God's ways of dealing with Conflict

"As far as it is possible with you, be at peace with all men."  Romans 12:18 Recently, several unfortunate situations have arisen in our lives amongst fellow believers who are creating disharmony--both in a local church situation, a women's ministry group,  as well as another issue that has arisen on a national scale amongst leaders of an organization.

The reason for this blog article is that I truly believe that Satan loves for disharmony to flourish and to be nurtured amongst Christians. Whether in marriage, in parenting, in ministry or in organizations, we must fight against relationship conflicts and seek energetically to be those who are generous in love, compassionate in heart, gracious and peace-making as much as possible in all relationships in which we are involved. We are called by Christ to be menders of relationships and reflections of His own unmerited favor and love for us, when we were still sinners.

After being in ministry for almost 40 years, I have lived through many very difficult seasons of conflict: groups or churches dividing and  ministries being destroyed; people quitting jobs and ministry teams; hurt feelings, harsh words that have a lasting impact and go deep into the souls; and immature idealistic young Christians who think that the whole world needs to hear their thoughts on all sorts of issues. Gossiping, critical, judgmental groups of women have also created havoc in the pathways I have traveled. The possibilities of conflict are limitless.

Conflict, spiritual warfare and criticism is part of the challenge of being in Christian ministry. I have often told my children, that if one chooses to be a leader and stand up in front of people for ideals, righteousness and the kingdom, they will become an easy target--it comes with the territory. I did not know or understand this when I first committed myself to be involved in ministry as a way of life. I was often shocked at how Christians could so easily abuse each other. Heart-breaking circumstances have also caused me deep anguish and overwhelming sadness in my own life. And yet, God has been so very gracious to pull me through and beyond these incidences and taught me so much along the way. Not all people have been so fortunate as to have survived their battles against the harsh battles of being at the forefront of Christian ministry.

Naturally, most people involved in controversy,  have reasons dear to their hearts for being a part of the conflict. Many think it is for the sake of keeping "doctrine" pure or standing for principles that must be debated.

Now I am not suggesting in this article that we, as believers, should not have Biblical ideals. But I have come to look upon conflict and division in the body with seriousness and with caution, because I think most of it breaks the heart of Christ, especially when it concerns fellow Christians. And I have seen that much of the conflict has been over opinions and judgments that have in the long-run, proven to be unnecessary or false.

If the focus of my life is to please Christ, to love Him with all of my heart, soul, mind and strength, then I have to use that as a grid for all that I do. So when I come to a conflict amongst Christians, I must look at it, if at all possible, through the eyes of Christ. How does He see this? What does He value? What is His example? How would He want me to behave? What is my responsibility?

I would like to suggest just a few of the Biblical principles that have guided and guarded my own involvement in conflict.

Peacemakers

"While being reviled, he did not revile in return, but kept trusting Himself to God who judges righteously." I Peter 2:23

While being accused, Jesus, the only perfect and just person who ever lived, did not defend himself when he was being unjustly accused in his trial. His decision was to be quiet, still of heart, humble in his righteous position and to wait for God's justice to work. God is committed to justice, to holiness, to disciplining our lives so that we can share in his very character--God is always faithful in His timing to bring about His will.

"Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God." Matt. 5:9

"As far as it is possible with you, be at peace with all men."  Romans 12:18

Jesus said that those who make peace are like God--as peacemakers, they will appear as children of the Most High who is one who gave his whole life to bring us peace, restoration, redemption. He took the conflict upon himself. We are admonished to use our lives and our very words to bring peace.

Life-Giving words

"Let no unwholesome word proceed from your mouth, but only such a word that is good for the need of the moment, so that it will give grace to those who hear.Do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption.

 31Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away from you, along with all malice.

 32Be kind to one another, tender-hearted, forgiving each other, just as God in Christ also has forgiven you. Ephesians 4: 29-32

Of course this passage is filled to the brim with godly advice. But overall, it indicates that God's will for us is to put away any selfish tendency in our hearts (wrath, bitterness, anger, clamor, or malice) far from us, because it grieves the Holy Spirit and prevents Him from living through us.

