The prophet Malachi was the last prophet before the New Testament. The last words spoken to the Jewish people from the Living God before 400 years of silence. These are the final Words given to them after He reprimanded them for lack of love, lack of leadership, lack of holiness, lack of obedience in giving, and then finally speaking this…
“For behold, the day is coming, burning like a furnace; and all the arrogant and every evildoer will be chaff; and the day that is coming will set them ablaze,” says the Lord of armies, “so that it will leave them neither root nor branches. But for you who fear My name, the sun of righteousness will rise with healing in its wings; and you will go forth and frolic like calves from the stall. And you will crush the wicked underfoot, for they will be ashes under the soles of your feet on the day that I am preparing,” says the Lord of armies.
“Remember the Law of Moses My servant, the statutes and ordinances which I commanded him in Horeb for all Israel. Behold, I am going to send you Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great and terrible day of the Lord. He will turn the hearts of the fathers back to their children and the hearts of the children to their fathers, so that I will not come and strike the land with complete destruction.” Malachi 4.
And then silence. No other words. Nothing else said. Silence.
For 400 years.
In the study of numbers in scripture four hundred means “divinely perfect”. This leads us to believe this was a perfectly orchestrated period of time.
400 years.
For 4,800 months.
For 20,857 weeks.
For 146,000 days.
For 3,504,000 hours.
For 210,240,000 minutes.
For 12,614,400,000 seconds.
No Words from God.
Take a moment to think about how life would be without any Words from God. No vision, no comfort, no direction, no leading and guiding – nothing.
And then we have Zacharias having an “ambush” moment while offering in the holy of holies. The angel of the Lord said to him, “Do not be afraid, Zacharias, for your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you will give him the name John. You will have joy and gladness and will be great in the sight of the Lord; and he will drink no wine or liquor, and he will be filled with the Holy Spirit while yet in his mother’s womb. And he will turn many of the sons of Israel back to the Lord their God. It is he who will go as the forerunner before Him in the spirit and power of Elijah, to turn the hearts of the Fathers back to the children, and the disobedient to the attitude of the righteous, to make ready a people prepared for the Lord. Zechariah said to the angel, “How will I know this? For I am an old man, and my wife is advanced in her years.” The angel answered and said to him, “I am Gabriel, who stands in the presence of God, and I was sent to speak to you and to bring you this good news. And behold, you will be silent and unable to speak until the day when these things take place, because you did not believe my words, which will be fulfilled at their proper time.” Luke 1:13-20.
And then Zacharias was silent.
And soon the silence stopped. And the One True God came to earth for such at time as this, perfectly placed and perfectly planned.
We sing songs in worship, but do we slow to think of who wrote them, how they came about, what they say and define? I heard it once said that Christians don’t tell lies, they sing them. While I know that is not true for all of us, I dare say that it can be said of all of us from time to time. I do love that the Christmas season brings about its own songs for us to sing and celebrate the Savior with. My absolute favorite Christmas song to be sang is “O Holy Night!” or “Mary did you know?” and then we cannot forget “Silent Night”. Each with their own passion, story and intimacy. I know I should choose one of those for this section, but the Lord has led me to another song. I was introduced to this song last year and I am forever thankful to the Lord for it. The most powerful foundation of this song is the Living Word of God.
Singing the Word of God is the most powerful praise we can give. These are the moments when we know that Christ is exalted and not ourselves. These are the Words written and given for mankind to know The Lord better and as we sing Him,we come in contact with a greater purpose and a greater experience than ourselves. These are the Romans 12 moments of the renewing of our minds and the proving of God’s perfect Will.
Risen Savior (Sing My Soul)
Who bore our sin Who took our shame? The Lamb of God Holy and righteous is His name. (1 Peter 2:24)
Sing my soul, sing out and bless the Lord For He has overcome, Oh by His precious blood Now He’s lifted high, come let us lift our eyes Set them on Jesus Christ, He is our Risen Savior
(Psalm 103-104, Philippians 2:9-11)
Who heals our wounds Who knows our pain? The Lamb of God Holy and Righteous is His name Nothing can ever take His place. (1 Peter 2:24)
Sing my soul, sing out and bless the Lord For He has overcome, Oh by His precious blood Now He’s lifted high, come let us lift our eyes Set them on Jesus Christ, He is our Risen Savior (Psalm 103-104, Philippians 2:9-11)
Let the earth be filled with Glory Let our hearts be filled with praise You are worthy, God Almighty Holy, Holy, Holy
(Psalm 72:19; Revelation 4:8-11)
Is it a coincidence that when the church or the Christian sings the Words “You are worthy, God Almighty, Holy! Holy! Holy!” the atmosphere changes. The environment changes. These Words are being said by angels even now as we sit reading these Words. The Heavens are declaring Him! The advent is really all about sitting and recognizing that He is Worthy, He is God Almighty, and that He is HOLY! HOLY! HOLY!
