Kristin Tennant (blogger at halfway to normal) a.k.a. kt_writes gets a NiNJA Interview. Great stuff (If the interviewee spits out coffee while watching it, I think I’ve done my job.)
Tell me what you think…
about SURPRISE.
Archive for Spiritual growth
NiNJA attack (interview video) of Kristin Tennant: kt_writes
Category: Authors, blogging, Christians, film, God's will, Humor, ninja interview, Recommendations, Spiritual Formation, Spiritual growth, Spirituality, Tribe /
Tags: blogger, Christmas, dogs, funny, halfway to normal, Kristin Tennant, kt_writes, Lisa Colón DeLay, ninja interview, surprises, writer, writing
5 Reasons You can’t Fix People
- Sorry to be blunt, but it’s just not your job. It never was.
- You’re pretty crappy at fixing yourself.
If you were good at fixing yourself, you would’t want to fix other people.
In them you see yourself. - You don’t have that kind of power. It’s inappropriate to think you do.
- People resent the condescension, so even if you try, it’s counterproductive.
- People are supposed to have some unfixable spots.
I write about “broken jars” here.
What are the alternatives?
- Walk with people
- Be a good influence
- listen more
- love more
- learn more
What are some reasons or alternatives for you?
Category: #fail, God's will, Humor, ministry, Spiritual growth, Walking with God, worldviews /
Tags: grace, growth, Humor, ministry, peace, people, personal growth, relationships, spiritual formation, Spiritual growth, worldviews
5 Things I want to Teach my Kids this Christmas
1. People always matter more than things.
2. Be grateful because you are blessed. Many will have a sad or lonely Christmastime.
3. Giving causes joy (which is sturdy happiness).
4. Hope came as a baby. Hope is how we carry on. Sometimes lighting a candle helps us remember this.
5. Hugs and kisses make some of the best gifts.
What Things do you want to teach your kids this Christmas? No kids? Then leave your suggestions for the rest of us blind beggars.
Category: Christ, Christianity, Christians, Community, Holidays, hope, Jesus, Spiritual growth, Spiritual practices, Spirituality, suffering, worldviews /
Tags: blessed, Christmas, gifts, God, hope, hugs, Jesus, joy, kisses, presents, things, tree
5 Weird Things to Fast from
Advent Season is often marked by efforts of fasting to help refine our focus on the things of God. It’s funny (not funny -ha ha) that in the Sermon on the Mt Jesus brings all of kingdom living, for God’s children down to 3 main things: Giving, Fasting, and Prayer.
We’re okay with prayer. That’s totally legit. Giving? Yes. Giving makes sense. Ya gotta help people….but wait….FASTING!? Stop eating FOOD? whoa. That could be uncomfortable.
Here’s the part to bear in mind that our stomachs growl if we don’t get food for a few hours. In Jesus’ time, and in many parts of the world today, usually folks get by on one meal a day. Now that hurts!
True spiritual fasting from food isn’t not something to just up and do, if you haven’t learned how to do it. It’s not just, “Hey, I think I’ll ditch food for a couple of days.” When you have a spiritual fast and abstain from food, stuff happens. Richard Foster wrote,
Anger, bitterness, jealousy, strife, fear-if they are within us, they will surface during fasting. (This benefits us because with these things revealed, they can also be addressed.)
In short: Fasting can get ugly.
It’s no wonder we conveniently ignore that part of Jesus’ teachings.
Basically, if you have fantasized about bacon much, then fasting could be hard for you. I speak from experience.
HERE’s a quick read that will teach you a few important basics, for you 3 meal per day + snack people…like me.
Here’s a spiritual formation classic that is very helpful for fasting and much more.
You might not be ready for fast from food. I’ll be honest, I’m not.
I’m going to try to fast from 1 meal for 1 one day per week, for each week in Advent, until Christmas. But, I’m used to eating what I want, when I want, so I’ll have to prepare.
But these are a few things I’ll do in the same spirit of a food fast.
(They may sound stupid to you, so see if you can make your own list.)
- Not check my blog stats: It’s addicting to see if my efforts in social media and blogging have a positive statistical effect. It’s distracting too, and I’ll venture that it can even be spiritually damaging. For Advent season, I’ll take a needed break from this, and see if it’s helpful.
