Lisa notes

On the Blog—October 2020

By LisaNotes October 31, 2020 Archives No Comments

Here are brief summaries and links to blog posts from October 2020.

Can You Wait 5 More Minutes? (10/30)
Can you wait just 5 more minutes before you give in to that temptation? Sometimes that’s all we need.
God Personalizes Your Gifts (10/28)
God knows you by name and by need. He personalizes his gifts for you.
7 Books I Recommend—October 2020 (10/26)
Here are 7 books I recommend from what I finished reading in October 2020.
Would You Want to Be the Next President? (10/23)
Would you want to be the next President? Not everyone is called to lead. But Jesus invites all of us to follow.
What Do You Think About God? It’s Critical (10/21)
What we think about God determines who we are and how we live. That’s why it’s important we form the right ideas. Read this excerpt from James Bryan Smith.
How to Prevent Compassion Fade During a Pandemic (10/16)
How do you not get overwhelmed by the big numbers of deaths during the pandemic? Prevent compassion fade by focusing on one person at a time.
Do You Go Wide or Go Deep with Bible Study? (10/15)
Whether you want to go wide or go deep with your Bible study, get the resources to do it.
Using the Enneagram as a Spiritual Tool (10/13)
“The Enneagram isn’t Jesus, but it can help you learn how to be more like him.” Book review of A.J. Sherrill’s, The Enneagram for Spiritual Formation.
5 Posts on How and Who to Love (10/9)
See 5 posts on how and who to love. Plus read Heather’s post on suicide, when we lose someone we love, for our #GraceandTruthLinkup.
5 Pictures of Things I Love—October 2020 (10/8)
Here are 5 pictures I love for my October daybook.
5 Things on Reading and Writing—October 2020 (10/7)
Here are 5 links on reading and writing for October 2020
5 Memes I Love—October 2020 (10/6)
Here are 5 favorite memes from the month that made me laugh.
5 Links I Love + 1 Second Everyday Video—October 2020 (10/5)
Links of things I love online – October 2020
Want to Do an Amazing Thing? Enjoy God (10/2)
Want to do an amazing thing? Enjoy God. Read Beth’s story about wanting no pity as a special needs mom.

Can You Wait 5 More Minutes?
—Grace & Truth Linkup

By LisaNotes October 30, 2020 Grace & Truth Link-Up, Linger, Memorization 15 Comments

When the Temptation Comes

It happened again last night.

I woke up around 11:45 pm. I only slept for 90 minutes and I’m already awake? Not good. Sigh.

I know the best thing to do. Relax, meditate on memorized scripture, pray.

But sometimes I lack the self-discipline for that.

An immediate temptation instead?

Put in my earbuds, find a non-engaging podcast to listen to on my phone, and let it derail my brain into nothingness. It can take awhile to work. And sometimes the podcast topic is too interesting after all, and it keeps me awake. Or if I forget to set the sleep timer to turn the podcast off, it wakes me back up later.

Sometimes I suspect the whole process of trying to get back to sleep can actually keep me awake.

But listening to podcasts is just so tempting. And so easy. I don’t like waiting for sleep to come on its own good time.

Wait 5 More Minutes

It’s hard to wait for things we want. We’re accustomed to instant gratification. Amazon has spoiled us with “buy now.” Google gives us prompt answers to our queries. Apple music lets me hear my favorite song immediately.

It’s uncomfortable to sit in uncertainty. The in-between makes us antsy. We’d rather forge ahead with the quick thing than wait patiently for the right thing.

So when I’m tempted to jump in too quickly, I trick myself with this: Just wait 5 more minutes.

Instead of sending off the angry email in the heat of the moment, wait 5 minutes.
Instead of getting the 3rd slice of pizza because I’m still hungry, wait 5 minutes.
And instead of immediately reaching for the podcast when I can’t sleep, just give it at least 5 minutes. Relax my muscles, recite scripture in my head, and watch my breathing.

God can do a lot when we give him 5 minutes. When we turn off the urgency. When we release our grip on getting relief now.

Our emotions might shift. We might find something better to do in the delay. We might discover a better solution. We might find we can hold off even longer. The problem may even resolve on its own.

And if it doesn’t? Well, maybe we need another 5 minutes. Or maybe this time we just give in to the podcast to lull us back to sleep.

