and make the corrections necessary to stay on track. They prioritize, then act. (If you want to drive me completely crazy, just tell a long drawn out off-subject story during an important meeting.) (more…)
If you are not familiar with Brogan here’s what I can tell you about him, his blog is a must-read and his twitter feed is quirky, informative, and engaging. He is a master of social media, partly because he acknowledges that the game is constantly changing and that the only rules is that there are no rules.
Here are a couple of things that Chris Brogan reminded me that have stuck with me (like super glue):
Last Christmas when I was in Texas with my family, we went to this A-MAZ-ING independent bookstore in Plano, Legacy Books.
Legacy Books was the kind of bookstore where you get lost in books. You wander around for hours and discovering new authors, exciting adventures, and gourmet recipes. You sip on lattes while browsing through a magazine you would never buy. You find things you never knew you needed.
And after working for a bookstore chain for five years, this is quite a feat. Now-a-days, I walk into bookstores and have a hard time relaxing. I want remerchandise. (Anyone who has spent an extensive amount of time working in retail knows what I mean. It is hard to resist the urge to straighten, tidy, refill) Perusing a bookstore is much more fun than remerchandising. Take my word for it.
Baby Kate
I love all bookstores, but I really loved this bookstore. And thankfully so did my nieces. But don’t take my word for it. Check out their smiles. Each one of them. (more…)
This Spring in my Crosspoint Community Group, we have been studying a book called Emotionally Healthy Spirituality by Peter Scazzero. Big title, right? It’s a big study too. It is the kind of book that makes you dig deep, ask tough questions, and work through your issues – and let’s face it we all have issues.
Last week the focus of the study was on Chapter 7, “Growing into an Emotionally Healthy Adult.” We talked about the importance of loving others maturely — treating them as human beings uniquely created by Christ instead of as a means to an end or an object. Easier said then done, right? During the conversation, Jenni Catron said, quoting Pete Wilson (who was perhaps quoting someone else but I have no idea whom – maybe this lady or maybe this man or maybe someone else entirely?), “Hurt people, hurt people.” (more…)
“The Noticer Project is a worldwide movement to “notice” five of the most influential people in your life! Noticing those five people can be as private (just a letter or email) or as public (posting to your Facebook page or joining The Noticer Project Facebook group) as you choose, but the movement is meant to encourage us to step outside our busy schedules and avoid waiting until a wedding, graduation or even a funeral to take notice of the special, influential people in our lives. By noticing those who have made a difference for you, you not only acknowledge their contribution, but you may gain a new perspective on your own journey. If you are noticed, you are encouraged to continue the movement by ‘noticing’ five people in your life!”
Andy Andrew's new book The Noticer - In Store April 28th
Below are five people who have made a difference in my life. I am thankful for each of them, more than they know, and that is why I am excited to have this opportunity to share with them the impact that they have had on me.
But first, a couple of disclaimers:
1. This is going to be a rather long post, but I hope you will stick with me.
2. I have not included any family members. As you can imagine, they have definitely been among the most influential people in my life, but I wanted to take this opportunity to recognize some people outside of my clan. Mom, Dad, Marcie, Honey, Stephen, Macon, Anne Shelton, Kate…I love you all and look forward to getting the opportunity to “be” with you this week at the beach. (more…)
I feel like I go through seasons where everyone I know is talking about “StrengthsFinders.” And thankfully this is one of those seasons, because I love, love, love talking about Strengths. (Check out 