- Not have the last word: It’s necessary purification to not “control” the conversation, or feel the need to. I’ll give this up and see if it reveals other needs or wounded spots. Hello, introspection.
- Not respond quickly to defend myself: This is tougher online than face-to-face, for me. Misunderstandings are par for the course on them there interwebs. Attacks online are prevalent too. I’ll give this up because I need no defender but God. I forget this.
- Not let things be more important than people: I want to fast from pounding away at the computer when I could be talking with someone face-to-face. Particularly my kids.
- Not rely on tech: I want to totally unplug for one day per week. No phone. No computer. No tv. No iPod. No Radio. This will be refining because taking it off the table will force me to more properly re-prioritize…everything.
What do you think you should fast from?
Category: Authors, Christ, Christianity, Christians, culture, Prayer, Spiritual Formation, Spiritual growth, Spiritual practices /
Tags: Advent, bacon, Culture, fasting, Food, Humor, richard foster, Spiritual practices, tech, USA
On Not Feeding the “Stat Monster”
I gave up looking at my blog stats for the last 5 days. Now for those of you without blog, this may seem rather insignificant to life, but for bloggers, stats matter. Everyone will tell you that.
How do you know if your site is worth advertising on? Stats. How do you know what posts made a difference? Stats. How do you give yourself that pep talk when you’re feeling like you’re running out of posts that matter? Stats.
Some bloggers check their stats dozens of times per day. They tweet/FB something with a link and then they’ll check to see if that made an impact. They use the words “gay” or “sex” or “scandal” and watch their stats spike. It feels nice. But then they start write to make that happen. I’ve done it too.
Some people abandon their ideas based on their stats as I was surprised to see author and popular blogger Jason Boyett just do. This strikes me as terribly sad.
With inverse proportions, the Content quality goes down as stat checking goes up. Vision and mission are compromised.
It was a spiritual practice for me to stop spying on my stats. My stat stalking was compromising me. It began as an Advent practice actually, but I’m learning from it already. In the same way fasting from food hones focus better on first-things-first priorities, fasting from my stat data worked like that for me. Without checking on them, I can better ask myself the questions: What is the most important thing for me to be thinking about or writing about? What passion must have voice?
My stats may really drop as I ignore them. That’s what usually happens. But, in the process of doing that, I’ll gain a new perceptive on the reasons why I write in the first place. My readers will read the posts that aren’t based on what I think they might enjoy (consumer oriented) but rather I’ll be writing to like-minded readers (tribe cohorts). I’ll be building the trust (and resources) of my “thought posse”. Would Seth Godin would be so proud of me, or what?
But, gosh I want to be popular!
And herein lies the greater good for not feeding that monster. The stat-centric mind set is the proverbial ball and chain for the creative mind. I will venture that it is even spiritually damaging.
Plus! Innovation never comes by adhering to notions of popularity. Changing the world, or even just influencing and benefitting a handful of people, isn’t accomplished by riding trends or gauging what people will like. Plenty of times we don’t want we like until encounter it anyways.
For those reasons, and more, I also just deleted my profile for Klout. I got the impression the wild fluctuations in scores didn’t so much accurately measure my social media influence (which, as I mentioned, I’m trying to put in its proper place) as much get me to regularly push their switch to get my pellet treat. No more.
What about you? Have you given into the pressure to be popular recently?
Please, oh, please God give me the strength to not check my stats on this post about not checking stats.
BIT OF AN UPDATE…I stayed away from the Stat Monster syndrome for about 10 days. Since then, I’ve been looking far less now, and it’s been a boon on many levels.
Category: Artists Advent Project, Authors, blogging, Community, Creativity, culture, Humor, Self-esteem, Spiritual growth, Spiritual practices, temptation, Tribe /
Tags: Advent, blog, blogging, jason boyett, klout, Seth Godin, stats, tribe, writing
Contemplative Reading Recommendations
Advent Season is the perfect time to get all high octane spiritually speaking. Read, meditate, pray, and learn from others, and you will be so enriched as you enter the Christmas season.
My favorite undertaker, and writer friend, Caleb Wilde has been blog writing about God and Greek influence. And it struck me how much the Contemplative stream of Christianity may help inform us about things and in places where our finite intellectualizing fails us. The intersection of life and death is one of those spots.
