Wow!  It's been a while since I posted on here!!  Going to work on getting back to it!
We have married off another daughter and gained a grandbaby since I was last here!  We also have another one on the way(grandbaby that is)!  And...another wedding coming up in December!!  Life has been crazy wonderful!

Also, this past January, I started a new adventure!  After years of being anti-direct marketing, I jumped into a side business that has completely changed my mindset!  I found a company that not only has amazing products, a CRAZY good comp plan, but also a foundation of gratitude that sets it apart from others.  And I have done my research!

The company is Monat.  It is a hair care company that specializes in restoring the scalp and the hair by removing build up, waxes and silicones penetrating through all three layers of the hair shaft.  And they go to great lengths to have only natural, botanically based, essential oil infused ingredients with no added fragrances.  The result is amazing smelling shampoos, conditioners, masques, and styling products that are actually healing for your hair and scalp.  The Rejuvenique oil is the foundational product that is in almost every one of the products. 

Over the next few weeks I will be introducing you to these products and showing how we have everything you need to have amazing hair--specifically formulated for your hair type!  One of the things I love most about these products is that it has given so many people their confidence back!  Whether from thinning and balding all the way to Alopecia and after-chemo regrowth.

As an introduction to these products I am giving away a travel set/cosmetic bag gift set!  The set includes:
Smoothing Shampoo
Smoothing Deep Conditioner
Blow Out Heat Protectant Cream
Rejuvenique Oil
And of course the cute bag!

To enter:
Go follow @SunnyStrands on Instagram, like the post talking about the giveaway and tag at least one person.

I will be picking a winner on Monday night 9/17 at 9:00 PM EST

Can't wait to tell you more about these products that have changed the quality of my thick, dry and brittle hair to soft, healthy and manageable!

Spinning plates, Taco Tuesday and Titus 2? Yeah...well...

Go on Pinterest or Facebook these days and you are bound to be bombarded with cooking tips, health advice, and videos of some new yummy concoction!  Google healthy eating and soon you will know everything you need to know about paleo, vegan, ketogenic, and the like!  There is a great health craze going on...and that is a good thing!  Unlike the past, the trendy thing now seems to be eating healthier and cleaner, rather than restricting your food or only eating one thing! (Remember the cabbage soup diet?) Now we are more concerned about what is going on our plate and, therefore, in our bodies.  And that has to be making us healthier.  Physically.

But it really got me thinking the other day.  We think so much about food.  Pretty much my day is planned around my meals and what I am going to feed my family.  Anyone else live for Taco Tuesday?!?

But how much time, thought and planning do we give to what is going on our daily activity plate?  Or our mental plate?

I actually follow an eating plan that has helped me so much.  Not only with weight loss, but overall better health and relief from inflammation due to rheumatoid arthritis.  Much of the emphasis is cutting out the things that are not whole and natural (you know like "you shouldn't eat it if you can't even pronounce it").  But there is also an emphasis on the time frame of eating.  It takes about 2 1/2-3 hours for your body to digest and metabolize what you have eaten.  They suggest waiting that long between meals or snacks IF you are going to change fuel type.  If your meal is heavier on carbs, wait the 3 hours before you eat a meal or snack that is high in fat.  And they suggest breakfast, snack, lunch, snack, dinner, and maybe even another snack!  Small meals, with a rest period in between.

When looking at our "plate" of life, do you have just one?  Few of us ever do!  Goodness!  I spin a few: wife, mom, homemaker, pastor's wife, bible study leader, homeschool teacher, worship leader!  Not to mention sometimes nurse, college application filler-outer, blogger, question-answerer, discipler, taxi, bill payer..." You get the idea!  And I am sure you are in the same boat!  And I rarely rest between going from one plate to the next.  It actually is like spinning so many plates at once! But we would never sit at a table with 5, 6, or 10 plates at a time eating off of them all in succession.  Right?  I know I need to stop and re-evaluate often.  I need to do that now.

We all need to ask ourselves:  Is our activity plate healthy?  Are we putting things on, or spinning plates that God never intended us to?  Do we have our hands in too many plates at once? Do we load down the plates He has specifically given us with things that are not supposed to be on them?

Like....additives that have names we can't even pronounce?

When we do that, inevitably some plate is going to come crashing down!  Which one will it be?  Our relationship with God?  Our marriage? Will our relationship with our kids grow cold?  We have to ask first: What HAS God called us to?

Well, as women, He actually has called us to some very specific things!  You know I'm heading to Titus 2, right?  Don't blah, blah, blah me here.  Let's take a fresh look at it regarding what really should be on our plates.  And don't get defensive...snacks are perfectly acceptable!

"Older women likewise are to be reverent in behavior, not slanderers or slaves to too much wine. They are to teach what is good and so train the young women to love their husbands and children, to be self controlled, pure, working at home, kind and submissive to their own husbands, that the Word of God may not be reviled." Titus 2:3-5

Of course, all of the scripture is a tool for men and women to learn how to love, obey and glorify God, but sometimes a specific word is given specifically to women, men, children, etc.  Titus 2 is a great place to start in figuring out what some of the basic things are that should be on our plate in order to have a well-rounded appetite for the things of God in His design for womanhood.

This is a blog, not a bible study(and of course we could go much, much deeper)....but I pray as we list a few of the things here, it will cause us to take a second look at our plates.  That we will put as much, actually more, emphasis on our spiritual plates as we do our meal plates.  That we will begin to prioritize by seeking first the kingdom of God and His righteousness.

