Be Still My Heart

My front porch where I sit quietly with my family each night to watch the sunset and to drink in a moment of peace, the fresh outdoors and a moment to be still.

“As mothers and fathers, it is so easy to get distracted by the details of our lives. We have so much to do! We must feed our children well and take care of their health. We must oversee their education and their training to make sure they will be able to take care of themselves and live in a civilized society. We train them in righteousness so they may understand how God wants them to live. We try to relate to them in mature ways and help them learn to have healthy relationships."

But with this busyness of life, it is possible to miss the sacred gift of enjoying each moment, each day, each precious person who enters the walls of our home and to be mindful that this day will never come again in the just the same way. ”

-The Ministry of Motherhood

Sword of the Spirit:

“Be still, and know that I am God. I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth!” Psalm 46:10

Live it out today:

It is a great responsibility to be a mother, a cultivator of beauty and nurturer of souls.

If you are finding yourself overwhelmed in your journey as a mom or as a homeschooler today, consumed by anxiety, daunting tasks, and a serious lack of sleep, I invite you to take a deep breath at this moment.

Relax, even for just a minute, and remember that while you may feel alone,

God sees all of the work you do (the late nights, early morning, many meals, one more basket of laundry, the lit candles and lovely flowers, one more rocking chair song to soothe a little heart-- that no one else noticed).

Don’t put unrealistic pressures on yourself, on your homeschooling agenda, or on your parenting, that God never asked you to do.

Perhaps the most loving and healthy thing you can do for yourself and your children is to be still for a moment today and have a quiet time--to watch a sunset, to giggle together at the antics of cherished dog, to read a passage of a rousing adventure, to listen to music and just be together.

How can you prioritize your quiet time today and squeeze it into your busy schedule?

The Place of Wonder

Horse Head Nebula Orion--God's modern art

(a gathering of spacious gas  Joel never forgot from childhood when we observed a book of the Heavenlies.)

 The heavens are telling of the glory of God; And their expanse is declaring the work of His hands.

Psalm 19:1

When a child is given the opportunity to lay on the grass under a night sky, his mind journeys to wonders unknown, his eyes extend to galaxies and the far beyond and in this moment, his mind begins to understand eternity. When an adult is confronted with the infinity of God's eternal creation and endless wonder of his personal handiwork, he will be more likely to worship, to magnify God's rightful position in His life. His faith will become a part of the extension of His depth of personal knowledge of the living God.

But when life does not allow the place for wonder, there will be little awe, humility, reverence for the infinite wisdom and ways of God. We do not bow our knee or humble our heart if we have not lived in wonder.

“Look at everything always as though you were seeing it either for the first or last time: Thus is your time on earth filled with glory.” 
― Betty Smith, A Tree Grows in Brooklyn

An adult who ponders the designer behind the intricate design of a leaf on a tree, the shape of a flower, the shadows of a moon-lit night flirting and fluttering between the shadows of dancing tree branches will come into the presence of God.

“The invariable mark of wisdom is to see the miraculous in the common.” 
― Ralph Waldo Emerson

As all ages are magnetically attracted to new life, --babies, ducklings, puppies,--we are confronted with the miracle of life itself and if we make time to wonder, to imagine, to think of the mystery behind the creating of a new life, our minds will be drawn to the supernatural, divine spark and power of God.

Faith will not grow where time does not allow for imagination, swimming in the wonders of life God has sprinkled across our paths every day.

When our busyness and technology do not allow for the real, the created, the life-art from the very hands of God, the deeper questions of life will be pondered apart from what He has created and provided to give witness to His reality.

When a child is given pat answers and technology to humdrum his mind away into mechanical oblivion, his faith will be weak, his vision of God will be small, a limited view of his own small world, shallow, and life-less because his soul has not been confronted by the transcendence  of the eternal God.

Satan would hide the wonder and awe of our inspiring God by confining us to the world of busyness, obligations, distraction, watching machines instead of playing in creation.

“Wonder is the beginning of wisdom.” 
― Socrates

Throughout all the ages, wise writers, authors, professors have known that imagining, being awe-struck, learning to become amazed and to wonder at the ways and creation of God is the beginning.