Instead, we are to choose to be kind, tender-hearted--not hard hearted, and forgiving us in the way Christ has forgiven us. Pretty clear admonition. This passage really tells us not to follow our pride, but to follow humility and gentleness. I think pride has been the biggest reason for most dissension.

Not judging others

"Do not judge, lest you be judged." Matthew 7

I quickly found 6 passages without even working at it that admonished us not to judge others--not to assess them or judge their motives, or their behavior--but not to judge at all. We can so easily as humans see things from our own lives and we "feel" we are right.

Yet, I have learned the hard way, by looking back on my life, that many times I was young, inexperienced, short-sighted, wrong in my judgments of others. To be quiet, peace making, patient, humble of heart is so much more the pattern that Jesus modeled. We are not God, we are not omniscient and cannot see or understand all knowledge--so we had better be very careful that we have a case before we speak against anyone--especially if we have any sin or weakness in our own lives like the very people we are criticizing. It is not wise to jump into an argument or disagreement that is not our own.

Avoiding Gossip

There are about 127 quotes in scripture that speak about gossip. God hates gossip--hates it. Gossip is spreading words or thoughts about a person to others which cause the hearer to think badly about the one being gossiped about.

So, unless I know that I am God's agent of truth about a situation, unless I am quite sure He wants me to speak against someone, I had better be very careful of my words, lest I separate myself from God. I must be cautious of   self-righteously speaking against someone I think might be wrong or who disagrees with me. This is a very serious offense to God.

God's Supernatural, loving Ways

God's heart is for us to be forgiving, loving, gracious and generous to provide His peace.

"Love covers a multitude of sin." I Peter

"They will know you are my disciples by your love for one another."

"It is to a man's honor to overlook a sin."

"Greater love has no one than this that a man lays down his life for another."

"Forgive 70 times 7."

There are obviou sly so many more scriptures about conflict-resolution. But overall, I think that it breaks the heart of God for us, who are believers, to create dissension amongst other believers or to create any negative suggestions which could in any way harm another believer. Many Christians and Christian movements have been made to look foolish in the eyes of the world for choosing to get caught up in division. 

Though I have so far to go myself in learning and applying these truths, I see that if I am to become more like Christ, I must take these and so many other admonitions to heart. May God grant you wisdom and grace as you consider His ways in relating in a Biblical way to others in your own journey with Him through all of your own conflicts. And may His Spirit shine His light and grace through us in this world greatly in need of His light, redemption and love.

"

The Power of Influence in a Life-giving Home

Whispering breezes amongst towering, swaying pines; pelting, drumming showers invading our car conversations, mists obscuring our views bespoke to all of us the need for an August fire in our cozy living room, steaming cups of tea, and soul-feeding sharing of hearts.  And so began a memory-making afternoon.

I will let my daughter, Sarah, tell the whole story as she is such a better writer than I am--but afterall, I was not homeschooled and she was! (I think it would be so wonderful if you could leave Sarah a comment to let her know it matters that she is writing! :) thanks!

The rest of this story is here

Even as God filled the earth with the art of a His best creation, so our homes must bespeak of His glorious creativity--colors abounding, lilting music setting the mood, feasts celebrated amongst every possible topic discussed, observed--from jokes to convictions, ideals to devotions, sadness to hilarity.

Real life should be lived--not virtual life observed.

We have had a house full of people for the last couple of weeks. The walls are fairly swaying with the life of friendships deepened, laughter ringing, voices raised in the spirit of competition of games played late into the night. (Golf,--a card game you can find on the internet-o- hearts, speed scrabble and scrabble, with even a little bit of tripoly type of card games being some of our favorites over the years.)