Older women are to teach younger women, and so all Christian women are called to these plates: 

• Reverent in behavior (not foolish, not a gossip or a slanderer, but filled with the Spirit rather than too much wine).
• Know what is good so they can teach it!  Devotion life, prayer life, bible study are key to be a qualified teacher of what is good!
• Training other women!  Discipleship!  Investing in the lives of other women in church, in your or their home, serving other women.  Exhibiting genuine Christ-likeness so you can say, "Follow me as I follow Christ" (1 Cor. 11:1)
• Love your husband.  Fulfill the role of wife that is designed by God. (What a great study that would be...hint, hint).  On down in the verse it also says, "kind and submissive to their own husbands."  Oh what wisdom and joy there is in doing just those two things!
• Love your children.  Care for them, nurture them, teach them as you sit in the house and as you walk by the way.  That is true love.
• Be self-controlled and pure.  Walking in the Spirit day by day, resisting the temptations of the flesh
• Work at home.   Hold on now...don't get crazy on me!  No one says you can't have a job outside the home and I know some of you are single and are the only provider. I get that.  The mandate here is to make your home a haven, a peaceful refuge for your husband and children.
• That the Word of God would not be reviled.  That's the big plate, the main course and the dessert all rolled up in to one. Our purpose on this earth is to glorify God and enjoy Him forever.  All of our plates should be pointing to that one purpose: to glorify God!  How we will then enjoy Him!  That was Jesus' main goal as well:  "My meat is to do the will of the one who sent me." John 4:34  And the Psalmist echos our heart cry, "How sweet are your words to my taste, yes sweeter than the honey to my mouth." Psalm 119:103.  Not only that, but Job who had much trial reminds us of this truth: "I have not departed from the command of His lips; I have treasured the words of His mouth more than my necessary food." Job 23:12

Are you feeling over-burdened, burned out, stretched too thin?  Sweet sister, take a look at the plates you are spinning!  And be reminded that what HE calls you to, HE equips you for!  The plates He designed for you are healing, nourishing, and energizing!  

Are some of the plates you are spinning keeping you from what He has called you to?  

May be time to put a few plates back on the shelf for now.  

Once we are grounded in His calling for us, we can add some things on: some will be out of necessity, and some, after much prayer, an added blessing! A snack!  Let's just be careful not to replace the necessary nutritional things, for the over-processed and false fillers.

Tune my heart to sing Thy grace

I have been meditating on this line in the song Come Thou Fount...(which I LOVE).
Usually I am drawn to the phrase "prone to wander, Lord I feel it". You too?

But this week, after sitting with a friend, rejoicing over the trials He has been bringing her through, this line has caught my attention.

I remember years ago when we had someone come and tune our piano.  He was a wonderful older gentleman who immediately saw the opportunity to engage my sweet homeschooling kids.   He asked me if I would like him to give the kids a lesson and count it as a homeschool "field trip" while he showed them the ins and outs of the piano and the method of tuning.  It was so interesting and the kids were immediately intrigued.  He spent time explaining how the piano works, some history about the instrument, and the specific method of large tuning and fine tuning.  He was obviously very skilled and uniquely qualified as a master of the workings of a piano.  That method of tuning really stood out to me as God began showing me the relation between the time and commitment it takes to tune a piano just right to get the most beautiful sound, and how He works in our lives to mold and make us into the image of Christ.  Sometimes large tuning...and a lot of fine tuning!

He is always tuning us.  I know how easily it is for me to get out of tune.  The author of the hymn Come Thou Fount evidently had the same sentiment.  He knew He needed the Master, the One who made these instruments for His glory, to constantly tune his heart so the melodies of God's grace would come forth in praise.  Rightly.  In tune.

So I started asking myself a few things:

How do we get out of tune?
How did we become an instrument in the first place?
Why do we need to be constantly tuned?
What does it take to tune us?
How does it benefit us?

Do you ever feel out of tune?  Does your praise seem dry and off key?  Are you praising at all?  Oh don't you want to be tuned by the Master?  Don't you want to be used for His glory?

I'm going to be doing a summer series on this topic regarding being tuned by the Master.  Won't you join me?  We will be looking at 1 Peter, Psalm 51, Psalm 84 and many other scriptures in the journey of being instruments of His grace!  I hope you will join me!

"Streams of mercy, never ceasing, call for songs of loudest praise!"

Book Review: The Gentle Art of Discipling Women

From the back cover:

"Does Jesus' call to 'Go and make disciples' seem a little intimidating?  You're not alone!  Let seasoned discipler Dana Yeakley mentor you on this incredible journey of discipleship.  Dana knows that discipling women can be overwhelming- but she's seen how our amazing God works and knows the He has uniquely designed you to disciple other women."
I was excited to review this book on the topic of discipleship as it is something very close to my heart...not only as a pastor's wife, but as a woman of God desiring to obey what God has commanded me to do.

Most Christians have a tender heart toward missions and the gospel, but often we forget the foundational call in both of those areas: discipleship!  In Matthew 28, where Jesus gave the disciples (and us) the great commission, it was to go and make disciples!

19 Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.

