Sabbath Bread {Content with Calvary}

"And when they had come to the place called Calvary, there they crucified Him, and the criminals, one on the right hand and the other on the left."

-Luke 23:33 (NKJV)

"I have learned how to be content with whatever I have."

- Philippians 4:11 (NLT)

"Often the bitter herbs of Gethsemane have taken away the bitterness of your life, the scourge of Gabbatha often has scourged away your worries, and the groans of Golgotha have produced unthinkably rich comfort for you. We would never have known the full height and depth of Christ's love if He had not died, nor would we  have even been able to guess of the Father's deep affection if He had not given His Son to die." -Charles Spurgeon

Lord, I have You. Your ransom of my soul is what You wanted to give me. I want to learn like Paul did, the secret of contentment, of joy - wanting nothing more than my Sovereign King gives me. Wanting what I have and letting it be enough. Calvary - Your brutal death and abundant bloodshed to pay for my forever with You - is enough. It covers not only my failures, but all I could ever desire.

Sabbath Bread {A Long Drink of Salvation}

“If you’ll hold on to me for dear life,” says God,

    “I’ll get you out of any trouble.

I’ll give you the best of care

    if you’ll only get to know and trust me.

Call me and I’ll answer, be at your side in bad times;

    I’ll rescue you, then throw you a party.

I’ll give you a long life,

    give you a long drink of salvation!”

-Psalm 91:14-16 (Msg)

Oh, Jesus - I know my part. 
Hold onto You with desperate abandon,
get to know and trust you while I'm here on this planet, 
and call out to You when I get into trouble. 
If I'll do those things, 
You'll get me out of every mess, 
bring me into Your promise, 
and satisfy my thirst for more than this flesh can contain. 
I am truly undeserving of a Love this abundant, 
yet I open my hands to as much of it as I can hold. 

Thank you Lord. 

Book Review Monday {Follow Me}

It's been a while since I've posted a book review, but rest assured that's not because I haven't been reading. I may have to rethink this Monday thing in the new year. But hey - we're here and I finished a book and, why not?

This review is on Follow Me by David Platt

I would not recommend this book to everyone. If you are easily offended, happy and complacent in your apathy toward others, or if you believe Jesus and His Church exist to make your life comfy, this book is only going to make you mad, and you might want to read something else first. Maybe the Gospels, or Acts. Read those and then try David Platt. Because I guarantee, no matter where you are in your faith walk, Follow Me will step on your toes. And it will make you re-think how you follow Jesus, and if you really do at all. I know it did that for me.

Platt's intellectual, Scripture-based writing demonstrates both his experiential mastery and the five degrees he's earned, but it's not too cerebral (for my tastes, anyway). While you might think his education would make him come across as arrogant, he remains humble throughout, admitting that he too has had to ask himself the difficult questions posed in the first half of book. Questions like:

• Do I really know and follow Christ?
• What does it take to be eternally saved?
• What does the Bible really say about sin and sinners?
• What evidences are displayed in our lives when we truly follow Jesus?
• Can we make Jesus our personal Lord, or is His Lordship sovereign regardless of what we decide?
• Is there really a hell?
• Where is satisfaction found to our cravings and desires?
• How can we find God's will for our lives?

Using personal examples such as the adoption of his son from Kazakhstan, experiences of making disciples in America and abroad, personal stories from his life and ministry, and recanting testimonies of several people in his own church, the author argues a great need for people everywhere who call themselves Christians to examine their hearts and lives to determine whether or not they are actually Christ-followers.

The kicker for me in this book was the entire second half, in which Platt argues quite persuasively that if we truly follow Christ, we will do what comes after our Lord's famous invitation, and become "fishers of men." If we are not making new disciples and going into the places where Jesus is unknown, are we truly His? According to Scripture, something is wrong if we are not prioritizing disciple-making in our every-day lives, and in our churches. 

I'd love to share scores of quotes I underlined in the book, but I'll stick to this one, and let you read the rest, deal?

"This is how the gospel penetrated the world during the first century: through self-denying, Spirit-empowered disciples of Jesus who were making disciples of Jesus. Followers of Jesus were fishing for men. Disciples were making disciples. Christians were not known for association with Christ and his church: instead, they were known for complete abandonment to Christ and his cause. The great commission was not a choice for them to consider, but a command for them to obey. And though they faced untold trials and unthinkable persecution, they experienced unimaginable joy as they joined with Jesus in the advancement of his Kingdom. 