The Genealogy of Jesus the Messiah – Matthew 1:1-17
The record of the genealogy of Jesus the Messiah, the son of David, the son of Abraham:
Abraham fathered Isaac, Isaac fathered Jacob, and Jacob fathered Judah and his brothers. Judah fathered Perez and Zerah by Tamar, Perez fathered Hezron, and Hezronfathered Ram. Ram fathered Amminadab, Amminadab fathered Nahshon, and Nahshon fathered Salmon. Salmon fathered Boaz by Rahab, Boaz fathered Obed by Ruth, and Obed fathered Jesse. Jesse fathered David the king.
David fathered Solomon by Bathsheba, who had been the wife of Uriah. Solomon fathered Rehoboam, Rehoboam fathered Abijah, and Abijah fathered Asa. Asa fathered Jehoshaphat, Jehoshaphat fathered Joram, and Joram fathered Uzziah. Uzziah fathered Jotham, Jotham fathered Ahaz, and Ahaz fathered Hezekiah. Hezekiah fathered Manasseh, Manasseh fathered Amon, and Amon fathered Josiah. Josiahfathered Jeconiah and his brothers, at the time of the deportation to Babylon.
After the deportation to Babylon: Jeconiah fathered Shealtiel, and Shealtiel fathered Zerubbabel. Zerubbabel fathered Abihud, Abihud fathered Eliakim, and Eliakim fathered Azor. Azor fathered Zadok, Zadok fathered Achim, and Achim fathered Eliud. Eliud fathered Eleazar, Eleazar fathered Matthan, and Matthan fathered Jacob. Jacob fathered Joseph the husband of Mary, by whom Jesus was born, who is called the Messiah.
17 So all the generations from Abraham to David are fourteengenerations; from David to the deportation to Babylon, fourteengenerations; and from the deportation to Babylon to the Messiah, fourteen generations.
Have we ever slowed down long enough to investigate the names represented in this lineage of grace? When I was in high school looking into the word of God asking what I should study next, He led me to the lineage. These names, these people, and their stories are not here by accident. They each represent another pillar of grace shown upon all of humanity. When you review the fact that there are men from all walks of life and every journey known to man and they are the foundational rocksof welcoming the Savior of the world. And five women. Five. Five is the number for grace in scripture that can be found all over the Word of God reflecting His grace on our lives, and He chose to give us five women in the lineage that represent each of us.
Tamar: the unwanted.
Rahab: the mistreated.
Ruth: the forgotten.
Bathsheba: the taken.
Mary: the misunderstood.
These women represent all of us. None of us are left out and the Lord cherished them and chose to call them blessed. They experience the Christ in many ways and one of the most powerful being through the birth of their own children. The welcome of holding their own children, was partially welcoming the Christ. And when does the advent season truly being? I challenge that it took place every moment of every day, but especially in these families at the birth of the next generation. The longing for the coming of Christ dictated their very existence and their family purpose – but did they know it? With the creation of every new generation, they were one step closer to the Christ. Could the same be said of us?
And then we have fourteen generations between Abraham and David, David to Babylon deportation, Babylon deportation to Jesus. Is that a coincidence? I say not. The number fourteen represents a double measure of spiritual perfection. But that is an entire study all its own, which I encourage you into more. The linage of Jesus is more than words on a page. It contains the power and the presence of the Holy Spirit in its every motion. The enemy tried in many ways to destroy these people too… but he failed. Just as he will fail in our lives and in our journeys. Our High King has the victory, and we are privileged to walk in that truth and with that banner over us. May we celebrate the birth of each new generation of believers in our midst as that is one more day closer to His second coming. And may we rest in His goodness as we reflect on all He has done inus and for us, even then things that we are unaware of.
“Life moves at the speed of your age. Use your time wisely because it only speeds up,” my dad said.
I remember hearing this as a 9-year-old girl begging to hurry up my birthday to turn 10 years old. It couldn’t happen fast enough. The days wouldn’t move fast enough. My father reminded me of the fact that when you are 9-year-old, you are moving at 9 miles per hour in time. Same holds true today, I am currently moving at 37 miles per hour and when my father took his last breath, he was moving at 77 miles per hour.
