5 Links, Books, and Things I Love – March 2020

Every month I share my list of favorite 5’s.

  • 5 interesting things online
  • 5 articles about words, books, or podcasts
  • 5 pictures of things I love
  • 5 things on the blog

What are you enjoying this month?

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5 Things Around the Web

An Open Letter to the Older Women in the Church

“I didn’t know how to respond. I wasn’t too busy for you. I was scared because I didn’t think I could do what you were asking of me.”

An Illustration of How Relationships Change Over Time

An artist illustrates the dynamics of various relationships by drawing lines.

If You Think the U.S. Is More Polarized Than Ever

We sometimes think we’re more polarized in the U.S. than ever before. But not so. Not even close.

Confessions of a Recovering Evangelist

“If I gave you 30 minutes to tell these Christians what not to do to have a spiritual conversation with you, what would you tell them?”

When Schools Close

I saw this on Facebook. It reminded me of how it used to be when I was growing up (but more like 1970, not 1990).

School closing

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5 Things with Words and Books

Free Audiobook—The Ragamuffin Gospel

Christian Audio offers a free audiobook each month. This month’s selection is one of my favorites, the late Brennan Manning’s The Ragamuffin Gospel.

When Your Books Talk to Each Other

I love when this happens. It’s one of the perks of reading more than one book at a time.

You’re Not Listening. Here’s Why.

From Kate Murphy, the author of this wonderful book, You’re Not Listening: What You’re Missing and Why It Matters, see why we have an unconscious tendency to tune people out.

Should a Book’s Title Match Its Content? + 3 Books I Recommend

And speaking of You’re Not Listening, it’s one of my favorite 3 books I read this month.

3 Books I Recommend_fb

Book Dreams

Wouldn’t this delivery be lovely? For us readers, anyway.

Amazon book order

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5 Things I Love

4 Corners Slumber Party

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We had our annual Christmas slumber party a few weeks ago. It used to actually be in December. Then we shifted it to January. Now we are lucky to squeeze it in by February. I love these lifetime friends. We made big plans for upcoming trips in 2020.

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Our Little Outdoors Girl

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Our oldest granddaughter has spent a few afternoons in the woods with her dad. She was curious about this squirrel he got.

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Sick One

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It’s been a rough winter. Our baby granddaughter had a rough go with sickness and was waiting her turn here at the doctor’s office. I still find her adorable, even when she’s sick.

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But Recovered

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But by the next visit, she had fully recovered and returned to her happy little self. 4 months old now!

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My Baby’s Babies

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I love that I get to watch my baby girl in action once a week. She’s an awesome teacher and loves her students so much. They were reciting their memory verse together here.

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5 Things on the Blog

Your Cheat Sheet: Summary for Enneagram Types {Enneagram Series #28}

Get your cheat sheet of a summary for Enneagram types. It includes triads, groups, core traits, etc., for each Enneagram number.

Improve Your Relationships with Other Numbers on the Enneagram {Enneagram Series #26}

See how to improve your relationships with other numbers on the Enneagram. Approach each personality type in a way that suits them best.

Who Has Your Enneagram Number? Numbers of Famous People and People in the Bible {Enneagram Series #6}

What are the Enneagram numbers of famous people and people in the Bible? Here are guesses. See who has your Enneagram number to help find your own.

If You Don’t Know What to Say

If you don’t know what to say, try using a blessing from scripture. Philippians 1:9-11 is a prayer for love, wisdom, and hope.

20 Ways to Practice the Enneagram for Spiritual Growth {Series Index}

How can you practice the Enneagram for spiritual growth? Discover 20 ways to use the Enneagram in this series. Don’t just learn about it; use it.

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What was a highlight from your February? What are you looking forward to in March? Please share in the comments.

previous Links and Books


On the Blog – February 2020

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

On the Blog 2020-02


Don’t Make Me and Week 4 in Summary {Enneagram Series #29}

Depending on your Enneagram type, there are certain things that you’d rather not have to do anymore. See if this list rings true with you.

Follow Sarajane Case at Enneagramandcoffee on Instagram to see more Enneagram lists like this. 

Don't make me guess_enneagramandcoffee

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Summary of the Week

Below is a short recap of the Enneagram articles from this week.

Week 4 Enneagram Summary_pin

If you want to learn more about the Enneagram, see these five articles from week 4 in our series, “The Enneagram for Spiritual Growth: 20 Ways to Practice the Enneagram.”

