I’m visiting a friend today so my post will be short and funny.
Courage didn’t want to wear pants today.
He kept taking them off and throwing them at people.
I said, “Courage, you need to wear pants.”
This was his response:
He technically was wearing his pants so I can’t complain.
I used to be a chipper morning person. My grumpier self told her to get lost.
My younger siblings do not care.
They are loud and boisterous and excited about the day–even if they don’t know what day it is.
“Audra, what day is it?” Caleb asks.
“It’s Tuesday,” I reply.
His response is normally something like:
“Yay! That means we get to ________” or “What are we going to do today?”
Maybe us grumpy adults should be more easily excitable.
We tend to see each day from a more practical, soul sucking point of view. I don’t think we mean to, though, but it’s easy to fall in line with our work hating, wish-it-was-the-weekend culture.
Last night my little brother–in his childlike wisdom–prayed the most beautiful blessing over our dinner.
“Dear God,
Thanks for having us today.
Thank you for dinner and this time with my family.”
Amen.”
Caleb thanked God for letting us live.
And the thunderbolt of conviction struck my heart….
Every breath, every day comes from God. Begrudging my life and all the things I “have to do” is a slap in God’s face.
I understand that we all have hardships and bad days, but our worst day–especially if you live in the West–is someone else’s best day.
The minor inconveniences of our life will not affect whether we live or die. With that in mind, you and I have very little to complain about.
This is not meant to be a guilt trip.
Just call it a good, old fashioned reality check.
Sure, you’re not a morning person but you can be a thankful–yet quiet–non-morning person.
Sure, money is tight but you have food, water, and shelter. A cancelled Netflix account or a month without cable will not kill you.
Perspective has a way of making us honest.
Sometimes I miss the walls around my heart.
This statement might shock you, but it’s true.
Many years ago, I watched a documentary about Patty Hearst. She was kidnapped at age 19 and a few months later was helping her captors commit crimes.
Seems kind of crazy, right?
Instead of being freed from her captors and returned home, she was thrown in jail. The case led to a long discussion about Stockholm Syndrome, which is when a victim begins to have positive feelings toward his or her captors.
The consensus was that Patty Hearst deserved her punishment, but President Jimmy Carter eventually pardoned her.
This brings me back to the walls around my heart. It’s easier for me to disengage than to risk pain. My dad and stepmom call me out on it all the time.
“Audra, you know what to do. You always have a choice.”
The gap between knowledge and action trips us up all the time.
It’s easier to give in than it is to put up a fight.
The hardest part in my own journey is knowing that personal responsibility still knocks at my door.
If I hide behind walls, I am choosing to hurt someone else.
Even if I didn’t mean to.
Even if I did.
I can’t blame psychology either. Stockholm Syndrome is real, no doubt, but it can’t negate the power of choice.
You and I are not victims anymore.
Those tired, old excuses for poor behavior won’t get us far.
I’m more spiritual than you.
Because that’s what Christianity is all about.
Being spiritual.
Except that it’s not.
And, besides, how can anyone be more spiritual than someone else?
We’re all spirit beings. Every human on this planet is a spirit, has a soul, and lives in a body.
So please drop the “everything I do and say must be perceived as spiritual” act.No one is buying it.
I have this recurring thought that will not go away:
What if all church buildings were closed down?
What if every trace of Christianity was wiped off the internet?
Would Christianity survive such a fate?
Your faith has to be planted deeply in the soils of a rich, intimate communion with God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit.
Most Christians do not have a deep understanding of their beliefs.
Maybe that’s because we spend more time posting “spiritual” things online than we do reading our Bible or even living out our faith.
I’m including a link to a study conducted by the American Bible Society titled “The State of the Bible: 2014” for those who want to read more on the subject.
I want us to think about the heart behind it all.
It bothers me that our precious faith is so marginalized–both inside and outside the church–when it’s potential to change hearts and lives is beyond compare.
I’d love to hear your thoughts on this topic.
What are some of the problems you see with the quest to be more “spiritual”?
Have you ever had an emotional hangover?
You share something really personal and the next day you think:
“Why did I do that?!? I should’ve kept my mouth shut.”
I’m a pretty private person, which might seem like a strange statement since I blog every day. We share 200-300 words a day, right? Daily blogging has been a stretching experience for me.
Allowing people into my head space every single day is scary. I’m like a Puritan when it comes to my emotions. If my ankles are showing that’s just too much!
There have been many times I’ve shared with you guys and felt sick to my stomach.
“Did I say too much? What did I just do?”
I only bring this up now because I’m working on a project with my dad and stepmom. You’ll get to hear more about my reconciliation journey. For those who are unfamiliar with my story, this series would be a good one to follow. (And that’s all I’m going to say for now.)
This project will be a BIG stretch for me…
I need to find a nice rock to rent and a stash of brown paper bags.
I realize this post is a bit melodramatic. (Aren’t hyperboles fun?)
