09.06.19 - week 19
on the weird things.
the lord is my shepherd, i shall not want another shepherd.
i have taken to reading psalm 23:1 this way over the last few years.
the western way of applying the correct translation is to emphasize the ‘want’ over the ‘shepherd.’ the reason my sense of want is adjusted is not because i have received a full list of desires. it’s because when i’m in proper relationship with the shepherd, my desires inevitably get smaller.
i shall not want is about what i choose to see, not what i hope to hold.
most of us have learned that the things we do to try and scratch the itch of want, produce worse problems. there is only one true calm, true peace for the human heart. it isn’t ambiguous generalities, it’s relationship with the shepherd.
KG Korner
(a few wise words from lady kristen macdonald)
I found myself in this literal uphill battle the other morning. I had taken felicity to the beach to get some exercise and because of some other things happening at the beach (that’s another story for another time // crazy morning) I decided the only way to get to my car was this extraordinarily steep walkway. It honestly felt like what most of 2019 has felt like, uphill most days and even though sometimes the view is extraordinary (on the other side, in this case the ocean) the reality is a long and hard road ahead.
One of the days soon after we got to California, I found myself asking the Lord how I was going to make it through this huge transition in our life. It wasn’t audible but it was clear, take one step at a time. Words like these make it sound simple or easy, but I find them helpful to keep my gaze focused.
Through some recent Bible reading I have been awe-inspired by Abraham. His steps of faith & his perseverance in waiting are really beautiful. He didn’t get a hall pass and sleep through the waiting or wait minutes, hours, or days; he waited 25 YEARS!!! Talk about steps of faith: hourly, daily, monthly, yearly he set his mind and heart to follow the Lord and trust Him at his Word. Just like Abraham you and I need to take the step of faith in front of us. Maybe it looks scary (like his steps toward sacrificing Isaac) or maybe it looks laughable (past the typical years of baby-making) or maybe it looks like God’s going to have to come through big time (not only one son but NATIONS).
Romans 4:20-21 says, “No unbelief made him waver concerning the promise of God, but he grew strong in his faith as he gave glory to God, fully convinced that God was able to do what he had promised.” I’m no Bible scholar, but I think that this verse shows that each step of faith he took led to the next which built up his faith which grew stronger and in turn gave glory to God which is our ultimate goal!!! I wrote in the margin of my Bible : faith like Abe - WOW!
So today join me in taking the next step. If you don’t know what it is - ask him (I’ve been there, HE WILL!). Believe God for who He is & what He can do and trust him to work while you do the part you can.
- Kristen
Cup of Leadership
they aren’t winning because they know something you don’t.
they aren’t winning because they figured out something you can’t.
that’s the myth of secret knowledge.
they are winning because they have learned as best they could and wisely leveraged (which is different than used) the relationships they have access to cultivated to build something.
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whether it’s the new church i’m working at or the many music industry relationships i formed while building vertical or the few significantly wealthy businessman i have spent time around, they don’t have a treasure chest of secrets you don’t have access too.
we know more than ever about nutrition but obesity continues to rise.
we have more access to mental health help than ever but suicide continues to rise.
the bible has never more but more available, but also maybe never more ignored.
knowledge is cheap. discipline + relationships are where great things come from.
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don’t allow yourself to fall into the trap of thinking the gap between where you are and want to be is going to be closed by stumbling into something no one else has seen before.
your future hinges on practicing what you already know.
Book Review
sometimes you should read things because they are fun to read.
i have always loved the way ben mezrich writes. it’s no surprise a few of his books have been adapted into movies (21, The Social Network), because he writes very cinematically. this new book was my nightstand book (something i read at the end of the day, has to be interesting or else i fall asleep after 3 paragraphs) for the last few weeks. it provides some of the most understandable explanation surrounding cryto-currency i have read to date. it also paints a vividly nuanced picture of the winklevoss twins, 2 of the most caricatured public features of the 21st century.
great book for a plane ride or pool side.
Sermon of the Week
the life of joseph / part 1 of 6
“between the promise and the payoff is the process of walking by faith. between the it will happen and the it has happened is the it hurt in the middle.”
3 Things I Really Liked This Week
1. this simple song rings beautifully true to me, this version is gorgeous.
2. my friend tyler thompson has written many of the coolest projects i have been blessed to be part of. i loved this little essay he released this week (its only a 3 min read, worth a click for sure).
3. if you are a baseball fan, you know that we have officially entered the home stretch of the season. i subscribe to a paid newsletter that has enhanced my experience of following baseball immeasurably, worth checking out if you are too.