Being Still and Listening

Not surprising to you, I’m sure, sitting still and being quiet does not come naturally to me. My Mom used to describe me as a bull in a china shop…and that was pretty accurate, I’d say. And while I do know how to sit and be still before the Lord, I’m much more likely to barge into the Throne Room and chat His ear right off.

So it’s good for me to hear the words of these three men who have made a point to sit…and listen to the Lord. I thought I’d pull out the one “LISTEN UP BEKAH!” word I got from each interview.

Richard Foster

It’s one thing to love God. It’s another to love God’s ways.

I love God. I have loved Him since I was six. But I will confess there are times I do not love His ways. When I was 10 and my nephew was stillborn. When I was 18 and my friend Craig died in a motorcycle accident, though I begged God to spare his life and take me instead. When I was just out of college and my “niece” Carol died on her six month birthday. When my college roommate was diagnosed with terminal cancer at 33. When my sister lost her home in a tornado. When my relationship with Isaac ended. Those were the moments when I didn’t love His ways. I had lots of questions – and sometimes flat out anger. But His ways are not my ways…and His thoughts are so beyond my own. And rather than figuring out His ways, I’m learning to just put my hand in HIS and lean on the truth that He has a reason. (And sometimes it’s not mine to know.)

Bruce Demarest

God expects us to do things.

I like to sit and make sure I know what’s going on before I take a step. But oh goodness. What blessings I would have missed this year if I’d not DONE THINGS. If I’d not submitted a resume to WBCL. If I’d not said yes to an interview. If I’d not written a resignation letter to my previous job. If I’d not been willing to get in the car and commute for six months (and who knows how many more)! If I’d not sent that email that opened up a whole new friendship. If I’d not taken a risk. Does God bring blessing to us? Oh yes. But does He expect us to take a step of faith toward blessing? Oh yes.

Glenn Myers

Soak up Scripture.

My job in the last six months has created quite a fast paced life for me. I love it. But the one thing I have failed at more than I want to admit is sitting and soaking in the Scriptures. I read on the fly. I don’t marinate in it like I used to. And you know what? It shows. It shows in how I live. I need to get back to that soaking. That quiet pondering. That hearing twice as much as I talk.

The good news is…a new year lurks just around this weekend. Time for new habits and a brand new start!

I Am Not God's Personal Assistant

I’ve long been a student of marriage. About 10 years ago, the church I attended held a one day marriage seminar with Steve and Annie Chapman. I am sure I received all sorts of strange looks when I showed up all by myself and willingly sat (in the front, no less) for an entire day, but I didn’t care. I had the opportunity to spend a day listening to a husband and wife share the insights of what worked…and what didn’t…and I wasn’t about to miss that.

That’s why I love the marriage shows on Mid-Morning. I love to learn what to embrace and what to avoid, should I ever be blessed with a husband. And I was particularly thrilled with Cindi McMenamin’s hour on inspiring your husband. After years of observing wives belittling their husbands, whether in front of them or behind their back…publicly or privately…I was eager to hear from a wife who not only wanted to inspire her husband…but wanted to tell someone else how to do the same.

So in an entire hour of great advice, how do I possibly zone in on one thing Cindi said?

This one got me.

We need to talk to God about our husbands more than we talk to our husbands about God.

Gulp.

I’ve learned how to hear God’s whispers to my heart, and in the past, I know I was guilty of “helping” guys I dated hear the same thing. I was so anxious for them to know what I knew, that I just blurted it out and insisted that they go forward and hear likewise…and that did nothing but damage to our spiritual bond. What might have happened if I’d allowed GOD to do the talking in His own way and time?

The power of prayer…is beyond what I can comprehend. But I can’t even imagine the faith boost I’d get by allowing God to speak and watching my man respond to HIM.

Perhaps it’s good that I am learning all this NOW?

Letting God Work

Catherine Hickem says that parenting is one of the ultimate forms of trusting God – because your kids are a piece of your heart walking outside your body.

