Getting Up Close with God's Word

I still remember the moment when I first glimpsed the Rocky Mountains. I was sixteen and joined a group of friends from my church on a journey from the east coast to Colorado. We drove for hours and hours from the suburbs of Washington, D.C., past cities and small towns, through the farms and plains of the Midwest (and strange features called buttes), until finally out of nowhere rocky peaks jutted out from the flat pasture that had been our roadside companion for what seemed like days on end. 

It was an extraordinary sight, like nothing I had seen before. The Appalachians were my only prior mountain experience and in comparison, the Appalachians were like gentle rolling hills. But we were still hours away. Even though the Rocky Mountains seemed so big and magnificent from our position on the road, we still had a long drive before we actually got there.

Imagine if we had stopped at that point in our journey and said, "Well, we've seen the Rockies. Let turn around and head back." It would have been crazy. Sure, we saw the Rockies, but from a distance. We hadn't truly seen them. We hadn't been up close to see the jagged peaks. We hadn't walked its trails. We hadn't camped on its ground or smelled its flowers. We hadn't felt our lungs struggle for oxygen as we increased in altitude.

To turn around at first glance and say we had seen the Rockies would have been like saying we had been to a state simply because we had flown to an airport in the state and made a connection there before going on our way.

As crazy as that all sounds, we often respond that way to knowing God and his word. We step back and take in the big picture and think we know all there is to know. We are satisfied with merely a taste of who God is and then we think that's all we need. We are content with never going deeper and further in our knowledge of God. Like viewing the mountains from a distance, we learn a few things about him and then move on.

On that trip to the Rockies we saw the mountains up close. We drove to the top and saw the view from 14,000 feet. We camped in Estes Park and hiked from the bottom to the top, experiencing each change in elevation and in ecology. We saw the wild flowers in the tundra and the marmots scamper across the rocky terrain. Then we saw the mountains from the bottom, in a river raft, as we moved swiftly through the canyon over swirling, foaming white water. At the end of that trip, I felt like I had truly experienced the Colorado Rockies.

We can't say we've been somewhere if we've only viewed it from a distance. We can't say we are friends with someone if we've never spent time with them. We can't say that we love someone if we don't even know what matters to them. And we can't say that we know God if don't bother to be in his presence. If we don't take time to read what he has written to us and respond to it in prayer. If we don't taste and see that he is good.

There is more to know of God than we could ever know in a lifetime. Even in eternity, we'll never plumb the depths of his magnificence. Even so, we shouldn't hold back on learning about him now. Paul prayed for the Ephesians, that they "may have strength to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled with all the fullness of God" (3:18-19). This ought to be our prayer as well. May we never be satisfied with just a cursory glance from afar, rather may we always yearn and seek to know the breadth, length, height, and depth of our Savior God.  

Engaging Motherhood {a review and giveaway}

If we were to sit down and talk about motherhood, I would probably begin by saying, "A hurricane made me a mother and it's been a whirlwind ever since."

We were well prepared for that hurricane, after all we'd had a practice run just a couple of weeks before. The idea that two hurricanes could crash into the same seaside town, one after the other, never crossed my mind. And for it to happen when I was nine months pregnant—inconceivable!

Though we were prepared for the hurricane with our water, food, and emergency supplies, we were  not prepared for parenthood. Oh, I had read all the books. Multiple times. In my mind I was prepared but nothing smacks your pride in the face like motherhood. Those first months on into a year was hard. Postpartum depression made it even harder. 

That's why when I started reading Engaging Motherhood: Heart Preparation for a Holy Calling, I emailed one of the writer's to tell her how much I appreciated the book. If only I had read it twelve years ago! 

Most books for moms are teeming with how-to's and practical tips. "Here's what worked for me, it is certain to work for you." While such advice has its use, one thing that is often lacking in these works is Christ. Many resources point readers everywhere else but the only source of hope, Jesus Christ.

That's what makes Engaging Motherhood an important books for moms. Especially new moms and those with littles gathered around their ankles. Moms covered in spit up and whose life revolves around diaper changes and nap schedules. This book points moms to their Savior. 

"But what if I told you there was a great High Priest who has gone before you and knows all your fears? What if I told you that Christ has taken the lion's share of your pain in delivery? By leaving his throne in heaven and taking on the very nature of a man—a servant—Jesus embraced the most astronomical role change you could ever imagine. God became man with flesh and bones and bruises. And his earthly body was torn open to deliver you. And because of this, God exalted him to the highest place, so that at the name of Jesus every knee would bow. If you have confessed Christ as Lord, you can have unwavering hope that God will deliver you into this revolution with joy and confidence." (p.13)

Engaging Motherhood is written by a group of moms who have been there and know the challenges of caring for young children. Designed to be read and discussed in a small group setting and ideally with a mentor/leader, Engaging Motherhood is divided into eight themed weeks. Each of those weeks contains five days of devotional length chapters.  Some of the themes include topics such as loneliness, control, perfectionism, and spiritual life. Each day's reading includes a Scripture passage, a devotional, and questions to answer.

