(IN)Courage

[Judy Harder]

in)RL Check-In Series: Part 3 – How Do We Forgive Past Hurt By Community?


Sep 18, 2012 01:20 am | Deidra

We're spending 5 weeks chatting on the sofa over hot tea, cookies, and 5 questions about in real life friendship. Won't you join us?
09/04 Week 1: "What does community mean to you?"
09/11 Week 2: "How do we stop hiding from and open ourselves up to community?"
09/18 Week 3: "How do we forgive past hurt by community?"

09/25 Week 4: "How do we build local community: some practical ideas."
10/02 Week 5: "How do we build community right where we are, not letting circumstances limit our connections?"
Every Friday we'll invite you to share your thoughts – link up a post, share a comment, discuss on Facebook.
We loved hearing your thoughts last week on how to come out of hiding and connect with community. Congrats to Brooke who won the (in)courage (in)RL T-Shirt for the post she linked up – here's a peek – you should really go and read it:

He has given me community in a way I could have never imagined just a few years ago. He has nudged me to step out of my comfort zone, beyond the fear and risk rejection. He has encouraged me to join small groups, to volunteer with new people, to try something totally new, to take that promotion. In return, He's amazed me with how He continues to shape and change me.

And the only way to step out of your comfort zone is to lean on and rely on Him, the One you know will never reject you.


We're looking forward to hearing from you guys and blessing at least one of you each week with some of our (in)RL resources.

So, this week we're discussing how to forgive past hurt by community.


Let's not even try to pretend it's easy. Or that we should simply press through, or shake it off, or "let it slide." Perhaps, if we can just allow ourselves to set aside those silly notions, we can get to the other side in one piece. Because being hurt hurts. Plain and simple.

Here's the thing: there are no perfect people. Not even in community.

We— the imperfect — worship together, and we serve together. We share recipes and grocery shopping tips. We help each other move, and we pick up each other's children from school. We share our dreams and we confess our failures. We bake and deliver casseroles, and we wait and pray with each other in hospital emergency rooms.

It is a beautiful thing.

Until it isn't.

A few years ago, I got my heart broken, right in the middle of community. I don't think there are many hurts worse than the ones we receive in community, and I don't wish it on you. I don't wish it on anyone. Most of the time, these hurts catch us completely off guard. I think it would be a beautiful thing if no one ever had to know a hurt like that. After all, community is all about love. Right?

Even when we're at our best, hurting one another is inevitable. Because we're not perfect. And here's the subtle danger in being hurt: letting my hurt feelings keep me from ever living in community again. I can build a wall around myself and keep you at arm's length and I can do life on my own, thank you very much.

But then, what I am supposed to do with this...

You can develop a healthy, robust community that lives right with God and enjoy its results only if you do the hard work of getting along with each other, treating each other with dignity and honor. ~James 3:18, MSG (emphasis mine).

This is more than building a wall, pressing through, shaking it off, or letting it slide. No, those are the easy options. The hard work is staying engaged, admitting where it hurts, offering the gift of a sincere apology when necessary, and — when we're ready — offering forgiveness.

It's true that sometimes things get more than simply messy, and then it may be time to step away. But when we're just bumping up against each other in the day-to-day of life together, accepting the challenge to stay is often the greatest gift we can offer one another.



Yeah. Let's not even try to pretend it's easy. Community isn't always easy.

But it's worth it. Community is definitely worth it.

By Deidra Riggs







Human Lie Detector

Sep 18, 2012 01:10 am | Mandy Mianecki

"I must be stupid."

My husband's words travel miles, ride cellular frequencies, slice through my heart.

He speaks these words, believes these words.  All because he walked out the door and left his MapQuest driving directions lying lonely on his desk at home.

And I think, "No. No, you are not stupid.  Stressed, yes.  Overwhelmed, yes.  Human, yes.  Shouldering the weight of providing for five other people, yes.


Loved just as you are, YES!

Stupid?  No."

And he's not the only one.  Over, and over, and over, from loved ones, I hear:

I'm so bad at this.

I'm a failure.

I'll never be able to...

It's too hard.

I'm afraid I'll...

What if...

And those are just the ones spoken aloud.

Lies, all.  How easily the enemies slinks his slimy way in and whispers fear and discouragement to us.

As my husband berates himself, believing those ugly words, I catch myself thinking, "I need to be a good wife here, but I don't know what to say to him.  I'm so much better at encouraging women."

Enter more lies!  More discouragement!  The truth is: I can speak words of  life to him.

I want to encourage him, and you, too: Take heart. Arm yourself with this truth:

The only thing that matters is who God says you are.  He knew you before you were born, knit you together in your mother's womb, declaring you to be fearfully, wonderfully made (Psalm 139:14).  He designed you on purpose, for a purpose that only you can fulfill (Jeremiah 29:11).  He chose you (John 15:16).  He wants you.  He cares about every detail of your life. (Luke 12:7)



"In this way the love of God was revealed to us: God sent His only Son into the world so that we might have life through Him."

–1 John 4:9

He loves you madly.  In a reckless, sacrifice-His-own-Son-to-save-you sort of way.

Repeat after me, friends: I am loved.  I have a purpose.  God doesn't make junk.

* * *

What lies are bullying you today?  What truths can you choose to believe instead?  Not sure?  I'd be happy to help you in your combat!  Let's chat in the comments below.

By Mandy Mianecki, His Song to Me.

[Judy Harder]

Five Little Words
Sep 19, 2012 01:20 am | Sarah Markley




It's ridiculous how much just five little words can hurt.

"What are you doing here?"

And it's ludicrous to think that even now as a grown woman I give those words the same power that I gave them when I was eleven-years-old.

Alongside puberty in a girl comes a painful self-awareness that she is inadequate in comparison with almost everyone else. When I was eleven I lived in fear of someone calling me out of a crowd, of being the center of attention and of people not wanting me around. I was clumsy and self-conscious and never felt like I fit in anywhere.

Before middle school began I tried to envision myself walking into the seventh grade lunch room, searching for a seat and then being asked, "What are you doing here?" By the time I got there, I did find friends but I still lived with the worry of being left out.

I don't need anyone to ask me "What are you doing here?" because I ask it of myself. What am I doing here? I don't belong here or anywhere else.

Though no one ever said it quite like I think they will, their gestures, their snubs and their "lost" invitations plagued me in middle school and early high school.

Years later, words like this still have the power they never should have.