So, for children and adults to grow strong and healthy relating to the living God, their lives must provide time for being caught up in the eternal, the transcendence, the glory of the Holy God.

Today, when life overwhelms, go into His presence, observe the ways of His creation and your soul will find rest in his magnitude, beauty and strength.

Your Words Matter

"Words matter! They have the power mysteriously to enter our hearts and minds and lift us beyond the present moment into the presence of God himself. How important it is, then, that we mothers, shepherds of our children's lives and hearts, choose our words to them carefully. We must deliberately aim our words at their hearts in such a way as to give our children hope, faith, strength, and also to point them toward the redeeming love of Christ. We can become the affirming voice of God to our children, just as we become a picture of his redeeming reality in their everyday lives." -The Ministry of Motherhood

It's easy to become overwhelmed during the daily obstacles of life and let harsh words press through our lips. Sometimes it isn't even the words, exactly, as much as it is the condescending tones, volume, or sarcastic attitudes. As a mother and life-giver, God has entrusted you to vocalize His heart and intentions for your children. It is an extremely important responsibility to not only be the hands and feet of Jesus, but to also be his voice in your home.

Take a moment today to have a quiet time and bible study, reading over these verses and meditating on them, as well as the questions below.

"Gracious words are like a honeycomb, sweetness to the soul and health to the body." -Proverbs 16:24

"Death and life are in the power of the tongue, and those who love it will eat its fruits." -Proverbs 18:21

"There is one whose rash words are like sword thrusts, but the tongue of the wise brings healing." -Proverbs 12:18

Ask yourself: -Where are you aiming your words? -What have your words been saying about what is on your heart? -What choices can you make today to affirm God's love to your children through the words you choose to speak over their lives?

Comparison Brings Death to our souls

 

Which one is perfect? Right? Best?

There is no one mold for acceptance in God's eyes. Why do we waste time looking at what others are doing instead of just resting and enjoying the moments of our own lives?

When we compare ourselves to others, we will always miss the glory of the unique way God made us.

Same with your children, friends, family--some are loud, some quiet, some administrative, some dreamers, some tall, some short, all are uniquely made to reflect their own glory as God made variety.

Four times this week, I have been in conversation with different people who have expressed inadequacy in their lives.This from people I love, respect and think are wonderful people.

"When I see what so-and-so is doing, I feel that I fall so short."

"I think I am disappointing so many people--I can't seem to call everyone back, respond to emails, get all the housework done, be patient, and and and..., I always feel like I am falling short."

"My children seem to fight all the time. I just can't seem to manage them like other people do."

"I am such a failure in my marriage."

Even my children have felt this way lately.

"Seems all the people who are immoral get the parts in movies and television and I just keep plodding along with no special favor."

"Compared to all of the other professional musicians around, I am not up to snuff."

"Mom, do you think she has more skills than I do? Will you be disappointed in me if I don't do as well as I thought?"

Comparing ourselves to others is epidemic. Comparison will always, always be destructive. We will either find ourselves falling short of others, and that will cultivate self-condemnation. Or, we will find ourselves better than others and that will bring pride.

Proverbs tells us that, "The fear of man brings a snare."

When we look to others as the standard by which we should live, we make them idols. They become the standard by which we think we should live instead of living by grace and freedom in Christ. When we look to others for our affirmation, we will never find enough affirmation. There will always be someone better, prettier, more successful, wiser, .........

How grateful I am that Jesus shows no favoritism. He reached out to the unlovely, the unpopular, the meek: children, prostitutes, tax collectors, lepers, Roman soldiers, bleeding women--women! He lifted them up and gave them worth. Maybe he did show favoritism afterall--to the broken, the humble, those who had no illusions about themselves--those who appropriately realized that they needed a savior.

Jesus said, "I am humble and meek. Learn from me."

I love coming into His presence. I am usually wrinkled in my pajama's, sleep breath, no make up, tossled hair, vulnerable--(I am naturally a fearful person.) But I light my candle, have my tea, and in His presence I find love and acceptance and hope. He made me. He knows me and as Psalm 103, "He is mindful that I am but dust." But I am a part of His family. I came from Him--his very own Spirit, He formed me in my mother's womb. He will always be loyal and accept me because I am a part of His very being in this world.

