(IN)Courage

[Judy Harder]

The Daily Struggle
Aug 03, 2013 01:20 am | Kristen Strong



On a summer morning we walk toward the house amidst air so moisture-laden you could wring it out. My sister Megan knows somebody who will give us a tour of the beautiful old house, the same house that is featured in a new movie called August in Osage County. I don't know much about the movie except that its backdrop is the county I grew up in, it's based on a play, and it stars Julia Roberts, Benedict Cumberbatch, and Meryl Streep.

The house creaks with history, and we enjoy learning parts of it while the kids run circles in the cavernous rooms. I wonder what the original owners would think if they knew Hollywood had camped in their kitchen and driveway. I also wonder what the producers would have done if this house hadn't been here. Osage County isn't chock-full of hundred-year-old spacious homes surrounded by acres of property. But this one is here, and as I stroll the second story veranda, a thought wades through the thick air,

This house stands strong today because someone invested in building something of quality long ago.

You just never know how your actions today will alter your tomorrows.



I keep thinking of this as the calendar slides to August sticky and slow, like popsicle juice down my arm. I lick every last drop because I don't want to miss the last taste of summer. Our family has been traveling and hiking and gardening and reading and swimming and wearing jammies 'til noon. I love it all, but there's a price for all this summer fun.



In the Strong house, dust camouflages the color of every furniture piece, laundry loads stand tall as my daughter, and piles of disorder threaten to stage a coup. About the time I get down about this is when I hear my grandma's voice calling Cleanliness is next to godliness! If I actually bought into that, I'd be concerned for the state of my soul.

But sometimes I do buy into the wrestling that goes on in my mind, the kind that convinces me no matter what I'm doing, I'm making the wrong choice. For example:

When I hang with the family. (You should mop these floors rather than rely on the dog to do it for you.)

When I clean. (You should pay more attention to your family than your dust.)

When I write. (You should be doing either of the above or a thousand other productive things.)

Sometimes the Enemy goes to not-so-great lengths to steal my contentment. But the Lord gives my anxious heart rest by asking one simple question:

Kristen, how will your actions today alter your tomorrows?

I turn a new direction where a cool breeze meets my face and a sincere message meets my heart: God wants me to care for the hearts in my home first and foremost. For me to do this, the above (and so much more!) must all be invariably accomplished, and in different seasons the amount of time spent on each one changes. But when something other than what I'm doing in this moment wearily tugs on my sleeve, I can choose the action that will best influence our tomorrow so that a hundred years from now, my family legacy will still stand strong.

It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. We are free from any agenda other than what He guides us to this day. This moment.

That big white home in Osage County, Oklahoma stands strong because someone invested in building something of quality long ago. For today and all our tomorrows, may the same be true for your family and mine.

Do you sometimes struggle with the pull to be somewhere other than where you are? How do you tune into God's agenda and rest in His contentment moment by moment?

Kristen Strong, Chasing Blue Skies

[Judy Harder]

Nourishing the Soul
Aug 05, 2013 01:20 am | Robin Dance



Laughter is not at all a bad beginning for a friendship, and it is far the best ending for one.
~ Oscar Wilde

"A joyful heart is good medicine..."
~ Proverbs 17:22a

When people come together for a common purpose with the heartfelt desire to demonstrate their love for God by simply loving others, something remarkable happens:
Beauty is born, lives are changed and Kingdom comes.
This is the essence of Bloom: women with a love of reading coming together to mine the treasure buried within a book's pages, thinking out loud with one another, seeking God in the midst. Regardless of what book we choose to study, our common goal of knowing God more intimately binds us into a reading community where we are maturing as individuals, together.

Bloom studies are never intended to replace personal Bible study but to complement them. We also hope as readers thrive among a virtual community, their hunger for real-life community will grow, and maybe even provide that gentle nudge to be brave and seek a Bible or book study where you can sit shoulder to shoulder with other women...close enough to hug when you need it.

Because sometimes a girlfriend's physical touch brings healing to a wounded heart. Community is inherent in our Triune God – Father, Son and Holy Spirit – and because we're created in that image, it's a natural craving.

We've just completed our summer Bloom study, Bread & Wine: a love letter to life around the table by Shauna Niequist (have you tried the Breakfast Cookie recipe we shared last week?). Bloom founders and study hosts (and, of course, (in)courage writers) Jessica Turner and Angie Smith spent a day with Shauna digging into some of the chapters that meant a lot to them; and that they thought would be significant to woman joining the study.

