As bold as a lion...

I love to write.  I have truly missed it.  I’m not back where I want to be yet, but I have started to “jot down” some thoughts here and there again and with the encouragement of my beautiful wife I will begin to share them here from time to time.  

If you have been paying attention and following our blog, you’ll notice that we have very different writing styles and that the Lord is working on us in different ways.  I think that is amazingly beautiful!  I can’t begin to tell you how excited I am to see what Jesus is doing in her life!

We started this blog together some time ago to give people a glimpse into what God is doing in our lives.  For a long time it has been dormant.  That’s not because God hasn’t been working as much as it is that we haven’t been testifying.  God is good!  He has always and will always be way better than we deserve.  I hope you enjoy honest heartfelt testimonies that you find here.  I hope you enjoy reading the true writer of the family (Hope) and that my ramblings at the very least make sense to you and maybe even encourage you a bit.  With that being said: Feel free to read on…

“The righteous are as bold as a lion.” Prov.28:1

Those following hard after God possess a boldness that is not of themselves.  As they seek the Lord with all of their heart, they find Him.  And in finding Him, they find His truth!  God empowers His children with His Spirit.  Their natural fears and inabilities are replaced by His power, boldness and giftedness!

As Christians we have the ability and opportunity to seek out the Lord and to cast our burdens upon Him in a divine exchange (where we give Him our yoke and we receive His).  We have the opportunity to give Him our fears, our inabilities, our shyness and selfishness, and to receive from Him His power, His ability and His confidence!

Can you fathom how good this God is?  He doesn’t just save us and then leave us as orphans (Jn. 14:18).  He saves us and invites us into a divine cooperation in which we are constantly equipped with His gifts and abilities.

I love what my good friend Andy Dietz says, “Anything done in the flesh is only as good as the flesh can do it, but anything done in the Spirit is done as good as God can do it.” 

No wonder the apostle Paul encourages us to live/walk/exercise in the Spirit!

Father God, thank you for being so awesome!  Thank you for saving us!  Thank you for being a God that goes even beyond Salvation!  A God that loves us enough to meet us where we are, but loves us too much to leave us there!

My Father, thank you for not leaving me as an orphan.  Thank you for this invitation to a divine exchange!  Thank you for abiding in me, empowering me, giving me your gifts as I abide in you!

Remind us each day of the invitation you lay before us: we can go about life in the flesh and the results will be only as good as the flesh can muster… or we can go about life in the Spirit and watch in awe as we witness life done as God and God alone can do it!

Father, the choice is clear!  I choose you!  For today and for a thousand days to come… I choose you!  May Your glory be made known as your children walk in an abiding relationship with you!

Neither Do I...

When I read the story of Jesus and the adulterous woman in John 8, it gives me chills.  This is one of those stories where every time I read it another, and often different, truth jumps out at me.  I've wondered what Jesus wrote in the sand.  I've been in awe of the power in His words that caused each man to walk away realizing they too were sinners. I've cried thinking about this poor woman who was tossed in front of a crowd, but then she gets to see Jesus.  And He sees her.

Today, Jesus' words of "Then neither do I condemn you" pierce me.  All of the finger-pointers are gone.  All of the men who could shame her, but had no right to condemn her have left.  Jesus is the only who has the right and He says "neither do I."  Grace.  Grace. Grace.  Let it sink in.

We let others shame us.  If they condemn us, it's because we let them.  They do not have the right.  They are in the same boat as us - all sinners.  Or maybe it's not others, but yourself.  You condemn yourself.  You do not have the right.  Jesus is the only one to live a sinless life and He says, "Neither do I condemn you."

Then, He tells the woman to go and leave her life of sin.  Grace has taken away her condemnation and she is free.  Jesus knows sin entangles and imprisons.  He wants her to walk in freedom from here on out so He says, "No more."

Maybe you need to hear Jesus words in your own life today, "Neither do I condemn you."  He could, but He doesn't.  He loves you.  He wants you to walk in freedom.  He wants you to grab hold of the grace He is offering.

