I’m moving!
As of Tuesday, February 25, you can find me at stephanierische.com. See you there!
Announcing…a Launch Date! February 18, 2014
When I first typed that title, I wrote “Lunch Date.” Which maybe tells you it’s going to be a long morning, if I’m already thinking about lunch at this hour.
But all things considered, I suppose a launch date is almost as exciting as a lunch date.
I’m so happy to tell you that one week from today—Tuesday, February 25—I get to introduce you to StephanieRische.com! The talented Sarah Parisi has been doing her creative magic behind the scenes, and I can’t wait to pull back the curtain.
Keep an eye out next week—there will be giveaways and contests and prizes! Looking forward to seeing you there.
And now that we’ve got that business taken care of, what’s for lunch?
The Amazing Grace House February 13, 2014
I’m over at Today’s Christian Woman today, writing about what an old bed-and-breakfast taught me about the hard, beautiful work of marriage.
When my husband and I went away for the weekend to mark our second anniversary, we were looking for a place that fit in our budget and could squeeze into the boxes on the already-full calendar. What we hadn’t anticipated was that we’d meet a house with a story—a house that served as a poignant metaphor of marriage. . . .
Click here to read the rest of the story
10 Minutes with God: The Way of Salvation February 11, 2014
This week I wrap up my writing of the online devotions for my church. After being immersed in Psalm 119 for the past six weeks, I have a new appreciation for this longest chapter of the Bible and a deeper love for God’s Word.
Here’s a peek at today’s devotion:
Imagine you’re a pilot, taking your small plane out for a quick flight. When you took off earlier in the day, the sun was shining and conditions seemed ideal for flying. But now the wind is starting to pick up, and before you know it, a dense fog has rolled in. Visibility is low, and it’s becoming more difficult to see landmarks—particularly the horizon.
Then it happens: suddenly your body is saying you’re going one direction, while the instruments are telling another story.
You’re heard warnings about this before—spatial disorientation, they call it. Which voice will you believe? Your inner ear, which is convinced that you’re flying straight, or the plane’s instrument panel, which clearly says you’re banking left? What will you use as your standard to determine which way is up? Your choice could very likely mean the difference between life and death. . . .
To keep reading, click here. And to hear the audio version, read by me and recorded by the talented Daniel Rische, click here. May you, too, fall in love with God’s Word!
10 Minutes with God: Obedience February 7, 2014
I had the privilege of writing the devotions for my church’s website again this week. Here’s a peek at one of the posts about obeying God’s commands.
Oh, that my actions would consistently reflect your decrees! Then I will not be ashamed when I compare my life with your commands.
—Psalm 119:5-6
Let’s just say for a moment that the standard for getting into heaven is being able to long-jump all the way across the deepest part of the Atlantic Ocean. (It’s not, of course, but just humor me for a moment here.) Imagine that the standard has been set, and everyone knows the expectation. Some people train for this moment from early childhood, building their muscles and doing exercises to improve their jumping abilities. Some athletic types are inherently better suited for the event than others. And some people have longer legs, giving them an inborn advantage over their peers.
When it comes time to jump, however, no one could ever come close. Maybe the person with short legs who hadn’t trained at all would make it a few feet. Perhaps the person with the strong quads would make it a foot farther than the average person. And maybe the Olympic long jumper would set a world record, launching his body a whopping 29 ½ feet.
But do you know what? It wouldn’t matter, because none of them would come anywhere near the goal. None of them would get far enough to even see the other side of the Atlantic Ocean, let alone jump there. Even if one person jumped three times as far as everyone else, they would all be so far from the target that the difference would be practically indiscernible. Whether you made it one foot across the ocean or 30, the more important issue is the thousands of nautical miles you have yet to go.
To read the rest of the devotion (or to listen to the audio), click here.
Virtual Book Discussion: Cooked January 31, 2014
Thanks to everyone who joined us for our virtual book club for January. This month we’re discussing Cooked by Michael Pollan.
Here’s how it works: I’ll throw out a few topics for discussion, and you can write your responses about these topics (or others you’d like to discuss) in the comment section.
Discussion #1: Cooking with the Elements
I thought the author’s structure for the book was fascinating. I’d never considered how different types of cooking fit into the categories of fire, water, air, and earth, and it made for an intriguing setup. I also enjoyed the way he showed his own progression from kitchen amateur to apprentice to blossoming cook. I felt like I could relate since he didn’t start out as an expert, and I appreciated his willingness to jump in to various types of cooking with both feet.
Did you have a favorite section? Which of the elements are you most comfortable in when it comes to cooking? Which elements are you least comfortable in?
Discussion #2: Cooking and Community
I really appreciated the author’s observations about how the way we cook and the way we eat effect how communal we are as a society. I was especially intrigued by his theory that the style of the cooking itself impacts the way we consume meals. When people prepared food around a fire, they cooked and ate together as an entire community. Then when people started cooking with an oven in individual households, cooking and eating became family-centric events. Now, as microwaves and fast food become the meal-prepping tools of choice, the focus is on the individual. One of my favorite parts of the book was seeing how the author’s various cooking experiments brought his family together and resulted not only in edible rewards but also in intangible gifts, such as bonding and conversations with his wife and teenage son.
