February 2012 – Page 2 – 300 words a day

inside transparent heads.

I think all the time. According to the StrengthsFinder, “People strong in the Intellection theme are characterized by their intellectual activity. They are introspective and appreciate intellectual discussions.” That’s me. But notice that word “introspective.” It means that I spend time wandering around inside my head, safely gathering opinions and distributing judgment without interference. As […]

by Jon Swanson

with authority

There are the kind of authorities that tell you that you have to obey. They demand that you listen. They grab your shoulders. They point to their diplomas. They point to their badge. They seem Pharisaical. They demand technical obedience to technicalities. You don’t want to listen, but you have little choice. Their voice is so […]

by Jon Swanson

Lyla goes to the monastery.

Every week or so, Lyla goes to the monastery. She’s making headroom. She writes about her trip each week. More accurately, she writes from her trip. She’s not providing steps on a journey somewhere. She’s providing rest areas. I read her words. I stop. There is such immense quiet, paintings of silence between her words. […]

by Jon Swanson

7×7: listening to God for Lent

My friend Matt had an idea. “What if we started talking about 7 x 7 (seven times seven)?” He wasn’t talking about forgiveness, which would actually be 70 x 7. He wanted to talk about the idea of spending 7 minutes every day listening to God. Take about five minutes to read the Bible. Take […]

by Jon Swanson

Primetime

CELEBRITY DISCIPLE (Sunday, 8:00 pm) In this week’s episode, a wealthy young executive comes to Jesus looking to inherit eternal life. After a brief interview about his character (perfect), Jesus challenges him to let go of all his wealth. The executive walks away sadly. Then the rest of the disciples meet in the boardroom to […]