My dad taught me to be a good human above everything else. Work hard. Take care of family. Love with all you have. Love the Lord. Give when no one is looking. If you can, pick up the bill for others from time to time. Smile. Give thanks. Be gentle with your children – a try to be more kind than not. Eat the cookie. Let the kids eat the cookies. Make vacations important. Make memories more important. Always cheer for the VOLS and be confident they will win the next game. Never get too excited about the Braves until the post season. Go to church. Sing. If you have a gift, use it. Appreciate good music. Stay away from the drink – it will only lead to trouble. Pay your debts. Be proud to be an American. Go on mountain picnics. Spend time with family. Chili is always better the second day. The Lord will always deal with those who do wrong. Bologna sandwiches and white bread should be had on Saturday afternoons. Drink coffee. Laugh. If it is not in writing, it didn’t happen – keep a record. Sometimes the GPS takes you through small towns when the map actually has a main highway, (sorry about that time going to the beach). Keep the unity. Laugh. Try not to talk so loud and so much. Be a good steward with what you have been given. Return what you borrow. Always go and vote. Take care of your equipment and it won’t let you down. Some things you don’t cut corners on. Heart ache happens – but you have to get back up. You cannot help everyone. Don’t spend money you do not have.
And the way my father loved, was found in the powerful demonstration of how he died.
He led in love. Now, he had grumpy moments. We all do. Especially on the travel day to vacation. As many know and many may not know, my dad has nearly died many times over the last seven years he has seen many incredibly dark and difficult days with his own health. More than once, we thought we had lost him. More than once, we were knocking on death’s door. Not to mention, his and my mom’s first-born son, Robbie, was stillborn. And then watching both of his parents pass away and then his older brother. Then, three years ago, he had to endure yet another death of his oldest daughter, Robin, due to Covid-19. But through it all – his eyes were on the Lord. But through it all – his faith grew. Not to mention a grandson born prematurely and concerns he would even live, a granddaughter who was born with a cleft lip and palate, another granddaughter not able to have children, five adopted great-grandchildren who each have their stories of their own of pain and heart ache.
I pray that I may learn to live in the sufferings the way he did. I pray my family feels the depth of love for me when my day comes as we did for him. When he passed from death to true, abundant life, it was the most special moment of my life. Sunday had been another really rough day with him calling in the middle of morning church needing me and my brother to come and help him immediately. This had happened a few times, so we knew the drill and took off. We were able to stabilize him and bring peace to some discomfort. Now, we were planning a big family gathering to celebrate my most “princess” niece leaving for college – but dad wasn’t up for it, which was not the normal. So, we chose to forgo our normal big family time and met up for Twister’s ice cream. And then my sweet sister-in- law messaged us to get home quickly. In that moment, I knew something was different. The ambulance was on the way again – my sister-in-law screaming for me to hurry from the top of the steps, and then “crisis-mode Heather” arrived again to the scene. My middle school nephew helped me launch him from the bed to the floor to begin chest compressions until the ambulance arrived. For nearly 12 minutes his heart was stopped. He was gone.
All the years of dropping everything and running to save him were over. He was gone.
Until he wasn’t – his heart started again. He was quickly taken to the closest hospital for immediate attention. For an hour we waited. No answers, and no updates – just wondering if he was going to pull through this one too like all of the rest. From the moment the word was spoken, the family rallied together. Brother and I sitting together again at the hospital – this time without our sister. We, of course, laughing at the many moments of opportunity to find something to laugh at in the strangest of circumstances in a hospital ER waiting room. After many hours of waiting, we were able to transfer to our preferred hospital at UT Medical Center – thankful by ambulance and not by helicopter. A story for another day. The team of experts whipped into gear. And they began to prepare us for the worst of news. At 9:30 AM, we received the news that we knew was coming. The benefit of a loving family and the importance of teaching your children to be good humans is that our parents also taught us how to think about things. My brother and I were perfectly aligned in every decision.
And the family was called – and they came. Every single one of them. Not a soul missing from the room.
As we gathered, it was difficult for many to see him living on a ventilator with small tremors due to neurological damage. It was difficult to see him without a smile on his face and his hand in the air with his notorious wave. A note to consider, this week of August, three years prior, we were living the journey of the pandemic and the loss of my sister. She passed away alone on a ventilator at UT Medical Center. None of us were there – which is not who we are. We are a family that does it all together – a unit. We hurt together and celebrate together. The number three in the studies of biblical numerology means “divine perfection”. And it is very clear on this day, this week was divinely perfected.