Check out more discussion on this passage at If:Equip. 

Chasing God: Book Review and More

Click the image to purchase book.

First of all, I'd like to tell you how I ended up reading Chasing God by Angie Smith.  I had the privilege of attending the Friday night portion of IF:Gathering in February.  It was an incredible night of teaching and worship.  I left excited to go back on Saturday.  Instead, I ended up in the ER Saturday morning with intense and mysterious stomach pains. In a desire to somehow still be connected to the women at the conference, I picked up the book that had been given away in our fabulous, goody bags.  As I started reading this book, I was challenged and felt like Angie Smith and I might have been separated at birth (seriously if you read the chapter entitled The Binder - you will get a glimpse into the workings of my brain ;) ).  You may think I'm reading too much into this, but I think God purposed me to read this book.  Because if I'm being completely honest, had I not ended up at the ER, the book would've been put on my ever-growing pile of books I want to read.  The pile of books on my nightstand that I know are just going to change my life, but I rarely get around to reading them.

From the start, Angie's honesty and transparency grabbed me.  She shares of a struggle that I identify with so much.  She talks about how she has spent most of her Christian life chasing God thinking this was how it was supposed to be.  I want to share her words from the introduction,

It's the difference between following and chasing.

The key that finally turned the door of my faith was understanding that we are called to one and not the other.

We stare at the rest of the pew, wondering why we aren't as far along as they are, secretly resenting those who unswervingly claim their faith while we enter another Bible study group, hoping something will stick.

If I just do this, I'll catch Him.

I'll catch Him.  Those words haunted me over the next few days.  Is that what I struggle with so often?  Was she somehow in my mind?  I exhaust myself trying to catch God who is already here.  I believe His promises for other people but have trouble claiming them as my own.  

Angie continues throughout the book to share her heart, to let you into her struggle and how her mind works, and give you examples of how she chases God instead of being with Him.  I highly recommend this book, especially if you struggle with striving and feeling like you are never getting anywhere.  Freedom can be found in these pages.  Not because of Angie Smith, but because of the truths of scripture she obediently shares and gives skin to through her own vulnerability.  Her writing is fresh and her sometimes-sarcastic humor only adds to the words she shares.

I'll leave you with this excerpt,

... I had been running after Him for as long as I could remember, and I didn't know how to stop.  I have given days of my life to the notion that I had some power to catch Him.  And I couldn't help but hear His voice in the midst of it, urging me to see the truth.  And in time, I began to understand what He had been whispering for years. 

You chase Me because you trust your own legs more than you trust Me.

You chase Me because you can feel the air in your lungs, not because you want to breathe true life.

And as long as you can chase, you still get a say.  You maintain part-ownership of our relationship.  You would run forever in the wrong direction if it meant your flesh didn't have to admit the truth.

You chase because it feels like you can.

Disclaimer: The links in this post contain referral links.  My review is my own words and I receive nothing for sharing it. While the goal of this blog is not to make money, I'd love the privilege to give away any that it may someday.

If:Equip

I've already posted about this wonderful site on my FB, but wanted to share again here.  Ladies, check out If:Equip.  It is a simple, straightforward way of getting into the Word together everyday.  Don't worry about starting at the beginning.  Jump in.  There is a Bible passage to read each day and a short (usually 2-4 minute) video each day.  It is blessing me to wake up to this each day.  It takes the stress out of knowing what to read or getting upset that I didn't finish my study for the day.

It's free.  All you need is access to the page, a pen, and a journal and your Bible though they post the passage each day.  Check it out and let me know if you do.

If you already have a Bible reading plan or don't struggle like I do about what to read each day, don't try to add this just to add another thing.  I've been there, adding every study placed before me, and it becomes overwhelming. Getting more Bible will never hurt you, but I never want to burden you with more "stuff" you need to do each day.  I always want to point you to Jesus and the freedom found in Him.  

