I want to be insightful and/or entertaining today, but it’s been a stressful 24 hours and my brain is fried. So how about some Friday Links?
♥ I’m the last person to hop on the What Should We Call Memphis bandwagon, but it is indeed hilarious (and accurate).
♥ Shauna Niequist’s take on those famous lines from Mary Oliver.
♥ Five love stories from couples who met via the semi-annual Show Us Your Singles posts on Kelly’s Korner. The last story really encouraged me, making me feel hopeful instead of like happy endings are only for other people.
♥ This sweet Kelle Hampton post made me think differently about being involved in the lives of friends’ and relatives’ kids.
♥ This Rainbow Ribbon Jello is beautiful to look at! I’ll let someone else make it though. :)
♥ I appreciated this post from Sarah Bessey about the evolution of her blog, writing, and calling. (I’ve intended to go to two different writing/blogging conferences this year, and have putzed out on both due to scheduling conflicts, so it’s nice to hear that going to a conference doesn’t necessarily make or break your “career.”)
♥ And, related: Robin Jones Gunn shares a little about the history of the Christy Miller books. I’m too rough around the edges to ever be or write like Robin Jones Gunn, but I sure do admire her.
Enjoy the Olympic opening ceremony tonight! I’ll have an exciting post for you on Monday.
3 Comments + Posted in: what i'm into
For me, the hardest life lessons, the ones I have to learn and re-learn on a never-ending loop, are related to accomplishment. It’s more nature than nurture – I believe I was born this way (but not on the right track, baby). Then my nature was cemented by the unavoidable consequences of being a firstborn, and being a gifted child who was constantly told by everyone that I would grow up to do Great Things. I can’t think of all those teachers and well-meaning adults without cringing, because I always feel that I’ve let them down. Lately this feeling has inexplicably risen to a higher pitch. I don’t want to hear about the fantastic accomplishments of regular people my age and younger, 20- and 30-somethings on the covers of magazines and in computer commercials, because it reminds me that I have no excuse. I was supposed to help cure cancer, or blaze a trail in some important leadership role, or at the very least have a book on a shelf at Barnes & Noble (because I was writing and illustrating even in elementary school). When I just focus in on my small life and achievements (some of which only God and I will ever fully appreciate), I feel pretty satisfied. Honestly, I don’t even have a clear or permanent mental picture of Personal Success, and if I did, I already know I can never arrive at it because there will always be another hill to climb. But when I hold my current life up against those childhood expectations, against the lives of my peers, I feel like a massive failure.
Needless to say, this attitude bleeds into my spiritual life. If I listen to the message of failure long enough, my perception of God and His feelings toward me gets warped, which in turn affects everything else. Instead of resting and moving forward confidently in His love, I become frantic to compensate for all the ways I’ve failed Him (and my family and friends). The other day I found myself actually apologizing in prayer for not being the star I was supposed to be. In the next moment, my eyes were opened and I came back to earth. I realized that God has never asked me to achieve Great Things. I remembered that obstacles and bumps in the road are part of His plan, meant to direct us, help us grow and develop, and most of all, remind us that we’re totally dependent on Him. Getting straight A’s in life – sailing to the top as easily and perfectly as possible – is not the goal. That’s the world’s idea of success, but we’re so saturated in it from birth that it’s very hard to deprogram. It’s so ridiculous to think that God would put difficulties in my path and then blame me for not rising above them adequately, but that’s how I think sometimes.
But I digress. The point is, all this pressure is ultimately coming from me. If God wants me to climb higher, He’ll light a fire under me and point the way. But maybe the purposes He has for me are small. Maybe I’ll never work outside a cubicle or have a blog audience of more than a hundred people, and maybe that’s exactly how things are supposed to be. I’m not going to stop working toward my goals, but it’s time to stop beating my head against a brick wall about it. And a week or a month from now, when I forget this and start freaking out again, I can look at this post and remind myself of truth.
(Semi-)Related Reading/Listening:
To Be Told by Dan Allender
God Loves Ugly by Christa Black (release date: September)
Gifted Grownups: The Mixed Blessings of Extraordinary Potential by Marylou Kelly Streznewski
Sermon: I Peter 5:6-7
Sermon: Christ for Clunkers
5 Comments + Posted in: faith, imperfection, reflections
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| Isn’t this cover pretty? |
Several years ago, Brielle left her small Oregon hometown and her widowed dad to pursue ballet stardom. Now, after the murder of her best friend, she’s come home to await the murderer’s trial. Although she feels disengaged from most of her old friends, a newcomer, Jake, makes her feel inexplicably safe again. Then a late-night encounter in the woods proves that Jake is more than he appears. Before long, Brielle learns the true natures of Jake and his guardian, and her eyes are (literally) opened to the Celestial, a spiritual realm that she never knew existed. The more she learns, the closer she gets to the truth of what happened to her friend – and the discovery of her own gifts and purpose in life.
