FOLLOW-UP THOUGHTS ON PRODUCTIVITY

I posted a review HERE last month of Tim Challies's latest book, Do More Better: A Practical Guide to Productivity. Today, I want to share a few of my observations after over a month of implementing Tim's approach to organization and productivity.

First observation:  Life as a mom has seasons. (No, this revelation did not come from Tim Challies, but it relates.) When you are the mother of two or three or six or seven small people, life is best described as managed chaos. Some days, you manage better than others. Some days, chaos captures the flag.

Based on my own experience as the mother of seven awesome people, there is never a day when your kids are little you that you go to bed feeling like you are finally on top of everything. In fact, I think much of the point of motherhood is to teach us moms that we don't have to be on top of everything.

Motherhood - especially when your children are very young - is kind of like Special Forces Boot Camp for understanding, applying, and resting in God's grace. It is walking daily on a knife edge between heaven (believing the truth that God has life's chaos under control) and hell (believing the lie that I have life under control). No productivity manual is going to change that, although it might help you take a break occasionally from growing mold cultures for science lab in your refrigerator.

Life as a mom has seasons. I now have adult and young adult children. There is much less chaos in my house. Even on the craziest day, I don't have to deal with someone eating (and then throwing up) the cat food or finger-painting with poop on the bathroom floor that I just mopped for the first time in over a month, Thanks to those early years with my then-little Awesomes, I also seem to have less chaos in my heart. (See above paragraph.) At this season of life, I find Tim Challies's guide to increased productivity a great help to staying on top of routine chores like dusting bookshelves, defrosting tonight's dinner, and meeting newspaper submission deadlines.

Life as a mom has seasons. Seasons change.

A second observation:  I love that Tim challenges readers to begin each day by praying for God's guidance and direction concerning the day's tasks and productivity goals. What this means for me practically is:  When my To Do list is interrupted by an email or phone call from a distressed friend, or when I can't complete Item #1 on my Household Tasks list because someone else dropped a ball, or when I simply run out of day before every item is checked off, I no longer feel like I have failed in the productivity department. Beginning the day with prayer for God's oversight and guidance enables me to trust more and more that God will make sure I do exactly what needs to be done (although maybe not what's on my list), exactly when it needs to be done. So my day didn't go like I planned it? God had better plans!

A third observation:  I am hard at work on my third fiction manuscript, and, for the first time in my life, I am devoting significant time to my writing, consistently and guilt free! Before, writing was my dessert, something I was free to enjoy only after I'd eaten my vegetables (laundry caught up, floors mopped, etc.). This meant I never had time to write consistently, and even when I did sneak off to write for an hour or two, I felt guilty because undone broccoli-&-cauliflower chores were hanging over my head. Now, "Write:  1000 Words/Manuscript" is consistently on my To Do list. When I sit down to write, I am no longer guilty of shirking my duty - I am embracing it, even if there is dirty laundry in the clothes hamper!

A fourth observation:  I have rediscovered Free Time. Last Saturday, I had nothing on my calendar, no errands to do in town or piano recitals. Household chores were checked off. I'd met my writing goals for the week. Almost an entire afternoon stretched ahead of me with no pressing demands. Something was clearly not right.

I turned to Helen. "What am I forgetting?" I asked.

"Ummmm, nothing?" she answered.

For the first time in I-can't-remember-when, I did not feel pressured to Do The Next Thing. I was free to simply do whatever I wanted - read a book, take a nap, write a little more, go for a walk back on the farm - guilt free. Totally blew my mind.

Final observation, and then I really have to tackle email:  A month after my initial review, is Do More Better: A Practical Guide to Productivity a book I would still recommend to others? Absolutely. Thank you, Tim Challies!

DO MORE BETTER

A home for everything, and like goes with like.

- Tim Challies

I am a hard worker. I don't tend to fritter my time - I stay busy. Why, then, do I so often climb into bed at the end of the day feeling like I have left so many important tasks undone? Why do I often feel pressured or rushed, like I don't have enough time to accomplish my Need To Do List (never mind my Wish I Could Do List)? Why do I frequently have the nagging feeling that there is an important deadline or project that I have completely forgotten?

