Trying to FollowTrying to FollowI once read the words of a man who said, Follow me, and I've been on that journey ever since. Articles
Help me promote Clean Water for Elirose Please!
2011-12-05 20:04:00 I know, I know, I’ve been super duper negligent on blogging here at Trying to Follow. I’ve been meaning to change that. I have however been tackling some more productive projects, online and off. You’ve obviously heard about Clean Water for Elirose from some of my previous posts this year. If you haven’t, it’s a ... More About: Promote , Blog
Idea: Princesses do Sh#% Coloring Book
2011-11-15 13:37:00 Here’s my idea, and I need your feedback. It’s hard to find a little girl that doesn’t think affectionately of the disney princesses and want to be one. The main problem with that, is that princesses don’t really do anything except look pretty and fall in love. So, my idea is to create a coloring ... More About: Book , Idea
Elirose Week 2: 25 books for just 25 dollars
2011-04-18 15:56:00 ???After just one week, we?re nearly halfway to our goal of raising $3500 for Clean Water for Elirose. And week two is kicking off with an exciting offer: $1 copies of Clean Water for Elirose! Thanks to a generous donor, we?ve got another $500 matching funds that will be given $1 for $1 for pledges made ... More About: Books , Blog , Week
Give Elirose a Kickstart!
2011-04-11 16:31:00 I just launched an exciting campaign to raise funds to do a large print run of Clean Water for Elirose and I NEED your help. Go here right now and pledge some cash or if you need more details keep reading. So, about 7 months ago, I wrote and published a book called Clean Water ... More About: Blog , Give
Let?s Talk about Spanking
2011-03-21 14:11:00 I have two young kids, almost 4 and 5 years old now, that I spend most of my day with. And though they are wonderful kids, parenting has it’s share of ups and downs, particularly when it comes to discipline. Last week was one of those that I stopped to reflect at the end of ... More About: Talk
Discussing Politics Constructively
2011-03-07 14:24:00 Occasionally, via some easy-to-throw-out-a-politically-charged-t opic channel like Facebook, a discussion will come up amongst otherwise thoughtful friends that will digress into meaningless banter arguing political talking points and no real engagement on the issues. It seems like such a missed opportunity, especially since a slower (as opposed to in-person debate) online discussion provides the perfect format ... More About: Politics , Blog
Talking to Kids About Water
2011-02-28 15:01:00 Last Friday, I had the good pleasure of talking to 400 elementary school students about the topic of water and the fact that 1.1 billion people in the world lack access to clean drinking water. I came as a ‘guest author’ and read from my book Clean Water for Elirose as well as used several ... More About: Kids , Blog , Talking
5 Reasons Why Now is a Good Time to Stop Eating Chocolate
2011-02-15 14:18:00 I was going to write something about chocolate pre-Valentine’s but had that ‘Scrooge’ feeling I get when I think about raining on everyone’s holiday parade (it happens more often then you think). So, I figured I’d do this post Valentine’s and give you the 5 reasons you should stop eating chocolate now. Valentines was the ... More About: Time , Chocolate , Stop , Reasons , Good
Where is the Love?