Focus, Running, and a Lesson from a 6-year-old

I was fortunate to attend part of a great conference a few weeks ago and the main verses of teaching were from Hebrews 12.  Since then, I've thought often about what it really means to run the race laid out before us.  Am I standing on the sidelines not even in the race?  Am I stuck somewhere in the middle of the road?  Am I walking leisurely instead of running?  I think I've probably been in all of the places at one time.  What keeps us from really running this great race with God?  The answer is in the text,

Do you see what this means—all these pioneers who blazed the way, all these veterans cheering us on? It means we’d better get on with it. Strip down, start running—and never quit! No extra spiritual fat, no parasitic sins. Keep your eyes on Jesus, who both began and finished this race we’re in. Study how he did it. Because he never lost sight of where he was headed—that exhilarating finish in and with God—he could put up with anything along the way: Cross, shame, whatever. And now he’s there, in the place of honor, right alongside God. When you find yourselves flagging in your faith, go over that story again, item by item, that long litany of hostility he plowed through. That will shoot adrenaline into your souls! Hebrews 12:1-2 (MSG)

I know I've been quoting from The Message often, but don't you love the picture this literally paints for us.  I can picture the "faithful" ones who are listed in the previous chapter cheering us on.  So, what DOES keep us from running?  Here it says "strip down" the "spiritual fat" and "parasitic sins."  Other versions says "lay aside every weight and sin."  I read this and I want to say, "I'm trying. I'm trying," but the next part is just as important.  We do this by focusing on Jesus and eternity.  It says "he (Jesus) never lost sight of where he was headed."  I lose sight often. I get distracted.  I have spiritual ADD (and Jason would say actual ADD - Squirrel! ;) ).  I let things steal my focus.

This morning I was talking with my 6 year old about his handwriting page.  Lately, one page has been taking him 45 minutes to one hour to complete.  I talked with him about focus and not getting distracted.  We talked about a goal of completing it in 15 minutes and that I knew he could do it if he stayed focused.  As I sat down and looked up at him with his eyes on the paper working hard, I felt the Holy Spirit nudging me, speaking to me, saying "See what's happening here. Learn from it." Caleb finished his handwriting in less than 15 minutes and he did it well.  All because he focused.  Why do I take my eyes off my Savior?  These verses have the answer to so many of my struggles.  Fix my eyes on my Jesus and I can run like He intended.

I think this might be my next journal.  Find it at Etsy here.

To All the List-Makers

Hi I'm Hope and I'm a list-a-holic.  I'm one list-loving girl.  I love checking things off.  So much so that I've been tempted many days to write at the top of my to-do list - "make to-do-list" just so I can check it off.  Am I nuts?  Probably so.  Though I'm pretty sure I'm not the only one who has written down things I've already done so I can check them off and get that sense of accomplishment.  Do I have a problem?  Most definitely, but how else will the laundry get done and the dinners made and the kids taught.  It's scary up in this head of mine and scarier still I'm giving you a glimpse into it.

So, does God make list-loving people?  Apparently so.  But those of us who love lists and checking things off are the same ones who tend to sway towards legalism, rule-making, and having trouble letting go of control. The lists give us a sense of control of any given circumstance or situation.  List-makers is probably just a nice way of saying we are indeed control-freaks. I'm just putting it out there.

Us list-lovers sometimes struggle with seeing the big picture.  We see the details.  We can control and perfect the details or at least we are under the delusion that we can.   We are also the ones who often have the gift of administration.  Anyone else struggle with seeing this as a gift?  I want one of the exciting spiritual gifts like evangelism or prophecy.  Doesn't being a prophet sound so exciting?  Jeremiah would probably say otherwise.  He probably longed for a more "behind-the-scenes" gift.  I've wrestled with God trying to convince Him that administration is a boring gift and I'm ready for more.  I want something flashy and world-changing.  Pride is something else us "listers" fight or maybe it's just me.