I want to be part of a movement like that. I don't want to spend my life constructing buildings and designing programs for comfortable churchgoers. Nor do I want to build a Kingdom that revolves around my limited gifts and imperfect leadership. I want to be part of a people who really believe that we have the Spirit of God in each of us for the spread of the gospel through all of us. I want to be part of a people who are gladly sacrificing the pleasures, pursuits, and possessions of this world because we are living for treasure in the world to come." [Ch. 8]

Yep. That's the bottom line, friends.

Happy reading!

 

Simple Like Paul

"This humble soul loved, and that was all." -Victor Hugo

Reading through the book of Acts once again, I'm struck by Paul's simple faith. Over and over he proclaims the same simple message:

"I was a religious murderer of Christ's followers until God struck me blind, and Jesus revealed Himself to me as Lord. After that I was convinced of the Message of Grace, which I learned from the testimony of His Life, Death, and Resurrection. I began to tell other people about this Message, traveling wherever I could go with the same Good News to any people who would listen and believe."

I'm serious - that's virtually the whole book in one paragraph. Am I wrong?

He was bitten by a snake,
he preached Jesus to the lost.

He was slapped and refuted,
he spoke the Truth of the Gospel.

He was rejected by his brothers,
he told them more about Jesus.

He was chased out of town,
he preached Jesus in a different town.

He was thrown in jail,
he preached Salvation to the guards.

He was beaten and flogged,
he praised God and preached the Gospel of Resurrection again.

He was forbidden to speak in the Synagogue,
he preached Jesus to the Gentiles.

He went without pay,
he preached Jesus while building tents.

People tried to worship him,
he showed them how to worship Christ.

He was imprisoned for years at a time,
he preached Grace through faith in Jesus via letters delivered to churches by his friends.

"We do not preach about ourselves, but we preach that Jesus Christ is Lord and that we are your servants for Jesus." 

-2 Corinthians 4:5 (NCV)

It's not complicated - Paul did whatever he could to fulfill his anointed calling to bring Jesus to the highways and byways, the culturally diverse, the worst of law-breakers, and anyone who would listen. Some received Christ. Sone did not. It was simple, but not easy. He wasn't deterred. Come persecution, suffering, discouragement, or thorns - it mattered not. 

Paul's simple mission, life, prayer, activity, word, pursuit, and devotion was to bring people closer to Christ and Christ closer to people.

I will not be ashamed if anyone ever accuses me of the same.

God has spoken! Speaking claims hearing. God asks but one thing; it is so simple and right; that we should listen. Shall we not hearken, in holy reverence and worship, with wholehearted attention and surrender, to what He would say to us in this Epistle too? ... It is the heart God wants; let us open the whole heart to listen and to long. - Andrew Murray

Lord, I long for simple. Just one thing - to bring Christ through me to others. Nothing more and nothing less. I will not be satisfied with a complicated mess of distracted "churchy" or "religious" things. I'm surrendered to You and Your plan to preach through me to reach lost souls for Your Kingdom. Thank You for the undeserved privilege that is, Jesus. I have no other choice. Your love compels me to love You back.

Photo credit: Tim Laman

When Simple and Life Collide

This is the ninth month I reflect on what it means to live Simple - a word I received with reluctant but open hands when the calendar ripped down and the ball fell. It has continued to be a journey of ripping and falling.

Rip away the excess, tear apart false pretenses of what I "need."

Fall into His arms childlike, Simple. Release the sin and be stripped away. Those filthy rags dropping on the floor.

Until it's just bare me. 

Someone has accused me of having a personality disorder, I've sought Simple so voraciously. Yeah, that did hurt. But I'm pretty sure I'm still sane. It looks a bit loco from those who aren't here in the up-current against the flow of complications and distractions. People called Him crazy and demon-possessed too. Eh. I don't think there's anything intrinsically wrong with me, I just really only want one thing anymore. 

More of the Spirit's Presence.

And it does take focus, determination, and a willingness to let all else go by the wayside if that's what He says.

Agendas.  Ambitions. Accolades. ... I count it all rubbish compared to His love. This love I've received more deeply than ever. Not because He gave more, but because I opened my hands.

What surprises most is - all of this good communion with Him comes along with a great many trials I would never have chosen for myself if I'd had the choice. 

But I didn't. I don't choose how people treat me, despite my instructions to the contrary. And if He was despised, why shouldn't I as His follower expect the same? I haven't chosen one damaging fire after another, or one flood of busyness after the next, but isn't it in the fire and the flood that all cleansing happens?

And the singular piece left is Simple. 

When I stop and let Him wash away all of the sin-worry, the sin-fear, the sin-bitterness so entangled with self, I finally get  He finally gets me to the point - His love.

