Lisa notes

On the Blog – May 2018

By LisaNotes May 31, 2018 Archives 2 Comments

Summaries and links to blog posts for May 2018

Aging Isn’t the Enemy…Or the Goal

By LisaNotes May 30, 2018 Book reviews 10 Comments

People over fifty-five are now the fastest-growing demographic for gym membership.

Taking care of our bodies is a great thing. We all should do it.

But obsessing over our bodies is a bad thing. None of us will live in our physical bodies forever. Don’t feel guilty that you will eventually die.

We don’t have to be preoccupied with physical health. Keep it in perspective. That’s the premise in this new book about aging: Aging is a natural process; everybody that lives long enough will experience it.

Aging itself is not abnormal.

In Natural Causes, Barbara Ehrenreich helps us release the blame that we often get from the medical establishment, the food industry, and the stay-young-forever advertisements, to try to live forever in a pristine body here on earth.

“We can, or think we can, understand the causes of disease in cellular and chemical terms, so we should be able to avoid it by following the rules laid down by medical science: avoiding tobacco, exercising, undergoing routine medical screening, and eating only foods currently considered healthy.

Anyone who fails to do so is inviting an early death. Or to put it another way, every death can now be understood as suicide.”

Ehrenreich argues against the obsession and the blame. She does not see every death as a suicide for failure to prevent itself.

While parts of the book sunk too deeply into minutiae for my tastes, overall the book was an encouraging read. It helps us understand that while we do have some control over our bodies, our lives, and our deaths, we don’t need to overly preoccupy ourselves with controlling every little thing.

Do what you can, but don’t obsess about it. Enjoy life. Accept death. Let go of the crushing responsibility to monitor every aspect of your health at all times to the utmost degree.

Quality of life is more important to me than quantity.

As an aside, Ehrenreich writes only from a secular viewpoint, so I felt there were chapters left unwritten. She didn’t address that we carry God around with us in these physical bodies in this life. She also didn’t address life after physical death. But thankfully, believers understand that we don’t have to depend solely on this physical life for everything. It helps us keep a looser grip on it; therein lies freedom.

I still exercise several times a week and I *try* to eat healthy; I want to feel good and respect my body.

But my worth doesn’t depend on my outside body. My inner self is where true Life resides.

Favorite Excerpts from Natural Causes:

“The truly sinister possibility is that for many of us, all the little measures we take to remain fit—all the deprivations and exertions—will only lead to a longer chance to live with crippling and humiliating disabilities.”

“Once I realized I was old enough to die, I decided that I was also old enough not to incur any more suffering, annoyance, or boredom in the pursuit of a longer life.”

“Being old enough to die is an achievement, not a defeat, and the freedom it brings is worth celebrating.”

“If there is a lesson here it has to do with humility. For all our vaunted intelligence and “complexity,” we are not the sole authors of our destinies or of anything else. You may exercise diligently, eat a medically fashionable diet, and still die of a sting from an irritated bee.”

* * *

My thanks to NetGalley
for the review copy of this book

7 Books I Recommend – May 2018

By LisaNotes May 28, 2018 Books I Recommend, Video Book Reviews 25 Comments

Here are 7 books I recommend from what I finished reading in May, including a 1-minute video review. I also include 3 Honorable Mentions this month. Once a month we share our current reading list at Jennifer’s.

Books I Recommend

1. Meditation for Fidgety Skeptics
A 10% Happier How-To Book
by Dan Harris

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I’m experimenting this month with a quick 1-minute video review of one of the books here. (It’s also an exercise in humility for me. This video was no makeup, no prep, no edits.)

[Click here if you can’t see the video]

And here’s more encouragement from Dan Harris about meditating:

“Meditation is unlike anything else you do in life, in that here, “failing”—that is, noticing you’ve gotten distracted and starting again—is succeeding. When you wake up from distraction, that is the magic moment, the victory. And it is a victory of real consequence.”

2. The Sin of Certainty
Why God Desires Our Trust More Than Our “Correct” Beliefs
by Peter Enns

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Everything we believe about God isn’t accurate. Can we admit that? We’re human. Or do we put more faith in being right than we put in God himself? This was a great book for my One Word this year: Mystery.

