considering your resolution options

Happy New Year!

Have you broken any of your New Year's resolutions yet? Or maybe you're like me, and still in the process of making them.

I usually reserve the week between Christmas and New Year's Day for thoughts of resolve. However, this year we were away in Kamloops enjoying Christmas #2 during that week. So here I am on the 2nd of January with not a concrete resolution in sight.

But I do have some resources squirrelled away to help me consider my options. If you're with me in the resolutionless boat, you might want to take a look at some of these.

• If you'd like to pull up your socks in pretty well every department, consider adopting Andy Andrews "Seven Decisions," which include: The Responsible Decision (The buck stops here); The Guided Decision (I will seek wisdom); The Active Decision (I am a person of action) and four more. They're listed and explained on The Seven Decisions (pdf file).

• If you want to spend more time in the Bible, Sherry (Semicolon blog) has assembled 52 ways to read and study the Bible in 2011.

Let me add one more. I've just finished writing a year's worth of daily devotions at Other Flood: daily devos, and will continue with this in 2011. I'd love it if you joined me there for the daily (linked to an online Bible) Canadian Bible Society reading and a few devotional thoughts.

• And while we're on the subject of the Bible and things spiritual, you might want to spend some time this year, sorting out your theology, especially as it pertains to bad stuff happening. Rebecca has written a thought-provoking post to help get you started: "Every Year After Christmas: Getting Your Theology on Track."

• If you're a blogger, and want your blogging to be more meaningful and God-centered in 2011, read, then download for praying over and over Ann Voskamp's "A Blogger's Prayer." (And don't miss the links to three more articles about blogging at the bottom of the page.)

• If your resolutions tend toward housekeeping, homemaking, simplifying, tidying — that sort of thing, a good online resource is The Fly Lady. It's a huge site, heavy with how-to. A good place to start is Beginner BabySteps section.

Happy resolving to us!

"Don't Waste Your Cancer"

John Piper begins his article "Don't Waste Your Cancer":

I write this on the eve of prostate surgery. I believe in God’s power to heal—by miracle and by medicine. I believe it is right and good to pray for both kinds of healing. Cancer is not wasted when it is healed by God. He gets the glory and that is why cancer exists. So not to pray for healing may waste your cancer. But healing is not God’s plan for everyone. And there are many other ways to waste your cancer. I am praying for myself and for you that we will not waste this pain.

He goes on to list and elaborate on 10 ways you can waste your cancer. Here are some of them:

1. You will waste your cancer if you do not believe it is designed for you by God.

2. You will waste your cancer if you believe it is a curse and not a gift.

3. You will waste your cancer if you seek comfort from your odds rather than from God.

4. You will waste your cancer if you refuse to think about death.

and so on.

Go and read this thought-provoking and encouraging article, then pass it on to your friends.

Hat Tip: LC (Practical Faith)

potpourri of lists

52 proven stress reducers (HT: the evangelical outpost)

25 uses of Ziploc bags (HT: the evangelical outpost)

10 ways to be a better listener; 5 blocks to listening

8 winning worst first lines – from the Worst First Lines Contest – blog of Editorial Anonymous, a children’s book editor.

2 winners for the Seuss Honor – same contest.

reading meme

Victoria Gaines who writes the very excellent Light for the Writer’s Soul – a blog for Christian writers – has tagged me to do a book meme. It’s all about what I’m reading…

Next five to read:
1. Suncatcher by Jamie Langston Turner
2. Mourning into Dancing by Walter Wangerin Jr. – I started this book almost a year ago. Now I’d like to finish it.
3. Women, Abuse and the Bible edited by Catherine Clark Kroeger & James R. Beck.
4. Page After Page by Heather Sellers – I’ve read this once, but I want to re-read it.
5. Writing Metrical Poetry by William Baer.

Last four I’ve read:
1. The Castro Gene by Todd Buchholz – newly released. I got this from a publicist for potential review. I won’t be doing a review. I don’t recommend this book (well-written, intriguing plot but can’t endorse the language and moral climate).
2. Absolute Surrender by Andrew Murray.
3. Spiritual Excellence by Andrew Murray
4. The Heir by Paul Robertson

Last three borrowed:
1. Absolute Surrender by Andrew Murray
2. Spiritual Excellence by Andrew Murray
3. Can’t remember; I’ve been getting enough free books to make trips to the library unnecessary.