Either way, we don’t always need willpower to get through hour after hour.

Maybe we just need willpower for 5 more minutes.

Sometimes in the 5 minute delay, I actually fall asleep.

And stay asleep.

For much longer than 5 minutes.

Featured Post—Do This for 5 Minutes

Donna Bucher suggests a 5-minute bedtime ritual to clear our minds. Try using a night journal to unload your thoughts and quiet your mind before sleep.

“Writing down your thoughts at bedtime brings an end to the day. It draws a line between today and tomorrow. It gives you a new, fresh day upon waking and keeps today from spilling over into tomorrow.”

Read all of Donna’s post here, then share your own blog posts at the linkup below.

Using a Night Journal For a Quiet Mind at Bedtime

Thanks for sharing, Donna! Here’s a button for your blog.

1. Share 1 or 2 of your most recent CHRISTIAN LIVING posts. (No DIY, crafts, recipes, or inappropriate articles.) All links are randomly sorted.

2. Comment on 1 or 2 other links. Grace & Truth linkup encourages community.

3. Every host features one entry from the previous week. To be featured, include this button or link back here on your post (mandatory to be featured, but not to participate).

We encourage you to follow our hosts on their blogs or social media.

MAREE DEE – Embracing the Unexpected
Blog | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | Pinterest

HEATHER HART & VALERIE RIESE – Candidly Christian
Blog | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | Pinterest

LAUREN SPARKS
Blog | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | Pinterest

LISA BURGESS – Lisa notes
Blog | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | Pinterest

Now Let’s Link Up!

You are invited to the Inlinkz link party!

Click here to enter

Do you have any hacks to help you move past temptations? (And if you have any tips for getting a full night’s sleep, please share!) Share your thoughts in the comments.

God Personalizes Your Gifts

By LisaNotes October 28, 2020 Grace 10 Comments

She may have thought the worst had already happened.

Her husband had died. In the male-dominated Jewish culture, women were economically dependent upon male relatives.

At least she still had her son.

Then the unthinkable occurred: her only son also died. Would this double loss be her end?

Who Was She?

Who was this woman from Nain, Israel? We don’t know her name; Luke didn’t record it (Luke 7:11-17). While he told more stories about women than the other three gospel writers, he only relayed names of ten women in stories where they had parts to play. Ten others with roles remain unnamed.

Did these unnamed women not matter as much?

Do you not matter as much when you’re not acknowledged by name?

No and no. They mattered. You matter.

Grace in Her Story

The widow in Luke 7 was on the road to her son’s funeral. Her final gift was to follow his dead body to its burial outside the city gates. Many were with her, helping her grieve and carry her son.

But unbeknownst to her, her crowd was about to intersect the path of another crowd, being led by Jesus.

She was about to discover resurrection. And it would be personal.

Jesus saw her. He talked to her. He told her not to cry. Even though she didn’t ask for His help (Jesus had yet to raise the dead—Jairus’s daughter and Lazarus were yet to come), He was about to give her a magnificent gift of grace anyway.

He touched the coffin. Everyone froze. Then talking directly to the dead son, Jesus said, “Wake up!”

And the dead man sat up and talked.

The crowd was awed. They’d personally witnessed a visit from God. They spread the news everywhere of their experience.

Grace in Your Story

Even today, Jesus still sees. Even when you don’t know what to ask for, He knows exactly what you need.

It might not be a physical resurrection. That’s not always the best gift anyway.

On the day my mother died of Alzheimer’s, I wouldn’t have wanted her to return to that body. God blessed me instead with other gifts of grace—personalized for my family—to help us heal.

He graces you with resurrection in still other ways. Maybe with a restoration of hope. A friend to share your pain. An open door to something new.

While His salvation gift may look the same for all, His other gifts of grace are unique, personalized just for you.

To fit your personality
To favor your circumstances
To fill your holes

God Is Personal

So maybe it’s on purpose that the widow wasn’t named. Maybe you’re supposed to fill your own name in the blank. And watch for how God will intersect your path, showing up with monogrammed gifts just for you.

There’s nothing impersonal about God. If you think there is, you have the wrong view of Him.

He is good, He is generous, and He is personal.

He knows everyone by name and by need. Including you.

That’s a gift of grace worth celebrating.

