“The function of prayer is not to influence God, but rather to change the nature of the one who prays.”

• Søren Kierkegaard,
  philosopher

No, the love of our God isn't dignified at all, and apparently that's the way He expects our love to be. Not only does He require that we accept His inexplicable, embarrassing kind of love, but once we've accepted it, He expects us to behave the same way with others. I suppose I could live, if I had to, with a God whose love for us is embarrassing, but the thought that I've got to act that way with other people-that's a bit too much to swallow.

Brennan Manning, The Ragamuffin Gospel

”I could more easily contain Niagara Falls in a tea cup than I can comprehend the wild, uncontainable love of God.”

Brennan Manning, The Ragamuffin Gospel

Finished reading: He Who Fights with Monsters A LitRPG Adventure by Shirtaloon 📚

Definitely not as good as Dungeon Crawler Carl but a nice placeholder until the next DCC book hits my Libby app.

Finished reading: Scion by James Islington 📚

I enjoyed this short read from Islington. It was fast paced and enjoyable. It’s a fun take on a BladeRunner type concept.

A beautiful Saturday hike at Matthaei Botanical Gardens today before sitting around and watching college football.

“Christ has no body but yours, No hands, no feet on earth but yours,

Yours are the eyes with which he looks Compassion on this world,

Yours are the feet with which he walks to do good,

Yours are the hands, with which he blesses all the world.

Yours are the hands, yours are the feet,

Yours are the eyes, you are his body.

Christ has no body now but yours,

No hands, no feet on earth but yours,

Yours are the eyes with which he looks compassion on this world.

Christ has no body now on earth but yours."

• St. Teresa of Avila

Hat tip to Englewood Review of Books

An absolutely stunning boat ride today around Ford Lake in Ypsilanti, MI. I am so grateful for friends who invite me into deep conversation and time well spent.

A beautiful fall hike at Crosswinds Marsh on a perfect Saturday morning.

Fall golf in Michigan is truly stunning.

Watched: Lanterns S1E8, Dirt and Stars 🍿

This show was absolutely fantastic from start to finish. I hope we get many more like it.

I miss the days where we were on blogger/blogspot and we were interacting with each other’s blog posts in the comments and had blogrolls and even did those blog arounds where everyone blogged about an idea and built off one another’s blog posts.

Those were good days.

Currently reading: The Ragamuffin Gospel Good News for the Bedraggled, Beat-Up, and Burnt Out by Brennan Manning 📚

To be alive is to be broken; to be broken is to stand in need of grace. It is only through grace that any of us could dare to hope that we could become more like Christ.

That’s good news.

"Develop interest in life as you see it; in people, things, literature, music — the world is so rich, simply throbbing with rich treasures, beautiful souls and interesting people. Forget yourself." ~ Henry Miller, novelist

This really resonates with me. Being intentionally present is rooted in this perspective. As Ted Lasso said, “Be curious.”

Finished reading: How to Talk about Jesus by Sam Chan 📚

Read through this little book today at the recommendation of a colleague. It’s not earth shattering.

It provides some nice suggestions for folks trying to be a bit more open about their faith.

I still struggle with the transactional tenor of the text.