Last two non-fiction:
1. My Utmost for His Highest by Oswald Chambers - read this every morning along with the Bible. It's a great plumb line for the day.
2. Streams in the Desert by Mrs. Charles E. Cowman - a classic devotional book we found on Dad's bookshelf. Comforting. I read it every morning too.

One book I wish everyone read: The Holy Bible – any version.

If you’re interested in sharing your reading life in this meme way, consider yourself tagged. (Leave a note in comments and I’ll post a link to your list.)

did Jesus make lists?

That's the question that came to me this morning as I was thinking about the day ahead and the list of things I’d like to get done. List-making has always been for me an efficiency tool or self-check guide to focus me and help me make sure I’m staying on-task. As such, though, lists can easily rule me, making me resistant to serendipity and interruption.

Jesus, on the other hand, comes across as a very anti-list person, the way He drifted from incident to incident – one day in Galilee, another in Capernaum, then Bethany, then Jerusalem – with seemingly no plan or agenda but to do His Father’s will.

And then this morning, just after thinking about Jesus and lists I came to the place in Luke where He made one! Yes indeed, in Luke 6:12-15 Jesus comes to His flock of followers one morning with a list of twelve people He’s picked to be disciples. Though I’m sure he didn’t make His list because He was in a panic, feeling overwhelmed, or wouldn't otherwise remember (more reasons I make lists), I imagine He had one reason in common with mine -- His time was limited. He had lots to get done and needed to focus His efforts.

But there is also a big difference between Jesus’ list-making and mine, and that is what He did while He was making that list: He “continued all night in prayer to God.” Luke 6:12. Now there’s a novel thought – praying over my lists. Presenting them to God and letting Him strike out some items and add others to my to-do list, prayer list, grocery list, list of people I’d like to have over, books I want to read, things I’d like to do before I die ...

I’m definitely a list person, though I must admit that more than once I’ve questioned the lists I’ve made because they so easily spin me off into my own little agenda. But if Jesus made lists surely it’s okay for me to make them too – as long as I don’t forget to invite Him to be part of the process. Oh, and I just thought of a way to shake off the tyranny of any list that thinks it's the boss. I'll make sure that "serendipity" and "interruption" are always on the list!

pray with your eyes open

Oh my! I’m sure if my primary Sunday School teacher read that, she’d try to bust out of her grave – considering the way she drilled into us: “Close your eyes when you pray!” However, the section of 1 Peter that I’ve picked out as my verse(s) for the year begins, “But the end of all things is at hand; therefore be serious and watchful in your prayers.”

Sounds like open eyes to me.

So lately I’ve been asking myself, exactly how is one 'watchful in prayers.' Here’s an incomplete list of things I’ve thought of:

1. Look at the day ahead of you and your family. Pray for things like protection during travel, help with tests and interviews, guidance during shopping, creativity during housekeeping (and joy during cleaning?) etc.

2. Pray similarly for your church family. If you’ve heard rumblings of discontent, pray for church unity and leadership wisdom.

3. Cover missionary friends and family with prayers for protection from diseases, unsafe political environments, discouragement, marital discord etc.

4. Read reports from organizations that track the persecuted church (like Voice of the Martyrs). You’ll be alerted to incidents the secular press never reports on. I find this also gives me an overview of global trends. For example, whereas the great resistor of the Gospel formerly was Communism, now it is Islam.

5. While watching/listening to/reading the news, notice things to pray about on global and local levels.

6. Also read your local paper with your prayer antennae up. Take note of crime trends, note local issues and specific challenges facing your mayor, council, police etc. and pray about those.

7. Don’t forget to pray for members of the media (or against them?!). Seriously, the belief biases of talk show hosts, news anchors, and reporters (not to speak of sit-com writers) are thinly veiled if at all and have great influence (how do you think same-sex marriage went from being unthinkable to being accepted by a near majority of Canadians?). Pray for the salvation of media personnel and that godly people will find employment in mainstream media.

Like I said, an incomplete list but a start. And come to think of it, if I explained this kind of “eyes open” praying to my former teacher, I’m sure she’d heartily agree.

promptings' potpourri

Eleven miscellaneous blogs I like for one reason or another.

1. My favorite theology blog.

2. A blog that links to something beautiful (almost) every day.

3. A blog about futuristic technologies (like engineered brains) written by a very smart scientist
(hat tip: Julana)

4. A blog from Norway.

5. A blog from Antarctica.

6. A digital photography school blog.

7. Our first baby's MySpace site and blog.

8. Our second baby's MySpace site and blog.

9. A blog to help you make money with your blog.

10. A headache blog.

11. The dullest blog in the world.