For new moms, every moment of the day is consumed with taking care of a child. This book, with its manageable readings, reminds moms of the truth of who they are in Christ and wherein lies their joy and strength.

"From the beginning, one of Scripture's refrains is God is with you. He entered the darkness at the beginning of the world, he entered the darkness of our sin, he walks with us through streams of righteousness and waves that seem to overcome us. God even called his Son Immanuel—God with us—as a way to remind us that he will never (never!) leave us. Take heart! You are known. You are understood. You are His." (p.58)

Engaging Motherhood would be an excellent resource for a group of new moms to do together. It would be a great tool for an older woman to use to disciple younger women. It would be a blessing to any mom with young children. To find out more about Engaging Motherhood, click here.

I have a copy of Engaging Motherhood to give away. US residents only. Enter below.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Note: I received a copy of this book for free for this review. The thoughts and opinions are my own.

When You Are Tempted to Despair

"When Satan tempts me to despair
And tells me of the guilt within
Upward I look and see Him there
Who made an end of all my sin"

One of the places (and there are many!) I am tempted to despair is in the area of our health. We've spent the last month as a family sick. All of us. One after the other. And then my son had an accident injuring his mouth that required visits to multiple specialists.

We've had chronic health issues over the years, resulting in constant doctor visits, rounds of medication, and surgeries. These days, I immediately tense up anytime one of the kids has a cough. 

So when we get sick, I am tempted to despair. I feel helpless, weak, and useless. Questions swirl around my mind all day and night, "Should I switch doctors?" "What's the long term effect of this medication?" "When will we get better?" "How long can I go without sleep?"  

I find myself irritable and impatient. Stressed and anxious. Reactionary. All my thoughts and energies are focused on what's happening, it becomes consuming. I just want God to intervene, fix it all, and return things back to normal. 

I am tempted to despair.

As the old hymn says, when I am tempted to despair, I need to look to Christ. 

"Because the sinless Savior died
My sinful soul is counted free
For God the Just is satisfied
To look on Him and pardon me"

If you are tempted to despair today, for whatever reason, look to Christ. And may these words of C.H. Spurgeon encourage you:

"It is ever the Holy Spirit's work to turn our eyes away from self to Jesus; but Satan's work is just the opposite of this, for he is constantly trying o make us regard ourselves instead of Christ. He insinuates, "Your sins are too great for pardon; you have no faith; you do not repent enough; you will never be able to continue to the end; you have not the joy of his children; you have such a wavering hold of Jesus." All these are thoughts about self, and we shall never find comfort or assurance by looking within.

But the Holy Spirit turns our eyes entirely away from self: He tells us that we are nothing, but that "Christ is all in all." Remember therefore, it is not your hold of Christ that saves you-it is Christ; it is not your joy in Christ that saves you-it is Christ; it is not even faith in Christ, though that be the instrument-it is Christ's blood and merits; therefore, look not so much to your hand with which you are grasping Christ, as to Christ; look not to your hope, but to Jesus, the source of your hope; look not to your faith, but to Jesus the author and finisher of your faith."

(From Morning and Evening: Classic KJV Edition)

Look Out for the New Girl

We just moved from one state to another. Everywhere I go, I am new. I am new to the neighborhood, new to the church, new to my kid’s activities. The roads are new to me. The way things are done in each place I go is new to me. I find myself having to preface everything I say with, “I’m new here, could you help me?”

I signed my youngest up for the neighborhood swim team and even though I explained that we were new and had never participated in a neighborhood swim team before, I had to ask multiple times about the process and procedure. That’s because there was a lot of information that everyone just assumed I knew. I just smiled and said, “We’re new here.”

What it’s like to be New

Being new is a bit overwhelming. There is a common language everyone has that a new person just doesn’t know. There are expectations and unwritten rules they aren’t privy to. A new person can end up feeling overwhelmed and out of place.

For me, being in a new place has opened my eyes to things I had not considered before. It has made me think about those who might be new to our ministries. What is it like for someone to walk into our Bible study for the first time or attend a women’s event or sign up for a discipleship group? How are they received and do they feel just as overwhelmed, lost, and confused as I have felt in moving to a new town?..to read the rest of this post, visit Revive Our Hearts.

The Cause of our Quarrels

Most days I spend as a referee. I intervene in squabbles and arguments. I settle disputes. At times, I even prevent all-out wars. And on really bad days, I cast off my referee's striped garb and  jump into the ring myself, arguing right alongside my kids.

If you have children, it’s likely that you are a referee as well. You might have even resorted to wearing a whistle and pulling out penalty flags. Maybe you've thought to yourself, "What is going on around here?" and "Why is there so much conflict?"