In His presence, I am adequate, because He saved me so that I could be in His presence without pretense or performance.

"Come to me all who are weary and heavy laden and I will give you rest."

Not come to me all who are perfect, have arrived, have accomplished enough.

If I am acceptable to the Lord of Hosts, the king of the whole universe, then I need not compare myself to others. As a matter of fact, it is the only way I am acceptable to Him, if I don't try to come to Him on my merit, because I will always come up short.

A beloved song from my childhood always captivated my imagination. I love the story of the little drummer boy that I listened to at Christmas time as a little girl. The scene I pictured as a little girl was the traditional manger scene of Jesus. Humble shepherds, keeping watch in the fields, heard the angels and sought the baby who had been born King of the Jews. Yet, there were the great "seers" from the far East. Seems that the wise men all dressed in silks, satins, velvets, adorned with gold, frankincense and myrrh also approached  the manger where baby Jesus was born. These magnificent kings came with an auspicious entourage of servants, camels, baggage, fine jewelry and gifts.

However, the poor shepherd boy, had no possessions--nothing to give to this servant, come from heaven, nothing to compare to the finery of the wealthy, learned men. As he pondered what to do, he realized he could play for baby Jesus on the rude drum that he highly valued. And so the young boy, humble, uneducated, with no title prowess, approached the crib--and he played with all of his heart.

"I played my drum for him, parumpapumpum. I played my best for him, parumpapumpum."

So to honor the Lord Jesus, the little drummer boy gave what he had and gave  his heart of love with His gift.

And so that was what Jesus wanted--the boy's love, the boy's admiration and willing heart.

Now that is something I can give wholeheartedly--myself, my love, my faith and gratefulness. I may not give perfection, or maturity, or prowess, but I can give him my little girl heart. The heart that sees His beauty, His unconditional love, the freedom he gives me to be me, just as I am. And that makes me respond with such love, appreciation, such grace. How very grateful I am that Jesus does not compare me to anyone else. He is my justification. He is my badge of honor.

Even the way our precious savior came, as one of us, the common kind, "with no stately form or majesty," shows us his preference. If we are to be pleasing and adequate, it must be with Him as our sole audience, the only one who can give us approval that will satisfy our souls.

Today, live into your unique glory. Accept and enjoy who you are as you are. Enjoy the glory of your personality and celebrate and love your children and family in the same way. There is great freedom when one does not have to perform.

Sowing seeds of righteousness and waiting for the rejoicing when the crop is full!

"Sow with a view to righteousness, Reap in accordance with kindness."

Hosea 10:12

Many of you know that I have just returned from almost 3 weeks in the UK. I had the most wonderful time and it was God breathed and blessed in oh so many ways. (More about the content of the trip, later.)

One of the most wonderful gifts of my trip was to be able to be with three of my kids--Sarah, Joel and Joy. (We missed Nathan and Rachael and talked about how they must come here soon!)

I feel like I was watching the full blooming of my work from many years. All three kids were reaching out to people, making new friends, speaking of great ideas, serving some in need in dire circumstances and showing rich, vibrant souls.

I have realized that there were sooooo many times I wondered if my children could perceive my negative feelings about my task, at times, or my weariness, or my frustration. Did my work matter? Was I capable of completing the ideals and the gargantuan task I had set before me? Would I ever see maturity?

On my recent trip, I was also struck constantly be the fact of how many women (and men) I met, who wandered lost in their lives amidst a sea of relative morality, lack of leadership, unsure of direction. It has created a desire to write once again about the foundations that give life strength and that builds  a godly heritage.

But most of all, I wanted to say that all of the gardening of souls indeed matters. When moms sacrifice their own needs and lives to build a godly legacy, the fruit is sweet, satisfying, and eternally vibrant. Sow broadly, generously, and do the hard work of gardening the soul. Indeed your reward will be amazing and sure when done in His Spirit. This brought to mind another blog I had posted a while back. And the truth of it resounded in my heart as I reviewed it again. I hope it will in yours!