I don’t have kids of my own, so I can’t understand how moms (or dads) feel when they watch their kids start to step out on their own, but I am a recovering control freak and can well imagine it’s a blend of frightening and maddening to watch them begin to take those first fledgling steps.

Catherine gave a magnificent example of a time when she had to let go of her own dream for her son’s life and embrace the dream GOD had for him, even though that dream took him to another country.

Last year when I went through my very difficult desert experience, I remember having several phone conversations with my own mother – most of which were filled with many tears on my part and much helplessness on her part. She frequently said to me, “Bekah, I just wish you could be happy again.”

I get that. If I were a mother, I am sure I would ache at the sound of my daughter’s tears and my mama’s heart would want to fix all her problems, dry her tears, and see her filled with joy once again.

But I finally said to her…What if there are things more important than being happy?

Don’t get me wrong. I wanted to be happy, too. I wanted that searing pain in my gut to leave. I wanted to get through a day – or even to ten in the morning – without sobbing. But amid all that, I could tell that God was on the move in my heart. A desperate, necessary move.

And I craved that.

I craved the intimacy I could feel God drawing me to…and I ached for Mom to be able to see around her mother’s-heart to understand that the only way I was going to heal…was to hurt first.

Parenting surely must be the hardest job in the world. But I say a hearty amen to Catherine’s message to moms. When God has a work to do in your child’s life, let Him work. Even if it means searing pain. Even if it means moving halfway around the world.

You can’t afford for your baby to NOT have God’s intervening hand at work.

Ahhh How Lynne Loves to Challenge Me...

Lynne loves to give me a good challenge. I think that’s why she picked a show about teenagers (teenage BOYS, no less) and left me to write a blog about what I learned from it. Not only do I NOT have teenage brothers, nephews, or sons, I don’t even HAVE brothers, nephews, or sons. Clearly it’s going to be a while before I need that information!

Right?

Well teenagers are just not-quite-grown adults, and I do have friends in that age range that are male…and so for their sakes, I learned today. These are the things that I wish I would have known going into adulthood…and relationships. I learned by failing, but the good news is…I did learn. So hopefully from this time forward, I will do better in the communication department!

Give men (and teenager boys) time to process information and topic changes.

I’m a girl. I’m the queen of multi-tasking. I can watch an episode of House Hunters (closely enough to weigh in with my opinion on house 1, 2, or 3), while cooking (via a new recipe that I actually have to pay attention to), talking on the phone (to a friend in real crisis) and probably have a little Facebook chat on the side just for good measure. Not only can I do all those things…I can do them WELL. And I can switch gears on any of them at any point in time and keep right up with it.

Not necessarily so for the guys. To change topics…I might need to announce the topic change and wait for them to catch up. And asking a question today might mean an answer in two days…not because I was ignored or forgotten, but because of processing.

And that’s okay. Their need to take this information slowly and deliberately is not wrong, and neither is my need to take on the world at once. They’re just different. But difference works better with understanding.

Show your interest in their lives by being willing to connect over activities they enjoy.

In both my friendships and dating relationships, I’ve sat through extraordinary numbers of TV football and basketball games, seasons upon seasons of M*A*S*H, hours without end of video editing (and the subsequent hours of tweaking said editing that follow), and some slightly awkward family gatherings. Had I been given a choice, it’s possible I would have preferred scrapbooking or watching Little House or going shopping, but I knew that those things were important to the guys. I knew that somehow those moment showed them that I was interested in their world even if I didn’t remotely understand the need for hours of such things.

Probably a lifelong learning curve awaits me. But I’m determined to give it my best shot!

So...About God's Will...

OUCH.

That’s my reaction to the conviction of my toes being stepped on (in a good way, of course!) while listening to Pastor Gregg Matte talk about finding God’s will. Can I share with you what got me the most?

If you look at the target on the wall, you miss the journey.