I'm by myself at a wedding. My husband, who often plays guitar and sings in friends' ceremonies, is nowhere to be found. He's with the other musicians somewhere in the back.

It's in a garden, a beautiful spread of roses upon roses and I've sat down in a chair by myself. The thing is, I know almost everyone here, but we've left this church and have moved on. It was a friendly split {on our part} but perhaps unfriendly on theirs? I hadn't thought so. I'm just beginning to realize that I am not wanted here.

"What are YOU doing here, Sarah?" A woman asks as she comes up behind me before it begins. "I just didn't know you would be invited."

Ouch. I have no words so I try to smile.

Several months later I walk through the campus of my daughters' school. A woman, another mother with whom I've been friendly from time to time, stops me in the breezeway.

"What are you doing here?"

Instantly I feel shunned, embarrassed and like I'm in the seventh grade lunch room again. People know me here and I had thought I belonged.

Five little words from her make me feel immediately like an outcast.

This week the theme on (in)courage is forgiveness when community has wounded you.  The only way that I know how to begin the process of healing anything, even the pain of five ridiculously powerful uttered words is to begin to participate in the healing process of others.

So I began to say five other words. Five words with power and intention and life.

"I'm so glad you're here."

I'm so glad you're here, I say to friends who step over my threshold.

I'm so glad you're here, I write when a new reader comes across my blog.

I'm so glad you're here, is what we say when we meet another couple for dinner and a walk on the beach.

I'm so glad you're here, I tell my daughters when they wake up on an autumn morning.

And with each positive utterance on my part I am able to forgive a piece of that which has been broken in me.

I'm so glad you're here. Five different words with the power to heal. These words have the power to override the hurt and pain that comes from not fitting in, feeling as if we don't belong and from feeling alone.

Today, friends, I'm so glad you're here. If you've been wounded within community, if you've been carrying the scars of 5 little words, or if you've been cast out of a place of belonging today is for you.

I'm so glad you're here. I am so glad you are here!

Let us tell one another that we value them, that we love them and that we are so happy that we all belong to Jesus. And by that maybe we can begin to allow the broken pieces inside us to heal.

Can you tell someone today that you are so glad they are in your life?








Chapter 4 Guest Post: Giving And Gaining
Sep 19, 2012 01:15 am | Jill Reini




A month or so before I read 7: An Experimental Mutiny Against Excess, God had been stirring something up in me. I knew I needed more, but I wasn't sure how to get it or even what I wanted.

Then came 7.

The whole book spoke to me, but the part that really got my attention was the chapter on media.

We had always been a TV loving family, whether watching our favorite TV shows nightly, or going to the theater every weekend to see the latest movie (that was before we had kids.)

After reading the media chapter, my eyes were opened. I started asking myself these questions:

How much time were we wasting on TV and movies?
Was what we were watching good and beneficial?
Who or what was first in our lives? The TV or Jesus?
These were really hard questions for me to answer, but for the first time in my life I sat down and thought about the answers. It wasn't good. Well, it was good, but it was tough. I talked to my husband and we came to the same conclusion:

We were spending too much time in front of a screen. We were numbing our minds to what was going on around us, and we were finding that the more stuff we watched the harder it was to tell what was even "acceptable" anymore.

So we gave ourselves a timeout.

We had previously gotten rid of cable when summer started, so we got rid of the disc part of Netflix. (We still have the instant queue because of the kids, but I think this will be going soon also.) We got rid of some of our movies and TV shows. Same with books and video games. Really we just have too much stuff.

After we did this came the question of how to spend our nights. We were used to watching something when the kids went to bed. This had been our "quality" time. Honestly, we felt a little lost.

But God had a plan.

We soon found out that a group of our friends were meeting nightly for some intense prayer and worship. I was instantly excited. This is what I wanted. What I needed. More of Him.

So, Aaron and I would take turns (because someone had to stay home with the kids) going to the prayer nights. When I was home, I would fill my nights with reading, listening to music, blogging, or something else productive. And when Aaron was home he got busy editing a book that him and his dad wrote together. Talk about life changing.

Jesus moved in our lives like never before. We gave Him our time and ourselves, and He showed us who we really were in Him, and what it was like to give Him our all. We gave Him our time, He gave us His passion.

It was seriously insane. Insane good.

I'm not writing this to say TV or movies are horrible. They're not. In fact, we still watch a show here and there and there's a few movies coming out this fall that I am excited to see. We just realized we were spending way too much time in front of a screen and not enough time in the presence of Jesus.

We felt the prompting of the Holy Spirit to give some of this up, and we obeyed. And He blessed us for it. I have finally realized that Jesus is better than anything I could watch, read, or listen to.

He's everything.

By: Jill Reini, Reini Days

Photo by Alex Courso



***

Tune in this Friday for a link up on Media! If this week's chapter affected you in any way, we want to know about it! So share about it on your own blog and come back and link up this Friday {or share in the comments}!

[Judy Harder]

This One's for the Girls (Two New Books for Teens + Giveaway x10!)
Sep 20, 2012 01:20 am | Emily Freeman


Sometimes community hurts. It hurts to be open, to share life, to extend grace when we feel graceless.

One reason why we may often be hesitant to embrace community when we are older is because of the ways we were hurt by community when we were young.



I think of the generation coming up just behind us, of the girls who have big dreams but tired hearts. Of the rule followers, the fear wallowers, the messy and the misunderstood.

I think of the self-critics, the silent judges and the girls who feel invisible.

I think of the girls who long to be loved, accepted, and free.

My heart is heavy for this generation of young women.

How can we teach them to love one another well? To support each other without fear or competition? To be sisters who stand together in the midst of successes as well as failures?

We (Annie and Emily) are taking small steps to walk with girls as they begin to wrestle with answering these questions for themselves. And since we're writers, we did it in the we know how: we wrote books.

Annie Downs wrote a book for teen girls called Perfectly Unique.

I wrote a book for teen girls called Graceful.

And the fun part?

Both books released on the same day. And now they are both available to you.

Last week, Annie and I hung out together and made a little video for you. It is one part informational, one part ridiculous, three parts genuine excitement. We lose it a little around 4 minutes in, but manage to pull it together in time to wrap it up.

Ignore my weird hair. Go.


Read Chapter One of Annie's book (Perfectly Unique).

Read Chapter One of Emily's book (Graceful).