“The problem is trusting our beliefs rather than trusting God.”

“We have misunderstood faith as a ‘what’ word rather than a ‘who’ word—as primarily beliefs ‘about’ rather than primarily as trust ‘in.'”

3. The Way of Abundance
A 60-Day Journey into a Deeply Meaningful Life
by Ann Voskamp

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My review and quotes from The Way of Abundance

What do we do with our brokenness? Ann Voskamp has the best little stories with deep insights. This powerful devotional is taken from her online essays and from her book, The Broken Way.

“Nothing is more necessary than finding God and falling in love and deeper into Him. . . . What you are in love with decides what you live for. What you are in love with decides what you get out of bed for.”

4. 42 Seconds
The Jesus Model for Everyday Interactions
by Carl Medearis

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My review and quotes from 42 Seconds

I love how Medearis gently shows us we can do more to connect with people. It doesn’t have to be complex. In small everyday interactions, we can show Jesus to others. A wonderful book.

“Being kind like Jesus means caring enough to learn why a given question matters to an individual. Which usually means asking another question, and another, and another, and listening.”

5. A Wrinkle in Time
by Madeleine L’Engle

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I’ve read this beloved classic novel several times already, but I re-read it again in preparation for seeing the movie. (Have you seen it yet?) I don’t always like the fantasy genre, but Madeleine L’Engle makes it more than just that.

“Don’t be afraid to be afraid. We will try to have courage for you. That is all we can do.”

More on that here, “Don’t Be Afraid to Be Afraid.”

6. Girl, Wash Your Face
Stop Believing the Lies about Who You Are So You Can Become Who You Were Meant to Be
by Rachel Hollis

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My review and quotes from Girl, Wash Your Face

Not necessarily new material here, but Rachel Hollis is blunt about reminding us what NOT to believe about ourselves. When we believe lies instead of God’s truths about us, everyone suffers. She encourages us to become more aware of those lies and let them die.

“Have you ever believed that you aren’t good enough? That you’re not thin enough? That you’re a bad mom? That you’ll never amount to anything? All lies.”

7. When Crickets Cry
by Charles Martin

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This novel is a sweet story about a broken-hearted heart surgeon who has given up his practice, and his encounters with a little girl who needs a heart transplant. Written from a Christian perspective, it is inspirational without being preachy.

“She opened heavy eyes, tilted her head, and said, ‘Reese, hope lives here, and death can’t kill it.'”

Honorable Mentions

Leaving Time
by Jodi Picoult

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You’ll learn a lot about elephants in this novel. This book has an interesting storyline about a family who cares for displaced elephants, but it’s about a lot of other things too, some of which I found interesting, and some of which made me uncomfortable. I liked it, but didn’t love it.

“Lately, she had been afraid to fall asleep. Instead of a nap, Jenna called it the Leaving Time. She was certain that if she closed her eyes, I would not be here again when she opened them.”

Natural Causes
An Epidemic of Wellness, the Certainty of Dying, and Killing Ourselves to Live Longer
by Barbara Ehrenreich

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My review of Natural Causes

I love the premise of this book: we obsess too much about keeping our bodies alive, or as the subtitle suggests, “Killing ourselves to live longer.” Many chapters were on target and interesting. But other chapters really got bogged down in minutiae. So I can’t give it my full recommendation.

“Still, we persist in subjecting anyone who dies at a seemingly untimely age to a kind of bio-moral autopsy: Did she smoke? Drink excessively? Eat too much fat and not enough fiber? Can she, in other words, be blamed for her own death?”

The Excellence Dividend
Meeting the Tech Tide with Work that Wows and Jobs that Last
by Tom Peters

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This is a business book with a great message: put people first, whatever business you are in. Treat your employees right and they’ll treat your customers right. Do everything with excellence. However, the formatting of the book drove me crazy so I only give it a partial recommendation. The font size changed often; there were lots of all caps; much of the book was still in outline form. This distracted me immensely from absorbing the content.

“EXCELLENCE is not a long-term aspiration. EXCELLENCE is the ultimate short-term strategy. EXCELLENCE IS THE NEXT FIVE MINUTES.”

