Nuggets of Wisdom from "The Best Question Ever"

I just finished reading Andy Stanley's book The Best Question Ever.  It is filled with incredible insight to decision making through one simple question.  I know, I know...you want me to let you in on the secret, but it's worth the read, so I'm keeping my lips sealed : )  In the meantime, here are a few quotes from the book to whet your appetite:

Wise people know when they don't know.  The fool is the person who convinces himself that he knows more than he really knows and doesn't need to ask anybody anything.  At the end of the day, the wise man breathes a sigh of relief; the fool, a sigh of regret.

How do you expect to make a masterpiece of your life if you are unwilling to surrender to the Author of life- the One who knows which textures and colors are best blended for the outcome you desire? 

Every single day we benefit from the way God designed things to work.  Everything we claim to have created in our human endeavors finds its ultimate source in something God created that we simply discovered and manipulated.  Every time we take a breath, we declare our dependency upon submission to the Father physically.  Why then would we hesitate to submit our will? Why are we so afraid to surrender to Him our relationships, our finances, our careers?

"You"nique

I started a Bible study on God's love about a week ago.  It is totally revolutionizing the way I see Him. 

Anyways, there were some journal questions today that I thought I would share:  Do you compare yourself to other women?  Do you compare your life and your spirituality to theirs?  How does that affect you?

I think those are great questions, and not just for women.  Too often, we get caught up in trying to be as good as this person, or at least better than this one...if you know what I mean.  I was reminded today that when it comes to spirituality, we aren't designed to shop around and see if someone else's faith will work for us.  We can compare all we want, but doing so doesn't normally benefit us in any way.  In fact, it can make us feel discouraged, or on the flip side, boastful about how "good we are doing."  Neither of those options are in God's plans for us.

There is no one else like me.  Never was.  Never will be.  My spiritual journey holds that same principle.  I cannot compare myself with others and expect to be living in all that God has for me.  He has a unique and specific purpose for each of us, and if we're so busy trying to be someone else, we can never fully embrace the life we were created to live.

For we are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works which He prepared in advance for us to do.
-Ephesians 2:10

So, today, don't be anybody but you.  It's okay to have role models, but realize that Christ is the only one worth idolizing.  And if you put your trust and life in His perfect love, you won't be disappointed.

Word Play

"Because [advertising] promotes goods, it produces materialism; because it advocates through incomplete truths and deceptions, it creates cynicism.  When advertising appeals to mass markets, it promotes conformity; when it appeals to status, it promotes social stratification and class conflict; when it appeals to fear, it promotes anxiety; when it appeals to newness, it creates disrespect for authority; when it appeals to youth, it undermines the family; and when it appeals to sexuality, it creates erotic obsession and dysfunction.  Because it appeals to the individual, it makes people selfish; because it must be simple and easily understandable, it deals in social stereotypes and debases language.  Because advertising is emphatic and repetitively insistent, it promotes regression and irrationality, putting consumers into a hypnoid trance that leads to compulsive consumption, inability to defer gratification and disregard of future consequences; at the same time, because it idealizes 'the good life,' it creates perpetual dissatisfaction and feelings of lack." (Robert Fink, musicologist)

Take out the word "advertising" and replace it with "the Devil."  Take out "it" and replace with "he."  Wow.

Internal Dialectics

"The rest of Brennan Manning is a bundle of paradoxes and contradictions.  I believe in God with all my heart.  And in a given day when I see a nine-year-old girl raped and murdered by a sex maniac or a four-year-old boy slaughtered by a drunken driver, I wonder if God even exists.  As I've said before, I address Him and I get discouraged.  I love and I hate.  I feel better about feeling good.  I feel guilty if I don't feel guilty.  I'm wide open, I'm locked in.  I'm trusting and suspicious.  I'm honest and I still play games.  Aristotle said I'm a rational animal.  But I'm not."


-Brennan Manning, The Furious Longing of God

The Way I See It #76

Found this on my cup while studying today..."The irony of commitment is that it's deeply liberating- in work, in play, in love.  The act frees you from the tyranny of your internal critic, from the fear that likes to dress itself up and parade around as rational hesitation.  To commit is to remove your head as the barrier to your life."  -Anne Morriss (Starbucks customer)

Ok...so maybe I'm a little Starbucks obsessed, but gimme a break : ).

It's Scary

I bought this magnet at Barnes and Noble yesterday (got a little sidetracked when I was shopping for some school supplies).  It's a quote from Eleanor Roosevelt, a well-respected and admired lady.  I did a speech on her last year and found her life to be so inspiring and amazing.  It's just insane how many things she did to help others, even when it was inconvenient or difficult for her.  Anyway, I'm going to try her "theory" out- the whole do one thing everyday that scares you.  I guess if you never try anything outside your comfort zone, you won't really grow to your full potential.  Plus, if you push yourself, who knows what new talents, opportunities, adventures, or predicaments you might find yourself in...all of which only cause you to become a stronger person.  Today, in my Intro to Drawing class, which I was terrified to even walk into- lol, we had to do "blind" drawing.  The rules:  Only look at the object you are drawing, not your paper.  And, never pick up your pencil from the paper- make continuous lines.  We had to sketch pieces of coral and mini clothespins.  Needless to say, there were definitely some laughs when everyone discovered what they had drawn.  Professor Ryan said it's about disconnecting what you think you see and what you really see.  I have to admit, in a way, they were kind of beautiful.  It was like we were seeing for the first time-unreserved, unrestrained by the expectations we had of ourselves and our abilities.  So, my "scary thing"- first drawing class, with "blind" drawing nonetheless- turned out to be quite freeing, and who knows...like Picasso, it might become my new favorite pastime : ).  Your turn.