As I am becoming more comfortable with who I am and trusting that God designed me this way for a reason, I'm realizing He has given me this brain for a purpose.  As I stop trying to figure out everything and give away control, I'm learning that it's not such a boring gift after all.  When I set myself aside and allow God to really use me, it's thrilling.  When we follow Him, it's an adventure.  Not one where we can control the details or the ending.  We trust that ultimately He is in control.  We are not.  We remind ourselves that He has purposed us for good (Jeremiah 29:11, Romans 8:28).  So, we drop the safety net and take a scary step away from ourselves and towards Him.  And tomorrow when we try to pick back up everything we surrendered the day before we stop ourselves and take another scary step.  And before long the steps become less scary and our delusion of control starts to fade away.

See I've lived too long doing pretty much the opposite.  Instead of allowing God to direct the lists, I've made them and then said "okay, here's what I'm doing today, be in it, God."  Or another day the conviction to surrender takes over and I end up on my face before God giving it all over to Him.  Only the next day, I go right back to my old ways.  This is the frustrating dance that has been my life.  And I realize that I'm stuck in a place I was never created to be in.

There is so much freedom in realizing God created you and has a purpose for you.  If He has given you the gift to organize and see the details, use it for Him.  Lists can be a good things.  They can help us focus and get things done.  Ministries wouldn't happen with out us list-makers.  Those big picture people need us.  We work alongside one another and when we do, things happen.

We just need to be careful.  Our lists (whether they are literally on paper or just in our minds) give us a false sense of control and we keep making them because of it.  We have to learn to let go.  Freedom is found when we do.  Galatians 5:1 says It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery. Yet, we enslave ourselves in our own desire for control.  I used to say "need for control" but that is false.  We don't need it.  We want it.  We even crave it at times.  It's an addiction.

So, how do you let go? I cannot answer that for you.  I know for me it's been a back-and-forth, but every step, no matter how large or small or easy or painful, has been worth it.  Freedom is worth it.  He is worth it.  He wants to use you the way He made you.  God does change lives.  He changes hearts and minds all the time.  That doesn't mean He's going to change the very way your brain is wired, though He may.  He created you to be you.  He has great plans for you.  I cannot tell you the freedom that is found in being me and letting Him be Him so that I can be used for His glory and His purposes.  

Does this mean I no longer make lists?  No.  I did take a purposeful break from them.  I still love lists.  I just pray and hope each day that they are His lists and not mine.  The laundry still makes it on there most days, but somehow it still gets done even when there is no list.  I know it's crazy, but it's true.  Otherwise there would be 4 naked children running around this area and nobody wants that. 

I'd end by telling you to seek freedom, but you don't have to seek it.  It's there.  It's found in Christ.  When you truly start becoming all about Him, the chains begin to fall.  We just have to stop putting them back on.  Let the top of your list be Jesus.

Talk to Him

 image courtesy of davidniblack.com

                                                                                 
If we are going to be about Jesus, how do we do it?  If you've been in church very long, you know the answers to most of the questions.  You wave your hands when the teacher asks the questions (literally or in your head), because the answer is almost always one of two things right?  1. Jesus (that's always a good answer - seriously, it is) and 2. Pray and read my Bible. We say or hear it so often, it starts to lose meaning.  Not because there isn't power in prayer and Bible study, but because we start to glaze over it.  When you've been in church a long time like me, it's so very easy to know the answers without actually doing any of it.  Or is it just me?

If we are going to be about Him, we've got to know Him.  I don't mean know about Him.  You can know the entire Bible and never know Him if your motives are in the wrong place.  Again, I'm speaking from experience.  God's really been breaking me over this very thing and I have more to say about spending time in His Word, but that's not what this post is about.