As our cooking and eating become more individualized, do you think we’re in danger of losing a sense of community and family? Is there anything we can do to promote these values in our own homes?
Discussion #3: Intentional Food Choices
One of the things I appreciated most about this book was the way it opened my eyes to the underlying ramifications of the choices we make about food, cooking, and eating. When we mindlessly stick something in the microwave, pick up dinner at the drive-thru, or prioritize other activities over “scratch cooking,” there are consequences—both for us as individuals and for us as a culture. Although I haven’t necessarily revamped my approach to cooking after reading this book, it certainly has made me more aware and more thoughtful about the choices I make to get dinner on the table. I wasn’t nearly as ambitious as the author (no whole-hog barbecue or beer brewing for me), and I didn’t try any of his recipes, but this book did inspire a few modest “from scratch” attempts. My biggest success was my bread-baking adventure (the first time I cooked with yeast!). I wasn’t ambitious enough to make a starter and baby it for weeks like the author did, but it felt like a step in the right direction.
Did this book cause you to reevaluate any of your cooking/eating choices? Have you ever attempted any cooking experiments similar to what the author describes in this book?
Rating
I’d give this book 4.5 stars. It made me think about food choices in a new way, and I appreciated the author’s style. He was at once knowledgeable and brilliant (I was impressed with the historical context and scientific background he offered throughout), but he was also accessible and an engaging storyteller.
How many stars would you give this book (out of five)?
As a side note, if you liked this book, I’d recommend Bread and Wine, which we discussed here.
{Remember: there will be a free book giveaway for one lucky commenter!}
10 Minutes with God, Part 2 January 28, 2014
I had the privilege of writing the devotions for my church’s series on Psalm 119 again last week. The theme for the week was “The Way of Understanding.”
Here’s a peek at the beginning of one of the devotions:
The unfolding of your words gives light; it gives understanding to the simple.
—Psalm 119:130
As we look back over the course of human history, it’s striking how universal the quest is to find direction for our lives.
Horoscopes and the zodiac calendar have been around since the sixth century BC as methods of divination.
According to some estimates, Americans spend about $300 million a year on psychic hotlines.
Around one million Magic 8 balls are sold each year.
These attempts at seeking guidance range from pure nonsense to practices God has specifically commanded his people not to dabble in. But their very existence indicates two truths about human nature: (1) we want someone wiser than we are to show us the way and (2) we want the quick answer, the shortcut….
To read more, you can click here. You can listen to the audio version here.
God’s Favorite January 24, 2014
Have you ever wondered if God plays favorites? I’m over at Pick Your Portion today, writing about Genesis 25.
Time magazine recently ran a cover story with the evocative title “Why Mom Liked You Best.” In it Jeffrey Kluger makes the claim that all parents—even those who vehemently deny it—have a favorite child. Since Kulger’s Time article came out, scientists, psychologists, and parents have engaged in heated discussion about whether this is indeed the case for all parents. It may be difficult to prove his theory scientifically, but there is no denying that parental favoritism has been around since nearly the dawn of time.
In ancient Greece and Rome, parents who knew they couldn’t care for all their children would commit infanticide, killing their newborn daughters in favor of their sons.
Princess Amelia, the youngest of George III and Queen Charlotte’s fifteen children, was widely known to be her father’s favorite, and she was treated as such from her birth.
Author Charles Dickens felt the effects of not being the favored child. His family didn’t have enough money to send both him and his older sister to school, so they sent his sister to school while he slaved away in boot-blacking factory.
But perhaps one of the most well-known cases of parental favoritism dates back to the book of Genesis.
To read the rest of the piece, you can visit Pick Your Portion here.
Friday Favorites for January January 17, 2014
For readers from any state in the US…
I loved this—a map with the most famous book from each state. It kind of makes me want to move out of Illinois though. The Jungle? Really? Famous Books Set in Every State Map
For word lovers…
Are you feeling gusted, gruntled, or sheveled? I didn’t think so. Here’s a list of words with a negative but no opposite: 12 Lonely Negative Words
For nostalgics with a funny bone…
I promise these photos of people recreating family photos from their childhood as adults will make you laugh. And maybe even try it yourself: Recreating Ridiculous Family Pictures
For anyone who needs encouragement to do the right thing…
Great parental advice: “You can’t come in without going out, kids. Always go to the funeral.” Always Go to the Funeral
For anyone who has ever felt pressure for their marriage to look one particular way…
Refreshing insights about what spiritual leadership looks like in real life: Spiritual Leadership: A Movement in Three Parts
Special Announcement! January 14, 2014
Coming soon . . . StephanieRische.com!
I’m so excited that soon I will be able to introduce you to the brand-new StephanieRische.com! It is currently being designed and created by the talented Sarah Parisi. My desire is that it will be a place where you will feel welcomed and will experience God’s grace in a fresh, real way.
If you’d like to be one of the first to get a peek when the site is finished, you can go to the site and enter your email address here!
Writing and reading decrease our sense of isolation . . . . We are given a shot at dancing with, or at least clapping along with, the absurdity of life, instead of being squashed by it over and over again. It’s like singing on a boat during a terrible storm at sea. You can’t stop the raging storm, but singing can change the hearts and spirits of the people who are together on that ship.
—Anne Lamott
Stephanie Rische 