In which I read…gleen…and write on my heart

January 12, 2012

source In Bernard of Clairvaux’s 12 steps of pride… steps that he says, in the end, prevent grace… step number 6 is called “conceit”… accepting all the flattering words… ignoring the critical ones. (If you’d like to peek at the previous steps…one is here, and two is here, three here, four here, and five) He […]

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In which I confront “conceit”

January 11, 2012

  source Sharon from Hiking Toward Home once gave me this glistening gem… “Do unto others as you would have them do unto you…we like to be comforted and encouraged don’t we? And aren’t we His vessels through which He works down here on this wad of dirt? “ Such wisdom. Such good advice. I’m […]

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In which it was really dark…and now…

January 10, 2012

source So there was this guy. He couldn’t see. And there was debate about what caused his condition. Then there was this new guy making some big claims. Then there was some mud. Then the blind guy washed the mud off. Nothing else changed. There was blindness… and a new guy… and mud… and water… […]

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In which there there’s a battle

January 9, 2012

source Just grow up… even if you’re already grown… breathe… focus on the task at hand… decide on the fly… because later will be too late. Just. Grow. up. Be direct… say what’s needed… Truth in love… always in love… delicate care over a sharp tongue… words cut… but say what’s needed now… because later […]

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In which maybe I need better eyes

January 5, 2012

source A little bit of reason, intellect, modern thought… every miracle can be explained… the people in the day of Jesus were all sick, not demon possessed. God was invented by primitive people who had no explanation for the wind, the weather, the lights in the sky, life or death. It absolved them of uncertainty, […]

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In which I cannot be better than them

January 3, 2012

source My pride… a sheet with angry dogs on each corner… yanking, ripping, shredding it to pieces. It was a humiliation. I have to forgive – I have no other choice as a Christian. I tend to think that forgiveness isn’t so hard for me. It really is literally impossible for me to maintain a […]

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In which the the pinnacle is not the place to be

January 2, 2012

source The trial of the brother of James the Just… the trial of Jesus… was held in secret… in the pitch of night. The trial of James was in daylight… in the pinnacle of the Jerusalem temple. James was a Jewish leader… maybe even a High Priest… but he didn’t act “high”… and constantly championed […]

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In which there is oodles of mirth, but not so much wisdom…or grace

December 29, 2011

source Thousand year old steps of pride written by a French monk… one step leads to the next… and the next to the next… descending into darkness… and in the end… oblivion… a pride that prevents grace. Bernard of Clairvaux calls the third step of the 12, “Foolish Mirth”. It’s my second day considering this […]

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In which ice cream and Anna Karenina won’t do

December 27, 2011

I feel like hiding…like isolating… eating a gallon of cookie dough ice cream… source and replaying the movie Anna Karenina again and again. Poor Anna – things go from not so good to worse, to worse, to worse. You keep pulling for her, hoping things will get better, but they never do. The sweet girl […]

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In which I am not humble and my faith is weak.

December 26, 2011

source If I were humble a little slander would not have touched me as it did. If I were humble, the difficult consequences rippling from that slander would not have crushed me. If I were you I’d want details… I’m not sure I have them all… and not sure if I should share what I […]

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