Gospel-Centered Mothering

I recently joined a book club organized by some local homeschooling moms.  We had our first meeting this past Saturday, and the fellowship was most enjoyable!  Several weeks ago, when one of the club hostesses told me the title of the book that would be discussed, my attention was immediately piqued!  Treasuring Christ When Your Hands Are Full.  Yes, yes, yes!  That's me!  My hands are definitely full, yet I long to treasure Christ more.

As soon as I began reading this book, I was blown away by how much Scripture was quoted on just about each page.  It was such a refreshing read because every thought, every concept was beautifully interwoven with verse after verse from God's Word.  Familiar verses I've read dozens of time came alive in new ways because of being paired with other verses or thoughts from the author as she related them to grace, and specifically, grace in mothering.

I read this book quickly in order to be finished in time for the club meeting.  However, I would like to go back and read it more slowly the second time to truly savor the truths found in its chapters.  For now, my major take-aways include: 

~ The importance of confessing my sin to my children when I lose my patience with them and speak unkindly.  This is something I should have started doing a long time ago, but for some reason, I tended to justify my wrong reactions to my children's misbehavior because of what they were doing that "provoked" my impatience.  Real mature, huh?  The author shared something similar from her life, and it convicted me.  I have recently tried to be more sensitive to my tone of voice and moments when I don't have the right response and ask forgiveness of my little ones.  It's been amazing to see Isaac's little eyes light up when Mommy asks forgiveness, just as I've taught him to do, and how willingly and graciously he is ready to give it.

~ How integral the Gospel is to mothering.  It's not just about salvation and a starting place for everything else in my walk with God but about so much more, including mothering.  I wish I could elaborate on this point more clearly, but I've tried three times and not found the words.  Perhaps some of the below quotes will lend further insight into what I'm trying to say here.

~ How beautiful grace is, and how very much of it God has available for my every day, every need, every moment!  I came to a renewed, refreshed understanding of the phrase I've heard so often, "My grace is sufficient for thee."  As I understand better and lean more fully on the grace of God, that grace can then pour forth to my children. 

~ My need to lean on the Lord completely, trusting in Him for the kindness, the patience, the delight I want to have for my children.  He is my unlimited resource for all things that pertain to life and Godliness and victorious mothering!

And now for some quotes I highlighted from my first read-through of Treasuring Christ When Your Hands are Full:

The Gospel stands above and beyond all the most practical, family-friendly, or cost effective philosophies of mothering.  

When Jesus rescued me from hell, he also rescued me to himself.  

“Truly alone” time with the Lord is a gift.  But so are the times when you’re ring-mastering your family circus.  The Lord is just as near to you when you’re using a bulb sucker on a tiny, congested nose and as you’re summoning the wisdom of Solomon to settle a spat over a disputed toy.

It is this love - the love of Christ - that compels Christian mothers to love their children.  The love of Christ in her heart is what overflows when a mother speaks kindly to her children even when they don’t speak kindly back.

A mother’s Spirit-empowered sacrificial love is what enables her to willingly complicate her life for the sake of her children.

Consider how the Lord Jesus Christ willingly and cheerfully complicated His life so that He could share His life with us.  Although He was in the form of God, He “did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied Himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men.  And being found in human form, He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross” (Phil. 2:6-8).  As if becoming God incarnate wasn’t humbling enough for the Creator, this innocent author of life further humbled himself by allowing himself to be crucified like a criminal.

There are times when we are not motivated by the love of Christ, and we fume at our children not because they break God’s law but because they break ours.  

 I am so thankful for how the Gospel frees me from seeking glory in my parenting or in my kids.  My children, although they probably can’t articulate it yet, are relieved that when I treasure Jesus, they are freed from the burden of being the center of my world.  No child should have to shoulder the weight of her mother’s glory and reputation.

Every mother can be freed from seeking her own glory as she loves her children for the sake of Jesus’ name being made famous among the nations.

Spiritual counsel that has “empty calories” or is devoid of rich, biblical doctrine cannot and will not satisfy a soul that was made to be satisfied only with an infinite God.

Motherhood is physically exhausting, emotionally draining work.  Where can a mother find the strength she needs to serve her family?  From God, who is “able to make all grace abound to you, so that having all sufficiency in all things at all times, you may abound in every good work (2 Cor. 9:8).  Even when our back gives out and our body is tired, God can strengthen mothers “with all power, according to His glorious might, for all endurance and patience with joy” (Col. 1:11).  Thanksgiving is the proper response to God as He extends to us all the inheritance of grace we have in Christ (Col. 1:12).

I remembered that motherhood is not a blessing given to me because I deserve it.  It isn’t a reward for my good deeds or (as some might suggest) a sentencing for my bad deeds.  God made me a mother because He jealously and rightly desires praise for His own name, and this is how He saw fit to do it.

God’s grace is sufficient for everything He has called us to.  “And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that having all sufficiency in all things at all times, you may abound in every good work (2 Cor. 9:8).  God makes all grace abound to us through His Son, Jesus.  And it’s through the strength of His indwelling Holy Spirit that we are able to abound in (not just drag through) every good work He lays in front of us.  And as we work, we work with an eye toward eternity, knowing that our work is not in vain in the Lord.  “Therefore, my beloved brothers, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that in the Lord your labor is not in vain” (1 Cor. 15:58).

What is Motherhood?

Motherhood is a piece of evidence of God’s triumphant agenda to give life despite the curse of death.  It is a gift that points us to Jesus.  As life marches on to the praise of God’s glory, we see a riveting display of the grace of our Father, who will fulfill His promise to give His Son an inheritance of nations to the praise of His glory. There’s no greater goal than that.

