Owning Your Faith: Planting a Permanent Marker of Your Trust Today (podcast)

NASA

“And without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who seek Him.” Hebrews 11:6

A few years ago, I was attending a planetarium event with my daughter and her friends. As we gazed at the galaxies and myriad gorgeous, brilliant stars, I had the breath-taking sense of how much bigger God was than I could ever perceive. Oddly, it gave me confidence in His ability to take care of my small needs in comparison to how profoundly immeasurable was his power, his knowledge and His beauty in what He had created. His expansive self is much beyond my ability to comprehend His transcendence, but is a comfort to speak to me of His ability to hold my needs capably in His hands. But I also reflected that His purposes and ways must be way beyond my own tiny perspective.

Daily we are confronted with issues of faith and choices to believe in Him at each point. In this season of Isis, violence in places all over the world, and political and financial unrest globally, I am watching my children prepare to leave to go into very challenging arenas, far from home. Nathan is in New York a totally radical culture from my frontier Colorado home. With 3 children in the United Kingdom, (St. Andrews, Scotland; Oxford, England, and Cambridge, England), I know that if something of world-wide import takes place, I will not be there to help my children. Even though they are adults, Clay and I still want to help them if ever they need it.

Yet, we have prepared our children from an early age to ask themselves, "What work has God created me to complete? How can I serve Him in His kingdom work?" And many years ago, we gave up the notion that we were able or supposed to control their lives. Though I will miss them and be lonely without them nearby, I believe with all of my heart that they are God's, that I will never be able to control them, that they must learn to exercise their own faith muscles to find their own purpose and calling in this world.

Faith is believing that God will be with them, guide them and care for them because His is their heavenly Father. Knowing they have been taught to have beliefs in Christ, to follow the wisdom of God's Word, faith is releasing them follow to His path for their unique lives without fear.

Faith is required at ever juncture of life--at birth of babies, through their years of fragility and sickness, trusting hat we will not mess them up by our inadequacies! During the years they learn to drive, hoping they will be safe. In the season when we send them into a secular world to learn the ropes of wisdom amidst foolishness, and hoping the foundations we laid are strong.

Faith follows us through dark times: a prodigal child, a chronic illness, a disabled child, a failed marriage, an unexpected tragedy. We look to God for His faithfulness to see us through our pain with our vision on eternity where we will know His comfort, peace and full reconciliation personally, His touch of sympathy face to face.

I recall a time when I began to practice actively living day by day into my faith in God. Many years ago, I had two miscarriages in one year, and all three of my children had pneumonia, chicken pox, ruptured ears and encephalitis–all within two months! We had made a move to a very tiny town in Texas and I had no friends, Clay had no job, and we were almost out of money. I was quite tired and struggled with depression but was really seeking answers from the Lord. We lived with my mother-in-law at the time, and going for long walks by myself was the only way I could get away to think and pray.

My circumstances did not look as though God was involved in helping me.

 One day, as I was walking the long, barren country road near our home, and pondering, it was as if the Lord said to me, “Sally, if I took everything away from you that you hold dear, would you still believe in me?” It was suddenly as though God was shining a spotlight onto the deepest part of my soul. And I found at the very bottom of it, that with all the difficulties that a fallen world could throw at me, I would still rather hold on to my faith in God and believe in His love and goodness for the rest of my life, than to choose a life of existentialism and despair. And a realization came to me that this choice would require constant vigilance–that I would have to guard my heart and feed it with the truth of God’s word and His constancy in my life if it were to continue to stand.

 A part of me realized that day that faith was planting a flag, so to speak, in my heart, and deciding to settle it once and for all–that for the rest of my life, no matter what, I would choose to believe in the Bible, to know that Jesus was real, and to trust that God was loving, no matter what! Faith was the assurance of things hoped for but not seen.

Faith was choosing to hope in Him every day, acting on that faith and hope, and understanding that without this commitment of my will to choosing to believe and hope, I couldn’t be pleasing to God or sense His wisdom and hand upon my life.

I would look back on that day as a day which would determine my present and future walk with God.

Making a decision to stand for faith meant many things. It meant I would choose to believe the best, and act in light of what scripture said He was–loving, righteous, good, kind, wise, and so on. I would believe in light when I found myself in darkness. I would believe that love redeemed and was a perfect bond of unity, even when I was confronted with unloving, immature people.

 It meant choosing to believe that God did listen to my prayers and that the prayer of a righteous person avails much–and that in His time, I would see eternal results–even if it wasn’t on my time schedule.

I knew that if every time something difficult happened to me, I put God on trial again, that I would only be unstable and insecure in life–wondering and fearing when the next trial or danger would come my way, feeling that I would need to "take care of the details of my life by my own efforts and works," that I would have to "muscle" it out by spending a lot of effort controlling life.

But I also had the sense that if I built my life on the foundation of believing in Him, sowing faithfulness and goodness, that I would reap the blessing of freedom and peace from sowing on true and eternal principles. And I knew my children would breathe the oxygen of my own trust in Him, and learn to trust Him themselves.

