Like sparks from the fire
Hello dear friends, it’s good to be in this special, sacred space again! I’m Caila, an old college pal of Kari’s: partner in shenanigans, fellow blond, and another mom who loves to chat about the Sacred Mundane. You can visit my blog, CailaMade, to learn more about me and my adventures in sewing and other creative pursuits. I’ll be here at SM all week while Kari is traveling. We are going to have fun!
Now, where to start? I could tell about the time I first heard Kari mention the words, “Sacred Mundane” (I was a senior in college), or the time we got stuck on the East Cost after 9-11 and had to sleep on airport floors and share packs of underwear from Walmart because our luggage was locked in the plane. Or, I could tell about college women’s retreats where we would study the Bible but not shower for days on end. Kinda gross, eh? It was fun!
Years have passed since those college days and the troubles we faced when we were young and inexperienced. Those troubles seem so small in retrospect, but they were significant then. My shopping addiction (embarrassing, but true), Kari’s unrequited love for Jeff Patterson that turned out not to be so unrequited after all. Huge worries that kept us up all night, and kept us on our knees, as we begged God to make our paths straight and clear.
Now that I’m a mother of three, a wife, and a homemaker in our a small, blue bungalow in Southern California, I can’t help but look back at little college Caila and shake my head fondly. She didn’t understand what great troubles and great joys were coming her way. In a thousand answered prayers I’ve seen a thousand ways I need to grow in strength and perseverance to honor God with this life he has given me.
As my life grows and expands, I’ve noticed that joy and trouble seem to come hand in hand. More children = more joy = more trouble. Becoming new home owners = more joy = more trouble. Bringing home a new Golden Retriever puppy (her name is Athena) = more joy = more trouble.
Yeah, it’s true. With every new and good thing, comes more responsibility. It’s a heavy load to bear sometimes.
But that’s life, isn’t it? The good and the bad. The beauty and the trouble. It reminds me of this great moment from the Princess Bride between Westley (when he’s disguised as the Dread Pirate Roberts )and Buttercup:
Buttercup: You mock my pain!
Westley: Life IS pain, highness. Anyone who says differently is selling something.
It’s true. As much as I wish it wasn’t, trouble and pain are just part of the deal. Whenever I feel depressed because things are harder than I expected I remember this verse from the book of Job, chapter 5 verse 7:
“But man is born to trouble, as the sparks fly upward.”
As the sparks fly upward. In other words, trouble is to mankind like physics is to nature. It’s a law that life must follow. Trouble is as natural as joy.
Maybe wishing things were easier is part of the problem.
Perhaps, my daily struggles as a mom are compounded by expecting things to be so much easier. Maybe some things are just hard, and with time I will get strong enough to carry them more easily, but in the mean time there is nothing wrong with hard. Hard prepares you for what’s ahead. Hard means you’ll be stronger for the next load.
I’ve spent too much of my life waiting for easier. Easier ain’t coming. Easier doesn’t exist. She’s like that model on the cover of a magazine, airbrushed to perfection. She’s not the real deal. Easy has no place in my home, because “easy” doesn’t grow trust, or love, of faithful perseverance. Easy grows laziness, and believe me, there’s no room for lazy in my life.
So I guess what I’m trying to say, mommas, is this: Don’t be too discouraged when it’s hard. I know how it feels when the baby wakes up for the millionth time at night and you don’t think you can take another wakeful moment. You can. You are strong enough.
I know how it feels when your husband has to work another late night and he’s bringing home the paycheck but it feels like everything else is on you all the time. You can handle it. You are strong enough.
And do you know why you are enough? Not because you and I are perfect or extra-special. Not because we posses the secrets of the universe. No. We are strong enough because God, who is rich in mercy, has been making us strong enough since we were born.
You have been prepared for this. I have been prepared for this. And if it feels hard, that’s because it. is. hard. But it’s beautiful-hard. And beautiful-hard is better than everything that comes with easy, which is usually very little.
Be encouraged today. Keep pushing on, keep doing well, beautiful mommas. It will get better. And then maybe something else will come along to try your strength. In this life, always expect trouble with the joy. But remember that JOY will win in the end.
Bless you today!
You’re in for a treat! Special guest, Caila Murphy
Behind my every blog post, every conference & retreat, every book-venture, there kneels a group of sixteen beautiful women who faithfully pray. They are the behind-the-scenes warriors of faith who put up with my rambling emails, my “Help!” texts, my high highs and low lows. They are the Sacred Mundane prayer team and they are precious. If any content is coherent or any event is powerful it is because these faithful women have prayed. They are spread over several states, and some don’t even know each other, but they all pray.