At the end of every day - chaotic and mundane alike  - motherhood is about the adoration and enjoyment of our great God. 

Another Good Read...

...because of course, a busy mom of three kids ages 3 and under has so much on her brain that she would forget to write about the fourth book in her last post!  Oops!

Another book I read in 2015 that made an impact was:

The Brainy Bunch
By Kip and Mona Lisa Harding

This book details the Harding family's unique journey of homeschooling their ten children on an accelerated pace such that more than half of their brood (so far) have started and finished college far earlier than the average student.  I'm not talking about dual credit high school students but rather 11 and 12 year olds starting college studies.  If my memory serves me correct (since I read this book last spring), several of their children finished their bachelor degrees somewhere between ages 16 and 19.  The Hardings claim that none of their children are geniuses nor do they have particularly stellar I.Q.s.  The secrets to their early academic achievements, which they describe in the book, lie in their diligent efforts and ambitions, and the parents' belief that children are capable of learning far more from an early age than we give them credit.

The Hardings have been criticized for pushing their children too far too fast and not allowing them a "normal childhood."  However, according to what they write in this book and the honest glimpse into their daily lives that they allow readers to see, their children do indeed live normal childhoods and are not pushed into anything they don't care to attempt.  Most of their children, however, are so motivated by what they see their older siblings accomplish, that they strive to follow in their footsteps.  And outside of their high-level book work, they run in the backyard, create skits, play board games, do sports, play music, and socialize with friends just like other children/young people.  In other words, the Hardings are a very "normal" family with the exception of the academic levels at which their children operate.

One of the reasons their children have been able to get ahead in their studies compared to most peers is due to the fact that the Hardings school year-round, a not uncommon approach being taken by many homeschoolers.  This allows their children the benefit of not having to do a lot of review work at the beginning of a new school year and thus move more quickly through their grade levels.  They still take shorter breaks when needed throughout the school year, but not for three months at a time during the summer.

While I am not necessarily convinced just yet that I want to groom my children to start college by the age of 12, there were many aspects to this book that I enjoyed and that gave much food for thought.  I appreciated reading their family's journey thus far, what their adult children are now doing with their education and careers, their desire to focus in on each child's unique talents and interests, the practical-how-tos of their homeschooling advice, and how their Christian faith is the foundation in all they do as parents and teachers.  I will definitely be re-reading this engaging and inspirational book again soon!

Good Reads in 2015

As some of you may know, I am an avid reader!  To me, there are few things as enjoyable as curling up with a good book.  Due to the season of life I am in, I don't get to read as many books as I would like, but I do try to read at least a few pages before bed most nights, whether they be from a novel, a nonfiction book, a newsletter, or the Bible.  The occasional hot bath or long road trip also affords great opportunity for reading!  (Of course during the day, my reading material consists of children's picture books as I read out loud to my little snuggly bunnies who are also turning into book aficionados!)

During the year of 2015, I read a number of free ebooks on my Kindle that were of the historical or inspirational fiction genre.  These made for light, fun reading in my limited down time. But it is the nonfiction books that really stand out in my memory as ones which made an impact, so I wanted to share their titles with you today.  Not surprisingly, all three have a great deal to do with mothering. :)  They made such an impact, in fact, that I will probably be re-reading them sometime in 2016!

Shepherding a Child's Heart
by Tedd Tripp

I grew up hearing this title touted by Christian parents as a wonderful book, and I now I know what they were talking about!  Wow.  In an nutshell, Shepherding a Child's Heart is a child training book.  However, it does not just deal with the what-to-dos and what-not-to-dos in order to produce obedient children.  It focuses on dealing with the heart of Christian parents as they in turn strive to train their children's hearts, which then in turn, affects behavior.  I love the incredibly gracious writing style of the author coupled with the depth of Biblical wisdom from which he writes.  There is also a great deal of the practical shared in each chapter regarding the methodologies one can apply when training and disciplining their own children.  There was so much depth and wisdom and helpful ideas contained in this gem of a book, I will definitely be re-reading it again this year to glean even more!

Windows to Our World
by Sarah Janisse Brown

Talk about stumbling over a treasure of a book!  I saw this book come available for a free download to my Kindle on ereadergirl.com, and I am SO glad I decided to give it a read!  Something about the story just resonated with me and I could not put it down.  Windows to Our World is the modern-day biography of a delightful, joyful woman who loves Jesus, her husband, and family.

Written in the first person, Sarah starts her story at the beginning with life in her childhood home, transitioning from public school to homeschooler, meeting her husband as a teenager and committing her love life to the Lord.  Then, the story progresses into married life, lots of babies, homeschooling her own brood, trying her hand at homesteading, and finally, moving across the ocean into a short-term missionary life with her husband and ten children.

I don't know exactly what it was about this story that I connected with so well - there were just so many parts with which I could completely relate!  I really enjoyed the every-day life-ness of her writing.  If I ever write a book, I want it to be like this one. :)

Current updates and further writings are posted on Sarah's blog, so I feel like her story is ongoing, even after finishing the book.  There are also video clips on her website about child training and homemaking that are a lot of fun.

The whole book can be summed up as the story of a modern-day Christian wife/mom living joyfully for the Lord and making the most of her life no matter where she finds herself.  It was a truly inspiring and refreshing read!