 “Do not be deceived. God is not mocked. Whatever a man sows, this will he also reap.” (Galatians 6:7)

I decided never again to go to the active place of doubt–I would disregard it because of my once and for all commitment to believe in God, period. I wanted to sow faith and reap a life sprinkled with God's fingerprints of faithfulness and love as my heavenly Father. I pictured that in the same way that I made a promise that I would stay married to Clay and choose to love him unconditionally for all of our years, that leaving Him would not be an option, no matter how hard–that I needed to picture my commitment to God like that–forever and final, through all the seasons, difficulties, tests and blessings.

As I look back over the years, my commitment determined my behavior and always gave me direct instructions in which way to go–always to God, always to faith and always to obedience always to the word.

Choosing to Own my Faith has opened doors, provided peace of mind, given boldness in difficulties, established hope in God who does not change and who has proved faithful in every season. And because of His past faithfulness to carry me through all the challenging places of my life, I seek to remember these as I face new pathways of the unknown, and rest in faith that He will once again provide.

But faith and faith living pleases God who delights in companioning us through every season of our lives. Only by faith can we live the story He wants us to tell with our lives. Faith is a choice that maybe no one else will see, but opens our hearts to the blessing and favor of our God who lives to be faithful to us through every season.

To take your study deeper today, take a few moments to complete the reflection and application below.

• “He who would please God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.” Hebrews 11:6 Have you made a decision to plant a flag of faith in your own life? What challenges that commitment?

• “As far as it is possible with you, be at peace with all men.” Romans 12:18 Everyone has times of relational difficulty, unless they live as a hermit! Is there someone you should make peace with today?

• “Ask and it shall be given to you, seek and you shall find, knock and the door will be open for you. For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks, finds and to him who knocks, it shall be opened.” Matthew 7:7-8 Do you believe that God hears you? That He will answer in time? How can you strengthen your soul in order to continue choosing rightly in the midst of daily challenges?

Hope you enjoy this week's podcast. Share with your friends, discuss a faith life with your family. Choose faith for your circumstances today.

Living a Life Characterized by Grace

Luke 7:36-50 tells us of a time when one of the Pharisees actually invited Jesus to dine with him. I like to think he was still grasping for the true meaning of spirituality and desired in his heart to know the true God. But he failed miserably because he missed the whole point of grace.

During this dinner a woman in the city who had a reputation as a sinner sought Jesus out. She actually came into the Pharisee's home, and she stood behind Jesus weeping, her heart surely broken and contrite from years of guilt and pain. In an outpouring of love, the broken woman began to wet Jesus' feet with her tears and then anointed his feet with perfume from an alabaster vial, obviously a precious treasure to her. This act of worship was from her heart, an expression of deep appreciation that Jesus had loved her and forgiven her.

This "sinner" woman clearly understood what grace was about, but Jesus' Pharisee host didn't have a clue. His heart was too full of judgment to see his own need. "If this man were a prophet," he thought, "He would know who and what sort of person this woman is who is touching Him, that she is a sinner" (7:39).

How interesting it is to see that Jesus knew what the man was thinking. He then told the man a story about two debtors who owed a great deal of money. Both were forgiven of their debts. Jesus then asked the Pharisee, "Which person will love the moneylender more?"

"I suppose the one whom he forgave more," was his reply. Jesus then reminded his host, the Pharisee, that he had not even washed Jesus' feet when he entered the home. But the woman had not ceased to wash his feet and kiss them. "For this reason I say to you, her sins, which are many, have been forgiven, for she loved much; but he who is forgiven little, loves little."

This is an important word to us as parents. Sometimes we feel that we need to play the role of the Holy Spirit in our children's lives and impose great guilt on them so they will be hesitant to sin anymore. But I don't see this in the life of Jesus. Yes, Jesus always called his disciples and followers to the highest standards. He taught that he came to fulfill the law and that all the commandments of God were of utmost importance (Matthew 5:17- 20). And yet, wherever he went, Jesus proclaimed forgiveness and extended his gracious forgiveness to all who sought him—including tax collectors, prostitutes, and even a thief on the cross. He maintained this same attitude of gentle and gracious forgiveness toward the disciples even as they abandoned him at the cross. Jesus took the time to personally talk to them about sin and to offer them grace. And it was this gracious forgiveness, I believe, that opened their hearts so that they "loved much."

Our children need the same kind of gentle graciousness from us if they are to learn to share their vulnerability, to confess their own sin, and to be free to love. If they fear our strong condemnation and possible rejection, they will hide their sin, perhaps even deceive themselves about the nature of it. They will definitely not avail themselves of our mature direction in their lives.

"Or do you think lightly of the riches of His kindness and tolerance and patience, not knowing that the kindness of God leads you to repentance?" ~Romans 2:4

How specifically does God want you to extend his grace to your children so that His kindness, through you, will lead them to repentance?

Precious Redeemer,

Thank you for the compassionate grace you showed in redeeming us and dying for us when we were yet sinners.  Help us to visualize ourselves as extensions of your forgiving and redeeming grace to our children. Please help them learn how to give grace at home, so that they might do the same for the people you bring into their lives.

Amen

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Amidst a World Gone Crazy, Speak Noble Things: Build a Godly Legacy

Amormaterno

Anchise Picchi

"Does not wisdom call,

And understanding lift up her voice?