I have always loved fields of wildflowers. Seems to me when I see fields and fields of the beauty, (and blue is my favorite color), I almost feel like it is evidence of the invisible hands of God still planting flowers in His gardens to remind us that He is still creating and perpetuating life, even when we are not aware.

When looking at a tiny seed, it is impossible to see what will bloom from this minute speck of nothing, -the color it will produce, the bloom or fruit, or how large the plant will be. There is vast potential locked within, that under the right circumstances--planted in good soil, watered and covered in sunshine, a miracle will happen. The seed transforms into something more than itself--it gives birth to a plant that blooms and brings beauty, life, color and a fruit--and this is a miracle-almost something out of nothing.

And so, God calls us to sow--to sow broadly, generously, diligently.

Sometimes the seeds that He requires us to sow, do not obviously promise anything--yet, we are asked to believe in the potential--the latent miracles inside of these small life-seeds.

We are to sow with a view to righteousness--not seeing or knowing totally the vast potential of what is in our hands. But ours is to be faithful to sow, by faith, the seeds of promise given to us--

to cast the seed of promise into the soil of life, generously, diligently, faithfully--

And His is to do the miracle-

To take all of the planting of faith seeds, and love seeds, and integrity seeds, and faithfulness seeds, into the moments of our lives when no one else is looking;

faithfulness to the gospel and spreading the good news;

serving our children, and loving and helping our spouses;

praying and believing when no sprout of answer is in sight.

And yet, in time, in His hands,

there will be such a bounty of beauty, a harvest from the seeds planted in life, that we will finally see, that

He was creating the miracle right beside us--the seeds will indeed sprout into a harvest of righteousness and redemption that will be beyond what we could have imagined.

But, the harvest of such sowing is only for those who plant, and water and cultivate and wait, by faith, believing in the promise of what lays ahead.

So, dear God, let us look at the flowers you have planted and see the potential beautiful harvest of our lives, if we will only believe in the seed potential in our lives right now,

which by faith will become a harvest of righteousness beyond measure. You are gardeners of souls.

I just had to include my video that I made a year ago--about our role as gardeners of the souls of our children. May you be blessed in the confidence knowing that your work matters!

Delicious Curry Chicken Salad {Perfect weekend recipe!}

{Today, Brandee is sharing a truly amazing chicken salad recipe. Enjoy!}

My girlfriend and I headed downtown for a day of adventure. As we walked into a cooking class and grabbed our aprons, we were delighted with the aroma wafting in the kitchen. As we began to chop, simmer, and adjust flavors of these amazing recipes we were being introduced to, both of us decided the chicken salad was not only easy to make but also going to be a favorite in our home immediately! For those of you who say curry is not your thing, you must try this before throwing out this amazing spice all together!

I revamped this recipe by adding some of my all-time chicken salad favorites to this already lovely recipe! In India, they eat this meal with pan-grilled flatbread. We love to eat this as a sandwich or place a generous scoop onto a salad. It makes for a lovely luncheon option when feeding the multitudes! At Sally’s Intensives, this is a favorite! All you need is a croissant roll, chicken salad, and fruit and you have a beautiful plate that will wow your guests!

Ingredients 4 boneless skinless chicken breast (you can use a pre cooked rotisserie chicken in a pinch) 1 1/2 cup mayonnaise (may add more if needs more) 4 stalks celery - diced small 1/2 cup green onion - minced 3-4 tablespoons lemon juice 4 tablespoons fresh parsley - minced 4-6 teaspoons curry powder (adjust to taste) 2 tablespoons honey 3 cups of red seedless grapes - halved salt/pepper to taste 1 cup sliced almonds (to sprinkle on top before serving) 8 croissants (optional)

Directions Place chicken breasts in med. saucepan and cover with water by one inch. Bring to simmer and adjust heat to maintain low simmer. Cook for 20 min. or until chicken is cooked through. Drain & let cool. ( drain well or you will have watery salad) Shred chicken into small bite-sized pieces. Mix chicken with remaining ingredients. (Add more mayo or seasoning if needed) Chill in refrigerator for at least 2 hours. Yields: 8 servings

Give this recipe a try this weekend, and "wow" your family with a unique, tasty meal that is perfect for a summer lunch or dinner!