This is how Bloom studies typically go: Angie and Jessica will join the featured author to discuss their book in detail, and if the author isn't available they'll invite guests to take part (like our previous study of Prayer by Richard Foster). Their conversations are videoed, and each week Bloom subscribers can view their videos and read the posts written to companion them. Because all studies are archived, you can go back and watch/read them all at your convenience.

Last week, we began our wrap-up of Bread & Wine with a community-wide link-up for which we hope YOU will share something you've written (there's still time!):
There's a beautiful Mary & Martha giveaway up for grabs among those who link up (valued at $144)!  Three participants will each receive the Heirloom White Platter, the Antique Teal Serving Bowl and the Memo Board with Easel from the Grace & Gratitude Collection (more about the items on pages 50-53). Having followed the study isn't a prerequisite; posts written on the general topics of food, community and hospitality are welcome, as well as favorite family recipes or even reviews of Bread and Wine. You can even link old posts as long as they suit the topic.  (You must link by 8/9/13 to be eligible, and comment to writers of the posts before and after your link number; U.S. addresses only, please.)

As promised, we're sharing something FUN to begin your week on a happy note. Laughter. Lots and lots of laughter. By the time we got to our last cooking video, we might have gotten a teensy case of the sillies. The Sofa Girls talked long and deep about the content; I typed notes furiously throughout the day (in order to write companion posts). And after nearly eight hours of filming? Well...there are bound to be a few moments that otherwise don't fit into a Chapter Video.

Like these.

Watch...and enjoy.

Please subscribe to Bloom so you'll have first notice about our upcoming fall study and information about Recommended Reads between studies. Like Bloom on Facebook to continue our community's on-going conversation and to share what you're reading. And for convenience, we've created a playlist of Bread & Wine videos so you can easily find them for quick viewing.

I've enjoyed every minute of our study of Bread & Wine; and I hope every one of you joins us in the fall!

~ Robin, Bloom Coordinator

[Judy Harder]

Bench Flooded By Water
Help
Aug 06, 2013 01:20 am | Deidra Riggs



I used to dislike having my foods touch each other on my plate. I'd hold my fork in my right hand and use the tines to separate each item on my plate. I wanted to own a stack of plates with dividers in them so I could put the vegetables in one compartment, the protein in a different compartment, and guarantee they'd never run in to each other.

"It all gets mixed together in your belly," a friend once told me. I knew that. But still.

Also? And, I'll admit this is a bit strange, but when I was a little girl, I didn't like other people touching me. Riding in a car, with three people crammed into the back seat — me in the middle between two grown-ups, with my feet on the hump in the floor, my skinny knees jutted toward the little plastic light mounted in the roof of the car. I'd wrap my arms around my knees and try to hold my little body steady over the bumps and through the turns in the road, so that my skin didn't touch the skin of the people on either side of me.

I don't know what my aversion was, or where I got it into my head that it was best to keep a reasonable distance. I'd have been glad to build compartments in the back seat of every car, just so I could ride down the Garden State Parkway without giving up any personal space.

It wasn't so much about me touching others. It was more about them touching me.

If I'm being honest, I have to confess I'm like that in my grown-up life too. I like to live life in the comfort zone of my own bubble of personal space. I don't mind reaching out to you, because that's on my terms. But when you start reaching out to me, I begin wondering what to do with my arms and wishing I could find a polite way to say, "Um, excuse me. But do you see the bubble here around me? Did you happen to notice that it's a boundary?"

One day, I heard someone say that each time I say "No" to a person who reaches out to me with compassion, I rob that person of the opportunity to exercise her gift. I wish I could tell you where I heard this, but I honestly can't remember. Suffice it to say, it made an impact on me.

I started thinking about all the times someone has offered to help me by cooking a meal, running an errand, making a few phone calls, or just saying, "How can I help?" I'd hear the offer and immediately reply, "Oh, I've got this. Thanks for the offer, though."

I was grateful they had offered. But I didn't really know how to accept. I didn't know how to say "Yes" without having the strange feeling I had revealed a chink in my armor. What's up with that? I had to wonder to myself.

So I started paying attention. When someone offered to help me, I said, "Yes." It sounded like one, simple, three-letter word to anyone within earshot, but on the inside, it sounded more like, I think what you're supposed to say here is yes, and even though you have a strong inclination to do the usual thing and brush them off and try to point out the little bubble thing you've got going on, you really and truly ought to say... "Yes."

Ta-da! The world kept spinning on its axis!