Oh how I wish you could hear the deeply felt convictions and beliefs and conversations of our precious children as they share over books read, convictions challenged by others, beliefs cherished and preserved in their lives out in the world--to peek into souls that have been nourished on the best minds of great authors, the daily devotions and faith shared that lives deeply, authentically in their own hearts, the creativity and life of these adult children being lived out as they have  become lights in their own worlds.

It is deeply fulfilling to know that all of those years of the labor of love and educating has born such satisfying fruit in their lives and souls. They were actually listening and paying attention all of those years, day in day out of the giving of our best to their hearts, minds and souls. So, my sweet friends, your work is not in vain--in God's hands it becomes a miracle.

This "life" is what my older children return home to experience--the cups of their souls longing to be refueled with the virtue, love, purity of moments shared together in the breath of God's love warming our hearts, filling us all with the sense of belonging to His destiny, kingdom, and caling, and  binding us together in the grand purpose of His calling on this family called the Clarksons.

Last night, at one time we had 3 guitars, a djembe thrumming and Clay leading the host. Real music pulsing through the open windows.

Old friendships remembered and rebuilt over banana pudding, chocolate chip oatmeal cookies, and brownies with Europeon chocolate chips sprinkled in--after a feast of spaghetti pie--an all time fav from an old Amish recipe.

Joy sported a headache and didn't feel well, so her precious friend Andrea ministered comfort by soaking her hands in warm water and making her nails beautiful.

Meanwhile, the a serious game of cards ensued, as my sweet friend and I sat on the couch and pondered the gift of our precious ones who had grown up so quickly, and by God's grace so wonderfully full of His life.

How to raise excellent children

"A pupil is not above his teacher; but everyone, after he has been fully trained, will be like his teacher." Luke 6: 40

Pondering, pondering and more pondering.

With candles lit, mugs of steaming tea in our hands, voices raised and opinions energetically batted about, we have been participating in Clarkson culture at its best. Convictions, ideas, ideals, stories at their best. All we need is for Nathan to come home and share from his perspective of living in Hollywood. Then our circle will be complete.

Profound satisfaction has filled my soul. Witnessing the beauty of souls alive, hearts on fire for Christ, ideals cherished in this dark world, and testimonies and stories of God's faithfulness being shaped in the lives of my seasoned children. 

"Give her the product of her hands and let her works praise her in the gates." Proverbs 31:31

I have been thinking about how deeply fulfilling it is to have walked with the Lord, worked hard, trusted Him and to see this palpable life in and through my children.

How did it happen? This life, goodness, strength of character in the midst of such an ordinary family, who cooked and washed dishes and complained about it, lived in the give and take of 6 sinful, but delightful people trying to find their way.

As I have prayed and thought about this, I have come up with several answers that I think lay a foundation of excellence. I hope to be writing about this in the next few days amidst a house full of company and having my children home for the next two weeks. Don't want to miss any time with them. But if they will all cooperate and stay in bed, sleeping late into the mornings, I will look forward to sharing with you.

But the first thing that the Lord has brought to mind is the soul, mind and heart of the mother.

So many women that I meet when I travel and speak all over the world want a formula. Just tell me the ten steps of raising good and godly children and I will follow them and pop out excellent children.

Or, "What curriculum is the best one to use to help me children be academically superior."

But, as I have pondered, I have realized that the starting point is you. Are you disciplining yourself to have quiet times every day? Are you building a resource of wisdom, truth, understanding of Jesus's life, his values, His heart so that you are becoming a well-spring of His very presence in the life of your home?

How are you using your time to invest in the best for yourself as well as your children? Are you reading books that are educating you, stretching your ability to think, challenging you with new ideas? Are you reading the best writers to your children and learning along beside them? What books are you reading in your sparse free time? What foundations of excellence are you building in your own life? Is prayer a regularly growing part of your spiritual life--are you depending on God and the Holy Spirit to bring excellence into your life? He is the source of life, strength and righteousness and love.

