Tuesday Tunes-day: Counting Stars, and some resources on suffering

Good morning friends! Hope your week has been off to a great start so far! This past week has been one of those week's where there is just one song that I can get out of my head (I even woke up thinking about it this AM). And the song is (drumroll please...):

Counting Stars, One Republic

Isn't it so good!?

I don't know if it's the disaster in the Philippines, my research in oncology, or some else unbeknownst to me, but lately I've been spending more time than usual thinking about suffering and death as it relates to Christ. I don't have anything profound of my own to share, but I would like to share some resources that I'm finding really helpful as I grapple with this challenging topic. 

How to Get Through What You're Going Through

This is a really awesome sermon series by Rick Warren of Saddleback church, where my family used to attend when I was younger (Rick wrote The Purpose Driven Life). In a really honest way, he and his wife talk about how the wrestled with the suicide of their son earlier this year, and what they learned from it. Their honesty is amazing, and I feel like they model so well how Christians don't just have to smile and say that nothing hurts, and everything is perfect even in pain.

The Art of Dying

This book by Rob Moll goes into how Christians over time have dealt with death and suffering. I'm still in the midst of reading it, but so far it's been really great!

Walking with God through Pain and Suffering

Ok...so I'm only through the intro on this one, but it's Tim Keller, and I think it's pretty promising. It's broken up nicely into the philosophical arguments about suffering as well as practical ways to address suffering while you're in the midst of it. I'll keep you updated as to how it's going!

What about you all? Do you have any resources that have helped you as you think about this topic? How do you talk about it with others?

We are afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not driven to despair; persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed; always carrying in the body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be manifested in our bodies.

2 Corinthians 4:8-10

When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and through the rivers, they shall not overwhelm you; when you walk through fire you shall not be burned, and the flame shall not consume you.

Isaiah 43:2

And after you have suffered a little while, the God of all grace, who has called you to his eternal glory in Christ, will himself restore, confirm, strengthen, and establish you.

1 Peter 5:10

Tuesday Tunes-day: Bethel Music + Busyness

Good morning friends! Today, we've got some music from an awesome group in Cali!

Fall Afresh

One thing remains

My dear

A friend of mine sent me a really neat article on busyness which I wanted to pass along today. As I've been going through these past few months doing research, one of the things I've wrestled with the most is my relationship towards busyness. As I watch my friends jet set over the country while applying to residency, I feel like I need to fill my life with things too, and I have, with basically the end result being me running around like crazy even though this was a time that I ended to set aside for rest. Don't get me wrong, I don't think it's wise or good for me to sit at home like a bump on a log watching TV for 4 hours every night, but I do think that it is wise to learn how to allow space in your time for people and for prayer and reflection. I found that in myself, I'm good at allowing time for people, but I'm not so good at allowing for the time for prayer and reflection. The crux of it is this: being busy makes me feel important. If I need to be somewhere every hour of the day, I must be important, right? So one of my goals for the rest of this (school) year is to allow more time to rest and just dwell with the Lord. I came across a great couple of verses in Haggai (of all places):

Now, therefore, thus says the Lord of hosts: Consider your ways. You have sown much, and harvested little. You eat, but you never have enough; you drink, but you never have your fill. You clothe yourselves, but no one is warm. And he who earns wages does so to put them into a bag with holes. “Thus says the Lord of hosts: Consider your ways. Go up to the hills and bring wood and build the house, that I may take pleasure in it and that I may be glorified, says the Lord. You looked for much, and behold, it came to little. And when you brought it home, I blew it away. Why? declares the Lord of hosts. Because of my house that lies in ruins, while each of you busies himself with his own house.

Haggai 1:5-9

I think these verses really well describe how I feel - working for things to make me feel important just doesn't satisfy and leaves me craving more.  My challenge for myself (and you!) is to  focus on glorifying the Lord in all the things I do and to rest in his presence.