A Giveaway for You

We couldn't possibly introduce these books without doing a giveaway. DaySpring is generously offering to give 10 of you one of each of the following:



A copy of Perfectly Unique: Praising God From Head to Foot
A copy of Graceful {For Young Women}: Letting Go of Your Try Hard Life
A Joy Comes in the Morning Journal
A super cute stainless water bottle
Simply leave a comment telling us one piece of advice you would give your teenage self and we'll pick 10 winners and announce them here on Monday!

Grab your copy of Perfectly Unique for $7.99 and Graceful for $9.99 from DaySpring today!





Learning To Trust...One Splinter At A Time...
Sep 20, 2012 01:10 am | Rachel Hammond


She came running to me, cradling her hand, two brown slivers of wood poking out of her fingertip. One gentle touch made her realize how much it hurt, and she immediately curled her hand tightly closed. We went back to the house and settled her down with an ice cube, Capri Sun, and a kid's television show before I descended on her finger with a pair of tweezers. It would only take a second to pull them out, I thought optimistically, and we could then move on with our evening.

Half an hour later, we both lay exhausted on the floor, television ignored, drink forgotten, and the splinters still firmly stuck in her little finger. I had tried everything I could think of  - cajoling, soothing, bribing (two marshmallows!), threats, and brute force – but the only thing I had ended up with was a sad little girl with eyes red from crying and her hair laying in sweaty chunks across her face as she screamed, "No! No! No!".

I gave up, wrapped her finger in a Band-Aid, and hugged her tightly before tucking her into bed. Then I sat down on the back porch, rocking and staring out into the trees, as I tried to calm down my adrenaline flushed body and work through the frustration that was still bubbling up inside me.

It would have taken 10 seconds, maybe less, for me to pull out the tiny shards of wood. Over. Done. A pinch, and then the pain would be gone. I was trying to help her and take away her pain, but she just kept kicking and screaming, pushing me away.

But how often do I do the same thing to God?

I kick and scream, pushing God away from my life. I don't want what He has for me, because it might hurt or be uncomfortable. Worried that I can't handle what he gives me, I clutch my heart tightly to my chest, not willing to open my hands and let God prune, fix, grow, and stretch what needs to change in order to prepare me for His purposes and will.

I'm sure that sometimes He sits back, smiles sadly at me, and says,

"Rachel, don't you know that I love you? I only want the best for you, but I can't heal you if you don't let me in. Trust My ways, dear child, and I will bring you to a better place."

I understand her fear, because I have felt it too.

Later, I go in to check on her. She has surrendered to sleep, her bandaged hand sprawled out on the pillow next to her head. I smooth back her still damp hair and pray for her...and me.

"Help us to trust. Help us to uncurl our hands to the ones who love us the most and accept the healing that comes with it. Bless us, Father, even in our lack of trust, and draw us close to you."

By Rachel Hammond, Circle of Quiet

[Judy Harder]

How to Heal Community Wounds {Link Up Your Stories}
Sep 21, 2012 01:20 am | Kristen Welch




I said it out loud.

"I can't believe no one called, no one asked, no one offered to help," I complained to my husband.

My old community wounds surface at the first hint of disappointment and surprise me with their intensity. My words sound bitter and I struggle to sort it all out.

Why is it that pain from past relationships cast a shadow over present ones? Why is it easier to remember the negative than pursue the positive?

He squeezes my arm and says, "If someone had done all those things, would you have accepted it? Did you ask?"

The question hangs. He knows me too well. I shrug and confess, "No. You know how I am, I'm an introvert and it's hard for me to accept help. I just wanted someone to ask if I needed it."

And my words sounded hollow in my own ears.

He reassures and reminds me of the deep community we are building. He is right and I feel foolish for drudging up the past because the present didn't live up to my expectations.



"Community is no longer natural or easy under our present cultural conditions. It will require an intentionality greater than that required by our ancestors, and uncomfortable to most of us...." -Timothy Keller

It's hard for me to reach out, to let people in and when they don't meet my (often unspoken) assumptions, I'm disappointed. I have invisible needs and often let the pain of yesterday's community rob me of the joy of today.

"...But building Christian community is not simply a duty. It should not be a distasteful act of the will. Community grows naturally out of shared experience, and the more intense the experience, the more intense the community..." -Timothy Keller

At the end of the day, I want intense community. And after all these years, I am slowly finding it by sharing the intensity that comes from honesty and being open enough to share life, and not just the ups. Being vulnerable in the low times with other women makes sharing the mountain-top experiences even better.

Many of us spend so much energy pulling away from community. Honestly, it's easier to shut people out, but in the end fellowship heals community pain.

We need community, the good and the bad. Because it's exactly God's answer for community pain. People wound us, people heal us.

The next day, I called my friend and when she asked if I needed help, I said yes. And so did she.

When it comes to community wounds, are you tempted to give up on people? Or yourself? How do you overcome the pain that often comes with being vulnerable in community?
(in)RL GIVEAWAY: Won't you share in the comments or link up your stories below? We'd love to hear your heart as we all "check-in" on how we're doing with this whole bravely connecting with community thing.

And we'd love to give one of you who shares our beautiful (in)RL DVD Set and Devotional Booklet.

—>snag yours over here – they're half price right now

by Kristen Welch, We are THAT family







Chapter 4: Media- Link Up!
Sep 21, 2012 01:05 am | incourage



Did this month on media make you realize how much time you are spending on Facebook? When combined with all the other media sources fighting for our attention, it can get overwhelming. If this chapter convinced you to take a step back from media, won't you share with us? Laura and Carolyn are sharing a bit with us below. We'd love for you to add your voice to the conversation, too!

Just link up your post on this month's topic below, or share in the comments!
{Laura @ Awake My Soul}
I pride myself on being SUPER Multi-tasker!  You too??

Capable of accomplishing 349 things at one time!  At Target I'm able to juggle texting, talking, loading items on the conveyor belt while (if not leaping tall buildings) tying my shoe.

Problem?  What that says to the check-out person is "You're not important enough for my undivided attention."

A friend of mine was distracted and multi-tasking checking out at the grocery store, her toddler in the cart trying to talk to her as she unloaded things.  She half nodded and said "Uh huh" til he finally took her head between his chubby little hands and turned her face to look at him.  "Mommy," he said, "Listen with you eyes!"

Without my magic all-purpose phone, I also find I'm more present to God.  My mind turns to prayer more because there isn't anything else to distract me.

Click here to continue reading...