#24 Shine a Light on 9 Ways We Lose Our Way

9 Passions of the Enneagram

Spiritual Practice #16—Learn your verse.

See the 9 ways (Passions) each Enneagram type can lose their way. Learn Bible verses to shine a light on them.

#25 Which Enneagram Types Go Best Together?

Enneagram types go best together

Spiritual Practice #17—See the best and worst in relationships.

Which Enneagram types go best together? Those at their healthiest number. Here are the best/worst traits to watch for in each number.

#26 Improve Your Relationships with Other Numbers on the Enneagram

Improve Relationships Enneagram

Spiritual Practice #18—Use these relationship tips.

See how to improve your relationships with other numbers on the Enneagram. Approach each personality type in a way that suits them best.

#27 A Wake-Up Call for Each Number on the Enneagram

Wake-Up Call Enneagram

Spiritual Practice #19—Use your gift.

When you’re spiraling downward, you need a wake-up call. See one for each Enneagram number. Also see the unique gift your type can give the world.

#28 Your Cheat Sheet: Summary for Enneagram Types

Summary for Enneagram Types

Spiritual Practice #20—Pray about these 9 lies and truths.

Get your cheat sheet of a summary for Enneagram types. It includes triads, groups, core traits, etc., for each number. Also see this list of lies/truths for each number. 


Did you learn anything new about your relationships this week using the Enneagram? Please share in the comments.

See the whole Enneagram series here

Enneagram for Spiritual Growth

Previous: Your Cheat Sheet: Summary for Enneagram Types {Series #28}


Your Cheat Sheet: Summary for Enneagram Types {Enneagram Series #28}

Get your cheat sheet below of a summary for Enneagram types.

Summary for Enneagram Types

Summary for Enneagram Types

As you’ve discovered throughout this series, the Enneagram is a rich tool, far more than just a number on a personality chart. 

The more you dig into it, the more it expands.

As you use it to expand your own soul through the grace of God, harness it not just for your own growth, but also for the greater good of loving God and loving others.

Here is an Enneagram cheat sheet for you to download. It includes many of the Enneagram triads, groups, core traits, etc., that we covered for each number, along with a clickable link connecting to its associated post. 

Download “Summary for Enneagram Types” here

Summary of Enneagram Types_download_th

Spiritual Practice #20—9 Lies and Truths

Our final spiritual practice is to evaluate a set of lies and truths that we believe, one for each number.

Pray about any lies you are believing and ask God’s Spirit to replace them with his eternal truths about who he is, who you are, and how you can best love others. The information is revised from AJ Sherrill’s Enneagram & the Way of Jesus and from Suzanne Stabile.

Type 1—Perfectionist

  • The lies Ones believe:
    “It’s not ok to make a mistake; I have to be perfect.”
  • The truth Ones need:
    “You are loved for who you are, not how good you are.”

Type 2—Helper

  • The lies Twos believe:
    “It’s not ok to be needy.”
  • The truth Twos need:
    “You are wanted.”

Type 3—Performer

  • The lies Threes believe:
    “It’s not ok to be seen as a failure.”
  • The truth Threes need:
    “You are loved for who you are, not for what you do.”

Type 4—Individualist

  • The lies Fours believe:
    “It is not ok to be too functional or too happy.”
  • The truth Fours need:
    “You are seen and valued for who you are.”

Type 5—Investigator

  • The lies Fives believe:
    “You are strong enough to not need help.”
  • The truth Fives need:
    “Your needs are not a problem.”

Type 6—Loyalist

  • The lies Sixes believe:
    “It is not ok to trust yourself.”
  • The truth Sixes need:
    “You are safe.”

Type 7—Enthusiast

  • The lies Sevens believe:
    “It is not ok to depend on anyone for anything.”
  • The truth Sevens need:
    “You will be taken care of.”

Type 8—Challenger

  • The lies Eights believe:
    “It is not ok to be vulnerable—you can’t trust people.”
  • The truth Eights need:
    “It’s ok to be weak.”

Type 9—Peacemaker

  • The lies Nines believe:
    “It’s not ok to be bold and assert yourself.”
  • The truth Nines need:
    “Your presence and opinion matters.”

For more, here is an excellent Spiritual Formation Plan you can download from Saturate on how to use the Enneagram. The plan is designed to help you “take off the mask so the real you can meet Jesus and be transformed into the person God made you to be, for His glory and the good of others.”