“And my God will supply every need of yours according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus. To our God and Father be glory forever and ever. Amen.”
Philippians 4:19-20

What gifts of grace have you received after a loss?

How has God blessed you in a unique way, perfect just for you? Please share in the comments.

revised from the Do Not Depart archives

7 Books I Recommend—October 2020

By LisaNotes October 26, 2020 Books I Recommend 42 Comments

Read books that are relevant to what you want to achieve and reading will never seem boring.
—James Clear

It took me a long time to finish some of these books! But it was worth it. It just goes to show you: reading just a few pages a day will eventually get you through even the longest of books. Just keep at it.

Here are 7 books I recommend from those I finally finished reading in October. See all my recommended books here.

Nonfiction

1. “Why Are All The Black Kids Sitting Together in the Cafeteria?”
A Psychologist Explains the Development of Racial Identity
by Beverly Daniel Tatum

And it’s not just kids. I often notice Whites sitting with Whites, and Blacks sitting with Blacks in all kinds of social settings. Why? This book helps us understand. Originally written several years ago, it’s been updated and is as relevant as ever.

2. How to Be an Antiracist
by Ibram X. Kendi

Hardly anyone thinks they are racist. But Ibram X. Kendi shows us otherwise. He defines racism and antiracism in terms we can understand. And helps us understand what we can do to change. He also shares much of his own personal journey.

3. Stamped from the Beginning
The Definitive History of Racist Ideas in America
by Ibram X. Kendi

This is a much longer book by Ibram X. Kendi about the history of racism in the United States. It is eye-opening to learn how much of American history we have omitted because it makes us uncomfortable. Well-researched and documented, if you can stick with this one, you will likely learn lots of new things. I did.

4. Hood Feminism
Notes from the Women That a Movement Forgot
by Mike Kendall

Whether you call yourself a feminist or not, this book is another eye-opener from the Black female perspective. Mikki Kendall shares from her own experience as well as her research about our modern culture’s effects on women of color.

5. Compassion (&) Conviction
The AND Campaign’s Guide to Faithful Civic Engagement
by Justin Giboney, Michael Wear, Chris Butler

We don’t have to choose between social justice and Christianity. There is room for both. The AND Campaign is working hard to bring Christians together to engage and witness within the culture in positive ways. Politics, in various ways, affects everyone. Instead of withdrawing from it, we can learn to engage it responsibly and lovingly.

6. The Listening Life
Embracing Attentiveness in a World of Distraction
by Adam S. McHugh

As God listens to us, we should learn to listen more to Him and to each other. Adam McHugh writes with a gentle touch but a strong message to help us improve how we listen, building healthier relationships and more loving bonds.

Fiction

7. One by One
by Ruth Ware

I read all of Ruth Ware’s novels. They catch me off guard with their plot twists. This one is about a tech company’s retreat at a ski resort in the French Alps. And then an avalanche occurs.

Reading Now

Too Much Information
Understanding What You Dont Want to Know
by Cass R. Sunstein
The Color of Compromise
The Truth about the American Church’s Complicity in Racism
by Jemar Tisby
Furious Hours
Murder, Fraud, and the Last Trial of Harper Lee
by Casey Cep
A Month of Sundays
Thirty-One Days of Wrestling with Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John
by Eugene H. Peterson
Always a Guest
Speaking of Faith Far from Home
by Barbara Brown Taylor
The Store
by James Patterson

What good book are YOU reading this month? Please share in the comments.

My books on Goodreads
More books I recommend

Would You Want to Be the Next President?
—Grace & Truth Linkup

By LisaNotes October 23, 2020 Grace & Truth Link-Up 8 Comments

The Position for You

If you are keeping tabs on the U.S. Presidential election, you see the extreme pressure put on the candidates.

Every move is watched; every word is analyzed; every decision is judged.

That’s not the life for me.

Yesterday an old photo from my high school days surfaced on Facebook. It was the group photo of the yearbook staff.

It reminded me of other clubs I was involved with in high school.

And it also reminded me of this truth about myself: While I loved being involved in the clubs, I never wanted to lead them.

Not for Everyone

When pressed into running for various offices by my sophomore year, my preferred position was treasurer. Or maybe secretary. Or if the president seemed strong, I’d gladly run as the vice president.

But not the president.