Reading Now

  • A Storied Life
    by Leigh Kramer
  • Everybody Always
    Becoming Love in a World Full of Setbacks and Difficult People
    by Bob Goff
  • I’m Still Here
    Black Dignity in a World Made for Whiteness
    by Austin Channing Brown
  • Five Stars
    The Communication Secrets to Get from Good to Great
    by Carmine Gallo
  • What Truth Sounds Like
    Robert F. Kennedy, James Baldwin, and Our Unfinished Conversation About Race in America
    by Michael Eric Dyson

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What good book have you read this month? Please share in the comments.

Whats-on-Your-Nightstand-at-_5-minut

My books on Goodreads
More books I recommend

Just 42 Seconds – Short Conversations Matter

By LisaNotes May 25, 2018 Book reviews, Community 12 Comments

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Our best relationship moments usually come through conversations.

When we read Jesus’s conversations in the New Testament, we discover how short many were.

According to Carl Medearis, author and minister connecting those in the Arab Middle East to those in the West, Jesus’s recorded conversations averaged only 42 seconds each. (Of course he also had longer conversations; this is just the average of the ones written down.)

Even the quietest among us can have a 42-second long conversation.

In this new book, 42 Seconds: The Jesus Model for Everyday Interactions, Medearis goes through ordinary moments in our lives and shows us how to have more meaningful conversations like Jesus did. Without seeming awkward. Without being forced.

“Jesus was a master at making short interactions with people significant.”

I appreciate this book for its simplicity and yet also for its depth.

It might seem simple to be reminded to look up and say hi to people we meet, but how many times do we resist making eye contact or forget to give a greeting? And how often do we miss the connections of these simple things with what Jesus did?

“Our goal is simply for Jesus to be a natural part of our lives and everyday interactions with people.”

The book is divided into four sections.

  • Be Kind
  • Be Present
  • Be Brave
  • Be Jesus

Each of these sections is broken down into short chapters beginning with a simple instruction of how we stop conversations and a better way to start a conversation instead.

For example, under the section Be Kind, Chapter 2 entitled “Acknowledge the Waiter,” Medearis opens with the Nonstarter (what NOT to do) and follows with the Opener (what TO DO):

  • The Nonstarter: Ignore those the world considers unimportant.
  • The Opener: Look them in the eye. Pay attention. Greet them.

He then gives examples of how Jesus acknowledged people, particularly those uncared about, like the poor, women, Samaritans lepers, children. An honest example follows from Medearis’s own life (often including his failures as much as successes).

“You can’t be effective at whatever it is you’re trying to do if you don’t say a warm hello to people. That’s where it all begins.”

Chapter 3 is “Ask Another Question.”

  • The Nonstarter: Be quick to give answers.
  • The Opener: Ask one more question.

You see how this works. It’s an easy way to capture our attention and gently prod us into doing better. I always need these reminders.

After several chapters, each section then ends with “Dig Deeper & Discuss” questions. These questions encourage us to live out the suggestions from the chapters as well as give us more scripture passages to read.

The way we love other people (or not) is visible in the way we talk with them (or fail to talk). Our everyday conversations are home base.

Our ordinary conversations matter.

Favorite Quotes from 42 Seconds

“For most of us, it takes courage just to walk across the street and invite our neighbors over for a barbecue. Forget the Navy SEALs or the stuff we see in the movies —we just need to greet Sam and Beth at the mailbox.”

~ * ~

“Go one question deeper by asking, ‘What was that like for you?’”

~ * ~

“By the way, I don’t think these conversations need to ‘lead somewhere’ —like we’re trying to get them to believe in something or to change somehow. I just mean that our exchange leads to better understanding of one another and a more substantive relationship.”

~ * ~

“If you are thinking, I wonder what a good way would be to encourage my pastor or the leader of a country, you might want to start with blessing their children. I know that if you want to win my heart, you pay attention to my kids.”

~ * ~

“Being present for God may be the key to life. To everything. Simply being with him, no matter where we are or what we’re doing, changes us.”

~ * ~

“If you want to be intentionally present with people, try asking two questions: Where have you come from, and where are you going?”