Last summer I had a special treat: Introducing my team to Caila. She came up from California and blessed us with a weekend visit. Of course, everyone instantly loved her. She’s impossible NOT to love. She lights up a room, can make anyone laugh, and makes you feel instantly accepted in her presence.
I met Caila 16 years ago, her freshman year of college, as I stumbled through my sophomore year of college leading a Bible study. She was so quiet back then we didn’t really connect much. But when my co-leader graduated she urged me, “Seek out Caila. Keep meeting with her. God has His hand on her life in a special way.” So I did. We met up regularly and, despite my utter cluelessness at effective discipleship, she blossomed into an incredible woman of faith, strength, trust, joy. We traveled to Brazil together, led drama teams together, did ministry together. She’s taught me innumerable things, a constant example of faith, joy, humility, service, and excellence.
She also happens to be a brilliant writer.
So, at the moment I am almost 4,000 miles from home, and will be without internet access for 8 days. Ok, the truth is I could pay to have internet access but honestly … I think a week unplugged is just what this Mama needs.
So, it’s my greatest joy to introduce you to Caila: She will be our special guest all next week. She’ll be sharing her heart here in this space, and I know you will be blessed beyond words. In the meantime, you can get a peek at her life over at Cailamade.com.
I pray you all have a blessed week next week, and thank you so much for your faithful readership here. I apologize that the comments haven’t been working for months now, this poor site has been hacked so many times it’s barely limping along, with many malfunctioning parts. Another dear friend is revamping the entire site right now, so, Lord willing, we’ll have a fresh new space all redone for us very soon … with fully functioning comments!
Have a blessed week, and please make Caila welcome here. Happy weekend and thanks for reading!
Love,
Kari
New dream, new dream-come-true
We’ve all had Joseph’s dream, one way or another.
Right? That dream where all the haters bow?
Sorry for the slang. What I mean is, those other people, the ones who put you down, who didn’t believe you could, or who disliked you in one way or another–haven’t we all daydreamed at one time or another that those naysayers would bow to us in the end?
Maybe it’s only me. Sometimes, even our “godly” dreams are really just a crazy-strong underlying drive for some sort of validation. If xyz happens and our dream comes true, we’ll know deep down that we’re ok. And with pretend humility and secret inner self-satisfaction, we’ll watch those people bow, figuratively, to our success.
See!
I re-read through the story of Joseph (Gen.37) this week and saw Joseph’s dream in a whole new light. Now, before you block this blog and flag it for heresy, hear my out: I do think that Joseph’s dream was from the Lord. The dream does come true, in a strange and completely unexpected sense, but the original dream (which, interestingly, isn’t clearly given by God in the text) is really just, in essence, all the haters bowing.
Right? This is clear, verse 4: “They hated him.”
They hated him, Joseph no doubt knew it, and he conveniently dreams that they all bow down to him someday.
Hm. Suddenly Joseph’s dream doesn’t seem all that supernatural.
Again, hear my heart: I’m not saying Joseph’s dream wasn’t prophetic. It was, in a sense.
But it was also human.
All our dreams are.
All our dreams are a mess of mixed motives. Of God-dreams and self-dreams comingled. This is why, as Joseph learned the hard way, we are wise to keep them to ourselves. *smile*
Six years ago I had a dream. At the time, it seemed like a good and godly one. In some sense it was. And … it came true. But as I walked through the daily of this dream, it proved to be not as I expected.
I’m sure Joseph felt the same. As he walked the road of his dream he found himself sold as a slave, imprisoned, falsely convicted, forgotten.
But somewhere along the line, that incomplete dream gave way to something infinitely greater.
A new dream brought a new dream-come-true.
Four and a half years ago, God shattered that old, incomplete dream, the one I had, like Joseph’s, that was really nothing more than a lot of self-validation and included a few fun details like maybe a few haters bowing down.
Something like that.
He shattered that dream by shattering me. He did that to Joseph too.
And He gave me a new dream.
There’s no chapter and verse for this, but I’d dare to venture that God gave Joseph a new dream too.
No more was Joseph’s dream to simply have the haters bow. No more did he just long for validation and a sort of self-elevation that proved success.
As he suffered, served, grew, his dream shifted from seeing others bow to seeing others live.
He wound up giving his life for saving lives. His genius, his intellect, his energy, all of it became poured out to wisely stewarding Egypt’s resources to save the lives of many (Gen 45:5).
I think this became his new dream and his new dream-come-true.