As you live your life, is the grid of your mind looking out into the minutes of your days focused on "How can I focus on the Lord in each point of my day? How can I encourage excellence of character by portraying it to my children and husband through every action, every display of character? How is my witness growing in the life and excellence of goodness, beauty and truth every day?

I have realized so much that there are very few women in my life, who when I am with them, bring energy, challenge and life to me when I am with them. Yet, I really think that as you are, like Jacob, wrestling with God, seeking Him, engaging in His word, seeking to develop your own character, that that becomes the souce from which others will draw.

Contemporary culture gives all of us permission to take a break, to become mediocre, to be passive. But, the Holy Spirit always pushes us forward to do more, work harder, become more excellent as He is committed to developing in us the very character and life of Christ Himself.

So, the key to raising excellent children is to grow in excellence yourself. You cannot give your children what you do not possess. Buying the best curriculum or the most expensive lessons cannot compensate for shortcomings in your own life, if you are not growing in excellence yourself.

"A Mother's heart is the child's classroom." Henry Ward Beecher

Your children will be like their teacher. We, as teachers and models, do not need to condemn ourselves for not being perfect. Jesus never asked for perfection. Yet even as we look for a heart of obedience in our children, a willingness to try to please us, so He looks for that in us. And it is this committed heart to all that is the best, that He looks for in us. And a heart engaged in the excellent ways of God will lead to a life that is more excellent.

But I have found out that I can always accomplish more than I thought with God at my side. I can always work harder than I thought I had the capacity to work. And most of all, God's grace carried me through each weakness, failure, sin--but He is always calling me to live beyond--beyond the place where I am to grow more fully into the me He created me to be. If I am growing, learning, getting better, loving more, living more intentionally, then it will be the spirit of excellence and growth He will bring into the very fiber of my family life. For indeed the most important resource to my children in their life education is me, as I submit to God's training and calling on my own life, fully committed to being like Him, my teacher.

Mom Heart Leadership Intensive--the dream realized!

 

Mom Heart Intensive Leadership attendees--precious women!

"Train faithful women who will be able to teach others also!"

Clay and I were groomed on the discipleship concept of training those in our ministry to be leaders, by giving them the messages of scripture, giving the intentional training of leading in ministry, speaking well and writing in an excellent way. Naturally, when we prayed about what legacy we wanted to leave in our life-time, we prayed and realized that we wanted to pass on what we knew to others who could teach and train others--as Jesus did with His disciples.

But when I envisioned having a leadership conference to accomplish this, I knew that the training wasn't just to be cognitive--passing on the core of the messages. I also wanted the women who came to my home to understand that Biblical motherhood involved the incarnation of Christ. Delectable meals were to be served on artfully decorated tables. Thoughtful gifts were to show our love and detailed care for each person. Candle-light and music would create an environment of beauty in which hearts could be shared, friendships given and molded. A home environment was essential--with family photos, every genre of books displayed around in every crevice and cranny; art on the walls, color and the creativity of God displayed in each room as a reflection of God himself working through personality. Inspirational speakers would be the guides, all of whom had a passion for Christ. Bathing each moment and each person in prayer was to be the foundation in which the love, training, meals and lectures were to be given! We wanted our leaders to understand that the essence of ministry and passing on of ideals involves every aspect of life, whether to our children or those whom we seek to influence and draw to Christ.

And so Clay and I prayed and planned and God provided the most amazing team of women to join in this venture that we could imagine--cooks for the meals, flower arrangers, administrative geniuses who put the transportation, speakers order, roomates, and correspondence together, van drivers to the airport and back; a perfect hostess and home to share in the meetings, a hospitality coordinator; a greeter and training the children who helped person; a hostess for our international attendee who needed days in America for jet lag and for buying books for her children, and a team of our children to serve at every possible point. These women were angels provided by God Himself.

