To love at all is to be vulnerable. Love anything, and your heart will certainly be wrung and possibly broken. If you want to make sure of keeping it intact, you must give your heart to no one, not even to an animal. Wrap it carefully round with hobbies and little luxuries; avoid all entanglements; lock it up safe in the casket or coffin of your selfishness. But in that casket- safe, dark, motionless, airless–it will change. It will not be broken; it will become unbreakable, impenetrable, irredeemable. C.S. Lewis
What makes a dream worth the risk?
Last week I announced my new workshop based on the story of Relentless Grace. As I said in the newsletter, this project has been a dream since the book was published. I appreciate the encouraging responses and expressions of interest, and I’m excited to see where this next adventure might lead.
Proposing this sort of event invokes a number of emotional questions. What if nobody responds? How will I handle this level of vulnerability? What if I fail? (more…)
Happy Monday. I hope your week’s off to a great start.
Monday’s word-of-the-week day, and this week’s word is discernment.
I encountered this term last week in a wonderful workshop offered by Gus Lee. Gus talked about courage and leadership, and one of his key points was that courageous leaders must exercise discernment.
In this context, discernment implies searching beyond what is obvious or superficial. It’s developing and exercising the power to distinguish and select what is true or appropriate or excellent.
Discernment seeks to understand what’s right, true, and best. It searches deeper than what’s expedient or acceptable.
I think I was struck most by Gus’ statement that discernment isn’t values-neutral. It operates from the premise that absolute truth exists. In a culture drowning in moral and ethical relativism, discernment involves the difficult quest to know what’s really right.
Discernment thinks long-term, digging to uncover elusive eternal truths that supersede cultural norms and rules. It recognizes that such a search involves life-long learning and a willingness to grow and learn as wisdom develops. It demands change in the face of new discovery and understanding.
Here are a couple of ideas I scribbled as I thought about being a person of discernment.
What’s right? is a better question than What’s legal?
What’s true? is more useful than What’s everyone else believe?
What’s best? is better than What works?
Good enough is never good enough in matters of truth.
Wisdom is more important than knowledge.
What’s right? gets me closer to truth than What are my rights?
Discernment isn’t easy or comfortable. Worthwhile goals seldom are.
This is also Word-of-Mouth Day, when I kindly encourage (or, from your perspective, pester) you to help spread the word about Bouncing Back. Today’s request is simple:
Forward the link to someone who might be interested. Help us grow the circle by suggesting this site to others who might like to join the discussion.
I’m currently in the midst of a fascinating small-group study of Timothy Keller’s book The Prodigal God. It’s a wonderful analysis of a familiar story—I highly recommend the book, unless you’re opposed to having old ideas challenged a bit.
Most of us are familiar with The Parable of the Prodigal Son. (Luke 15:11-32) Cliff notes version: younger son demands his share of the inheritance, wanders off and squanders it. Homeless, hungry, and humiliated, he decides to return home and beg his father for a job. Dad sees him coming, rushes to greet him, and throws a lavish party. Older brother resents Dad’s unconditional welcome.(more…)
If you think you’re too small to have an impact, try going to bed with a mosquito in the room. Anita Roddick
Do you ever wonder if what you do matters?
When you send words into cyberspace every day, it’s an important question. It’s easy to wonder if those words make any difference, if anyone would care if they didn’t show up.
I’m not thinking about numbers and success and making money. You can measure that stuff easily. But does it really change anything?
I’m thinking that we often don’t recognize the significance of our actions. Maybe the most important things we do pass unnoticed. (more…)
Here’s our newest contribution to the One-Word-At-A-Time Blog Carnival. I encourage you to click the link and check out some of the other carnival attractions. This week’s word is:
GOODNESS
But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law. [Galatians 5:22-23]
When you proclaim God is good, what exactly do you mean?
As a practical matter, what does the goodness that’s a fruit of the Spirit look like? (more…)
Happy Monday, and welcome to word-of-the-week day at Bouncing Back. Today’s word is:
EXECUTION
Ever get a great idea, mess with it, dream about it, develop a bunch of possibilities, talk to others about it—everything except actually doing something about it?
Ever see something really fun and think, “I couldda done that?”
Ever wonder why folks with inferior ideas get so much more accomplished?
Yeah—me too.
The difference between thinking and talking about something and actually doing something with it is execution.
It doesn’t matter what’s involved. Maybe a business idea, a program at church, a hobby you want to develop—it might be as simple as cleaning off your desk or deleting old files from your computer. But until you execute, it’s all just unproductive use of brain space.
What do you want to move from the “wish I would do it” pile to the “did it” pile?
Here’s to a week of less wishing and more execution.
This is also Word-of-Mouth Day, when I kindly encourage (or, from your perspective, pester) you to help spread the word about Bouncing Back. Today’s tip:
Forward the link to someone who might be interested.
Thanks for all of your help and support. Word of mouth is the BEST word of all.
No human counsel hath devised nor hath any mortal hand worked out these great things. They are the gracious gifts of the Most High God, who, while dealing with us in anger for our sins, hath nevertheless remembered mercy. Abraham Lincoln
And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose. [Romans 8:28]