When Tim Challies announced the release of his latest book - Do More Better: A Practical Guide to Productivity - I was eager to get a copy. Maybe Do More Better would provide solutions for my productivity issues. I was even more excited when Mr. Challies invited readers to participate in a "10 Days of Productivity" on-line workshop. Count me in!

To purchase, click HERE.

Tim Challies is a husband, father, church leader, blogger, writer, and conference speaker. He juggles a lot more balls than I do. If Tim Challies thought he had helpful advice on productivity, I wanted to hear it. Here are a few of my thoughts after reading Do More Better:

I love that Tim begins by formulating a theology of productivity, even before he presents tools and tips for achieving greater productivity. At the beginning of the book, he asks questions such as: Is productivity important? If so, why? How does my faith relate to my productivity?

Answering these questions and taking time to develop a solid, foundational definition of productivity has already impacted my daily life and work in a positive way. A biblical definition of productivity helps me choose wisely how to best use my time, talents, and other resources as a mom, as a writer, as a speaker, as a church member. Tim's simple, practical definition of productivity provides a lot of clarity when deciding what to do, and it alleviates ungrounded feelings of guilt when choosing what to leave undone.

Mr. Challies begins Do More Better by focusing on Scripture and faith, but he moves quickly to practical tools for improving productivity. Challies is technically savvy; I, on the other hand, am a techno dinosaur. I knew from the outset that Tim's strategies for improving productivity would involve electronic tools that would challenge my lack of technical expertise, but I determined to try my best to utilize the tools recommended.

My favorite tool by far is the task manager:  I think I'm in love. Yes, even this techno dinosaur figured out how to operate Todoist (although I have to admit that I spent an inordinate amount of time figuring out how to "color" the dots beside each project heading!)

Thanks to the electronic tools that Tim suggests (he gives step-by-step instructions on how to set these up and use them effectively), I have cleaned a plethora of sticky notes off my kitchen cabinets, I feel less stressed about upcoming deadlines, and I have almost tamed my email.

A few words of caution if you are seeking to be more productive, too, with the help of Do More Better:

• Don't give up quickly. I am still figuring out the Todoist task management tool. Day 1 of setting up the task manager, I wondered if it was worth the time and effort required to get started - couldn't I be using my time more productively elsewhere? But after only a few days of using a task manager program, I am sold on the benefits of this tool.
• Life happens. Increased productivity was one of my New Year's resolutions - thus my excitement about Do More Better. But, as I was skipping along the path to increased productivity, my van broke down, the cat threw up on the carpet, the toilet overflowed...you get the picture. Before the end of the first week, I was three days behind in the "10 Days of Productivity" challenge/workshop. Yes, I was tempted to throw in the towel. But I didn't. When the craziness subsided a little, I plugged back in right where I had left off. Finally, when life happens, remember...
• A tool (such as the Todoist task manager or the Google calendar) is your servant, not your master. Don't let your tools become tyrannical task-masters that load you down with guilt:  make your tools conform to your needs and your life situation.

Would I recommend this book to others? Yes.

At 120 pages, Do More Better is a quick read, but I have found this small volume to be straight-forward and helpful. It is full of useful advice and tips for increased productivity, whether you are a stay-at-home mom, a writer, a student, or a professional.

To learn more about Tim Challies, visit www.challies.com. To order a copy of Do More Better:  A Practical Guide to Productivity, click HERE.

(Note:  When I requested to do a review of his book, Tim Challies provided me with a free PDF copy of Do More Better. After reading the electronic version of the book, however, I ordered a print copy to have on hand as a reference book and to loan to friends. This is a resource I anticipate using repeatedly, when I want to reassess my productivity and re-evaluate my goals.)

CARRY ON, WARRIOR

I am currently reading Glennon Melton's memoir, Carry On, Warrior:  The Power of Embracing Your Messy, Beautiful Life. Glennon is all about telling the truth as she sees it, living honestly with herself, endeavoring to match her "outside" self to her "inside" self.