The new dream that God birthed 4 1/2 years ago … just came true this week. And let me just say: It’s so much better than the first one!
What if, instead of dreaming of gaining we dream of giving?
Instead of seeing others bow, we dream to see others live.
{What are your dreams? Honestly? How are we tempted to “settle” for simple dreams like seeing ourselves validated or seeing the haters bow? How might God want to birth a new dream, and a new dream-come-true? Happy, happy weekend friends. Thank you for reading!}
The only way to not lose heart…
I clicked and there she was–her wide smile and beautiful four young children–and I couldn’t breathe. I wanted so desperately to close the computer. Close my eyes to this unthinkable suffering. I cannot read this, I kept thinking. I can’t even look into the face of her horror. She writes of peace and gratitude, but I can’t breathe as my own puppy-breath littles skip around me and I sit here warm and in good health, planning for an upcoming sunny vacation.
Oh God. WHAT ON EARTH? This is WRONG. Where is JUSTICE in this? HOW ON EARTH CAN YOU BE GOOD IN THIS??
I know I’m being irrational. People are suffering all over our planet, Mamas dying daily as their babes look on. Littles are left alone, orphaned, abandoned.
If we saw the suffering, as God sees, in its horrific entirety, it would destroy us.
We cannot fathom how great is the Fall.
Yesterday at church, we re-began our journey through the Bible, studying God’s sacred scriptures cover to cover. As we dove into Genesis and saw The Good World, as it was in the beginning, I get the feeling that we can imagine Paradise about as well as a little child raised in some impoverished 3rd world slum can imagine a Hawaiian vacation.
In other words, we can’t imagine how good it was and how horrific this is, how great was The Fall that we took, humankind, when we took that bite of independence.
But stories like Kara’s give us a fresh glimpse into this and I cannot fathom how the Father’s heart must hurt to watch it all. And yet. He does have a different perspective and we must take on that same perspective if we are to have any hope at all.
[bctt tweet=”The ONLY way to not lose heart is to look at the world through His Word.”]
“So we do not lose heart. Though our outer self is wasting away, our inner self is being renewed day by day. For this light momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison, as we look not to the things that are seen but to the things that are unseen. For the things that are seen are transient, but the things that are unseen are eternal.” 2 Cor. 4:16-18
I am coming more and more to believe that everything else boils down to this. A new way to see, over and over, again and again, constantly begging God for fresh grace to see as He sees. Why, God? So many things I don’t understand. I believe Jesus heals. Why haven’t You healed her? So many questions. But this does remain.
We are all wasting away.
And all our “light” (it doesn’t feel light!) “momentary” (it doesn’t feel momentary!) affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory. It’s working for us! Somehow. Somehow this, even this is working for Kara, for her husband, for her littles, for the world. I don’t understand it but I put back on His Word and look at this fallen, torn, bleeding world and see again what is unseen:
Hope.
This is the only way to not lose heart.
That nothing’s wasted. Nothing’s meaningless. Everything, everything, worked for the good of those who love Him.
This week, whether your light momentary affliction seems petty or severe, may this rule your mind and anchor you to hope. It is the only way to not lose heart.
{Pray for Kara. Her book, The Hardest Peace, shares her journey. Thanks for reading.}
A Worthy Resolution: Life poured out
For I am already being poured out as a drink offering …
—Paul the Apostle (2 Tim. 4:6)
Paul may be the MVP of Christianity. He was awesome. We aren’t all called to live lives of such severe suffering and service as missionaries, but we are clearly called to follow his example, his pattern of life (Phil 3:17). Most of the practical New Testament exhortation, on how to follow Christ and grow in godliness, is written by Paul.
And what characterized his life was this: Being poured out.
In Philippians 2:17 Paul says,
“Even if I am to be poured out as a drink offering upon the sacrificial offering of your faith, I am glad and rejoice with you all.”
Here Paul is referring to a sacrifice in a very real way—losing his life. But all of Paul’s life was a drink offering, in that he was constantly and continually poured out for the sake of others. At the very end of his life, he says it again:
“For I am already being poured out as a drink offering, and the time of my departure has come” (1 Tim. 4:6).
Paul’s life was one long process of God pouring in to him and pouring him out. And we are the glad recipients, yes? It’s safe to say that we have the heard the gospel because, nearly 2,000 years ago, Paul was faithful to pour out his life. Everything he did, he did for the sake of the gospel, for his fruit to be picked.
