Life Lately (Some of It, Anyway)
My body doesn't do well rising before the sun. I did it for years, I can do it, I wish I did it more often now, but even with strong coffee, it's a struggle for my night-owl self. Whenever I do drag myself out of bed at an unearthly hour, though, I remember just how much I adore early mornings.
There is such powerful symbolism in the dark, silent waiting of the world before the dawn.
There are pictures in the soft touch of the sun, as it melts black shadows into blues and grays from its hiding place below the horizon.
I love how you can almost miss it if you don't watch.
There's just something about the way the sleepy watercolors in the sky turn to wide-awake golds and oranges and pinks.
And my favorite part is watching the darkness slink back in defeat, surrendering to the pulsing power rising triumphant again in the eastern sky.
Is it any wonder, that the women and disciples found Christ's empty tomb just at dawn on Sunday morning? Any wonder that the Bible speaks of joy coming in the morning, and reminds us that our Father's mercies are new every morning?
Yep, you guessed it, we were up earlier than usual this morning, packing up the car to head out on the road. It's the first out-of-state business trip I have been able to tag along for in a while, so we are making the most of it!
Since I'm not doing a book review today, here's a slice of my life lately!
The Other Stuff I'm Reading
(Meaning other than the new releases I normally review here. (You know I read more than just the novels on this blog, right?)
1. Dark Clouds, Deep Mercy by Mark Vroegop
“You might think lament is the opposite of praise. It isn’t. Instead, lament is a path to praise as we are led through our brokenness and disappointment. The space between brokenness and God’s mercy is where this song is sung. Think of lament as the transition between pain and promise. It is the path from heartbreak to hope.”
“Lament is the language that helps you believe catastrophe can become eucatastrophe. It vocalizes the pain of the moment while believing that help is on the way. Lament gives us hope because it gives us a glimpse of truth.”
2. The Precious Things of God by Octavius Winslow
"Hesitate not, then, to give full credence to all the glorious truths of the gospel, and to place the entire weight of your soul upon the Atonement of Jesus, and to believe that, sinner though you are, be it the very chief, such is the divine worth and sovereign efficacy of His sacrifice, you will, you must, you shall be saved to the uttermost, because your Creator is your Saviour and your Judge is your Justifier."
"Beware of making a Christ of your faith, precious as it is. If you are staying away from the Saviour because your faith is weak, you are substituting your faith for Christ -- the channel for the Fountain of comfort, peace, and salvation. ... Divine and precious as it is, faith is but the path that leads us to the King."
The Stuff I'm Listening To (a tiny bit of it)
Praise You In This Storm Casting Crowns
Life Changes Thomas Rhett
He Will Hold Me Fast Shane and Shane
From the Ground Up Dan + Shay
Never Been a Moment Micah Tyler (if you haven't heard of this guy yet, check him out!!)
Speaking With Joy podcast by Joy Clarkson (hoping to say more about this soon, but check it out if you haven't heard of it yet! Her purpose, in her words, is to "explore a theme through the lens of three works of art: literary, musical, and visual. I love evangelizing for my favorite works of art, literature and music, and also because I want people to have a haven of goodness, truth, and beauty in their week because we live in a pretty cynical and exhausting world.") So refreshing!
La La Land soundtrack
Oh, and Baby Shark (Pink Fong). Lots and lots of Baby Shark. :)
The Stuff I'm Working On
Check out one of my newest projects here!
And finally, I am so excited about THIS!!
My article will be going live in just two weeks, on October 15. I can't spill the beans on the topic, but I will just say it is extremely close to my heart! So file that date away if you want to read it then!
Tell me in the comments what you are reading and the genres of music you enjoy! I know it takes an extra 30 seconds to sign into the website with your email address, but remember, your comments and feedback on my posts MAKE MY DAY!! Really, I love hearing from you so much!