Three pages into the book, she writes:

"Then, one day I was at the playground with a new friend from church named Tess. I suspected that Tess was having trouble in her marriage. We hadn't talked about this, though, because we were too busy talking about more important things, like soccer practice and highlights. I felt frustrated that our conversation never went deeper. We seemed incapable of discussing the very things that were most important to discuss.

"Lost in my frustration, I started thinking about all the time and effort I'd spent building protective layers between my broken heart and the broken world. I considered the ways I'd distanced myself from other people - people who might hurt me more than I was already hurting. People who might be disgusted if they saw the real me. My fear of really being seen had driven me to hide inside the bunker of addiction for decades. When I finally crawled out, I pulled on my secrets and shame like armor and carried my invulnerability like a weapon. Life, to me, had always seemed like a battle to survive. But there at the playground, I realized that surviving wasn't enough anymore. Sitting there with Tess, I realized I wasn't really sitting there with Tess at all. There were so many layers of my armor and her armor between us that we couldn't touch each other. And even if we'd wanted to, we couldn't have gotten close enough because we were shooting each other with stories about our 'perfect' lives.

"Suddenly, this all seemed completely ridiculous."

Glennon decided then to put down her armor, put down her weapons, and, in her words, "walk out onto the battlefield of life naked." She started telling the truth - about herself, her family, her marriage, her life in this broken, messed up, "brutiful" world.

A few of my thoughts as I read Carry On, Warrior:

First, Glennon is a wonderful writer and story teller. I disagree with much of her theology/philosophy, but I appreciate her candor. I appreciate the fact that she is willing to say - yes, life is hard, and sometimes it doesn't make sense - without having to try to explain why bad is not so bad and painful is not so painful. Yet, she writes about difficult realities with a definite spice of joy and humor. The chapter about the time she wore a new padded yoga top to the gym, with the tags still on it, will make you snort coffee out your nose and is worth the cost of the book. "Easter," the chapter in which she shares a painful letter to her husband about the lack of intimacy and the frustration she feels concerning their crumbling marriage, should be required reading for every man on the planet.

Second, I think Glennon must have an extremely brave family. In the dedication at the front of the book, Glennon tells how her mother came to her and confessed how painful and confusing it was for her to read Glennon's stories, how scary it was for her (Glennon's mother) to have these stories shared with friends and strangers. And yet, her mother tearfully encouraged Glennon:  "I am so proud of you. I am in awe of what you and God have done together. You have to tell your stories. This is what you were meant to do. Don't stop telling your stories, Honey." That is one brave Mama.

The courage of Glennon's family - her parents, her husband, her children, her friends - astounds me, because inevitably, Glennon's truth-telling about the mess in her own life means exposing the truth about some of the mess in theirs. And yet the stories are told from Glennon's perspective, her point-of-view/experience:  Tish and Bubba and Craig are not the writers, and they don't get to interject their sides of the stories into Glennon's manuscript. I am completely awed by the love and courage demonstrated by the people closest to Glennon as they encourage her in her resolve to walk "naked" onto the battlefield of life, because this means that they, too, must at times stand naked beside her. They love her and value her work enough that they are willing to do just exactly that, as painful and scary as that may be. Wow.

While Glennon is refreshingly honest about the messiness - and the beauty - of life in a fallen world, you will not find sound biblical doctrine on which to build your life in Carry On, Warrior. On the contrary, you'll encounter a jello salad of Christianity-for-me, new-age spiritualism, and eastern mysticism.

But Glennon openly admits that the point of her writing is not to say "Here is how you make sense of it all" - but rather, to say "You are not alone. You have value. This life is hard, but it is also worth living. I understand your struggles and I will stand with you." That, my friends, is huge. She offers a soft shoulder to cry on and a warm heart with which to share life's hilarities. She is a warrior on the battlefield, giving generously of herself to encourage other warriors who dare to show up for life.

HUG A WRITER TODAY!

