The Problem With Too Much Introspection

I am a thinker. I ponder, muse, speculate, evaluate, and explore everything. In truth, I over-think. If it were possible, I could think things to death.

I consider things I should have said and should have done. I relive discussions and circumstances I’ve had. I dwell on mistakes and analyze them in great detail. I recall the sorrows and heartaches of my past like a broken record. I think thoughts like If only, What if, or I should have.

Unfortunately, the more I think, the more I despair.

Examine Yourself

A certain amount of self-evaluation can be good. We should have insight into ourselves, our motives, our choices, and our actions. We should keep aware of the ways we minimize our sin. We ought to know the idols that reign in our heart. We need to know the temptations we’re prone to give in to...

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Favorite Read-Aloud Books

It's 8:30 pm and right on schedule, I hear the sound of feet running down the long hallway to the master bedroom. My youngest runs into the room, a big smile stretched across his face, and jumps on the bed. "Can you read?" he asks. 

From the time my kids were born, I've read out loud to them. I can probably still recite the words to Goodnight Moon and Pajama Time! My boys are almost ten and thirteen now, and I still continue the practice—though we've moved beyond Goodnight Moon. 

Reading and listening to books being read are normal rhythms to our life, like eating and breathing. You'll find books in every room of the house. We take books with us wherever we go and sometimes one of the kids will read aloud in the car to the rest of us. We read books of every genre and on multiple topics. Some have such an impact on us, we still refer back to them. Some had such an impact on me, I love them more than books written for adults.

Truly, there are too many favorites to list but I wanted to share a few because I know I am always looking for good book ideas—perhaps you are too.

The Hobbit: I started reading this to my son because I thought it would be a great read aloud book. And it was. The only problem was, after I finished the first chapter, my son said, "Can I bring it with me to bed?" He did, and stayed up late reading it. It's a classic for those who love fantasy. Mine read it over and over.

The Chronicles of Narnia Boxed Set: C.S. Lewis once said, "A children's story that can only be enjoyed by children is not a good children's story in the slightest." The Chronicles of Narnia is a favorite. I've read it aloud many times to my kids. We've also listened to it on cd. It's one that speaks to me even as an adult, making me think about issues of faith and the Christian life. 

The Children's Homer: The Adventures of Odysseus and the Tale of Troy: There's a reason why there's a children's version of Homer's epic: it's not appropriate for children. But this book is and it's filled with adventure. When we read it, we cheered out loud for Odysseus when he finally made it home. 

King Arthur and His Knights of the Round Table (Puffin Classics): Who doesn't love knights, gallantry, adventure, and folklore? 

Because of Winn-Dixie: I love this story. If it had been around when I was a child, it certainly would have rivaled Ramona Quimby, Age 8 for top spot on my list of favorites. It's not just about a dog but also about family, friendship, mentors, and community.

Twice Freed (Freestyle Fiction 12+): This story is a fictionalized tale of Onesimus and Philemon. It's a story of faith and redemption. We've read a few of this author's books—this one is our favorite. This book just so happens to be published by my publisher. 

Corrie ten Boom: Keeper of the Angels' Den (Christian Heroes: Then & Now): We have read at least a dozen books in this series. I can't recommend it enough. These biographies are written like a story which makes it very engaging for children. Inevitably, I cry with each and every one.

The Bronze Bow: This book is about a young boy at the time of Jesus. It's about faith, purpose, redemption, and forgiveness. 

Farmer Boy (Little House): The Little House series holds a special place in my heart because I read them as a young girl. However, I have boys so they don't appreciate it as much as I. Yet, they did enjoy Farmer Boy, the story of Almanzo's childhood. 

Treasure Island (Wisehouse Classics Edition - With Original Illustrations by Louis Rhead): Pirates, treasure, murder, and adventure—just what boys love!

Pilgrim's Progress: John Bunyan's Classic Story Adapted for Children: There are many adaptations of Bunyan's classic allegory of the Christian life. I've read this one to my kids multiple times. It even has a curriculum that goes with it. 

The Radical Book for Kids: Exploring the Roots and Shoots of Faith: This is a new favorite we are currently reading. It contains brief chapters about the Christian life which cover everything from who God is to why we use good manners, from prayer to how to clean a bedroom, from the gospel to famous Reformers. It is filled with humor and engaging graphics. I can't recommend it enough!

Do you have favorite read alouds?