Stop and Smell Your Children
by Leah Spina

This book was written by the sister-in-law of one of my best friend's sister-in-laws.  (How's that for a roundabout connection?)  I requested the book for Christmas, received it, and finished it within a few days' time because it was so engaging and practical to my season of life.  The end goal of the book is to encourage moms of little ones to love the little years and find everyday ways to delight in their children.  I would say that this goal was definitely accomplished!  Having three children under the age of three, I know firsthand how easy it can be to get so bogged down with the constant needs of each member of the household coupled with the ever-present household chores, laundry, meals, and dishes, that I miss the opportunities to connect with my children individually and take joy in all the little things throughout the day that tickle their fancy.  This book provides practical encouragement to do just that!  Those who are familiar with Rachel Jankovic's book, Loving the Little Years, will find this book to be written in a similar vein, though I must admit that I found Stop and Smell Your Children to be even more engaging.

The author definitely has a flair for the dramatic such that the first several chapters describing her journey into motherhood seemed to be a bit on the extreme side of easily overwhelmed and difficult.  I honestly could not relate to much that she wrote about in the first few chapters, but her sense of humor and storytelling abilities kept me reading.  As the book progressed, however, I found myself nodding along with so much of what she wrote as a mother of young children.  Her creative ideas for  delighting in one's children are simple yet profound and have stuck in my memory every time I change a diaper, give a bath, drive with the children in the car, or take them outside to play.

Ironically, it was Leah's chapter on keeping one's marriage a priority in the midst of mothering little ones that impacted me the most.  While I know how important this is, I really appreciated her thoughts and ideas for the practical how-tos of making time for each other, keeping the love fires burning, and finding mutual areas of interest to participate in together.

All-in-all, Stop and Smell Your Children was an enjoyable and timely book to read as I mother these little ones God has entrusted to me.  I'm sure I will be turning to it again for encouragement and laughter on those days when I find myself in the trenches!



What books made an impact on you in 2015?  I would love to know!

Thought for the Day

In follow-up to my last post, I came across this quote in one of the books I am currently reading entitled, Loving the Little Years, by Rachel Jankovic.  I thought it was rather pertinent. :)

"So while your children are little, cultivate an attitude of sacrifice.  Sacrifice your peace for their fun.  Your clean kitchen floor for their help cracking eggs.  Your quiet moment for their long retelling of a dream that a friend of theirs allegedly had.  Prioritize your children far and away above the other work you need to get done.  They are the only part of your work that really matters."

So.very.true.

A Tribute to Edith Schaeffer

My husband shared this article with me the other day, and I thought it appropriate to pass on after posting about the Schaeffer's ministry this week.  It is a beautiful tribute to Edith Schaeffer's influence on one homemaker (that many more, like me, could also attest to!) in the wake of her recent death on March 30 at the age of 98.  If you have never read her book, The Hidden Art of Homemaking, I highly recommend it!

A Book Review of L'Abri

During these last few weeks of my time on bed rest, I have very much enjoyed reading Edith Schaeffer's book, L'Abri.  This book is a colorfully written, biographical account of the Schaeffer family's unique ministry in the Swiss Alps, providing a home-like haven of study and discussion for those searching for truth and meaning in life.  Francis Schaeffer led in-depth studies of Scripture, chapel and church services, and provided intellectual fodder for many a dinner table discussion with guests.  Edith meanwhile ran the home (which eventually became many homes in a village setting) with her expert hospitality skills, participated in conversations on spiritual matters, and mothered their four children. Over time, people came from all over the world to L'Abri, and hundreds of seekers found the truth they were looking for in the pages of the Bible and the Person of Jesus Christ.


There were so many aspects to this book that I enjoyed reading including the family's personal adventures that were shared, the way they trusted completely in the Lord to lead and guide this work, and the miraculous ways He provided for them financially, though they told no one of their needs.  However, I think the aspect that I enjoyed the most was how I could, in a small way, relate to the ministry of L'Abri, and the encouragement I received from this book in regards to our ministry here in Taos.

While our ministry is not that of a guest home for study purposes, a big part of our church-based ministry is that of building relationships with people, both Christian and non-Christian, engaging in discussions with seekers of the truth, and extending hospitality in our home to various guests whether it be for a meal or a weekend stay.  Just as the Schaeffers prayed that God would bring the ones He knew were searching for answers in life to L'Abri, so we pray that God will bring through our church doors the ones in Taos who need to hear the Gospel or who need a good church home.  I was so encouraged to read of their many answers to this prayer and of how their willingness to invest themselves in the lives of others bore fruit as many, many people from different countries and different religious backgrounds came to believe in the Savior.  I am trusting that the Lord will answer this prayer here in Taos as well!

If you are looking for a good book to read, I highly recommend the captivating story of L'Abri, by Edith Schaeffer!

A Refreshing Political Perspective from John MacArthur

Nathan and I recently started reading a book together called Right Thinking in a World Gone Wrong, written by John MacArthur and the leadership team at Grace Community Church.  It is a book that tackles current controversial issues in the church and society, and as such, has sparked some interesting conversations between us!  I always love hearing my husband's feedback on each chapter. :)