Personally, I believe what separates the red-hot, radical, powerful, effective believers from the lukewarm, weak, ineffective ones is just this: A ready willingness to be poured out. We often wonder why Christianity in closed countries so rapidly spreads, why believers in hostile nations are so powerful and effective, why miracles happen in desperate third-world nations but not as much here. Could it be that those who embrace Christ in a way that costs them everything are readily accepting that being poured out isn’t an optional part of the gospel?
Here in America, we often treat this pouring out as Christian Extra Credit. It’s not really part of the gospel, it’s just for those who want to be spiritual over-achievers. In fact, in some circles we seem to celebrate this form of mediocrity, somehow equating it with humility.
The same way that the exceptional student may be ridiculed by his peers in school, the person passionately pursuing a life poured out for the sake of others can often be left open to criticism. It’s Tall Poppy Syndrome in the spiritual life. Paul had scores of people around him who criticized his choices, accused him of self-seeking or preaching for profit, but Paul didn’t care. He pursued a life poured out regardless of the mediocre mud-slingers all around.
But let’s just be honest, most often our problem is not that we’re being criticized for wholeheartedly following Christ. Most often my problem is I’m embracing some self-focused form of supposed sanctification that in reality only leads to greater pride and self-satisfaction. If a course of growth doesn’t lead me to greater desperation, to greater dependence, to greater giving, greater sacrifice, greater humility … then, quite frankly, it isn’t greater.
C.S. Lewis said it like this:
Whenever we find that our religious life is making us feel that we are good—above all, that we are better than someone else—I think we may be sure that we are being acted on, not by God, but by the devil. The real test of being in the presence of God is that you either forget about yourself altogether or see yourself as a small, dirty object. (Mere Christianity, p.124)
But the book title See Yourself as a Small, Dirty Object by Friday just won’t sell many copies. Right? No one wants to really understand how utterly depraved they really are.
And yet.
Freedom is found in understanding we’re worse off than we ever imagined and more loved than we ever dared dream.
Big, life-changing revolutions begin with small, day-changing resolutions which begin with even smaller moment-changing decisions. May you choose this week, moment by moment, to pour out for the sake of others, for the glory of God. Thanks for reading.
2014 Booklist & 5 Favs
Happy New Year! One of the most powerful ways we shape our future and determine the direction we will go is by choosing who will pour into our lives. If each of our responsibilities and resolutions is a straw, drawing on us, each of the books we read (and sermons we listen to, etc. etc.) is one of the sources flowing into our lives, filling us up. Those who draw on our lives will either get garbage or goodness based on what we’re full of. If we pour in twaddle and TV, we won’t have a very nutritious or delicious milkshake for our families and others to draw from. But if we fill our lives with the truth of God’s Word, healthy relationships, Bible-based preaching and teaching, and quality books, we help ensure that what we’re giving out to others is only the good stuff!
Each year I enjoy composing my “nightstand” list for the following year, and for the past few years, you’ve been helping me! Thank you for your recommendations from last year. Here are the good books (i.e. I’d recommend them) I read in 2014. I’ve put * by my favorite 5.
- Quest For More by Paul David Tripp. Fabulous books about letting go of our small Kingdom (which often masquerades as His Kingdom) in exchange for something bigger–the Kingdom of God. Excellent, challenging read.
- Sarah’s Key by Tatiana de Rosnay. Historical Fiction about a little girl in France during 1942 roundup of Jews in Paris and journey into the infamous Auschwitz concentration camp.
- *No Compromise by Melody Green. GAH! This book is so good I can’t even talk about it.Challenging to the core. Must read.
- Quiet by Susan Cain. Wow! Fascinating look at introversion/extraversion and how our culture has elevated the “Extroversion Ideal” equating it with success and health, even in the church! A fabulous, freeing read. Caveat: The book has 3 parts. I recommend the 1st and 3rd parts.
- Making All Things New: An invitation to the spiritual life by Henri Nouwen. Quick read with classic Nouwen depth.
- 84 Charing Cross by Helen Hanff. Oh I love Helen! Literary lovers: read this. Quirky and clever, charming. So fun. If you love literature, curl up with this and a cup of tea and be delighted.
- *Surprised by Oxford by Carolyn Weber. Oh this book! I wish I could buy a copy for every person I know. A captivating and honest look at a non-believer’s journey to Oxford and the authentic Christian community she encountered there. Please, read this!
- Loving Our Kids On Purpose by Danny Silk. A quick, great parenting read. Silk basically takes Parenting with Love and Logic and teaches this method from a Christian perspective, explaining how God our Father parents us. This was very helpful not only in our parenting this year, but in how we “parent” adults who are in recovery from addiction or dangerous behaviors. Very helpful.