Note: I am a member of the Amazon Affiliates program and links to books in this post are connected to my affiliates account with Amazon.com. 

How Jesus Answers the Cries of Our Heart

Have you ever turned to the Psalms during a time of emotional turmoil? Most believers have found comfort in the words of the psalmist because his descriptive prose seems to give voice to what they are feeling. Many of us have favorite psalms—perhaps even some we’ve memorized—which give us hope in the midst of sorrow, fear, loneliness, or grief.

If we were to study the Psalms in detail, we would notice certain patterns. In the darkest Psalms, the Psalms of Lament, we would find a common structure. I discuss those patterns in detail in my book, A Heart Set Free. But one pattern I want to point out today is the way the psalmist often referred to God as his salvation. 

“Deliver me from bloodguiltiness, O God, O God of my salvation, and my tongue will sing aloud of your righteousness” (Psalm 51:14). 

“Help me, O LORD my God! Save me according to your steadfast love!” (Psalm 109:26).

“Yet God my King is from of old, working salvation in the midst of the earth” (Psalm 74:12).

“But I have trusted in your steadfast love; my heart shall rejoice in your salvation” (Psalm 13:5).

On this side of redemptive history, we know that God has provided for our salvation through his Son, Jesus Christ. After his resurrection, Jesus met some disciples along the road to Emmaus. They were talking about all that had taken place when Jesus was crucified and the hours after. Not realizing they were talking with the resurrected Christ, they said, “But we had hoped that he was the one to redeem Israel” (Luke 24:21). Luke goes on to tell us, “And he said to them, “O foolish ones, and slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken! Was it not necessary that the Christ should suffer these things and enter into his glory?” And beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, he interpreted to them in all the Scriptures the things concerning himself” (vs. 25-27). All those stories they had heard and read throughout their lives in God’s Word were about Jesus. He was the One they all pointed to. As the subtitle to The Jesus Story Book Bible says: “Every Story Whispers His Name.” 

Even the Psalms.

What this means is: Jesus fulfills all the deepest cries of our heart. Jesus is God’s ultimate answer to all that the psalmist cried out for. Just as the psalmist turned to God as his salvation in the midst of his sorrow, grief, and fear, we also must turn to Christ as our salvation in our own emotional turmoil. And just as the psalmist reflected on who God is and what he has done, we too must dwell on all that God has done for us in Christ. Jesus came to do what we could not do. He came to live the life we could not live. He came to make a way for us to be restored back into right relationship with God. He came to redeem, restore, and make all things new.

When we fear, we can remember that Christ has conquered our greatest fear at the cross, eternal separation from God. As Romans 8 tells us “What, then, shall we say in response to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all—how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things?” (vs. 31-32). We can remember that Christ is with us. He is our comfort, strength, and hope in all our fears. 

When we have sorrow, we can remember the Man of Sorrows, our Lord and Savior who bore our sorrows on the tree. When he cried out “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” he was voicing his own lament. As he cried that lament, he was bearing our sins, receiving the just punishment we were due.  In our sorrow, we can also remember that God catches our tears in a bottle and hears all our cries. We can remember that not one tear we shed is wasted; God will use each and every one for his glory and our good. But most of all, we can remember that there is coming a day where all our tears will be wiped away and sorrow will be no more. When Christ returns, all things will be made new. 

When we have been rejected, we can remember that our Savior was rejected. As Isaiah 53 said “He was despised and rejected by men, a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief; and as one from whom men hide their faces he was despised, and we esteemed him not.” He was rejected by the people he came to save. He was abandoned by his closest friends at his darkest hour. He knows and understands what it is to be abandoned and alone. But because he went to the cross, we have been adopted into the family of God. We are part of an eternal community. With Christ as our brother and fellow heir, we will never be alone. He will never forsake or reject us.

When we experience loss in our life, whether it is the loss of a loved one or of a dream or of anything else, we can remember that our Savior knew loss. He knew grief. He wept at the grave of his friend Lazarus. But because Christ lost his life for our sake, we gain new life. “I came that they may have life and have it abundantly” (John 10:10). As Paul reminds us, "So we do not lose heart. Though our outer self is wasting away, our inner self is being renewed day by day. For this light momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison, as we look not to the things that are seen but to the things that are unseen. For the things that are seen are transient, but the things that are unseen are eternal" (2 Corinthians 4:16-18).