When God does that miraculous work of drawing us to Himself through the Holy Spirit by the redemptive work of Jesus Christ, we become His disciples...His followers.  We dig into the Word, we learn all we can about God and His character, we are sanctified by the Holy Spirit, and He shows us how to become conformed to the image of Christ!  And as we grow in the Word, prayerfully, there will be those more mature in the faith, to lead us by example of how to walk as exiles upon this earth. How to be in the world and not of the world.  Those who will say, with Paul, "Imitate me as I imitate Christ." (1 Cor. 11:1)


Sadly, there is a lack of discipleship in many of our churches.  Discipleship, meaning, being one who authentically follows Christ and is building, investing into someone else's life.

There are various ways for discipleship, but all should center around the Word of God. And it should be more than just a bible study, but an apprenticeship or teacher/student relationship.  A one on one intimate relationship formed around the Word. We have a beautiful model of this as we see that Jesus taught many, had 12 disciples, and was very close to three.  Who better to learn this from than from Christ Himself! It was a model of multiplication and reproduction...and one we see carried out in the early church.

In this book, Dana Yeakley, lays out as a guide, how to begin discipling for those who are unsure where to start.  But, she also explains the why's and the how's.  The first half of the book is about being His disciple yourself...an important step in determining if it is your season to disciple or be discipled.  The second half is how to make disciples.  Each chapter allows you to go deeper with study questions and though-provoking questions.  The book is flexible for those who really want to dig in and study the topic and also for those who need a quick refresher and reminder of the call.

I appreciate the author's emphasis on the importance of the Word, prayer, while also reminding us that discipleship is also an act of walking alongside each other for real life application.

I would recommend this book to anyone who is looking to be a disciple, or one who is looking to obey the call to disciple other women.  My recommendation, though, would come with the advice to study the Word and be in prayer primarily, and use this book as only an addition to that.  God's Word to us is the greatest manual for learning how to "go and make disciples."

*I was give a free copy of this book by Tyndale for an honest review

                                                     

Who, what, when, where, why and how!

30-Day Revive our Hearts Reading Challenge
Day 2: Hey, That’s Mine! 

“For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart.” —Hebrews 4:12 ESV

It’s fun to check emails—to see if friends have written us or if a special message has arrived— but imagine if someone else read your messages all the time and then just passed along parts of them to you. After a while, you’d likely say, “Hey! I want to read those messages myself, thank you!”

 It’s the same with Scripture reading. Perhaps you’ve heard lots of sermons or read books about the Bible. That’s great, but it’s not the same as reading the Bible yourself. It is God’s love letter to you; it’s meant to be personal.

When you read a letter, you notice who wrote it, but also what they said, when they wrote it, perhaps where they were when they wrote, and even why they wrote. Follow that same observation technique as you read the Bible. Ask the questions, “Who, what, when, where, why, and how?” Look for the people involved. Look for the subject, event, or action. Try to determine when and where the verses were written. Determine why God wanted you to hear this message.

 Finally, ask questions for application, like: “How does this apply to my life?” “How can I change my thinking or behavior so it lines up with biblical truth?” “How does God want me to respond?” Ask the Holy Spirit to be your teacher and give you insight and wisdom. In this way, you’re not just getting into the Word; the Word is getting into you! The Word of God is alive and powerful (Heb. 4:12), and God will use it to transform your life.

Keep on reading; keep on listening; keep on growing!

Action Step: As you read the Bible today, ask yourself application questions like the ones above.


© Used with permission. http://www.ReviveOurHearts.com Info@ReviveOurHearts.com

Resolved 2016

I'm a little late on the New Year Resolutions thing...and this isn't a blog about keeping or not keeping them!
But the number one question I get from ladies of all ages has something to do with what bible study plan I use or if I can recommend a good plan for reading through the Bible.

I'm not big on New Year's Resolutions either, but the beginning of a new year does seem a good time to a spiritual check-up.  Here is a great start for that:https://soundcloud.com/revive-our-hearts/a-spiritual-checkup?utm_content=buffer6a506&utm_medium=social&utm_source=facebook.com&utm_campaign=buffer

Usually, during those times of seeking God to show us areas we have slacked on, a big one is our time in the Word.  As His children, we know the importance of spending time with Him.  And He is faithful to lovingly draw us back through the conviction of the Holy Spirit when our world has gotten caught up in misplaced priorities.

I wanted to provide you all with a list of great resources for Bible reading this year.  This list has something for everyone.  And even if you are already a seasoned woman of the Word, we all need encouragement to dig in and grow and not to get complacent.

I also will be following Revive Our Hearts 30- Day Bible Reading Challenge.  You can join me here on the blog or on my Facebook page Living Out God's Design.
With this challenge, you will use whatever Bible Reading system you have in place or are looking to implement.  The challenge will encourage you each day to dig deeper in the Word with some practical applications regarding your reading for the day.

I pray this is the year we all grow more and more in love with God and His letter to us.  That we will know and understand better who He is and consequently, then, grow "in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To him be the glory both now and to the day of eternity. Amen." 2 Peter 3:18

You can go here for the best resource of bible reading plans I have found: Bible Reading Plans

And here is Day 1 of the Revive Our Hearts Bible Reading Challenge:

Day 1: What You’ll Find Between the Covers

We’re so glad you have taken the challenge to read the Bible daily for the next thirty days. It’s going to be a true challenge, because it won’t always be easy. But as with most worthwhile choices in life, you won’t regret it. God will use Scripture to help you know Him better and to discover His wonderful plan for all mankind—His plan for YOU! As you get into His Word, you’ll begin to see how all of it fits together, with the wonderful story of God’s redemption woven through each and every book.