Just a few days ago, we read a chapter entitled God, Government, and the Gospel.  In light of the present political climate, I thought I would post a few excerpts from this chapter that struck me as worth sharing (the underlined portions being ones I especially wanted to emphasize).  So many Christians I know have expressed great worry over the state of our nation and the yet unknown results of the upcoming election.  It is my hope that these paragraphs will provide a much-needed reminder that the end has already been established by One who knows and that we can rest in His plan with utmost confidence.  Let us keep our focus on that which matters for eternity!

~~~~~~~~

"As I write this chapter, our nation is on the brink of another presidential election.  Not surprisingly, the U.S. political scene has reached a fevered pitch.  From conventions to campaign ads, American televisions, radios, and newspapers echo the emotional upsurge we've come to expect every four years...

[Sound familiar?]

As is often the case, much of the evangelical church has eagerly jumped on the political bandwagon.  Pulpits resound with accolades for one or the other candidate and with approval or disdain for certain bills and plans...Some even suggest that to be a Christian means you must be a Republican and not a Democrat, and that not to vote is a serious sin.  After all, they say, good citizenship implies political involvement.

Such political preoccupations are somewhat ironic considering the dominant premillennial eschatology of conservative evangelicalism.  Our end-times theology tells us that until Christ returns, nothing can or will fix this crumbling world system. Yet our political practice suggest we are desperately trying to fix it nonetheless...

Only the Gospel, through the power of the Spirit, can effect real change in society - since it transforms sinners sinners from the inside out.  After all, there are no Christian countries, only Christian individuals.  Hence, our commission is to proclaim that Gospel faithfully in whatever context God puts us in...

...we can trust God regarding both national and foreign affairs.  No matter who is in the White House, the Congress, or the courtroom, God is on His throne.  He is the one of whom Paul exclaimed, "He who is the blessed and only Sovereign, the King of kings and Lord of lords, who alone possesses immortality and dwells in unapproachable light, whom no man has seen or can see.  To Him be honor and eternal dominion!  Amen." (1 Timothy 6:15-16)

A quick survey of Scripture reveals that God is sovereign over all the affairs of this world.  He is sovereign over Satan and sin (Job 1:12; 2:6; Luke 5:21; 22:31), over all governments and military powers (2 Chr. 20:6; Romans 13:2); over nature and natural disasters (Psalm 107:29; Nahum 1:3-6); over sickness and disease (John 9:3; 11:4; Revelation 21:4); and over every human being (Acts 13:48; Romands 9:17-18), including you and me (Prov. 16:9; 19:21; James 4:13-15).  Put simply, God is in control.  He does "whatever He pleases" (Psalm 115:3), and "works all things after the counsel of His will" (Eph. 1:11).

God's sovereignty does not excuse human sinfulness or irresponsibility.  But it should give Christians great reason to hope when they see the society growing more and more wicked.  It should relieve them of anxiety and worry (cf. Matt. 6:25; Philippians 4:6), as well as the misguided notion that it is their responsibility to effect political change.  The Lord is directing our nation within His providential purposes for His glorious ends.  And He is doing the same with every other earthly government.

God has already revealed how this world will end.  In its discussion of the last days, the Bible is clear that society will continue to get worse until the return of Christ (2 Thess. 2:7-12; 1 Tim. 4:1-5; 2 Tim. 3:1-5; 2 Peter 3:3).  Yet many evangelicals approach politics as if the degradation of society if something they can stop with legislation.  The truth is that no society will ever be truly made right until Christ comes and sets up His kingdom.  Until then, believers should be surprised to see morally-conservative efforts fail, or to realize that such failures are part of God's sovereign plan.

...National and international affairs can be entrusted to God.  This is not to say that American Christians should not vote, but that in voting they should realize that God has already determined the outcome of every election.  Whatever that outcome may be, believers can be absolutely confident that it accords perfectly with God's sovereign purposes for the future of both our nation and our world.

- John MacArthur

Oil Along the Way

"Put on as the elect of God, kindness." (Colossians 3:12)

There is a story of an old man who carried a little can of oil with him everywhere he went, and if he passed through a door that squeaked, he poured a little oil on the hinges. If a gate was hard to open, he oiled the latch. And thus he passed through life lubricating all hard places and making it easier for those who came after him.

People called him eccentric, queer, and cranky; but the old man went steadily on refilling his can of oil when it became empty, and oiled the hard places he found.

There are many lives that creak and grate harshly as they live day by day. Nothing goes right with them. They need lubricating with the oil of gladness, gentleness, or thoughtfulness. Have you your own can of oil with you? Be ready with your oil of helpfulness in the early morning to the one nearest you. It may lubricate the whole day for him. The oil of good cheer to the downhearted one - Oh, how much it may mean! The word of courage to the desparing. Speak it.

Our lives touch others but once, perhaps, on the road of life; and then, mayhap, our ways diverge, never to meet again. The oil of kindness has worn the sharp, hard edges off of many a sin-hardened life and left it soft and pliable and ready for the redeeming grace of the Savior.

A word spoken pleasantly is a large spot of sunshine on a sad heart. Therefore, "Give others the sunshine, tell Jesus the rest."

"We cannot know the grief

That men borrow;

We cannot see the souls

Storm-swept by sorrow;

But love can shine upon the way

Today, tomorrow;

Let us be kind.

Upon the wheel of pain so many weary lives are broken,

We live in vain who give no tender token.

Let us be kind."

"Be kindly affectioned one to another with brotherly love." (Romans 12:10)

- Streams in the Desert

The Marriage of George and Mary Müller

Of his marriage to Mary, Müller said:

"Every year our happiness increased more and more. I never saw my beloved wife at any time, when I met her unexpectedly anywhere in Bristol, without being delighted to do so. I never me her even in the Orphan Houses, without my heart being delighted to do so. Day by day, as we met in our dressing room, at the Orphan Houses, to wash our hands before dinner or tea, I was delighted to meet her, and she was equally pleased to see me. Thousands of times I told her - 'My darling, I never saw you at any time, since you became my wife, without my being delighted to see you.'