Oh goodness. I am so guilty of this! When I look for God’s will in any of the (MANY) areas of my life, I am Little Miss Tunnel Vision. I focus my gaze so intently at the end of the journey, looking for that final answer, and from His Throne, God is saying, “Oh Baby Girl…I have so much between where you stand now and the answer you seek. Please don’t miss it.”

God is a writer…a writer of life stories. He has pored over each one and so lovingly filled it with blessings, lessons, gifts, and details so miniscule, I fear we miss them because our gaze is so fixed on the end of the journey. And yet each of those tiny bits is important to Him and I believe He longs for us to savor them. Not miss them.

If we are faithful in the chapter we’re living, then God will open the next chapter.

One of the most pivotal things God whispered to my heart in the journey I walked last year was this: I am the Author; you are the scribe. My job is to live the journey, not write the story. If I live it faithfully, God will be sure I get the next chapter when it’s due. (And not a moment before, much to my chagrin, usually.)

God’s will is about who we are, not what we do.

Gulp.

Find me faithful, Abba.

Speak to Me

I love recommendations, be they about restaurants, movies, make-up or books...oh, how I love recommendations about books. You do too, based on the response to today's Bibles and devotionals' show.

God shares Himself with His kids and we, in kind, share what He's gifted to us -- understanding, insight, comfort, truth, to name just a few --  with others. I'm so glad God made E. Stanley Jones, who wrote one of our featured devotionals. God continues to breathe life into the words Jones wrote more than 70 years ago in Victorious Living (the sequel Abundant Living is my 2012 devotional choice). Inhale these gems:

We grow small trying to be great.

The most miserable and fed-up people I know are the people most bent on being happy.

O Christ, You are shutting the gates to lesser life in order that You might open them to larger life. Help us not to complain when You will not let us be swine. For You want to make us after Your own image. Help us to arise and follow. Amen

See what I mean?

There are things God wanted to say to the world about Himself that He could only say through E. Stanley Jones. But you know what? There are things He wants to say to the world that He can only say through you and through me (I Corinthians 2:12,13). So as 2011 winds down and people ponder their resolutions for 2012, I'm going to recommit to one I made many years ago, a resolution that I'll spend the rest of my life trying to keep...one that, by the grace of God and the power of His Spirit, is steadily becoming less of a new resolution and more of a continued new life: ginowko-ing" God (see yesterday's blog for an explanation of "ginosko-ing").

Playing Catch-Up

Uh, did anyone happen to notice I was "blogless" on Wednesday? Not me, that is until around 9:00 Wednesday night. Oops. They say it takes at least 21 days to create a habit.

That explains everything.

I didn't begin blogging until December 1, which means I was one entire day short of cementing a blogging habit. I feel so much better now. :)

Wednesday's Mid-Morning was my second trip through Debbie Alsdorf's book The Faith Dare. We had a 10-minute "Author! Author!" interview earlier in the year that whetted my appetite for an extended conversation. Round Two with Debbie was even better as God spoke through Debbie, saturating my spirit with a set of truths He's intent on me "ginosko-ing," Greek for a knowing that reaches beyond the intellect to an actual experience. The Big One is this: faith grows and flourishes as we come to know Jesus. Paul explains it this way in Colossians 2:7 -- "Let your roots grow down into Him and draw up nourishment from Him, so you will grow in faith (italics are mine), strong and vigorous in the truth you were taught." So I will continue to use my biggest shovel to dig deep.

On today's show I was reminded how much fun it is to be surprised -- in a good way --  by a guest. Bevin Brothers Manufacturing has been making bells for almost 180 years. It's now the only company making bells in the U.S. Matt Bevin, the current Bevin in charge, was utterly charming, informative, and playful. I knew he hit a home run with Bekah and me, but it was something else that sealed his success as a fabulous guest.