God answered our prayers abundantly in every way. The precious women who attended had such passionate hearts and a willingness to enter into the very intensive training. Our speakers gave wholeheartedly from their lives and storehouse of convictions. The children who were called upon to serve gave with enthusiam and grace.

 All in all we were so very blessed and pray that these normal, sweet mommies, will be used by God's spirit to turn the world upside down, even as the disciples did, because of their call by God to pass on these Biblical messages by faith in the power of the Holy Spirit as they walk their own story out faithfully right where they are. Here are some pictures of our wonderful memories together! Blessings to you all as you are back home.

I could not figure out how to embed these pictures, but I know you will all enjoy them! Just click on the slideshow and you will see all of our pictures. Would love to hear from you!

 

 

Momheart Conference

   

Mom Heart Intensive Leadership attendees--precious women!

"Train faithful women who will be able to teach others also!"

Clay and I were groomed on the discipleship concept of training those in our ministry to be leaders, by giving them the messages of scripture, giving the intentional training of leading in ministry, speaking well and writing in an excellent way. Naturally, when we prayed about what legacy we wanted to leave in our life-time, we prayed and realized that we wanted to pass on what we knew to others who could teach and train others--as Jesus did with His disciples.

But when I envisioned having a leadership conference to accomplish this, I knew that the training wasn't just to be cognitive--passing on the core of the messages. I also wanted the women who came to my home to understand that Biblical motherhood involved the incarnation of Christ. Delectable meals were to be served on artfully decorated tables. Thoughtful gifts were to show our love and detailed care for each person. Candle-light and music would create an environment of beauty in which hearts could be shared, friendships given and molded. A home environment was essential--with family photos, every genre of books displayed around in every crevice and cranny; art on the walls, color and the creativity of God displayed in each room as a reflection of God himself working through personality. Inspirational speakers would be the guides, all of whom had a passion for Christ. Bathing each moment and each person in prayer was to be the foundation in which the love, training, meals and lectures were to be given! We wanted our leaders to understand that the essence of ministry and passing on of ideals involves every aspect of life, whether to our children or those whom we seek to influence and draw to Christ.

And so Clay and I prayed and planned and God provided the most amazing team of women to join in this venture that we could imagine--cooks for the meals, flower arrangers, administrative geniuses who put the transportation, speakers order, roomates, and correspondence together, van drivers to the airport and back; a perfect hostess and home to share in the meetings, a hospitality coordinator; a greeter and training the children who helped person; a hostess for our international attendee who needed days in America for jet lag and for buying books for her children, and a team of our children to serve at every possible point. These women were angels provided by God Himself.

God answered our prayers abundantly in every way. The precious women who attended had such passionate hearts and a willingness to enter into the very intensive training. Our speakers gave wholeheartedly from their lives and storehouse of convictions. The children who were called upon to serve gave with enthusiam and grace.

All in all we were so very blessed and pray that these normal, sweet mommies, will be used by God's spirit to turn the world upside down, even as the disciples did, because of their call by God to pass on these Biblical messages by faith in the power of the Holy Spirit as they walk their own story out faithfully right where they are. Here are some pictures of our wonderful memories together! Blessings to you all as you are back home.

Press on the link to see all of our fun slideshow from all of the lovely pictures! 

Momheart Pictures!

The Power of a Mother's Influence--Barry Black

What a wonderful few days I enjoyed with women coming from all over the world to our leadership training this weekend. I love each woman and was so very blessed to be amongst such godly, passionate women. I do think when we bring together a group of passionate Christians, in His name, the Holy Spirit shows up and reveals Himself. What a time of seeing His life in and amongst us--but Whew! I am still trying to catch my wind. And so will fall a part a little from the normal schedule just to take a nap, clean up the last vestiges from my home and have some quiet moments to regroup and ponder! One of our wonderful speakers at our conference, mentioned that last week, he was in Washington D.C. with his grandsons and had the opportunity to take them with him to meet Barry Black, the chaplain for the United States Senate. After sharing his testimony with my friend and his grandsons, Barry then prayed for them and spoke a blessing over them! What an honor for them and what a story of humility.