Blessings, Brandee

Because He extends love and grace...

"Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no records of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres." 1 Corinthians 13:4-7

As a little girl, I remember learning the above verse and being told to put my name in where the word “love” is listed instead. For example:

“Angela is patient, Angela is kind. She does not envy, she does not boast, she is not proud…” Yeah, applying scripture like that and making it personal can well…make one a little uncomfortable. Am I all those things? Do I love like that? Sadly, the answer is “no.” I’m not always patient…especially when I’m running late and trying to get my 3 girls out the door in time. How about the “keeping no record of wrongs?” Yeah….just ask my husband…I struggle in that area too.

Sally and I end our book: You Are Loved with a challenge…now go and do likewise! Love others like God loves you.

"God is patient, God is kind. He does not envy, He does not boast, He is not proud…"

Now that we have a deeper understanding of how dearly loved we are by God, He challenges us to live lives that are stained with His love for others to see. God’s love should change us, transform us and make us stand out from the world. We are called to love differently. We love when it hurts. We choose to keep no record of wrongs even though our mind makes it hard to forget. We choose to be kind even though the person hasn’t been kind back. We choose to trust, have hope and persevere even when it’s hard and we’d rather throw in the towel and give up. We choose love instead.

God’s love is what colors our life differently. People see it in the way we smile at them. In how we choose to respond to criticism and how we trust God in all things. They see it in the hope that we have at the doctor’s office despite the report, or when we choose to hold our tongue even though we have a great comeback ready to launch at a moments notice. They see it in the patience we extend to our children, husband and friends even though we are feeling anything but patient at the time. We realize we are not perfect, we have our flaws, our short comings…yet despite all of that, God still chooses to love us.

We extend love and grace because love and grace have been extended to us.

“How you live your life today in choosing to love others will determine the way your children, non-Christians, your family, and friends learn what God’s love is like. To leave a legacy of love is to leave a fragrance of His love wherever you go.”- Sally Clarkson

Sweet friends, may the beautiful fragrance of your love fill your homes, hearts and lives today! Who do you need to reach out to with the love of God?

“…the more I humble myself to love others no matter what, the more my love and worship of God has grown because I realize how much it cost Him to be humble and give to a totally rebellious and ungrateful world. Practicing love increases your love for God.”- Sally Clarkson

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I'd like to take a second and thank YOU for joining us this summer as we read You Are Loved together! Thank you so much for joining us and digging into God's Word together! I pray God has used our book mightily in your life and you can now see how dearly loved you are, and let His love transform your life!

Love God Greatly! -Angela

Announcing Storyformed!

 

My heart is overjoyed today, as I am announcing that Storyformed (Sarah's exciting new website) is now officially live and ready to visit! The heart of Storyformed is this: to get great books into the hands and hearts of children everywhere. Sarah's goal is to help parents and educators discover the best children’s books to be found. She is here to celebrate, and defend, the soul-forming power of imagination, story, and beauty to form children to love what is right, hunger for what is good, and grasp what is true. To read a great story might just be to start living one too.

To that end, Storyformed.com is both a literary online resource, and the home of a new publishing imprint, Storyformed Books.

Storyformed Books will be republishing excellent out-of-print classics, releasing new fiction by contemporary authors, and publishing a series of essay collections on reading and imagination. Sarah's book, Caught Up in a Story, written largely to explain the Storyformed worldview, is the first to release with the imprint. Below, you can read an excerpt from the introduction to Caught Up in a Story:

"I have written this book, Caught Up in a Story, because I believe that every child should grow up to ask that question and I think that great stories lead them to it. Stories challenge us to see our lives as the narrative in which we have the chance to live all the beauty and bravery we can imagine. What hero will I become? What great thing have I been created to accomplish? I believe those questions of heroism are the driving force behind a life of virtue, creativity, and purpose. The great historical leaders, artists, teachers, inventors, and even martyrs, lived in fidelity to a cause larger than themselves. Search deeply enough into the history of any real life hero and I am convinced that you will find a story, imagined or actual, on which that hero’s life is largely based, a narrative that opened their eyes to the part they were called to play in the story of the world.

