Our network at HighCallingBlogs.com is quickly approaching 200 members. L.L. Barkat of Seedlings In Stone has been with the network almost from the beginning.
More importantly, L.L. understands what we’re trying to do there. L.L. caught the vision.
And that vision is expressed beautifully in her recent book Stone Crossings. The subtitle is “Finding Grace in Hard and Hidden Places.” Which makes me wonder. Where has God shown you grace today?
For example, L.L. finds grace in doubt.
When Peter is faced with the reality that Jesus will die a criminal’s death, doubt assails him. The truth is too difficult, too bloody, too dirty to hold… When we see Jesus in a new unexpected way that fails to meet expectations, we are tempted to falter and say: This is hard; who can accept it?
As an example, L.L. tells the story of a former professor, “David D.” He was “an excellent customer service representative,” she explains. “The attendant who goes beyond the company script, who makes you feel you are a person with read needs and concerns.” When L.L. went to his office with doubts about God’s mere existence, David didn’t flinch.
She writes, “An unquestioned faith is questionable… Covering doubt and demanding unexamined allegiance holds its own special dangers.”
So true.
Maybe that’s why I sometimes feel compelled to post crazy doubts and reveal unorthodox allegiances. Thank you to readers here for sticking with me. If I can’t be myself here, I’m in trouble.
Because I’m not one of those people who can put up a special marketing-niche facade.
So. I’ll leave the comments here open on this one. But I wrote a longer review of L.L.’s book over at HighCallingBlogs.com, and I hope you click through to read what she has to say about daily work and sacrifice.
You see, Robert Hruzek is hosting a group writing project where people write about a mash-up of 18 fun topics. I added bugs and Bibles to his list just for good measure and polished up a poem for his group. He says it’s the first ever poetry entry. Yea, me!
First, the poem itself. You can hear me read it on the Evoca recording, but you’ll have to skip ahead to 1:20 remaining because I get long winded in my intro. (Be sure to check out my sweet musical intro/outro. Royalty free audio is fun!)
Welcoming Summer
Two love bugs mate on my leg
Until I draw them off with this
#2 pencil. The pair crawls past
my thumb as I write—then up
to the pink eraser which must taste
funny to tongue buds on their feet.
They fly away, black-legged snow-
flakes. We think of Christmas specials
where painted children catch snow
on tongues to welcome winter.
“Open wide, kids,†I say. “There’s
never snow in South Texas.â€
My son plays along and we run
up and down the blacktop lot—
heat rising in waves around us—
we must look a pair of Baptist Johns,
prophesying protein in the desert.
A voice of two calling between
parked cars: “Prepare the way
for summer bugs. Make straight
your tongues for them.†Push that
play too far and bugs become God.
All mankind finds salvation in bugs.
And why not? God can raise up
children from rocks and bugs—
even cars with bug-splattered bumpers.
Second, here’s how the poem fits the mash-up rules.
A few weeks ago, we drove (automobiles) to a family reunion (relatives) where my children and I found ourselves surrounded by bugs on our little vacation (recreation) to decorate the graveyard at the Hebron Baptist Church. In fact, the bugs were so thick, we talked about how it was like a blizzard of black snowflakes with legs. My son loved this because he keeps bugs as pets (which means he puts them in bug cages over-night and holds a daily funeral for the ones who don’t make it). You can see from the picture above what so many bugs do to a white car (automobile—again). The snowstorm made me think of the peanuts gang catching snow on their tongues (like food) in the television Christmas special. At that point, my mind took off, and I started writing this poem.
I have to ask, though. Who uses the word automobile anymore, Bob?
Also, Gordon, you asked about W. P. and decoration. I provide a long answer in the audio file above. And you can see W. P.’s grave there on the right. He is my kid’s great-great-great-great granddad. Or maybe just great-great-great, I can never remember.