I was struck by the wonderful story that it was his mother who prepared his heart and mind for the work God would have him do. If we stay diligent and pray for our children and seek to influence them for His glory, there is no limit to what the Lord might do with our faith works. You will love this article. May He bless you today! Enjoy!

Barry Black--The Senate's Shepherd

Mom Heart Leadership Intensive

How blessed we are to have 54 women from all over the world here to be trained to become speakers, writers and ministry leaders to move out with the message of Biblical motherhood. Our precious daughters wrote an article about what they were observing today. When you invite sweet friends and leaders to spend tine around the word of God, the Holy Spirit shows up and changes lives. Thanks for your prayers for us. Off to dinner and to hear 40 women give speeches about motherhood and convictions.

What's going on at the MomHeart Leadership Conference

Share

 Today at 12:41

Hello, everyone! Joy and Christie here reporting about what's happening, who's speaking and how God is moving at the MomHeart Leadership Conference. Getting a late start this morning, we heard Paul Stanley talk on servant leadership. With a break for coffee and talking, we moved on to learning how to speak from charming Zan Tyler. Everything is going wonderfully and hearts are being moved and changed!

One of our favorite things here is seeing the wonderful women God has brought here. At the beginning of each session we have 3 ladies give their "mintros": their self-introduction of who they are and why they're here. My personal favorite was a rap song mintro to the tune of "The Fresh Prince of Bel Air". We have had some wonderful mintros. And it just reminds me how different God has made each one of these people for his specific purpose. It is so exciting to see how He will use each one of us!

We've been listening for key ideas and points that each speaker has made, and we want to share them with the rest of you.

"To lead like Jesus, you have to live like Jesus."-Paul Stanley, Servant Leadership

"Sometimes, our greatest trials produce our greatest message and ministry to others. You have to have something in common with the audience; trials teach us to relate to the audience." -Zan Tyler, Speaking to be Heard

"You have to have Ethos, Paethos, and Logos. Ethos establishes your authority to speak on a subject... you must have a reason the audience should listen to you.

Pathos is your emotional connection and confidence: it is your heart. It is the factor that connects the audience to what you're speaking about. Don't preach. What is your story and only your story? Be vulnerable. Don't try to be perfect; no one is. Sparkle. Fill the stage. Is your message more like a conversation than a presentation? Don't apologize. Do it in God's power. Am I going to make them want to love God more and learn more about Him?

Logos is the truth in your message. All speeches must lead your audience to truth and knowledge. If you don't have good logos to begin with, no one will have a reason to listen to you. Always develop an outline. Is your message easy to follow? Write transitions in your talk. Use research to back up your statements. Don't say anything that isn't biblical. Are you inspiring your audience to become more like Christ?" -Sally Clarkson, Speaking to the Heart

We are so enjoying this weekend and will be so very sad when it's over. But we hope everything we are learning will carry on into our lives. We hope these messages can get out to many, many people.

Great research on attentive mothers--and reading books!

Sitting in my little cozy chair with soft, cool breezes wafting all around me and so very, very grateful for this moment. God's love and grace washed over me in unexpected moments today-- grateful for His leadership in my life. It was not necessarily what I would have given to me, but the results are oh so much better. How good He is, how much He wants to bring us to freedom and joy and a heart that values the eternal.

grateful that my children are, for the moment, walking with God.

grateful that He didn't make their lives easy, but that He used the difficulties in their lives to make them strong.

grateful that I get to teach and speak and study His word. Can't wait for this weekend--face to face with godly women, sharing in ideals and dreams and faith and Him over tea and food and candlelight and flowers and with great friends I have not seen for a while, but who have made my life rich.

Must off to finish the notebook and deadlines of other sorts, but wanted to share some great articles I have read where science validates what we know God designed us to do. Enjoy!

