Rebecca is...

I am intrigued tonight by the status update in my online addiction, Facebook. Some people don't use them, some use them too much, some use them to pay a compliment or earn one... Tonight I am overwhelmed by mine. I want to update it. But every status that is accurate, truthful, reveals WAY too much about how I am actually feeling.

Disappointed. A promise broken.
Beside herself. Distraught that a trust has been compromised.
Lonely. No voice on the line.
Drowning. Overwhelmed by a day's worth of things that didn't get shared.

Where is the familiar? Where is the depended upon? Is it gone for the time being, or should I buck up and wait it out, confident that there are still 42 more minutes before faith should hang its head and raise the white flag?

Boo. This is for the birds.

And still:

Rebecca is...

an intermission

Looking at my last post, I realized it's been a while since I've written anything that wasn't about a book I was reading.

When I started this blog, it was mainly to process some struggles I was having with where life was and where it was headed. Things were foggy, and somehow, typing them here added some clarity.

In hindsight, there is still some fog, but there is also some sunshine. I can see areas where I have changed and been stretched. It's exciting in some ways...knowing that my faith is still strong, in some ways stronger, but that my world view has been broadened.

There will be more reviews on here, I guarantee it. And hopefully, I'll keep making time for these entries too. But even when I don't, I will still be living in the far country, striving to be like Christ.

The Encore Effect

Mark Sanborn, author of "The Fred Factor," has written another book outlining the characteristics of a person who makes those around him keep asking for more...the encore, as it were.

Like many of his contemporaries, he talks about the actions and traits necessary to achieve success in any area of life, but specifically, in the workplace.

Unlike other similar books, however, Sanborn includes what he calls "Intersections." These chapter conclusions link the real world priniciples with biblical truths. Some, honestly, are a stretch. Nevertheless, the effort is worthwhile, although it might seem out of left field to a nonChristian reader.

There are no "eurekas" in this book, which Sanborn readily admits in his introduction. And that isn't really his goal, he says. Rather, he wants to enlighten those who have strayed from committing to excellence and get them back on the path to a more fulfilling career and/or ministry.

This is a good refresher course for anyone with a career or ministry, especially if you've reached a point where you are either questioning what you're doing or wondering where to go next.

A parable in dog training

I just finished a new book called "Saturdays with Stella." Written by fiction author Allison Pittman, it uses the concepts of training a puppy to compare with how God trains us to sit at His feet, wait in His time, and be the obedient one He wants each of us to be.

Each chapter is centered around a certain command that mutt Stella learned in her obedience class. Pittman then goes on to use a Bible example, along with some personal revelation, to make her point.

The book is a quick read, and fun for the animal lover. You'll easily see the comparisons, but you might also find them a little simplified. A fun book for a rainy day, it's worth the look.

To purchase the book at Amazon.com: http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/1601421397

Enjoy!