{Carolyn @ Walking Stories}
The media proclaims continuously that we need the most. I want to encourage women that no, we just need our sweet Savior Jesus.

The media proclaims that we need to be our best. I want to encourage women that we are at our best when our life proclaims that God is the best.

The media proclaims that our goal should be to "reach the top". I want to encourage women that Jesus said, "If anyone would be first, he must be last of all and servant of all," (Mark 9:35).

I'm at an age where everyone questions me about my goals and plans for life after the big college graduation day. While others my age might have impressive dreams of "reaching the top", I pray that I stay on my knees under the foot of the cross.

[Judy Harder]

Open Doors to Community {Flower Pins & Chocolate}
Sep 22, 2012 01:20 am | Melissa Michaels




For the past three years my husband and I have been building a church family in a community where we previously didn't know any one.  The state of Washington might not be considered a foreign missionary land, but it sure feels like it to a homebody like me when you move to a place where you don't know a soul and are given the seemingly monumental task of starting a church from scratch.  People don't generally go to church in the NW, so you've got to be bold and creative in building community.

Finding and building a community is hard, really hard. I get that. Especially for people like me who are happiest as reclusive introverted homebodies. Making the effort to reach out and connect isn't easy, and sometimes its extremely inconvenient, but as a follower of Christ, it isn't really an option. God created in us a need for community.

If there is one thing I know about building community, it is that to be successful, you have to have two things: an open door and someone to go through it. An open door is one in which you have provided a safe, comfortable, welcoming environment for someone to enter in to a community where they may not know anyone. Building community is a two way street to be sure, but someone needs to make the first move by creating the open door environment.



This spring our church's women's group hosted our first ever community Craft Day in conjunction with the in(RL) event and (in)courage. While we didn't have a big team or budget, our goal was simply to create a space where women who didn't previously know each other could feel comfortable enough to sit together at a table, put together a simple craft, eat chocolate and talk.

Our small team of women putting on the event poured out their creativity and love for their community by providing the Craft Day setting with a chocolate fountain, crafting tables with fabric to make flower pins, and tasty food.  They opened the door to community by setting a comfortable environment.



The brave women who attended reached out to us in return by walking through the open door and opening their hearts to new friends! Friendship building takes two people willing to make a step. And on Craft Day, we met right in the middle, over our chocolate dipped strawberries and flower pins.

In just a couple of weeks, our church is starting a new MOPS group. We are providing another open door to friendship. We are praying for even more women to take that important brave step by walking through the open door and meeting us in the middle where we can get to know each other!

A local community of friends is SO important, sweet dear ladies, and it can't be built when we choose to stay home instead of participating. Oh, it is so tempting to stay home sometimes, isn't it? There have been times I've set the stage for community and women were too tired or too busy to meet me in the middle. They didn't realize the divine opportunity to encourage others by their presence.

I know we are all really busy and have so much going on. But I encourage you to make real community building a priority in your life. Set aside time for it. God designed us to grow and thrive as followers of Christ in community. We need each other more than we might even realize!

Be a door opener or one who walks through the doors. Either way, you'll be a blessing to someone else and in all likelihood you'll BE blessed.

[Judy Harder]

A Sunday Scripture
Sep 23, 2012 12:00 am | incourage

Though the fig tree does not bud
and there are no grapes on the vines,
though the olive crop fails
and the fields produce no food,
though there are no sheep in the pen
and no cattle in the stalls,

yet I will rejoice in the Lord,
I will be joyful in God my Savior.
The Sovereign Lord is my strength;
he makes my feet like the feet of a deer,
he enables me to tread on the heights.

~Habakkuk 3:17-19

[Judy Harder]

Finding Friends
Sep 24, 2012 01:20 am | Annie Downs




I moved to Nashville four years ago and when I moved, I knew approximately four people.

Four.

In the whole city.

Seriously.

For a massive extrovert like me, that was hard. Like whoa hard. Like how am I ever going to survive this hard.

Because I wanted friends. I wanted people who knew me, really knew me, and I wanted history and I wanted someone to laugh with.

So I had to find friends.

I know, sounds miserable, right? It was awful some days. And terribly hard.

But it was totally worth it. My friends in Nashville love me really well and are a gift from God. I'm grateful for each of them.

There were a few tips I lived by when I was finding friends. In a world where "community" is more an overused word than a reality, I knew it was going to take a little work to build a life in a new city where I was all alone.

Listen, I don't know everything about everything, I don't know everything about anything, so these are just some ideas that I've seen work in my life and the lives of the people around me. I'm not giving you rules- don't feel pressure. I'm just sharing.

Now I've over explained. You're welcome.

Some tips for finding friends....

1. Ask God. Just plain pray and ask God to provide people for you. He is Jehovah Jireh, your provider.

2. Be true to yourself- to what you love and what matters to you. You love cats? Great. You love running? Super. You love scrapbooking? Call Jessica Turner. When we were teenagers, we decided to like things often because our friends liked them. Guess what? You don't have to do that anymore. Decide what YOU really like and then you can find people who share those interests.

3. Use the internet to help. I think of sweet Sara and how, because she couldn't leave her home, her community, her best friends, she knew through the computer and that often translated into real life. If you are homebound, God bless the internet for giving you a way to have real friendships around the world. But if you aren't homebound, the internet should be your help, not your only.

Search through meet-ups and facebook events and online book clubs. Use the internet as a tool to help you find real life community.

4. Say yes. For the first five months that I lived in Nashville, I made myself say yes. If someone asked me to come to the park, yes. If someone asked me to go to a movie or a church or coffee or dinner, yes. Always yes. Even when it would have been easier to stay home and watch reruns of Reba or get Taco Bell for dinner or get in my car and drive to Atlanta to see my family, I said yes.

5. Attend that group at church that you keep rolling your eyes about. Oh, I know, you're cooler than those other singles. I know, you and your husband won't mesh well with the Sunday School class. I know, that women's group doesn't look fun at all. But go. Just a few times. Make yourself go. If you don't like it, no one is gonna make you go back. But if you do like it, boom. Friends.

If we were sitting at a coffee shop together, I would look you in the face and, with my fingers wrapped around a soy chai, I would say, "be brave."

You want to find friends?

Be. Brave.

. . . . .