On top of the heights beside the way,

Where the paths meet, she takes her stand;

Beside the gates, at the opening to the city,

At the entrance of the doors, she cries out:

'To you, O men, I call,

And my voice is to the sons of men.

O naive ones, understand prudence;

And, O fools, understand wisdom.

Listen, for I will speak noble things;

And the opening of my lips will reveal right things.'"

~Proverbs 8:1-6

 What a week this has been, as we have continued to see a world in tumult and grief. I have been heartbroken and so very surprised--is all this really happening? I can't believe the tragedies, and I feel heart broken for my friends of every color, my police friends and all their families, and most importantly, the children involved.

As usual, though, after praying and spending time with the Lord, I feel inspired to do something to help to change hearts and to help build up a broken culture.

Often, people are tempted with hopelessness and fear. Yet, I am reminded this is why mothers were created by God to teach and to call others to wisdom--because it is only when people learn to think rightly, to honor human beings made in the image of God, to weep over the fallen behavior of lost man, that they can move in the direction of redemption.

When I read the above verses, I am reminded once again that women are God's special teachers of wisdom, of perspective, of God's ways. There is something we can do.  When a mother is filled with vision, comfort, wisdom, and truth; when God is the strong foundation of security of her life, she will shape the very soul and faith of those in her household. The world has hope when souls are alive with faith and a valiant, devoted spirit, and when people's behavior is dictated by righteous thinking.

It’s always an adventure when all my children find their way back to the nest, and we are enjoying some of that happiness now as many are home. Seems we have had a constant stream of meals eaten, dishes washed, and then repeating the routines again and again.

Many rousing discussions took place this weekend in our home with many friends who have different opinions about all the issues we see in the news, as well as opinions about movies, politics, church, books, actors, all the disasters that have happened this week, and life in general. More serious discussions have stimulated our ideas as we talked  about how to reach a post-modern culture, about what is really important to the Lord, and what is the balance between ideals and grace, passion and redemption.

It has been good as always for me to enter the world of the insightful thoughts and wisdom of my thinking-and-reading children who are now full-hearted adults,  and see how they process and ponder these issues, and to ask what my part is in offering truth in a way that can be understood. I see all of the input I receive from differing points of view as ways that God prepares me to be a better thinker and more insightful into the souls and ways of people and ultimately as a steward of His messages.

I have spent much time pondering what the role of motherhood has played in the issues that rage in our country today.

We are all busy and live in a hectic, fast-paced culture. Yet, we must take seriously our role in bringing truth and light in the darkness that threatens to overcome our lives. For every “advance” it seems there is a price that must be paid, a cost to battling in spiritual realms, whether we are aware of it or not.

 The vision I see is this: If mothers rise to be the gatekeepers, making their homes places of excellence, cultivating love for each other as well as reverence and worship of God, the future generations will have hope. If we are teaching respect and honor for all people crafted by God's hands, then our children will become protectors and advocates for all people, especially those who are unfairly found victims of a broken, fallen world.

If we are spending personal time teaching and discipling their children by reading the Word of God every day and praying to Him with our children for wisdom and guidance every day, then we will raise a generation of children who will become adults who will depend on God's wisdom, not the wisdom espoused by the internet or the world.

If we take the time to read to our children, to challenge them with great ideas from the most profound writers in history, if we give them the muscle to discuss and discern world views, then we will raise thinking children who can become message makers to give hope to their world.

If we are keeping them from worshiping the idol of television, materialism, the internet, political power or prestige and instead teaching and modeling a servant lifestyle, then our children will engage in visions of life that include their responsibility to serve God and others with their lives.

If we lead them into the ministry of real live people, in our homes as well as in the city gates, and teach them how to engage in culture, then they will perceive themselves as those who will become leaders of ideals in their generation.

If they observe us serving them through this training and nurture and giving up of her own time, there will be hope, that they, too, will become heroes in their own generation who will give up their lives to serve others.

All of these values will become a part of their psyche, their self-image, their self-actualization: "I was made for a special purpose, my life has imbued meaning, I will serve God with my heart, soul, mind and strength."

The shaping of a whole culture happens within the walls where we all live, the space called home--a daily living with ideals, true messages and character building.

Then a civilization will be born where the whole culture will be populated with adults who have great souls, a call to the Kingdom of God, a passion to do what is right, a desire to protect the weak, and an honest moral character that is the foundation of right decisions made in politics, medicine, government, media and the arts.

Yes, it requires great personal sacrifice. But in the battle between evil and good, the allegiance between our commitment to our God or our bowing to Satan has always required sacrifice. Evil is never passive and never takes a break–and neither can God’s chosen ones cease to work tirelessly to be about His business.

And yet, to invest in such a way, a woman must invest in the word of God, in pondering Him, knowing Him, walking with Him her personal life that she may pass on her legacy out of integrity lived day by day.

 When mothers abandon this great and important responsibility, there is a greater tendency for children to become the kind of adults who can be self-centered and self-serving; under-developed and ineffective without intentional training, --those who can overlook unrighteousness without any pang of conscience—because that conscience has never been developed. They become the kind of adults who can passively let others take responsibility for our government and country--to accept and validate those who would promise the moon even though the moon isn’t available in reality. When a person has no convictions, he cannot operate his life in God’s strength. It is moms who help to develop foundations of righteousness in their children’s souls.