Boiled down to its elements, this novel is Twilight meets Frank Peretti’s This Present Darkness (which I read multiple times as a teenager). But it has its own interesting complexities, as well as a sense of humor (Dittemore throws in a few winks at Twilight to show you she’s in on it). This novel successfully conveys a faith message without being mega-cheesy or pushy. Like Peretti’s novel, it reminded me of the invisible spiritual battles that are probably happening all around us. It’s a good addition to the growing Christian YA genre. I enjoyed it and will look for the sequels. 3.5 stars!
Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher through the BookSneeze®.com
Add a Comment + Posted in: book reviews
On Saturday Emily and I got a late checkout, then set out with no real agenda to make the most of our last hours. We walked up Fifth and finally came upon Tiffany’s (next door to Trump Tower, of course). I was doubly thrilled because I had just bought breakfast! Unexpected bucket list fulfillment!
We headed toward the park and the Upper East Side to go to Laduree. I’d never had a macaron, and after years of reading about them on blogs such as Oh Happy Day, I really wanted to try one. AND it was Bastille Day – how appropriate.
The macarons didn’t change my life, but they were VERY tasty! I tried a couple of the less-traditional flavors, like the purple one, which I think was currant and violet. It was very jammy. The salted caramel was my favorite.
We wandered through Central Park in the general direction of the boathouse. When we came upon the gorgeous Bethesda Fountain, I immediately recognized it as the location of a key scene in my family’s favorite movie, Mr. Deeds. (Yes – the one with Adam Sandler. My siblings and I can have entire conversations in Deeds quotes.)
And the boathouse was right there! Hello 27 Dresses!
From there, we headed back downtown.
At FAO Schwarz, I was very amused by these Faith Hill and Tim McGraw Barbies.
After checking out of our hotel, we had a last hour or so before going to the airport. So we left our bags at the desk and popped over to see the Chrysler Building and Grand Central Station.
Finally, we walked a few blocks over to see the U.N., but it was deserted and all the flags were gone. I later learned that they take them down when not in session. Bummer.
Then I had to say a sad goodbye to Emily AND New York.
But I WILL BE BACK.
3 Comments + Posted in: food, friends, travel
On our second (and last) full day in NYC, Emily and I took a Circle Line cruise! I had booked the three-hour tour – they have several shorter tours, but I wanted to go all the way around the island. I doubted we’d make it far north on our own, so I could at least see those places from the water. First we swung past Ellis Island (where several of my ancestors came through):
And Lady Liberty:
Seeing the Statue of Liberty in person was very moving. Of course I’ve seen a million pictures of her, but being there was different. I took a picture from every angle!
This is considered the “authentic view” because it’s how the immigrants saw her.
Our bike tour guide had given us the helpful acronym BMW to remember the bridges: Brooklyn, Manhattan, and Williamsburg.
I’m told this is an important hospital. Whatever, it’s the building Jason Bourne jumped out of to freedom! (Among other things, NYC taught me that some fiction is more real to me than reality. I should be more troubled by this.)
Heading north, the river got much narrower and shallower, and we had to slow down a lot. We saw Harlem on the left and the Bronx on the right. There were fewer people and more trees.
At the northernmost point of Manhattan, there was a train bridge too low to pass under, so we were told it would open for us. Em and I went out onto the bow for a closer look. As a Florida native, I expect bridges to open vertically, so I was a little alarmed as we sailed closer and closer with no drawbridge action. Then I realized it was swinging open like a gate. Pretty cool.
When I first mentioned going to NYC, Sarah asked if I wanted to meet. Sarah and I were LiveJournal friends for several years and now keep in touch via blogs and Twitter. We decided lunch on Friday would work well, so after Em and I got off the boat, we met her at a little Mexican place in SoHo. It was great to meet in person, catch up, and talk book stuff – she works in publishing and surprised me with an ARC that I’m really excited about. Yay for online friends!
I couldn’t go to SoHo and not shop, so after lunch Em and I hit a few stores. I understand now why people take special trips to New York just to shop. The sheer volume of merchandise and people overwhelmed me, and I wasn’t really in the right headspace for it, so I just made a few bargain purchases at Uniqlo.
Emily’s husband Daniel really wanted us to see Rock of Ages (the play, not the movie), so he got online and bought us tickets the night before! Thanks again, Daniel! He’s seen it three times and even has a designated pre-show restaurant, the Blue Fin in Times Square. So we ate a delicious meal there and went to the show. (I have no pictures of this night because my camera battery died suddenly.) If you’re extremely conservative, Rock of Ages may not be for you… but if you have fond memories of late 80s hair bands and are part of the Wayne’s World generation, YOU WILL LOVE IT. Who knew a tale of rock and debauchery on the Sunset Strip could make me feel so great and hopeful about life? I downloaded the original Broadway soundtrack when I got home.
After the show, we got Pinkberry (for me) and pizza (for Em) and walked around some more. Even around midnight, the streets were still packed with people and most places were still open. I knew New York never sleeps, but it’s different to see it for yourself. I felt excited and thankful to be a part of it.
One more trip installment to come!