I asked Caleb who and what he’s read from this (as Richard Foster says) “Stream of Christianity”, and he asked for recommendations. So, I thought, I’d offer them to all of you.
Please recommend your favorites too.
My not-by-any-means exhaustive list of favorite Contemplative Stream writers.
By way of a high-qulaity but compact primer I recommend Richard Foster‘s who gives a fantastic overview to each of the 6 Streams of Christianity. His “Streams of Living Waters” book covers the basic 6 traditions categorized as: Charismatic, Holiness, Contemplative, Social Justice, Evangelical, and Incarnational flavors (if you will) within all of Christianity through the ages since Christ.
Gaining Christian spiritual insights from devoted lovers of God outside your own era and your own experience of a specific faith tradition is an invaluable blessing, and very faith building. Foster outlines major points and people of the Contemplative Stream, starting with the apostle John, in the book you see below:
Classic contemplative standby: Frances of Assisi (1181-1226)
Brother Lawrence (1611-1691) The Practice of the Presence of God (short read, and free online. sweet.)
Frank Laubach (1884-1970)
Evelyn Underhill (1875-1941)
Thomas Merton (1915-1968)
Thomas Merton “In My Own Words”
Henri Nouwen 1932-1996)
Here are 2 useful previously posted articles on this Stream.
1. Kataphatic and Apophatic Prayer Explained
2.Meditation to Contemplation – Kataphatic to Apophatic Prayer (an prayer exercise/experience)
Category: AAP, Artists Advent Project, Authors, Bible, blogging, Brother Lawrence of the Resurrection, Christianity, Christians, church, devotions, Free Stuff, Holidays, hope, Jesus, Life As Prayer, Mysticism, Practicing the presence of God, Prayer, Recommendations, Spiritual Formation, Spiritual growth, Spiritual practices, Spirituality, suffering, Theology, Worship /
Tags: Advent, Apophatic, artists, Authors, Brother Lawrence, caleb wilde, Christianity, Christians, church, contemplative, death, Evelyn Underhill, Frances of Assisi, frank laubach, God, grace, Henri Nouwen, hope, Lisa Colón DeLay, meditation, mystic, Practicing the presence of God, Prayer, richard foster, spiritual formation, Spirituality, suffering, Theology, Thomas Merton, Worship
Path to Porn: STATS (part II)
In my first post, I dropped a “boom post”. This is the 2nd one. So, I guess you could say I’m gonna drop a deuce today. You might hate it. Or you might start to asking better questions of yourself, or get real in a new way. Most of all, I hope you can stick with us, pitch in, and share in the discussion. You are entering a whimp-free zone.
Disclaimers & Circumventing the “Porn is healthy vs. Porn is sin” Territory
Okay. Okay. Now, I realize, plenty of people, Christians included, don’t see much harm in watching some sexual content. Maybe explicit porn, or perhaps something “more vanilla” like maybe just some sexually voyeuristic program that’s not that “graphic”. Here’s the bad news for you. I am not drawing a distinction in degrees of “porn badness”. I’m lumping. Don’t like it? Take your lumps, okay?
And for you “biblical terms” enthusiasts, you could also be disappointed. I hope your grace is sufficient for me, because I’m committed to not getting bogged down “describing categories and terms” that get people super distracted …the “sin” word… being the big one. This series isn’t the place or time to debate its merits, or squabble over spiritual terminology. (If you wish to do that, good…just go do it on your blog.)
Rather, I am claiming, from the onset, that explicit material is damaging. period. I begin from there. If this upsets you, or convicts you, then I’m onto something. Let’s go.
This Series…
is to tackle unhealthy habits, or tendencies, we might not want to talk about or admit that we do. Maybe we think it’s better to be polite than truthful. You know, putting on a righteous show…meeting expectations, or at lest managing them. Looking put together. We all know that game. Or, maybe we’re just scared to confess it. Well, no more. Let’s take a direct hit to it. BOOM.
The Goal
Let’s create an atmosphere that will lead us closer to the best God has for us. I refer you to an obvious pick for a guiding verse. Phil. 4:8. (Feel free to submit your own helpful passage, in the comments section.)