Further, day after day, if anyhow it could be done, I spent after dinner twenty minutes or half an hour with her in her room at the Orphan-Houses, seated on her couch, which the love of a Christian brother, together with an easy chair, had sent her....I knew it was good for her, that her dear active mind and hands should have rest, and I knew well that this would not be, except her husband was by her side... I spent these precious moments with my darling wife. There we sat, side by side, her hand in mine, as an habitual thing, having a few words of loving intercourse, or being silent, but most happy in the Lord and in each other, whether we spoke or were silent....Our happiness in God, and in each other, was indescribable. We had not some happy days every year, not a month of happiness every year, but we had twelve months of happiness in the year, and thus year after year. Often and often did I say, 'My darling, do you think there is a couple in Bristol, or in the world, happier than we are?'

Müller believed that one of the greatest secrets of their marital bliss was that besides their times of private prayer, and family prayer, he and Mary frequently prayed together.

Excerpt from the biography George Müller - Delighted in God, by Roger Steer

Oh for such a marriage as this!

Stirring Words Profound in Wisdom

"What is this that I feel sitting here, coursing through me relentless, hot, ardent? I have to seek God beauty. Because isn't my internal circuitry wired to seek out something worthy of worship? Every moment I live, I live bowed to something. And if I don't see God, I'll bow down before something else."

"God is present in all the moments, but I do not deify the wind in the pines, the snow falling on hemlocks, the moon over harvested what. Pantheism, seeing the natural world as divine, is a very different thing than seeing divine God present in all things. I know it here kneeling, the twilight so still: nature is not God but God revealing the weight of Himself, all His glory, through the looking glass of nature."

"Why am I out in this evening field, lying under moon? Is eucharisteo opening the eyes wider, the heart deeper? Is this paradox - that giving thanks for what is, creates an appetite for more - not for more things, but for seeking more of God to give more glory?"

"I look down at the stained skirt of my apron, washed in moonlight. And I think I can stand here? I think I can brave this Beauty? Not an empty, tinny beauty but a Fierce Beauty, Flaming Fire who burns through the thick masks and leaves the soul disrobed. I am naked and I am right ashamed. I know how monstrously inhumane I can be. Raging at children for minor wrongdoings while I am the one defiling the moment with sinful anger. Hoarding possessions while others die of starvation. Entertaining the mind with trivial pretties when I haven't bowed the head and heart in a prayer longer than five minutes in a week. My tongue has had a razor edge and my eyes have rolled haughty and my neck has been stiff and graceless and I have lived the filth ugly, an idolater, a glutton, and a grace thief who hasn't had time for the thanks.

'God blesses those whose hearts are pure for they will see God.' (Matthew 5:8) What am I doing out here? I am filthy rags. Is sight possible? I've only got one pure thing to wear and it's got Made By Jesus on the tag and the purity of Jesus lies over a heart and His transparency burns the cataracts off the soul. The only way to see God manifested in the world around is with the eyes of Jesus within."

"I was lost but know I am found again, Jesus, and I know what I want: to see deeply, to thank deeply, to feel joy deeply. How my eyes see, perspective, is my key to enter into His gates. I can only do so with thanksgiving. If my inner eye has God seeping up through all things, then can't I give thanks for anything? And if I can give thanks for the good things, the hard things, the absolute everything, I can enter the gates to glory. Living in His presence is fullness of joy - and seeing shows the way in."

By Ann Voskamp in One Thousand Gifts

Eucharisteo - A Word to Live By

In the midst of a week of trials and challenges unlike any I’ve experienced previously, God has given me hope and joy. His Word has been my strength; His presence my comfort.

I started reading the book One Thousand Gifts and found its artfully crafted words to resonate within my soul, meeting me right where I am, and renewing my spirit.

Let me share a few of the author’s beautiful passages with you.

“I remember once sitting at the hairdresser’s. The woman beside me reads, and I read her title in the reflection of the mirror: 1,000 Places to See Before You Die. Is that it? Are there physical places that simply must been seen before I stop breathing within tim, before I inhale eternity?

Why? To say that I’ve had reason to bow low? To say that I’ve seen beauty? To say that I’ve been arrested by wonder?

Isn’t it here? Can’t I find it here?...

Isn’t it here? The wonder? Why do I spend so much of my living hours struggling to see it? Do we truly stumble so blind that we must be affronted with blinding magnificence for our blurry soul-sight to recognize grandeur? The very same surging magnificence that cascades over our every day here. Who has time or eyes to notice?

All my eyes can seem to fixate on are the splatters of disappointment across here and me.

I close the bathroom linen closet. Pick up a brush to swish toilets. I don’t need more time to breath so that I may experience more locales, posses more, accomplish more. Because wonder really could be here - for the seeing eyes.

So - more time for more what?

The face of Jesus flashes. Jesus, the God-Man with His own termination date. Jesus, the God-Man who came to save me from prisons of fear and guilt and depression and sadness. With an expiration of less than twelve hours, what does Jesus count as all most important?

“And He took bread, gave thanks and broke it, and gave it to them...” (Luke 22:19)

In the original language, “he gave thanks” reads “eucharisteo.”

The root word of eucharisteo is charis, meaning “grace.” Jesus took the bread and saw it as grace and gave thanks. He took the bread and knew it to be gift and gave thanks.

But there is more, and I read it. Eucharisteo, thanksgiving, envelopes the Greek word for grace, charis. But it also holds its derivative, the Greek word chara, meaning “joy.” Joy. Ah...yes. I might be needing me some of that.

But where can I seize this holy grail of joy? I look down to the page. Was this the clue to the quest of all most important? Deep chara joy is found only at the table of the euCHARisteo - the table of thanksgiving. I sit there long...wondering...is it that simple?

Is the height of my chara joy dependent on the depths of my eucharisteo thanks?

So then as long as thanks is possible...I think this through. As long as thanks is possible, then joy is always possible. Joy is always possible. Whenever, meaning - now; wherever, meaning - hear. The holy grail of joy is not in some exotic location or some emotional mountain peak experience. The joy wonder could be here! Here is the messy, piercing ache of now, joy might be - unbelievably - possible! The only place we need see before we die is this place of seeing God, here and now.

I whisper it out loud, let the tongue feel these sounds, the ear hear their truth.

Charis. Grace.

Eucharisteo. Thanksgiving.

Chara. Joy

A triplet of stars, a constellation in the black. A threefold cord that might hold a life? Offer a way up into the fullest life?

Grace, thanksgiving, joy. Eucharisteo.

A Greek word...that might make meaning of everything?

