A Few of My Favorite Things {July 2015}

/ trotters41 / 2 Comments

A new installment of My Favorite Things! I’m including some old favorites of mine again, in addition to new favorites from the last month or so. Enjoy! ~Elizabeth

som2

BOOKS

From Good to Grace by Christine Hoover. Similar to Emily Freeman’s Grace for the Good Girl, which I recommended last time, this book is about applying the gospel of Grace to everyday life. But honestly, I can never get enough good teaching on Grace, so the more the merrier, I say. 🙂 Christine’s book is so good I underlined practically the entire first chapter.  Then I read the second chapter and underlined practically that entire chapter too. You can get a taste for her material through her book club videos.

Leading on Empty by Wayne Cordeiro (or as my husband prefers to call it, Dead Leader Running). In all seriousness, though, I read this book 7 months ago, and it changed my life. It details Cordeiro’s own messy burnout and subsequent recovery. The most significant thing this book did was give me permission to take personal retreat days, something Cordeiro promises will “renew your hunger.” My husband had been recommending this kind of getaway for a long time before I actually felt I had the freedom to do it. Reading this book gave me that freedom.

I’ve only taken two of these retreats — once for six hours and once for three — but even after those short times, I experienced the sense of renewed hunger that Cordeiro talks about. I could go on and on about how much I loved my personal retreats (Katie Orr calls them God-Dates), but I don’t have time for that in this blog post. 🙂 And the fact that these two personal retreats were so effective for me is testament to the fact that retreat times don’t have to be uber-regular or uber-long. A little bit of unplugged time goes a long way.

Dangerous Calling by Paul David Tripp. Tripp wants people in ministry to apply the gospel to our own lives, something he sees is missing from ministry/missionary culture today. After I read this book about 6 months ago, I started asking myself the question, “Whose kingdom am I building?” It’s such a simple question, and if I answer it honestly, it can make ministry, social media, and blogging decisions easier. There’s much more in the book, but that was my biggest take-away. You can listen to Paul talk about the book and why he wrote it in this this short video.

When Breaks the Dawn. This third book in Janette Oke’s “When Calls the Heart” series continued to entertain me with cross-cultural stories, and I found lots of parallels to missionary life. Fiction is consistently cathartic for me and helps me cry when I need to get the tears out but can’t.  I’ve also recently taken to reading fiction before bed in an attempt to disconnect from daily life and prepare for sleep.

BLOG POSTS

Raw by Laura Hamm Coppinger. This series from my old camp counselor-turn-blogger tells her story of encountering grace. I felt like she was describing my own story; she just might give words to your struggles too. It’s worth the read, especially if you’re currently on a spiritual/emotional healing journey. Start with Raw and click on the bottom of each post to the next in the series, all the way through to Journey (for 11 posts in all).

Go Back to the Broken Places by Rachel Pieh Jones. This piece resonated deeply with me and perfectly described my experience of going back to Fort Riley, the last Army post my family was stationed at. When I walked up to those quarters, I cried. I couldn’t hold back the tears, and I didn’t even know why. Now I know why. We must go back to the broken places.

How to Know if You are a Pre- or Post-Griever (and why it matters) by Amy Young. This Velvet Ashes post explains why I can’t stop crying for the 3 months before people leave in May: I’m a Pre-Griever. Read it to find out which one you are, and why you need to know this about yourself.

I Miss Reading Books by Annie Downs. This post reflects my own experience in realizing I was not reading enough books or giving my soul enough breathing space, and choosing to do both again. I was relieved to know I’m not alone on this journey.

We Are Better Together by Lindsey Smallwood. A beautiful portrait of two women needing each other and of the God who knew they would, so He orchestrated their friendship. God has done this same thing for me over the years, and it’s true, we are better together.

Sapphira by Rebecca Faires. This devotional from She Reads Truth highlights the seriousness of sin so we can see the true magnitude of grace. As I’ve said before, I never tire of the gospel message. She Reads Truth blog posts don’t focus on the author (you have to search a bit to find the author), but when I looked to see who wrote it, I noticed that it was the same woman who wrote Crucify Him during Lent this year, another one that really stuck with me. I don’t know Rebecca Faires, but I like the way she tells the gospel story.

Acknowledging the Pain by Danielle Hance – This post was from Spiritual Formation week on Velvet Ashes. She’s honest about pain and suffering and uses the very words of the Son of God on the cross to give us permission to be honest with God, too.

The Grove: Spiritual Formation by Patty Stallings. Patty is always wise and true and inspirational.  This post discusses what spiritual formation is and isn’t, and also, Who is actually responsible for our spiritual growth.