The on-air guys -- Jim, Phil, Larry, Ron, Ross, Scott and Ken -- rarely, and I mean once in a blue-, purple- or fuchsia- moon-rarely, comment on Mid-Morning. But today Ken Church stopped by our office and told us how much he enjoyed today's show. A little probing revealed the reason for his liking it. You guessed it: the Bell Man, Matt Bevin. His explanation of how bells are created, coupled with his stories of famous Bevin bells, made the interview a treat. If I've piqued your interest, you can listen on the archive.

Since I missed blogging yesterday, it seems reasonable to me that I begin the building of my blogging habit all over again. That said, today is Day One. Hooray for me for remembering to blog. Here's hoping I don't injure myself while administering a self-congratulatory pat on the back.

Redeeming Whatever

What motivated me to begin blogging was the reality of Mid-Morning as a classroom for me (hopefully for you too). A place where I am continually learning. Usually there are several stand-out ideas/thoughts/insights, except for today's hour with Mitch Kruse and Zach Bertsch, which contained so many rich nuggets I suggest you listen to the entire interview; but until you do, here's a little something to tide you over.

Zach Bertsch is a 29-year-old husband and father of two young children facing down Stage 4 cancer. God imprinted a thought on the hearts of Zach and his wife soon after the diagnosis to do something they wouldn't have done if Zach hadn't been diagnosed with cancer. The answer was to redeem the cancer by using it as a platform to raise money to build group homes for orphans in Haiti. You can read about it at Zach's website cancerredemption.com.

There is a radiance surrounding Zach as he speaks with a quiet certainty about heaven; preparing to die long before you become ill so that you can truly live; accepting suffering as gracefully and gratefully as you accept good things from God; and loving God, Who loves you more than you can grasp this side of heaven. It's a glorious glow that's his -- and yours and mine -- when the veneer of self is sanded away by suffering, and the light of Christ is free to shine.

Will you pray for Zach, Jenny, Zion and Moriah and ask God to heal Zach? We did at the conclusion of Mid-Morning. God invites us to boldly ask such things.

And if you are hurting, struggling, suffering, do what dear Zach taught us today: ask God what He wants to do through you right now that couldn't be done if you weren't going through _________, (you fill in the blank).

He will..for His glory and for your good.

Who Needs Beauty?

Beauty in its many forms sings a love song to my soul. Michelle Pfeiffer's porcelain face and Michelangelo's David are both stunning in their perfection (well, as perfect as mere mortals can be or create). I also respond to unorthodox beauty: a broken down fence in a field of messy wildflowers and Mother Teresa's face,  loveliness that the Japanese, who have multiple words for beauty, refer to as wabi. What Randall Wallace, author of The Touch, reinforced for me on today's "Author! Author!" Mid-Morning is that everyone -- male, female, young, old, college professors, high school dropouts, Americans, Zambians -- all of us respond to beauty.

Why is that true?

As Faith, the medical student in The Touch, who is proposed to by Andrew, her medical student boyfriend...while laying on the floor of the Sistine Chapel... gazing at "The Divine Touch," Michelangelo's famous rendering of God igniting life into Adam (talk about the proposal to end all proposals), says, beauty is love, and love heals.

That explains why, for me, drinking in a sunset, assembling a fruit salad and tucking in a couple of sassy sprigs of mint, even decorating the Christmas tree all act as a healing balm. They are things of beauty, prescriptions for a soul that's anemic, feeling a little under the weather, or longing to rest my head on Beauty's shoulder.

What forms of beauty sing a love song to your soul?

In Praise of Older Women

I want to be Gloria Gaither when I grow up.

There...I said it. I don't want Gloria's life (I'm grateful for and treasure mine), I simply want to be like her: Spirit-infused wise, at-home in my own skin, and able to generously love the world out of the bounty of Jesus' love for me. But above all, like Gloria, I want my thoughts, words and actions to be informed and shaped by my life in Christ.