As we joined arms and hands to surround my dad – we each became the Kingdom Priests we were designed to be. We laughed, we cried. We sang, we prayed. We held one another. We joined together to celebrate the last moments of his powerful life. In the moments when they removed the ventilator, we each watched the breathing slow and the heart slow. As we did, the worship music continued as we watched him be ushered into his eternal Heavenly home. And then Dante Bowe’s song “Voice of God” came on, and we knew it would be soon. The pulse paused on 22 beats per minute for several moments. Breathing non-existent. There are 22 letters of the Hebrew alphabet – all must be present to relay the message. All of the adults of our family were in the room. We all had to be present to hear the message.
The lyrics to Voice of God, Dante Bowe:
“And I can hear it on the wind of an early morning, When the fog is getting thick and the birds are chirping Oh, it’s just something I can’t explain, no But it makes me wanna cry And I can hear it in the hush of a midnight hour When I’m alone in my room, if I’m going under Oh, I just can’t explain, no But it brings me back to life It’s like the sound of a newborn baby crying, yeah Like the final breath of a loved one passing Oh, it’s a beautiful thing, yeah ‘Cause it leads me to the light”
As the song played on, we held at 13 beats per minute – 13. In scripture the number 13 holds a similar connection to the number 8 – new beginnings. There is a great study about numerology by EW Bullinger that gives intense insight into 13. But in this day – I am going with 8 + 5 = 13. Eight meaning new beginnings and five meaning grace. This moment was definitely one of new beginnings and grace – as we watched, healed, comforted, celebrated and embraced. We prayed for grace and mercy in this moment. We begged God to bring peace and to be quick in receiving my father, and he definitely did. As He always does. And He continues to confirm His steps in us using all the ways He created.
When you lose a loved one, especially a parent, you never know all the things they did before you were born. You only know what they tell you. In navigating through his perfectly put together paperwork, we were able to see some of the many accolades He received, and never spoke of. Below I wanted to brag on my awesome dad –
“It is indeed a rare experience to be assigned such an outstanding individual as Airman Arnold…. His initiative and ability to readily comprehend carried him through a very trying time. He has amazed this individual with his intensive interest in his work. He has spent many overtime hours on his own, to achieve reporting accuracy. This zealous attention to duty is greatly appreciated by the Base Civil Engineer Cost Section and by me. Had it not been for Airman Arnold, it would have been impossible to meet the due date of the quarterly cost reports.” Department of Air Force, 1967
“It is my sincere pleasure to inform you that your son A1C Kenneth E. Arnold has been selected as George AFB Comptroller Airman of the Month for the month of April 1968. You may be justly proud of your son’s accomplishment. The criteria for selection are stringent and competition is exceedingly rigorous. Each individual selected must excel in a wide variety of areas including performance of assigned duties, initiative, job knowledge, special achievements, acceptance of responsibility, military bearing, courtesy, moral character, integrity, attitude and many others. A1C Arnold’s selection as Comptroller Airman of the Month reflects great credit upon himself and you, his parents. Again, may I offer my congratulations for our son’s very commendable achievement.” Major Saunders, USAF
“There has never been a piano player who played with such passion and talent.” Everyone he played with.
This man, our father, was truly one of a kind. I pray the life I live and the lives I shepherd are always a reflection of his life well lived.
Death and life are in the power of the tongue, and those who love it will eat its fruit. Proverbs 18:21
No book on this earth can replace the power of the Word of God. No words on this earth hold a candle to the power find through opening the Holy Word and soaking it in. There is not a book greater than His Book, the love letter written with me in mind. We are what we put in. If I enjoy my cheeseburgers and cheesecake every day of my life, my body will be a reflection of that. The same holds true for the soul. If I neglect the very words that bring life to my soul and mind, I will flounder in the wind.
I’ve been asked many times “what are you reading?” or “is this a good book?” or “what can I do to change my circumstance or be more joyful?” A few weeks ago, I began to really look at my bookshelves and realize the books I have read over the course of my short 37 years have brought great impact to my outlook on life, my perspective on my circumstances on life and what I have chosen to impact my head space. So, this blog is a little unique, as I am sharing the books that have meant something to me – but come highly recommended.
Disclaimer: I do not necessarily agree with all of the authors stance on many things, so please do not use this message as an attempt on anything ugly. I am stating that these specific books pushed me, challenged me, and encouraged me. These books below are never meant to replace the time spent with the Word of God – only to enhance the time spent. Here we go….
The Autobiography of George Muller; Corrie Ten Boom; Prayers that Avail Much by Copeland; The Power of a Praying Wife by Omartian; Praying through the Names of God by Tony Evans; Secrets of the Secret Place by Bob Sorge and One Thousand Gifts by Ann Voscamp.