STATS
Simply put: The stats are as obvious as they are deplorable. I know, if you’re at your computer, or on your smart phone, that you’ve seen porn, or at the very least, something lewd. Heck an R-rated movie or book is enough. With such easy access, and search engines being how they are, you’ll see it. You have. That’s a given.
But let’s ask the tougher questions: What role does it play in your life? Do you search it out? What does it do rent-free inside your head? When do you “go there”? Do you linger a bit because you think no one will know? How is it hurting you? …because it is. Start Asking Yourself the Tough Questions.
Now, absorb these few stats…
(Even if you don’t view it, someone you know does. So, then I ask you to learn something and try to be helpful.)
* 1 of 3 visitors to all adult websites are women
* 9.4 million women access adult websites every month
Internet Filter Review More info here.
* August 7,2006: 50% of all Christian men and 20% of all Christian women are addicted to pornography. 60% of the women who answered the survey admitted to having significant struggles with lust; 40% admitted to being involved in sexual sin in the past year; and 20% of the church-going female participants struggle with looking at pornography on an ongoing basis.
From the results of a ChristiaNet poll reported by Marketwire.com
| Pornography Time Statistics (The numbers are far higher for 2011) |
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The next post in this Series is on the subtle and not-so-subtle triggers for viewing sexual content…in women… (Because that’s my gender status…and they say…”write what you know”. I find this rather inconvenient sometimes, but there you have it.)
But Guys, wait a sec.
Though this issue has been covered a bunch already from the male-use perspective, I hope you will think about the topic for tomorrow and weigh in on your own personal triggers. Because they”ll be different than mine…
or will they?
Here’s today’s question of the day:
When was the last time you purposefully OR accidentally saw something sexually explicit? Are you brave enough to say? I hope so.
For me it was last week.
It’ll happen when I’m doing a truly innocent google search for a blog post visual. Then, boom, up pops something ghastly. Damn you, google! Damn you, indeed. The last time I stayed for a second glance was 11/13/11. How’s that for honest?
So, until next time….
Bounce those eyes, people. Bounce those eyes. (Related link…)
Category: Books, BOOM, Christianity, Christians, church, culture, film, hope, Humor, ministry, porn, Spiritual growth, temptation, worldviews /
Path to Porn..for women (part 1)
Confession: I recently viewed porn. It’s not the first time.
And so have you.
Porn: noun
1 pornography.
2 television programs, books, etc., regarded as catering to a voyeuristic or obsessive interest in a specified subject.
In this case, it was clips from a primetime television show on NBC, not graphic and explicit sexual content. But, porn has much to do with lacking purity, and self-discipline. I wasn’t interested in either at the time. It doesn’t matter how graphic it was or wasn’t, I picked a path.
I know it’s a common path, so I’m starting a post series on porn, to get the topic out in the open. You’ve seen porn. Of course you have. That’s just simple statistics. The only thing in question is for how long, or how often…but far more importantly, why are you, and are you hiding it, and do you feel stuck or trapped? Well, the gig is up.
7 Reasons this porn stuff is a typical situation:
• Television/especially cable/dish/satillite
• Smart phones/phone with internet access or image viewing capabilities
• Internet…duh. It’s got to be reason # 1. (plenitude of images & privacy to do as one pleases=lack of discipline.)
• Over-Sexualized culture/media, especially in advertising
• Plentiful supply normalizes or excuses inappropriate or damaging behavior/habits.
• Video games/books/products
• Cultural Idolization of beauty, youth, virility, and social acceptance.
We’ll get into the heart of the issue, behaviorally, mentally, emotionally, and spiritually, and find some ways to detour this path that will damage us and our relationships. We’ll help each other out, okay?
I will speak from my purview, as a women. We live in a time that is highly visual, tied to fantasy, that supplies huge amounts of voyeuristic material. It’s not something mostly “men do” (look at or participate in). Women do too.
However, I challenge you men reading to cover this topic in the next two weeks in a post or post series, or at least link to this post to support bringing this topic to light.
And ladies reading today, I challenge you to take on this topic, too, not as something that you wish guys wouldn’t do, etc., but as something that somehow effects your life somehow personally, and convicts you to somehow find a better way.
Often “Literature” and Story/Fantasy are like gateway drugs to this type of porn for women…I wrote a bit about this sort of thing in a past article, 5 Reasons I Don’t Read (Christian) Chick Books.