In my 27+ plus years with Mid-Morning, Gloria Gaither is my favorite guest. Funny thing is, I'd never interviewed her until today. She and Char were, and still are, kindred-spirit buddies. Their friendship is fueled by their desperate love for Jesus; mutual respect and admiration for each other; and a passion for challenging Christians to think. Over the years I've listen intently to every Gloria interview to discover her thoughts on everything from television evangelists to movies, honest doubting to why she and Bill have stayed married.

What did I learn from my first interview with Gloria Gaither? We all need women older than ourselves who are further down the road to speak into our lives. Sometimes we actually know the woman. We can call, text or e-mail her. But most importantly, we can actually be with her. Look her in the eye. Fall into her arms when we need the comfort and assurance only the shelter of a woman's bosom can offer. Other times the woman is someone we feel we know, though we haven't actually met. She's an author (Karen Kingsbury), a Bible teacher (Beth Moore), a missionary (Mother Teresa), a wife or mother or cancer survivor or someone else we learn about on the Internet or from a friend. Either way, God uses her to speak a perfect word from His heart to ours.

So thank you, Gloria Gaither, for inspiring me to keep following Jesus, to be grateful for the all that I am...and am not, to not be afraid of doubts or questions about God, and to celebrate the arts (which I love but no longer worship) as gifts and expressions of God.

All of us are an older woman to another female. What are our younger counterparts learning from us?

This is How It Feels to Be Free!

Oh, how good it felt to be back on Mid-Morning today, after spending two days as a juror deliberating the immediate fate of a young man. Bekah and I laughed and teased each other (and our guests) and gave away a variety of useful and cool products. The atmosphere was light and fun, the complete opposite of my past 48 hours.

After hearing witnesses testify that they were telling "the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth, so help me, God," followed by persuasive closing arguments, we 12 jurors spent about four hours revisiting the details of the case and the testimonies, while laboring to reach a consensus. We cast anonymous paper votes several times to determine whether or not we'd reached a verdict. Finally, after yet again painstakingly dissecting each detail of the crime alongside key statements from witnesses, we took another paper vote. I never imagined writing one word, guilty, could be so intimidating and grief-inducing.

But it was.

When we returned to the courtroom and the jury foreman read the verdict, the judge asked the attorneys if either wanted to have the jury polled. Through tight lips, the defense attorney said, "Yes." Did he think we didn't already feel the weight of our decision? When I looked at the defendant, believing beyond a reasonable doubt that he had committed the crime he was accused of, I imagined one of his friends in the gallery springing from his seat and shouting, "Let me serve his time. I'll take responsibility for everything he did." But it doesn't work that way... except in God's courtroom, where He sits as Judge and Jury. I was guilty and sentenced to death the moment I took my first breath, but God. How I love those two words: But God...Who sent His Son to die, has saved me. He is now my Judge and Jury, and has said the words, now and forever, that yesterday's young man longed to hear: Not guilty.

At the start of Advent I prayed God would enable me to experience the heart of Christmas, the reason for Christ's coming. Who'd have thought the answer to my prayer would come through jury duty? What a Christmas surprise... not unlike a Savior born in a manger.

Thank you, God.

Relentless Chasing

What? There's a difference between excellence and perfection? You don't say. And all this time, I've thought they were synonymous...

Today we played an encore show (since Lynne is still out on jury duty) - and this one came from the archives of archives...way back in 2008. I figured that meant God needed someone to hear it...if it was going to come from that far back. (And I think "someone" is Rebekah J. Freelan.)

Joan Webb spoke about perfectionism...which is something I've struggled with my entire life. I hate failing. (Does anyone really LIKE it?) And to me, anything less than utter success is total failure. I should insert the disclaimer that this is my perspective toward myself only. I don't mind it when other people fail. I mind quite a bit when I fail.

So I pulled up a chair to listen to Joan, and she said excellence is enjoying quality of balance and perfectionism is the relentless chase of perfection.

