{"id":17822,"date":"2018-03-02T10:16:58","date_gmt":"2018-03-02T15:16:58","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/debmillswriter.com\/?p=17822"},"modified":"2018-03-02T10:59:51","modified_gmt":"2018-03-02T15:59:51","slug":"5-friday-faves-perspective-academy-awards-malcolm-gladwell-success-relationships-and-changes-in-the-weather","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/debmillswriter.com\/?p=17822","title":{"rendered":"5 Friday Faves – Perspective, Academy Awards, Malcolm Gladwell & Success, Relationships, and Changes in the Weather"},"content":{"rendered":"

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31 years ago yesterday, I woke well before dawn and knew right away why. It wasn’t the wild wind of Spring, bringing in the month of March “like a lion”<\/a>. What woke me was the beginning of labor that would last all day. As we drove to the hospital, the wind gusts pushed against our little pickup truck and added to the deep memories of that morning. Many hours later, our firstborn<\/a> arrived.<\/p>\n

This morning was very much like that morning long ago. I was, however, wakened this time by those March winds, blowing hard outside. No going back to sleep, I settled in front of the fireplace with coffee and reading…reflecting on all the good of this week.\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

Here are my five favorite finds:<\/p>\n

1) Perspective<\/strong> – Two authors this week caused me to think deeply about how we make decisions and choose directions. Writer pastor Scott Sauls<\/a> (author of a favorite book Befriend<\/em><\/a>) wrote a series of “What ifs” in his blog<\/a> this week. Here are a few:<\/p>\n

What if, in the spirit of Paul intelligently and winsomely engaging Greek academics with the truth of the gospel, Christians became known for engaging in thoughtful, enriching, challenging, and honoring discourse about God, humanity, and life (Acts 17:22-34; Colossians 4:6; 1 Peter 3:15)?<\/em><\/p>\n

What if, in the spirit of how care was given to vulnerable children and women in the early church, women experiencing the trauma and fear of an unplanned pregnancy began to think first of local churches, not local clinics, as a comprehensively life-giving place of comfort, counsel, and care (James 1:27)?<\/em><\/p>\n

What if, in the spirit of Scripture\u2019s vision for the integration of faith and work, Christians became known as the bosses everyone wants to work for, the colleagues everyone wants to work alongside, and the employees everyone wants to hire (Ephesians 6:5-9)?<\/em><\/p>\n

[Read the rest here<\/a>.]<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>Photo Credit: Flickr<\/a><\/p>\n

Also innovator Steven King<\/a> wrote<\/a> of making a decision NOT to become a professor in North Korea. Unlike professor Tony Kim and others who now languish imprisoned there without benefit of a trial or any contact with family or other representative. Remember the #USA3<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>Photo Credit: Facebook<\/a><\/p>\n

Could I Have Been the Professor Being Held in North Korea?<\/em> – Steven King<\/a><\/p>\n

2) The Academy Awards – <\/strong>The 2018 Oscars ceremony<\/a> is coming up this weekend. Among the nominees is The Greatest Showman<\/em>‘s “This Is Me”, the original song by Benj Pasek and Justin Paul<\/a>. The song celebrates the beautiful humanity in all of us, no matter our differences or peculiarities.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>Photo Credit: Wikimedia Commons<\/a><\/p>\n

If you have not heard this song yet, I have links below. They are in a particular order, and you definitely should take your lunch or coffee break to watch all of them.<\/p>\n

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  1. The Greatest Showman – This Is Me<\/em> [Official Lyric Video]<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n