~~~~~~

I stand the next morning on planks of light lying down across the floor, and I bake bread, yeasty dough moist between my fingers, and that one word works me, again and again - eucharisteo. I won’t let it go this time. I’ll enter into the mystery.

I shape loaves and think how Jesus took the bread and gave thanks...and then the miracle of the multiplying of the loaves and fishes.

How Jesus took the bread and gave thanks..and then the miracle of Jesus enduring the cross for the joy set before Him.

How Jesus stood outside Lazarus’s tomb, the tears streaming down HIs face, and He looked up and prayed, “Father, I thank you that you have heard me...” (John 11:41) And then the miracle of a dead man rising! Thanksgiving raises the dead! .....

I read: “The only real fall of man is his noneucharistic life in a noneucharistic world.” That was the fall! Non-eucharisteo, ingratitude, was the fall - humanity’s discontent with all that God freely gives. That is what has scraped me raw: ungratefulness. Then to find Eden, the abundance of Paradise, I’d need to forsake my non-eucharisteo, my bruised and bloodied ungrateful life, and grab hold to eucharisteo, a lifestyle of thanksgiving....

~~~~~~

Luke’s Gospel, chapter 17....I think I know this one. Jesus restores ten lepers to wholeness. And only one returns to offer thanks. I remember the moral too... “How often do you remember to say thanks?” Yes I think I know this one.

I skim.

“One of them, when he saw he was healed, came back, praising God in a loud voice. He threw himself at Jesus’ feet and thanked him - and he was a Samaritan.” (Luke 17:15-16) Yes thankfulness, I know. Next verse.

“Jesus asked, “Were not all ten cleansed? Where are the other nine? Was no one found to return and give praise to God except this foreigner?” Then He said to him, “Rsie and go; your faith has made you well.” (Luke 17:17-19)

Wait. I trace back. Hadn’t Jesus already completely healed him? Exactly like the other nine who were cured who hadn’t bothered to return and thank HIm. So what does Jesus mean, “Your faith has made you well?” Hand I underinterpreted this passage, missed some hidden mystery? I slow down and dig. I read Jesus’ words in Young’s Literal Translation, “And [Jesus] said to him, ‘Having risen, be going on, thy faith has saved thee.” Saved thee? I dig deeper. It’s sozo in the Greek. Many translations render sozo as being made “well” or “whole,” but its literal meaning, I read it - “to save.” Sozo means salvation. It means true wellness, complete wholeness. To live sozo is to live the full life. Jesus came that we might live life to the full; He came to give us sozo. And when the leper receive sozo - the saving to the full, whole life? When He returned and gave thanks. I lay down my pen.

Our very saving is associated with our gratitude.

But...of course. If our fall was the non-eucharisteo, the ingratitude, then salvation must be intimately related to eucharisteo, the giving of thanks.

I look back to the text. That is what it says: “Thy faith has saved thee.” And the leper’s faith was a faith that said thank you. Is that it? Jesus counts thanksgiving as integral in a faith that saves.

We only enter into the full life if our faith gives thanks.

Because how else do we accept His free gift of salvation if not with thanksgiving? Thanksgiving is the evidence of our acceptance of whatever He gives. Thanksgiving is the manifestation of our Yes! to His grace.

Thanksgiving is inherent to a true salvation experience; thanksgiving is necessary to live the well, whole, fullest life.

- Excerpt from chapter two in One Thousand Gifts, by Ann Voskamp

Free Book from GFA

Usually I don't recommend books I haven't first read, but considering that this free book offer comes from Gospel For Asia, a ministry I greatly love and trust, I thought I would notify you about it! I just ordered my copy today. If you are interested in doing the same, click here.

When you place your order, you will also be allowed to download the book as a PDF which can then be read on a Kindle.

Further Thoughts on Language Learning

Last semester, I acquired an old book from the free cart at school entitled Missionary Life and Work by Harold Cook of Moody Bible Institute. I haven't had the chance to read it until now, and oh, what a gem of a book I'm finding it to be! Even though parts of it are outdated (since it was written in the era when most missionaries sailed to their destination on a ship), there is still a great deal of wisdom to be found in its pages. I am underlining important things to remember all the time! You will probably see some of these portions of the book make their way onto the blog in the coming weeks as they are too good not to share.

But for today, I simply wanted to post a few quotes from Missionary Life and Work as pertains to language learning, for they have been an encouragement to me to keep persevering in this department.

"You must learn to speak to others in their language. Unless you do, you can never really communicate the Gospel to them. A message in an unknown tongue benefits nobody. Even a message in a language that is comprehended with difficulty is largely ineffective.

For example, you may have studied French in school. Then if you go and hear a message given in French, you may be able to grasp some of the facts that the speaker presents. You may gain a small amount of information, but the speaker will not move you to action. You spend all your effort in trying to understand what he says. There is no time to think of the implications of his statements. It is the message in our own familiar tongue that stirs us to action. What we hear then are not just words whose meaning we have to puzzle out. We are scarcely conscious of the words. We are hearing ideas, ideas with overtones of feeling that stir up a response within us.

Language is the missionary's major tool."

"Grammar alone is not enough. It will help you puzzle out the meaning of what is written. But until it becomes so much a part of you that you will apply it without conscious effort, you have not really learned the language. You haven't learned to talk until you cease to think of each separate word. What many people seem to fail to realize is that language is a matter of habits. You learn to express a though a certain way. You repeat it that way over and over until that form of words comes spontaneously to your lips whenever the thought calls for expression...Grammar is the skeleton, vocabulary provides the flesh to cover it, but only constant practice can make the language a living, working body."