"The whole point of what we're urging is simply love - love uncontaminated by self-interest and counterfeit faith, a life open to God." -1 Timothy 1:5 (Msg)

When He's close and I'm quiet in all this cleansing and gratitude, I'm stilled. Merely a breath will do. His whisper - close and gentle. Rebuke so kind and like a Father. Power that leaves me fear-struck, awe-struck, love-struck. This. Is. His. Presence. 

So enough.

So Simple. Just Him, this Lover-King-Daddy. Found in surrender. Sought in song. Met on pages like this one:

"If your revelation hadn’t delighted me so,
    I would have given up when the hard times came.
But I’ll never forget the advice you gave me;
    you saved my life with those wise words.
Save me! I’m all yours." -Psalm 119:92-94a (Msg)

And after tasting simply Him, how can I not want more?

Loving this song - lyrics, melody, rhythm ... all.  "And to know You is to love You, and to know so little else." [All Sons and Daughters - Oh How I Need You]

Do my thoughts still swim? Of course, and swirl too. Syria, back-stabbing, divorce, abuse, trafficking, Miley and Robin, school pictures, groceries, laundry, lunch, punctuality for work (still working on that one), church transition, arguments, tomatoes to make into salsa before they rot... yes, these thoughts can whirlpool in 1.8 seconds flat. 

But I'm also arriving at Simple faster too. When before it took ten deep breaths to calm this fluttering, a-panic bird, it recently takes only one or two. And the sight or thought of one word to brings me back to His loving presence - 

Simple.

When the Flames Rage ... Simple Trust

Like a recurring nightmare, we watch the smoke grow over my hometown again this summer. Hot, dry earth surrenders to bright flame and dark smoke, and who doesn't tremble?

Photo: Christian Murdock, The Gazette

Last year, we were there, just miles away - far enough to be safe, close enough to cough from the smoke of torched homes and consumed trees.  This year we watch it on the news and via texts from family and friends.

I text a dear friend and she says they're evacuating.  My heart races for them through the night and early morning hours. This fear that grips me, and I reach the recesses to remember:

Lord, what did You promise?

When you cross deep rivers,
I will be with you,
    and you won’t drown.
When you walk through fire,
you won’t be burned    or scorched by the flames.

 I am the Lord, your God,
the Holy One of Israel,
    the God who saves you. - Isaiah 43:2-3a (NCV)

But what if we are burned? What if we do drown? What if our bones are broken and our homes are lost and our children are killed and precious daughters are raped and our sons do go hungry, and what if this doesn't feel like overcoming at all? What if ...

What then? Is He unfaithful? Not still trustworthy? No longer good?

I hate to entertain the thoughts, but maybe I should. It complicates things when what happens in our sight defies what He promised. Shakes us, and shakes our faith that's supposed to be so rock-solid.  And if this isn't real trouble and trial, then I'd hate to see what is.

A mentor-from-afar once said this to hundreds of us from the stage as she bared vulnerable pain and struggle from her own soft chest,

"It may seem trite for us to keep telling you to 'Trust God and have faith,' but we want you to know - this is what we do too when it hurts. We preach the same thing to our own souls ... and we are renewed."

And she couldn't know how it changed me to hear those tender words. Really? She struggles too? Has to preach to her own soul the same words she preaches to us who toil and suffer? And no, this is nothing trite.

Trust God. Have Faith. He will overcome the world.

One of the guys who authored the Bible with the Spirit literally wrote the book(s) on suffering. The loose ends and broken pieces of my soul are coming together again this morning. These burnt ashes redeemed for His glory and my good as I read it. His name was Peter. The rock upon the Rock. He who betrayed the Lord, but then opened hands and received Grace to cover all. The guy who said "No" and was rebuked as Satan. Put his foot in his mouth more times than not, and yet also proclaimed the truth of His Messianic identity in bold risk. This is the one who wrote this about trouble [long after His Lord had ascended, holding onto the Holy Spirit]:

"For God is pleased with you when you do what you know is right and patiently endure unfair treatment.  Of course, you get no credit for being patient if you are beaten for doing wrong. But if you suffer for doing good and endure it patiently, God is pleased with you."  - 1 Peter 2:19-20 (NLT)

And he's also the one who said this when confronted with trials before - when the Lord was still by his side and within his sight:

"Master, to whom would we go? You have the words of real life, eternal life. We’ve already committed ourselves, confident that you are the Holy One of God." - John 6:68-69 (Msg)

It's those words that are my lifeline today, even through the smoke and flames of trials I'd rather not face. And what if, what if, what if ... 

Well, I don't really know. All I really know is - I know who He is. And I know that even when I can't see His hand, I know His heart, hear His voice, and I know better than to try anywhere else. Because when the "what-ifs" choke like blackest smoke all around, I have one gasp left - 

Even if.