Two words stick out to me there. ENJOYING and CHASE. I took up exercise a couple of years ago and dabble in jogging as part of it. I know some people enjoy running, but I'm not part of that crowd. To me, running/jogging feels like chasing after an end that never materializes. I do it because I know it's good for me, but it's a relentless chase that often leaves me sprawled out on the living room floor, sweating and wishing my cat knew how to pour and deliver a glass of water.

And isn't that the same way I feel when I'm trying to be perfect...and not succeeding? Wouldn't it be better to enjoy the balance that ends in excellence?

Guess what I'll be pondering today?

Lynne has promised me she'll be back tomorrow, and you can rest assured she'll be nearly knocked over at the door by an enthusiastic Bekah who has missed her immensely.

Tomorrow we have some fun products you need to know about - so tune in! And Friday....it's Kitchen Caboodle day! I cooked for it last night (resulting in an interesting set of photos taken via my tripod. You should have been there to witness THAT comedy) and it tastes yummy!! I mean...not that I had any of it or anything...

Abundance in Disappointment

Well, y'all, Miss Lynne was called for jury duty. You know what that translates to? One panicked producer. This is what I get for watching the movie Jury Duty...granted it was 10 or 15 years ago...but in my mind I just have this sinking feeling that she'll be sequestered away in a hotel somewhere for weeks on end and I'll be here trying to figure out what to do!

Anyway.

So today was supposed to be Dr. Ann's visit to Mid-Morning, but instead I'm sitting here at my desk from 10-11 (a very odd feeling) listening to this encore, called Winning Him Without Words.

You might be thinking, "Well that didn't apply to me. I'm not married to a man who doesn't walk with the Lord." (Or like me, "Well that didn't apply to me...I'm not married!")

Ahh, but there are lessons in everything.

Today's guests, Lynn Donovan and Dineen Miller, are both believers, and both are married to men who haven't committed their lives to Christ.

One of the things they mentioned was a word I know well, even though I don't walk in their shoes: disappointment.

Ever known that in your own life?

They said full life is possible even when you're disappointed. These are the challenges that drive you to the feet of Christ.

And with that, I'm convicted. Right now I'm waiting for my house to sell so I can move to Fort Wayne and no longer have a 2 hour commute tucked into each day. I love this job more than I imagined possible, but commuting (as some of you well know) is exhausting. I go home each night and want a nap more than dinner. (And that's serious business - because I love my dinner.)

Sometimes I fall on the floor, literally, before the Lord and cry out (aka whine like a baby) Why haven't You sold my house? Whyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy?????

This morning as I drove the familiar route to work, I prayed about the house sale again and God so tenderly reminded me to just trust and to embrace life just as it is. Life with a job I adore. Life with co-workers who are amazing. Life with a two hour commute. Wait...what? Yes. Life with a two hour commute.

And then I heard Lynn and Dineen's words and that conviction returned. Am I disappointed that I'm still driving, six months into this job? Some days, yes. Is it possible to live a full life - even when life is in limbo? Yes. And will that drive me closer to the feet of my Abba? Oh yes.

My details are different...but the lesson ran deep. Thanks, Lynn and Dineen.

And to my Lynne...hurry back! I need you!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! (Yes, that was an overuse of exclamation points.)

I Could Do That

I could do that is what crossed my mind as Cindy Beall discussed her husband's pornography addiction, his 10+ infidelities, his out-of-wedlock child -- and how she, with a humbled spirit and God's mighty power and grace, forgave him.

Talk about an overinflated, Trump-ish ego! Do I really think I could forgive, believe, love, trust, hope, and put one foot in front of the other to plow through the pain toward restoration? Yes, because, and only because, Jesus has forgiven, continues to forgive, has restored, continues to restore, has empowered and continues to empower me..

Part of me says I should delete everything I've written to this point and try again. But I choose not to be afraid of what you might think about me (arrogant and delusional are two words that come to mind), and, instead, hold to what God has done for and in me.

