Be Radical: Episode 47 by Lisa Anderson on 12/12/2008 at 10:51 AM

iTunes | Listen Now/RSS

I took today off, and used the time to accomplish a few things. On the list was attending my neighborhood's Christmas cookie exchange. My neighborhood situation is unique, as I live in a historic part of downtown, and am the somewhat poor relation (small stucco rancher with as yet unfixed fence) in a radius of wealth (huge, restored-to-period old homes with beautifully intact stone walls). Each year, the cookie exchange provides an opportunity for me to endure religious persecution, because each and every one of my neighbors hates the fact that I work at Focus on the Family. The neighbors who don't yet know me think I'm fantastic -- until they discover my place of employment. Such was the case today. Several women whom I had not yet met were, I'm convinced, on track to become my BFFs (or at least fakey-fake acquaintances), but when I said the name of "that place," each recoiled in horror and then proceeded to say something rude or combative in response. Today's winner:

Scary rich lady with massive diamond on finger and cookie in hand: "So what do you do?"
Lisa: "I do media relations for Focus on the Family."
Scary rich lady with massive diamond on finger and cookie in hand: "Oh. Well, I'm the opposite of you. What I mean is, in contrast to you, I'm very open and accepting in my religious and political beliefs."

I actually ended up having a good conversation with this woman, but it took two cups of cider, a gingersnap and a haystack to get me through it. Sheesh.

Then I went home, and not a half-hour later, I heard a knock on my door. I did what I normally do -- I hid in my dining room. I didn't want to open the door, and because my front door has windows, I can't walk up to it and see who's there without being seen. So I hid in my dining room until the footsteps went away. I peeked through the slats of my blinds (let's try not to judge me here, people), and saw two retreating female figures. I opened the door, and a tract fluttered to the floor. I knew immediately it was a Watch Tower publication, distributed by the Jehovah's Witnesses. The title struck me: Comfort for the Depressed. If you read my post last week, you know I've been kinda depressed. Think about it: Had I not been 1) grounded in my relationship with Christ and 2) hiding in my dining room, I maybe would've opened my door, listened to these ladies, and been influenced in a time of need by two people who, while well-meaning, don't have what I need at all. But there they were, pounding the pavement on a winter day to start conversations and share their gospel. It convicted me.

And it convinced me. It convinced me that reminding myself daily of God's Truth is exactly what I need. I grabbed my Bible, sat down and reviewed some of God's promises. I prayed. And I asked God to first keep me mindful of those who are without hope this Christmas season, and then share the Hope that I have. I went to my fridge, where my Really Woolly advent calendar (hey, remember, we're not judging) is posted. Each door this month, when opened, reveals one of the names of God. The fact that it's accompanied by a cartoon-drawn lamb only adds, trust me. And so I reviewed the doors I've opened so far:

"He's Alpha and Omega, the Beginning and the End!"
"He's our Savior!"
"He's even our Creator!"
"He's our Shepherd, too!"
"He's the Bread of Life!"
"Wonderful! He's our Counselor!"
"He's our Prince of Peace!"
"He's a Lamb, too! The Lamb of God!"
"He's the King of Kings!"
"He's the Light of the World!"
"He's the One and Only Son of God!"

That's as far as I've gotten. But reading those eleven statements encouraged me. Kinda like truth should. Especially when it involves our Savior. I can't wait to see what the rest of the month brings; in the meantime, here's a short roundup of this week's show:

It Takes a Community -- 00:00
We're still in the Guy's Guide, so this week we tackle the importance of community in moving a guy toward a healthy marriage. Ladies generally do community well. Guys need a little more help. Sorry, guys. I'm just sayin'.

Radical (Red Patent Leather Stilettos) Womanhood -- 20:11
Carolyn McCulley's book Radical Womanhood turns feminism on its diamond-studded ear and shows how true biblical femininity is more affirming and empowering than any of the lies we've bought over the past 30 years. Carolyn gives us the scoop firsthand.

Yarn Warrior -- 43:58
Two things you need to know about Patrick Dunn: 1) He's blonde. 2) He has issues with craft fairs. The blonde part is a bonus from me. The craft fair bit is his illustration of what he claims is a necessary compromise with women. Hm. I'm not buying it. If guys get out of jewelry parties, baby showers and potluck prep, why can't they get out of craft fairs? Maybe he explains this at the end, which I missed due to dozing off when he starts talking about football... 

And the Gifts Go On -- 49:26
Her mom's love language is gift-giving. She thinks its excessive, and is uncomfortable with the pile of presents under the tree. What should she do? Simply say "thanks"? Start a bonfire, invite her mom, and throw all of the gifts ceremoniously into it? Or is there a middle ground? Candice and I unwrap (hehe) this dilemma in time for Christmas.