The ground didn't open up and swallow me. The person asking if they could help got right to work without batting an eyelash, and I had one less thing on my crazy list of things I had to accomplish.

Me walking around with my lines drawn, my compartments established, my walls built high was keeping me far from understanding the truth about the Body of Christ. Jesus tore down all the walls we build up to keep each other at a distance. I'm the one who keeps trying to build the walls up again. You too? Sometimes, I build those walls so high, I can't see my way to the top, and I wonder how in the world I'll ever get out again.

On a good day, I remember Jesus telling me that He, Himself, is the Way. He's the way through the walls I build up. So I turn the knob, swing that door wide open on hinges oiled with grace, and there you are on the other side, smiling and asking me, "How can I help?"




Aug 06, 2013 01:10 am | Heather Lewis Powell



In talking with the Samaritan woman Jesus assured her, "anyone who drinks the water I give him will never be thirsty. In fact, the water I give will become a spring of water in him. It will flow up into eternal life."  John 4:14

"I will bless any man who trusts in me. I will show my favor to the one who depends on me. He will be like a tree planted near water. It sends its roots beside a stream. It is not afraid when the heat comes. Its leaves are always green. It does not worry when there is no rain. It always bears fruit." Jeremiah 17:7 – 8

I recently heard of a simple bench building community. The story is of neighbors who knew each other by sight and sometimes chatted by mailboxes. Then one day, a bench appeared. The bench became a natural spot to sit and watch the kids play and ride bikes. Gradually those who had brief chats by mailboxes would find themselves gathering at the bench to share life's joys and struggles together (sometimes for hours). Neighbors who had known of each other for years actually grew to know each other thanks to the neutral ground of a bench. The bench created a bridge to community.

Oasis (DivorceCare) was a bench of community for me. Every Monday night, we'd tentatively open up and share our wounds, our hopes. I am grateful for the glimpse of God's redemption in each story, even in the anguish and heartache.

Earlier today, heavy-hearted and lonely, I stopped for a short break in my workday. The outside called to me. I wanted to hear the birds and wind in the trees. With only a few moments, I started down the walkway longing to be wonderstruck by God's presence. Craving His peace. I noticed water had flooded the area along the path from the recent storm. I prayed, "Lord, will you flood me with Your Spirit, Your Goodness, as a result of the storm of unexpected divorce in my life? I long to be saturated by You, Your Living Water, Your Grace, Your Hope. Flood me, Lord. Don't let this pain be in vain."

Halting abruptly, I chuckled as I saw a bench around the bend with rushing water surrounding it. Recalling the recent story of the Bench, I was wonderstruck by the sound of the water, the sunlight reflecting through the green trees and this glorious bench appearing to float in the water. My soul sighed within me. I couldn't go any further unless I was willing to get soaked.

You are my Community – God places the lonely in family. I miss the family I once had. I miss my husband and miss being a wife. That dream has been shattered. But I have you, friends near and far whom God uses to mend the broken pieces of my heart. I admit, right now . . . I need you in my life. The independent side of me cringes as I acknowledge this need. I prefer to be strong, capable. Truth is: I have been hurting but if I believe and trust in Him, streams of living water will flow from me and I will not fear the heat or worry because I will be firmly rooted in Him. And if we are purposeful in seeking Him, intentional in building community with each other —- I believe we will get soaked as we are flooded by His Living Water.

It takes risk. Have you been lonely lately? Thirsty to know He sees you and believes in you? He believes in you and me enough to die for us. Will you meet me at the bench rising above the storms of this life to spur each other on?

Let us not forget about one another as we move forward. It takes effort. Reach out to Him, extend a word of encouragement to someone who needs it. You are Beloved of God. I am too. Breathe. Look around, be wonderstruck by His Love for you. It doesn't have to be earned, it just is. You are His.

By: Heather Lewis Powell

[Judy Harder]

Let Us Be Known By What We Love
Aug 07, 2013 01:20 am | Dawn Camp



"Gator Hater! Gator Hater!" the kids yell throughout the van while I scan our surroundings for the cause. There it is: the license plate on the car in front of us reads G8TRH8TR. Gator Hater.

I've lived in Georgia long enough to be familiar with the rivals on our southern and western borders. One of the strongest sports rivalries even polarizes Georgians: Georgia Tech vs. the University of Georgia. We transplanted from Arkansas, a place without professional teams where an entire state unites behind the Razorbacks.

Staring at that license plate while the kids chant its message I hold onto one thought: how sad to be defined by what you hate rather than what you love.