No one likes vulnerability, but we all crave it. We’re constantly watching and testing those around us to see if they’re genuine.
And yet, many of us are so scared to share.
Dear friend, I’m right there with you!
Fight the urge to hide, okay?
Hiding helps no one.
Find an outlet to share your gifts and stories with others.
Know that I’m here to help you however I can.
I am a word collector.
I collect inspiring words.
I write them down in my brain depository, which is really just my notebook. (Yes, I used the thesaurus to find a synonym of notebook. I am that person.)
It’s impossible to listen to smart people without writing down their words of wisdom.
I encourage you to become a word collector too. Buy a notebook or use one of the million note taking apps.
Here’s 10 of my favorite quotes from this year. If I got it from a book, I’ll give you the title.
Healthy balances are hard to achieve.
And isn’t that what we all want?
Balance. Stability. Some sense of normalcy.
A balanced diet.
A balanced social life.
A balanced budget.
The magical moment of perfect equilibrium is always on our mind.
It rarely happens….
I hate to be the one who bursts your bubble. Mine just got busted too.
Dear Audra,
Things will rarely be in balance. It’s a nice goal, but quit stressing out.
Having no balance especially trips me up on bad days and I’ve had some doozies here recently, so you can imagine my frustration.
I told you we were going to talk more about vulnerability today.
Ta-da!
Bad, unbalanced days send me reeling.
I don’t handle them well.
In fact, I was tempted to not blog today.
I refuse, though, to mess up my goal and I refuse to not be honest with you about where I’m at.
Some days Miss Molly Sunshine goes on holiday and her crazy cousin comes to town.
I don’t want this blog to be negative, but I do want to be honest.
You can’t be vulnerable without honesty.
Things won’t always be perfect.
People will irritate the snot out of you.
Life will go on–even if it is a little off kilter.
Pastors have a tough job.
They are called to shepherd God’s church, which is kind of like herding cats….
It doesn’t help that everyone has a different idea of what a pastor’s role is supposed to be.
And they have to work hard to stay off the pedestal their church members want him or her to stay on.
Here’s a funny video by The Skit Guys that highlights their daily struggle:
Be sure to thank your pastor tomorrow.
They need your encouragement–not your criticism.
Is social media fueling our pride?
I can’t get this question out of my head. Awareness is one thing, but shameless plugs about our good deeds is another.
What is our motive when sharing things online?
Proverbs 27:2 says:
“Let another man praise you, and not your own mouth; A stranger, and not your own lips.”
Jesus said:
3 But when you do a charitable deed, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, 4 that your charitable deed may be in secret; and your Father who sees in secret will Himself reward you openly” (Matthew 6:3-4).
These are the verses that are influencing my thoughts on this subject.
It’s a toughie….
I grew up as a people pleaser who lived in the shadows, always pushing others into the light. I used to think that’s what it meant to be humble.
And then I came to understand true humility–and it had nothing to do with my misconstrued beliefs about self-worth.
My discomfort now has nothing to do with my self-image. It has everything to do with the question of necessity.
Does everyone need to know that I did this? (Whatever “this” may be)
I have given money, support, and time to plenty of things. Normally, though, I ask to not be included in any online shout outs. There are exceptions, of course, but I will opt out whenever possible.
This post is not my legalistic attempt at being perceived as holy either. (That voice is screaming in my ear right now.)
I want us to have a conversation about this topic. I want to navigate these murky waters with you.
And I can’t ask you to engage in a conversation with me if I can’t be honest first.
Drop me a comment with your thoughts.
I have a few problems. They’re serious too.
If I hear about a speaker, author, pastor, etc. on a podcast or blog, I will immediately go to the library’s website and see how many of their books are available to check out.
Then I go to YouTube and find all of the videos of them speaking.
Then I go to the podcasts site and find all the podcasts.
Then I go to their website and blog.
I’m holding you hostage for your knowledge!
This is called leadership stalking. (No, it’s not in any official medical journals, but it should be.)
My illness is in overdrive this week because of the Influence and Impact Summit (link below).
Nothing will stop me from this craziness. I just want to learn from this person–right now!
If your list of acceptable teachers can fit on a Post It note, you need to upgrade to a larger piece of paper.
There’s nothing wrong with having a big pool of teachers. I am a big believer in learning from those around me.
And, a note to my Christian friends who are afraid to broaden their horizons, if you apply common sense and your Jesus Filter (aka The Bible) you can learn from anyone.
In today’s world, there’s no reason for us to not be learning.
You will never arrive at a place where you know it all. No one likes a know it all anyway!
We have so much information at our fingertips that a 13th century monk would be crying if he ever came back for a visit.
Take advantage of all available resources, especially when they’re free!
Don’t be afraid to become an ADD learning junkie.
There are gifts inside of you that the world needs.
Now, get busy learning how to use them.
Influence and Impact Summit:
audra gayle 