We are trained from a young age to promote the things we do well while downplaying or hiding the aspects of ourselves we are not proud of. It seems to be a basic human trait. Our current culture magnifies this with our ability to post all the good things, as if that is who we are. But it is not. Think of all the great moments you share when you get back from a trip, when the really interesting stories are all the things that went wrong. And imagine reading a book or watching a movie where nothing goes wrong. It would be pointless and lame.
Let’s set aside the self-promotion, and focus on sharing and confessing our struggles. The Apostle Paul even goes so far as to say he boasted about his struggles. Wow! what a stark difference from our natural tendencies. If we want true and lasting connection and intimacy with others, we need to fight to drop our fake facade and get real.
Gratefully,
Spence (August 2024)
One day back in 2022, Spencer said in a staff meeting, “I want to think of a way to make billing a little nicer for our clients. Nobody likes to open a bill, especially for architectural services.” And thus, Spencerisms were born. That’s an internal name we initially gave these short notes Spencer writes to our clients each month, if they receive a bill. The name stuck, only because we couldn’t think of anything else that fit. We hope you’ll enjoy these bits of encouragement (or simple thoughts) Spencer shares each month.