And let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up.
(Or as Mike would say…Press On.)
Galatians 6:9
Jason Woodruff is filling in for The Friday Update this week. Jason is Mike’s youngest (and best-looking) son. He lives in Iowa, is a new father, and runs The Pour Over, a newsletter that summarizes the day’s biggest news and pairs it with brief Christian reminders.
Without Comment: 1) A recent poll showed that American families’ top concerns are: inflation, gas prices, the economy, and everyday bills; 2) In the United States, there are 329.5 million people and 148.6 million Amazon Prime accounts; 3) The population of the planet is aging; since 2018, more grandparents have been added than grandchildren born.
Fatherhood: My daughter is 29 days old, so it’s about time I start unloading all the wisdom I’ve acquired: 1) I had never changed a diaper before Brynn was born and do not regret practicing. About 35 minutes into fatherhood, I’d changed 14 diapers, and after 4 weeks I think I could out-diaper anyone on the planet. The combination of frequent repetition and a desire to improve is extremely powerful; 2) The first few days home with Brynn were a blur; I was constantly busy and yet accomplished nothing other than keeping her alive. After a few weeks, my capacity has grown and life with her feels pretty much… normal. The feeling of risk and the unease of change rarely last long; 3) Days after Brynn was born a friend asked me “How is dad??” quickly followed by “Hahaha jk no one cares.” It’s true, and I’ve never cared less about not being cared about.
Reader Feedback: The Pour Over has a Feedback Form included in the footer of every email, and reviewing it always feels like opening Forest Gump’s box of chocolates. There are questions, encouragements, story suggestions, job requests, and criticisms, not to mention the highly variable use of emojis, caps lock, and spellcheck. Despite all the uniqueness, responses can generally be divided in three ways: 1) Kind/unkind; 2) Thoughtful/flippant or poorly reasoned; 3) Actionable/unactionable. I’m not sure if this is unique to our Feedback Form, but the number of people who provide us kind, thoughtful, and actionable feedback is remarkably low…3%.
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Did someone forward you The Friday Update? Sign yourself up here. Know someone who would enjoy the Friday Update? Forward it to them.
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Unloving Action to Prove Loving Beliefs: People are increasingly fearful that proximity to someone who holds different social or political views will be perceived as a full-fledged endorsement. Not wanting anyone to confuse them for someone with those rude and unloving views… they will condemn the person often using rude and unloving language. For what it’s worth, Jesus hung out with sinners and was unworried about being associated with their sin. He proved his love by being loving, which seems like a solid strategy.
Book Recommendations: There are two books I’ve read recently that, after finishing, I thought, “I should probably re-read this every year.”
- The Ruthless Elimination of Hurry by John Mark Comer, which helped me view rest and the Sabbath as deeply desirable, despite my natural inclination towards overwork. (And yes, I’ve recommended it to my dad, but he keeps saying he’s too busy to read it.)
- Gentle and Lowly by Dane Ortlund, which totally reset my view of God’s character and how He views me.
Reeder Feedback (Examples): If you were interested in some of the unkind, flippant, and/or unactionable feedback The Pour Over has gotten: 1) “I hope this newsletter is legit? If not and you’re using the Lord for ill-gotten gain or in deceit, I pray you’ll be destroyed by your own wickedness.” 2) “Every news source you’ve cited is corrupt, you’ve clearly been paid off by the global elite. Be better.”
Quotes Worth Requoting: 1) If you’re not confident in the authority of the Scripture, you will be a slave to what sounds right. – Matt Chandler; 2) It should be possible to explain the laws of physics to a barmaid. – Albert Einstein.
Closing Prayer: Father of all, may Your name be praised. Help me to work towards accomplishing Your goals, not my own. Give me the strength needed today, not worrying about tomorrow. Forgive me for all the ways I fall short and help me forgive others quickly. Let me always desire You above all else, and not be tempted by fleeting things. You are, and always will be, powerful and glorious. Amen. (Paraphrased Lord’s Prayer)