Motherly love does breed confidence

The Medium Is the Medium

 

By DAVID BROOKS

 

Published: July 8, 2010

Then the researchers, led by Richard Allington of the University of Tennessee, looked at those students’ test scores. They found that the students who brought the books home had significantly higher reading scores than other students. These students were less affected by the “summer slide” — the decline that especially afflicts lower-income students during the vacation months. In fact, just having those 12 books seemed to have as much positive effect as attending summer school.

This study, along with many others, illustrates the tremendous power of books. We already knew, from research in 27 countries, that kids who grow up in a home with 500 books stay in school longer and do better. This new study suggests that introducing books into homes that may not have them also produces significant educational gains.

Recently, Internet mavens got some bad news. Jacob Vigdor and Helen Ladd of Duke’s Sanford School of Public Policy examined computer use among a half-million 5th through 8th graders in North Carolina. They found that the spread of home computers and high-speed Internet access was associated with significant declines in math and reading scores.

This study, following up on others, finds that broadband access is not necessarily good for kids and may be harmful to their academic performance. And this study used data from 2000 to 2005 before Twitter and Facebook took off.

These two studies feed into the debate that is now surrounding Nicholas Carr’s book, “The Shallows.” Carr argues that the Internet is leading to a short-attention-span culture. He cites a pile of research showing that the multidistraction, hyperlink world degrades people’s abilities to engage in deep thought or serious contemplation.

Carr’s argument has been challenged. His critics point to evidence that suggests that playing computer games and performing Internet searches actually improves a person’s ability to process information and focus attention. The Internet, they say, is a boon to schooling, not a threat.

But there was one interesting observation made by a philanthropist who gives books to disadvantaged kids. It’s not the physical presence of the books that produces the biggest impact, she suggested. It’s the change in the way the students see themselves as they build a home library. They see themselves as readers, as members of a different group.

The Internet-versus-books debate is conducted on the supposition that the medium is the message. But sometimes the medium is just the medium. What matters is the way people think about themselves while engaged in the two activities. A person who becomes a citizen of the literary world enters a hierarchical universe. There are classic works of literature at the top and beach reading at the bottom.

A person enters this world as a novice, and slowly studies the works of great writers and scholars. Readers immerse themselves in deep, alternative worlds and hope to gain some lasting wisdom. Respect is paid to the writers who transmit that wisdom.

A citizen of the Internet has a very different experience. The Internet smashes hierarchy and is not marked by deference. Maybe it would be different if it had been invented in Victorian England, but Internet culture is set in contemporary America. Internet culture is egalitarian. The young are more accomplished than the old. The new media is supposedly savvier than the old media. The dominant activity is free-wheeling, disrespectful, antiauthority disputation.

These different cultures foster different types of learning. The great essayist Joseph Epstein once distinguished between being well informed, being hip and being cultivated. The Internet helps you become well informed — knowledgeable about current events, the latest controversies and important trends. The Internet also helps you become hip — to learn about what’s going on, as Epstein writes, “in those lively waters outside the boring mainstream.”

But the literary world is still better at helping you become cultivated, mastering significant things of lasting import. To learn these sorts of things, you have to defer to greater minds than your own. You have to take the time to immerse yourself in a great writer’s world. You have to respect the authority of the teacher.

Right now, the literary world is better at encouraging this kind of identity. The Internet culture may produce better conversationalists, but the literary culture still produces better students.

It’s better at distinguishing the important from the unimportant, and making the important more prestigious.

Perhaps that will change. Already, more “old-fashioned” outposts are opening up across the Web. It could be that the real debate will not be books versus the Internet but how to build an Internet counterculture that will better attract people to serious learning.

A great article on the importance of reading! Paying attention!

 

what are the chances.........?

I am getting ready to have a 3 day intensive leadership conference in my home with wonderful women from all over the United States and a few from other countries. So, I am writing talks and organizing details and in the midst of arranging my speakers and writing emails, and working on documents. I am sitting in my cozy chair in my living room, place my computer on the living room coffee table right in front of the over-stuffed chair to go to the kitchen to talk to Sarah.  We decide to run to the store before dinner. I leave the house for 15 minutes before Clay gets home.

