Laurel Luehmann posted: " Hullo, friends! (Can you believe it? I'm actually getting back into my schedule of posting once a week! XD) August in my corner of the world was full of life: good and hard and sweaty. (Man, was it ever sweaty.) Here are some of my favorite takeawa" Laurel Luehmann
In other words, we must make it our constant, conscious ambition and aim to be holy. We have to work at it, concentrate on it, as an athlete sets his sights on winning an Olympic gold medal: He focuses on his objective, he trains and strains to achieve his goal, he sacrifices for it, he endures pain for it, and he puts aside other pursuits for the sake of a higher pursuit.
Reading this while going through Leviticus has been extra convicting/challenging. I highly recommend it.
But wasn't that what love looked like -- loving and being afraid? Wanting the best for someone but afraid of what that meant, of letting go when everything in you still wanted to hold on?
It's been a while since a piece of fiction has wrenched and strengthened my heart like this. This slower, introspective read is beautiful, and while some of the dialogue seemed a bit too eloquent (and because of that, slightly unrealistic) for my liking, I loved the way the author expressed the reality of suffering in an honest and hopeful way and wove so many pieces of the story together so masterfully. The dual timeline was also done extremely well! It lent so much depth to the main characters.
"If you are not too long, I will wait here for you all my life."
Oh, my goodness. I read most of this aloud to a sister, and half of the time was spent laughing. The humor, plot twists, and foreshadowing are all spot on, and I'll definitely be reading this again when I need a good laugh.
I'll never be a sparkling one but I hope I'll catch your eye I'm dripping with mold instead of glitter oh how I want to be beautiful how I want to shine for you
I have mixed feelings about this book…I LOVED the gut-punches and "I feel seen" moments the author delivered in some of the poems, such as the one quoted above…you know, those words you want to roll around and savor in your mind for awhile. Personally I feel that the poetry could have used a bit more clarity and proofreading, but it does contain some real gems for the ones who need to feel seen and known in the middle of grief/hard times.
Their feet upon temptation, Their faces upon God.
Emily Dickinson
From the journal...
I know You are enough -- always will be -- but I'm coming to realize that sometimes You show up for those You love by sending them someone who will show them Your love in a very tangible way. (Make me this kind of person.)
The FOMO is hitting hard today...oh, give me a very real sense of Your ability to use me everywhere.
(On the Passover in Exodus 12) I love how God asks them to celebrate this victory of His before it even comes fully to fruition...much as we celebrate the Lord's Supper in anticipation of the day when we will eat and drink with Christ in His kingdom.
Oh, Father! Keep my eyes and heart and hope fixed on You, not Your work or blessings.
What are you taking away from this August? Did you have a favorite read of the month?
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