Even if it doesn't seem right, I still have Him. My hope, my strength, my Rock. And even if it's not today or tomorrow - He will overcome. In fact, He already has, according to His timeless perspective.

I have told you these things so that you will be whole and at peace. In this world, you will be plagued with times of trouble, but you need not fear; I have triumphed over this corrupt world order. - John 16:33 (VOICE)

Choking back complications like smoke, I still reach for Simple. Trust God. Have faith. Hold on.

And it's anything but trite. 

Simple Obedience

What if we just did what we already know?

Most of my obedience issues, my surrender problems, my control grasping - they come from a lack of follow-through as opposed to a lack of knowledge. Too much analyzing, too many questions, too little of (if I may borrow from Nike) just do it.

Don't get me wrong - I need a constant inflow of knowledge, analysis, and even my questions aren't wrong. But if I'm honest, most of the time I already know what to do, and I often need to stop asking why and what it means and what will happen ... and just Simply obey.

Your testimonies are very sure; holiness [apparent in separation from sin, with simple trust and hearty obedience] is becoming to Your house, O Lord, forever. -Psalm 93:5 (Amp)

photo credit: Sijanto Sijanto 

I love that. Robyn's version of it might say, "You tell the truth, Jesus. So I can trust and obey you, which will beautify Your dwelling indefinitely, and make You feel at home here in me, Your Temple."

Yeah. Today I just want to simply do what I already know, and do it well, knowing I'll put a smile on His face.

Even better - I don't even have to do it alone - He'll give me the unction and know-how too. Look - 

"By His divine power, God has given us everything we need for living a godly life." - 2 Peter 1:3a

Not just some of what I need. Not even most of what I need. EVERYTHING I NEED TO SIMPLY OBEY, THROUGH HIS POWER ALONE.

Oh yes - I can do this, even when the devil says I can't. He never tells anything but lies and I'm sick of falling for them anyway.

Guess what, Dear One - you can simply obey too!

Here's a challenge for this week:

1. look up your favorite translation of these two verses - Psalm 93:5 and 2 Peter 1:3, and write them out where you'll see them often.
2. pray about what you already know you should be doing and then ask God to give you the power to just do it.
3. leave me a comment below so that I can pray for you and (gently) hold you accountable. 
4. make an effort to share with someone you know and trust what your simple obedience is going to be, and then make a note to proclaim God's goodness in you when His power through you allows you to succeed. (Because I trust in Him that you will)

Lord - thank You for the gift of knowing how to glorify and please You with a godly life, and thank You also for the power to follow through and do it. It's like you've made it easy on us, though to our flesh and to the world obedience seems complicated. You are so worthy of our obedience, and we long to bring a smile to Your face.

Simply Simple

I knew this would happen at some point this year. It always does with My One Word. The more I pursue Simplicity in my life, the more complication I'm finding.  Resistance is sometimes the key to strength training. Add more resistance and add more strength. The hope is I'm finding all the courage I need from the Holy Spirit to keep pressing on. I saw this on facebook the other day:

"Faith is the courage to let God have control."

This has been the story of my faith walk for years. But I'm discovering that the more control I let Him have, the easier it gets to walk in that surrender. It's still not a cakewalk. But it is so beautifully Simple.

I was talking to a missionary on Sunday, who recalled a quote from Billy Graham along the lines of, "The Gospel simplifies everything, but the devil makes everything complicated."

And as I look at the schemes coming against me lately, they are all in the form of complications. I surrendered at the beginning of the year to Him and His plan of change for me. He spelled that plan of change-growth S-I-M-P-L-E.  Though weapons of complications aim to strike me down, I hold onto His promise today, as messaged to me by a trusted spiritual mentor over the cyber-mess straight into my soul:

No weapon formed against you shall prosper,
And every tongue which rises against you in judgment
You shall condemn.
This is the heritage of the servants of the Lord,
And their righteousness is from Me,”
Says the Lord.   - Isaiah 54:17 (NKJV)

So again, today - I'm saying yes to Simple. And saying yes to Him. And getting stronger the more the resistance comes.  His faithful goodness never ceases to amaze me.

Are you learning from your one word too? 

I'd love to know what God's showing your heart and strengthening your courage to let Him have control as well!  Please leave a comment below.

exercise in Simple

I'm a sucker for books. Fun fact about Robyn time.

I've tried to simplify my life this year by only reading one book at a time. Yea - that's pretty hard for me. I completely regressed on this bit, and came home from the library the other day with a huge bag full. I felt like a junkie with a stash. (Actually, I don't really know how that feels, but it's how I imagine it might feel.)

And as I've started about five of them, reading through about the third chapter, I've once again realized why I really shouldn't do this. My brain gets cluttered. I can't focus and I start having all kinds of ideas of what I want to do and change and tackle and prune and pray for and start and ... ugh. It's too complicated again.