Have a great week, everyone. Be bold!

Be Radical: Episode 47 by Lisa Anderson on 12/12/2008 at 10:51 AM

iTunes | Listen Now/RSS

I took today off, and used the time to accomplish a few things. On the list was attending my neighborhood's Christmas cookie exchange. My neighborhood situation is unique, as I live in a historic part of downtown, and am the somewhat poor relation (small stucco rancher with as yet unfixed fence) in a radius of wealth (huge, restored-to-period old homes with beautifully intact stone walls). Each year, the cookie exchange provides an opportunity for me to endure religious persecution, because each and every one of my neighbors hates the fact that I work at Focus on the Family. The neighbors who don't yet know me think I'm fantastic -- until they discover my place of employment. Such was the case today. Several women whom I had not yet met were, I'm convinced, on track to become my BFFs (or at least fakey-fake acquaintances), but when I said the name of "that place," each recoiled in horror and then proceeded to say something rude or combative in response. Today's winner:

Scary rich lady with massive diamond on finger and cookie in hand: "So what do you do?"
Lisa: "I do media relations for Focus on the Family."
Scary rich lady with massive diamond on finger and cookie in hand: "Oh. Well, I'm the opposite of you. What I mean is, in contrast to you, I'm very open and accepting in my religious and political beliefs."

I actually ended up having a good conversation with this woman, but it took two cups of cider, a gingersnap and a haystack to get me through it. Sheesh.

Then I went home, and not a half-hour later, I heard a knock on my door. I did what I normally do -- I hid in my dining room. I didn't want to open the door, and because my front door has windows, I can't walk up to it and see who's there without being seen. So I hid in my dining room until the footsteps went away. I peeked through the slats of my blinds (let's try not to judge me here, people), and saw two retreating female figures. I opened the door, and a tract fluttered to the floor. I knew immediately it was a Watch Tower publication, distributed by the Jehovah's Witnesses. The title struck me: Comfort for the Depressed. If you read my post last week, you know I've been kinda depressed. Think about it: Had I not been 1) grounded in my relationship with Christ and 2) hiding in my dining room, I maybe would've opened my door, listened to these ladies, and been influenced in a time of need by two people who, while well-meaning, don't have what I need at all. But there they were, pounding the pavement on a winter day to start conversations and share their gospel. It convicted me.

And it convinced me. It convinced me that reminding myself daily of God's Truth is exactly what I need. I grabbed my Bible, sat down and reviewed some of God's promises. I prayed. And I asked God to first keep me mindful of those who are without hope this Christmas season, and then share the Hope that I have. I went to my fridge, where my Really Woolly advent calendar (hey, remember, we're not judging) is posted. Each door this month, when opened, reveals one of the names of God. The fact that it's accompanied by a cartoon-drawn lamb only adds, trust me. And so I reviewed the doors I've opened so far:

"He's Alpha and Omega, the Beginning and the End!"
"He's our Savior!"
"He's even our Creator!"
"He's our Shepherd, too!"
"He's the Bread of Life!"
"Wonderful! He's our Counselor!"
"He's our Prince of Peace!"
"He's a Lamb, too! The Lamb of God!"
"He's the King of Kings!"
"He's the Light of the World!"
"He's the One and Only Son of God!"

That's as far as I've gotten. But reading those eleven statements encouraged me. Kinda like truth should. Especially when it involves our Savior. I can't wait to see what the rest of the month brings; in the meantime, here's a short roundup of this week's show:

It Takes a Community -- 00:00
We're still in the Guy's Guide, so this week we tackle the importance of community in moving a guy toward a healthy marriage. Ladies generally do community well. Guys need a little more help. Sorry, guys. I'm just sayin'.

Radical (Red Patent Leather Stilettos) Womanhood -- 20:11
Carolyn McCulley's book Radical Womanhood turns feminism on its diamond-studded ear and shows how true biblical femininity is more affirming and empowering than any of the lies we've bought over the past 30 years. Carolyn gives us the scoop firsthand.

Yarn Warrior -- 43:58
Two things you need to know about Patrick Dunn: 1) He's blonde. 2) He has issues with craft fairs. The blonde part is a bonus from me. The craft fair bit is his illustration of what he claims is a necessary compromise with women. Hm. I'm not buying it. If guys get out of jewelry parties, baby showers and potluck prep, why can't they get out of craft fairs? Maybe he explains this at the end, which I missed due to dozing off when he starts talking about football... 

And the Gifts Go On -- 49:26
Her mom's love language is gift-giving. She thinks its excessive, and is uncomfortable with the pile of presents under the tree. What should she do? Simply say "thanks"? Start a bonfire, invite her mom, and throw all of the gifts ceremoniously into it? Or is there a middle ground? Candice and I unwrap (hehe) this dilemma in time for Christmas.