The sprinkler system comes on at 5:45 p.m, five minutes after I leave. By the time Clay comes into the house at 6, he finds water all over the living room carpet, and chair. I come home and find sprinkles all over my computer keyboard. Seems the sprinklers came through the open window, sprayed across the room in such a way as to splash my open keyboard, and so for the last few days, I have been computerless--due to a ruined keyboard and ruined mouse. Soooooo, I won't be as much on my computer until I can switch to another one.

The application to this story is always remember to close your computer when you leave a room.....onward.

The moral of this story is: God is still on his throne and I have learned that life can go on for 3 days even if I don't have a computer.

Finding a song to sing over the dirty dishes of life and a giveaway!

Sweet delight swept into my heart, as Sarah and I sat close on the couch pouring over an old Victoria magazine. While sipping steaming china cups of tea, we thoroughly delighted in the beauty and color of green, rose-covered English countryside that bespoke of our memories from past wanderings there. Too long it has been since we have had such a carefree moment of peace, fun, friendship and celebrating life together. My friends who know me over the years may think that all I do is drink tea with friends--it is such an anchor in some of my days--but this stopping with my oldest beloved treasure was a rare treat, but greatly treasured. I wish I could stay there in those happy moments. I wish they lasted longer. I am a Pollyanna at heart and wish all of my moments were just happy and uncomplicated. When I have my quiet times, in a hushed house, only the snore of my fat, soft golden retriever filling the air, but God is with me and soothing my heart. When I am reading His word and hearing His voice, I think all things are possible and my faith seems strong. Sitting on my deck while the pinks of the summer sunset washes over us in the cool shadows, then I feel and see Beauty for what it really is. Oh to stay in these places.

But by morning, the sink of life is piled again--yet again--with dirty dishes to be done. Dirty dishes are a never ending pile in my life because everyone insists on eating and drinking at least 3 times a day--and so are the stresses of life like those dirty dishes that won't go away. Bills, a child's parking ticket, illness, the dog throwing up on our new carpet, husbands pouring out stress attitudes from their jobs, children rolling their eyes or having one more bad attitude, and always more financial issues--doctor's appointments, cars, computers, and on and on.

One of my sweetest provisions this summer is having a friend who prays with me every day--we are believing that when we pray together and dedicate our days to the Lord, He is in our midst and He really will change history through our prayers.

This morning, we were talking about these dirty dishes of life--hers and mine. She said, "You know, God doesn't want us to yell at the dishes or complain about them or cry over them or throw them across the room--he just wants us to take them in course, deal with them and move on--and maybe even decide to have a good attitude about them every day in the dailyness of it all.

Just happened that in my quiet time today, I was reading about Moses and about Abraham--each of them, in the dirt, right where they were living, were approached by God. Both of them responded by making an altar, and praised His name--right there where they were, the sandy, weed-filled, spider ridden piles upon which their thongs trod--these places became an altar, a place of worship.

So, as I faced my sink this morning, and also the dirty dishes of my life, I turned on one of Joel's cd's and danced and sang and made this place where I am standing an altar of my own praise, a place of worship and grace.

Enjoy! This song is one of the new songs my sweet Joel composed for his new album. I will be giving some away next week! Enjoy. 

01 I Saw Through The Eyes Of My Eyes 1

I See Through the Eyes of My Eyes

 

PS The Heart of the Matter online conference is coming up soon and I will be speaking on my book, "The Ministry of Motherhood" about setting up an intentional plan for discipling your children. I am so excited that I will be speaking at this conference, click the button to take a look:

Mail 

I will be giving away 5 tickets to this conference--if you want to be entered, link  my blog to your facebook or blog and let admin@wholeheart.org know for your entry!