- Restless by Jennie Allen. Fun, quick read about taking all the “threads” of your life (passions, gifts, suffering, experiences, places) and going through a process of watching God weave together these threads into something beautiful. We went through it as a women’s Bible study this summer and it was helpful to share our “threads” with each other, and speaking into each other’s lives. A good small-group book.
- Undaunted by Christine Caine. Well, Christine Caine is just as legit as they come. Wow. I so enjoy her and to say her life challenges me is about the understatement of the year. This book is a one-sitting kind of thing. Read it for a powerful kick in the pants, GO FOLLOW JESUS PEOPLE! Caine is worth following.
- Birthing The Miraculous by Heidi Baker. And if Christine Caine doesn’t kick you in the pants enough, Heidi Baker will! Oh my. This book is just nuts. A lot of it is outside my realm of experience, and I don’t know exactly what I think about it all, but it’s just insanely challenging all the same. Reading this book dared me to dream again, to believe God for whatever He wants to do.
- Sacrament of the Present Moment by Jean-Pierre de Caussade. Written almost 300 years ago, this book wins the Oldest Book of the Year award. Wow. Perhaps because of my passion for the Sacred Mundane, this book is one of my all-time favorite reads. But it might not be your cup of tea. My hope is that Sacred Mundane takes these age-old truths and presents them in a way that’s accessible and appealing.
- *Women of the Word by Jen Wilkin. Yay for Jen Wilkin! She has written a short, concise, clear text about how to study God’s Word. Fabulous overview of how to study Scripture.
- The Keys to Healing by Etty Blaney. I’ll tell you straight-up: I don’t understand miraculous healing. But this book certainly builds one’s faith and shows that yes, God does heal today. Helpful and biblical.
- The Christian Homemaker’s Handbook edited by Pat Ennis. I have to confess: This book was recommended to me by a woman I respect and admire, but when I got it I was like, “Really? A book on homemaking? What, is it going to tell me how to iron?” I was skeptical. And I kind of didn’t want to read it in public, “Oh I’m just reading some really meaty theological truth on … how to be a housewife.” ANYWAY, I was wrong (as usual). It’s a great book, and very challenging concerning the ways contemporary views of domestic life has caused us to overlook a sacred and holy calling.
- Stepping Heavenward by Elizabeth Prentiss. I’m not sure how I’ve lived almost 35 years without hearing about this book! Apparently everyone knows about it. It’s fabulous. Written as a (shockingly honest) journal of a young girl struggling to follow Christ, it hits on pretty much every inward issue a women could face. It starts slow–stick with it!
- Look Me In The Eyes by John Elder Robison. I’ve debated whether to include this, but here it is. I’d just say I don’t recommend buying it, but if you have a child with Asperger’s, it is a helpful read, so maybe check it from the library. The beginning and end are good, but the middle is pretty dark. I could have gone without it. But the beginning chapters especially really helped me understand my son more.
- *Simplicity Parenting by Kim John Payne. You’ve already heard me sing this book’s praises for long enough. I’ve written about it a dozen times. Just buy it and read it. Today.
- The Spark by Kristine Barnett. I’ve written about this too, but this is a fascinating read for any parent, not just those with kids on the spectrum. It starts slow also, but push through the first few chapters and you’ll be quickly enthralled.
- Platform by Michael Hyatt. More confessions–I had this book for 2.5 years before opening it. I don’t like the idea of building a “platform” for ministry, when ministering is serving. However, this book IS great at learning how to make content more accessible to people, and I learned a lot. I do recommend it to any of you writers or creatives who are seeking to better serve a wider audience.
- *Voice of Jesus by Gordon Smith. THIS is the hidden pearl of the year. Oh this book! I cannot believe it only has 5 review on Amazon because it is absolutely phenomenal. That said, it’s written by a theologian, so it’s not a quick read. I’ve actually been working on it for several months now. I read 2-3 pages almost every day and just chew on it. It is SO good. I keep it next to my Bible and read it during my quiet time. Wholeheartedly recommend!
- The Homeschool Experiment by Charity Hawkins. I’ve already written about this here–a fun, quick comic-relief read for any mom of littles. Snag it on your kindle and curl up for a treat!
*I also re-read two of my all-time favs: The Pursuit of God (free on kindle!) and Disciplines of a Beautiful Woman.
There you have it! What a fabulous year of reads! I am so grateful for authors who have labored over these pages, making them accessible to us. Again, my top 5 favs are: No Compromise, Surprised by Oxford, Women of the Word, Simplicity Parenting, and The Voice of Jesus.
