February Bits and Bobs
What moved me, shaped me, encouraged me, and made me smile in February
As always dear readers, I am stunned by the support I receive from you all. I write because it serves two distinct purposes:
…helping me process what goes on in my thoughts about the Bible and life.
…hopefully encouraging you in your walk with Jesus.
I hope this month’s B&B provides some insight and smiles for you.
People I follow on Substack
My reading tastes are distinctly my own, but I have plenty of people I follow and read here on Substack. Here’s a list of a few I find particularly worth checking out…
- - Brittany is a fellow member of the Gospel Centered Discipleship Writers’ Guild. Over the years, she has written on difficult topics (miscarriage, spiritual abuse, and the like) from her personal experience. Her words traffic in grace, restoration, hope, encouragement, and healing. She is well worth checking out.
- - If you like to laugh, Chris is your guy. Every week he posts a thread of memes and jokes he finds on the interwebz and he never fails to put a smile on my face.
- - Former Happy Rant Podcast co-host Ted Kluck is here on Substack. In my head I hear his voice while I read and my nostalgia gets going. I’m not one to fawn over NFL or sports articles, but Ted’s understanding of and joy in the story of sports keeps me rapt.
I Cheerfully Refuse
I know that I somewhat regularly sing the praise of Leif Enger’s work. For Christmas, I was gifted a copy of his latest offering, I Cheerfully Refuse. Here are some non-spoilery thoughts because I think it’s well worth your time to pick up a copy and read it.
A very un-Enger-like setting gives way to a very Enger-like story full of characters I want to read more about. The pacing never drags except when it needs to in order for you to process the story. This book won’t be for everyone. It is somehow dark yet hopeful. A friend called it disturbing, (I haven’t had a chance to debrief with him about it yet as I’ve just finished it) and I understand why he felt so, though I’m not entirely sure I agree. While different from his other books, Enger explores the human condition as he has in the past, with clarity and depth.
The One-Year Mark
As The Blueprint of Grace nears its one-year anniversary, I have been blanketed by an interesting amalgamation of feelings. Insecurity, pride, joy, fear, and disappointment all flit through, though none linger long. As I consider any of the emotions arising from my work being published, satisfaction forces itself to the summit, above the rest. I cannot say enough how glad I am to have this book out there for people to read. At times I wish I would have written it a bit differently, (I think most authors wrestle with saying exactly what they want to say) but on balance, when I hold my book in my hand, I’m satisfied with it. When I spy it on the shelf at my house or at the public library, or when someone drops me a note to tell me they’re reading it, my cheeks get a little color as the corners of my mouth turn upward.
To those of you who have picked it up and read it, thank you. It means the world to me that you would take time to read what I have written, just as I thank you for reading this newsletter as it goes out week after week.
Prayers and Praying
I don’t have any prayer requests you can’t already find in other newsletters, but I do want to talk with you about the subject of prayers and praying for just a moment.
A couple of years ago I was in a cohort of pastors learning about leading in prayer. Admittedly, I joined the cohort because I was terrible at leading prayer meetings; they always felt unfocused and a little disjointed. I came away from the cohort convinced that how I led prayer meetings needed to change, but also completely unsure how to implement that change.
Eventually, and I wish I could remember when it hit me, one concept sunk in—prayer is always a response mechanism. I think we sometimes come to God in prayer with our hands open, ready to receive what he’s going to give us in the future, but if we believe God is sovereign over everything, then what is unfolding right now, whatever the inciting incident that brought you to pray in the first place, is also from God’s hands. Our prayer then is responding to his work, great or small, in our lives and in the world around us.
A subtle shift began to occur. I don’t know if I’m any better at leading prayer meetings, but recognizing prayer as a response mechanism pushed me into different postures: humility, patience, thankfulness, faithfulness, and expectance. God knows what we’re going to pray before we pray it. He listens to our prayers even when they’re off base. He’s ALREADY making provision for us and those around us, even when our motivations are wrongheaded.
How marvelous!
As you seek God’s face in prayer, remember that you’re responding to what he’s doing in your life, in the lives of those around you, and in the world at large. May that reality guide your prayers in the coming days.
On Substack
Friends, I don’t know how you access this newsletter. Some of you just receive it in your inbox, read it and are done. Some of you connect through the Substack app. I’m still learning all of the functionality of what Substack has to offer—notes and chats and recommendations, Oh My!—so if you see more from me in the coming days, know I’m just working out how to use this platform/app/media/thing.
If there’s a particular subject you would like to hear from me about, drop me a line by clicking on the button below.
Aw thank you, Bob!!