Beachcombing 10/9/2012

Here are my good reads of the week!  Hope you enjoy them as much as I did!

Beachcombing 10/9/2012

Is Ambition a Sin? - Rachel Held Evans blog - I've wrestled a lot with this topic.  Read it; you'll feel better.  You can be a Christian and ambitious.

How Does American Culture Influence Christianity? -  storlineblog.com by Donald Miller - Okay now after you've read the one above, read this one, then try to fit them together.  It's an interesting exercise on how to find the same meaning but said different ways.

The Deception of Urgency - storlineblog.com by Donald Miller - Another good one from Mr. Miller this week!  "Is being frantic really the best way to be productive?"  I used to think so...


...and this one I found very essential to grabbing the starfish....

Happy Fishing!

--Red

Beachcoming - 10/2/2012

     Here are my "good reads" of the week.  Hope you enjoy them as much as I did!

Beachcombing - 10/2/2012

Hell: Yeah, I'm Going There - or - Hell yeah, I'm going There - thegodarticle.com blog - An interesting and informative post on the Greek translation of the very few times "Hell" appears in the Bible...or does it really ever.

Why You Should Have a No Drama Policy - storlineblog.com by Donald Miller -  Shouldn't everyone?  Maybe first before we can have no drama in our lives, we need to admit we may create some of it ourselves.  I took the pledge; will you?

(More) scattered Thoughts on My Life in the Christian Industry - Rachel Held Evans blog -  I thought this blog would be like the one I posted last week from the guy in Jars Of Clay, but it turned out to be more about trying to find rest in a demanding profession.  Since I am fond of searching for the Sabbath, I liked this one a lot.

What Sin Is. And Is Not. - Tell me why the world is weird blog -  Think you know what sin is?  Think again.....


And because I've been feeling a lot like this lately...more on that in the next blog.

Happy Fishing!


--Red

Beachcombing 9/25/2012

     Here are my "good reads" for the week!  Hope you enjoy them as much as I did!

Beachcombing - 9/25/2012

Progressive Christianity Isn't Progressive Politics! - Patheos.com blog by Roger Wolsey - Finally!  Someone who described how I feel!  As a Libertarian in a Christian Left, Democrat, Evangelical, Republican world, a girl can get awful lonely.  I thin this best described where I am religiously and politically.

The 5 Steps to Writing a Book - Storylineblog.com blog by Donald Miller - Whether you are writing a book, otherwise creative, or even not creative at all, this blog was really funny!  I related on so many levels.  If you have ever experienced a degree of frustration with any project, this is worth the read!

Sneaking Into Worship - Adorate.org blog - Maybe all these contemporary worship services aren't working to bring people in as well as we think they are?  I lead a group of young adults that actually like more traditional services, and yet our contemporary service seems to be the service that is growing the most, so this was of great interest to me.  I wonder what we may be missing as a church eventually.

Fed Up with “The Church”? Try a Different One (Maybe Even in the Mainline!) - Patheos.com blog by Ellen Painter Dollar - So many I know are "unchurched" and what I would say is try again.  There is a church home out there.  Not any one church will be perfect, as we are not perfect human beings, but keeping that in mind, there is a place for all of us.

 

And in case anyone was wondering (and took the same quiz on Facebook).... 

 

 

 

Happy Fishing!

--Red

 

 

Beachcombing - 9/18/2012

     I decided to change the name of my "good reads" blog due to some spam I was getting.  I also decided to wait half a week before posting the next one for the same reason.  So here we are!  My "good reads" for the week.  Hope you enjoy them as much as I did!

Beachcombing - 9/18/2012


An Unfinished Record; An Uncharted Path - Dan Haseltine blog (from the band Jars of Clay) - I really liked this as someone who has expressed their view on music labeled exclusively "Christian".  It's a great look at the struggles that can be created for the actual artist when music is labelled this way.

10 Things I Wish I Knew 10 Years Ago - Marc and Angel Hack Life blog - All I can say is Amen!  this was was extremely poignant for me and current issues I'm facing.