"Practice what you have already learned on every possible occasion. This is one of the secrets of the rapid learning of little children. They don't hesitate to repeat what they hear in every conceivable situation. A new word is like a new toy. By practice they find out what they can do with it and what they can't. And they don't worry about their laughable mistakes. This is part of the learning process. If you wait until you can speak faultlessly, you will never speak. It is the one who isn't afraid to talk, in spite of mistakes, who makes the most rapid progress."

Another Excellent Read

When I first read that Debi Pearl was publishing a book called Preparing to Be a Help Meet, I did not think I would need to read it. I mean, I have studied home-making topics and read lots of various marriage books over the years --- so why add another one to my library? Respecting and honoring your husband, being a keeper at home, cooking nutritious meals; I know about all these subjects.

Besides, I am very happy pursuing the adventures of a single girl right now, and while I would love to get married and have a family someday, I thought perhaps a book like this might rock the boat of contentment in my life.

Despite these initial misgivings, however, I decided to add the book to a large order I was making from No Greater Joy recently. Since everything is on sale this month, I might as well, right?

Actually, the more I thought about it, the more I looked forward to reading Preparing to Be a Help Meet! I'm a big fan of the Pearls' writings, and since I greatly enjoyed the original Created to Be His Help Meet, I figured this latest book would at least be interesting.

Well, my order arrived on Friday. I finished the book in three days flat.

Smile.

It was EXCELLENT! It was so much more than I expected! Rather than touching on all "the usual topics," Debi (along with several other contributors) has written an inspiring book full of love stories, practical advice for today, and real-life examples of both good and bad choices that will appeal to any young woman serious about pursuing God's best in her life.

I was extremely encouraged by how the topic of singleness was handled. Debi challenges the reader to be busy about the Lord's work, active in ministry, serving others, taking mission trips, and learning as many skills as she can to benefit her future marriage, rather than sitting around at home waiting for Mr. Right to show up on her doorstep. This way of life is exactly how I have chosen to use my single years, and I have found them to be as fulfilling as she exhorts us to make them!

I also appreciated the chapters about the three kinds of men (Prophet-Visionary, Priest-Steady, King-Command Man) as adapted from her original Created book and the three kinds of women that reflect these characteristics. (But you'll have to read the book to find out about them yourself!)

Of course, reading other young women's courtship stories was lots of fun! Like any other girl, I love a good love story! :-)

I wish I had enough money to buy a copy of this book for all my single friends, but since I am saving for language school in the fall, you'll have to get your own! =) Preparing to Be a Help Meet is one of the BEST books I have ever read on the topic of being an "unmarried woman who cares for the things of the Lord." It is edifying, convicting, balanced, and delightful!

So don't delay! Buy your copy today!

A Fascinating Read

I love how God has a sense of humor. Just when I think I've got the Bible figured out and I understand His plan for humankind, along comes a book to make me realize how little I really know and how much depth there is in God's Word.

Eight Kingdoms is just such a book. I've had it in my library for several years now, but due to other studies taking my time, I had yet to read it. Until now, that is.

Meanwhile, my mother and sister both read it and raved about it. "You've got to read this book, Katrina!" they would exclaim.

And I agreed. Now, I am reading this book. Wow. I am in awe. Such riches contained in Scripture! Such beautiful, intricate writings the Holy Spirit breathed to create an amazingly perfect Book!

Just when I thought I had it all figured out, I am seeing the whole of God's Kingdom agenda from the beginning of time to the end of the ages as His Word so consistently -- and even mysteriously -- proclaims in every era of His-story.

The in-depth Bible study material contained in the pages of Eight Kingdoms has added incredible punch to my daily quiet times. Every morning, when my alarm rings at 6:30 a.m. I am excited to get up and study! The things I am learning cause me to worship the Lord and praise His Name more than ever.

If you want to add punch to your daily times with the Lord, I highly recommend that you get a copy of this book, Eight Kingdoms, by Michael Pearl. It will challenge your beliefs, spur you on to deeper study of God's Word, and cause you to sing the praises of the King of kings like never before!

If you hurry, No Greater Joy is running a sale to the end of April, allowing this book to be purchased at a 25% discount! It will be some of the best $10 you've spent in a long time!

Called of God

Recently, I have been making my way through K.P. Yohannan's book entitled Against the Wind. Brother K.P. is one of my favorite non-fiction writers. I always get convicted, challenged, and fired up about serving the Lord wholeheartedly in the light of eternity as a result of reading K.P.'s books. This volume is no exception.

I have barely made it past chapter three, and yet, my heart and life has already been touched and stirred as a result of what I have read. God does that all the time. He directs me to books according to the seasons of life I go through, knowing that what I read will be exactly what I need for that season.

The current season I find myself in is serious decision-making regarding future missionary work. I feel the weight of responsibility to correctly know and understand God's plan and follow His pathway. As I am in the midst of seeking his will and praying for direction, K.P.'s book has contained a timely message that I read right on the heels of a powerful quiet time with the Lord. God is continually placing quotes, sermons, and circumstantial confirmations into my life that are providing more and more clarity in my understanding of how He is directing my future. While there are yet many unknowns, I am walking by faith and not by sight as He continues to reveal one step at a time.

