Is there any point in trying to make a difference?
Or should we all just sleep in?
We have been strategically positioned to answer the world’s call for help.
If we’re called to be modern-day priests, how do we do it?
Read the rest at You’ve Been Called – Light Up as a Priest
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We’re talking about it at Do Not Depart as we study through Hebrews 5.
Our roof had hail damage. Our contractor was calling our insurance agent to report it. I listened in as he talked to her.
She: How do you spell that last name?
He: B-U-R-G-E-S-S.
She: You gave me B-U-G-E-S-S.
He: No. B-U-R-G-E-S-S.
She: Okay. You gave me . . .
Over and over. After each of his responses, she’d answer with “You gave me . . .”
It troubled me.
What she heard wasn’t necessarily what he gave.
She was mistaken.
How many times do we do this to each other? You said. No, that’s not what I said.
When we don’t hear what others are saying—but think we do!—everyone gets frustrated.
Miscommunications cause unnecessary conflict.
What if instead of saying, “You said . . .”, we asked, “Did I hear you say . . . ?”
It leaves room for dialogue, for confirmation, or for correction as needed. With no walls coming up. No defensive posturing. No confrontational feelings aroused.
What we hear isn’t always what was said.
And what we say isn’t always what is received.
Let’s stop assuming we hear each other right, and instead dialogue about it.
Our contractor finally convinced our insurance agent how to spell our name and policy number and date of the roof damage. But it took a long time and made us all uncomfortable.
How quicker and more pleasant it could have been if she had just asked if she had it right each time instead of incorrectly accusing him of giving her false data.
Listening to each other with humility is a gift.
May we each grow in it giving it more and more.
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Do you assume you heard it right the first time? Or is listening a skill you’re still growing in? Please share in the comments.
Related:
When times are troubled, we can think they’re the worst. Has it ever been this bad before? And it’s only going downhill, we say.
But history might claim differently. And future begs no.
Because we have the present of today. Now.
In this present, where God lives, we can find . . .
Because when things look their worst, we most see the need for change.
Seeing the need for change brings opportunity.
We need to change.
Unfairness has existed in America since her first days as a united nation. She claimed unity early on, but it wasn’t true. There were people in power and people not in power (and certainly many in between).
Those in power may have claimed unity, but those not in power would have disagreed.
They knew better. They’ve always known. Others haven’t.
Some still don’t.
Things aren’t worse. The ugly parts have always been here.
They’re just still being uncovered. Becoming more visible.
And because of their visibility, we ask God:
He wants to. If we’ll want to.
He can. If we’ll allow him.
And he will, eventually. Whether we will or not.
Participate or not. Now or later. Therein lies our choice.
May we . . .
Today.
* * *
Where do you see hope in these days? Please share in the comments.
Related:
Yet another book on decluttering?
Well, sort of.
Why? Because . . .
“On average, at least in my own country, we see five thousand ads every day telling us to buy more. I want to be a voice urging us to buy less, because the potential benefits for our world are incalculable when hundreds, thousands, millions of lives are transformed by minimalism.”
That’s a lot of voices talking to us every day. To buy more. Keep more. Use more.
Joshua Becker of becomingminimalist.com is also using his voice. But he’s not trying to just sell us on decluttering. He wants us to see the joy in adopting a minimalistic lifestyle in The More of Less.
He starts by debunking two myths of minimalism:
Minimalism is about giving up everything.
Wrong, he says. “Minimalism is about living with less . . . less is not the same as none.” There are things we are meant to enjoy. And keep. Don’t get rid of everything.
Minimalism is about organizing your stuff.
You’ve probably heard before that you can’t organize clutter. True. Rearranging our stuff is only a temporary fix at best. “Organizing is better than nothing. But minimizing is better by far.”
Remember Becker’s goal for minimalism: It is “not just to own less stuff. The goal of minimalism is to unburden our lives so we can accomplish more.”
He suggests you start with not touching a thing. But asking yourself why you want to minimize. Then go from there.
Start decluttering the easy stuff. A specific closet. Or even one drawer.
“We use 20 percent of our stuff 80 percent of the time, and we use the other 80 percent of our stuff only 20 percent of the time. So within that 80 percent of your stuff that mostly just lies around, there should be plenty of easy pickings when you start to minimize.”
The book then progresses into traditional advice: make three piles (things to keep, to relocate, to remove). You know the drill.
Other advice isn’t necessarily as conventional:
Becker also reminds us what happens when we don’t minimize. We’re still giving something away: Our freedom to fully live the life we want.
But with relationships?
Here Becker says do not be minimalistic. He says, “Choosing to invest only in the relationships that benefit us isn’t love — it’s selfishness.”
“The goal is not to remove every person from my life who does not serve me. The goal is to bring greater intentionality into each of my relationships. I want to find people who will lead me, mentor me, and love me, but I also want to keep in my life people whom I serve and love and pour my life into. Because both are required for a balanced life.”
The bottom line in becoming minimalistic isn’t to live without. It’s to live intentionally. Having less doesn’t mean settling for less.
“ . . . maybe the greatest benefit of generosity is this: generous people realize that they already have enough.”
* * *
What areas do you most like to keep clutter-free? Which areas are the hardest? Please share in the comments.
More book reviews on decluttering:
Thanks to Blogging for Books
for the review copy of this book
You read a book. You like it. You might even love it!
But a year from now, if someone asks you about it, all you can remember is: It was so good! Why? I can’t remember.
I know because this happens to me sometimes. And I don’t like it.
If I read something that is amazing—even life-changing—I don’t want to forget it. I don’t want to be a hearer and not a doer (James 1:23-24). I’d rather be the blessed person who does what she hears (James 1:25), incorporating the words into who I am.