Who Taught You To Fear - storyline blog by Donald Miller - How fear gets taught to all of us through the eyes of his dog Lucy.  As a former dog trainer, I completely get this.


And well...just because it's true...

 

 

Happy Fishing!

 

--Red

Deep Sea Fishing 9/6/2012

Here are my "good reads" of the week! Hope you enjoy them as much as I did!


Deep Sea Fishing 9/6/2012

It would have happened anyway - Tell me why the world is weird blog - Ever think that parking place you happened to snag was divine intervention?  Think again...and dont' forget to be thankful for the good things that do happen along the way!

Confessions of an accidental feminist - Rachel Held Evans blog - This was interesting to me because I tend to walk the fine line between feminist and not really being one.  Rachel draws a clear distinction I think between being assumed a feminist and actually just following Jesus' directives.


And since I think the best thing about dog training was the dogs...

 

 

 

 

 

Happy Fishing!

 

--Red

Deep Sea Fishing - 8/30/2012

Here are my "good reads" of the week! Hope you enjoy them as much as I did!

Deep Sea Fishing - 8/30/2012

 Lance Armstrong and the USADA - When A Cancer Hero Decides To Stop Fighting -  
johilder.com blog - This is a hot topic where I live, Austin, TX and many people are "armchair quarterbacking" it as to why Lance Armstrong really gave up his fight.  Me?  I'll wait for the proverbial "smoking gun" if there is one, but I thought this blog was interesting as it's from the perspective of a cancer survivor about the possible perspective about another cancer survivor.  If you think about it, sickness or not, haven't you ever just felt so tired that you just wanted to stop fighting a ridiculous allegation, rumor, etc?  Ever felt secure enough in your self and who you are just to let that go?

We will need your help to change the world - donaldmilleris.com blog - One of my favorite authors, Donald Miller, releases a new book September 6th, but this new offering is so much more than that.  Want in on the revolution?  Want to "grab that starfish"?  Go over to Donald Miller's blog and see how to become involved in Storyline 2.0.

Sodom and Gomorrah Revisited:  A sermon on reading the Bible with the eyes of love - jimrigby.org blog - I always maintained that the Sodom and Gomorrah story was about the dangers of disrespecting people and not what everyone has come to think it means. I was comforted that I wasn't alone in my assertion.

iSideWith.com  - Okay, maybe not a blog, but a pretty simple questionnaire that tells you which presidential candidate's views are closest to yours. I completely recommend this and was pretty happy with the results.  They were spot on for my beliefs; give it a try!

And you know...since the presidential election is coming up...  Anyone as tired of the rhetoric on Facebook as I am?

Happy Fishing!

--Red

Deep Sea Fishing - 8/23/2012

Here are my "good reads" of the week! Hope you enjoy them as much as I did!

Deep Sea Fishing - 8/23/2012

Far Too Little Sabbath in Sabbath - Huffington Port Religion blog by Mark Sandlin  - When going to church becomes a chore, there is nothing restful about it.  While I have communicated my own ideas about how to "Remember the Sabbath and keep it holy," this is a great post about how to go about Church as a place our sabbath rest, why that is important, and "can the institutionalized Church shake itself free of the dogma and structures which bind it long enough to experience Sabbath in a more sabbath full way."

What’s So Threatening About a Changed-Mind? (Resisting the Term “Flip-Flopper”) - Melissa Jena blog - I always wondered why we as a people desperately want people to change and then when they do, we find something wrong with that.  Very thought provoking blog about finding the value on others' experiences and welcoming changes of thought.

What If Jesus Meant All that Stuff?  - Esquire.com blog by Shane Claiborne If Jesus really meant to love our neighbor and that's all that was important, a lot of people may be in trouble.  Posted by a friend of mind on Facebook, I found it very life (and starfish grabbing) affirming!

