“It’s the people, Derek. Nature is beautiful and the lake is pretty, but if you want to see God you have to open your eyes to the people.”
listening
Stop tweeting and try listening! We all have so much to learn…
Humility, vulnerability, and wide-open hearts may well be the cure for the malaise that runs deep and wide in our culture
me, Flat Jesus, and the mountain of stuff I have yet to learn…
the very first thing we must question is our own assumptions – at the entry point to any exchange of views, conversation, or potential conflict.
we will never learn if we won’t listen
Any exchange that comes from an “I’m right, you’re wrong” mentality is destined to journey away from truth. When dialogue is replaced by diatribe, discourse will inevitably devolve.
opening my eyes to see the story I’m in…
I believe an image that tells a story is a much more effective piece of photography than something spectacularly beautiful, but without anything to say. Having both is better still; but, given the choice, I’d pick story any time.
the “information age” and the “soundbite age” need to become the “listening age”
In an interesting, intriguing, vaguely amusing, case of twenty-first century irony, we live in The Information Age while failing miserably when it comes to effective communication.
learning to listen with our eyes!
Probably the most important part of the writing equation is listening. Not just listening to people, but listening to life as it happens all around me; listening and paying attention; reading between the lines; just having my eyes open enough to let the light in.
the more we know… and learn… and love
There’s absolutely nothing in our experience of life that will not be markedly enhanced if only we make the simple decision to engage ourselves with a faith community, and make Sunday morning worship THE priority of every weekend.
What is more important to you – being “right” or the love of Jesus?
The critical questions, then, are pretty-much, “Do I accept the saving grace of Jesus?” and, “Am I going to invite Jesus to be my companion and guide along the way?” Beyond that, the perceived need for consensus has more to do with our own pride, our own insecurity, our own limited perspective, our own desire to supplement God’s grace with (always a little more of) our own law.
listening to leaves fall
[God] has made known to us the mystery of his will, according to his good pleasure that he set forth in Christ, as a plan for the fullness of time, to gather up all things in him, things in heaven and… Read More ›
