layers and links: volume two.

I've decided to include a post of layers and links toward the end of every month, at least for now while it's getting started. I figure I'll start small, with right around five links in each post, and see where it takes me. These are just a few of the articles that have impacted me this month.

"Be Still" on The Work of the People.

This is a short, absolutely breathtaking video that leads the viewer through a contemplative prayer, based on the verse, "Be still and know that I am God." The imagery is gorgeous and the prayer so very restful and relaxed. Let the Spirit speak into you with Light and Truth and Love.

"I Raise My Hands: A Prayerful Response to Ferguson" by Osheta Moore.

"Today, I raise my hands not to worship but to pray for the community of Ferguson and the families of Mike Brown, Eric Gardner, and John Crawford. Today, I raise my hands. These holy hands made holy to do the holy work of reconciliation in this sin-stained world. I raise my hands and ask God to redeem the violence, redeem the suffering, redeem the heartbreak in Ferguson."

"We have to see justice as part of discipleship and ultimately... our worship of God" by Eugene Cho.

"Just like we shouldn't extract the character of 'love' or 'grace' or 'holiness' from God's character, such must be the case with justice. People often ask me, 'What's the most critical part about seeking justice.' My answer: We must not seek justice by live justly. Justice work and just living are part of our discipleship. Justice contributes to our worship of God. Justice is worship."

"What the Church & Christians Need to Know About Suicide and Mental Health" by Ann Voskamp.

"The real Jesus turns to our questions of why, why this sickness, who is to blame - and he says it like a caress to the aching; "You're asking the wrong question. You're looking for someone to blame. There is no such cause-effect here." (John 9:3 MSG)... "This happened so the power of God could be seen in him" (John 9:5 NLT). That's the grace touch of Jesus: The dark is not your fault, the dark is not the heavy night that weighs the worth of your soul, the dark is not about blame. The dark is about bravely being a canvas for light - about courageously letting your dark be a canvas for sparks of God glory, a backdrop for ambers of mercy in the midst of your fire."

"Querying Literary Agents: My Story" by Jackie Lea Sommers.

For all of my writer friends out there - this is an extremely informative article on the journey to becoming a published author! Jackie walks readers through her story of the intense and dedicated amount of time she took to research agents, write a query letter and send them out to over 100 people! While overwhelming for me to read as a wannabe-published-author, it was also encouraging to have a soon to be published author come alongside the rest of us with words of life and truth!