As you read, verse by verse and chapter by chapter, you’ll begin to sense God speaking to your heart. He may give you some marching instructions for your day or awaken you to a truth you’ve never seen before or show you an area of your heart or mind that He wants to transform so He can make you more like Jesus.

So let’s get started.

“Every word of God proves true; he is a shield to those who take refuge in him.” —Proverbs 30:5 ESV

We hope you’re enjoying your time reading the Scriptures. No matter where you read, you’ll find that God’s Word is an extremely practical, relevant, and timeless book.

Use what you learn from Bible characters’ examples—good and bad—to challenge your own walk with God. Life’s struggles aren’t meant to discourage us, but to help us grow as we apply the truth of His Word. Some of the stories in the Bible will be familiar to you, but ask God to help you read with fresh eyes. You may see something you’ve never considered before! Let Scripture reading become your daily delight . . . the joy and song of your heart.

If you’ve chosen to read through the Bible from beginning to end, you’ll discover that the first books are foundational. Genesis is the book of first things. It teaches us about the origin of our world as well as the early history of God’s people. Many of the things you see in our world today—especially the ugly consequences of sin and the struggles between nations of people— are a result of what happened in that early history.

History, poetry, romance, prophecy, wisdom literature . . . there’s so much to discover between the covers of God’s book, and it is all “profitable” for us (2 Tim. 3:16). It’s our prayer that your biggest discovery will be that God and His plan for the world is much bigger than you can imagine.

 30-Day Bible Reading Challenge © Used with permission. http://www.ReviveOurHearts.com Info@ReviveOurHearts.com Keep up your reading, with joy! Action Step: Today as you read, look for something you never knew before or for something that speaks to a personal need.

Movie Review: War Room

"From the award-winning creators of Fireproof and Courageouscomes WAR ROOM, a compelling drama with humor and heart that explores the power that prayer can have on marriages, parenting, careers, friendships, and every other area of our lives.

Tony and Elizabeth Jordan have it all—great jobs, a beautiful daughter, and their dream house. But appearances can be deceiving. Tony and Elizabeth Jordan’s world is actually crumbling under the strain of a failing marriage. While Tony basks in his professional success and flirts with temptation, Elizabeth resigns herself to increasing bitterness. But their lives take an unexpected turn when Elizabeth meets her newest client, Miss Clara, and is challenged to establish a “war room” and a battle plan of prayer for her family. As Elizabeth tries to fight for her family, Tony’s hidden struggles come to light. Tony must decide if he will make amends to his family and prove Miss Clara’s wisdom that victories don’t come by accident.

Opening nationwide in theaters August 28 and filled with more of the authentic characters loved by millions in previous Kendrick Brothers’ films, WAR ROOM is a vivid reminder that prayer is a powerful weapon."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

A refreshing and thought provoking film centered around the power of prayer. You won't be disappointed in this new film by the Kendrick brothers and you will walk away with a desire to clean out a room or closet for the specific use of prayer!  

I was thankful that the movie did not delve in to any of the new trends of mysticism in prayer, but held to the biblical truths of crying out to God in repentance and trusting Him and His sovereign rule in all things.  

I was also thankful for the mighty example of a Titus 2 woman in mentoring and seeking the Lord as to how she could invest and make a difference in the lives of other women through the power of prayer.  

I would advise parents to watch the movie alone to discern whether or not it is appropriate for children.  There are some thematic elements that may not be suitable for the younger ones in your family.

In Theaters on August 28th, 2015

*I was invited and given two tickets to a pre-screening of War Room by Affirm Films

Book Review: Nobody's Cuter Than You

"There is nothing as precious in life as a friend who knows you and loves you in spite of yourself. Yet over the last couple of decades, we’ve substituted the joy of real friendship with cheap imitations. We settle for “community” on Facebook and Twitter and a series of text messages that allow us to communicate with someone without the commitment. We like each other’s beautifully filtered photos on Instagram and delude ourselves into believing we have a community. But real friendship requires effort. It’s showing up, laughing loud, and crying hard. It’s forgiving and loving and giving the benefit of the doubt. It’s making a casserole, doing a carpool pickup, and making sure she knows those cute shoes are 50 percent off. Written in the same comedic style as the New York Times bestsellers Sparkly Green Earrings and The Antelope in the Living Room, Nobody’s Cuter than You is a laugh-out-loud look at the special bond that exists between friends and a poignant celebration of all the extraordinary people God had the good sense to bring into our lives at exactly the right moments. From the friendships we develop over a lifetime to the ones that wounded us and the ones that taught us to love better, Melanie Shankle reveals the influence our friends have on who we were, who we are, and who we will become. And on a day when our jeans feel too tight, our chins have decided to embrace hormone-related acne reminiscent of our teen years, and our kids have tested the limits of our sanity, they are the ones who will look at us and say, “Nobody’s cuter than you!”

I loved every second of reading this book!  Sometimes you just need a feel good book for the beach, car trip, or a rainy day!  This is definitely that book.  I was surprised and thrilled to find out that the author had two bestselling books prior to this one:  Sparkly Green Earrings and The Antelope in the Living Room.   I will be ordering both of these books!