{And thank YOU for faithfully reading here. May 2015 be a rich reading year for us all.}
PS Would you please share YOUR favorite reads from this year? (Comment here) I need to make my 2015 Nightstand list. Thank you!
2014 Booklist & 5 Favs
Happy New Year! One of the most powerful ways we shape our future and determine the direction we will go is by choosing who will pour into our lives. If each of our responsibilities and resolutions is a straw, drawing on us, each of the books we read (and sermons we listen to, etc. etc.) is one of the sources flowing into our lives, filling us up. Those who draw on our lives will either get garbage or goodness based on what we’re full of. If we pour in twaddle and TV, we won’t have a very nutritious or delicious milkshake for our families and others to draw from. But if we fill our lives with the truth of God’s Word, healthy relationships, Bible-based preaching and teaching, and quality books, we help ensure that what we’re giving out to others is only the good stuff!
Each year I enjoy composing my “nightstand” list for the following year, and for the past few years, you’ve been helping me! Thank you for your recommendations from last year. Here are the good books (i.e. I’d recommend them) I read in 2014. I’ve put * by my favorite 5.
- Quest For More by Paul David Tripp. Fabulous books about letting go of our small Kingdom (which often masquerades as His Kingdom) in exchange for something bigger–the Kingdom of God. Excellent, challenging read.
- Sarah’s Key by Tatiana de Rosnay. Historical Fiction about a little girl in France during 1942 roundup of Jews in Paris and journey into the infamous Auschwitz concentration camp.
- *No Compromise by Melody Green. GAH! This book is so good I can’t even talk about it.Challenging to the core. Must read.
- Quiet by Susan Cain. Wow! Fascinating look at introversion/extraversion and how our culture has elevated the “Extroversion Ideal” equating it with success and health, even in the church! A fabulous, freeing read. Caveat: The book has 3 parts. I recommend the 1st and 3rd parts.
- Making All Things New: An invitation to the spiritual life by Henri Nouwen. Quick read with classic Nouwen depth.
- 84 Charing Cross by Helen Hanff. Oh I love Helen! Literary lovers: read this. Quirky and clever, charming. So fun. If you love literature, curl up with this and a cup of tea and be delighted.
- *Surprised by Oxford by Carolyn Weber. Oh this book! I wish I could buy a copy for every person I know. A captivating and honest look at a non-believer’s journey to Oxford and the authentic Christian community she encountered there. Please, read this!
- Loving Our Kids On Purpose by Danny Silk. A quick, great parenting read. Silk basically takes Parenting with Love and Logic and teaches this method from a Christian perspective, explaining how God our Father parents us. This was very helpful not only in our parenting this year, but in how we “parent” adults who are in recovery from addiction or dangerous behaviors. Very helpful.
- Restless by Jennie Allen. Fun, quick read about taking all the “threads” of your life (passions, gifts, suffering, experiences, places) and going through a process of watching God weave together these threads into something beautiful. We went through it as a women’s Bible study this summer and it was helpful to share our “threads” with each other, and speaking into each other’s lives. A good small-group book.
- Undaunted by Christine Caine. Well, Christine Caine is just as legit as they come. Wow. I so enjoy her and to say her life challenges me is about the understatement of the year. This book is a one-sitting kind of thing. Read it for a powerful kick in the pants, GO FOLLOW JESUS PEOPLE! Caine is worth following.
- Birthing The Miraculous by Heidi Baker. And if Christine Caine doesn’t kick you in the pants enough, Heidi Baker will! Oh my. This book is just nuts. A lot of it is outside my realm of experience, and I don’t know exactly what I think about it all, but it’s just insanely challenging all the same. Reading this book dared me to dream again, to believe God for whatever He wants to do.
- Sacrament of the Present Moment by Jean-Pierre de Caussade. Written almost 300 years ago, this book wins the Oldest Book of the Year award. Wow. Perhaps because of my passion for the Sacred Mundane, this book is one of my all-time favorite reads. But it might not be your cup of tea. My hope is that Sacred Mundane takes these age-old truths and presents them in a way that’s accessible and appealing.
- *Women of the Word by Jen Wilkin. Yay for Jen Wilkin! She has written a short, concise, clear text about how to study God’s Word. Fabulous overview of how to study Scripture.
- The Keys to Healing by Etty Blaney. I’ll tell you straight-up: I don’t understand miraculous healing. But this book certainly builds one’s faith and shows that yes, God does heal today. Helpful and biblical.
