Buy Breathing In and Breathing Out: Leader of Men now in Paperback or Kindle!
And now, the book...
Chapter 1 - The Modern Day Church
Men don't belong in church.
As I sit in the cove of my back porch, watching the white pines sway and toss before me, gusts showering small, dart-like missiles in surging waves across my lawn, I huddle into my chair a little deeper. Wind howls through the trees as a siren begins to wail in the distance, reminding that danger lurks out in the vast beyond. Overly aggressive fronts spatter across and into my hiding place, chilling me with cold, hard pellets of water. Impending dark clouds loom in the sky, warning with an occasional menacing boom of their approach. The Florida treasure coast has come alive with a fury that must have once sent the fiercest Seminole scurrying for cover.
I should probably be inside. That is precisely the reason I'm out here.
The deep forest that butts up against my house holds something majestic that beckons me. Perhaps it is mystery of the unknown. Today, perhaps, it is a conquest that reflects a battle within. A battle at this moment I'm winning, as I hunker down and take the brute force of the storm. At times like these, it calls in a way no magnitude of wetness or warning of danger can prevent.
I was born to be here at this moment.
I was born to live free, no to live or die in a great conquest, a sweeping story. However, my conquest may not be found underneath palmetto brush or in deep woods padded with beds of pine needles. I may be inspired there. But they can never keep me, not longer than the awe of exploring or rush of the outdoors, which wear thin. No, what I sense runs deeper. Something this raging wild before me reminds me of. Awesome and powerful, breathtaking yet surreal, it captures the fierceness of scores of warriors lined up for a combative rush yet the picturesque beauty of a Bride breathlessly awaiting a wedding day.
And I'm sure of it now.
Something more than me, my blanket, my chair, and the wild lingers out here in the cold. Something demanding a response. More than a feeling, it is an ache, a desire, or...calling.
Perhaps that's what I've found out here in the storm, as the heavens pelt away at me with friendly fire, whilst I curl up under the safety of my little hideaway. A calling from within that was written on my heart since boyhood but etched in the stars long before.
One so epic it becomes holy.
A calling that leads me to the church.
(to be continued tomorrow...)
-----------
That's right, we are officially published. The adventure has begun!
And we're moving toward our goal of raising $1,000 for orphans by this Friday at midnight.
And we're moving toward our goal of raising $1,000 for orphans by this Friday at midnight.
So it's time to give away some gifts!
And it's time to RAOR.
Put up a social media post, tweet, blog post--whatever--even send an email, make a phone call, or stop your day to specifically honor a man from your church, neighborhood, job, or family in person to RAOR your Random Act of Respect. They all count! If it's on social media, mention the RAOR movement or add a #RAOR or #RAOR movement.
Today's gift to one lucky person who RAORs is a masculinity and femininity gift set by acclaimed author Elisabeth Elliot: The Mark of a Man and Let Me Be a Woman!
Also, share Breathing In and Breathing Out today in a social media post, tweet, blog, email, phone call, or conversation with a friend you think would enjoy the book, and click below for a chance to win a $50 gift card to Lowe's, Bass Pro Shop, or Outback Steakhouse! The winner chooses. Sometimes just personally mentioning to a friend that they've gotta read this book is the most powerful message.
As a reminder, ALL proceeds from books bought today until Friday will be donated to orphans (providing for the fatherless). Thank you for honoring men, providing for children, and empowering the church!
May Breathing In and Breathing Out: Leader of Men bless you richly!
No comments:
Post a Comment