One of my favorite things about writing is - readers. Writers write to connect with others. When a reader is entertained by or can relate to or is challenged by something I've written, and then takes the time to tell me - Wow! - that makes my day!

Sometimes, writing feels like ghost work. A writer pours hours of hard work into a project, only to wonder if anyone reads it or appreciates all the sleepless nights, gallons of coffee, and multiple rewrites. Sitting at the keyboard, a writer can feel pretty isolated sometimes.

Yesterday in town, a lady came up to me with a huge smile plastered across her face. "I absolutely LOVED your book!" she exclaimed. She went on to tell me, "When I finished your book, I told my husband how much I enjoyed it. He said that I should write you a note telling you so, but I told him, 'No! I'm going to find Camille and tell her myself!'"

All those late nights and the tedious editing? Totally worth it!

So, I'm challenging you today to take a few minutes to hug a writer. Maybe you won't run into your favorite writer walking down the sidewalk in town this afternoon, but you can still give him or her a hug.

How?

Write a review.

Click on over to Amazon, Barnes&Noble or Goodreads and write a few sentences stating what you liked about a particular book, or what you wish had been handled differently. (Even "bad" reviews are good, because they help writers refine their craft.) Write a review on Facebook or on a personal blog. Submit a review to your local newspaper.

When you write a review, writing becomes a dialogue. You connect with the person tucked between the pages of that book or hidden behind the screen of your Kindle.

By writing a review, YOU become part of the writing process.

Welcome to the world of writing!

AFRAID OF WHAT?

This Christmas, my sister gave me a copy of  Michael Hyatt's book Platform:  Get Noticed in a Noisy World. I'm reading with notebook and pencil in hand - lots of great tools and information to process as I face the challenge of marketing my first book (Yay!). Platform would be a great book for anyone who has a small business, or for someone who wants to connect with others to promote a cause, or for someone like me who has a little, long-deferred dream that is just beginning to unfold.

In Chapter 5, Hyatt lists several obstacles that we often face when pursuing our goals and dreams. We run out of time. We don't have enough resources. We don't have the experience we need. We give in to the dream-squishing negativity of others who don't share our vision. But, Hyatt writes, the biggest obstacle that we face is fear.

I really identified with that. In throwing this first book out into the world - for other eyes to see and other voices to comment on - I have to admit there has been a good deal of trepidation. What might others think and say about it? What if it doesn't "fly"? What if I mess up this first flight into the world of fiction writing so badly that it handicaps any future opportunities or projects?

But I think one of the greatest fears I've identified in my own experience is - What if I succeed? How would it change my life if Book #1 led to Book #2 and then Book #3, and what if one or more of them actually did very well out there in the big wide world?

Sure, positive consequences of success as a writer are easy to identify: meeting new people and having opportunities to engage with others outside my present circle. Being able to pay off a few debts or to give financially to ministries I'm excited about. Fixing things around the house. Maybe even a vacation!

But surely there would be a down side to success, such as greater demands on my time and schedule, deadline pressures, sales pressures. Travel - which sounds exciting, but also a bit intimidating for a house mouse like me. PR - which I think I would enjoy, but which, again, opens a person up to negative or hurtful comments. What if people read my book and perceive me one way, when I am actually very different from what they imagine? Worse yet, what if, through my writing, I dishonored God? What if I wrote and promoted things that weren't true?

I spent my wee-morning-hour wakefulness pondering the question, "What am I afraid of?"

Then I remembered a conversation between a couple of friends a few years ago. Debbie was explaining how she was afraid to talk about her faith with her family, who are not Christians. Her biggest fear was that she might say something wrong that would hinder her family's ability to understand the Gospel, something that would turn them against the God she had grown to love. What if she didn't get the message exactly right? What if she got upset, and her emotions hindered the conversation? Debbie longed to share her faith with the people she loved, but she was crippled by fear.

Mark, a dear brother in Christ who had been listening to Debbie's concerns, simply replied:  "You're a Calvinist, damn it! What are you afraid of?! Stop cowering in the corner and get out there!"