Confess what trips you up.
Coming up in the next post…thoughts, feelings, and reasons you and I try the Path to Porn.
In later posts, we’ll work together to discover some resources to help and guide us: detours from the path.
But, here’s the question for today: What particular vehicle makes porn all too accessible for you or someone in your life? Anonymous comments are always welcomed.
Category: Christ, Christianity, Christians, church, culture, hope, ministry, Sexual temptation, Spiritual Formation, Spiritual growth, temptation, worldviews /
Tags: addiction, Art, church, confession, gender, images, internet, nbc, porn, porno, pornography, primetime, purity, sexual, Sexual temptation, Sexuality, temptation, tv, vulgar
Followers…
How many books have been published lately…or ever…about being good at following people?
They’re probably as rare as denim wedding dresses or dark skinned NLF field goal kickers. Both of which seem strangely missing in our world, no?
On the other hand, if you want people to follow you, if you want to learn how to make that happen, you can spit, and you’ll probably spittle on a book, article, or person who will want to help you with that. If Leadership resources were cholesterol, we’d all be dead.
What is it about following (people), and learning to follow well that is so irksome? Is it because it’s hard to have consistent faith in people? Is it because it’s so punishing to our hubris?
Do we have too many leaders and not enough followers?
Add your comments.
Category: Authors, Christ, Christianity, Christians, culture, Humor, ministry, Spiritual Formation, Spiritual growth /
Tags: Authors, Books, denim, follow, following, football, humility, kickers, leadership, NFL, wedding dress, white kickers
The Cheers “Hymn”?
Granted: We live in cynical times. Several generations of television viewers are chronically jaded from advertising so that skepticism is part of the fabric of our worldview. Consequently, now is the era that we desire to truly belong before we believe, or trust.
In 1982, there started a half hour television sitcom called Cheers. You can see all the episodes on Netflix now. The lyrics to the theme sang that an atmosphere of acceptance and grace could be found at a bar more than anywhere else… What? Not in a church on a Sunday morning? Um. yep. Of course. “Duh,” we might say.
Of course, in response some churches have made their gathering spots pubs or bars, like here…
Shoreline “Church in a Bar” promo from life in motion films on Vimeo.
But this is rather old news. This video is about 5 years old.
Sure, times have changed a lot in the last 2 decades, but the funny thing is, they have also stayed much the same. (Like in this video, for instance, have you noticed how church groups love to use fonts that feel “cool” and “with it”?)
Regardless, of where we find it, genuine belonging still matters.
Where have you felt that you most belonged? At work? On a team? In the military? In a certain group or club? In a fellowship of believers? I’d love to know.
Cheers Theme Song Lyrics
“Where Everybody Knows Your Name”
by Gary Portnoy and Judy Hart Angelo
Making your way in the world today takes everything you’ve got.
Taking a break from all your worries, sure would help a lot.Wouldn’t you like to get away?
Sometimes you want to go
Where everybody knows your name,
and they’re always glad you came.
You wanna be where you can see,
our troubles are all the same
You wanna be where everybody knows
Your name.You wanna go where people know,
people are all the same,
You wanna go where everybody knows
your name.
Do these lyrics below ring true for you?
Category: blogging, Christianity, Christians, church, culture, Jesus, ministry, Spiritual growth, Spiritual practices, worldviews /
Tags: bar, belonging, Cheers, church, Culture, Diane, Jesus, lyrics, ministry, Sam, theme song
Review of “The Gospel of Matthew: God With Us” in the Resonate Series
This is my official *review of The Gospel of Matthew: God with Us
(The 2nd Book in the Resonate Series, by Matt Woodley • Foreword by Leonard Sweet • Afterword by Skye Jethani)
More than Your Usual Commentary
First, my Confession.
My confession is this: I was raised to think, you open your Bible and the Holy Spirit tells you what it means. End of story. Consequently, I rarely used a commentary until I went to seminary, where I used them routinely.
Immediately, I realized how much added insight was missing from my study of the Bible. I found that reading the thoughts of men and women who had devoted many years of concentrated examination of Scripture was like having a spiritual big brother or sister showing me the ropes. Invaluable.