So, here I go tomorrow - back to the library to return all but one. 

Pray for me - I want to pick the right one.  But then, I can always go back and get the next one in a couple weeks.

Have I mentioned I love the Library? 

Oh, and did I mention that God opened a door for me to go the Carnegie Library this Friday on a special field trip with another little bookworm in my house? She's so excited for me to come. I don't know which one of us is more giddy.

I'm already thanking God that I won't be checking anything out. 

"Look straight ahead,
    and fix your eyes on what lies before you.
Mark out a straight path for your feet;    stay on the safe path."
            -Proverbs 4:25-26 (NLT)

Thank You, Jesus for helping me make my life Simple. Your path is all I need.

ministry: inward or outward {and where my church leans}

(Thank you for grace as I experiment with new looks for the nest. Feel free to [gently] let me know if you really love something or don't particularly care for it. And please remember God made me a writer, not a web designer. *wink*)

Sometimes it strikes me as odd the way church culture becomes a science, mostly because in my mind things should just come organically. We come together to love on God and care for each other. How complicated can it be?  Well, check out the Leadership shelf at your local Christian book store, or click on a google search about it ... yeah, not so simple.

My husband is the lead pastor of Crossroads Church, which he (we?) planted in 2007. From the start we knew it was to be for the purpose of reaching the lost in this community.  Okay, that was Christian-ese, so let me put it this way: we started a new church to tell people who weren't yet following Christ about Him and invite them to know His love and walk in His good plan for life. (Eh, that was slightly better.)  One more try - I'll let our mission statement speak for itself: "Crossroads Church is committed to create authentic followers of Christ who alter their world through loving relationships with God and others."  Our slogan is "Alter Your World"  ... I like to think we do.

photo credit Naveen Michael

But we're a small church.  Actually, one of our members calls us an "itty bitty church." That's debatable. I'll estimate our adherence to around 125; you can call us what you like.  Regardless, I believe we have big influence.

Here are a  few examples:

• we have an active ministry to our local prison, where virtually every time one of our team members visits to lead a church service or Bible study, inmates receive Christ as their Savior and commit to follow Him.  If and when the inmates are released - they occasionally come find us on a Sunday morning for worship and discipleship.
• we regularly visit our local strip club and offer love and the Gospel to the dancers and bouncers who work there. When they find a hunger for God, they come to us.  The leader of this ministry told my husband that on their facebook page, they "liked" our church's page. I don't know about you, but that seriously speaks volumes to me. 
• our children and youth serve on a regular basis at three nursing homes and the local youth shelter, where these people can't come to "church," but we bring Jesus to them.
• we have a van ministry of people who are willing to go and pick up the people who are unable to drive themselves and their families to church on Sundays.
• we have taken teams to foreign countries to reach people with the Good News who otherwise would not have heard it

I have many more examples, but I run the risk of boasting in "us" ... so I'll let those speak, and re-focus your worship on Him with this - without Jesus as a constant guide to my husband and our leadership, we would not be able to do any of these things.  Jesus tells us to go and reach outward. Over and over, again and again, with relentless reminders, encouragement, and His strength.  In a consumer society where most people think church is just another thing to be consumed, Jesus reminds us constantly that the Church is God's people proclaiming His goodness. He is the light, and we are flashlight vessels, purposed to shine into dark places. 

"The greatest challenge for the smaller church is to remain significant in the community." - David Campbell, lead pastor of Timbo Valley Assembly of God in Enrichment Journal: Spring 2013 [Small Church, Big Impact]

We have found a trend during our 13 years of ministry ... people don't usually need much help looking inward.  When you get a hold of Jesus, it's comfortable, rewarding, and natural to care for fellow sheep.  They tend to have similar interests, like Bible study and singing songs together and eating together.  It's even pretty natural for them to care for one another when they are hurting, though that does require a bit of leadership and instruction.  If left to drift, we will most likely drift inward.  With minimal encouragement and guidance, the sheep will care for and about one another.  Which is why a pastor and his leadership team must continue to point and lead them outward.

A church member recently told me, "I wish I could just tell everyone that church is not just about coming to church and sitting there."  I had to laugh.  Coming from me or my husband, that statement means one thing. Coming from a sheep it's an whole other entity.  It's this: I think people may truly be getting [and living] what we've been preaching for nearly six years!

