More Morning Devotion Thoughts

Romans 8:38-39 "For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord."

When Paul says nothing can separate us from God's love, he means that even we cannot snatch ourselves from His hand. If we have true faith, we will maintain that faith until the end. Times of doubt may arise, and it is even possible to fall into grievous sin. Yet, if we belong to Christ today, we will belong to Him forever. This should encourage us to draw near to the Lord even when we feel far from Him. If we come humbly, He will not reject us.
(from Tabletalk, March 2012)

Words I'm Pondering

I read this during my morning devotions and it's giving me food for thought:

The control God exercises over everything that ever happens demonstrates that there is some significance to all that we do. In turn, this means that we should give thought to our actions and how we spend our time. The Lord is gracious, so we should not be paranoid and legalistic about making sure every moment is filled with what we might regard as self-evident "kingdom work." But we should take care not to waste the time God has given us.

What I've Been Reading

January

Fiction
A Red Herring Without Mustard by Alan Bradley
The Sea Monsters (Percy Jackson series #2) by Rick Riordan
The Titan's Curse (Percy Jackson #3) by Rick Riordan
*Anne's House of Dreams (audio) by L.M. Montgomery
A Burial at Sea by Charles Finch

Non-Fiction
Kitchen Privileges by Mary Higgins Clark
Shakespeare Wrote for Money (essays) by Nick Hornby
**One Thousand Gifts by Ann Voskamp


February

Fiction
*The House at Tyneford by Natasha Solomon
*The Snow Child by Eowyn Ivey
*The Flight of Gemma Hardy by Margot Livesey
The Battle of the Labyrinth (Percy Jackson #4) by Rick Riordan
The Daughter of Smoke and Bone by Laini Taylor

Non-Fiction
**Grace for the Good Girl by Emily P. Freeman
Secrets and Wives: the Hidden World of Mormon Polygamy by Sanjiv Bhattacharya
The Orchard by Theresa Weir

*= These books come with particular recommendation because of their stories.
**= These books were thoughtfully written, as well as convicting and encouraging to my Christian walk.

On Being an Introvert

It's been awhile, I know. I haven't felt like there was much to say. But, here I am for the moment.

In January I read a beautiful book called One Thousand Gifts by Ann Voskamp. It is a book celebrating the everyday graces of God, a poetically written reminder that there is so much in this world around us to be thankful for. It was a perfect book to read at the beginning of a new year. I am striving to mindfully open my eyes and acknowledge and thank God. This is not easy. Everyday I have to remind myself again and again to search out those God graces.

I've been reading Ann Voskamp's blog ever since reading her book. Some posts I just skim through, but today's post hit home for me--a guest post about the introvert's role in the church. Read it here.

I am an introvert. This is an undisputed fact--one I try to overcome and work with everyday. It is a personality trait that I struggle with. It leads me to compare myself to just about any out-going girl or woman. I feel less than, like I'm missing a piece of what it is to live authentically and fully. I feel like there is something wrong with me that I can't easily engage in small talk, that I shrink into myself in crowds, at parties, and in new places. This trait has followed me around for 30 years. It's dogged my steps in this "new" city that Jeremy and I try to call home. After 3 1/2 years, I still don't feel connected and I know some of it is because of my introverted shy self.

I do know in my head that being an introvert isn't the wrong personality type. I realize that introverts and extroverts both make this world go round. But in our culture and society, being an introvert is not embraced. There is a new book out called Quiet: the Power of Introverts in a World That Can't Stop Talking. I want to read it.

For quite awhile now I haven't really felt like I fit in much. And I particularly don't see how I fit into church. I am lonely there. I meet Jesus there, but there aren't bonds of friendships. The social stuff seems to be all about the couples with children and those pursuing graduate degrees. And there I am. There we are. Feeling more like a square peg in a round hole. I don't know what the answer is exactly because I can't just up and change my personality. But I am so glad I stopped by Ann's blog today and read the post. They were words this introvert needed to hear.