Thank you for traveling along this journey with me. I’ve enjoyed every single comment and have learned much from you.

Please share any thoughts in the comments.

Enneagram for Spiritual Growth

Previous: A Wake-Up Call for Each Number on the Enneagram {Series #27}

Next: Don’t Make Me and Week 4 in Summary {Series #29} 


Notice His Presence – Grace & Truth Link-Up

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Too Busy to Notice?

Amy makes a call to her friend Suzanne every Wednesday morning to talk about their week and God and life.

But it’s not just about making a call. It’s about a person. She knows that Suzanne is a safe person.

Are you aware that God is a safe person, too? And that he is always with you, anytime you’re willing to talk?

We sometimes think God comes to visit us only when we invite him to our official “quiet time” parties.

But in this week’s featured post, Amy reminds us that God is with us in ALL our moments. He’s never too busy to notice us.

Are we too busy to notice him?

Amy has begun a series on developing our spiritual life at her blog Wasteland to Graceland by looking at the little book by Brother Lawrence, The Practice of the Presence of God. It’s a book I re-read every few years for its rich spirituality.

Our Featured Post

I encourage you to read Amy’s post today, too: “The First Way to Practice the Presence of God…Even if You’re Busy.”

Join her to see practical ways we can each begin again, remembering that God is always with us.

Grace & Truth Amy Jung

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

Grace Truth Featured button


Grace Truth_Meet Your Hosts

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

Grace Truth_The Rules

We pray that each week Grace & Truth will point you to Jesus. Add your own post below to encourage others and to strengthen friendships in the Christian blogging community.

1. You are welcome to follow your hosts on their blogs and/or social media channels.

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

3. Visit and comment on 1 or 2 other links. Be an encourager. Please don’t link and run.

4. All links are randomly sorted. Link early or late. The playing field is even.

To Be Featured:

5. Post the button or link back to one of our hosts to encourage new participants. (Not mandatory to participate, but required to be featured.)

Grace Truth_Button

6. Every week each host will feature one blog and promote it via her social media.

Now Let’s Link Up!

You are invited to the Inlinkz link party!

Click here to enter

A Wake-Up Call for Each Number on the Enneagram {Enneagram Series #27}

Get a wake-up call for each Enneagram number for when you’re spiraling downward. Also see unique gifts that each type gives the world. 

Wake-Up Call Enneagram

Know Yourself

We all have times when life is going smoothly. Maybe we’re loving generously, working successfully, staying keenly aware in our everyday activities.

But life keeps coming at us, an unexpected bill here or a health problem there, a relationship struggle or a job change.

Is it possible to use the Enneagram as a wake-up call before we fall further down the hole? What are the pitfalls and warning signs to watch for in a potential slide from healthy to unhealthy versions of ourselves?

9 Wake-Up Calls

The following is a compilation from several sources, including Riso and Hudson’s, The Wisdom of the Enneagram, and Rohr and Ebert’s, The Enneagram: A Christian Perspective.

1 The Perfectionist

Wake-Up Call: You sense an intense personal obligation to fix everything yourself.

“Everyone is so lazy and irresponsible. Right is right and wrong is wrong and there are no exceptions.”

Your pitfall is to become hypersensitive.
Your temptation is to search for perfection.

Warning Signs

  • Taking rigid, inflexible positions
  • Extreme self-righteousness and judgmentalness
  • Rationalizing and justifying your own actions

2 The Helper

Wake-Up Call: You become overly supportive of others to win them over.

“I can make anyone like me. . . . Let me do that for you.”

Your pitfall is people-pleasing.
Your temptation is to make others dependent on you to make yourself feel worthy.

Warning Signs

  • Extreme tendencies toward self-deception
  • Acting with a sense of delusional entitlement
  • Episodes of manipulating and coercing others

3 The Performer

Wake-Up Call: You think your value depends on your success.

“I can do this better than anyone else. I’ve got it altogether.”

Your pitfall is superficiality.
Your temptation is efficiency.

Warning Signs

  • Physical exhaustion, burnout, inner emptiness
  • Increasingly false self-image
  • Jealousy and unrealistic expectations of success

4 The Individualist

Wake-Up Call: You are imagining things to hold on to and intensify feelings.

“No one understands me. People are insensitive to me.”

Your pitfall is depression or melancholy.
Your temptation is a frantic striving to be authentic.