~ * ~

“But I’ll tell you this: without being brave in your conversations and willing to risk rejection or suffering of some kind, you won’t have much reward.”

* * *

Medearis also authored another favorite book of mine, Speaking of Jesus: The Art of Not-Evangelism. This book shows how we can talk about Jesus to a world turned off by Christianity.

How easily do you have conversations with other people? Please share in the comments.

My thanks to Tyndale
for the review copy of this book

What Do You Do with Your Brokenness? Use It Abundantly

By LisaNotes May 23, 2018 Book reviews 20 Comments

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We’re all broken. Just in different ways.

And that’s okay.

When we accept our brokenness as an offering to the world, by the grace of God, we not only become genuine givers, but we also become healers.

And we ourselves become healed in the journey.

For reminders of this—and for encouragement to live it out—Ann Voskamp gives us 60 small (but large) stories from her life in The Way of Abundance.

If you know Ann’s writings, you know you can’t speed through them, so these short devotionals are wonderful bite-size vignettes of a life well-lived in pursuit of Jesus.

You can pick up these chapters one at a time, as needed, or read straight through. I happily recommend The Way of Abundance for its spiritual wisdom and gentle encouragement.

Quotes from The Way of Abundance

Here are a few of my favorite lines by Ann Voskamp from this book.

“Abundance isn’t about having as much as you want—abundance is about having as much of God as you want.”

~ * ~

“Yes, never stop working hard—but don’t grow tough. Because at the end of the day? Jesus wants our worship more than our work.”

~ * ~

“Maybe we believe in Jesus; we just don’t always believe in Him working in us.”

~ * ~

“Who knew that sometimes if you don’t risk anything—you’re actually risking everything?”

~ * ~

“Every to-do list can be a to-love list.”

~ * ~

“Maybe right now, instead of giving someone a piece of your mind, it’s far better to give them pieces of your heart.”

~ * ~

“The grace that’s in this moment is your manna. Wish for the past and you drink poison. Worry about the future and you eat fire. Stay in this moment and you eat the manna needed for now.”

~ * ~

“It isn’t having that makes us rich; it’s giving. Give sacrificially, live richly.”

* * *

Have you read Ann Voskamp’s books or blog? Please share in the comments.

My thanks to BookLook Bloogers
for the review copy

 

 

Dedicated Devices, and Why I Still Love My Garmin GPS

By LisaNotes May 21, 2018 Encouragement 22 Comments

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If I’m the passenger in a car, don’t expect me to know the directions next time.

If I’m not driving, I’m paying no attention to individuals turns. I’m either reading or listening or talking or closing my eyes.

Staying focused doesn’t come naturally. My mind flits from this to that. I’m thinking of so many things that I want to do or want to remember to do later.

But sometimes my mind just needs to rest. To zone in on only one thing at a time.

Maybe that’s why I still like my old Garmin GPS. It’s a dedicated device for just one thing.

I know it’s outdated. It’s not current like my Maps app or Waze. It’s not interactive. It doesn’t show me there’s a wreck up ahead or road construction stalling traffic.

But it does one thing well: it focuses on this specific journey.

Once I set my destination, it zeroes in on that intention alone. Miles remaining. Next turn ahead. Estimated time of arrival.

It doesn’t tempt me to check my email or update Instagram or play a podcast.

God is like my Garmin. He zeroes in on his intention. And today, he is focusing on me. On my specific journey. On each step I’m taking. (And okay, the same for you. . . )

He’s not distracted by lesser things. He gives me his perfect attention, his total assistance.

He’s dedicated to my good. It’s for both his good as well as mine.

I can trust him to get me where he needs me to go. He will guide each step. He will arrange my arrival to be right on time.

There’s a satisfaction that comes with single-mindedness. With completing a goal. With ending up in the right place because you kept heading in the right direction.

So even though I do use my phone for directions, as long as my old GPS keeps working, I’ll still occasionally pull it out, too. And turn the other devices off.

A dedicated device has a way of getting me where I want to go with no enticements to look away.

I want to give full attention to this journey I’m on. With my dedicated companion.

* * *

My husband Jeff, on the other hand, still prefers a real map when possible (if he uses directions at all). You? Please share in the comments.