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Guest post by Lyla Lindquist who writes over at A Different Story

Following the loss of a good friend this past year, I spent some time studying God’s servant Caleb, as he stood up to those who were afraid to move forward and possess the land.  The scouts had seen the land and had said it was impossible. There were giants and they were ferocious, and the people of God saw themselves as mere grasshoppers.

But this Caleb, this man of God, stood and said “We can do it.”

And the difference, from what God said, was that Caleb was a guy who followed God passionately. It gave him the faith to set foot into the giant’s land and possess what God had for him. God declared that Caleb was “a different story” because of his passionate faith.

I’d been feeling much like one of those grasshoppers, afraid of the giants. God used the death of my friend to ignite some of that passion, that desire to become “a different story,” and to stick my grasshopper foot out and check out the promised land, even possess it.

I’ve been blogging since that time, and learning by the bucket load. Here are a few of my favorites from A Different Story in 2008:

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June – Truth, Lies and Snidely Whiplash – An old Dudley DoRight cartoon paints a compelling picture of the struggle we have to accept the truth over “superior deception.”

July – Ma’am! It’s Just a Latte! – Trying to order a discontinued latte flavor in a coffee shop triggered a show of histrionics from the cashier, and a great lesson in not sweating the small stuff.

August – Down to the Potter’s House – I invited a friend to share her words and artwork in a challenging lesson on brokenness.

September – What If She Wasn’t Just Some Lady that Got Tired After Packing Her Stuff Into the Festival Grounds and Needed a Nap? – When the opportunity to minister lies down on the ground right in front of us, what makes 100,000 people look the other way?

October – Easier Than Diagramming a Sentence – Diagramming a verse from Deuteronomy breaks into manageable pieces an important truth about seeking God with everything we have. And finding Him.

November – The Rabbi’s School of Time Management – When Lazarus falls ill, Jesus does Steven Covey and teaches the disciples a few things about Urgent and Important.

December – Debbie Gets It – It’s fitting that I close the year with a piece about my friend, now with the Father, and a poignant reminder that our treasure is not here.

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[Further note from the Proprietor: Hey, if you're interested in having your own "best of 2008" posts highlighted right here at the Middle Zone, then by all means, click on this link: (BLOGAPALOOZA: What I Learned From 2008) and read all about it! BLOGAPALOOZA will be open for entries from now until Sunday, January 25.]

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