To be honest, I prefer to use my precious spare time reading biographies of great Christian men and women, or books that will enhance my main reading of the Scripture.  But, for some reason, when offered the opportunity to review a book called Nobody's Cuter Than You I was powerless to refuse. I love stories of friendship and have even spoken a time or two on the subject at ladies conferences. What a wonderful surprise that, though this book is not intended to be theological in nature, it is a beautiful picture of exactly how God has ordained that we look at friendship.  Sacrifice, unconditional love, and preferring others over ourselves oozes out of the sweet and poignant stories that flow through this book.  And there is a beautiful undertone of the gospel threaded through the pages.

I was, at all times while reading this book, either smiling, laughing or pushing back the tears.  When I got to the last page, I closed the book quickly in denial knowing that as soon as I read that last paragraph it would be over.  I can't wait to read the other two titles and I look forward to passing these books on to my girls and my girlfriends.

Need some light but deep-hearted reading for the beach this summer?  Get in line for this book! (I say that because, last time I looked, it was already out of stock!).  If you live near me I might let you borrow my copy! :)

*I was provided a free copy of this book by Tyndale Publishing in exchange for an honest review

Book Review: From Good to Grace-Letting Go of the Goodness Gospel

I was so excited to be part of the launch team for Christine Hoover's new book From Good to Grace!
At the time when I committed to be a part and all that that entailed, I had no idea all that God was doing and working in me-in His perfect sovereignty-to prepare my heart to receive the message in this book.

The launch of the book was to be on March 3, my birthday.  I had plenty of time to read the book, send out a few tweets with the launch hashtag, prepare for the guest post by Christine, and have my review of the book written and posted on my website by launch date.  According to my timeline...not His.

Without boring you on the particulars, let's just say my life got overloaded in a big way!  Activities, family matters, sickness (oh stomach bug...why?), hospitals, funerals, women's conference, fundraisers, graduation planning meetings...and that all on top of my duties at home of homeschooling, homemaking, being a help meet and my serving at our church as Pastor's wife, worship leader and teaching a women's bible study class.  Are you tired just from reading that?

This really is not my norm.  Yes, my life is filled...but in a good way with all God has intended for me.  But, providentially, all this ^ happened while I was reading from Good to Grace.

I love grace.  God's grace is a treasure, a balm, a comfort and a promise I cling to.  I know it, I embrace it, and I bask in it.  I know that salvation is all of God.  I know that I had absolutely nothing but unrighteousness to offer to God...and I know that out of His great love He sent His Son...the only One who could keep the covenant of the law and grace simultaneously when He died upon the cross for my sin and was resurrected to the praise and the glory of God!  I know salvation, justification, sanctification and glorification is all of Him!  And I am so thankful!

So, I was excited to read this new book for, what I thought, would be an aid to help me in conveying that true gospel in obedience to Matthew 28.  I know there are many inside and outside the church that are trying to get to God and secure salvation through works and by their own merit.  I know that there is sadly some false teaching in our churches today that promotes a 'to-do" list and rules that must be kept to gain heaven.  And this book is full of the truth of the real gospel.  The gospel of Truth and of grace.

What I didn't expect was to be called out early on in the first few chapters, admonished by Truth, that though I have trusted in Christ alone for my salvation, I am guilty of, at times, living out my day to day through a goodness gospel!  As if Christ was enough to save me, but now the rest is up to me?  I actually "know" that not to be the case.  I "know" that I can only do all things through Christ (Phil. 4:13) and it is by His strength and power we are able to walk in a manner worthy of our calling (Col 1:9-10).  So why do I sometimes slip back in to a works-based day to day walk?  Why do I feel guilty if I don't "do" something someone wants me to do?  Or fulfill a role that is not filled?  Or volunteer for EVERYTHING?  Because I sometimes slip back in to the goodness gospel by believing that I am my performance.

In her book, Christine Hoover reminds us that, "In Christ, I am not my performance."  She writes,

“The gospel ransoms me from my prison of performance. In Christ, I am not my performance. This is perhaps the first and most important freedom I’ve received in Christ. Grace frees me from a focus on self and all the sins and burdens that come along with it: selfishness, insecurity, pride, trying to prove myself worthy, seeking love and approval, fear of not being enough. Like a giant wave, the gospel rises above this petty focus on self, crushing every facet of our selfishness and self-centeredness. We no longer need to seek our own honor and worth because we are loved by Love himself…This is the explosive power of the gospel: it frees us from ourselves and enables us to live for God and for the sake of others.” (p. 117-118).

The whole book points constantly and consistently to the sufficiency of Christ.  I love that.  There is nothing in this book that points to Christine, and she over and over again points to Him and all that He has done in her life with a transparency and a tenderness that could only have come from Him.

I could just literally quote the whole book here as I had to put down my highlighter as I found I was highlighting entire pages! You just need to get this book and read it.  Savor it.  I thank God that He allowed me to go through a time of intense busyness where I felt completely weak and insufficient to carry out all He had for me right in the midst of reading this book.  I am thankful that He gave me eyes, ears and a heart to see, hear and feel the message He had for me in this book with my bible open alongside.  I pray you will read it that way as well and let Him wash over you anew with His grace that is intended for every part and every day of your life.  My prayer is that you, and I, and Christine will all preach the gospel of Christ to ourselves EVERY DAY in EVERY CIRCUMSTANCE in EVERY DUTY that we accomplish for Him and for His glory!