By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another. ~John 13:35

I ponder this for days, turning it over and over in my mind: how often do I live like the driver of that car, allowing myself to be defined by the wrong things?

Do I want to be known for having a clean house and feeding my guests well, or for truly making them feel welcome?

Am I known for having something interesting to say or for listening with my full attention?

Do others know more about the things I oppose or the things I support?


I start to catch myself when I frown and admittedly it's more than I'd like. Is it easier for me to show disapproval or love? Do I tell my children and my husband things I wish they'd change or revel in the things I love about them?

It's easy to point out weakness in others or areas that need change. I do it often enough. But my shoulders hunch and pride blinds when criticism points in my direction.

Lord, soften my heart. Make me quick to show grace, slow to censure, ever teachable. Let my life reflect what and Who I love and not petty grievances and thoughtless words spoken.

by Dawn Camp, My Home Sweet Home

{If you're looking for an August desktop calendar, you can download one here.}

[Judy Harder]

When You Wonder if You'll Ever Measure Up
Aug 08, 2013 01:20 am | Kristen Welch


I don't remember the first time I felt it.  (This could be a story about me")

It could have been in the third grade when I was the last one picked for the kickball team or when I met my first mean girl at 12. Or it might have been when I opened my mouth to sing like my musical brother and sister and discovered I was tone deaf.

Not being enough has sort of been a faithful companion in life....always there, reminding me of ways I didn't fit in or belong. When I didn't date much in high school or couldn't get pregnant for the first five years of my marriage, I believed the ever-present words whispered in my ear.

When I walked into a room full of stylish, pretty women, and searched for a familiar face, I knew the words that would pop into my head.

I don't remember the first time I didn't measure up.

But I do remember the first time I stopped measuring.


I was a freshman in college, rooming with my twin sister.  I called my mom on the phone and when she answered, I said hurriedly , "Mom, did you know I'm petite?"

She laughed at my crazy question and said, "Of course, honey. You're 5'2. That's petite by most standards. Why are you asking?"

I replied, "But Mom, I'm the big twin. I had no idea I was petite!"

Years later we still laugh about my epiphany.

But this new realization was remarkable to me. I had spent my entire childhood being compared to my twin sister, who was my opposite in so many ways (not just because she could sing well). We were born five minutes apart and I towered over her 4'10″ frame. I was shocked when someone referred to me as petite.

But that's because I was measuring myself by the wrong perspective.

And that's what comparison does: it skews our view of ourselves and we begin to believe the lie–

The one that says we aren't

pretty enough

smart enough

stylish enough

skinny enough

tall enough

young enough

Enough.

And honestly, maybe we aren't by the world's measurements. We truly can never be all those things and certainly not at the same time. But that's okay.

"Not that we are sufficient of ourselves to think any thing as of ourselves; but our sufficiency is of God." 2 Corinthians 3:5

We don't have to be enough. Because He is. All the time. And even better, through Him–we are enough, just like we are. He makes up for what we lack. He takes our inadequacies and unrighteousness and trades it in for His perfection.

When we can't, He can. When we don't, He does. When we don't measure up, He does.

And this is enough for all of us.

Written by Kristen Welch, We are THAT family




Your Name In Christ
Aug 08, 2013 01:10 am | Crystal Brothers

"My name is NO NO, but Grandma calls me precious"  (sorry, I don't know how to put the photo here")

A few days ago, a Facebook friend shared a photo similar to the one above with the same text.

And that photo really spoke to me.

Like this precious little girl, you and I have an accuser. The Bible says in Revelation 12:10 that Satan is accusing us before God, day and night.

Satan is the father of lies, and he will lie to you about who you are and what you are.

He whispers in your ear that you are a failure. That you're not good enough. That you're useless.  That you're unloved and unlovable.

He tells you that you aren't pretty enough, skinny enough, smart enough, talented enough, or wealthy enough.

He wants you to compare and find yourself lacking, and to think that all the women around you are better than you.

He tells you that you don't matter. That you can't do anything for Jesus. That your small contribution to God's kingdom isn't enough.

He says you're a bad mother, a bad wife.

He reminds you of all your sins. And he says that you have to live in that place of defeat.

In short, he tells you that your name is "failure."

Like most convincing lies, his are peppered with truth. You see, without Christ, so much of what Satan says would be true.


Like this little girl, we also have a redeemer. Praise God! A voice of truth, and life, and power.

And while Satan might tell you that your name is failure, God calls you something entirely different.

God calls you his child, his heir – what an honor!

God says that you are loved, unconditionally – while we were yet in sin, He loved us!