VIDEOS AND PODCASTS

Out and About from Sarah Bessey. You may as well know I’m a huge Sarah Bessey fan. Her writing and speaking is all kindness, gentleness, love, and grace — a rare thing these days. I love the way she speaks of her mothering, which is very similar to mine. I love how she meshes creativity and motherhood and really seems at peace with God (and His church). Watch the Whole Mama interview that’s embedded in the post, and click on the link to the Spark My Muse podcast. Sarah Bessey doesn’t disappoint!

Google Translate FAIL from Aaron Bratcher. I could not stop laughing when I first saw this my first year in Cambodia. Could.not.stop. It’s especially funny if you’re currently or have recently been in language learning. Many of the Google-translated phrases are now part of our family vernacular.

Facebook Friends Song from Studio C.  Everything from Studio C (a Mormon group) is squeaky clean, though with varying degrees of hilarity. This particular one made me laugh so hard I cried. (Although I take exception to the New Mom. New Mom: You are not annoying to me! I heart your pictures. In fact I’m “Liker” when it comes to your baby pictures, so pretty please keep ’em comin’!)

Also from Studio C, Miss Frizzle’s Performance Review, for the Magic School Bus lovers among us, and one on Channel Surfing.

What Playing Cricket Looks Like to Americans. Also made me laugh so hard I cried. And momentarily stopped breathing.

NFL 2015 from Bad Lip Reading. Sorry, I know I’ve shared this one before, but I just can’t help myself with the funny videos today. Most of these phrases made it into our family vernacular too.

Enjoying the God Who Ignites the Stars {Velvet Ashes}

/ trotters41 / Leave a comment

Elizabeth is over at Velvet Ashes today, talking about one of the big ways she enjoys God.

glorify

“What is the chief end of man?” asks one of the Protestant catechisms. Its answer captivates me: “Man’s chief end is to glorify God and enjoy Him forever.” What a privilege, what a beautiful and lofty purpose we’ve been given! For me, one of the best ways to enjoy God is to revel in the heavens He has stretched out like a curtain (Isaiah 40:22).

I was once so enthralled by an astronomy article that I announced over the dinner table, “Did you hear the latest about black holes?” I had inserted this statement into an Avengers conversation that had apparently been going on without me, much to my family’s amusement. I was forced to defend myself against their laughter: “Black holes are important! The more you know about the heavens, the closer you get to God.”

I actually believe that. The truest thing I know is the very first verse in the Bible: “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.” When I lose my way, it is the rock I return to. When my faith begins to capsize, it is the lifeboat that rescues me. In those times, no other theology will do. No other verse matters — only what I see in the stars.

“The Lord merely spoke and the heavens were created. He breathed the word, and all the stars were born. For when He spoke, the world began! It appeared at His command” (Psalm 33:6,9). I can’t get over this truth. It never loses its wonder for me. It is the splendor of creation ex nihilo, something out of nothing. This one thing I know for sure: He speaks, and creation begins. He speaks, and stars appear. He speaks, and we come into existence. Light, energy, mass – all were created at His command.

Finish reading the post here.

A Far Away Funeral — Memories of My Grandma

/ trotters41 / Leave a comment

This past weekend my extended family celebrated my Grandma’s life and mourned her death. I couldn’t be there in person, so I sent my love through this letter, and my mom read it at the funeral. I’m sharing it now for any of my family who wants to read it. I love you all and am missing you desperately at this time. ~Elizabeth

ggpicnic

I remember polka music. I remember dancing. I remember ancient family photos on the staircase, and current family photos on the book case. How I would stare at those pictures, as though I could absorb the family history by osmosis. I remember seeing pictures of Grandma as a young woman and thinking she had the most beautiful face I had ever seen. She was prettier than the prettiest model in my eyes (and probably in Grandpa’s eyes too!).

I remember kolaches and rolickies and hoska. How I would gorge myself on the delicious Bohemian dough that Grandma always baked to perfection. I remember her Duck and Dumpling. How I adored those potato dumplings. And I remember the apples — apples every year, and oh how I balked at eating their skins.

I remember their house being such a hot place on Christmas Eve, stuffed as it was with all those people, the kitchen heated to the boiling point with noodle soup. (The stairs to the basement, however, were still cold.) I remember waiting, just waiting, to graduate from kid tables in the dining room to adult tables in the kitchen. And I remember how long the dishes took after dinner, with all the aunts washing and drying and talking together.

The Musels were this big, loud, happy Catholic family, and I loved it. Grandma and Grandpa’s home felt like my home too, while my parents and sisters and I wove our way around the States and around the world. At Grandma’s, cousins were like brothers and sisters, and being at her house meant playmates never being far away. I remember loving her front porch, the most amazing porch in the world. It was covered and large enough to play house on, large enough to play Red Light Green Light from. And it was large enough to host scads of stair step cousin photographs.