How would you encourage other women to find friends? How did you make your friends? In the neighborhood? At church? Online?



by Annie Downs // AnnieBlogs




7: Chapter 5 — Waste
Sep 24, 2012 01:05 am | Jessica Turner




Read:
Month 1: Food –  Guest Post & Link Up
Month 2: Clothes  –  Guest Post — Link Up
Month 3: Possessions –  Guest Post — Link Up
Month 4: Media – Guest Post – Link Up

Jen gives us a much needed reminder this month that God calls us to care for the Earth that He created. Jen asks the hard question below– what would it take for you to become a godly consumer?

Can we unlearn our destructive habits and reimagine a way to live lighter on this earth? What if we changed our label from "consumers" to "stewards"? Would it change the way we shop? The way we think?

My luxuries come at the expense of some of God's best handiwork: forests, petroleum, clean air, healthy ecosystems.

What does it mean to be a godly consumer? What if God's creation is more than just a commodity? If we acknowledged the sacredness of creation, I suspect it would alter the way we treated it. ~ Page 136

Watch:

7 – Month 5: Waste, Bloom (in)courage Book Club from Bloom (in)courage on Vimeo.

{Subscribers, click here to watch}

Discuss:
Did this chapter change the way you view the Earth that God created? Are you being responsible when it comes to using the resources that God provides for us?  What practical (and maybe not so practical)  changes can you make in your household to take better care of our environment?

Share:
Join us on Wednesday as Stephanie shares with us how this month on waste changed her life. And if you've also shared about this month's topic on your blog, won't you link up with us on Friday or share in the comments? We'd love to hear from you!

Pst, Want to stay up to date on each new chapter? You can now sign up for exclusive emails from Bloom! It's free – just sign up here if you would like to receive emails when new Bloom posts are available.

 

[Judy Harder]

Encouraging Cards Giveaway
Sep 25, 2012 08:40 am | Mary Carver




"Mommy, we need to send her a card!"

It seems like every time I turn around, my almost-five-year-old daughter is asking for paper to make another card. She loves sending cards to people!

Grandma is sick? Let's make her a card.
Daddy had a rough night at work? Let's make him a card.
It's time to go back to school? Let's make cards for all my friends.
The banks are closed for Labor Day, which is a holiday? Let's make a card for everyone!

Even though it means we go through paper at a pretty fast rate and I'm constantly pulling out markers, scissors or stickers for her, I don't mind. In fact, I love that she wants to encourage her friends and family with a card.

While I don't do nearly enough to encourage those I love, I try to do it as much and as often as I can. Whether that means a card, an e-mail or a little gift for no reason (or, you know, for a holiday like Columbus Day), I love showing people I care and making them smile.

I learned that from my mom, and it seems my daughter has picked up the same thing from me. I have to say, though – my kiddo is way better at encouraging others than I am! When I mentioned in passing a few weeks ago that my mom was under the weather and wouldn't be coming to dinner as planned, my daughter's first reaction was, "We should make her a card!" And then she hounded me until we made one.

Apparently, I can learn as much from her as she can from me! That's why every time I send a thank you note, bake cookies for a friend or write letters to our sponsored children, I let my daughter sit with me and help. But it's also why I indulge her own ideas for sharing kindness – even if that means she goes through yet another roll of tape and a stack of paper to make First Day of Fall cards for all her friends!



It's easy to encourage your friends and family with DaySpring's greeting cards. And this month, you can buy 2 boxed card sets and get one free!

We're giving away 10 card packs to (in)courage readers this week! We'll pick and announce winners on Tuesday, October 2. To enter, leave a comment and tell us which card pack is your favorite (click here to view the full Collection!)



We're spending 5 weeks chatting on the sofa over hot tea, cookies, and 5 questions about in real life friendship. Won't you join us?
09/04 Week 1: "What does community mean to you?"
09/11 Week 2: "How do we stop hiding from and open ourselves up to community?"
09/18 Week 3: "How do we forgive past hurt by community?"

09/25 Week 4: "How do we build local community: some practical ideas."
10/02 Week 5: "How do we build community right where we are, not letting circumstances limit our connections?"
Every Friday we'll invite you to share your thoughts – link up a post, share a comment, discuss on Facebook.
We loved hearing your thoughts last week on how to come out of hiding and connect with community. Congrats to Mindy who won the(in)RL DVD Set and Devotional Booklet for the post she linked up – here's a peek – you should really go and read it:

We've all got our stories of how we've been hurt. Family and friends that betray. Acquaintances who injure with an off-hand remark. A reader who can leave comments that draw blood. People who can wound and don't even know of the disaster they've left in their wake.

Community can hurt.

But community can heal.

For every bad taste that community can leave in your mouth there are ten times...one hundred times as many that are good.

We're looking forward to hearing from you guys and blessing at least one of you each week with some of our (in)RL resources.

So, this week we're discussing some practical ideas for building local community.



Sometimes I close my eyes and imagine what it would be like to attend an old fashioned Quilting Bee.  As I rock on my covered front porch, I feel the warm breeze brush against my cheek.  Busying my hands by stitching beautiful fabric squares, I catch up with all my neighboring girlfriends who come together regularly to share community.

I open my eyes, and reality sets in. I don't sew, nor do I have the desire to cut quilting squares, yet I'm enchanted with this concept because there was a fun purpose for gathering, they shared life together, and productivity occurred.

That desire was the genesis behind my Kitchen Sisters' Club (a phrase coined after not enough sleep): a gatherings of friends, who came together to make meals for our family. As a young mom, it was often difficult to justify a "girls night out," yet when I combined the best of sharing sweet friendship with my girlfriends, along side making multiple meals for my family, it was a win-win proposition.

Over the last fifteen years, I have organized these meal making get togethers multiple ways, with many different ladies, and varying sized groups ranging from six to twenty-six. One constant remains. When the need for community mixes with very practical needs, it's truly the best of both worlds.

This past weekend, I led a meal planning workshop at my Becoming Conference where hundreds of women raised their hand in agreement that the "What's for Dinner Question" remains a constant source of strife.

I mean, do we really need to feed them again? They just ate last night?

When I think of meal time,  the old adage rings true, "Fail to plan, plan to fail." When I have no set plan, I tend to resort to the same three or four meals over and over again, which doesn't always win the adoration of my family. Since I'm always looking for new inspiration and accountability in the kitchen,  meal swapping meets both of these needs, along with a beautiful outlet to spend time with friends.

It's a wonderful way to try new recipes, eat healthier, and fellowship, while saving both time and money in the kitchen. As a bonus, I  go home energized and encouraged to do a better job for my family.