These books are some of the books I have owned and read for more than twenty years and some I just added within the last five. These books keep me grounded in my faith as they are foundational reminders to the scriptures that are so dear to my soul and give the life that continues to keep me moving in my darkest moments. They are tools in guiding me to the quiet stillness moments with my Lord. They are the constant visuals of continued mission. Our days are difficult – my life is full of uphill climbs, and I am sure so is yours… but these are core foundational reminders to keep the faith and stay connected to the only Life Giving Vine we know.
Two of these are daily prayer books that can be utilized to assist in daily prayer time [#3&4]. Two of these are stories of people you cannot find in existence anymore – they walked so closely with God the earth shook when they awoke [#1&2]. The other three are made up of helpful reminders of the importance of time alone with God [#6], time of gratitude during every day darkness [#7] and a reminder that every jot and tittle are not wasted in God’s word [#5].
Praying Circles Around Your Children by Mark Batterson; My Utmost for His Highest by Oswald Chambers; Upside Down Prayers for Parents by Bergren; Raising Kingdom Kids by Tony Evans; Kingdom Marriage by Tony Evans; Parenting by Tripp; New Morning Mercies by Tripp
These incredible books tell stories over my life. My Utmost for His Highest was first published in 1924 by Chambers’ widow [#2]. I can remember opening this devotional book for the first time in high school – I stole my mom’s book – and thinking about how timeless it was for our lives even today. These words ring loudly with wisdom and truths that are very uncommon to our culture, but dripping with the Spirit of God. Also, New Morning Mercies [#7], is a beautiful daily devotional read that was gifted to me by a very dear friend. They are full of powerful reminders a daily truths for today.
Praying Circles Around Your Children and Upside Down Prayers for Parents [#1&3] are also full of unique and counter-culture reminders and prayers applicable to the little humans you may be raising. Raising children is one of the most crucial positions and mission I hold and I cannot tell you how ill-equipped I often feel. These little reads are great reminders on how to stay focused on what truly matters and dismiss the rest. Numbers 4, 5 & 6 will give you great hope while dismantling all of the ugly found within your own selfish soul. I have a love and hate relationship with all three of these books because they enlighten me to many of my own character flaws which brings great pain, but it is the much needed, good pain. They have helped me grow more than so many other books I have touched.
The Pit with a Lion on a Snowy Day by Mark Batterson; Grave Robber by Mark Batterson; You and Me Forever by Francis & Lisa Chan; Crazy Love by Francis Chan; You Were Made for More by Jim Cymbala; Spirit Rising by Jim Cymbala; Fresh Faith and Fresh Power by Jim Cymbala; Not Forsaken by Louis Giglio; For the Love by Jen Hatmaker; Seven by Jen Hatmaker; Here, Now by Kate Merrick; Adopted for Life by Moore; Forgiving What You Can’t Forget by Lysa Terkeurst; The Broken Way by Ann Voscamp.
WOW – each of these books I can tell you were I sat and what season of life I was in while I was reading them. The Fresh Faith and Fresh Power Cymbala books take me all the way back to high school reading. I know I was a nerd and not the normal high school student, just ask my youth pastor who was charged with dealing with me and my constant push for more! And the Batterson books which helped my not long after the death of my sister with navigating who my God says He is. And of course the Hatmaker books which lightened my up from religion and thrusted me into more of relationship and laughter with my God. And the timely book that I had read many years ago, The Broken Way by Ann Voscamp, which taught me foundational truths before I knew I would really need them.
Here, Now – a wake up call to all who cannot seem to stop letting life control them. And Adopted for Life – the awesomeness about how we are all adopted in Christ and how that parallels for those littles among us adopted into our family home. Crazy Love by Chan will challenge you – if you think you love God, read this. It will make you think twice about what love really is. You Were Made for More by Cymbala – I remember reading all of NYC when me and my husband Clif went on a couples only weekend trip to hear from God and photograph the city. It was a powerful weekend of renewal and goodness for us both and this was my book of choice. Never would I dream our family and home would look the way it does now. Every day I am blessed.
And of course, You and Me Forever a great marriage book and tool to be the guideposts on this journey. And Forgiving What You Cannot Forget – speaks for itself. A Powerful Read to stop the victim card being played in your life. And Not Forsaken by Giglio – exactly that… all are must go to’s. And reminder books for life.