I remember Grandma and Grandpa’s 45th wedding anniversary. I remember the hall and the candles and that beautiful surprise slide show and the music that accompanied it. To this day I can’t hear “What a Wonderful World” without thinking of Grandma and Grandpa. And it was always Grandma and Grandpa together in my mind, not separated as they’ve been these last 15 years. How these 15 years must have hurt. How she must have ached.

It’s been hard to be away these last 3 ½ years. I’ve missed weddings and holidays. I’ve watched photographs of the family appear on Facebook. I’ve rejoiced that I’m part of a family who still loves each other enough to get together. I’ve also mourned the loss of nearness and togetherness for myself. When I went away, I didn’t know if I would see Grandma again. I knew she was getting older and that my last goodbye to her might be my very last. But still, I hoped it wouldn’t be; I hoped to see her again.

None of us knew this past 4th of July would be Grandma’s last time to gather her family around her and love them. She looked good. She looked happy and healthy and as beautiful as ever. Those pictures make it hard to accept that this really happened, that I really have to say goodbye. I wish I didn’t have to say goodbye from far away. I wish I could say goodbye in person. This goodbye won’t be forever; I know that. We will meet again. And I’m sure when we do, it’ll be over fresh poppy seed kolaches and the music of the Christmas Polka.

gghug

Open letter to trailing spouses {A Life Overseas}

/ trotters41 / Leave a comment

Elizabeth is over at A Life Overseas today, offering words of encouragement for marriages struggling through a trailing spouse issue.

ts4

“Feeling so fearful and alone since moving as a trailing spouse”

Last month someone found my blog because they did an internet search for that phrase. It reminded me how much pain a trailing spouse endures. I remember the struggle; I remember the suffering. And while whoever typed those search terms is actually not alone, I can attest to the fact that it very much feels that way. I remember how dark it felt, how black the future seemed. I remember how much pressure I was placing on myself not to ruin my husband’s dreams. I remember being afraid that nothing would ever be OK again and that it would all be my fault.

Telling my trailing spouse story has opened up conversations with women all over the world, both before and after they reach the field. (A trailing spouse doesn’t have to be a woman, but women are the ones who have reached out to me.) So with that in mind, I’m going to share parts of emails I’ve sent to women who have asked for more of my story. I’ve deleted identifying details to protect their privacy. These are the things I would say to any marriage dealing with a trailing spouse issue.

Finish reading the post here.

Underwhelmed by God’s Love

/ trotters41 / Leave a comment

l2h

by Elizabeth

As a family we recently read the story of Jacob fleeing Esau and sleeping on a stone and having that ladder dream. I’ll be honest, the ladder story has never done very much for me. Who cares about some dumb stairway in a dream? (Apparently, I didn’t.) But that night the story moved me like never before. In it, we learn that God interacts with us, relates to us, speaks to us, not because of what we’re doing or how well we’re following Him (because at that point Jacob wasn’t), but because He loves us.

He loves us? Yes, He loves us — loves us because we exist, because He made us, because He is Love. He loves us because He has chosen us, and our relationship with Him isn’t dependent upon our good behavior, our good standing, our proper obedience. It wasn’t until years later that Jacob was really following God with his heart, but here God gave Jacob an experience of Him that was so intense that he named the place Bethel, or “house of God.”

Jacob met God in that place, and it wasn’t because of anything Jacob had done. To think that God wants to interact with me no matter the state of my soul! How wondrous not to deserve this interaction with God, but to get it anyway. How incredible that He gives us His fellowship even though we are unworthy. His love is that big. And this kind of unconditional love is not just in the New Testament as we sometimes tell ourselves (or as I sometimes gathered growing up in church). No, God’s unconditional love is all over the Old Testament too. We don’t deserve this relationship, yet God gives it to us anyway — even before He sent His son.

Hearing my husband read this story out loud spoke to deep places inside me. Afterwards I tried to share my amazement. What I said may not yet make sense to such childlike faiths — young hearts that don’t yet doubt God’s love for us human beings. But I hope that planting these kinds of revelations in their little hearts and minds will help them later in life. I hope they will look back on what we taught them and be able to see His love written all across Scripture in a way that is sometimes hidden from the more legalistic among us.

So thank you, God. Thank you for including the story of Jacob’s ladder in your Word. Thank you that a passage I know so well and am usually so underwhelmed by could still touch me so deeply. To borrow a phrase from Connie Harrington, “Your grace still amazes me. Your love is still a mystery.”