Yes, his reply was like a slap in the face - but he was spot on. Mark went on to explain that, if God is indeed sovereign (which He is) and if salvation is entirely by His grace (which it is), then we don't have to be afraid of "getting it wrong" when we share our faith with others. Yes, we should be gracious and thoughtful in our conversations with unbelievers, but the pressure is NOT on us to save lost souls - that is God's work. Our work is to faithfully proclaim the good news that Christ saves sinners. And if we don't get it exactly right? God can handle our mess ups and our failures. He can redeem our weak efforts and fumbling words.

I've recalled that conversation so many times over the years, when faced with some soul-sapping fear that left me hesitant, timid, incapacitated.

I recalled that conversation again last night (very early this morning, actually). What am I afraid of? Yes, I am a Calvinist - I truly believe that God is Sovereign, that He is good, that He loves me very much, and that He redeems sinful, fearful, clumsy me and everything about me.

What are the secret dreams of your heart, Dear Reader? Have you, like me, been held back from pursuing those dreams because of fear - fear of failure, or fear of success? I pray that we - you and I - will fix our eyes so firmly on the loveliness and sufficiency of our great God and Savior that we will be strengthened to step out of fear, into courageous living.

Let's stop cowering in the corner and get out there!

SLOW SUN RISING

I am super excited to announce that my first novel - Slow Sun Rising - is now available for Kindle!!! You can purchase and download a copy at Amazon by clicking HERE.

Slow Sun Rising tells the story of Jenna Taylor, a young woman who lives a postcard perfect life in the suburbs with her husband Mark and their two little girls, Maggie and Dora. But when Mark is shot one evening outside a Memphis strip club, Jenna's world is blown to pieces.

Forced by a shrinking bank account to accept her mother-in-law's offer of a free place to live, Jenna packs up and moves her young family to rural Tatum County. Here, Jenna must rely on Mark's less-than-welcoming family as she struggles to make sense of life in the midst of tragedy. Will Jenna be able to put her life back together and start over?

Bidi Marshall, a crusty, in-your-face neighbor, pushes Jenna to move ahead with life while challenging Jenna's understanding of what it means to truly love another. As Jenna adjusts to the slower pace and peculiar personalities of life in the country, she learns to live with her eyes and heart focused more on the people around her and less on her own grief. Yet Jenna wonders, will anyone ever truly love her in return?

Slow Sun Rising is a story of resurrection, of letting go of the deadness of a self-centered heart to make room for loving others, of grieving the dead while learning to embrace the living.

(Print edition now available - see sidebar!

LOVE CONSPIRACY

Have you ever sat through a Sunday morning sermon and felt like, "Oh, my goodness. I think that preacher just spent the last week living life as a fly on my kitchen wall. How on earth did he know _______?" You know, you felt like the preacher somehow had an inside line on what was going on in your life, your heart, your mind? Like he was just God's mouthpiece, and God was using him to talk straight to you?

That seems to happen to me a lot. I usually chalk it up to the influence and power of the Holy Spirit. And I thank God for a pastor and for teachers who are sensitive to His leading and who faithfully proclaim His Word, even if the message makes me squirm a little in the pew.

Then there are writers - writers who know nothing at all about your past, or about your messed up family, or about the secret broken places in your heart that you never talk about to anyone. They know nothing about you, but then they sit down and write a book that has pieces of your story and your life all over it. Such writers are keen students of the human condition, and, thankfully, some are bold enough to write about what they see. To ask hard questions. To consider the real-life implications of living by faith while in the midst of a broken and messed up world. To admit that, yes, life throws some nasty stuff at us - but that in no way diminishes the goodness or sovereignty of God.

Four months ago, I wrote a review of Lisa Smartt's book, "Doug & Carlie," and told you to get a copy and read it. If you did as I advised, you enjoyed a hystetrical romp through small-town, West Tennessee life. Well, Lisa has already written a sequel, and she knocked the ball out of the park.

