It’s been a “But God” week for me. And that’s not a shameless plug for the book; it’s a fact!

The Crud

I don’t know if I had “the crud” or a massive migraine, but last Saturday (dawn to dusk and every minute in between) I was as sick as a dog. (It just hit me: dogs must get pretty sick because we use that expression to mean really, really sick—but I digress.) I’m not a good sick person. It’s such a waste of time that I get really depressed thinking of all the time I’m wasting or missing out on or the work that’s not getting done, and I end up feeling sicker. Enter biblical principle #1: “A cheerful heart is good medicine, but a broken spirit saps a person’s strength” (Proverbs 17:22, NLT). It’s true. And I’m thankful that whatever I had was gone by midmorning on Sunday.

Crying

Did I happen to mention that it’s truly been a “But God” week for me? My dad (you can read about his journey with end-stage Parkinsons here) had a rough week, and I found myself tired and using that lame excuse to make impatient decisions, to foster selfish thoughts, and to make wrong choices.

No, my tears were not because I wasn’t getting my way or because life was seemingly difficult. I humbly confess that my tears flowed freely one evening when I stopped to read God’s Word (the solid rock I have to run to when storms hit) and read two of my favorite verses (Lamentations 3:22-23), and then I continued reading the next three verses, with eyes and heart wide open: “Because of the Lord’s great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness. I say to myself, ‘The Lord is my portion; therefore I will wait for him.’ The Lord is good to those whose hope is in him, to the one who seeks him; it is good to wait quietly for the salvation of the Lord” (Lamentations 3:22-26, NIV). Wow. Just wow. Tears flowing again just typing those truths. Enter biblical principle #2: His mercies are undoubtedly new every morning because He knows we need them daily.

Cringing

I cringed when I hit the “Publish” button on yesterday’s blog post. Getting feedback is so vital, so necessary, so helpful—and so scary. Enter biblical principle #3: “Plans fail for lack of counsel, but with many advisers they succeed” (Proverbs 15:22, NIV). You are the advisory board for this blog. That’s why your input matters to me. And because your input matters, I really, really want you to take the Reader Survey (which you can do by clicking here). I even threw in almost $200.00 in prizes just because I value what you have to say.

Christmas Shopping

I like things, sure, but I’m not into “stuff” anymore. Buying gifts just to buy them or fulfilling a quota for how much money I spend on someone is just not the way I want to do it at this point. Bless your hearts, don’t let this scare you, but a lot of you are just like I am! But that means you may also feel like I do: wondering where to find quality gifts (many of them with a life-impacting focus) for a good value.

So for the rest of November (and a little bit beyond), I’m going to share some of my favorite things and favorite sites. Some of these will be “affiliate links” (i.e., I get a small commission for any purchases made through the links—at NO extra cost to you), but don’t let that make you think I’m only sharing it for that reason. In fact, I’m donating 100% of ALL affiliate commission in November and December to Soles for Jesus, a Milwaukee-based organization that provides shoes for those who so desperately need them. (You can click here to read a previous article about this organization.)

These are simply recommendations, but I’m only sharing the ones I believe in, trust, think are worth the cost, and think you (and your gift recipients) would like! These will start on Monday and will be at the bottom of that day’s biblical challenge or thoughts.

And of course, one final C: the Conclusion

In spite of the crud, crying, and worrisome cringing, praise God we can end with biblical principle #4: “My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever” (Psalm 73:26, NIV)!