Extroversion vs Introversion

I've seen several articles recently reexamining the stereotypes of introverts and extroverts. Simply put, too many people make the wrong assumptions about their own strengths and weaknesses in life because they're labeled (and many times self-labeled) as ex- or in-. The reality is far from a simple shy vs. outgoing.

As Carol Pipes puts it in Facts & Trends:

Extroversion and introversion describe where people focus and find their energy–outside themselves or inwardly.

Extroverts (or those who have extroverted tendencies) gain energy by being around other people. They recharge in social situations. Often, the more people that are around, the more energized extroverts feel.

On the other hand, introverts often lose energy in social situations and need time alone to recharge their batteries. (italics mine)

So where do you gain energy? How do you prefer to be recharged? By being out with a group of friends? Or being home with a cup of coffee?

Naked?

Jon Acuff is not only one of my favorite folks to follow on Twitter. He's funny and disarming. He's a darn good communicator and writer as well. If you follow blogs, I'd encourage you to bookmark his. While much of material on Stuff Christians Like is off-the-wall hilarious (check this entry out about 33 Fantastical Christian Resolutions) his entry here about nakedness is profound.

Who told you that you're ugly?

Jon exposes the relentless attack on humanity by evil in the quiet world of our thoughts. Who would be behind the conspiracy to convince us that we're worthless? When we remember that scripture promises us that we've been created in the image of God, it becomes soberingly clear that negative voices seek to belittle who we are, and in so doing, belittle our Creator.

Fantastical Christian Resolutions

As part of the new year, Jon wrote some suggested resolutions for Christians. As long as I mentioned it above, I may as well quote four of my favorites:

• You will stop using “Just sayin’” as a “get out of jerk” free card.

• You will not use “let me pray about that” as a synonym for “no” when someone asks you for a favor.

• You will try your best to ignore typos in the worship music.

• You will admit you sometimes play Candy Crush when you are supposed to be looking up Bible verses on your iPhone during church.

On recommending books

I saw (and pocketed) this post recently when it blared 14 Books Every Christian Leader Should Read in 2014. I finally got around to reading the post. I was dismayed. First of all, if you're going to read 14 books in one year, I hope you're more discerning. Second, all of these books have been published in the last 10 years. I'm always wary of being over saturated in the "latest." Third, one of his recommended books - Driscoll's - while decent, is just not one I would recommend as a must-read for leaders. Here's a quote from my review of it:

One caveat… if you’re searching for what Christians believe and really want to know… and you’re a patient reader, this book is easily digestible. It’s not horrible. It’s just.. well, boring.

It should be a crime to write a book about God who is most beautiful, loving, grace-saturated and self-sacrificing and be as dry and stale as this book is. If it were, put Driscoll and his coauthor Gerry Breshears in handcuffs.

Even as I rolled my eyes on his book suggestions (don't get me wrong; some of the ones are good), I realized that I also recommend books.. all the time. I've also written one that I'd like to require beg people to read. However, when it comes to reading certain books in a year's span, I'd like to see more balance between newer and older, between trendy and classic.

It's also convicting to remember:

The Preacher sought to find words of delight, and uprightly he wrote words of truth.The words of the wise are like goads, and like nails firmly fixed are the collected sayings; they are given by one Shepherd.My son, beware of anything beyond these. Of making many books there is no end, and much study is a weariness of the flesh.(Ecclesiastes 12:9-14)

In the end, we can only read a few really good books. So let's be wary when we recommend one.

The End of Paper

This video hits a little too close to home.