1. Are you supposed to miss your coworkers on the weekend?
2. I cannot help but think that all the goodness of the Christian faith – the grace, mercy, love, hope, life – makes more sense during the really dark times. Or if you’ve had hard times.
3. We are going to eat at Cracker Barrel tonight as a foretaste of the Banquet at the world’s end.
4. Conservatives fear their guns being taken away. Liberals think the absence of guns will make us safe. As a follower of Jesus, I stake a ground wholly outside. Without ignoring the threats that keep each other at the other’s throat. I don’t wanna be afraid anymore. I want to fall in line with the message of the Prince of Peace whose consistent message has been to love without fear.
5. It’s been a week since I’ve had pizza so if you’ve got any…
6. I’ve been listening to Andrew Peterson a good bit over the past week. I’ve noticed something about him that may be even better than his songs. He seems spring-loaded to encourage other musicians. I know he’s gotta struggle with ego and the dark opposite echo of self-hatred. Which makes his promotion of others’ work so refreshing.
7. Listening to music any other way besides vinyl is disappointing now.
8. There is so little wisdom in newsrooms and the offices of politicians. It’s probably not even measurable.
9. You know you have hit a rare place as a reader/writer when you hang on a sentence you’ve read. And you hang there for days on end. Not simply for what it says but more for how it’s said.
10. I’ve been listening to Christmas music and the other day we were listening to the radio and we heard a Christmas song that was so generic. And then we came home and heard Amy Grant. And it struck me. The power of someone singing about that first Christmas who actually believes it and its present significance. Maybe there’s something to this Christian music thing.
Echoes and Stars 
Could you clarify #4, please? I guess I’d like to understand what this “ground wholly outside” is. As someone who follows the teachings of Jesus also, I just can’t imagine a version of “loving without fear” that involves gun ownership in any way. The only reason that people buy guns (apart from hobbies and hunting) is because of fear: fear of dying, fear of not being able to protect, etc. I personally don’t own a gun, because I refuse to carry an instrument of violence just because I’m afraid. I choose to love my enemies as myself, even if it means me losing my life. My example, of course, being Jesus. Would He ever use a gun? Given His actions in Gethsemane — and on the cross — I very much doubt it. It’s a high standard to be held to, but that’s the job, isn’t it? I just wonder sometimes if most Christians really WANT a world where weapons are beat into plowshares, or if they prefer this one more. I’m curious about your answer. Thank you in advance. And, as always, thanks for your writing.
I’m in agreement with you.
Oh, OK. I just haven’t seen this position articulated on the Internet very much — or at all, honestly — so it’s nice to find a kindred spirit. Thanks. Not just for the post, but for all that you do.
Thanks to you, Tony.
Get the commentary version of Andrew Peterson’s ‘Burning Edge of Dawn’ – the commentary for track 5 lays out his depression-like bouts that should sound very familiar. It is very refreshing to hear a songwriter of his caliber writing with honesty about the dark nights – and see what God does with his life. It gives me great hope for my dark nights.