I've been forgiven much: an affair with a married man when I was 17, a hard heart, peevish behavior toward my husband, jealousy that cost me my relationship with my college roommate, and so much more. Jesus said those who've been forgiven much, love much; and, oh, how I love Him -- for Who He is -- Son of God, Master of the Universe, and Friend...and then for what He's done. Cindy Beall said the same thing in her own way on Mid-Morning.

My faith is not in myself, but in my God Who's proven Himself mighty enough to bring me Home, and, through His Spirit, to glorify Himself in every circumstance...whatever it may be.

The Biggest Losers Are the Biggest Winners

I don't watch much reality television except for The Sing Off and, in the past, a couple of seasons of American Idol and Dancing with the Stars. But after today's Mid-Morning, I just may make The Biggest Loser part of my Tuesday night TV schedule; not to watch people dramatically transform their bodies (though it's quite the jaw-dropper) but to hear their personal stories.

On today's Mid-Morning Bekah and I chatted with Season Eight contestant Abby Rike and Season Six winner Michelle Aguilar. Abby lost her husband, daughter and two-week old son in a car crash. Michelle shared her TBL experience with the source of her personal pain: her mother, who'd walked away from the family leaving a hurt Michelle behind.

As I listened to these two young women who know and love Jesus share their stories filled with searing grief, confusion, and shattered dreams, my spirit began to chant what is my "Fix Your Thoughts on This" for today:
"Nothing! Nothing! Nothing, nothing, nothing! I'll say it again, NOTHING, is beyond the power of God to heal and restore." Glance at what's broken in your life, and then gaze at the manger. In it lies the Power and Grace of God come to save and restore you.

Bekah Freelan is one of my favorite peeeeeeeeople.

If you missed today's Mid-Morning you missed one of the cutest, sweetest, most tender and precious renditions of Luke 2, ever: a recording of a three-year-old Bekah Freelan reciting the Luke passage. Visit the Mid-Morning archive to hear what's become my favorite moment from today's show. (It will also make sense of the title of today's blog.)

Jody Hedlund (she shared fresh & meaningful Christmas traditions), Corine Ingrassia (The Toy Insider), and photographer Stacy Wasmuth (author of Mamarazzi) all gave helpful resources related to their topics, which are my "Here's What I Learned" items:

Advent books:
Make a Christmas Memory by Julaine Kammrath
The Adventure of Christmas by Lisa Whelchel
Stories Behind the Great Traditions of Christmas by Ace Collins

Good place to shop for toys: TheBigToyBook.com

Photography iPhone apps (from Mamarazzi):
CameraBag
Hipstamatic
Photoshop.com Mobile (good for cropping and sharpening images right in-phone)
TiltShift Generator (good for adding effects to shots of scenery and cities

Tomorrow Bekah and I talk with two The Biggest Loser contestants: Abby Rike and Michelle Aguilar. I've already read both of their books (fabulous) and eagerly anticipate what I'll learn at MMU (Mid-Morning University, which is what I affectionately call MM) on Thursday.

What in the world does the prostate do?

Remember when I said I learn something worthwhile on every Mid-Morning, which was my motivation for my writing a daily blog? Well, today's show tests that theory. (Not really!)

Dr. Marv Eastlund and wellness consultant and personal fitness trainer Kerri Zurbuch select the topics for their monthly Mid-Morning visits. Today it was prostate health. I know men have prostate glands but today I learned why: the prostate produces a fluid that comprises about 1/3 of a man's semen, so it's crucial for sexual intercourse. We are indeed fearfully and wonderfully made.

What I found especially helpful from our discussion was advice on getting your husband to actually go to the doctor. Telling him he needs to/should go won't motivate him. Dr. Marv suggests emphasizing the cost-saving value of preventive care. Investing in regular screenings for cholesterol, blood pressure and prostate cancer are more economical than treating a disease that's had time to progress and worsen. Kerri advises the relational approach. Your husband wants to see his kids grow up, graduate high school, marry, and have their own children. Putting his health on "Project Status" helps ensure your hubby will be around for future big moments and small, yet meaningful, everyday experiences.