God calls you fearfully and wonderfully made, and precious in His sight.

God says that you are worth dying for! His word tells us that there is now therefore no condemnation in Christ Jesus (Romans 8:1).

He says that we are more than conquerers in Christ Jesus; that we are overcomers. We have all victory and power over Satan through Him.

So, even if this world and the accuser make you feel that your name is failure, never forget that the Almighty God of the universe calls you forgiven, blessed, redeemed, loved, and precious in His sight.

And, that same verse in Revelation tells us the rest of the story. Our accuser does not win this war!  The victory belongs to God alone:

"Then I heard a loud voice saying in heaven, "Now salvation, and strength, and the kingdom of our God, and the power of His Christ have come, for the accuser of our brethren, who accused them before our God day and night, has been cast down." -Revelation 12:10

Satan is jealous and he hates you. You have a favored position with God and he wants to strip that away from you. But we know the end of the story! Christ reigns and the enemy is cast down.

I pray that God's words of life, truth, and power will speak into your life and overcome the lies of the enemy on your heart today!

(I didn't provide references for all the quoted or referenced verses in this post, but you can find a great list of affirmations in Christ on Joyce Meyer's website.)

Can you share some encouragement today? What is your favorite verse of encouragement that reminds you who you are in Christ?

By Crystal Brothers, Serving Joyfully

[Judy Harder]

of the Greatest Hymns in Church History
Aug 09, 2013 01:20 am | Tsh Oxenreider



Plato once said, "Music is... wings to the mind, flight to the imagination, and charm and gaiety to life and to everything." God has created music similar to certain extravagant parts of creation, like the redwoods and the turquoise Mediterranean waters and the northern lights: it begs us to stop everything and pay attention.

And when truly excellent music angles our attention heavenward? It changes you. And when enough lovers of God collectively listen to the words and the music—it can cause a shift in the Body, the Church. It changes us.

There are many, many hymns in thousands of languages throughout the history of the Church (all of which began first as poetry). But there are a few select hymns that have stood the test of time and are with us today because they have changed us as a Body. Their birth shifted our collective trajectory for the better.

Here are some of the greatest hymns to have changed the Church. I've included certain versions I love, plus a final playlist at the end.

(Note: I am a native English speaker, so my list of faves falls in that category—but there are countless hymns full of truth in languages all over the world.)

8th century
1. Be Thou My Vision
This humble prayer began as a medieval Celtic poem in the eighth century, but it wasn't translated into English and put to music until 1905, by Mary Byrne.

Recording by Abigail Zsiga

1225
2. All Creatures of Our God and King

St. Francis of Assisi was known as a lover of nature and animals, and he also loved music. He wrote over 60 hymns, including this one in 1225 reflecting his compassion for creation. It caused the Church to stop and recognize the power and significance of nature, and not just human nature.

Recording by Patty Griffin

1674
3. Doxology
Thomas Ken was born in 1637 and orphaned soon after. Raised by his sister and her husband, he became an Oxford scholar and eventually became chaplain to members of royalty before becoming a bishop in the Anglican church. He wrote a manual of prayers in 1674, including a three-verse one simply named Morning Hymn. The doxology (which is simply a combination of two Greek words to mean 'word of glory') as we know today is the final verse of this poem, and it's often sung without music.

Recording by Gungor

1758
4. Come Thou Fount of Every Blessing
Robert Robinson was a rather difficult, headstrong boy, so when he turned 14 in 1749, his mother sent him to London for an apprenticeship (his dad died several years prior). He got in to even more trouble in London, and when he was 17, went with some of his friends to a meeting to make fun of Christians where George Whitfield would be preaching. It moved him deeply, and began his search for God where he finally became a Christian three years later.

He became a pastor, and at age 23, he wrote this poem to accompany one of his sermons, its words full of admittance to his own fleshly nature compared to God's divine. It was set to music in 1813.

Recording by Sufjan Stevens

1773
5. Amazing Grace
Considered a folk hymn, it was first published in 1779 but originally written for a New Year's Day sermon in 1773 by John Newton, an English poet. Its focus is on the redemption found only in Jesus—a simple but profound truth during a lot of Church division.

The song actually wasn't too popular until the American 2nd Great Awakening in the early 19th century, and it then became widely known as an African American spiritual.

Recording by Jadon Lavik


1835
6. Just As I Am
When poet Charlotte Elliott was at a dinner party in the early 19th century, an elderly man asked her if she was a Christian. She considered his question inappropriate, but later asked him what he meant. Charlotte eventually decided to follow Christ after talking with him, and wrote Just As I Am in 1835 soon after, remembering his words that she could come to Jesus "just as she was."

