What Is Gossip, Really?
I never really considered myself a gossiper, until I realized I couldn't actually define the word. A working definition from John Piper, the passages that shape it, and the four things that look like gossip but aren't.
Cynicism & Criticism
What it costs to keep a soft heart in a world that keeps giving me reasons to harden it.
A Couple Thoughts on Cynicism
“Beware of cynicism. It’s such a killer. Avoid it like the plague. It will rob you of joy, of fellowship, of faith. It’s not childlike, so don’t develop it.” -Terry Virgo I first read this tweet from Terry Virgo about 7 months ago and it really struck a chord with me. Too bad quotes or…
On Criticism
Criticism: “The expression of disapproval of someone or something based on perceived faults or mistakes.” -Google Definition; “The act of criticizing usually unfavorably.” -Merriam-Webster Definition Criticism has many different contexts and is helpful in some contexts (criticizing literary or artistic works, Biblical criticism, etc). The criticism I am concerned with is under the umbrella of the…
Are you an optimist, a pessimist, or a hopeful realist?
Where am I going with this? I’m pretty sure I didn’t think of the term first, but I want to spend this post talking about why I consider myself neither an optimist or pessimist, but rather a ‘hopeful realist.’ When pessimists defend their position, they will say they’re not pessimists, but realists. That basically implies…