Have a great week, everyone. Be bold!

Comments

[1. BDB said the following at 11:20 AM on Dec 12:]

1

Ah, the neighborhood challenges of working for a very public ministry. That sounds kind of like working for the cable company: EVERYONE has a bad customer service experience the want to complain about. Oh boy.

I notice that after I left the cable company, all my friends quietly switched to satellite.

[2. Tami said the following at 11:32 AM on Dec 12:]

2

Aw, Really Woolly. :) Those little lambs have lifted my spirits numerous times.

[3. Rachael Starke said the following at 10:51 PM on Dec 12:]

3

Lisa,
I had *exactly* the same experience during election season on Facebook. Friends from my husband's and my workplace started making incredibly hurtful, insulting things about Alaskan moms who believe God made the world and wear cool glasses and spiky heels. Substitute California for Alaska and you've pretty much got me, dontcha know. It was the first time in my life that I got even the tiniest glimpse of what Jesus' earthly ministry was like - what He lived and experienced every day. It brought new life to His words "Love your enemies, and do good to those that hate you." Sadly, until then, I really haven't had that many people hate me because I love Jesus.

But now I do. And so that's been my new goal - to let them keep telling me I'm stupid and a failed product of evolution, and invite them over for dinner. They haven't accepted, and in fact this is the first year we haven't been invited to their Christmas pary. That's okay, because ours is coming up, and my husband and I are both making a special effort to get them to come.

I wonder how you could show Miss Fancy Fingers Jesus' love this Christmas?

Just an idea. :)

[4. Lisa Anderson said the following at 10:30 AM on Dec 13:]

4

Rachael,

Thanks for sharing your post-election situation. I love it! (Well, not the open animosity part, you poor thing.) What's funny is, as I said in my post, this woman and I actually ended up having a good conversation, and I think I'm going to host a book exchange in Jan or Feb and invite her.

I also had an amazing conv with one of the other hostile ladies. Turns out she's raising two teenagers and is scared to death. Her son was invited to a party this weekend where there will be drinking, drug use and sex, and the host parents are ok with it! I was able to listen to her relay her fears (she was actually tearing up as she talked) and affirm her as a mom.

There are a lot of hurting people out there, and guess what, some of them are rich. Let's continue to pray for opportunities to show Jesus in a mighty way to all these folks we're encountering.

Keep me posted on what happens with the Christmas party!

[5. kaj said the following at 9:16 PM on Dec 13:]

5

I'm all for any kind of womanhood that lets me ditch stilettos of any color/material, or any high heels for that matter. Those kinds of shoes are just asking for all kinds of orthopedic problems, in the long term.

[6. Loris said the following at 12:49 PM on Dec 15:]

6

Lol kaj, I've noticed that my cheap, trendy heels are one-by-one making their way into my yard sale box. Ballet flats from Naturalizer are my friend....

[7. BDB said the following at 4:38 PM on Dec 15:]

7

Oil Changes...I will say that I was very impressed with my Honda dealership. When I went in at 3000 miles for my first oil change, they showed me on the little computer display that I didn't need to come in until "Oil Life" was 10%. That was remarkably honest. Turns out I can go more than 6000 miles without the percentage dropping that much.

Hey - you missed an opportunity to quote Pride and Prejudice. After the disasterous proposal, after discovering Elizabeth at his house, Darcy made efforts to introduce her to his sister, meet her aunt and uncle, etc. Being in accountable community is just another way men can be like Mr. Darcy, eh?

Lisa's comment about baby boomers buying into the world's idea of dating is very noticeable. The older couples I know who are distressed that men are too passive about marriage often were not Christians when they got married; their faith came later. Interestingly, they also have difficulties with their kids and their dating choices, including a couple of divorces within 2 years of marriage.

What I notice is that these couples often ask single people if they are dating someone. But I've never heard them ask if someone was praying about marriage. It occurs to me that question would be a better way to challenge people to action. Or at least upset the applecart of their current lives and open new perspectives and possibilities.

[8. David D said the following at 10:55 AM on Dec 18:]

8

Why is there such a push for community in the christian circles these days? I don't want community. I do just fine, perhaps even better, alone.
"we tackle the importance of community in moving a guy toward a healthy marriage." This sounds like the old Puritan way of forcing a guy to get married or else he'd be "in trouble with the community" and forced to live in some married couples house to prevent "grievious sins that are normally accociated with the single life."
"Ladies generally do community well."
That's because ladies are corperate creatures, and weaker for it.
"Guys need a little more help." Perhaps from your perspective. Me? I don't need any help, and don't want any community.

[9. Lindsey said the following at 12:36 PM on Dec 23:]

9

I really enjoyed the reminder of how important community is in the life of a Christian. Evaluation and Accountability are so valuable, especially these days. Thank you for the honesty!