I feel the need to share about prayer and what God's showing me.  What is prayer?  Again, we church-goers know the pat answer: talking to God.  Is it really that simple?  Have we made it something harder?  Is there more to it?  I think there is one person in the Bible who can teach us so much about prayer.  You think I'm going to say Jesus, right? That would be a seriously good answer, but not this time.  I'm talking about David.  The guy who is called "a man after God's own heart."  Take a walk through the Psalms of David and we get a portrait of David pouring his heart out to God.  Have you ever read one of David's Psalms and thought "hey, he can't talk to God that way!"  Yet, he did and not only that, his cry made it into our Bible for God's people to continue to read and learn from for thousands of years.  I think it's because God wanted us to see that He desires us to talk to Him.  To get real with Him.  To lay bare before Him.  To praise Him.  To acknowledge His ways.  To pour our complaints out to Him.  To just be us and let Him be Him.

Psalms shows us that we can talk to God about anything and everything.  The intimacy between God and David leaps off our pages.  It's not because David was better or more loved, but because David was real and he never stops talking to his Father.  Some of the Psalms are full of praise and awe of our Creator.  Some are words of gratitude penned by an humble servant.  Others are full of anger and confusion wondering where is God.  Those are the ones where David almost seems disrespectful.  And maybe he is at times, but obviously God can handle it.

I struggle with prayer.  These days it doesn't come natural to me.  It hasn't always been this way.  There was a time in my life where I talked to God continuously and easily.  He was truly my Friend and my Savior.  What happened?  God hasn't changed, so why did I?  First of all, this time of intimacy was when I was 19. I was single.  I had no kids.  I was blessed with a job where I could literally read my Bible for hours while only stopping to answer the phone every once in awhile.  I told God about everything: my dreams, my struggles, my complaints, my love for Him, all of it.  To be honest, it was easy.  The sad part is that it stopped the second it got hard.  I switched jobs to a fast-paced, no break environment.  I was in college.  I got married. I got too busy for my relationship with God.  My desire has always been about Him and His will for me, but busyness and distraction took over and I justified that it was a season of my life. Then, I had kids.  Oh, those cute, little blessings and distractions I've been given.  Another season.  Another excuse. (Moms of little ones, please hear me, there is grace and lots of it. Don't be burdened.  Learn from me though and give Him what you can.  He is worth it even if it's only a few minutes here and there. You are worth it.)

Then, I woke up one day and realized that I rarely prayed.  I wasn't even really comfortable doing so anymore.  Me, the fixer and planner, went out and bought way too many books about prayer and dove in.  I was going to be "good" at this prayer thing.  I was going to figure it out.  As I started down this path, I started worrying more about doing it right than just talking with my Father.  I'm so grateful for the disciple who asked Jesus how should we pray.  Jesus answers with what we call the Lord's Prayer, or sometimes the Model Prayer.  We can learn so much from it, but what happens when you become so wrapped up in following that awesome model?  For me, two things happened,

1. My prayer life was still hit-and-miss at best.  If I couldn't do it "right", I wasn't doing it all.
and,
2. It became a facade.  I became more concerned with what words I was saying than with sharing my heart.

God wants your heart.  He doesn't care about you using the right words. Jesus warned about repetitious words.  They become empty and prideful.  Do not get me wrong here.  We should come to God with reverence and ideally that means coming to Him out of a place of praise.  We should be concerned about our attitude and mindset when coming to Him.  Our prayers should not be filled with selfishness of "I need this" and "I want that." I'm not downplaying His holiness.  He is holy.  We are not.

But stop worrying about doing it right and just talk to Him. The more you do, the more your attitude will align with His.  The more natural it will become.  I'm living proof.  Praying is becoming easier again.  Not because I have more time.  I don't.  Not because I've figured it out.  I haven't.  Because I'm talking to Him again, my Friend, my Redeemer.

Let's learn from David.  If you have no idea where to start, open up your Bible and read Psalms (they are right in the middle if you don't know where to find them). Cry out to your Father.  Lay bare before Him.  Give Him everything you have. He's big enough for all your words, no matter if they are out of confusion or anger or praise.  He wants all of you!  Remember, He calls you friend.

Talk to Him.