 For this gatekeeping to occur there must be hundreds—thousands—of dinners made, laundry loads run, backs scratched and cookies baked. There must be watercolor projects and messes, hikes and games of hide and seek, money spent on wonderful life-giving books and concerts and the theatre. It will not happen in the absence of a cost.

Listen, for I will speak noble things.

Time spent ministering to our children is time well spent because that investment grants us the door to their hearts. When they are soft to us because we have ministered to their needs, their minds and hearts will be soft to hear our values, our convictions, and our guidance. Moms, the way you invest your life today will indeed have a great impact on history. We need to buck up, strengthen the areas that are weak, and decide to accept the work load of small children with joy, as would please our heavenly Father. The cultivating and raising of great souls is of the utmost importance.  Your life is making a difference. Take time in the word, take time to read those books which call you to excellence, spend time praying with friends of like mind–and don’t give up!

“For you have need of endurance, so that when you have done the will of God, you may receive what was promised.” Hebrews 10:36

But live into the role, calling out to those who are walking on a path of our world, inviting them to a place we have prepared for them where they can experience LIFE.

Think about a special time you could have with your children that would soften their hearts toward you. What would you want to share with them during that time? Make it a habit to build deeply into the foundations of their mind's ability to think truly, and express their values in a real world.

Your home is a place of transformation, a place where future generations will be shaped in the ways they will live and respond to the world in their lifetime. Spiritual disciplines are not frivolous but essential to every generation--that they can draw from those who have invested in wisdom.Be inspired to build your Own Life Giving Home and raise a strong, confident generation right where you are.

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Hope you enjoy the podcast today with Kristen and Me!

SEE MANY OF YOU IN NASHVILLE/BRENTWOOD, TN THIS THURSDAY NIGHT.

(FOR MORE INFORMATION, GO HERE! )

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The Gift of Grace Grants Freedom to be at Ease

Dear Lord,So far I've done all right.I haven't gossipped,haven't lost my temper,haven't been greedy, grumpy, nasty, selfish, or overindulgent.I'm really glad about that.

But in a few minutes, God,I'm going to get out of bed.And from then on,I'm going to need a lot more help."

A candle, cup of tea and my Bible get me started off right. I've laid my burdens at Jesus' feet. I've read His words and they have ministered to my heart. I've worshiped Him. I have asked Him to change me, to help me grow, to bless my family and lead them. I'm sure it's going to be a wonderful day, and all is well with the world.

And then I get out of the chair.

And sometimes, it feels as if all is downhill from there!

Once, when I had 3 teens and a 4 year old, I had a lovely quiet moment in my bedroom watching the snow fall gently out the window as I sipped my last sip of tea. My heart said, "This is going to be a great day, what a great way to start, I am feeling peaceful."

No more had I left my bedroom and walked the hallway to the bedroom, than I was already irritated at my children and gave them a lecture.

"Wow," I thought. "Where did that come from?" And guilt immediately filled my heart.

Wouldn't motherhood, wifehood, even Christianity be much easier ... if there weren't any other people involved?

I have been thinking lately about some secrets I learned along the way that have helped me through some of the

God loves relationships. He, Himself, exists as a relationship--Father, Son and Spirit, three in One--a mystery we can't wrap our minds around. We bear His image, and part of that is this need we have for relationships; to know and be known, to love well, to draw strength and learn from one another. Yet relationships are not easy. Sinful people, living together in a broken world, sometimes hurt one another. We misunderstand and are misunderstood. We struggle with pride and envy, greed and deceit. So do those around us--and our children are no exception.

We need God's grace--His undeserved favor.The kind of favor that says, "I know you are limited. I know you are a toddler in your faith. I will cover your flaws and my love for you will never, ever change because you are mine and I love you."

"Giving the gift of grace to our children is actually a two-part process. First, we need to help our children receive grace. We do this both by extending grace to them, by being patient, by overlooking failures and telling them we believe in the person they will become. We accept the limitations of their phase of life--teens need sympathy for sometimes feeling lost and needy, with a desire to have others love and affirm them. Toddlers need us to be patient as they go through their first phase of independence while pushing against us a bit. Tired children do not need discipline, they just need to go to bed.  Then we instruct them about  God's gracious love that chose to redeem us through salvation. After that, by our teaching and example, we must train our children to give grace to others in turn.

Jesus summed up this two-part process when He was asked to name the greatest commandment. He said we are first to love the Lord God with all our hearts (receiving grace) and then we are to love our neighbors as ourselves (giving grace). This commandment, therefore, sums up the first gift we can give to our children--the desire and ability to understand and receive the grace of God and to give it to the rest of the world.

Understanding the importance of the gift of grace has really helped me respond to the daily dilemmas and frustrations of life in a household of four children. As we go through our days, for instance, I try to be mindful that, to God, relationships are always a top priority. I try to think of ways I can model for my children the redemptive grace and love of Jesus--and also influence them to extend grace to others through their actions and their attitudes." ~ The Ministry of Motherhood

We will always be pressed by our relationships. My prayer is that they press us all closer to the heart of God, Who loves to extend His grace to us, and teaches us through His example to do the same.