What do you know? Mid-Morning really is talk worth talking about!

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Connect 2

Counselor Dr. David Hawkins is one of my favorite guests, a position he secured when, during our first interview, he referred to his choosing to act maturely as "putting on my big-boy pants."

Today's "Making Marriage Last" discussion examined things that break the connection between spouses (being argumentative and controlling, sarcasm and anger, to name a few) and things that enhance the connection, including empathy, compassion, validation and celebration.

Here's my "Fix Your Thoughts on This" (Philippians 4:8) for today:

Celebration weaves a deep connection between a husband and wife.

Life can be hard. Good grief, marriage can be hard. But celebration is marital Gatorade, providing refreshment and reestablishing balance to out-of-whack feelings. It helps us to "guard against a slowly building bitterness and resentment  in our souls" (Spiritual Disciplines Devotional).

Some days it's hard to find a reason to celebrate, but not right now. We are in the season of celebration. So grab your sweetie and do something fun and joyful. It will do your marriage and your soul, good.

Whew!

Judging by the sheer number of phone calls and the exuberance of listeners who got through to join Bekah and me on the air, the Mid-Morning "Win One, Give One" show is a hit! Yes, every winner received a book for themselves and a book to give away; but what impressed me was the thoughtfulness behind the "give one" choices. Winners had specific reasons for selecting their gift books. They intimately know the interests and hearts of their special person.

And isn't it good to be known?

My husband knows lots of things about me: I like two spoonfuls of sugar and milk in my tea...I'm forever cold. Ruffles (both the chips and as a clothing style) make me happy...Cleaning the house empties the clutter in my head...and a whole lot more. But only God knows me through and through -- and He loves me with a love that's beyond my own reckoning.

I love the way Brennan Manning describes God's love: "Hope your wildest hopes, dream your maddest dreams, imagine your most fantastic fantasies. Where your hopes, dreams and imagination leave off, My love begins."

Tuck that away in your heart as we celebrate this season of God's love.

And So It Begins!

Welcome, friends, to Mid-Morning University, or as I affectionately refer to it: MMU. In October it hit me how much I learn on Mid-Morning (it really is like being in college with amazingly qualified professors...and the best part is it's tuition-free). That realization is what led to the birth of this weekday blog, minus the ice chips and epidural. Every Monday through Friday, I'll write about something I learned on that day's Mid-Morning.

And so it begins!

Today's guest was Gregg Matte, pastor of Houston's First Baptist Church and author of Finding God's Will. I said "Wow!" numerous times while reading it, and for good reason: Gregg stripped away my tunnel vision view of God's will as ginormous future choices to be discerned, and helped me to see it as a process to live out.

But here's the Fix Your Thoughts on This (Philippians 4:8) insight for me:

"The goal of the Bible is not to make the earth a better place to go to hell from."

Go back and read that again.

Poverty, The abuse of power. Homelessness. Hunger. These things break my heart and compelled me to get involved in a ministry to help people desperately in need. Jesus says this is important to Him, and so it's important to me. But I mustn't forget that while I'm striving to make the world, which is temporary, a better place, love also compels me to tell others about the good news of relationship with Jesus. Gregg Matte writes, "Eternity without Jesus is a terrible, permanent sentence. As Christians...we help people...go to heaven."

Do I sometimes use acts of kindness in place of talking to people about Jesus because I'm afraid or feel incompetent? If I'm being honest, then the answer is, yes, I do. Today's MM is a direct, yet gentle, reminder that I can speak up, trusting God to accomplish His desire to save people. Why can I trust God in these moments? Because, as Gregg Matte says, "God's will always has God's power, His provision and requires God."

My head hurts. That's a lot to take in during one hour.

What about you? What did you learn today? I'd love to hear from you.

Tomorrow it's our "Win One, Give One" book give away. What can I possibly learn from giving away books? I have a feeling we're all in for a surprise.