I do not read contemporary Christian fiction. I do not read Chick Lit. So, if I'm recommending a book with a title like "Doug & Carlie's Love Conspiracy" - well, you'd just better go read it.  (You can get a copy HERE.)

This is the second book in the Doug & Carlie series. In it, Lisa Smartt comes into her stride as a writer, skillfully weaving a tale of brokenness and hope amid the idiosyncrasies of small town life. Somehow, Lisa manages to pull all this off without loosing her country-girl humor or her infectious love for people and for life. She plunges into dark places and deep hurts, but does so with the light of the gospel and with an unquenchable confidence in the healing power of grace. "Doug & Carlie's Love Conspiracy" will make you laugh, make you cry, and leave you asking, "When is the next book coming out?"

And if you're planning a women's retreat for your church, or a business luncheon for your co-workers, or training session for the teachers at your school, or whatever, look Lisa up at her website, Smartt Speaking. Just be warned: if you invite Lisa Smartt to speak at your function, be prepared to fall in love.

DOUG & CARLIE

"Mrs. Lisa pulled a big Jesus on you."  This was my son's response when I described my first meeting Lisa Smartt, live and in person.

I first became acquainted with Lisa through her weekly newspaper column, "The Smartt View."  Every Wednesday evening after church, I'd come home, flip open the paper, and read her column out loud to Steve and the kids.  We'd laugh.  We'd wince.  We'd sigh in sympathy.  But mostly, we laughed.

After a couple years of following Lisa in The Messenger, I found her on-line.  Would she accept a friend request from a nobody like me?  Yes!!!  Our "relationship" had moved to a new level.

Then, finally, I had an opportunity to meet Lisa Smartt face-to-face, to see and hear and talk to her in person.  She was speaking at a Faculty Women's Club luncheon at the University of Tennessee at Martin, and the event was open to the public.  I arrived forty minutes early.  They hadn't even set up the registration table yet.  As the room filled with women professors and professionals, I began to feel very small.

"What do you teach here at the University?"

"Um, I'm a mom."

No matter if I was nobody.  Even if I was only a dandelion among a bouquet of hot-house flowers, I'd paid for my ticket and I had a seat and, by golly, I was going to hear Lisa Smartt.

Lisa describes herself as a "big woman."  Yes, she's very tall.  And, yes, she covers the ground she stands on.  But she's not just "big" in stature.  Lisa is big in joy, big in energy, big in Life.  When she walked into the room that day, it was like a joyful, sunshiny, life-giving force burst through the door.  And when she saw this insecure mom standing among a roomful of well-dressed, highly-educated, successful businesswomen, Lisa strode over and swallowed me up in a huge hug.  "Camille, I am so excited to finally meet you!"  I felt like Cinderella at the ball, like the Prince had just asked me to dance.  (Well, maybe that's not the best analogy, but you get the idea.)

Lisa has that affect on people.  Spend five minutes with her and you feel like you've found a new sister.  Someone who understands your weaknesses, who relates to your struggles and insecurities, who lays it all out on the table and then makes you laugh in spite of everything.  She is a tall woman who radiates a big joy and the love of a big Jesus to everyone she meets.

Okay, so why am I telling you all about Lisa Smartt today?  Because I want you to check out her latest book, Doug and Carlie.  You WANT to read this book.  How could you not want to read a book that begins,   "I ate a whole lemon meringue pie on May 12..."  Me, I burned the biscuits I was baking for breakfast Saturday morning because I was so excited that Carlie had managed to cram herself into a blue sequin dress at a formal wear store at the mall.  Trust me, you are going to fall in love with Carlie Davidson.

The official blurb for Lisa's book reads:  Carlie Ann Davidson only has $167.29 in the bank. She's 10 years late on college and 37 lbs. over the ideal weight chart. When she's not in her college classes, she's stocking shelves at the Dollar General Store in Commerce, Georgia, and wondering why SO many people eat pork n beans. But Carlie has dreams, dreams of love and literary success. With the humorous and engaging backdrop of small town characters and culture, Carlie realizes she's not a loser at all. Just a late bloomer. The good news? Sometimes there are rewards for late bloomers.