This later became a popular song during Billy Graham's crusades in the 20th century.

Recording by Nichole Nordeman

1861
7. Holy, Holy, Holy
Reginald Heber's widow found the words to his poem written in private (we're not sure when), but it was years later, in 1861, when a publisher found it and asked John Dykes to compose the music. He wrote it in 30 minutes and first named in Nicea, in honor of the First Council of Nicea in 325, the first effort to attain consensus in the Church.

Recording by Sufjan Stevens

1873
8. It Is Well
Abolitionist activist Horatio Spafford had a nice life in the Chicago suburbs with his wife and five children and always welcomed guests in their home. Then in 1870, his 4-year-old died of scarlet fever, and in 1871 the Great Chicago Fire destroyed most of his investments (which were in Chicago real estate).

In 1873, the family wanted to sail to Europe for much-needed time away from their tragedy and to help in a revival, but on the day of departure, Horatio had a last-minute business emergency. He sent the family on ahead and planned to follow on another ship in a few days. But their ship was struck by another ship and sank in 12 minutes—the remainder of his four children died and only his wife was saved and brought to England. He immediately set sail to be with his wife, and as his ship passed the place where his daughters drowned, he penned It Is Well, and music was composed to accompany it in 1876.

Recording by Sara Groves

1885

9. How Great Thou Art
Carl Bobert was a Swede was walking home from church and listening to the church's bells in 1885. A sudden, awe-inspiring storm gripped his attention, and then just as suddenly as it arrived, it subsided to a calm. After watching this display of nature, he went home and penned this poem. He published it in 1886, then it was matched to a Swedish folk tune in 1888 and then translated in to German in 1907, Russian in 1912, and finally English in 1925.

Recording by Martina McBride

1923
10. Great Is Thy Faithfulness
Thomas Chisolm spent most of his life sick, but in a rare bout of health, he went on a missions trip. While traveling, he corresponded with William Runyan, a good friend of his, and they often exchanged poems they had written. Runyan found this poem of Thomas' so moving that he composed music to accompany it, publishing it in 1923. It wasn't noticed until several years later by a Moody Bible Institute professor, who requested it be sung in their chapel services.

Recording by Sarah Macintosh

1863
11. Before The Throne
Charitie Lees Smith was the daughter of an Irish pastor and his wife, and in 1863, at age 22, she wrote a poem called The Advocate to accompany one of his sermons. She continued to write other poems and eventually had them published in 1867 in a book titled Within The Veil.

Almost every line of her poem is taken directly from different parts of Scripture, making it rich with theology—useful for sermons. We're unsure when its name was changed and music was written for accompaniment.

Recording by Shane & Shane


There are many, many more hymns (heck, I didn't even touch any of the 6,000 hymns written by Charles Wesley!). They are poetry of our history, and I think it's important to keep teaching these words and melodies to the next generation, so that we can keep these doctrinally-rich hymns in the Church.

Here's the playlist, so that you can pipe each of these hymns throughout your home or in your ears today. They'll help keep your focus heavenward.

Which hymn is your all-time favorite?

[Judy Harder]

 Sunday Scripture
Aug 11, 2013 01:20 am | incourage



Just as a body, though one, has many parts,
but all its many parts form one body,
so it is with Christ.
For we were all baptized by one Spirit so as to form one body
—whether Jews or Gentiles, slave or free—
and we were all given the one Spirit to drink.
Even so the body is not made up of one part but of many.

But God has put the body together,
giving greater honor to the parts that lacked it,
so that there should be no division in the body,
but that its parts should have equal concern for each other.
If one part suffers, every part suffers with it;
if one part is honored, every part rejoices with it.

1 Corinthians 12:12-14, 25-26




August 11


Psalms 119:14
I rejoice in following your statutes as one rejoices in great riches.

Thoughts on today's verse

Our treasure and our truth come from Scripture, God's guidance to avoid Satan's harmful traps and live in God's blessed life.
Prayer:

Holy God, thank you for your written word, the Scriptures. May they come alive in my life just as they do in my heart and mind. Through Jesus I pray. Amen.


Years ago my daughter wanted to be a Girl Scout Brownie.

She saw the group of little girls in their brown and blue uniforms standing together after school on Fridays, giggling and waiting to go on to whatever adventure was next for them. It was hiking one day, cooking class the next week and a whole host of other little-girl-centered activities.