Some balance here, before you think me heartless for people in the pews (that's an inside joke - we don't have pews - we meet in a movie theater): we don't want to communicate to our flock that their needs don't matter. In our outward focus, we never want to lose sight of family. Church is family to us. (That could be why when people leave it feels like abandonment or divorce - I don't know the answer to that one yet.) We love them and we hold them accountable to loving one another.  And many people do need to come to church and just sit. Especially if they've been hurt by Christians before. Or if they've never been to church before.  So, there is a time for that.  Trust is earned, largely.  And in many hearts, we have a long way to go before they will trust us enough to let us point them out.  People's felt needs matter. Their spiritual health matters. 

Community matters.  I should know - I lead the small group ministry. We call it Life Groups, and we like to say we "Do Life Together."  It's probably the most "inward" thing we do as a church.  But even in creating this family-like community where people can find growth, trust, intimacy, and healing ... we still are also reaching out.  We invite others to be a part of these groups, keeping an open-chair mentality, and we are always encouraging people to share with those who don't yet know Christ that they are welcome to come and check Him out - at a small group or on a Sunday.  Healthy Life Groups will be growing spiritually and numerically.  Outreach has quite a bit to do with both.  In a research study on this topic it was found that:

 "Groups that saw their purpose as primarily about reaching out to others were exactly twice as likely to report the highest levels of spiritual vibrancy, compared with those that saw their primary purpose as spiritual growth." -Josh Hunt in Make Your Small Group Grow: Simple Stuff That Really Works 

So what? "What do you want me to do with this, Robyn?" you ask ...

How about this - 

1. If you're in ministry as a pastor, a pastor's wife, or a team leader within a church - take a deep breath and realize we'll most likely always be fighting this uphill battle to keep our churches focused outward, so let Jesus help you every steep step.  This is a battleground where Satan would absolutely love to trick us into thinking church is all about dressing up in our suits and looking pretty for one another.  The Truth is this:

"For the Son of Man came to seek and save those who are lost." -Luke 10:19 (NLT)

Following Christ means we do the same and we teach our flock how to do that too. I can not make it any more simple.

2. If you are attending or belong to a church, follow your shepherd when he goes out.  Pray for your heart to grow in love for the lost.  Know that church is not a building or a place, but God's people coming together to adore Him and proclaim His goodness to those who don't yet know Him or love Him.  Receive wholeness and healing from Christ and His word, and remember that once you have received it, you will be going out.

"You see, we don’t go around preaching about ourselves. We preach that Jesus Christ is Lord, and we ourselves are your servants for Jesus’ sake. For God, who said, “Let there be light in the darkness,” has made this light shine in our hearts so we could know the glory of God that is seen in the face of Jesus Christ. We now have this light shining in our hearts, but we ourselves are like fragile clay jars containing this great treasure. This makes it clear that our great power is from God, not from ourselves." - 2 Corinthians 4:5-7 (NLT)

Light's purpose is only fulfilled in the darkness. The Good News is only news to those who have not yet heard or believed.

We are the church when we reach out.

An update on SIMPLE

To pursue Simple has been mostly counter-cultural. At the dawn of April it's been three months of this word, My One Word, and so far, I can tell you - a simple life is not an easy life.  I cannot drift on the current of breathing and just come upon it, floating there.  Oh no.  I'm swimming upstream, dodging branches, bodies, entangling weeds, and wave after strong wave of urgent (urgent is a noun today - work with me) to get to what it is to be simple.  Many days I don't get there, to that shore, but some days I do.  And oh, is it lovely!

photo credit: KLNphotography

So, practically - 

• I've packed all of my craft supplies away.  And wonder of all wonders, I feel not a twinge of depravity. I don't miss the mess in the playroom, or the constant reminder that I haven't made enough cards for the people I love. As a matter of fact, I haven't even sent the ones I had stocked up!  Jesus requested that I put the hobby aside for a time, and when I did ... well I have a feeling you know how wonderfully rewarding it is to obey.
• I have not painted my finger nails for over 3 months. And - shocker - I do not feel any less beautiful.  I'm not facing insecurity or comparison issues.  The only pain of this sacrifice is when I pass by the aisle in the store and see the pretty colors, but how long does that really last anyway? 30 seconds? Yeah, I'm good. Less wasted time and less frustration when they inevitably chip the next day.
• I have focused more on prayer and less on "doing."  I'm learning the value in praying for people, and letting go of the guilt I feel when I don't bring a meal or pay a visit or bake a cookie.  The simplicity of talking to Him and laying more things into His hands, truly trusting that He is faithful.