Hope to see you who live in middle Tennessee at the Nashville event next Thursday. We shall have a grand evening together.

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For more information, Go Here and Register!

Noticing Beauty-Even on a Monday (or Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday)

Mondays in the Clarkson home usually find all of us trying to recover and adjust from the weekend—those glorious hours of sleeping late, enjoying endless cups of tea and hot chocolate, talking together over casual, long-drawn-out meals, reading magazines or books, watching favorite movies, playing rowdily in the yard with friends, and riding bikes or exploring. We return reluctantly to the realm of responsibility in which all the messes of Saturdays and Sundays must be dealt with and the duties of Monday through Friday attended to with full force.

This particular Monday was no exception. Orphan cups and mugs, discarded baskets of popcorn, and untold numbers of socks had to be picked up from the various places they had been dropped. Individual breakfasts were hurriedly prepared and wolfed down. Laundry baskets were ransacked for presentable shirts. Backpacks were loaded with assignments and pencils, and each person hurried off to his or her own place of work. Sarah, the most experienced of our teen drivers, was recruited to take thetwo youngest to some Monday morning classes. When she came home, she hurried to her desk and tried to get started on her own work. But even with the younger children gone, the interruptions didn't stop. Sarah was really getting frustrated.

After graduating from high school, she had decided to delay college for a year or two. She had already published one book, and she wanted to see if she could get another one under her belt before plunging into the rigors of higher education. But this meant she was home, and being the eldest child in a large family almost inevitably means getting caught up in family responsibilities and duties. Our move added to the amount of work to be done, because our regular support systems were not yet in place. So Sarah had done more than her share of helping with laundry, dishes, cooking, reading to the younger kids, and answering the phone. Usually she did it with good cheer, but I was aware of her frustration. And Mondays, especially, seemed to do her in.

"Mom, what I really need is a patron," Sarah sighed in frustration when she came to the kitchen for a drink of water. "I need someone who will pay me to live somewhere very private and beautiful so that I won't have to spend so much time on daily, routine tasks! Then I could just sit around thinking great thoughts that would turn into great books!"

"Oh, honey, if you just knew how many times I've had those thoughts!" was my sympathetic reply. "But what I really want is a full-time maid!"

And so went the day, with more chores, more interruptions, more responsibilities, more frustrations. Then about five o'clock on that crisp autumn afternoon, just as I was finishing an e-mail on my computer and getting ready to start dinner, I looked out my window and caught my breath.

Sarah, quick!" I called out as I ran to the front door to grab my jacket. "Come look!"

She dropped what she was doing and got her jacket too. Together we hurried down the street toward the cow field that backed up to our property. We quickly scaled the fence and ran out into the field.

Before us was one of the most beautiful sights I ever remember seeing. The entire skyline was lit as though on fire. Crimsons and corals and pinks painted the sky in brilliant, spectacular hues. The range of tall trees in the line of the setting sun seemed to flame and sparkle in the shifting light. A cold, soft breeze blew gently on our faces and in our hair to remind us it wasn't a real fire we were watching but the result of God's masterful artistry.

We stood in silence for a few minutes, taking in the splendid sight that surrounded us. Everything in sight seemed to dance with fiery colors—the skies and trees, the horizon and clouds above. Then slowly, slowly the colors began to fade. We stood there and marveled until we were standing together in darkness.

"Oh, Mama!" Sarah exclaimed, using her affectionate name for me. "That was spectacular! How could anyone see something like that and not believe in God?"

We walked home quietly, our souls filled with the warmth and grandeur one feels when she has seen the fingertips of God. More important, we were at peace—no longer caught up in the irritating, mundane world but soothed by that God-given reminder of the Lord's power and presence.

"The heavens are telling of the glory of God; And their expanse is declaring the work of His hands.Day to day pours forth speech, And night to night reveals knowledge.There is no speech, nor are there words; Their voice is not heard.Their line has gone out through all the earth, And their utterances to the end of the world. In them He has placed a tent for the sun,Which is as a bridegroom coming out of his chamber; It rejoices as a strong man to run his course.Its rising is from one end of the heavens, And its circuit to the other end of them; And there is nothing hidden from its heat."  

~ Psalms 19:1-6

Have you taken time to enjoy the beauty God has painted all around you, lately? 

The Power to Live a Supernatural Life Today

Without the wind of God's spirit blowing through our lives, we are like a boat that must use our own power to pull through life on our own power. But when submit our lives to God's spirit, he fills the sails of our lives with His strength and power and gives us grace to live the lives in front of us every day.

Chapter 7 of Own Your Life

Trying to do the Lord's work in your own strength is the most confusing, exhausting, and tedious of all work. But when you are filled with the Holy Spirit, then the ministry of Jesus just flows out of you.

CORRIE TEN BOOM

It’s a miracle! I thought to myself as I closed the door behind me. Somehow I had managed to slip out of bed without waking Clay, slip on my shoes and a comfy sweater, and get out the door for a Saturday morning coffee--even at 6:15.  As I sat in the cozy corner of the café, coffee in hand, I basked in the delight of a stolen moment alone. I read my morning verses, and jotted down some deep thoughts in my journal. I will be so kind, very loving, and patient today, I thought.