- The Christian Homemaker’s Handbook edited by Pat Ennis. I have to confess: This book was recommended to me by a woman I respect and admire, but when I got it I was like, “Really? A book on homemaking? What, is it going to tell me how to iron?” I was skeptical. And I kind of didn’t want to read it in public, “Oh I’m just reading some really meaty theological truth on … how to be a housewife.” ANYWAY, I was wrong (as usual). It’s a great book, and very challenging concerning the ways contemporary views of domestic life has caused us to overlook a sacred and holy calling.
- Stepping Heavenward by Elizabeth Prentiss. I’m not sure how I’ve lived almost 35 years without hearing about this book! Apparently everyone knows about it. It’s fabulous. Written as a (shockingly honest) journal of a young girl struggling to follow Christ, it hits on pretty much every inward issue a women could face. It starts slow–stick with it!
- Look Me In The Eyes by John Elder Robison. I’ve debated whether to include this, but here it is. I’d just say I don’t recommend buying it, but if you have a child with Asperger’s, it is a helpful read, so maybe check it from the library. The beginning and end are good, but the middle is pretty dark. I could have gone without it. But the beginning chapters especially really helped me understand my son more.
- *Simplicity Parenting by Kim John Payne. You’ve already heard me sing this book’s praises for long enough. I’ve written about it a dozen times. Just buy it and read it. Today.
- The Spark by Kristine Barnett. I’ve written about this too, but this is a fascinating read for any parent, not just those with kids on the spectrum. It starts slow also, but push through the first few chapters and you’ll be quickly enthralled.
- Platform by Michael Hyatt. More confessions–I had this book for 2.5 years before opening it. I don’t like the idea of building a “platform” for ministry, when ministering is serving. However, this book IS great at learning how to make content more accessible to people, and I learned a lot. I do recommend it to any of you writers or creatives who are seeking to better serve a wider audience.
- *Voice of Jesus by Gordon Smith. THIS is the hidden pearl of the year. Oh this book! I cannot believe it only has 5 review on Amazon because it is absolutely phenomenal. That said, it’s written by a theologian, so it’s not a quick read. I’ve actually been working on it for several months now. I read 2-3 pages almost every day and just chew on it. It is SO good. I keep it next to my Bible and read it during my quiet time. Wholeheartedly recommend!
- The Homeschool Experiment by Charity Hawkins. I’ve already written about this here–a fun, quick comic-relief read for any mom of littles. Snag it on your kindle and curl up for a treat!
*I also re-read two of my all-time favs: The Pursuit of God (free on kindle!) and Disciplines of a Beautiful Woman.
There you have it! What a fabulous year of reads! I am so grateful for authors who have labored over these pages, making them accessible to us. Again, my top 5 favs are: No Compromise, Surprised by Oxford, Women of the Word, Simplicity Parenting, and The Voice of Jesus.
{And thank YOU for faithfully reading here. May 2015 be a rich reading year for us all.}
PS Would you please share YOUR favorite reads from this year? (Comment here) I need to make my 2015 Nightstand list. Thank you!
A 4-question quiz for determining this year's direction
Scratching 2015 across the top of the page was about all I could muster. Goals? Resolutions? I’m so done. Anyone else?
This is the first year I haven’t had a burst of fresh self-improvement energy around Dec 31st. Why?
It’s all my church’s fault. (smile)
All year long we’ve been looking at the EPIC story of God, seeing the gospel woven throughout all of scripture and seeing that in every story and in every situation, Jesus is the hero.
So yeah. I don’t need to be a hero anymore.
This is also the year I quit the measuring madness. Of course some measuring is still inevitable in life. But this endless quantifying can just kill the joy right out of life. Enough with it! They say goals are only goals if they are measurable, and next thing you know we are measuring everything and forgetting to live. And wouldn’t you know it, when I eased up on the measuring, there was so much more space for joy to flow right in.
Lastly, I began seeing that everything I put down on that list of goals and commitments was essentially a “straw” stuck into my life. How many straws can one milkshake really handle?
So then, do you see my reluctance to make hasty resolutions? Sure, I want to pray more, read aloud to my kids more, go on more dates with my man, and maybe even clean the back porch. (Well, and write a book that helps women worldwide see the sacred in the mundane and find true transformation and life-change from the inside out. I suppose there’s that little item too!)
Anyway … in perhaps my favorite read from 2014, The Voice of Jesus, Gordon Smith presents a 4-Question process of determining where you most need to grow and how to take personal responsibility for your part of the growth. Here are the 4 questions. Instead of stabbing in the dark for direction, these questions helped me determine where I need to focus for 2015 in order to successfully partner with God, growing in wholeness and spiritual maturity. Here they are:
1. What do you tend to complain about? What tends to be on your lips when you are frustrated, particularly when you are let down by or disappointed by others?