So many scriptural principles live out during our time together, including Galatians 6:2. We truly carry each others burdens together as we desire to live intentionally with even the most mundane of tasks.


Briefly, there are three different ways in which I have organized my Kitchen Sisters' Clubs. The method I choose depends on the group and my schedule.

1. Make all the meals at your own home and drop them off at friends' homes.
They, in turn, do the same thing for you on another day. Typically, this group shouldn't exceed four women.
Example: I make four of our family's favorite Taco Casseroles, or possibly my Simple Sesame Chicken, salad, and my easy homemade french bread, and deliver them to three neighbors. Then the next week, they do the same for me. This is the one option where the meals do not need to be freezer friendly, since you deliver and potentially eat it the same day.
( I write a lot about meal planning and easy food preparation over at Balancing Beauty and Bedlam, so my readers know that cooking a main dish in bulk takes the same amount of time as one recipe, so one of my biggest kitchen tips is to always double or triple our recipes, so that we'll have another meal for later.)

This first option only works well if you're in close proximity to each other. I know of ladies who have done this for years with the same four friends, now that is a blessing.

2. Host a meal making party in ones home where everyone brings the ingredients for their main dish.
Typically, I have done this with eight ladies.
Each friend was "assigned" one main dish (her preference). She would bring all the ingredients for that entree (x the number of ladies in attendance), and we would then assemble the meals together in my kitchen. So if I choose Mexican Lasagna, I would provide the ingredients for eight Mexican Lasagnas. If I am shopping for one, I might as well shop for eight.
Through much trial and error, I eventually set down basic ground rules, such as everyone had to provide two lbs of meat per meal, the recipe must fit an 8×10 pan etc. For those with smaller families, they just divided the meal in half, and received even more meals for their family. There is always so much fun and laughter to be had by all.
The only down side is that my kitchen is a complete wreck when it's done, but so worth it.

3. Host in either a home or church kitchen – one person organizes, sets the menu, and buys the ingredients.
This requires more work from one person, but there is the option of taking turns with organizing this every month.
The pictures shown above was an evening like this. I set up "stations" with instructions for each meal. I provided all the ingredients (except for two of the meals in which attendees brought their choice of raw chicken or beef in ziplock bags, and we made crock pot meals). The guests then covered the costs of the ingredients.

Hopefully, this quick introduction might get your creative juices going in the meal making department.



What are some of your biggest struggles when it comes to meal time?
If you have the desire to build community through starting a Kitchen Sisters Club, I'd love to help.
These gatherings are such a wonderful time of fellowship, and yet there's a feeling of total accomplishment when the evening is completed. I  know that many readers here have probably done similar things, and I'd love for you to chime in with the specifics of how you have set up your meal swapping groups.

On October 1, I will be launching my new food blog, 10 Minute Dinners, where I will be tackling the day in and day out challenge of getting quick and easy meals made, so that I can have more time to spend gathering around the table with family and friends. I will make sure and incorporate a follow up post on the details of starting a Kitchen Sisters Club, including some of your insights that I glean through the comments you leave, so please chime in. I'd love for us to brainstorm and learn from each other.

by Jen Schmidt, Balancing Beauty and Bedlam (and soon to be launched, 10 Minute Dinners)



Free Printable: Just CLICK HERE to download a free 8.5 x 11 printable version of the above quote on friendship.
It's this week's free (in)RL Check-In Printable – featuring copy and art from a postcard in the our new Postcards from God's Beach House, Friendship Set.

{The downloadable print is available through DaySpring.com. This is a free download and your credit card information will not be requested. You'll receive a link to the Printable in your confirmation email. Easy. Free. And Fun.}



Surrender
Sep 25, 2012 01:10 am | Ingrid K Cagwin




I can feel the hackles raise on my neck.  I've proven myself a mama-bear to defend my children.  But this time, it's the child- the eldest child- that I want to growl at.

I can become the worst version of myself as I look at that smaller image of me, her jaw set that dares me to react.  Why is it that our children, those we know are true gifts from God, can unearth this ungodly ugliness in our hearts?   How can I honor God, become who He is calling me to be, when all I want to do is knock my challenging daughter down a peg or three?

I pray.  I pray prayers of frustration.  Of repentance.  Of dependence.  The truth is that I can't honor God—I am a work in progress, needful of the Artist's help to do or be anything worthwhile.  And that includes any parenting of value—I need my Father, his overabundant grace and patience.

And then it hits me what the struggle is, how to define it.  The struggle in my heart, the war, is about identity.   It's countercultural, and elusive.  We might miss it if we don't look.  It seems normal, natural, to feel a sense of entitlement.  It feels right to demand my rights, because they define me.  But they should not.  When she challenges my authority, what my heart is crying out is: Respect!  Honor!  My RIGHTS!   And I aim to fire away until I am justly restored what is mine.  Until I am content that the relationship reflects who I am.  But then I think- who am I?

Who am I?  Jesus calls us to give up our rights and to serve.  He says that if we love him, we will obey.  Jesus "humbled himself by becoming obedient to death — even death on a cross!"  Fully entitled to all respect, all honor: God Himself.  The One who designed, who created each person that turned against Him, each man that beat him and spat upon Him.  Jesus didn't turn on them and insist on His due.  He loved them.  He loved them from a heart that didn't require reciprocity, from a heart that forgave when it was sinned against, from a heart that was sure of its mission.  Jesus' identity wasn't defined by circumstance or by others' response to Him and my identity is hidden in Him.

A new identity in Christ.  How does that work?  While I still need to set good boundaries with my kids, I am now free to choose how I (re)act when my children misbehave.  I can focus on the condition of my own heart.  I sin when I react to my children out of a need to define myself—a hope that their relationship to me will inform my identity.  I sin when I forget who I am.

Parenting can be a refiners' fire, shaping us to become the daughters—His daughters—that He calls us to be.  Instead of the rights I long to claim at any uprising, my new prayer is to hold fast to Jesus.  To cement myself in who He is, to have my identity so rooted in this dependence on Him that, when challenged, I remember my calling instead of my "rights." That I recollect my mission—guiding each child to know Him and love Him with all their hearts—instead of needing authority reaffirm who I am.  That I take the posture of a servant, because I am following my Shepherd as I help care for His little lambs.