One day as we piled in the car she said, "I want to be a Brownie, Mama!" No doubt, she simply wanted to be in the "uniform" club, among the girls who get to wear something that gives them a special identity during the day at school.

I told her I would see what I could do and over the next few days, I set out to find one of the Brownie leaders.

"No. I'm so sorry. But we've decided that this is a closed group," she told me.

I guess I was a Girl Scout newbie at this point and I didn't understand that someone could "close" a group. Why wouldn't they want more girls? I offered to help, to be a leader, to let the girls meet at our house even.

"No. Again, I'm sorry. We just don't have any more room."

I'm sure there are more heartbreaking conversations one can have with a child, but this one hurt for sure. "Baby," I started. "The group is simply not letting anyone else in." Even I didn't understand the concept I was trying to explain.

It brought up all the times that I'd been left out in school. The times they saved the seat for someone else and the times they talked about the slumber party over the weekend I hadn't known about. Or the time they all said let's play hide-and-go-seek but they really played ditch-em. And I was alone. I hated that my girl was being left out.

We humans love to say to each other,

You can't play.

There isn't enough room for you.

Oh, I'm sorry, this seat's taken.

This is an exclusive group.

It's not like we want to be mean, really.

We say these kinds of things because it makes us feel, I believe, more IN ourselves. Included. Incorporated. Inside. Just IN.

And so what we do is exclude.

We are afraid of losing our own inside status and we are afraid of being left out ourselves, so we push others out of the way. We are afraid that we will be the one they play ditch-em on.

And to be honest, it just feels good to be on the inside.

What if we decided to push against this paradigm, to open our hearts, and our minds, to others who might not be inside?  And what if we recognized the fear in those people who do the excluding, that they are simply worried that they won't be a part of the group themselves? What if we stopped worrying about whether we were IN or OUT?

What if we decided to be includers rather than excluders?

There are people around every one of us who are dying to be seen, to be loved, to be included in a simple conversation. There are people who just need someone to remember them, to say "hello" or to really care about the answer to "how are you?"

Did you know that we can be world changers simply by opening up our hearts?

I don't think those Brownie moms were trying to be mean. They didn't intend to create an exclusive club, I'm sure.

The next year, a few of the other mothers began our own Girl Scout troop. And we decided from the very beginning that it would be open to whoever wanted to be a part. We started by inviting all the girls in the class and continued on with the idea that this would be for everyone.

I think this is at the heart of God, that we open the doors up for everyone who would be a part, that we become inclusive rather than exclusive.

Have you ever been excluded? How do you try to include others?
Do you believe we can change the world by opening up our hearts?

[Judy Harder]

You Don't Have to Do "More"
Aug 12, 2013 01:20 am | Holley Gerth



We all hear it sometimes...the whisper in our hearts that says, "You really should be doing more." It usually intrudes right into the middle of our ordinary. When we're washing dishes. Or changing diapers. Or driving to work in the morning.

A wise friend of mine says that lie is a dangerous one because every time we tell ourselves we should be doing "more," it leads to less...

Being less present where we are right now.

Less peace.

Less joy.

Less love for those who are right in front of us.

Can you trust that you're where you're supposed to be in this moment, doing what you're supposed to be doing, and if that's supposed to change then God will make that clear to you? Yes, be open to new possibilities. Learn. Grow. Take steps forward.

But say "no" to the lie that you must do more.

It's simply not true.

So take a deep breath, lean into grace, and live fully where you are today...God is already taking care of tomorrow {and He's the only one who can}.

XOXO
Holley Gerth

[Judy Harder]

Tips for (in)couragement: Part Two
Aug 14, 2013 01:20 am | Crystal Stine



If you missed the Part One, you can read it here.

"Watch what God does, and then you do it, like children who learn proper behavior from their parents. Mostly what God does is love you. Keep company with him and learn a life of love. Observe how Christ loved us. His love was not cautious but extravagant. He didn't love in order to get something from us but to give everything of himself to us. Love like that." Ephesians 5:1-2, MSG

1. Invest
2. Inspire
3. Think outside the box
4. Commit
5. Be brave

These first five steps? I've seen them in action over the last month. I've seen women who have only met online walk into airport terminals and hotel lobbies, eyes and arms filled with love and grace. I've felt the power of a community of prayer-warrior women change my anxiety to bravery. I've seen love poured out in gifts of cupcakes, kind words, genuine kindness, and overwhelming generosity. And I've seen my heart – broken and scarred by past hurts – healed and inspired by community that puts God at the center.