Prayers that Avail Much for Women, Copeland; How Successful People Lead, Maxwell; Minute Motivators for Leaders; Slow Down by Nordeman; Simple Truths of Service; Go-Giver; Rainmaker; The 12 Week Year; The Sensational Salesman, Cummings; Live Love Lead by Houston; Spiritual Leadership by Blackaby; FISH; Inside the Magic Kingdom – Disney’s Success; Customer Satisfaction is Worthless Customer Loyalty is Priceless.
Each of these are business, sales, leadership, customer service, good human books. I could go into detail, but honestly, each of these have nuggets of goodness and best practices for all. If you are in business at all – read them all. If you are a leader at all, read them all.
CS Lewis; Francine Rivers; Karen Kingsbury – best fiction authors with purpose
These are some of the best fiction books and series I have ever read with a greater purpose. The Magicians Nephew by CS Lewis is the first book in the Chronicles of Narnia Series – A MUST READ. The Screwtape Letters is a book written by the demons who are trying to destroy a human’s life. It gives great perspective on our days of living today, even though written many years ago. Rejoice is in the first series of the 20+ book series of the Baxter Family books by Karen Kingsbury. I couldn’t find my first book, Redemption, I am sure I loaned it out – but these are a powerful fiction read of a family living life with problems growing their faith. I believe many of us can relate.
Angels Walking series is another set of books by Karen Kingsbury that speaks to how the angels walk among us – such a great fiction by bound in truth read! Francine Rivers is one of the most historical fiction authors I’ve ever read – she will create stories within a biblical era and do great things with not being against scripture, but building the stories out. Sons of Encouragement and Lineage of Grace are great examples of this. Also, my favorite series of ALL Time is the Mark of the Lion Series which begins with Voice in the Wind. Redeeming Love – read it the first time in 24 hours. I am thankful there is one who passionately pursues my soul in this way. Even after I leave and flee so very often. I highly recommend each of these great literary marvels!
Multiply by Francis Chan; Walking with God in Every Season- Ecclesiastes/SongofSolomon/Lamentations, Arthur/Delacy; Ezra/Nehemiah/Esther by Arthur/Delacy; 40 minute studies by Arthur/Delacy; Waymaker by Ann Voscamp; No Other Gods by Minter; Gideon by Priscilla Shirer; Radical by David Platt, The Broken Way by Ann Voscamp; Breathe by Priscilla Shirer; Covenant by Kay Arthur; not listed: PRECEPT UPON PRECEPT by Kay Arthur
Discipleship Books – each and every one of these have unlocked a powerful truth about my God. If you are looking for core foundational truths that challenge you and encourage you in your relationship with God, these are great studies that will grow you and take you deeper in fellowship with the Lord. Each of these will guide you in the Truth of the Word and the hope of tomorrow. The bible study of Gideon, for example, Priscilla Shirer unpacks the story of Gideon. The powerful truth of how our God looks at a scared man fearing for his life and calls him a “Valiant Warrior.” Even when our actions don’t line up, our God still speaks truth over us. A great place to start bible studies is on precept.org – they have studies for all walks of life and all ages.
I know this is a lot to share on this amazing Christmas Eve – but today is the day to start to read. Reading changes an atmosphere. What we are putting in is either bringing death or life. Choose to turn the TV and the Facebook off today and pick up a book that will bring life! Make the most of 2023 – make it different than the last.
Polish on toes. What is that about? Who decided it would be a good idea and that you cannot dare wear sandals without them being polished? Who made this declaration? Who put these chains on me?!?
Polished toenails are beautiful, don’t get me wrong. But when did they turn from being a fun thing to do, to a down right chore that keeps me from showing them bare?
As of late, I have purposely kept my toes unpolished. Wanna know why? A few reasons: 1. I couldn’t stand the thought of doing it. Why does it bother me so much? Not having my toenails polished? What is at the root of this? 2. If I struggled with having my toes bare, who else might? Is there something deeper with this than just the fact that my toes aren’t polished? 3.The idea that this could be really interesting to see what people have to say about it, will they notice? Duh, they’ll notice, but will they actual say anything… Or just think weird things about me? LOL! 4. I’m just weird and think about polishing my toenails way too much. So much, I am now writing about it.
So, I am still left with the same thought… Why does this matter? What does polished toenails represent? They say- you’ve made time to take care of your toes; you make good money so you can even pay someone to take care of your toes; you’re fashionable; you like to have everything put together at all times; everything is always good when the toes are polished; a woman who has all of the plates in the air spinning in perfect harmony…. These may not be what they say to you, but sometimes these can/are true. Well, at least to me.