2. What fundamental commitment lies behind the point of frustration? Your complaint usually reflects a fundamental commitment. It speaks of what you value and highlights your priorities. It tells you something about you.
3. Is there anything that you are doing or not doing that undermines your capacity to fulfill this fundamental commitment? In an honest review of your own behavior, we usually know about what we do, or the things we fail to do, that are inconsistent with our values, priorities, and commitments. In other words, rather than complaining about others, what is it that we are doing or failing to do that undermines our commitments? We move forward by taking personal responsibility for our own behavior. When we do, what do we see?
4. What lies behind this pattern of behavior? This is the most difficult question. As you look at that pattern of behavior, as what this behavior means. Here are are honestly identifying our own inner contradictions, where we do not live consistently with our confessed values. Why? Usually this is because of fears that lie behind our behavior.
This is a simple exercise, but it is helpful for sifting through the endless possibilities for self-improvement and goal-setting, in order to get to the essence of where we really need to change.
In short, what is it that I do or don’t do that most hinders my health, spiritually, emotionally, mentally, physically? And, what fear or false assumption lies behind that behavior. When we deal with the root we can effectively take steps of obedience to overcome that fear.
These small obedience steps of faith are what bring change.
And no matter how ambivalent I may feel toward resolutions, I never want to stop growing, stop changing, stop letting God conform me into His image.
Let’s let Him show us how.
{May 2015 be a year of unprecedented growth and transformation, spiritually, mentally, emotionally, and physically. Thank you for letting Sacred Mundane be part of that journey this year. Until next year, thanks for reading.}
You made it! {Post-holiday comic relief}
You made it through!
My friend Janae and I always say December 26th is the best day of the year. This is no knock on Christmas, I love the holy anticipation, like a whole month of holding our breath, it’s just that the post-Christmas exhale is always my favorite part. Ahhhhh.
I love lounging in jammies with nowhere to go, sipping coffee while kids play happily with new toys and books. I love eating leftovers. I love this lull between the glorious Christmas frenzy and the inevitable big breath we must take to begin planning and preparing for the new year.
This lull isn’t long but I love it just the same.
So I thought for today it’d be fun to offer you some comic relief before we begin looking ahead to the new year: The Homeschool Experiment.
I mentioned before how much I enjoyed this book. Here’s why: the precious mama who wrote this book did so using a pseudonym so that she could safely divulge the truth. It’s brilliant! As you read it you think, “Oh my gosh is she really admitting this?” And she is! Why? Because you don’t know who she is! Haha. I love it.
I read it in one sitting, driving home from California. If you have any time to yourself this weekend, I wholeheartedly recommend snagging the kindle version and curling up for a good encouraging laugh. Even if you don’t homeschool, if you have smallish children I guarantee you will relate to her words. I recently recommended this book to a friend and, after starting it, she wrote back to me:
“I feel as if she is spying on me and has written this book about me!”
And, the awesome Mama-author has offered to give a FREE COPY of the book to one of you today. Isn’t she great? Just leave a comment on the FACEBOOK PAGE here (we’re having issues with my site, as you may have noticed, because of multiple hacks, so the comments haven’t been working for a few weeks. Anyway, I’m practicing my “whatever” mentality! :)) and we’ll pick a winner at the end of the weekend! (8pm PST Sunday 12/28) Or, just snag a kindle version and enjoy it over the weekend.
I hope you are encouraged and enjoy this blessed post-holiday weekend. Thanks for reading!
*You can chat with the author and find out more on her FB page here.
Rough Draft Christmas {On writing and living}
Hell hath no fury like a woman with writer’s block. Or so my husband says.
He has a right to say it, as he has endured my endless rants as I attempt to draft book chapters in the midst of life. Creativity is such a beast, yes? So untamable and infuriatingly elusive, yet intoxicating and life-giving once the muse mercifully makes her visit and you find words pouring out onto the page.
This process of writing, it can be absolute madness, especially when it “matters.” When the stakes are high, a contract is on the table, a deadline is looming, expectations soar and we find ourselves desperately hunting down that elusive creativity with such intensity we’re crazed. The more desperate we are for inspiration, the less likely we are to find it. The muse is shy.
There is, however, a gentle way to coax her out of hiding. It is a simple: {Read the rest over at Faith & Culture… Thank you! Merry Christmas!}