Get your copy here: From Good to Grace: Letting Go of the Goodness Gospel
        

Guest post by Christine Hoover

I am so excited to be reviewing the book From Good to Grace: Letting Go of the Goodness Gospel by Christine Hoover!  My review of the book is coming soon.  In the meantime, enjoy this guest post by Christine.  You will love her heart for Truth, her transparency, and boldness in speaking the Truth in love.  Book review spoiler alert:  you are going to LOVE this book that is rooted deep in the gospel of Christ and the grace of God!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Good, Bye

Christine Hoover (@christinehoover) is an author, a recovering perfectionist, the wife of a pastor, and a mom of three boys. She writes online at www.GraceCoversMe.com and has contributed to Desiring God, The Gospel Coalition, Christianity Today, Send Network, and iBelieve. Her newest book, From Good to Grace: Letting Go of the Goodness Gospel, offers women biblical freedom from trying to “be good enough”. The following is an excerpt from the first chapter of the book. You can read the entire chapter here.

I’ve been obsessed with being good and performing all of my life.

Hello, my name is Christine. I’m a goodness addict.

I was born with a list in my hand, or at least that’s how early I imagine it started. I came by it honestly—my mom’s response to everything my sister and I needed as children, whether shampoo from the store or help with a school project, was always, “Make a list!”

So I did. I made list after list—of library books for summer reading, of boys that I liked, of songs to record from the radio on my tape recorder, of necessities to pack for overnight camp, of must-haves in my future husband, even of outfits for the first month of eighth grade so as not to repeat and make a fashion faux pas of infinite proportion.

I don’t just make lists. I am that person, the one who adds a task to a list just to experience the satisfaction of crossing it off, the one who makes lists for my lists.

I’m a perfectionist.

There was a time when I would have said that with pride, but not anymore. Perfectionism has not been a friend to me. Sure, my house is organized and my budget spreadsheet is up-to-date, but when perfectionism is applied to the spiritual needs of the heart, it’s called legalism. And legalism is a fancy word for an obsession with goodness. It’s a belief that good things come from God to those who are good. And it’s a belief that you can actually be good enough to get to God on your own.

I became a Christian at age eight. From that point, or more accurately from the point in middle school when I started having “quiet times” according to my youth minister’s instructions, until my late twenties, I spent the majority of my Christian life striving—striving for perfection, for God’s favor, for the approval of others, and for the joy and freedom that the Bible spoke of yet completely eluded me.

At an early age, I fell for perfectionism’s lie that I could be good enough to win God’s heart and the approval of others. I sought joy, peace, and love through being good and, instead, found myself miserably enslaved to my own unattainable standards.

This was my understanding of what it meant to be a Christian: If I do good things, then God is pleased. If I do things wrong, then he is angry. This is actually the basis of every religion on earth except Christianity, this idea of a scale where the good must outweigh the bad in order to be right with God. I had religion down pat, but the religion I practiced wasn’t true and biblical Christianity. On the outside I appeared to be a good Christian, but on the inside I felt unlovable and was riddled with guilt about my inability to please God.

Unfortunately for me, a large part of a goodness obsession is an addiction to self. Goodness is evaluated by activity, completed tasks, responses from others, and results. It requires a focus on appearance and image and maintaining some semblance of religious behavior. Goodness required that I control my environment with military precision, hide my weaknesses, and compare myself with others or my own arbitrary standards. Goodness fed both my pride and my self-condemnation and kept me relationally isolated.

The other part of a goodness addiction, I discovered in my twenties, is a faulty understanding of who God is and what he expects from His children. I only saw God through perfectionism’s filter. He was gray. He had no patience for my mistakes, forever glaring at me with a scowl on His face. He sighed a lot. If I was extra-good, He might manage to crack a smile. He was one-dimensional, disengaged, unaffectionate, and I absolutely feared him.

I knew nothing about grace.

I knew nothing about forgiveness.

I knew nothing about the true gospel, because a goodness addiction completely overtakes the heart and mind, leaving no room for truth. It enslaves and cannibalizes itself. It becomes an all-encompassing religion, closing tightly around one’s soul. It led me down paths of depression and despair.

And it became my gospel.

I lived according to that gospel–what I now call the goodness gospel–for far too long, precisely because I didn’t know the true gospel’s reach. I believed that faith was effective for salvation but only self-effort could produce my sanctification. Now I know differently. God has taken me on a ten-year exploration of grace and sanctification and faith, and I am not the girl I once was. I live in the freedom that Christ was won for me.

Now that I know differently, I also have eyes to see the goodness gospel covertly worming its way into hearts of believers, and I see its destructive effects.

In the Christian culture, there seems to be great confusion and even pressure that we women feel about what we should be doing and why we should be doing it. The confusion touches decisions about education, family, eating and drinking, work, hobbies, community involvement, and even whether one should volunteer when the sign-up sheet is passed around again at church.

The pressure grows when choices are wrapped in spiritual or more-spiritual terms. We see it everywhere: Do something great! Follow your dreams! Make a difference for the kingdom! Be missional and in community! For the gospel-confused, that too often translates into: I’m not doing enough, what I’m doing isn’t making a difference, and I’ve got to create my own and my neighbor’s own and my children’s own and everyone’s own life transformation.

From Good to Grace: Letting Go of the Goodness Gospel is a book for women like I was, who long to please God but fear they never will. It's for the woman drowning in self-condemnation, the woman afraid to be vulnerable with others because she's so fully aware of her imperfections, and the woman who craves but can't seem to grasp the freedom and joy that Jesus promised His followers.