You can purchase your own copy of Doug and Carlie here, or you can download the Kindle version here.  You might as well go ahead and get two copies, because you're going to want an extra to pass along to a friend.  I did.      

HOLLOW: AN UNPOLISHED TALE

I have been struggling recently with whether or not to continue with this blog. Several things have prompted this wrestling match with myself. School, baby-sitting, working at Wal-Mart, not keeping the house very clean, etc. - with so much on my plate, I have been absolutely exhausted, physically, mentally, and emotionally. It's hard to write when you live in a dazed, gray fuzz. Have you ever read any great Zombie literature (as in, written by Zombies)? No, I didn't think so.

And my computer has been doing weird things lately, things I don't have the technical savvy to diagnose or treat. Seems I finally find a 30-minute window of time when I'm somewhat conscious and can think to write...and then it takes me 10 minutes to connect to the internet. Or my mouse isn't working. Or one of the kids needs the computer to download math homework. Or, whatever...the opportunity to write slips away, and I find myself frustrated for having even tried.

Perhaps my biggest discouragement stems from the comments of a close friend, that I'm "too heavy" here at the blog, that I need to lighten up. That I take things too seriously. That I'm just a little too weird and not much fun to be around. True, I'm no Shirley Temple, with bouncing curls and dimples and a toothpaste-commercial smile. And I'm not very good at making jokes. I explained that this blog is a place where I can work through some of the things I struggle with: doesn't it make sense, then, that it's more often heavy than light-hearted? My friend thought medication might be a better alternative to blogging. I've been mulling that over in my head for a couple of weeks.

But something peculiar has happened over the past few days. First, rather out of the blue, several people have emailed or called or come to me personally to say that something they've read here at the blog has encouraged them, and they've appreciated my writing about my faith struggles and my weaknesses. Not one person, or two, or three, or four, or five...but several. All within a span of only a few days. I'm learning that many people find themselves in some of the same valleys I've traversed, and that they are grateful to know someone else shares their struggles and griefs. Yes, someone else has been as confused or messed-up or weak-faithed or broken: They are not alone! And I am amazed and humbled that God has ministered to someone else in the body of Chirst, not in spite of my un-loveliness, but through my un-loveliness - my heavy-ness, my weirdness, my brokenness.

Second, I acquired and read a remarkable little book by Jena Morrow - Hollow: An Unpolished Tale. Jena Morrow has struggled with an eating disorder almost her entire life. Now in her mid-thirties, she remembers a moment when she was only 3 years old when she thought to herself, "I am fat." Sixteen years later, that first lie had grown into a monster that almost killed her, landing her in a residency program where she had to be monitored around the clock by medical staff.

Jena has an eating disorder. She is also a Christian. And writing from a unique perspective of faith, she shares her journey and her struggles - honestly, without any whitewash to clean up the filth and ugliness. She has learned to fight for life and for joy, even though she admits that she doesn't always win. The beauty of Jena's story is that it takes her - and her readers - back to the Cross. Back to Christ. Back to this amazing, faithful, beautiful, forever love that God has for His children, even the messed up ones.

Jena writes: I used to fear nothing more than giving up my eating disorder. I once thought that to grow in my faith and draw nearer to the heart of God, I would have to give it up first - 100 percent of it. After all, the disorder is sinful, and God hates sin. I used to weep over the passage in Psalms that says, "Who may climb the mountain of the Lord? Who may stand in his holy place? Only those whose hands and hearts are pure" (Psalm24:3-4). I felt condemned, believing these verses meant I could not struggle with an eating disorder and still come into God's presence. But I have discovered that, on the contrary, the only way to come to God is as I am, dragging whatever mucky barnacles have attached themselves to me. Only by bringing my filth before God would I ever have hope of being washed clean.