Great stories teach us that we are called to live a great life story.

Stories are a powerfully formative force. They furnish children with rich vocabulary, broad imagination, and the spirit of possibility necessary to purposeful living or heroic action. The great tales of literature both inspire heroism and demonstrate what actions must be taken if the world is to be conquered or creation accomplished. Great books are richly stocked with the characters, scenes, countries, and crafts that form an expectation of what is possible in a child’s imagination. Stories are rich in the kind of description that teaches a child to see, and to wonder at the artistry of the world. They shimmer with song and firelight, castles and dragons, inventions and quests, kings and queens all stocking the heart of a child with dreams.

But I have also written this book because I know that a storyformed life is a gift, one that rests in the hands of inspired parents. A childhood filled with great books is something that only a parent can provide. Parents are the storytellers who narrate the opening of their children’s lives, choosing the books, images, and ideas that will outfit their minds. They are also the story-givers who create the rhythms of home life in which great books can be read again and again. I am convinced that the storyformed childhood my parents gave me was one of the greatest gifts I have ever received, and this book has come from my deep commitment to help other parents give that mighty gift to their own children. But before they can offer that gift, I think many parents today need a fresh understanding of the formative value of stories.

Exposure to the great tales of literature or even Scripture as a story itself is rarely listed as of primary importance when childhood training, formation, or education is discussed. Rather, parents today are often presented with a list of facts and skills they must pound into their children’s heads. Childhood formation, according to many models, seems to be about the filling of a mental bucket rather than the forming of a whole, vibrant soul ready to act justly, love beauty, and bring goodness to the world. We tend to think of childhood in terms of data acquisition; what children need to know, and what they must be able to do by the time they reach adulthood. I think this is a deadening view of childhood. While knowledge and skill are, of course, vital, they are only the skeleton structure of a great life. They will remain inanimate until the child who possesses them is kindled to passion and movement by a vision bigger than a list of accomplishments.

Stories are the lifeblood of existence. They are the heartbeat that pumps vision into a child’s developing imagination and hope into his or her soul. A storyformed child views life as an epic tale in which he or she must live as hero or villain. Storyformed children grow to adulthood understanding that they have been specially formed by a loving God, destined for his kingdom, specially crafted to love, create, and conquer. They have reason to respond to their parents’ training, to work and learn, hope and know, because stories assure them that right choices and brave actions are the force behind happy endings. A storyformed child understands exactly why hard work must be done and goodness attained, why beauty is a prize to be sought and love is a treasure worth the cost of their whole lives." -Sarah Clarkson, introduction to Caught Up in a Story

Storyformed is filled with beautiful resources and information such as: a library, book lists, bookstore, blog, research, and so much more. The official big launch of Storyformed will be in late August, complete with giveaways and other exciting news! You won't want to miss out on any of these updates, so be sure to sign up for the Storyformed mailing list. Sarah's book release for Caught Up in a Story will release simultaneously with the website in late August, so be sure to stay tuned and check back in!

Loving As a Way of Life! The fathers love always pursues

"So he got up and went to his father. "But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and was filled with compassion for him; he ran to his son, threw his arms around him and kissed him."

-Jesus (Luke 15:20)

I am so happy to be able to share my son, Nathan, with you today, since the last story in the last chapter was about him. Nathan has grown so much in his compassion for those who are lost, separated from the love of God, that he wrote a script, produced a movie and now has a message of the love of our heavenly Father that I know will reach many all over the world.

As we come to the end of our study, You Are Loved, I know that each of us has been confronted, once again, with the amazing, powerful, faithful love of God. God’s whole story is a picture of a Father providing, loving, comforting, helping, and redeeming  His precious children. And then to think, He is preparing a new heaven and earth that will be even more beautiful and wants us to celebrate our homecoming with a wedding feast as the end of time.If we allow our hearts to be touched by His amazing love, it will leave us changed.

But each of us has a choice to make.

Will we come to Him and allow His love to humble us, stretch us so that we can take His love back into our worlds for others who need to know Him? Or, will we hide in our insecurity, our excuses, the places where we are uncomfortable. The world will give you permission to compromise the love that Jesus teaches. However, if you choose to follow God in seeking to love others actively, even if it is just taking baby steps, His love will grow and swell in your heart and your walk with Him will be more wonderful each season of life.