Why is it that I feel like I need to make an excuse to all mankind about why my toes aren’t polished? Why does anyone care? Why do I care? Maybe because I feel like I am showing weakness in myself if my toes aren’t polished…. Maybe it means I am not super woman and that maybe, just maybe, I might not have it altogether. Maybe it means that I really am too busy for taking care of myself and that some of these things in life that demand so much out of me really do need to stop. Maybe it signifies that I AM NOT PERFECT!
Maybe, naked toes are just the ticket to remind me and everyone around me that God never called us to be perfect…. He called us to be Holy. Maybe, I will keep naked toes until they can find their proper place in my life and in the scheme of eternity.
Everything we do, whether in word or deed, is to give glory to the One who made us. May my toes bring You the glory You deserve. Thank You for teaching through my naked toes.
PS. My toes are polished in this pic. 😑 The struggle is real.
So the battle is real. What happens to the moms that the Lord clearly ordains to have a career? How does a woman deal with that? What does His Word say about it? What do His people say about it? Why is there such guilt and frustration? What is the actual truth about this?
I am finding that a few years back my world shifted. I was always focused on education and career, but at no point did I ever slow down long enough to ask the Lord about what I do with all of this when babies come! (Plus I had a few extra years to think about it because baby did not come very easily, well at least not in my timeframe). Then she did come. Precious baby girl, Miss Georgia Ruth. I was now called mommy. This was a new title. One I was unfamiliar with. One that had more honor than all others… Except one, wife.
What do I do with this? How do I manage my time? My thoughts? My heart? My focus?
I was somewhat angry when I had to go back to work and take her to her new daytime sitters- her Gigi and her Mamaw and Papaw. I know, I’m a brat, how do you complain when you are blessed to have grandparents watch your precious girl??? Eh, anyone can complain about anything at anytime. It comes with our bag of bones… Somewhat natural.
Anyway, the struggle was real. Since I was young, I would daily ask the Father to give wisdom. I knew early, only by the grace of God, that I clearly did not know or understand A LOT and that I was going to need His wisdom in all things. I wondered why He didn’t tell me “hey dear, you might want to save your money so you can take a few years off when you have children…..” Or I wondered why didn’t some honest, amazing women tell me that. I regretted not planning well.
And then I went into a season where I was seeking wholeheartedly what the Lord wanted me to do for a career. My prayer was that He would tell me to quit my job and completely live by faith on where each meal was coming from. But He didn’t. My prayer was that He would tell me and Clif to pack up and move to some big adventure on mission with Him- Southeast Asia, NYC, Washington DC, anywhere really! But He didn’t. My prayer was that He would quadruple Clif’s salary and then I would just quit and do mommy stuff all day. But He didn’t.
He chose to increase my salary and give me a new mission in my career. He chose to give me great opportunity for advancement and great traveling opportunities. He chose to do the one thing I didn’t pray or ask for, but He made it clear where He wanted me to go, what He wanted me to do and where He wanted me to do it.
So what now? What happens to the dreams of having lunch on a Tuesday with baby girl? What happens to the ideas and desires of having a garden and growing our food and making beautiful flower beds? What happens to being around every time she is sick, every time she does something funny and every time you think she may become a homeschooled child?
And today was no different. Asking the same ole questions, but today He answered. Today, He spoke words that penetrated to my heart. Stop complaining and be thankful. Stop comparing and be thankful. Stop being so self-centered and BE THANKFUL. Joy cannot be where complaining, comparing and self-centeredness are. Be joyful. Stop looking twenty years ahead and live today. Be in today. Be thankful for today.
Stop viewing my circumstances as bad and start being thankful for each and every one.
Enjoy today. Have gratitude today.
Father, forgive me for my lack of thankfulness for my amazing husband, amazing daughter AND amazing career. Father, did you not make both the career mom and the stay at home mom? Did you not speak to both and give each of them their mission? Will you not supply all of our needs? Do you not take care of the birds, so you will also take care of me? Father, have you not told me that I will face trials of many kinds, but through them all, have joy!?! Lord Jesus, forgive me for all of my failures to say thank you. Father, help me to see every day as a new day and a new set of joy to be walked in. I pray that I never participate in the things You don’t want me to. I pray each day is lived as YOU perfectly planned it to be. Thank you for Your grace.
Okay, there is conviction… and then there is CONVICTION. This book has challenged me to study God’s Word to see what it means to truly be a disciple of Jesus Christ. I have been a believer and follower of Jesus since I was 12 years old. In many ways, I have been blessed with Godly wisdom to avoid some of the major pitfalls of this life. However, in many ways the plumb line that I had used against myself was not the Living Word of God, and definitely not the Saviour of the Universe.