She continues later, The eating disorder is not my identity, and it does not make me so ugly that God cannot bear to receive me. He can handle it. But He makes it clear that He does not want me to hold on to the disorder. He wants all of me...He is not concerned with what I can or cannot do, what I have or do not have. He wants my heart, my love, my devotion, and my trust. He wants me to let go of all that would keep me from embracing Him fully. "But I need this," I tell Him. "No," He says gently, firmly. "You need Me..."

The power of Jena's story, the power of her writing, is not that she gives you a problem-solved, happily-ever-after ending. The power of her writing lies in her honesty: "On a good day, life is beautiful. On a bad day, life is survivable. The trick is, simply, not to die." "Maybe the victory is in the living, and life is supposed to be messy sometimes - and that's okay." "...the plan is to keep on squeezing tightly to the hand of God..." Amazing how much hope and encouragement are packed into this "heavy" little book. Amazing how God is glorified in Jena's weakness.

I'm so thankful God gave Jena Morrow the courage and the motivation to write Hollow. If you or someone you know struggles with an eating disorder, read this book. If you find yourself constantly overwhelmed by feelings of guilt or worthlessness, read this book. If you are a Christian who, like me, can't seem to go two days in a row without crashing or finding yourself mucking about in a slime pit, read this book. Why? Because it won't downplay your struggle or you situation; it won't tell you 10 steps to being "fixed"; it won't tell you to "just get over it" - but it will point you back to Jesus.

Meanwhile, I'll be blogging.

THE NEXT STORY

Imagine living one week with no cell phone, no access to the internet, no email, no Facebook. No texting, no tweeting, no Googling. No blogs, no Skype, no chat. No Kindle, no GPS, no I-Tunes, no YouTube. Not even a stint on the PlayStation or X-Box.

No, really....stop and try to imagine a week without your technology. Would you feel relieved to go techno-free for a season? Or, would you feel terribly inconvenienced? Even worse, perhaps the thought of living without all your devices and connections triggers outright panic.

Do you own your devices and technological gizmos? Or do they own you?

Overwhelmed by the beeps, buzzes, and flickering screens of life in the digital age, Tim Challies asked himself these same questions. In the Introduction to his new book - The Next Story: Life and Faith After the Digital Explosion - Challies writes, "I began to wonder: Am I giving up control of my life? Is it possible that these technologies are changing me? Am I becoming a tool of the very tools that are supposed to serve me?"

In The Next Story, Challies thoughtfully examines both the benefits and the risks of the technologies and tools available to us today, and explores how we are to engage with our technology as Christians. "We are looking for that sweet spot where our use of technology is not just thoughtful and informed, but it is informed by the Bible, by an understanding of God's purpose for technology. In that place of thoughtful, technological discernment, we live in light of what we know to be true about technology, what we know to be true about ourselves, and what we know to be true about the God who made us."

After a quick overview of the development and progress of technology and its impact on us emotionally, physically, and spiritually, Challies looks at several areas of daily life particularly influenced by our use of technology: communication, identity/mediation, distraction, information, truth/authority, and visibility/privacy. I was personally challenged by the "Application" and "Questions for Reflection" sections at the end of each chapter - What does my computer's search engine say about me? Do I value having many shallow relationships over a few deep, meaningful relationships? Do I find it easier to relate to others through email or chat instead of face-to-face?

While the benefits of a certain technology are quickly discernible, we often snap up the latest device or gizmo with little or no thought to the risks or dangers associated with it. How will this technology help me? How might it hinder me - in my relationships, my use of time, my productivity? Given my sinful nature and the fact that I live in a fallen world, how might this technology foster idolatry in my heart or even become an idol itself?

Challies challenges Christians: our task is not to avoid technology, but to redeem technology. Rather than passively allowing technology to rule our lives, we are to deliberately, consciously, and conscientiously master our devices and our use of them.

If you email, text message, or Facebook, if you use a cell phone or GPS, if you are living life in the digital age - and you ARE - The Next Story will help you own your technology, instead of allowing your technology to own you.

To read a sample from The Next Story or to see a trailer for the book, click HERE.
To purchase your own copy, visit Westminster Books or Amazon or a bookstore near you!