One last thing about poetry. Bob’s project “What I Learned From…” suggests that I’ll have answers for you here. But poetry isn’t very good at providing answers in the traditional sense. Nevertheless, I hope you’ve found some things to think about in my mash-up of mashed-up of bibles, bugs on my windshield, the subsequent discussions that followed us that weekend, and Writing, Children, Television, Recreation, Relatives, Food, Pets, Automobiles.
My friend, Liz, is thinking about the universe today. She’s like that. And her wonderful essay culminates (for me) with the recognition that everything is interconnected.
With every breath, I change the atmosphere.
With every step, I change the ground we share.
There’s another side to that kind of thinking. Sometimes I like to remember exactly how small I am.
Mary has already traced this meme to the fifth generation. Impressive! I’m a delayed first generation post. The rules are self-explanatory, but you can read the details at Mary’s original post.
Quick: What were you doing ten, twenty and thirty years ago?
Spaghettipie, my Authentic Parenting blog tour pal, tagged me to share 8 things about myself that you might not know. I already shared five things, so here are three more.
David Hayward (aka “Naked Pastor”) participated in an interesting publication experiment through the Wikiklesia Project that will benefit the nonprofit organization NOT FOR SALE. He and several others wrote a wiki-book, a community written collaborative work built with wiki-technology. (Boy, do I feel like a geek after that last sentence…)
Here’s an excerpt from the email David sent to his readers:
If you’re like me, you’re tired of being told to grow kids God’s way and dare to discipline. I mentioned Mary DeMuth’s book Authentic Parenting earlier this week in an review. And the ideas in her book have really stuck with me. You know how some books do that, right? I know not every reader here is a parent, but if you are, definitely consider purchasing that book. It’s got some great stuff in it. And it’s only $13.00. That’s a good deal for a new book.
… And if you do decide to purchase it, please do so by clicking through to Mary’s site (that way we can track the effectiveness of this little social media experiment).
(ARC is publisher’s jargon for Advanced Reading Copy.)
This book is really good. No kidding. It approaches parenting on four fronts. I’ll share the four fronts over the next few weeks so as to participate in her blog tour with several successive wave of folks. And to keep this post to a bloggy length.
Just some fun stuff today, then I have to prepare for a big interview next week for TheHighCalling.org with the President of Walden Media. (I’m not excited about that or anything.)
First,Mary DeMuth is going on a blog tour for her new book Authentic Parenting in a Postmodern World. (I’ve got an ARC copy, and it’s great.) She may still have a few books to give away over at her blog. You should go check. And even if you don’t get her book, you should participate in the blog tour. We’re going to be measuring effectiveness again. Who knows what new secret formula we’ll discover this time?!
Second, my old man finally got onto the blogosphere. You may know him from the comment sections around here as “Shep.” Yesterday he became PapaPoet. I know he’d appreciate comments on his first poem there about his old man. (Love you, dad.)
Third, I talked with Dawud Miracle on the phone yesterday. This guy has some kind of incredible business sense. He and I talked about how to bring more focus to this blog. So look for that in the near future. I may actually start writing about editing again!
…and Children, Television, Recreation, Relatives, Food, Pets, Automobiles, Bugs, and Bibles
A few weeks ago, we drove (automobiles) to a family reunion (relatives) where my children and I found ourselves surrounded by bugs on our little vacation (recreation) to decorate the graveyard at the Hebron Baptist Church. In fact, the bugs were so thick, we talked about how it was like a blizzard of black snowflakes with legs. My son loved this because he keeps bugs as pets (which means he puts them in bug cages over-night and holds a daily funeral for the ones who don’t make it). You can see from the picture above what so many bugs do to a white car (automobile—again). The snowstorm made me think of the peanuts gang catching snow on their tongues (like food) in the television Christmas special. At that point, my mind took off, and I started writing this poem.
Mary has already traced this meme to the fifth generation. Impressive! I’m a delayed first generation post. The rules are self-explanatory, but you can read the details at 
If you’re like me, you’re tired of being told to grow kids God’s way and dare to discipline. I mentioned Mary DeMuth’s book 
