Friday Links n' Thinks

Awwwww, I feel so loved! Seriously! Thank you so much for all the lovely birthday wishes yesterday! And it was so fun to "meet" a bunch of other ENFPs! Now, here are some interesting articles I read this week. Enjoy! Rachel Held Evans interviewed the "unreal" Rob Bell about being caught in the middle of a Twitter firestorm with Christians all over the world mistaking him for the "real" Rob Bell. Turns out, the "unreal" Rob Bell is a web designer from North England! Hilarious!

Molly Piper writes about entering into the suffering and heartbreak of others. "Real love gets into the trenches of grief and suffering...Real love will not avert its eyes. It won't say, 'Your disaster is too much for me.'"

Tonia from Study in Brown wrote a piece called "The Gift of You, Right Where You Are" that has touched and healed a very raw place in my soul right now. "I've always felt that ministry is loving people with the gifts and abilities God has given us. No church building or ministry-coordinator-approval required."

Joy is one of the tenderest souls you'll meet online. I'm so proud of her for continuing to write through the pain of losing her daughter, her struggle with faith, being burned out on church ministry. Recently, she wrote about being stuck--like Jonah in the belly of the whale. Her words resonated with me.

Matthew Paul Turner shared some freeing, simplifying, interesting tips on how to be a better blogger. Some really helpful ideas, here!

Betty Beguiles shares a lovely, honest post about miscommunication in marriage. She admits to holding things inside and letting them fester. This was fascinating to me since my tendency is just the opposite: to vomit out every single thought, feeling and frustration. I really love it when women can be honest about their marriages. Thank you, Betty! Plus, her blog is so, soooo cute! Love her!