And then my phone rang. “Mom! Where are you? What are we going to do today?” I responded patiently with this child (how could I not be patient in such a lovely moment?) and explained that I’d be home in just a little while to do something fun with the whole clan. Even just thirty minutes alone was rejuvenating for me, but I sighed nonetheless.

But then the phone rang again. “Hey, honey! Who’s going to take Joy downtown for her appointment?” This time it was my husband's voice. I pondered on this. There were no less than four adults in our home who could drive; perhaps one of them could manage? This was my one morning alone. Even so, I continued to talk with Clay as we puzzle-pieced schedules. As I ended the phone call, I breathed deeply. The coffee and quiet started to enchant my soul back into a pleasant attitude.

And then the phone rang. Again. Everyone was hungry and wanted breakfast. With another sigh, I gathered myself, thanked God for the few moments of peace, and resolved to enjoy the day and cherish my beloved ones. This thought was barely a notion in my mind when I walked through the door to discover the dog had thrown up on the new carpet.

I think I need another cup of coffee.

So many times in my life I have encountered the tension between wanting to be Spirit-filled and gracious, and then being overwhelmed by my own attitudes, the unexpected situations of my life, or the many clashing personalities of my family members. Life tends to have a sandpaper effect on my attempts to be holy. These times have led me explore what it means to live in the power of the Spirit.

Throughout Scripture, the Holy Spirit is often described using the analogy of wind, or breath. When explaining the mysteries of the Spirit to Nicodemus, Jesus said:

“The wind blows where it wishes and you hear the sound of it, but do not know where it comes from and where it is going; so is everyone who is born of the Spirit” (John 3:8).

The Greek word Jesus uses is pnuema, which can be translated as wind, breath, or spirit. Later, when Jesus is commissioning his disciples, Scripture manifests the metaphor into an actual happenstance: “And when He had said this, He breathed on them and said to them, ‘Receive the Holy Spirit’” (John 20:22).

Again and again the Holy Spirit is described as breath which brings life, and wind which provides direction.

Breath is a daily necessity. We cannot live without breathing, and it is a constant need moment to moment. The same sort of dependence we have on breathing is how we ought to depend on the Holy Spirit. Living in the power of the Holy Spirit means letting the Spirit of God be the breath that allows me to make it through every day. Relying on the assistance of the Holy Spirit should become as natural to me as breathing in and out.

To live only within the mundane constrictions of daily life is not to be alive at all. 

Christian means, "Christ in one." When we live in Him, we are "in Christ Jesus." When I learned this secret--owning the Holy Spirit's strength in my life--I was transformed.

Christians cannot flourish apart from making God's Spirit the source of their spiritual lives. 

Even the phrase "spiritual life" refers to the Spirit-living-through-us life. I am not speaking of some kind of unique charismatic experience (though throughout history, people have experienced God's filling in different ways), but of a power that we can never muster up on our own. It might be described as:

*an inner strength"

"God is my strength, a very present help in trouble." Psalm 46:1

*a voice that calls us to become more excellent"

"But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all that I said to you." John 14:26

*an energy that moves us to love and forgive supernaturally"

"The fruit of the Spirit is love," Galatians 5:22

*a fruitfulness that can only be explained by God"

"I am the vine, you are the branches; he who abides in Me and I in him, he bears much fruit, for apart from Me you can do nothing." John 15:5

When the Holy Spirit directs our course, the natural consequence is a life outside of normal striving or fleshly effort. We are able to live beyond our own capacity.

Little by little, we speak with God about our stresses, burdens, fears, and give them up to Him and ask, "Fill me with your spirit today, now. Teach me to walk with you, to see my life from your perspective, and give me strength to grow. Help me to worship you as I live this day. Make me understand how to "Walk by the Spirit, and you will not carry out the desire of the flesh" (Galatians 5:16). 

Chapter 7 in Own Your Life helps us understand the Holy Spirit's role in our lives and how we can have even more of Him.

Hope you enjoy the podcast today.

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Looking so forward to seeing so many of you in Nashville next week. Joel and I have thoroughly enjoyed this small tour to different cities. What amazing evenings we have celebrated with friends like you. Hope you can come! Share with your friends. See you there!

Register HERE.

May God's Spirit blow through you this week and encourage your days with His life and beauty.

Inviting Your Children To A Home Alive

"The task of building our homes into places of beauty and life that will feed the hearts, souls, and minds of our children is the most comprehensive task to which God has called us as mothers. We are called quite literally to be "home makers" - to plan and shape a home environment that provides our families with both a safe resting place and a launching pad for everything they do in the world."The Life Giving Home 

Relishing the warm summer days, chattering about all sorts of life issues, sharing meals by candlelight makes this time a treasure of memories that I will store up when all are gone next fall. I thought it might be a good time to share a tiny glimpse into our own home life. Home becomes dearer each day, each year as I store up the life we have share here.

The definition of "home" is:

"The place where one lives permanently, especially as a member of a family or household."

While I suppose this very vague definition is true, home is so much more than a shelter where we simply eat, sleep, and gather. It is a place of refuge, a safe haven for our children that is welcoming and beautiful. When I think of home, I think of...

Candles flickering...Familiar Music playing from the other room...