Nathan's living story modeled so much to me. He did not run away from the people God placed in his life. He chased after God, and then shared His God with those in His life who needed to know Him and had never clearly heard about His love.

As we all well know, any relationship in our lives, over time, will experience stress because it involves 2 sinful, limited people—me, the first sinner and fallible person,  and whoever else is my friend, child or spouse--or in relationship with me! Consequently,  every relationship will be tested. Am I going to demand that my friend be perfect, even if I cannot be perfect? Or am I going to allow God’s precious love to wash my heart clean and allow me to be a model of Him to everyone I meet.

Love is messy at times, and we cannot always control the behavior of others. But we can choose to love, forgive, pray for those with whom we have experienced. And we can release our mysterious relationships into God’s hands and ask Him to work. He is faithful to work and will bring grace, wisdom, healing and understanding in His time. And no matter what, when we choose love and prayer and forgiveness in our own hearts, we find healing and peace-even if though we cannot control the reactions and choices of others.

As Nathan shared in the video, God has been expanding his own desire to reach out to others by producing a new movie called “Confessions of a Prodigal Son,” which showcases the profound love of God through a very personal story. God is always the shepherd going after the one sheep who is lost while the other 99 are in the fold. He wants to love through us, reach out through us, extend His healing and amazing love through our lives.

All of us fail, but God is merciful and always looking for us to return to Him. He celebrates our return as we are so dear to His heart. As we come to an end of this study, how will you choose to respond to what you have learned? Will you walk in the light of His deep love for you and accept His love for you? Will you grow in the knowledge of His grace and learn to give His love to others?

As I wrote in my last chapter:

“Love is a muscle that grows with use. The more we practice humbling ourselves and giving love out of obedience to God, the more loving we shall be.”

Each of you has been in Angela’s and my prayers throughout this study. We hope each of you will walk in the freshness and generosity of God’s amazing love—knowing that He forgives every part of your past, that He loves you in spite of your flaws, that He is for you every day and ready to bless and that He wants to use you to spread this love to others. May you ever be blessed as you live into these truths.

Sweet Lord, I thank you for each person who has been bathing themselves in the amazing truth of your love through this study. Help each one to know how very special they are to you, as you crafted them from your own hands—they belong to you! Let them know that you see them every day, that you are like the Father in the prodigal son story, always looking for us to return to your open arms. Help us to have wisdom in knowing how to live, through our lifetimes, growing in the knowledge of how to live a life of loving wisely, generously and trusting you through each relationship, each season of life. You are the Lord who redeems and restores. We give ourselves wholeheartedly into your hands and we come to you in the precious name of Jesus.

Confessions of a Prodigal Son: Website Facebook Trailer 

Nathan Clarkson: Website Facebook Twitter Blog

Beauty: The Bridge to Awakening hidden places of the soul

The pursuit of truth and beauty is a sphere of activity in which we are permitted to remain children all our lives. Albert Einstein Children are born to wonder, to explore,  pry, to ask, to pretend, to believe, to trust, to celebrate, to giggle, to laugh, to create, to love. When I pictured my children's souls, I pictured them as a treasure chest to fill with jewels of beauty, truth and wisdom and experiences that would make their hearts, souls and minds so rich, that they would have a wealth of treasures to draw from the rest of their lives. A rich soul must be filled intentionally with elegant masterpieces of creation, magnificent compositions of music, alluring feasts, gentle touch, exquisite art, masterpieces of thought, spiritual inspiration. Then from the richness invested there, fruit will come forth.

Our homes can become that place of creativity, where a meal can become a candle-lit half-hour that creates life-changing conversation, as in the above tea time I made for Joy a couple of weeks ago when we had been far too busy and were quite exhausted. (I also used to, and still do make these hidden moments of civilized conversations with my boys, and they liked it just as much. I just considered what food or way of talking them would like, and served them accordingly.) Our souls needed rest and refreshment. It was a simple meal from what was in the fridge, but with candles, and roses I had bought at Sam's, it became a celebration of our friendship. I even used to do such things in a smaller way when my children were babes.