We are somewhat influenced by everything we read. Just this weekend I was feeling icky the more I read in a novel I’d started on vacation. In a rare move, I decided to delete it off my Kindle unfinished, an act I should do more often when a book is boring, bad, or a total time-waster.
So if we want to be influenced in a good way from beneficial books we read, here’s something I just read in a book that I hope I WILL remember and do:
“Choose the one thing you’ve read from this book that will make the most difference in your life and do it. No matter what. Then, naturally, you will start to incorporate others. And, with time, you’ll find that your life moves in a purposeful direction.
Because the moments add up to days, the days add up to years, and the years add up to your life. Making sure that your days and moments are guided by what you want to accomplish with your years means each moment will reflect the life you choose to live. So you’ll know you’re getting the right things done.
It all starts with your one thing.”
– Peter Bregman, 18 Minutes
What if we actually did this? Each time we read a book, take one thing—just one thing!—and apply it.
How?
Pray for open eyes. Ask God to keep you aware of his message through the author’s words (or perhaps in spite of them, whichever the case may be). Pay attention to words and thoughts that move you.
As you read, highlight any important passages, take notes, turn down pages, flag with post-it notes—whatever it is you do. Then after you’re finished the book, take an extra five minutes and choose one thing that you want to take from the book. Create a word document on your computer of One Things or write them in a notebook.
Just do it. Try. Experiment. Fail. Succeed. Fail again. Try again.
Every six months or so, pull out your list of book titles and one things. Pray through them for any action steps you’d like to take.
Of course not every book has the same value. But in most books we can find at least one valuable truth (or hopefully multiple truths), whether fiction or non-fiction. Some things may be small; some may be large.
We see more when we look more.
And we’ll gain more from our reading when we intentionally seek to benefit from it. God is eager to enlighten us if we’ll invite and allow him to (2 Timothy 2:7).
The more often and more accurately we see God—through reading or any other avenue—the more we’ll love God. And the more we love God, the more we’ll love each other.
That’s what I want to remember—and do—because of reading.
* * *
What’s your ‘one thing’ from a favorite book? Please share in the comments.
Once a month we share articles, books, and things we love at Leigh Kramer’s What I’m Into.
Here are some of my favorites from June and what I’m looking forward to in July.
[If you can’t see the 1 Second Everyday video, click here]
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• Giving Up the Right to Be Right
“The truth is, whether justified or not, my grandfather’s decision has affected our family for two generations. Right or wrong, it was a loss for the whole family. . . . Unforgiveness that is unresolved, never made right and never gotten over reaches far beyond the original offense,” says Laura Acuña.
• How Is Your Phone Changing You?
• The Ten Pleasures
An interesting reframing by David Murray of the Ten Commandments. “The Ten Commandments are framed mainly in the negative. But each negative also implies a positive, and each prohibition of vice enjoins a pleasure in virtue.”
• Psychologists Recommend Children Be Bored in the Summer
“There’s no problem with being bored,” says Lyn Fry. “It’s not a sin, is it? I think children need to learn how to be bored in order to motivate themselves to get things done. Being bored is a way to make children self-reliant.”
~ * ~ * ~
• Read Like a Reader, Not a Student by Ryan Higginbottom
“Reading like a student is limiting. It’s like restricting yourself to one kind of pie. Apple is great, but wouldn’t life be better with cherry or pecan on the menu too?”
• Should You Start a Blog? by Darren Rowse
Here are 22 questions to ask yourself if you’re thinking about starting a blog.
• Can Reading Make You Happier? by Ceridwen Dovey
Yes, there is such a thing as a “bibliotherapist” now. Not a bad idea. We avid readers would agree that the right book can really change your life.
• Currently Reading
~ * ~ * ~
• Ah, the beach
Jeff and I took a quick trip to Panama City Beach last weekend. This is one of our favorite things to do:
• Barry’s Show
My brother-in-law Barry is now in the top 4! He entered the “Kickstart Your Career” contest with a local sports radio station, and if he wins, he’ll be the host of his own radio talk show once a week.
Final 4! Anthony, Drew, Barry, Justin
We’ve had such fun gathering at The Furniture Factory each Tuesday night this month to eat together and watch Barry and the other contestants.
Our Auburn section with Cole Cubelic, a judge for the contest and former AU offensive lineman, 1996-2001 (you can guess which one is Cole, right?)
The door prize winners this week were all from our group, no matter how many times they would draw!
• Wedding Planning
has been fun. . . especially since we’ve successfully avoided this so far: The Problem with the Pinterest Dream Wedding.
Since Jenna got engaged May 30, I’ve enjoyed the extra time together and seeing how excited she is to spend the rest of her life with Trey. They began premarital counseling with their pastor last Sunday and are off to a great start.
• Book Club
A few of my family and friends are reading Entering the Castle together. We met a few weeks ago at my sister Sandy’s house for our first discussion. It’s a challenging book for spiritual growth, but knowing we’re in it together is helpful.
• NY’s Gain
We’ll be soon losing a great ministry and prayer warrior here in Alabama. I’m sad. But New York, look out because Ginger is on her way to be a blessing to you!
~ * ~ * ~
• Three Reasons to Let Go of Perfectionism
Sometimes it’s a win-win when we do something imperfectly (like face painting?) instead of just saying no altogether.
• Declutter Your Spiritual Junk Drawer, Too
Clutter builds up in our spiritual spaces, too, and can use a cleaning out.
• 3 Words to Silence Your Worries
When I start to worry too much, these three words make a difference for me.
* * *
What was one of your highlights in June? What are you looking forward to in July? Please share in the comments.