And intellectually - I've learned so much too.  It's amazing how often I see the word, the concept, and the practice of Simple when I'm looking for it.  All over my devotions, novels I'm reading, posters, signs, sermons, conversations, and Scripture.  Like these two (ironically from my favorite book of the Bible):

"For our boasting is this: the testimony of our conscience that we conducted ourselves in the world in simplicity and godly sincerity, not with fleshly wisdom but by the grace of God, and more abundantly toward you." -2 Corinthians 1:12 (NKJV)

"But I fear, lest somehow, as the serpent deceived Eve by his craftiness, so your minds may be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ." - 2 Corinthians 11:3 (NKJV)

Isn't it beautiful? The thought, the idea, the practice, the concept - God wants me to live in simplicity?  You mean He is glad when I know one thing - Jesus Christ and following Him?  Today it feels like a breath of fresh air ... as if I've been living in a city of pollution for months.  When the no-name snake comes to slither his way into my mind with corrupting complications do you know what I've been learning to do?  Simple - pray.  Focus back on Christ and what I know of His faithfulness.  Don't get me wrong - some of those re-focusing moments have been the toughest, but when I reach that shore of Simple again ... really - bliss.  Confidence. Strength. Faith. Security.  All that I've been seeking for years.  When the simple grace of God flows through me abundantly toward others rather than some flashy, fleshly intellectualism ... wow.  Humble. Peaceful. Hopeful. Gifts easy to give and even easier to receive.

It feels like ... like I'm really following Jesus, and loving it.

I can't get enough of the simple message of this song.

I need Him. He wants me to need Him.  I'm glad when I realize that need, and the faithfulness of how He meets it every single time.

Have you chosen your One Word for the year? It's not too late.  Here's the link to the website, author, and book that started this movement.  And for a jump start try these simple steps:

• pray - ask God to show you your word
• put aside all of your other "resolutions" (are you still working on January's list - good for you!)
• make a list of words, and let Him help you narrow it down until one remains
• put it in a place you'll see it every day
• open your heart for the rest of 2013 and let Him teach you what it means in your life

If you'd like a handy button like mine:

then you can click on over to Melanie's Blog - if you ask nicely, she just might make you one too ;)

So, to cap off this simple post - 

Lord, thank You so much for the gift of this word.  Thank you for showing me that the struggle to reach simplicity is truly worth it when I get there. Please show me more - here are my hands, open to receive more simple and more of You.  I hope with a confident, assured hope that this year will continue to yield more of this goodness.  Show me more ways to fight off the devil when he tries to tempt me with confusion and needless complexity.  Guide me to more of Your simple truth and please continue to prune my life in ways that will glorify You.  

Book Review Monday - "Soul Detox" by Craig Groeschel

Hi, Reader!  Thanks for joining me here in the nest for another book review on this bright and snowy morning.  When God provides nasty weather ... read!  Today, I've got another wonderful Christian non-fiction by Craig Groeschel - Soul Detox: Clean Living in a Contaminated World (Zondervan).

This was a recommendation from my husband, and I'm so thankful he found it for me.  Pastor Craig is the Lead pastor of Life Church in Oklahoma, and a dynamic speaker and writer.  He did a sermon series along with the book, which you can find here. I listened to them and wanted to also read the book. I'm so glad I did.  

Because my soul has been poisoned.

This book was deeply personal, as intended - a deep-reaching mirror.  The author begins with an introduction of his past with what contaminated his life, detailing how easily we all can be deceived and unaware of just how permeating the toxins have been.  He continues the book in three parts : Toxic Behaviors (self-lies, skeptical thoughts, lethal language, and hidden sin); Toxic Emotions (bitterness, envy, rage, and fear); and Toxic Influences (materialism, culture infection, unhealthy relationships, and bad religion).  What all of these topics have in common is a poisonous effect on our lives and our relationship with God, but Pastor Craig effectively dissects each in unique thoroughness.  I found myself laughing at his light satire of heavy and serious subject matter, as well as stopping mid-page to ponder for long moments in my own soul.  In addition to exploring the problems of these poisons all of humankind has been exposed to, the author successfully spells out the solutions to each and every one- all found in the gracious love of Jesus Christ.  The message repeatedly demonstrates the Gospel lived out in our culture, which is probably why I appreciated it so much.  This book is not just pointing at the contaminates, but it truly illustrates Jesus's power to cleanse and purify all of us.  

Here are some of my favorite quotes:

"One of the greatest stumbling blocks to spiritual growth emerges when we get stuck in our negative, untrue, and impure thoughts instead of making the translation to God's Word."

"Any one of these thoughts can be deadly, and cumulatively they can imprison us in a hellish well of toxic waste. If we want to break free into the exhilarating freedom of God's truth, then we much begin by accurately diagnosing our problem."

"As Christians, we have stronger weapons than knives, guns, and grenades. We have faith, prayer, and God's Word. God wants us to use His weapons to win the battle of the mind. God's truth releases us from the prison of lies."

