Wisdom from children
November 30, 2007 | T. Suzanne Eller
If you want to learn to love better, you should start with a friend who you hate. Nikka – age 6
Treasure who you have–today
November 27, 2007 | T. Suzanne Eller
A fellow writer and friend just found out she has cancer. Life turned upside down overnight. Right now the report is that she has weeks to live.Kristy Dikes is a red-head. She’s feisty. She loves her family and her husband. She’s a writer and a speaker. She normally blogs, but her husband has blogged since her surgery (at her request).
Yesterday I read a new post. It is a husband’s plea to all men to treasure who you have today, because you never know what tomorrow might bring. It’s insightful. It’s beautiful. It’s painful. It’s relevant.
And I think the message should be read by all. This is how the post begins: (more…)
An ordinary night
November 26, 2007 | T. Suzanne Eller
Last night I sat in my home church, savoring all that was going on around me. One woman worshiped God with her entire being. Another wept through prayer. Some sat quietly. A few teens talked or texted or listened. One older guy slept, his mouth slightly open.
An ordinary night.
And yet I love what I felt and what I saw.
The woman who sat two rows in front of me weeping has had a hard life. She has posted a sign on her front door that says, “go away if you are selling drugs”, because that is what her life has consisted of until now. (more…)
Answering your questions from the TCW article
November 7, 2007 | T. Suzanne Eller
I want to apologize for taking so long to get back to each of you. I was swamped with e-mails after the Rise of Raunch article in Today’s Christian Woman.
I am excited about how passionate you each are, and the questions that you asked. Rather than send out 100 e-mails, I’ll try to answer your questions here. If you need more info, please feel free to contact me. Okay? I’m encouraged that so many are interested in reaching our girls in this society.
QUESTIONS
- Do you work with girls on a long-term basis? (more…)
The Three D’s
November 5, 2007 | Books,Knowing Christ,Ministry Life
I’m re-reading Joanna Weaver’s book, Having A Mary Heart in a Martha World. She talks about the three D’s:
- discouragement
- distraction
- doubt
How timely. I received a royalty statement recently, and all three of these hit. I was discouraged because I had worked so hard on this particular project. I was distracted by all the people around me who were succeeding. I doubted if I was on the right track.
All of the cultural measures of success were rolling like a slot machine, and coming up empty.
It was a “I need to get alone with God” moment. It didn’t go away like magic, but I came away with the assurance that I’m right where I’m supposed to be.
And God is taking care of us just fine. He always has.
In her book, Weaver says: ”The underlying strategy is fairly simple. Get people’s eyes off God and on their circumstances. Make them believe that their happiness lies in the happenings that surround them. Or send them good news–about someone else. When they’re thoroughly discouraged, tell them God doesn’t care. Then sit back and let doubt do its work.
It’s really a brilliant strategy, when you think of it. Plant the deadly D’s deep in human hearts. . .”
I’d like to replace that with another D: dependence
I will work as hard as I can, but depend on God’s timing, faithfulness, and overarching plan for my life. That will take my eyes off of what I cannot change, and what I do have, which is rich and amazing.