Whatever trial, hardship, or suffering we experience, Christ is our hope. He is the answer to all our pain and sorrow. As the writer to the Hebrews encourages us: “Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God. Consider him who endured from sinners such hostility against himself, so that you may not grow weary or fainthearted” (Hebrews 12:1-3).

Consider Jesus, the Man of Sorrows, the One who hears every cry of our heart and the One who answered those cries with a cry of his own: “It is finished!” (John 19:30).
 

God's Faithfulness in Every Season

I haven't experienced spring in twenty years.

Oh, I've traveled during the months of spring to places where flowers and trees are waking from their slumber. I've seen the daffodils and tulips pop out from the ground, bringing a sudden splash of color to a gray landscape.

But I haven't watched the spring transformation take place in two decades. I haven't witnessed the world change from death to life over a period of weeks. 

Now that we've moved away from a tropical climate, I get to experience spring again. We have a large window in our kitchen with a table in front of it. I like to sit there and watch the world outside in our backyard. Since we moved here last spring, I've watched everything come full circle. I watched the green trees in my yard transform into shades of crimson, gold, and rust. I saw the grass turn brown and die. I witnessed the leaves blow off in the wind and flutter to the ground. And before long, I saw hail, ice, and snow batter the same window.

Then, in late January, because it was unseasonably warm, I saw pink buds form on a neighbor's tree. Slowly more trees began to bloom with flowers. Then the daffodils and other flowers came to life. My neighbor's camellia bush burst in color. But the oaks, maples, and other trees still did not have leaves. I looked out the window each morning, wondering when they would appear.

Remarkably, it was the first day of spring. I looked out my kitchen window again and noticed little green specks on the ends of each tree branch. The beginnings of leaves!

Watching the seasons come and go each year for some may be tiresome. And I probably took it for granted growing up in a four season climate. But seeing it again after twenty years was wonderful. I marveled at the process. And not just at the beauty of nature. Not just at the stark contrast between the dark emptiness of winter and the colorful life of spring.

But at the faithful hand of God.

Day in and day out, the sun rises. Every single morning. The earth turns on its axis, rotating exactly as it should. Time moves forward at the same rate each second, minute, and hour. The season for planting comes as does the harvest at its appointed time. The animals make their nests, birth their young, gather for winter, and wait for spring to come again. 

Psalm 119 says, "Forever, O Lord, your word is firmly fixed in the heavens. Your faithfulness endures to all generations; you have established the earth, and it stands fast. By your appointment they stand this day, for all things are your servants." (vv. 89-91).

God is faithful and true. He does all that He says He will do. He makes everything happen as He has ordained it to. By His very word, He keeps and sustains all things. He is a covenant keeping God who fulfills all that He has decreed. 

Just as the seasons unfold throughout the year, just as the sun rises each morning, just as the cherry tree blossoms in spring, we can trust in God's faithfulness. He is as sure as the sunrise each morning, the gravity that holds us to the ground, and the air we breathe. God's faithfulness in the created world around us is a constant reminder of His faithfulness toward His people. 

His faithfulness is often joined together in Scripture with His love. "The LORD passed before him and proclaimed, “The LORD, the LORD, a God merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness" (Exodus 34:6). The ultimate display of His love and faithfulness is found in Christ, "but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us" (Romans 5:8). 

This is a good reminder for me as life is often filled with uncertainty. I have things in my life which I fear will never change or come to an end. There are other things which keep me up at night, wondering what will happen and when. The seeming unpredictability of life can keep me on edge, feeling anxious, fretful, and fearful.

But for God's faithfulness.

The beauty and wonder of spring, as amazing as new life and growth is, serves to point me to the One who holds the world in His hands. As He cares for His creation, how much more so does He care for me? As our Savior said, “Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing? Look at the birds of the air: they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they?" (Matthew 6: 25-26).

God is faithful in the life of a sparrow and in the life of His people. As we trace His faithfulness back through the seasons, year in and year out, we will see the constant pattern of His love and faithfulness on display, not only in creation, but in our very lives as well. Eventually, we'll trace it back to the cross itself where Christ fulfilled every promise and met every requirement and answered every heart's longing and cry. God was faithful to us in Christ and is faithful to us in this very moment and into eternity.

Do you see God's love and faithfulness in your life?  

For the Cynical Heart

In our homeschool, I’ve been going through a cycle of World History with my children. We began with ancient civilizations and have moved slowly through the centuries each year. Most recently, we studied WWII.