Now that I have seen, I am responsible.
I have always struggled with how the Living Word was supposed to scrub up against the life of the a 21st Century American Christian. This book has caused me to focus on 7 major areas of my life and hold them up against the Word of God. Those areas are: Clothes, Spending, Waste, Food, Possessions, Media & Stress. At first glace, you might think, “I do okay in those areas..”. If you feel like you are good and have accomplished all that Jesus has for you, read this book. If you feel like you are obedient in most areas of your life, read this book. If you feel like you have no real understanding of what God says about these areas, read this book (and then become a Berean and study it out).
Jen doesn’t seek to be the end all, be all about these issues mentioned. My understanding is that she just wants the American Church of Jesus to study out how our lives actually line up with the Word of God. Our view of Christianity is skewed by an American worldview, and not a Jesus worldview.
If you dare to go and pick this book up, be prepared to be challenged. Be warned, this book is not for the weary. Actually, the weary might just be the very one intended to read it!
Happy to you in finding your alter to fall upon with all of your idols! Get ready! Don’t say I didn’t warn you… (btw we all have idols). Remember we have a loving Saviour who is willing to show grace to all, may repentance be near.
This book. This book. Wow. This book. Okay, so my girl Francine Rivers has challenged my knowledge of God’s Word once again. Francine writes a beautifully anointed book in exploring every avenue of scripture. She doesn’t just focus on the text, but the historical, physical and sociological climate of our scriptures.
This book explores the lives of five men in scripture: The Priest (Aaron), The Warrior (Caleb), The Prince (Jonathon), The Prophet (Amos) & The Scribe (Silas).
These men each faced extraordinary days in walking with the Unseen God of the Hebrews. These men were placed in positions that no one else had ever faced and were forced to choose- follow Him faithfully & fearlessly OR disobey and walk away from the only peace and truth they’d ever known.
Not only does Francine challenge us with her sanctified imagination of scripture, but she follows up each section with a dive straight into the Living Word of God. It is always important to decipher between what we actually know from scripture and what is sanctified imagination, but Francine paints crucial pictures for all believers everywhere to study out further.
This book has challenged me in ways I never could’ve dreamed. It has also taught me how to view each person in our Holy Scriptures: real, sinful people born of the same dust as me. These people were not super heroes. These people were common. These people only accomplished what they did for the Kingdom because the Spirit of the Living God was upon them. Lord, may I be one who is known as a girl with the Spirit….
So, I had a friend ask me if I remembered what book she was reading when she went to the beach. I did not go to the beach with her. How in the world should I know?! In her defense, we speak of what we are reading to each other all of the time, but her beach trip was a long time ago… months at least. We quote books to each other or call each other by names of characters that we either want to be or we want to meet. She was trying to calculate how many books she had read this year…. I think her total was 15! FIFTEEN BOOKS! It is only October. The middle of October at that. But her conversation got me thinking…. I have read a lot of books this year too. I have read a lot of personal Christian growth books and a lot of Christian fiction books. And even the occasional, non Christian fiction…. please don’t condemn me to Hell yet…. But why do I do that? What’s the big deal with reading… shouldn’t reading the Bible be enough. Why the extra, what’s the point?
The Lord had shown me many years ago through a great Christian friend and through a book called Spiritual Leadership by Henry Blackaby, that spiritual leaders read. Why do spiritual leaders read? And who are spiritual leaders…. pastors?teachers? Or does scripture say more than that? Titus 2 says older women lead younger women and the same for men. So all older women and men are spiritual leaders? Or does that mean older men and women in the faith? If that is the case, would I not be a spiritual leader to my 2 year old daughter? Or the new believer that just joined the family of faith? I think it is safe to say YES! I am! But if I am, so are you!
So my journey has led me to a lot of different books that I received powerful messages from God. Insert clause here: If you are not reading and studying God’s Word as a daily practice, then you do not need any of these books. The Word of God must take ultimate authority over your life and your time. If it doesn’t, focus on that first. Okay, off of soap box. Now, if you are spending time in God’s Word and you just can’t get enough and you want more and more and more…. THEN READ! Over the next few weeks (well, until the Lord tells me to do something different), I am going to be highlighting different books that I have read lately OR over my Christian journey that have impacted my life for the Kingdom.
I will be sharing my thoughts and the messages that the Lord printed on my heart through the works of my brothers and sisters in the Kingdom. So stay tuned for the multitudes of books about to invade your blog world!! It’s going to be a fun ride!
The Journey 