"If you choose to continue hiding, your sin may take you farther than you wanted to go and cost you more than you ever thought you'd pay. If you're willing to seek God's mercy and face the consequences with the people affected by your sin, you will experience more liberating joy than you ever thought imaginable. It's time to stop hiding and start seeking." 

"The big deal is that allowing envy into your heart is like planting nuclear waste in your flowerbed."

"When we look at other people comparatively and competitively, we're not seeing them as our brothers and sisters. We're not loving them more than we love ourselves, and we're definitely not seeing them as God sees them."

"The "bad" kind of anger, on the other hand, usually results when we lose control of our emotions and take matters into our own hands. Sinful anger is getting angry at something - maybe even something legitimate, something angers God - but then allowing that anger to lead us to do the wrong thing. ... If you open the door to the devil though your anger, you're offering him a guest room inside your heart. Talk about sleeping with the enemy!"

"The way I see it, fear actually relies on faith - it's simply faith in the wrong things. Fear is placing your faith in "what-ifs" rather than in "God is." It's allowing your imagination to wander down a long and dark alley of possibilities and get mugged every couple of steps. Almost everyone who allows themselves to be taken hostage by what-ifs discovers that the only thing binding them is their own imagination."

... I have plenty more, but you'll have to get it for yourself, because I've run out of time today.

I like how the author of Hebrews states: 

"Look after each other so that none of you fails to receive the grace of God. Watch out that no poisonous root of bitterness grows up to trouble you, corrupting many." (12:15 -NLT)

When we look after ourselves and one another, we will be able to receive God's grace and stop every poisonous root - in our hearts, in our churches, and in our communities.

After reading Soul Detox, I have a new vision and useful tools so that I can reach for the pure holiness of God in my life and for the lives of others around me.  I pray that as you read it also, you will find the same.

Happy reading, Friends!

Reading and Writing with you ...

Fridays we write together, but before I get to our prompt, I wanted to also touch on two other themes I'm blogging about lately:  1. Book Review  2. Radically Simple

I finished My One Word this week, which I might not have had it not been that I wanted to complete it for a review here in the nest, as well as for the sake of Simple.  Yes, painful as it is, I'm simplifying my life by reading one book at a time!  *gasp*

This book is wonderfully balanced and theologically spot-on, as well as extremely relevant to our culture and our desires as a church to be more like Christ.  I appreciate how authors Mike Ashcroft and Rachel Olsen have included both personal experience and dozens of unique testimonials from MOW participants over the years.  They outline in practicality how God can change our lives and grow us to maturity if we will allow him to focus our intentions.  They describe not only how to choose your word (with the Spirit's guidance) and also how to follow through for an entire year on one concept rather than making several resolutions that will most likely fall flat.  Ashcroft and Olsen also detail how to make the most of your intentions and involve others in holding you accountable to the change you are aiming for and God is doing in and through you.  The writing is straightforward and concise, making it both an interesting and quick read, to have you off and running with your word.  I appreciate the way Scripture is woven throughout as confirmation to these ideas, and also how they allow voices of others to shine through as they explain their own words and experiences with the change ensued.  Here are a few of my favorite quotes from the book:

"There's power in words. Beauty in words. Grace in words. Words create movement. They craft nations. They seal a marriage. They cast vision. They make us laugh. They focus our attention. They expand our horizons. They stimulate our creativity. And they script our possibilities."  [shocker]

[of the MOW FLOW] "It awakened something in me. Not a compulsive desire to change born out of being sick of the way I was, but a desire to live an authentic life that flowed from my relationship with Christ."

"We're so busy with the surface-level things of life that we forget to number our days and ted to our hearts. We become so preoccupied with getting our lives to a manageable point or a better future that we miss both the moment right now and the reality of a coming eternity"

"To claim we can make ourselves into anything we want is to deny that we are the created not the Creator. Reality is we are made by God, for his purposes. How much potential can we truly have apart form Him?"

"The aim is for you to use your one word to get into focused posture and remain there while you depend on Christ [to mold you]."

"Your reaction or mindless drift into temptation happens in a moment. You must create the space in that moment to see what is happening and then to make a decision. The key is to isolate and examine the specific thought or belief that's driving your desire in that moment. Take it captive; identify it. Then stack it up against the knowledge of God."

"When God delays, we will tend to distrust. We will lose focus. We fill int the suspicious gaps with what we would do if we were God."

"We try to live our lives from destination to destination, but the condition of our heart is measured in the moments in between."

I hope you'll enjoy My One Word too!

And now for our writing prompt, since it is Friday, after all!

photo credit: google images

When my grandchildren ask about me and my generation, I would like to tell them ...



“A bird doesn't sing because it has an answer, it sings because it has a song.” 
― Maya Angelou