Each time I read an event in history, one of the kids inevitably mutters, “Another story of someone trying to conquer and take over the world.” They groan as they hear stories of dictators and rulers making promises, because they know that in the end, they will rule with an iron fist—until the next dictator comes along.

Cynicism Under the Sun

Doesn’t life seem that way? Just another story in a stream of the same stories we’ve heard over and over. This is how the Teacher felt in the book of Ecclesiastes. “What has been is what will be, and what has been done is what will be done, and there is nothing new under the sun. Is there a thing of which it is said, “See, this is new?” It has been already in the ages before us” (1:9-10).

That negative and pessimistic tone is one of cynicism...To read the rest of this post, visit Christward Collective.

Growing as a Writer

The past few years, I've rather unexpectedly found myself speaking about writing; I've led a few conference workshops for writers and have even spoken to college classes on the subject. I often receive emails from aspiring writers with questions about all aspects of writing. And as a freelance editor, I find myself mentoring writers.  

I am by no means an expert on the subject, but I have learned a few things about growing as a writer as I've gone through my own writing journey. I use the phrase "growing as a writer" intentionally because I don't think it's something we master. Writing is something that even gifted writers can continue to grow in, develop, and improve. There's always something new to try, a different story to tell, and further development of one's voice. Like all areas of life, we can always improve in our writing. 

If you are curious about writing and what you can do to improve and grow, here are few thoughts to get you started:

1. Seek to Learn: While we all learned the basics of writing a sentence and how to develop paragraphs in school, there is much we've probably forgotten. Or never paid attention to. Revisiting the foundations of sentence structure, punctuation usage, and paragraph building is always helpful to a writer. Go to the library or bookstore and pick up a few books on writing. A few of my favorites are: 

On Writing Well: The Classic Guide to Writing Nonfiction: A classic by William Zinsser. If you don't have this one, get it. It is practical help and advice from a seasoned writer, including great tips on how to make every sentence count. Writing About Your Life: A Journey into the Past: This is another favorite book by William Zinsser, specifically for writers who want to write about their life. He uses many examples from his own writing, memories, and travels. The Elements of Style, Fourth Edition: This book will remind you of all those things you forgot from English class.

Another way to learn and grow as a writer is to attend writer's workshops or conferences. There you can learn how to write articles, queries, and proposals. You'll also learn about the process of publication, whether for a periodical or book publishing. I attended a writer's conference about five years ago and still look back at what I learned there to help me in my writing today. I've also participated in virtual writer's workshops, listened to interviews with seasoned writers, and read more books and articles than I can count on various facets of writing.  

2. Ask Editors, Fellow Writers, and Friends: When I first started writing—beyond my personal blog—I joined a writer's critique group. It was helpful for me to have other people read my work and critique it for content, grammar, and understanding. They helped me see my bad habits and even showed me holes in my content where someone could misread and misunderstand what I intended to say. Editors are also an invaluable and often overlooked source of help. If you submit your writing to other websites or publications, ask your editors there what you can do to improve. What would make your writing better? Read through their edits and take note of the things they change. Especially when they change the same things each time. For example, I found a few editors trimming my pieces back, which revealed to me that I tend to be too wordy. In the last book I wrote, I had several friends read it for content, grammar, and understanding. They pointed out to me things I missed in my own editing and in our discussions about the book, I realized things about my writing I needed to change.

3. Read: Writers are readers. Read good writing. Read poetry, classics, and other quality work. What you read shapes your own writing. Circle new words you haven't heard before and look up their meanings. Keep a list of words and phrases you've read that you like and experiment with using them in your own writing. Evaluate writing that you particularly like. What do you like about it? What stands out to you? Is it the words the writer uses, their voice, the way they unpack a difficult concept and make it understandable? Practice writing using various techniques you've seen authors use. Play around with different ways to communicate the same message. Which way do you like best? Which feels the most natural to you?

4. Practice: A writer only improves with practice. As I said in a recent workshop I led: "In the end, a writer is not someone who thinks or talks about writing, but one who actually does it." Make a commitment to write a certain number of words a day or week. Use a writer's app or carry a journal with you wherever you go and jot down thoughts, phrases, and ideas for writing. Blogging is a great way to get regular practice. If you don't have a blog, write for someone else's blog. Write for your church's newsletter. Write wherever you have opportunity. Just do it often. 

What about you? Do you love to write? 

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