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It’s the Most ???? Time of the Year
Christmas isn’t all it’s cracked up to be. Before you change my moniker to ‘Ebenezer’ or start singing “You’re a Mean One, Mr. Grinch,” hear me out. I love Christmas. While I’ve disciplined myself to not pull out the trees and tinsel pre-Thanksgiving, I have been known to bust out Bing Crosby the day after Halloween. The wonder of the season is far from lost on me. I love the lights, the gifts, the music, the parties, the weather, the décor. I still get giddy on Christmas morning and try to soak up every bit of magic the season has to offer. And, as a devoted Christ-follower, I welcome the…
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“You’ll Shoot Your Eye Out!” A Lesson in Unfulfilled Longings
One of my favorite holiday movies is the 1983 film “A Christmas Story.” The plot of this iconic film follows Ralphie, a young boy whose childhood will be complete once he acquires an official Red Ryder Carbine-Action Two-Hundred-Shot Range Model Air Rifle. Letting his desire be known to anyone who will listen, Ralphie's longing is repeatedly assailed by responsible adults all around: “You’ll shoot your eye out!”
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Groaning
Today, I am pleased to feature guest blogger Dani Ross. Dani is one of my favorite friends to grab a cup of coffee with and talk about life; I love getting her thoughts on anything from dispensationalism to home decor. Dani resides in Flower Mound, TX, and is a wife and mother of three young boys. She is pursuing a double masters degree in Christian Leadership and Systematic Theology at Dallas Theological Seminary. The other day I decided to gut our upstairs of all of the stuff we have accumulated as we have moved from from one side of the country to the other. I’m not very sentimental. For…
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Three Responses to Charlottesville
Like many of you, I watched in disbelief as white supremacists spouted bigotry, violence, and KKK rhetoric last weekend at a “Unite the Right” rally in Charlottesville, VA. For a brief summary of the weekend’s events and aftermath, see: https://www.nytimes.com/2017/08/13/us/charlottesville-virginia-overview.html I’ve noted two common responses to the persistent racial and political divide in our country: 1) Us vs. Them. Whether it’s Democrat vs. Republican, black vs. white, black vs. blue, male vs. female, gays vs. straights, or Cowboys vs. Redskins, a “vs.” in the middle necessarily puts one group in complete opposition to another. Dividing ourselves into ideological categories is a natural way of expressing our identity, heritage, and values.…
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Confessions of a Recovering People-Pleaser*
I hope I don’t step on anyone’s toes here. As a recovering people-pleaser, stepping on toes is something I tend to avoid like the plague. Growing up, I learned early on that popularity was easier to attain if you were, well, nice. The church seemed to reinforce the pursuit of bending over backwards for the needs of your fellow man: God first, others second, self third. Anytime I heard this popular mantra, I internally gave myself a high-five. I had that down pat! Well, maybe not the God first part. My own formula went something like this:
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This is Your Brain…On Stress
Those who grew up in the 80’s can’t forget this gem of a Public Service Announcement: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dk9XY8Nrs0A While the war on drugs continues to rage on, another battle happens almost every day in traffic jams, breakrooms, and around dinner tables: the battle within the brain as it deals with stress. According to the American Psychological Association, the stress situation in America is “chronic.” That’s putting it mildly. Many would say modern-day Americans are the most collectively stressed-out population in history.
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Disruption: Thoughts on Life and Chaos
Recently I set a goal to keep the house in spic and span shape for five days straight. Admittedly, this isn’t the most exciting thing one can do, but there’s something refreshing about coming home from work with your surroundings in order….shirts hung neatly on their hangers, shoes in their rightful spot, junk mail sorted out and squared away. It gives one a sense of orderliness, peacefulness, and, most importantly, control. So, I set out last Sunday, spent a few hours getting rooms, bathrooms, and closets in top-notch shape, and determined to maintain my newfound tidiness for one week straight. And then life happened.
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“What the….?”
Hell is not a topic Americans spend much time thinking about. The extent of our ponderings on such a place are often relegated to funny quips like this: Sidenote: Cold coffee IS a minor catastrophe. While the subject of hell doesn’t tickle our positive sensibilities, our ancestors in the faith seemed to think it was a worthy topic to keep before their parishioners. I recently visited the famous Duomo in Florence, Italy. After climbing the 400 plus (yep – you read that right) steps en route to the top of the Dome, I was greeted by a stunning fresco that inspired Michelangelo’s work in the Sistine Chapel. As I gazed…
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Slacktivism vs Authentic Engagement
Recently, the ALS Ice Bucket Challenge has taken the nation by storm. From rock bands to former presidents, people of all ages and socio-economic statuses have bonded together to 'take the plunge,' so to speak, allowing themselves to be doused in ice cold water in the name of one cause: raising funds for ALS research. (Sidenote: some of the most popular "Ice Bucket" videos can be found here.) Some claim that this viral campaign is yet another example of slacktivism: a belittling term referring to slackers who claim some form of activism through feel-good measures that require little personal involvement. Earlier this summer, another image spread across the facebook world:…
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Everything Centers On This One Thing
My earliest memories of Easter include new church dresses with hats and lots of yellow ribbons, intense searches for plastic eggs with the rare $2 bill stuffed inside, marshmallow peeps (which I never liked) and loads of Cadbury chocolate, complete with the resulting stomach-ache. The day came and went with a little bit of anticipation, but nominal impact on my day-to-day life. As I grew up, the cognitive recognition that Easter celebrated something important, something critical, something that all of reality hinges upon, was not lost on me. However, the disconnect between head and heart can sometimes keep the significance of an event at a distance. I would reflect on…