Instead of asking "What does God want from us?", From Good to Grace asks, "What does God want for us?" The book illustrates how we confuse being good and trying hard--the goodness gospel--with the true gospel, which is really about receiving the grace and love that Jesus offers us and responding with our lives by the Holy Spirit's help. It’s my prayer that through it you discover it's possible to know God's love, live in peace and freedom, and serve others with great joy. Because God has something so much greater for you than trying to be good enough.

Purchase your copy today on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Christianbook.com, or iTunes and discover the gospel’s reach in your own life.

Wisdom and Reader's Digest

I really enjoy Reader's Digest.  I always have and a friend of mine gets me a subscription for it every year for Christmas!  I also love bubble baths!  Bubble baths and Reader's Digest go together like peanut butter and jelly, donuts and coffee, salt and pepper and Batman and Robin.  I mean it is the perfect size book to read in the bathtub.  Easy to handle, it folds in half for one hand holding, and it doesn't matter if you accidentally drop it and it gets wet!  It also is much more relaxing a read, with short little encouraging stories and some fun and clean humor sections, than my usual theological bible study selections.

I was recently having one of these rare evenings where Jeff was home and was guarding the bathroom door armed and ready to tackle all the questions and interruptions that seem to always surface the minute I close the bathroom door!  By the time the water had filled up the tub, he had already fended off the "where is mom?!?" questions, thwarted an attempt to sneak out of kitchen duty, and circumvented a possible "we can get away with it-Dad's reading the news" coo.  I listened for the sounds of bickering or the house falling down...but it was quiet!  My hero had secured the gate and was standing guard!  Ahhhh...nice hot bath and the Reader's Digest!

I don't usually read the Reader's Digest from front cover to back.  I usually head right for Life in these United States or quotable quotes.  It takes a little time to decompress from the day before I am ready to dig in to such heady stuff as "The Dog Who Became the Dog Whisperer" or "8 Clever Shortcuts to Peel & Slice".  For some reason, this night, I started at the front.  Quickly thumbed past the Geico ad and the contents page and landed on the Editor's Note.  I don't usually read that either.
But, the headline was "Wisdom Begins in Wonder" -Socrates.  Thanks to some of that usual reading of theological books and my treasured Bible, that statement immediately made me go

huh?

The editor began to list things that had filled her with wonder lately.  I have to give her a little credit...some of them do fill me with wonder too:  Sunsets, people who can make people laugh and the red color a Japanese Maple turns in October(not that I have ever seen one, but still...), chocolate with nuts, and how that in the very same day she can ache with grief, mist with gratitude, and giggle at the sun.  But just like so many things written today, the enemy has infiltrated in unknowing (sometimes knowing) people these kinds of humanistic thoughts that are 90% untruth with just a little splash of Truth.  This article reminded me how important it is to know what God's Word says, hide it in our hearts and minds, so we are ready to give an answer and deflect and defeat the lies of the enemy!  For example, where the Bible says wisdom begins is the fear of the Lord (Proverbs 9:10). Oh, but it sounds so good, Socrates, to say "Wisdom Begins in Wonder!"  So much more palatable for our feeble little hearts and minds.  The prince of this world wants to take glory from God, and in this instance, make men believe that they can be wise in their own eyes.  No one is truly wise, whether they are full of wonder or not, until God has regenerated them and they are walking in the wisdom of God.  And in the fear of God, which is the awe and reverence of being reconciled to God as His children!

So, the editor recommended that the readers make their own list of things that fill them with wonder. Here are a few of mine:

*That God created everything in 6 days

*That that creation is beautiful, in color, and unfathomable in design

*That He made man in His own image and desired fellowship with us

*Grace...

*The way He chose to keep His covenant with us

*That Christ-fully God, came to earth-fully man.  Kept the whole law, never sinned,

   was tempted in every way we are, experienced our hurts, joys, and sorrows.

*How He fulfilled the covenant of works and grace with His death, burial, and resurrection

*How we are clothed in Christ's righteousness when all our righteousness was as filthy rags

*How He hasn't left us alone because of His Holy Spirit working in and through us

*That He has chosen us for good works

*That He has chosen us. Period.

*How we were created to bring Him glory and to enjoy Him now and forevermore

Just to name a few!  I bet you can add a lot more to this list!  Leave your thoughts in the comments!

Sorry Mrs. Editor and Socrates.  You both got that one wrong.

"The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom, and the knowledge of the Holy One is insight." Prov. 9:10

"And he said to the human race, "The fear of the Lord--that is wisdom, and to shun evil is understanding." Job. 28:28

"The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom; all who follow his precepts have good understanding. To him belongs eternal praise." Psalm 111:10

"The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge, but fools despise wisdom and instruction." Prov. 1:7

We interrupt this blog for a wedding!!

I will be taking a break from the blog to focus my time and energy on being with and helping my sweet daughter, Schaeffer, plan the wedding where she will marry the love of her life!

Here's the video if you missed it!!




Thanks for all your love, prayers and well wishes!  Be back in November/December with pictures, updates and more of all that God is teaching me as I, through His power and strength, live out His design!