The Holy Spirit
I wondered too if my view of the Holy Spirit had been shallow or incomplete. Hum…I thought…If the Holy Spirit simply plugs truth from the Bible into our brains and hearts, you’d think disagreements about Scripture would be few and far between. But, if Protestants know how to do anything, it’s splitting off from others because “the Holy Spirit” has told them other stuff from the Bible.
So, maybe the Holy Spirit’s role isn’t that simple or clear cut as we may first assume. Maybe the Holy Spirit tells us about God’s nature more than it exegetes hermeneutic in concrete terms inside our heads. Maybe the Holy Spirit is alive, well, and active in and through the brothers and sisters who write these carefully created analysis, too. Maybe it’s a bit like a joining forces kind of thing.
I sincerely wish everyone who reads the Bible would use various commentaries along the way, as tools, to better grasp the whole council of God. God has given people great scholarly and spiritual capacities to shed more light on the things in the Bible–and we are blessed to share in these gifts. It’s worth the time to get some help this way.
Not Your Typical Commentary
Now to the review:
If you aren’t used to reading bible commentaries (and you might realize that some are extremely dry and academic, using lots of Greek and Hebrew to explain things, as if you are already adept at these dead languages), then I highly recommend this new Resonate Series from Likewise, at IVP. They published one of the Gospel of John. This one on Matthew is the 2nd. More are coming.
I got a copy of IVP’s Matthew commentary from the publisher, and the more I read, the more it had an impact on me. The power of Matthew’s gospel is amazing, and this commentary takes Jesus’ life, death, and resurrection seriously. The gospel is cogent, and we find this out directly.
As you might expect, this particular book is helpful resource for pastors, teachers, spiritual leaders, and lovers of the Word who need a thorough synopsis. Yet, Matt Woodley also points out some concepts overlooked in some commentaries and typical sermons, and keeps our present cultural context in mind–which is sometimes nonexistent in typical commentaries. However, there is something about this book that will serve a different purpose, and do so quite powerfully. More on that a little later.
The author maps out the territory of Matthew’s gospel, in normal language, for one to get a lay of the land, or survey the crucial themes. You’ll find vignettes of pertinent personal stories, and the this gospel is covered in sections and main points. The style is very pastoral, like a casual but deep, personal interaction. (Don’t expect a commentary in the vein of D.A. Carson, Craig L. Blomberg, or Craig S. Keener, and the like. Some of these commentaries, while very helpful, go verse by verse and are chiefly informative.) This commentary has a personal touch. There is narrative finesse.
The Best Kept Secret about this book…
Now I have to tell you what I wish the book would be used for most…I don’t think the publishers really had this in mind, exactly…or they probably wouldn’t have categorized it as a commentary in the first place. I think the book is a bit mis-categorized…but then again, they tell you it’s usually right up front. So, whatever.
The surprise ending is this: It would be best used in one-to-one and small group discipling, for developing spirit-filled, potential leaders, and those hungry for more of God and his Word. It’s written in a way that begs for an intimate and richer discussion, not just a proclamation from the front of the building. This book has discipleship written all over it.
My background is Spiritual Formation. I’ve focused on the whys and hows and history of spiritual growth in Christians throughout the history of the Church. I’ve spent plenty of time answering the question: “What makes Christ-like followers?”. So, I couldn’t help see this work as an excellent resource for inciting spiritual growth on a personal level. I’d like to see it used for this over being used as a tool for sermon preparation. Sorry IVP. That’s just how I see it.
If you want to take this sort of thing on in your life, get this book right away. It’s the perfect fit. Find a peer, a friend, a hungry seeker or Christian, or a mentor, and work through this book together, with the Bible in hand. It’s a down-to-earth examination that many will find helpful.
Here’s some added book info:
The Facebook Page for this series will help you keep track of this whole series of commentaries as the project unfolds, and give you an insider scoop for other stuff, including interaction with the authors and editors. Also, searching for the Twitter hashtag #resonateseries will locate other reviews and related material. I think the blog tour runs all month, if I remember correctly.
*Obligatory Disclaimer (to satisfy the FCC). I received a free copy of this book from IVP to review it on my blog, which is probably pretty darn obvious by now. An honest review (not a positive one) was the only essential. So that what ya’ll got.
RELATED: Here’s a previous post I wrote about how to study the Bible, and what people usually get wrong. I think you’ll like it.