My four children discussing world events, stories, music...Plenty of giggling...

The aroma of freshly baked cookies... Various books in baskets on shelves in every room,

Calligraphy of verses, quotes sprinkled on tables around the house

magazines, Bibles, art prints, family photos...

Strong cups of tea, cinnamon toast, lemon bread, scrambled cheese eggs, ...........

Fresh flowers as often as I find a deal, on display...

Musical instruments-guitar, piano, dulcimer,

A Basketball backboard

Rocking Chairs, art pencils scattered amongst drawings and sketch books

A computer always click clicking with stories and books being conceived, music being scored, blogs being written Darcy, our darling  golden retriever stealing goodies off of someone's plate, tail wagging as she runs off...

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Marie Antoinette was a lamp my mama had in her home for 55 years, and now she stares at us nightly.

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A new favorite book Sarah gave me for Mother's day.

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lOur Den Hearth, always full of books, our musical men from Poland and a wooden cabin a grandfather made for the grandkids to play.

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Cups stacked for whoever might visit any time of day, and the ability to choose one's own favorite. All of these qualities about home are a beautiful part of God's design, but the true transforming power of home goes even deeper. Each family will learn to develop its own distinct way of living out the principles of wisdom God has provided in his Word. Each home unique, a living place of the artist behind the life celebrated there. In the same way, each home should be different and uniquely suited to meet the needs of the children and parents who live there.

I truly believe that the home we cultivate as mothers is the restorative training grounds for our children...a place where they can be discipled and filled with love and care prior to growing up and heading to battle. Let's take a look at what God designed home to be filled with...

Wisdom..."The wisest of women builds her home, but folly with her own hands tears it down." -Proverbs 14:1

Knowledge..."By wisdom a house is built, And by understanding it is established; And by knowledge the rooms are filled with all precious and pleasant riches." -Proverbs 24:3-4

Peace... "Whatever house you enter, first say, ‘Peace be to this house!’ "-Luke 10:5

Rest..."My people will abide in a peaceful habitation, in secure dwellings, and in quiet resting places." -Isaiah 32:18

God has entrusted you with an incredible responsibility as the "home maker." What will you fill your home with today? Take a moment to complete the reflection and application below.

-Out of the verses above, which qualities of the God-designed home do you feel are lacking, and which are flourishing this season?-What are some practical ways that you could cultivate more beauty and peace in your home this weekend?-What worries/anxieties are keeping you from the God-designed home today?

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To Help Others Grow, We Must Grow, Ourselves

As a new Christian in college, I became involved with Campus Crusade for Christ and was trained in their evangelism and discipleship strategy of "win, build, and send." I spent many exciting hours sharing my faith with other students, building them in Christ in discipleship groups, and sending them out to do the same. In those early years of my Christian life, I learned a simple truth that has stayed with me all through my adult life: I cannot give out what I have not taken in. If I want to help others grow in Christ, I need to be growing in Christ. And the single most reliable indicator as to whether that is happening in my life is if I am spending personal time with God every day.

I have added a husband and four children to my life since those days, but that simple truth has lost none of its strength. When I was in college, I spent only a few hours a week with my "disciples," and—I can admit it now—I could get by in a pinch on a spiritual tank that was running low. Now, though, my"disciples"are with me 24 hours a day, everyday, and there is no hiding it when I am spiritually depleted. And I am further drained when new babies, illnesses, moves, and other crises hit and any extra time in my schedule is used up meeting needs and getting things done. It doesn't take long to find myself running on empty.

Unless I want my spirit to be as dissipated as the space on my calendar, I must make time to be with God—to read the Bible, to pray, to worship God in my spirit, to sing songs of praise. If I'm not taking in, I'll have nothing to give out, much less to sustain my spirit through the times when I most need to live by faith. I have seen that my life almost always tilts out of balance when I don't make time for God. God's Word, though, will revive my soul (see Psalm 19:7), refueling me with the life I need to face each new day.

Even though my need for time with God grows stronger every year, it seems more and more difficult to find the time I need. One would think God would have built in the time in relation to the need, but apparently it doesn't work that way. The greater my need has become for God, the greater my need has become to make time in my life for him. It rarely happens by accident. Perhaps God knows that it will make that time all the more precious if it is hard to come by.

The "easiest" way I have found to make time is to follow the advice of Ben Franklin: early to bed and early to rise. If I get to bed a little earlier, I can get up a little earlier for quiet time. As often as not, though, I find myself sharing my quiet morning space with one or more sonar-eared children. That is why I sometimes leave the house early and go somewhere for coffee and quiet time. When I'm not consistent in the early-to-bed part, I have to make time later in my day to squeeze in a few devotional minutes when the baby is napping and the children are reading.

The key is my own sense of need.  If I listen to the needs of my spirit, I will find a way to make the time to get alone with God. You need to determine when you can best be alone with God and organize your life to make sure it happens.

The law of the Lord is perfect, restoring the soul;The testimony of the Lord is sure, making wise the simple. ~ Psalm 19:7

Are you finding it difficult to spend time with God? How might you change your schedule to make it happen more regularly?