Shelley

Book Review: Songs of a Suffering King

Ever have those days when things are so tough that your overwhelming urge is that you must get alone and get into God's Word?  I need His Word daily...hourly...moment by moment.  But some days, in the midst of chaos, confusion, trial or testing, my heart cries out, "go to the Word!"  I would say 99% of the time that happens I head straight to the Psalms.  The Psalms have always brought me so much comfort and seem to mirror so many of my heartaches, joys or sorrows.  They are so...real. So, it was eye-opening for me to read, in the new book Songs of A Suffering King, that

"Sadly, the Psalms no longer have a place of prominence in the worship of the broader church or even with many Reformed churches. Perhaps part of the reason of this dearth of the Psalms is the church's unfamiliarity with this wonderful, divinely inspired hymnbook."  

That statement really surprised and saddened me.  I am thankful that from a young age I was taught to cherish the Psalms and that our church regularly reads and sings the Psalms as a congregation.  I am also grateful for this book written by J.V. Fesko.  It didn't take me long to become engulfed in this easy to read devotional type book that just leads you through Psalm 1-8, while pointing out the beauty of seeing the centrality of Christ throughout.

The author's desire to show the importance of the Psalms and the beauty of the context within them shines through as he exhorts the reader to not cease to plumb the depths of truth and comfort
laid out in them for us.

It's no wonder to me, that during some of my most trying times, the Spirit graciously leads me to read the Psalms.  With Christ at the center of this inspired Word, we are called to find our strength and comfort through the One who can relate to all trials.  The One who became flesh for us and was tempted as we are (Hebrews 4:15) and who understands our joys and our sorrows.  The One who showed us the way from suffering to glory!  What better comfort is there?

Songs of a Suffering King is a great place to start if you are getting acquainted with the Psalms or a great supplement if you are a regular student of the "grand Christ hymn".  The book not only highlights the first eight books, but also includes a metrical version of each Psalm and short devotional questions for further study.  

"Christians know they need instruction not only to pray but also to sing.  By tracing the narrative of Christ in the opening eight Psalms of the Psalter, this book helps me pray while I sing and sing while I pray.  I've learned not only to hear Christ in each Psalm, but I also begin to sing under the aegis of Christ, the chief musician."  Gerald M. Bilkes

Songs of a Suffering King was provided to me by Reformation Heritage Books and Cross Focused Reviews in exchange for an honest review.

Book Review and Giveaway!

I have to admit, I was a little skeptical when I got the offer to review this book.  I like Duck Dynasty, but I've never been a huge fan and it's not something I would willingly watch without coercion! But, I know lots of people that love them and I do appreciate their values and willingness to take a stand in a world where there are way too many who won't.  And it's a children's book.  Seeing that I have so many children :)  I thought it would be great to review it and see how it went over with mine.  And since I do know what the Robertsons stand for, I knew that it would be one book I wouldn't have to scour first before I let my kids read it if I couldn't get to it right away.

So, a little background to set the stage of our encounter with Willie's Redneck Time Machine.

We home school and we use the curriculum called Robinson Curriculum.  We love it and one of the things we love the most is the great literature for the reading requirements.  Most of the days the kids do their two hours of reading on their own, but we enjoy reading aloud together as well, so at least one day a week we have a book we are reading together as a family. When this book came in the mail, I decided it might be a fun diversion from our more scholarly reading.  Fun diversion? This book is a hoot!  My skepticism is long gone and we simply can't put the book down!  Written by John Luke Robertson, son of Willie Robinson, this book leads you through a series of stories and scenarios that keep you guessing what could possibly come next.  Well, here-the back cover describes it the best:

 In Willie's Redneck Time Machine, you are Willie Robertson, CEO of Duck Commander. When you find a mysterious outhouse in the Duck Commander warehouse, you discover there’s more to it than meets the eye. Soon you’re traveling through time and space, following John Luke to a nineties prom, getting lost in biblical times, and fighting a futuristic war in the year 2319. You and the other Robertsons have crazy adventures, but you need to get back to West Monroe for Korie’s birthday party. Will you make the right choices to get home on time?
In the Be Your Own Duck Commander series, you get to choose what happens next!

My kids were immediately drawn in after the first couple pages when I then read, "Do you step inside the outhouse to check it out yourself? Turn to Page 29.  Or do you stay outside and wait to see who's playing a trick on you?  Turn to Page 63."  I barely got the words out before my kids were all screaming their choice for how they wanted the story to go!  We actually had to take a vote to decide. I loved how involved it got them.  Not only for their listening skills, but also because the story has some great historical stuff in it that led to questions from the little ones and a display of knowledge about the subject from the older ones.  Not all of it is historical as you do end up at prom and a place called Walmazon...but it is all good fun!  And, of course, our favorite twists in the story are always when Si shows up somehow with some crazy non-sensical scheme or story.

In one story, you have the option to turn to a page in Jase and the Deadliest Hunt.  The boys were real excited about that one, so I turned to the page to find it wasn't what I thought it was.  Jase and the Deadliest Hunt is actually another book in the series!  How fun that one book has you finish out the story by turning to a page in another book.  In fact, there are four books in the series:

Willie's Redneck Time Machine

Phil and the Ghost of Camp CH-YO-CA

Si in Space

and Jase and the Deadliest Hunt

I have not read any of the other books, but if they are anything like Willie's Redneck Time Machine then they are sure to prove to be great fun.  We have had a great time reading it and I've even caught my kids looking for it for after school recreational reading!

I'm excited to announce that Tyndale sent me an extra book to give away to one of my readers!  This would be a great gift for Christmas or just fun to have for a read aloud for your family!  If you would like to enter to win, follow the instructions below!
*Tyndale provided a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review

a Rafflecopter giveaway