The Idols of our Hearts

James speaks about the quarrels and fights we have in James 4:

"What causes quarrels and what causes fights among you? Is it not this, that your passions are at war within you? You desire and do not have, so you murder. You covet and cannot obtain, so you fight and quarrel. You do not have, because you do not ask. You ask and do not receive, because you ask wrongly, to spend it on your passions. You adulterous people!" (4:1-4)

What is the source of all our fights and quarrels, even those in our own homes? Our idolatry. We fight with one another because of the idols in our heart. This is true for our children as well...to read the rest of this post, visit For the Family, my writing home today.

The Joy and Sorrow of Life

There’s a sweet children’s story titled, Because of Winn Dixie. The main character, Opal, has a friendship with the town librarian, Miss Franny. Miss Franny told Opal the story of her great grandfather who fought in the Civil War and returned home to find that everyone in his family had died while he was away in battle. After all the sorrow, he desired something sweet and made candies called Littmus Lozenges into which he poured all his sadness. Miss Franny gave one to Opal to try.

I ate my Littmus Lozenge slow. It tasted good. It tasted like root beer and strawberry and something else I didn't have a name for, something that made me feel kind of sad.

..."There's a secret ingredient in there," Miss Franny said.

"I know it," I told her. "I can taste it. What is it?"

"Sorrow," Miss Franny said. (p.113 and 114).

The Combined Taste of Joy and Sorrow

For believers, the combined taste of joy and sorrow is a familiar one. It’s the taste we live with every day in this fallen world. Even on days where we experience deep joy, there’s always the accompanying flavor of sorrow. And then on those days where we experience profound sorrow, there’s always joy right there in the midst of it.

This taste has nothing to do with candy. Our sorrow comes from an awareness that things are not what they should be. There’s sorrow over the fallenness of this world, it’s depth and breadth. There’s sorrow because we know how things began and what happened to bring us to this place of brokenness. There’s sorrow over how the curse of sin affects the world around us and that of our own hearts. There’s sorrow over how the fall comes to bear in our individual life through conflict, illness, heartache, and loss. There’s sorrow over injustice, tragedy, abuse, and death.

But then there is also joy. Joy because we are in Christ. Joy because we know God and are known by him. Joy because we know that God rules and reigns, no matter what is happening around us. Joy because we know that he is always with us and will never forsake us. Joy because God hears us and is our refuge in our sorrow. Joy because we know that this world is not all there is and that eternity awaits us. And joy because we have the very presence of God living within us.

Gospel Joy

In my book, I talk about how joy is always with us and how it is intertwined with other emotions, particularly sorrow. 

“Even when life is at its hardest, gospel joy is still there. It is always present, like an anchor in the storms of life. It’s what trickles through the cracks of our messy and sin-stained lives. Like a river’s current, it carries us through the challenges and pains of life in this fallen world. This is why fellow believers in Christ whom we know are going through a serious trial in their lives can still express their joy in the Lord. Even though their world is crumbling, even though they might be facing excruciating physical pains, they can still sing a song of praise because they have gospel joy co-mingling with their sorrow and grief. They can sing because Christ has set them free from all captivity, including captivity to their emotions. They aren’t held hostage by their emotions so that even through tears, they can sing of God’s amazing grace.

This gospel joy is why the hymn writer, Horatio Spafford could pen the song ‘It is Well With My Soul’ after losing four of his daughters at sea:

When peace, like a river, attendeth my way,
When sorrows like sea billows roll;
Whatever my lot, Thou hast taught me to say,
It is well, it is well with my soul.
It is well with my soul, It is well, it is well with my soul.

Though Satan should buffet,
though trials should come,
Let this blest assurance control,
That Christ hath regarded my helpless estate,
And hath shed His own blood for my soul.

Though sorrows, fears, and pains remain in this life and though they will revisit us throughout the course of our lives, we have the constant undercurrent of joy always there with us.” (p.139-140).

As I’ve gotten older, my taste buds have changed. Things I didn’t care to eat when I was younger, I now enjoy. Also as I’ve gotten older, the combined taste of joy and sorrow is more profound. It’s an everyday taste, one that has become part of me. Perhaps this taste has grown with more life experience or the loss of naiveté or a greater and greater awareness of just how fallen the world is. Perhaps it is all of it combined. But each day I have reason both to lament and to hope in Christ.

Our Savior summed it up best, “In this world you will have sorrow, but take heart, I have overcome the world.” As believers, we face the reality that sorrow is real and that we are to expect it in this world. But at the same time, we have hope. Christ has conquered sin and death. We are redeemed. And he is present with us until the end. He is our joy in the midst of all the sorrows and heartaches of life. 

Do you know the combined taste of joy and sorrow?