Where God's Word Meets Our Mess
When my first book was published, I didn’t think it would take me four years to finish a second book. But there were some unexpected twists and turns throughout my writing journey. I wrote, made revisions, and made more revisions. The title, content, and even tone have changed during the past several years. But I’ve truly poured my heart into this book—and I can finally share more about it. I can’t wait for you to read it!
Even though The Founder came out in 2016, I watched it for the first time in March.* It focuses on Ray Kroc—the man who (sort of) founded McDonald’s. I won’t get into the nitty gritty details about why he is (and isn’t) the one who truly founded this fast food chain. But I will highlight what I liked and didn’t like about the movie. Hopefully, this post will give you enough information to decide whether or not to add it to your watchlist.
If you listen to Christian music (especially on Christian radio stations), you’ve probably heard “Lift Me Up” by Blessing Offor. This new song is super catchy. Frankly, however, that’s one reason I felt the need to write about it. Glossing over the words is easy to do because the tune is so good, but the words are what sink into our hearts, minds, and souls. In this post, I’m going to specifically focus on the chorus because there’s so much to tackle there. Get ready for a hot take, friends.
Although I consider this an Easter-themed post, I’m going to focus on a conversation Jesus had after He died and rose again. His disciples encountered Him at the Sea of Tiberias, and He performed a miracle, providing an abundant catch of fish for them. After Jesus ate breakfast with them, He had a conversation with Peter—a conversation from which we can glean a very important lesson as we prepare for Easter.
The two friends talked…and talked…and talked. It quickly became clear that they were obsessed with exercise. I couldn’t help but feel depressed as they described their workouts and their sore muscles. I secretly wanted to ask them, “Do your entire lives revolve around exercise?” Obviously, I held my tongue. It wasn’t my place to ask them that question. And frankly, I could ask my high school self the same one.
I’m grateful God gave me a Christian family and the opportunity to learn in Christian settings. I’m also grateful He provided the Christian ministry position that I have now. Still, I believe He placed me in a secular company for a reason, and frankly, I should've represented Him better during my time there. If you work in a similar setting and desire to make a difference, here are two ways to shine the light of Christ.
In February, Boundless—the singles’ ministry run by Focus on the Family—stopped producing new content. I’ve enjoyed articles, blog posts, and podcast episodes from Boundless for years. Plus, I’ve written articles for Boundless and appeared on Boundless’ podcast. So when I first learned about Focus on the Family’s decision to (essentially) close Boundless, I was discouraged. But I was especially discouraged about the reason Focus on the Family made this decision.
Apprehension wasn’t my only reaction though. Seeing James again also brought other emotions—like sadness and anger—to the surface. I thought I’d forgiven him for hurting me. But that night, I realized maybe I hadn’t—at least not completely.
Although I don’t know very much about Ben Rector or his music, I’m familiar with his song “Brand New.” Yes, I realize this song is about a decade old, but I think the lyrics are worth analyzing. Truth be told, it's not simply a lighthearted song about feeling young and falling in love.
Tizzie's Tidbits of Truth 