Living into the Bigness of our Father, God: Own Your Life & Podcast

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“And why are you worried about clothing? Observe how the lilies of the field grow; they do not toil nor do they spin, yet I say to you that not even Solomon in all his glory clothed himself like one of these.

“But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which is alive today and tomorrow is thrown into the furnace, will He not much more clothe you? You of little faith!"

Daily, tromping down trails near my home, or walking around my neighborhood, or perusing the streets of Victorian homes downtown is a habit of my adult life for three decades. Not only does my body need the health benefits, (yes, I go for 10,000 steps a day), but my priority is to remind myself that God, the artist, has left visual reminders every day. I look for his fingerprints. I breathe in His beauty and power and seek to place my needs and demands, daily, into His capable and powerful hands.

Understanding that my life is not limited to my finite reasoning or resources, but my life is in the transcendent, strong hands of the almighty God who can work His will into my human life in ways far beyond my limitations.

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“Do not worry then, saying, ‘What will we eat?’ or ‘What will we drink?’ or ‘What will we wear for clothing?’ “For the Gentiles eagerly seek all these things; for your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things."

God spoke the mountains into existence. He made every snowflake, infinite amounts of tiny little crystal sparkles, each beautiful and each handcrafted by His love. Each teaches me a lesson--God is active every day in my world. He calmed the sea, and said, "Where will I find faith in the earth?"

Voices of the world whisper fear, demise, darkness and feed the tanks of our fearful hearts with, "What if's" of life that keep us worrying, fearing we are the only ones who can give help to our dire situations, that God needs our intervention."

But Jesus said this is the way of the world. He told us our Father knew that we need these things.

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“But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.

      “So do not worry about tomorrow; for tomorrow will care for itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own."

MATTHEW 6:28-34

What might God accomplish in your life if you practiced faith to live beyond your own limited power, into His transcendent plans, His experienced hands, His desire to do above and beyond all that we ask or think?

Live as a daughter of the King of Kings and expect Him, as your Father, to work, to act, to provide and love on your behalf. He is the God who kills Giants, opens seas, gives abundance to our fish and loaves. Own your faith in a personal, interactive God and live in peace as He carries your burdens.

PS What a pleasure it was to be with so many kindred spirits in Texas and California. I was blown away by your sweetness, your sweet gifts that blessed Joel and me so much, and the privilege to see so many kindred spirits and friends. Wish I  could thank all of you personally.

Next is Nashville. We shall have a grand time there.

I hope you enjoy this podcast today.

Find Own Your Life Own Your Life: Living with Deep Intention, Bold Faith, and Generous Love">HERE and join us in this podcast series.

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Forming Habits of Faith

Ask any of my children about their enduring memories of childhood, and one of them is bound to mention family devotions. They still chuckle about the Alpha and Omega day, when I drew an overview of Scripture on a chalkboard and told my ten-, eight-, and six-year old children that God was the beginning and end of all things and their lives were part of his story. "Will you live by faith?" I passionately asked, and was met by their wide-eyed nods.

To this day, twenty years later, they remember that devotional morning. They remember the rhythm of faith and prayer that set our days as a family.

They also recall the way that faith became real when they saw God actually answer our prayers. One particular morning stands out in all of our memories. The first years of Whole Heart Ministries were years that required great faith from us. We moved to the middle of nowhere, Texas, lived with my mother-in-law, and began to outline and write the messages we wanted to give to parents.

But it was all very much by faith, and there came a time early on when Clay and I realized that we would run out of money by the next month. I remember that morning clearly; the bright Texas day and my children laughing and fussing, squrming in their breakfast chairs.

We didn't tell the kids everything, of course, but we wanted them to be part of this life ofaith, to take part as a family in trusting God. So when we came to prayer at the end of our devotions, we told them simply that we needed to see God provide for our family. Would they pray that, too?

Their little faces grew very solemn (though this did not in the least stop their squirming). They squeezed their eyes shut where they sat at the table and each of them prayed in their high voices that God would give us what we needed.

Clay went straight to his office after breakfast, and the kids and I finished the dishes and gathered everyone to start the day. But before we could begin, Clay was back with news of an amazing discovery. On picking up the morning mail, he found a magazine notice for a paticular lawsuit. He quickly realized that he had an interest in the suit and, upon calling the firm, discovered that this was the last day to put in his claim.

The amount paid would provide for our family for the next few months. When we told the kids, their eyes were wide with wonder at the fact that God had answered their prayers.

"Mom," said Sarah, "God really heard us, and it worked."

The most important gift you can give your child is to help them begin a walk of faith with the God of the universe. From the moment your children arrive in your home, you are teaching them how to see the world, what to consider important, what to seek, what to love.

As a mother, you have the opportunity to form your home and family life in such a way that God's reality comes alive to your children each day.

We live in a busy, pragmatic society driven by performance and activity. In the realm of parenting, this is a particular influence as we moms feel the pressure to provide the best education, the best lessons, and the best meals. We want our kids to have character, we want them to clean their rooms, and we want them never to be lonely and to have all the music lessons and activities that they want.

But the thing your child needs most in the world is a heart that knows the love of his or her Creator.

The greatest gift you can give your kids, a gift they will carry with them into each relationship and situation of their lives, is a heart deeply centered on loving God and a life formed by the habits of faith.

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