2011-02-07 15:03:00 Despite my critiques of professional sports, I did watch a bit of the Super Bowl yesterday. And, despite being a born and raised Wisconsinite, I was more cheering for the Steelers, specifically Roethlisberger, to lose than I was for the Packers to win. But, the best part for me was one song during the halftime ... More About: Love , Blog
Husbands Love Your Wives as Christ Loved
2011-02-02 13:40:00 ?Dear Men, Does your wife work outside of the home? It’s your duty to help clean and cook, tend to the children and manage the needs of the household along side her. Does your wife stay at home with the kids? It’s your duty to help clean and cook, tend to the children and manage ... More About: Love , Christ , Wives , Husbands
Churches Sacred Cows: Songs and Sermons
2011-01-24 14:55:00 The two things you can count on experiencing in nearly every church you step foot in on a Sunday are: some singing and a sermon. The choice of songs or message of the sermon might be different church to church, but every one has them, they are our sacred cows. I’m sure there is some ... More About: Songs , Churches , Sermons
It?s More then a Dream
2011-01-17 14:34:00 MLK Day seems to be one of the few National holiday’s I find myself appreciating. In our country, in modern times, I think Dr. King is one of the few examples of what the church should look like in this day and age. His words, many actual sermons, are so inspiring and moving, they have ... More About: Dream
Building Community at Church
2011-01-10 15:32:00 I tend to be quite the critic of churches, including most I’ve attended, discrediting them as often nothing more then a spiritualized country club. Well, this year, I’m putting my money where my mouth is and getting involved in helping to change things. I asked, and have been given the opportunity to join the “Community ... More About: Church , Building
40 Books in 2010
2011-01-03 15:50:00 I read about 40 books in 2010. One of my goals was to read more female authors, I read 26 by female authors and 14 by males. I also wrote brief reviews on all of them, which you can read by clicking on the book titles below. My goal for 2011 is to read at ... More About: Books
Stewardship Like Everyone Else
2010-12-06 16:01:00 The thing that has always bothered me about any “Christian” financial stewardship/money management book or course that I’ve seen (and I’ve seen a good handful) is that nothing about it seems really any different then non-Christian financial advice. Sure, there might be a little more emphasis on ‘tithing’ as the first thing you do, but ... More About: Headline
Family First: Is that Biblical?
2010-11-29 15:49:00 Is there any Biblical precedent for putting “family first?” I would submit that this is a myth and a hindrance to true Biblical stewardship. In my knowledge of scripture I can’t think of an example of any biblical commands that would say that we are to put our families needs above the needs of others. Yet, I ... More About: Family
Finding My Place in Church
2010-11-16 02:00:00 Since March of this year, I’ve had a draft blog post tentatively titled “Yelling from Outside the Church Doors” sitting unpublished. That post was mainly about my inability to find a place where I fit in the church context in the past three years. The same church struggles and disconnectedness are to blame for my ... More About: Place
Birthday Book Giveaway
2010-10-06 15:25:00 Though I used to try and avoid mention of my birthday, I’ve been finding unique ways to embrace it. It’s a chance to do something fun, or selfish, or ask unique requests of others. So, today I launch my own Birthday Book Giveaway. Last week I mentioned Clean Water for Elirose, a children’s book I wrote. Well, for the next 48 hours I’d like to giveaway copies of the book to anyone who makes a donation to the Elirose Charity Water project. Anyone who makes a donation over $5 will get ... More About: Parenting
Clean Water for Elirose
2010-09-27 15:09:00 Four years ago, when we were expecting our daughter, I knew I was about to begin a major shift in my priorities. It would still be a high priority to live out my faith and values, but above all else, the top priority is now to lovingly raise my children and instill those values that are so central to my life in theirs as well. In addition to simply loving my kids, I wanted to help them to see the world the way I had grown to see it. A ... More About: Clean , Water
The Problem with ?Pet? Causes
2010-09-20 14:40:00 Occasionally, when I share with someone about something I’m passionate about, like Fair-Trade chocolate, I’m met with a response that can be bluntly summarized as “That’s nice that you care about that issue, I care about this issue,” as if these were hobbies like crocheting or racquetball. Unfortunately, I feel like that’s probably closer to the truth, that they are merely self-gratifying hobbies, for many and not necessarily an attempt or commitment to pursue lasting change. Disclaimer: I do not mean this as a judgment on anyone, you be the ... More About: Blog , Problem
YouTubesday: Advice From A Cartoon Princess ? Belle
2010-09-14 13:46:00 YouTubesday is back! Whether your a parent or not, I think you’ll enjoy this little bit about Belle . Some great lines like: “Don’t just sit on your furniture… TALK TO IT” (Please click here to view the video if your viewing this in an email or rss) More About: Cartoon , Advice , Princess