Warning Signs

  • Oppressive sense of alienation from self and others
  • Extreme emotional volatility and touchiness
  • Depending on one or two others, with unstable relationships
  • Chronic, long-term depression and hopelessness

5 The Investigator

Wake-Up Call: You retreat into your mind.

“Is it safe to come out? I need more time.”

Your pitfall is emotional stinginess.
Your temptation is to know more and more.

Warning Signs

  • Increasing tendency to isolate yourself
  • Chronic physical and social neglect, letting yourself go
  • Severe insomnia, nightmares, and sleep disorders
  • Refusing help or even being hostile to it

6 The Loyalist

Wake-Up Call: You look for a sure thing (guidance and support outside yourself).

“What can I trust? I’m so mad and I’m not going to take it anymore!”

Your pitfall is cowardice (if phobic 6) or recklessness (if counter-phobic 6).
Your temptation is an exaggerated need for security.

Warning Signs

  • Intense anxiety, panic attacks, and paranoia
  • Acute inferiority feelings and chronic depression
  • Constant fear of losing support from others
  • Alternating dependency and impulsive displays of defiance

7 The Enthusiast

Wake-Up Call: You think something better is available elsewhere.

“I don’t want to miss out; let’s get going. I want it and I want it now!”

Your pitfall is scheming.
Your temptation is idealism.

Warning Signs

  • Impulsiveness, offensiveness, and infantile reactions
  • Debilitating addictions to escape anxiety
  • Compulsive activity and highly exalted mood
  • Periods of being out of control

8 The Challenger

Wake-Up Call: You think you must push and struggle to make things happen.

“It’s all up to me. No one tells me what to do.”

Your pitfall is revenge.
Your temptation is appointing yourself as avenger.

Warning Signs

  • Paranoid feelings of being betrayed by “my people”
  • Increasing social isolation, bitterness, and vengeance
  • Lack of conscience and empathy; callous hard-heartedness
  • Episodes of rage, violence, and physical destructiveness

9 The Peacemaker

Wake-Up Call: You outwardly go along with others.

“It doesn’t matter to me. I’ll deal with this later.”

Your pitfall is lethargy (comfort).
Your temptation is self-deprecation.

Warning Signs

  • Denial of serious health, financial, or personal problems
  • A sense of inadequacy, general neglectfulness, and dampened vitality
  • Dependency on others and allowing yourself to be exploited
  • Chronic depression and emotional flatness

Spiritual Practice #19—Use Your Gift

While each type has a particular set of temptations and weaknesses, each type also has multiple benefits. Embedded inside each person is a unique set of gifts.

Read the following gifts that each mature type can offer the world. Add more from your own experiences.

1—Moral Integrity

Healthy 1s have an extraordinary ability to know how to do the right thing and make a positive difference in the world. They are willing to take a stand and make sacrifices, while being grace-driven, not guilt-driven.

2—Service

When 2s learn to give with an open hand and with humility, they can be of great service to their community and help other people thrive. They also allow others to serve them.

3—Genuineness

As 3s become more genuine, not trying to be more or less than they really are, they are available to lead others with honesty and humility as a non-competitive team, giving others the opportunity to share in the spotlight.

4—Beauty

Healthy 4s bring their emotional life into balance and become impressive personalities. They deal sensitively and passionately with real life, becoming and creating works of art as gifts to humanity.

5—Objectivity

When 5s harness their ability to detach, they are compassionate and perceptive listeners. They are able to share not only the riches of their minds, but also the depths of their hearts.

6—Courage

6s can overcome their fear in moments of crisis more easily than anyone else and become a stabilizing presence. They are inclusive and accepting of others, grounding people in reality and drawing out their emotions.

7—Joy

7s have the ability to find and spread joy in the face of and despite all the difficulties of life. At their healthiest, they are satisfied with very little, staying present in the moment, knowing there will always be enough for them and everyone else.

8—Protection

8s at their healthiest learn to trust and be good to the vulnerable child in their own soul. They are strong and have the power to inspire others to be heroic, impacting the world in important ways.

9—Healing

Mature 9s intuitively see all sides of an issue and are a comforting presence for peace in environments of conflict. They are steady, engaged, and dynamic in working for peace and healing in the world.

Wake-Up Call Enneagram


Do you recognize your warning signs? How can you use your gift in the world? Please share in the comments.

Enneagram for Spiritual Growth

Previous: Improve Your Relationships with Other Numbers on the Enneagram {Series #26}

Next: Your Cheat Sheet: Summary for Enneagram Types {Series #28}