Thou Shalt Not Have a Potty Mouth; Does God hate swearing? - Slate.com article by Brian Palmer - Let me first explain that I think "swear words" are completely deemed as such by man, so I found this article very interesting.  I feel that any biblical reference to being profane is more about gossiping, speaking ill of people, etc.  What does this article say?  "The Bible is hazy on vulgarity..."


...and since you all know about my life in a band...

Happy Fishing!

--Red

Deep Sea Fishing - 8/16/2012

Here are my "good reads" of the week!  Hope you enjoy them as much as I did!



Deep Sea Fishing - 8/16/2012

The Theology of the Dark Knight Rises - Experimental Theology - This was really interesting to me as, well you know, I believe you should always be Batman.  Surprising was also one of the comments that said the movie was terrible because Batman relies on violence too much.  I'm not a fan of movie violence; I don't go to horror movies at all actually, so I was puzzled by that remark.  Do you think it was too violent?

Your God is Too Big - Experimental Theology - A reminder for Christians that there is a difference between a God so big that we don't see the small miracles in our everyday lives and that God is big enough to handle our problems and love us.

Six Surprising Ways Jesus Changed the World - John Ortberg, Huffington Post blog - Whether you believe he was the son of god or not, Jesus was a real person whose examples of love and kindness historically changed the world for the better.

Sexuality & Scripture  - Zone0fScilence - "An important thing to remember about the rules laid out in Leviticus is that they are part of the Old Covenant, replaced by Jesus’ New Covenant. Indeed, Jesus violates several of the rules laid down in Leviticus, and teaches his disciples that there is a new way." Amen. This blog also stresses the importance when engaging in biblical study of examining entire chapters and not just the verse.  Too many times, in my opinion, verses are taken out of context and used improperly to support bigoted beliefs.  I always knew I didn't need to actually be silent in church or "submit" to my husband...

Sexuality isn't a Choice - Zone0fScilence - This was linked inside the previous blog.  A must read for anyone still on the fence of whether our sexual orientation is a choice or not. 

What Beer Can Teach the Church - the abp blog - Okay...I'm listening... ; )  In all seriousness, good comparison between trends in the beer industry and how the church might follow those trends to minister to the communities they may be out of touch with.



And since I am convinced we all Google incessantly...

Happy Fishing!

--Red

Deep Sea Fishing - 8/09/2012

     I commented earlier in the week that, probably like many of you, I take to Google alot when searching topics.  The Internet has become a wide source of serious study and amusement for me and probably a lot of us.  I've been posting my "Good Read of the Day" when I come across a blog I like, etc, for my Facebook friends and had the idea to share with everyone weekly what I've been reading and what's influencing me while I continue to search for, and eventually grab, the starfish.  So here we go:

     Deep Sea Fishing for August 9, 2012:

      Hidden Battles - Knight of the Living Dad blog - The ending of this will get you for sure.  It's an important reminder to be kind to everyone, especially on social media.  There may be pain someone is experiencing you aren't aware of necessarily.

     Are Christians Hate Filled Hypocrites? - Experimental Theology blog  - A thoughtful essay, especially in the wake of the Chick-Fil-A controversy.  I'm a Christian, so this was interesting to me, especially as I fully understand what some people do in the name of religion to make Christianity less appealing to anyone, including myself.

     On Geese and Gander - jimrigby.org blog -  What's good for the goose is good for the gander no matter what side of the political isle you are on.  Both sides posting offensive materials and then claiming the other side is "mean."  I'm glad someone called them out on it.

     An Honest Conversation with my Gay Friend - Conversion Diary blog - This one blew my mind!  A good conversation that didn't end with a "you have to agree with me or I'm gonna be mad."  If you want to learn to have a civil discourse, even if you have to agree to diagree, this is a pretty good example.  I will say, I don't think the topic necessarily had to come up during dinner and I don't believe in the author's religious views, but this was a great blog to read!

     And I'll also post a favorite meme/picture/saying from Facebook as well:

     Amen.

    ...okay...but I also really liked this!

 
Happy Fishing!

--Red

What was your favorite blog this week?  Tell me below in the comments!