By Ingrid K Cagwin, The Mundane Wrestle

[Judy Harder]

Start A Craft Day
Sep 26, 2012 01:20 am | The Nester




One of the ways I've gotten to know new people in my town is through craft day.  I'd love to take the credit for it but, my talented friends Reeve and Angela are the brains behind it, I'm just the one who is too lazy to leave the house so I've been the host. So really?  They've done all the hard work. And if you ask them, they probably don't even think it's hard.

Here's why we started a craft day:

1. we love to do little crafts

2. we wanted to be together

3. we each had some crafty friends and thought it would be fun to introduce them all



It was Reeve's idea to invite me and Angela to join in a Crafty Day Pinterest board.   This was SO SMART because we could easily pin potential craft day ideas and then when it was time to decide which ideas we actually wanted to consider, we could all pick our top two or three ideas from the craft board and talk about what would work for a group.  Sometimes we met for coffee and made a decision, sometimes we just emailed.



Here's how craft day works:

There are three of us who plan it and we each have a job that we like:

Reeve sent out the emails (OK, so she went all out and made invitations because she's awesome, but you don't have to do fancy invites) email is fine–just have someone in charge of that part who is organized.

Angela usually taught the craft.  She's really good at explaining things so it worked out well.

I usually hosted and bought the supplies because I like to stay home but when I am out, I'm usually at craft store.  Sometimes we would all go together to get supplies if we had time, that part was really fun too.



Last winter and fall we had craft day once a month (it works best to have it on the same day–like the 3rd Monday or something) and a few weeks before craft day the three of us would decide on the craft and Reeve sent out the invites.  We'd get a rough count of how many would be there (usually 6-8) but an exact number didn't matter (like when we did the doily bowls, we had some extra doilies just in case).

I'd buy whatever supplies we needed (usually it was pretty cheap) and fix some food because food fixin' is one of my spiritual gifts and I like doing that.  We'd keep a jar out for anyone who came who could to put $5 in for the supplies.  We didn't keep track or anything and it always worked out fine.

Angela would explain the craft and demonstrate and we'd all talk and laugh and eat and hot glue off our fingerprints.



It was a great excuse to get together and it's so nice to have something to keep your hands busy while you are meeting new people.  Crafts are a great ice breaker and such a low commitment–you could just have a one time craft day for your neighborhood if you want to meet some new people.   Or maybe you and two friends just want to have a great excuse to get together, you don't have to invite a bunch of people you don't know.

I wrote about three of our craft days, check them out for more photos and ideas:

Craft Day :: Finger Knitting

Craft Day :: Pom Poms

Craft Day :: Doily Bowls





Chapter 5 Guest Post: Confessions of a Reformed Consumer
Sep 26, 2012 01:05 am | Stephanie Armstrong




I bought Seven as a light read.  (If you've read the book, you can just insert a hearty chuckle *here*) I knew enough about it to recognize that I might be challenged by it but I had no plans to be bothered by it.  In case you're wondering, I rather prefer plans that make me feel better about myself as a general rule.  Left to my sin nature and my ever present ego, it's how I roll.

The first few chapters were tough; they basically hit me where my sore spots are.  Food, clothes, possessions, media...yes, I struggle with excess in each of those areas, who doesn't?  But when I got to chapter five I thought, surely I don't cause much waste and I'm only one person, how much of the Earth am I really affecting? As I began reading about the seven green habits Jen chose, I became so engrossed in each of them that I didn't bother to look up and see the coming train, barreling down the tracks and headed my way.   I took one look at the intro and thought I knew how to play along...

Recycle (I don't, it seems like a lot of work. I know I should. I probably could.)

Shop local (Sounds fun?)

Garden (No yard, but I do grow basil and chives in containers, does that count?)

Conserve (Um, quicker showers?)

Compost (File that under hilarious, as in never going to happen)

Drive one car (I would love this. I hate all the costs associated with driving. My husband, not so much.)

Shop thrift stores (Score! I am a second hand shopper and a garage sale girl. I can do that.)

Clearly I was prepared to breeze through this chapter and leave it to those a little more green than I to chew on, because if I'm honest with you, I'm not green.  One of the girls from the Council said she wasn't even teal...umm, yes, agreed.  I will admit, although seriously flawed, my opposition to the whole "going green" movement is often due to the inner rebel in me.  While there are wars erupting, people losing their jobs and homeless people dying alone on the streets,  I simply cannot (read: choose not to) find space in my mind to worry about the earth.  In fact, when I hear about masses of people jumping on the proverbial bandwagon to abandon the use of plastic water bottles as their life's mission, it makes me want to drive to Costco in my gas guzzling mini-van and load the back end with 36 bottles of "natural spring water" while throwing plastic bags out my windows.

I told you my thinking was flawed.  Also, immature.

Seriously though, some of my angst centers on the dichotomy between people who are passionate about saving whales and trees with no regard for unborn babies or the elderly.  I recognize that it's wrong to paint whole genres and movements with broad, sweeping and dismissive strokes but if I'm honest, that's just how I've viewed and dealt with the green movement.   It seems out of balance and extreme, therefore I've just avoided it as a whole.

I never expected the Lord to use this book and this chapter on waste to bother me as I began opening my eyes to the way that we live.  But that's exactly what He did.  I began thinking about all the driving we do, the things we throw away, the excessive buying we're responsible for, the way we consume everything and worse yet, why none of it has mattered to me until now?  I totally identified with Jen when she said,

We are wasters. We are consumers. We are definitely a part of the problem.  I no more think about how my consumption affects the earth or anyone else living on it than I think about becoming a personal trainer; there is just no category for it in my mind.

Yes sister, me too.  As I've opened my eyes to our ways, I see how often I consume with no thought for anyone but myself.  Not only when it comes to natural resources, but regarding my choices in general.  I get so wrapped up in me, that I don't always consider how my choices and certainly my consumption, impacts others.

And that's a problem.

In general, we are a consumer driven society that thinks nothing of making immediate choices with no regard for the generations that follow us. 

Broken appliance?  Don't fix it, just replace it.  Old car?  Don't drive it until it quits, move on to bigger and better car payments.  Loads of crippling debt?  Pay it off tomorrow and charge whatever you need today.  Too tired to make lunches?  Buy them and throw away loads of plastic packaging day after day after day.

Want, want, want??  Consume, consume, consume....

As I started reading more about the state of our world and where we are headed, I started to recognize the issue of consumption as more than just excess packaging and plastic water bottles.  I echo Jen's heart-of-the-matter questions,

What if we changed our label from "consumers" to "stewards"? Would it change the way we shop?  The way we think?  What does it mean to be a godly consumer?  What if God's creation is more than just a commodity?