In my junior year I somehow got wrangled into being the editor of the yearbook, and I couldn’t wait for it to be over.

For my senior year I convinced someone else to be the editor so I could slip back into a more comfortable position as assistant editor.

This year must be especially hard for top leaders. They have to be in control (or appear to be) of uncontrollable events.

Our society sometimes assumes that we all would want to be the top dog if given the chance.

But not everyone is called to that.

And that’s okay.

“Follow Me”

I’m glad. [Pam Ecrement’s post here explains this truth well.]

When Jesus called his apostles, he didn’t choose people already in high leadership positions. He didn’t call them to be the CEOs and CFOs of “Jesus Christ Ministry, Inc.”

His call wasn’t: Go lead!

Instead, Jesus said: Follow me.

I’m not saying he didn’t want them to be leaders. They did lead. But they led as they followed Jesus.

And where did Jesus’s path lead them? To self-sacrifice. To more humility. To love others as they loved themselves.

In this year of uncertainty, we don’t have to forge our own new paths. We just need to continue doing what he’s called us to do already: Follow where Jesus leads.

He leads us to do the next right thing.
To love the very person in front of us.
To speak the most fitting kind word.

Not everyone is called to lead. But Jesus invites all of us to follow.

We can stay a step behind. He’ll always be out front. He can handle the spotlight; we just point to him in it.

As our election date barrels closer, let’s pray that whoever wins the presidency will follow God’s path, God’s ways, and God’s heart.

Maybe you aspire to be President one day yourself. I’m glad someone is willing to do it. We need someone to do it.

But honestly? I thank God it doesn’t have to be me.

Featured Post

Read Pam’s beautiful post on God’s view of “following the leader.”

“WHO ARE YOU FOLLOWING?”

Pam’s words took some pressure off me. I hope they will encourage you, too.

Share your own blog posts at the linkup below.

Thanks for sharing, Pam! Here’s a button for your blog.

1. Share 1 or 2 of your most recent CHRISTIAN LIVING posts. (No DIY, crafts, recipes, or inappropriate articles.) All links are randomly sorted.

2. Comment on 1 or 2 other links. Grace & Truth linkup encourages community.

3. Every host features one entry from the previous week. To be featured, include this button or link back here on your post (mandatory to be featured, but not to participate).

We encourage you to follow our hosts on their blogs or social media.

MAREE DEE – Embracing the Unexpected
Blog | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | Pinterest

HEATHER HART & VALERIE RIESE – Candidly Christian
Blog | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | Pinterest

LAUREN SPARKS
Blog | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | Pinterest

LISA BURGESS – Lisa notes
Blog | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | Pinterest

Now Let’s Link Up!

Are you more of a leader or a follower? There’s no shame or no pride in either choice. Share your thoughts in the comments.

What Do You Think About God? It’s Critical

By LisaNotes October 21, 2020 Book quotes 7 Comments

I put this quote on a sticky note. I posted it on my bedroom mirror to remind me to keep first things first.

The primary thing God wants from us is not improved moral behavior (which will come), but to love God because he first loves us.
– James Bryan Smith

It’s important to keep things in proper order.

The first thing is to know that God loves us. Then our love for him will follow, as will our behavior.

Enjoy this excerpt below from an excellent book by James Bryan Smith.

: : :

Excerpt from The Good and Beautiful God

Our thoughts about God will determine not only who we are but how we live. We can predict the “spiritual future” of a person just by knowing what they think about God.

What we think about God—what we think God is like—will determine the relationship we have with God.

If we think of God as harsh and demanding, we will probably cower in fear and keep our distance from God. If we think of God as a vague and impersonal force in the universe, we will probably have a vague and impersonal relationship with this god.

That’s why it’s crucial that we have the right thoughts about God. It will determine everything we do. If we have low or false views of God, we are actually committing a form of idolatry, worshiping a false god.

What I have discovered is this: when I came to know the God that Jesus revealed, I absolutely fell in love with God.

The more I grasp about the nature and work of the triune God, the more I am enthralled with the truth, goodness and beauty of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit.

I want to turn your attention to the God Jesus reveals.

His God is good and beautiful, loving and trustworthy, self-sacrificial and forgiving, powerful and caring, and out for our good.

– James Bryan Smith

: : :

updated from the archives