Last month you were invited to share your favorite (in)couragement ideas, and they were amazing! Today, as promised, I'm sharing 5 more "go to" tips for (in)couraging your community:

6. Trust
When you've settled into your new community, when you feel as though you've found your spot on the bench, and you're making connections with your sisters, trust them. Share the good, the bad, the prayer requests with the knowledge that they'll keep it between themselves and God if you ask them to do so, and do the same for them. As you open up and allow them in, they'll do the same, and you'll see opportunities to encourage one another unfold.

7. Pray
Something beautiful happens when you share your story with your community and they commit to praying. It might look like waking up in the morning to text messages, Tweets, and emails checking in to see how you're doing, voicemail messages letting you know you're being prayed for, and private Facebook messages filled with prayers for your situation. Online friendships don't have to be stuck on the computer screen. Join Voxer and leave little prayer messages if you don't feel comfortable trading phone numbers. Send an email with a prayer if you aren't able to text. Be creative in your connections. But at the end of the day, remember them in prayer, and check back in to let them know you're still thinking about their situation.

8. Write
Maybe voicemail and Facebook messages aren't in your comfort zone. If you would typically send a "thinking of you" card in the mail to a real life friend, consider doing the same for your online friend. Once you've built community and trust, ask your friend if she'd mind sharing her mailing address with you, so you can send her something special. Or if you aren't comfortable with that, ask for her email address so you can send an eCard!

9. Celebrate
There will be times when the "thinking of you" card will need to be the "celebrating with you" card. And at times, it can be hard. Maybe your friend got a job that you've been longing for, or launched a new blog that was an instant success and you wonder "why not me?" Encourage her. Celebrate with her and rest in the knowledge that God's timing for you, for your dreams, for you turn, are perfect. When your online friends write something beautiful, share it and cheer loudly for them. You may not see the benefit of it immediately, but one day, she'll be there to cheer for you, too.

10. Love one another
Jesus gives us a new commandment in the Gospel of John: "love one another." It's how we're set apart from the rest of the world. Maybe it looks like sharing an amazing tip that helped you become better at what you love to do, when the world says you should keep that to yourself. Or maybe it looks like stepping away from your role as wallflower and jumping in to offer a word of encouragement to someone.

I've seen women go above and beyond faceless, meaningless online connections and develop incredibly meaningful, Christ-centered friendships. I've stood humbly back and watched God put women together in small groups where they feel safe, where they can find encouragement and where "what's in it for me" becomes "how can I serve you?"

There is something in it for you, though.

When you choose to encourage, when you take the time to commit, to pay forward what God has so graciously given to you, you will be blessed. You will stand in awe as months later these women you poured your heart into now stand behind and beside you as you walk through a season of challenge. It's the kind of return on investment only God could orchestrate.

[Judy Harder]

What to do When Your Art is Rejected
Aug 16, 2013 01:20 am | Emily Freeman


It took J.K. Rowling 17 years to write the Harry Potter series.

Adam Scott originally auditioned for the part of Jim Halpert on The Office. He didn't get it.


An aspiring author wrote her first draft of a book and sent it off with hopes of publication.

"After rejection number 40, I started lying to my friends about what I did on the weekends. They were amazed by how many times a person could repaint her apartment. The truth was, I was embarrassed for my friends and family to know I was still working on the same story, the one nobody apparently wanted to read."

In the end, she was turned down 60 times.

Then, after five years of writing and three and a half years of rejection, the 61st agent finally accepted this woman's idea.

Her name was Katherine Stockett.

Her book was called The Help.


Rejection doesn't mean your idea is bad or lacks potential. It could mean that, but it doesn't automatically mean that.

What it does mean, though, is there is still work left to do. I've read that Leonardo da Vinci once said, "Art is never finished, only abandoned."

What if Katherine Stockett had stopped after her first rejection? Or her 15th? Or her 51st? What if she had stopped working to make the art better?

I know there is a danger of becoming an obsessive workaholic, focused on our own idea of success and accepting nothing less.

That's a problem all by itself. But what I see and experience more of is the opposite – quitting too soon, losing hope too quickly, and falling into despair at the first sign of rejection or difficulty.

I don't know what occupies your time today. I don't know what passions or anxieties you are holding in your hands. I don't know what kind of project you just gave up on, which relationship you hope to mend, or what dream you are waiting to see realized.

But I do know that part of the art is the process. And part of the process is rejection and disappointment.

How you handle that could be an art all by itself.