I wish I had all the answers or the energy to tackle all the issues.  I don't.  Right now surviving the grocery store with a toddler and a preschooler is all I can handle.  Throw in the burden of remembering re-usable bags each time and I might break down in the produce section when I realize I'm failing at yet another thing.

So in the wrestling with it all, I've resolved to start small.   I'm questioning a lot.  Thinking twice before I buy, figuring out what can be fixed before it's replaced, donating as much as I can to people who could use our stuff, and thinking about my kids and the world they will inherit.

Only in America do we have neat and tiny rooms dedicated to trash and the removal of it from our lives.  But the dirty, little secret is that we never really get rid of the trash.  We sweep it away, take it to a landfill or just remove it from our sight, as if it never existed.  And yet, it does.  It remains in some form or another for someone else to take care of.  Behind closed doors, in labeled "Trash Rooms."

I'm in process over here, transitioning from the role of a consumer into a steward of what God has given me.  I like to think of myself as a reformed consumer, finally coming to terms with the errors of my former ways.  In the words of the lady who wrote this crazy book on my shelf,

I'm done separating ecology from theology, pretending they don't originate from the same source.

Amen, sister.  Aren't we all done with the bury-my-head-in-the-sand existence that so many of us choose?  I'm saying no to that way of life and instead, I'm raising my re-usable cup in your direction and toasting the dawn of a greener day.

"The earth is the Lord's, and everything in it, the world, and all who live in it; for he founded it on the seas and established it on the waters." Psalm 24:1-2

Now about that compost pile...

By: Stephanie at Happily Ever After

***

Tune in this Friday for a link up on Waste! If this week's chapter affected you in any way, we want to know about it! So share about it on your own blog and come back and link up this Friday {or share in the comments}!

[Judy Harder]

5 Ways to Serve Your Local Friends
Sep 27, 2012 01:20 am | Jessica Turner

It's been just over a year since Sara entered the gates of heaven.

I miss her every day.

If you don't know Sara's story, please watch this video. Though she was home bound, she impacted lives around the world.

With her in Iowa and me in Tennessee, there were many moments when I couldn't be there for her in the ways that I wanted to be. I couldn't go pick up a Sonic slushie for her. I couldn't pop in to give her a hug. I wasn't there physically.

But she had plenty of friends who were.

And I am so thankful for the ways they poured into her life and demonstrated what community looked like.Here are 5 ways her local community served her and how we can be like them:

1. Bring food: Food is such an easy way to serve others. There were some days when all Sara could stomach were Sonic slushies, and so that is what her friends brought her. Know that someone is sick? Bring them some soup. It's not cliche. It's kindness.

2. Offer to watch someone's kids (or pets!): While Sara didn't have kids, she did have the blog dog, Riley. And some days she would need a break and a friend would scoop him up and love on him a  bit. We just moved and I can't tell you how thankful I am for friends who offered to watch my kids while we ran errands and got settled. One day a friend called and said, just bring your kids over and go get a coffee by yourself. She recognized my need for some quiet time and filled the gap for me.

3. Send a card: Nothing brightens a day like sending a card to someone – even if they just live down the street. A class in Sara's town "adopted" her and would often make her cards. These cards brought her so much cheer.

4. Help with housework: Sara's circumstances made it difficult for her to stand for long periods of time and she couldn't go outside. Local friends often filled the gap by doing things for her that she couldn't do – like planting flowers and setting up Christmas lights.

5. Run errands: Again, because Sara was homebound, she had to depend on others to run errands for her. It was a gift that she could call a friend when she needed a prescription picked up or a some extra groceries. Is there someone in your life that you could help by running an errand for them? When I was really sick during my last pregnancy a friend offered to go grocery shopping for me just so it was one less thing to worry about.

I'm so thankful for the gift Sara was in my life – and for all the ways her local friends loved her well.

What can you do to serve someone in your local community?



A Sweet-Smelling Fragrance
Sep 27, 2012 01:10 am | Myra Biernat Wells


"But thanks be to God, who always leads us in triumphal procession in Christ and through us spreads everywhere the fragrance of the knowledge of him. For we are to God the aroma of Christ among those who are being saved and those who are perishing. To the one we are the smell of death; to the other, the fragrance of life." (2 Corinthians 2:14-16a, NIV)



To put it mildly, I stunk! After having endured an entire week in Michigan's Upper Peninsula with only one shower, I was totally ripe. Part of a team preparing a Northwoods camp for opening day, we worked hard during the week. Cleaning, digging, sweeping – even building a new latrine – trying to make the place cozy, yet woodsy. And private enough to find God.

Despite the physical labor, I deemed it too cold take a nightly shower. That's easy to do when your shower is a tin pail with holes at the bottom hanging on the wooden beam of an unheated, freezing bathhouse.  Soon my odor began to announce my presence. When I arrived home, no one wanted to stand by me, get near me, have anything to do with me until I went home and took a shower.

Knowing how badly I can smell makes me shutter when Paul says we are the aroma of Christ. How many times have I failed to be God's sweet smelling perfume, but truly stunk the place up? How often have I turned people away from Christ because of my malodorous, sinful condition? Or worse, my lack of love, my failure to give grace?

I want people to be drawn to God by my sweet perfume – the love of Christ – that permeates my words, my actions, my life! I long to do something extraordinary for Him...stirring people to move closer to God, not sending them away with the stench of my failures!  Who would already know Jesus if I lived my life faithfully serving and doing His will?

That's when I remind myself God never gives up on me.  Even when I sin, He still has marvelous plans for me...plans to advance His kingdom, not reduce it.

This is a constant struggle. I will always wear the scars of my past failures – times when I could have been more patient, more kind, more caring. Times I neglected helping one of his beloved sons or daughters. Times when I could have loved as Jesus loved, but instead created the stench of my toxic indifference.

God's grace will cover me. Through the poignant love of God, He saves me from my failures. I pray every day to shower in grace, bathe in it, perfume myself with it until I am ready to go out into the world and draw people closer to Him.

His grace changes my weaknesses, my betrayals into something He can use for His glory. He redeems my sins.  And with His love, He can use me for what is good, true and perfect.

Whether I'm a sweet fragrance or something you'd rather forget, know this: No matter how broken you are – no matter how offensive your aroma is before man – God will always love you and cleanse you with His grace.

By: Myra Biernat Wells, UlitmateJoy