Some of these passages from Against the Wind were so profound in my life, I cannot keep them to myself but feel urged to share them here in this blog.

From Chapter Two: "Called By God"

There is a definite difference between a profession and a call:

~ A job, a profession, is one you choose;
a ministry is one Christ chooses for you.

~ A job depends on your abilities;
a ministry depends on your availability to God.

~ In a job, you expect to receive something - a salary;
in a ministry you expect to give.

~ A job well done brings you self-esteem;
a ministry well done brings honor to Jesus Christ.

~ In a job you give something to get something;
in a ministry you return something that has already been given to you.

~ A job well done has temporal rewards;
a ministry well done has eternal rewards.


Are you called? Have you heard the Lord Jesus call you, saying, "Come follow Me, be with Me, and I will send you out for ministry?" The person you become, the decisions you make, the manner in which you behave, and your attitude toward the Lord's work all depend on the deep conviction that you have been called by God.

Are you called? Take courage in the truth of that call, and let it be your assurance. Despite the weaknesses you see in yourself or the difficulty that may come in the work, you can fulfill the purposes of God. For "God, who has called you...is faithful." (1 Cor. 1:9)

What then is a call? It is a burden that never leaves you. Nothing can shake that burden from your hear or mind. It affects every part of your life, and by it you see all else. It inspires you to joyfully forsake all to pursue it, just like the man who found the pearl of great price and sold everything he had just to buy it (see Matthew 13:45-46).

When we have received a call from the Lord, our lives will bear the fruit of it - the fruit of assurance, ownership, pure motivation, and seeking only the Lord's approval.

The one who is called says, "It is my Jesus' kingdom. It is my burden. If I receive some kind of financial help, that's great. If I do not, no problem. I don't care. I will do it anyway." It is the call that gives you the motivation to journey on. Salary and benefits do not compel you; difficulties do not sway you. The knowledge that God is faithful that He has called you is enough.

Is pleasing God the compelling motivation of your life?
Is Jesus your sole passion?
Do you know you have been called by Him for the work of the ministry?
Does your life show the reality of that calling and burden?

May we all seek to please Him alone, that all of our decisions, emotions, and daily steps would be controlled by this one factor: "I am called by the Lord, He has chosen me. I am not my own, but His. I will follow Him all the days of my life."

~ K.P. Yohannan

Winter Reading Material

These past couple of months, I have been spending considerable time in biography land...and loving it! For Christmas, my grandparents generously supplied five new titles for my library at my request that I have found to be inspiring, challenging, and delightful to read. Even though these books written by Janet and Geoff Benge are geared toward a younger audience, I have learned that I prefer their biographies compared to many others due to their captivating story-telling style. Sometimes, biographies can be rather dull and slow-moving...but not with Janet and Geoff Benge! The only title I owned for years by this husband-wife writing time was that of Gladys Aylward. It had always been one of my very favorites and I have read it at least three times. Now, I am thrilled to have these five additions from the same series, Christian Heroes Then and Now, and looking forward to continuing the collection which totals over thirty volumes!






I just finished reading the last of these five books. They were all excellent, though I must say that the stories of George Muller and Lillian Trasher were my favorites...probably because they worked with orphans and lived completely by faith, telling only God when they had needs. George Muller has been a long-time hero of mine, but I had never actually read an official biography of his...just snippets here and there...and Lillian Trasher was a new one for me to learn about --- but oh, how her story inspires!

Another selection of winter reading which happens to be the only fictitious piece I've read in awhile, is a new book on the market called Bright Against the Storm. This masterfully-written novel by Ari Heinze is a truly great piece of literature in all the ways that makes literature great. I could write an entire review of the book, but since Anna Pedersen has already done a beautiful job at that, I will give you the link to her thoughts here. Knowing Ari and his family from back in our growing up years made reading this novel especially enjoyable, but you certainly don't have to be acquainted with the author to find his book equally delightful.


And finally, I am currently making my way through this charming biographical account of two other missionary heroes from days gone by: Hudson and Maria Taylor.

Sometimes when a biography is written about a particular man or woman of faith, the description of their life is almost other-worldly, with only the finer points of their character shared to the degree that one almost wonders if they were truly human. Not so with John Pollock's rendition of Hudson Taylor's life. There is no question as to Hudson and Maria's humanity in this finely crafted literary masterpiece. Their adventures, hardships, romance, ministry, joys, sorrows, and experiences are all described in an refreshingly realistic way. There is no glamor associated with their work, only the truth of the hard, yet blessed lives they lived. Perhaps most inspiring of all is the depth of relationship that Hudson and Maria experienced with God.

This is my third time to read this book, and every time I read it, I glean so much from their examples of faith. I could fill my journal with one profound quote after another. This time through, I am finding the Taylors' experiences to be especially pertinent to the season of life God has me in as I make decisions regarding missionary service in the very near future.