When I admire the wonders of a sunset or the beauty of the moon, my soul expands in the worship of the creator. Mohandis Gandi

This morning, I arose early to spend time with the Lord, and I asked Him to speak to my heart and I poured out my heart with requests and faith and worship. As I was sitting quietly, alone in the darkened room with flickering candle light as my companion, my eyes were drawn to the window and vibrant pinks, purples, deep blues were strewn across the pallet of the early morning sky. The Lord indeed spoke to me and the heavens were declaring His artistry and giving peace to my soul. Beauty draws us to the creator's glory and fills our hearts with wonder and worship, and puts us in our right place.

When we love our children well, we will paint the exquisite color of His reality in the way we express life art throughout our homes, so that our children can begin to believe that for them, our home is the best place to be. I have lived in tiny, aged 900 square foot homes that leaked water down the sides of the wall, (Vienna); a small but efficient  4th floor walk-up apartment that looked over industrial towers of smoke, (Poland), and  a sprawling, charming cottage with views of land, (Tennessee). It does not matter what the size or shape of a home, it is the artist-creator ceo of the home that brings a place to life.

Friday mornings are the time I take Joy out to breakfast each week, to validate our friendship, to talk about all bubbling up in our souls from a week of be fully alive and to have the opportunity to speak into her soul, even as a young adult. But these moments of pouring in, started when she was small, in the confines and moments of our many homes of 17 moves!

As we awakened, she and I sat on her bed talking about CK Chesterton's Orthodoxy book and funny incidents in the book, as he is a hysterical man. (For those of you who don't know him, he was a British Christian Author, whose book Orthodoxy is a classic, challenging Christian book on faith, much like Mere Christianity.)

On our way to the small, French cafe this morning, where they have the best chocolate croissants and lattes, we listened and sang to Rich Mullen's "Peace I leave to you," and "Hold Me Jesus" which deeply ministered to my soul--what an artist he was before he was killed in a car accident. He is a friend of our family because the kids grew up with his songs playing through hours of driving in the mountains.

While munching on our warm croissants, Joy told me the story of C.S. Lewis's "Till We Have Faces" and how much it really changed her perspective of suffering this life.

Then, on the drive back home, we sang to Phantom of the Opera at the top of our lungs, because we had fallen in love with the music when we saw the play together last year. The songs are breath-taking-ly beautiful! My boys like Les Miserable, and we all used to wash dishes to Josh Groben, which I would play loudly as the kids were cleaning. (Also, some up-beat Christian music was a favorite to keep them on track!)

These rich tastes of life came from years of living fully, engaged in the best I could find. I was not educated in these areas until I began to make it my goal to become familiar with some of the best in music, art and literature as a portion of what I would put into my children's souls. I became civilized and educated as I sought to civilize and educate them.

I remember in the Anne of Green Gables movie, there is a part when she is visiting with a wealthy Aunt of her best friend, Diana, in the Charlottetown, one of the larger cities of Prince Edward Island. Anne had just made a comment to the Aunt that even though she was having fun in the big city, she preferred her small town. Then a soloist sang an aria from Opera that thrilled her soul. After she heard the song, Anne remarked, "I will never be the same again."

And so it is when we open our children's souls to fine tastes of the beauty of life. The picture of Christians as those who can compose the finest music (The Messiah, or Bach's worship music), the greatest literature, (C.S. Lewis and others), live the best stories, (Hudson Taylor opening China), be the best testimony, (Eric Liddel in Chariots of Fire or Wilberforce in the movie about his life), follow the best heroes by listening to Bonhoeffer's history in the Focus on the Family radio drama), then they develop their tastes all the best and most beautiful in life and become what their own souls have been fed.

Consequently, each of us has the freedom to live within our own means and by our own personalities and preferences. Creativity must not necessarily be extravagant or demanding.  But the passing on of beauty and love and excellence as we see fit, cultivates in them a vigor and love for life that will last them throughout their lives. Investing in their souls, with the art of God,  speaks to them deeply and satisfies them surely and assures them of the abiding love of a civilized mother.