[1. BDB said the following at 11:20 AM on Dec 12:]

1

Ah, the neighborhood challenges of working for a very public ministry. That sounds kind of like working for the cable company: EVERYONE has a bad customer service experience the want to complain about. Oh boy.

I notice that after I left the cable company, all my friends quietly switched to satellite.

[2. Tami said the following at 11:32 AM on Dec 12:]

2

Aw, Really Woolly. :) Those little lambs have lifted my spirits numerous times.

[3. Rachael Starke said the following at 10:51 PM on Dec 12:]

3

Lisa,
I had *exactly* the same experience during election season on Facebook. Friends from my husband's and my workplace started making incredibly hurtful, insulting things about Alaskan moms who believe God made the world and wear cool glasses and spiky heels. Substitute California for Alaska and you've pretty much got me, dontcha know. It was the first time in my life that I got even the tiniest glimpse of what Jesus' earthly ministry was like - what He lived and experienced every day. It brought new life to His words "Love your enemies, and do good to those that hate you." Sadly, until then, I really haven't had that many people hate me because I love Jesus.

But now I do. And so that's been my new goal - to let them keep telling me I'm stupid and a failed product of evolution, and invite them over for dinner. They haven't accepted, and in fact this is the first year we haven't been invited to their Christmas pary. That's okay, because ours is coming up, and my husband and I are both making a special effort to get them to come.

I wonder how you could show Miss Fancy Fingers Jesus' love this Christmas?

Just an idea. :)

[4. Lisa Anderson said the following at 10:30 AM on Dec 13:]

4

Rachael,

Thanks for sharing your post-election situation. I love it! (Well, not the open animosity part, you poor thing.) What's funny is, as I said in my post, this woman and I actually ended up having a good conversation, and I think I'm going to host a book exchange in Jan or Feb and invite her.

I also had an amazing conv with one of the other hostile ladies. Turns out she's raising two teenagers and is scared to death. Her son was invited to a party this weekend where there will be drinking, drug use and sex, and the host parents are ok with it! I was able to listen to her relay her fears (she was actually tearing up as she talked) and affirm her as a mom.

There are a lot of hurting people out there, and guess what, some of them are rich. Let's continue to pray for opportunities to show Jesus in a mighty way to all these folks we're encountering.

Keep me posted on what happens with the Christmas party!

[5. kaj said the following at 9:16 PM on Dec 13:]

5

I'm all for any kind of womanhood that lets me ditch stilettos of any color/material, or any high heels for that matter. Those kinds of shoes are just asking for all kinds of orthopedic problems, in the long term.

[6. Loris said the following at 12:49 PM on Dec 15:]

6

Lol kaj, I've noticed that my cheap, trendy heels are one-by-one making their way into my yard sale box. Ballet flats from Naturalizer are my friend....

[7. BDB said the following at 4:38 PM on Dec 15:]

7

Oil Changes...I will say that I was very impressed with my Honda dealership. When I went in at 3000 miles for my first oil change, they showed me on the little computer display that I didn't need to come in until "Oil Life" was 10%. That was remarkably honest. Turns out I can go more than 6000 miles without the percentage dropping that much.

Hey - you missed an opportunity to quote Pride and Prejudice. After the disasterous proposal, after discovering Elizabeth at his house, Darcy made efforts to introduce her to his sister, meet her aunt and uncle, etc. Being in accountable community is just another way men can be like Mr. Darcy, eh?

Lisa's comment about baby boomers buying into the world's idea of dating is very noticeable. The older couples I know who are distressed that men are too passive about marriage often were not Christians when they got married; their faith came later. Interestingly, they also have difficulties with their kids and their dating choices, including a couple of divorces within 2 years of marriage.

What I notice is that these couples often ask single people if they are dating someone. But I've never heard them ask if someone was praying about marriage. It occurs to me that question would be a better way to challenge people to action. Or at least upset the applecart of their current lives and open new perspectives and possibilities.

[8. David D said the following at 10:55 AM on Dec 18:]

8

Why is there such a push for community in the christian circles these days? I don't want community. I do just fine, perhaps even better, alone.
"we tackle the importance of community in moving a guy toward a healthy marriage." This sounds like the old Puritan way of forcing a guy to get married or else he'd be "in trouble with the community" and forced to live in some married couples house to prevent "grievious sins that are normally accociated with the single life."
"Ladies generally do community well."
That's because ladies are corperate creatures, and weaker for it.
"Guys need a little more help." Perhaps from your perspective. Me? I don't need any help, and don't want any community.

[9. Lindsey said the following at 12:36 PM on Dec 23:]

9

I really enjoyed the reminder of how important community is in the life of a Christian. Evaluation and Accountability are so valuable, especially these days. Thank you for the honesty!