Steps Toward Change: Meals (Less Bad, More Good)
2010-09-13 14:57:00 Last time I wrote here I asked about help doing a food audit. Thank you so much to the folks who were willing to take some time and give me some input on my current food choices. I was surprised by the lack of response, especially considering I know a lot of people that seem passionate about this issue, but that’s a topic for another post. As I said initially when I started this discussion, I’m very open to making changes in the way my family eats. I’m also much more ... More About: Change , Blog , Good
A Virtual Food Audit
2010-08-23 14:25:00 A few years ago, a friend lent me the book A Life Stripped Bare, in which a family spends a year trying to live ‘ethically.’ They went about this in a very creative way by basically asking a handful of wise ethically-minded people to “audit” their lives. The people came in and basically went room to room, cupboard to cupboard, discussing items, energy choices, etc. I thought it was a very creative way to learn about these things, and as a concrete examples person, it helps me when things are ... More About: Food , Audit , Virtual
Sorting Out My Food Values
2010-08-16 13:57:00 In my last post I wrote of some of my hesitations and concerns about the food movement. They where not major concerns but simple annoyances or critiques that I’d felt. The conversation that ensued was wonderful and I really appreciate those who took the time to reply to what I’d written and engage in some dialog. They were convincing arguments and I appreciated them. I’m willing, like I said before, to make changes in my families food choices. In thinking through it further, I recognized some values I have that ... More About: Food , Sorting , Values
A Critique: Food Choices and the Food Movement
2010-07-26 14:41:00 In recent months, I’ve been encouraged by others to think a bit more critically about my families food choices. I’ve since watched and read a bit and I find myself still a bit skeptical. If an outsiders generalization of my readers is correct, my skepticism regarding the popular food trends of local and organic might be a bit controversial to you reading. I’m hoping it is, because I’d like to get some feedback and thoughts on the topic and am quite open to having my views changed. I have to start ... More About: Food
Knowing or Doing?
2010-07-07 13:50:00 “The Hebrew is concerned with practice, the Greek with knowledge. Right conduct is the ultimate concern of the Hebrew, right thinking that of the Greek.” -William Barrett I remember learning this distinction between these two ancient ways of thinking sometime shortly after high school when I was at YWAM. The basic idea that some saw “belief” as merely an intellectual exercise, and others as more a matter of action. Our society, and much of the church, is dominated by a Greek way of thinking. So, “believing” in Jesus is mostly a ...
Putting Politics Aside, Where is the Church?
2010-06-15 20:56:00 When it comes to politics and faith I find a lot of Christians fall into one of two categories particularly when it comes to social issues: The church should care for the needs of the people (more republican leaning) or The church should influence the government to care for the needs of the people (more democrat leaning). Generally speaking, in theory, many agree that it’s a Christian thing to care for those in need, Christians just differ on how. But, then here is the crazy thing to me: both sides ... More About: Politics , Church , Putting , The Church
Why I Don?t Want My Daughter Going To Church
2010-05-17 14:26:00 When our daughter was born we hadn’t settled on a name, but in those moments after she entered into the world, we knew we wanted her to be a strong women; her name means “Mighty and Strong” in Hebrew. It’s a sobering reality that this is a difficult world for the female half of the population. Women across the globe face terrible oppression, and have for centuries, despite their indispensable role in bringing forth life and continuing the human race. I want my daughter to know she has infinite value as a female ... More About: Church
Feed The Poor or Go To Hell
2010-05-10 12:29:00 ?He will reply, ?I tell you the truth, whatever you did not do for one of the least of these, you did not do for me.? Then they will go away to eternal punishment, but the righteous to eternal life.? -Matthew 25:45-46 Much of what modern day Christianity in the United States seems to be about is the after life. The big question being “where will you go when you die?” The general belief by most Christians is that the answer to that question has something to do with whether or ... More About: Feed , Hell
Bipolar Love
More articles from this author:2010-05-03 13:24:00 “And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.” -Matthew 22:39-40 If there is one verse I think we, Christians, continually get wrong, it’s this one. It helps that Jesus thinks it’s in the top two. If every sermon ever preached dealt only with this command, “love your neighbor as yourself,” I think we might be in a better place then we are now. Instead we have a sort of Bipolar love. We spend all kinds of time and ... 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7 |
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