My bestie just sent me a super fun insta reel of someone describing what it means to give off “horse girl” vibes. There were several girls attempting to jump several jumps as a horse would in an arena and the conversation is layered over the video. At the end, the one thing that truly defines a horse girl is being unapologetically themselves. I instantly replied that I definitely aspire to be a horse girl when I grow up!
Toddler me and the beginning of a life long love!
The truth is I’ve been around horses all of my life and I’ve been around girls who love horses equally as much as I do and girls who love them even more than I do. I think we all unapologetically admit to our love of horses even when it seems crazy or financially irresponsible, but one thing I know about all of us from the most experienced and successful to the hobby horse lover, is that we are all susceptible to the lies Satan is so good at tempting us to believe, especially about ourselves. Even the most unapologetically themselves horse girl has doubts, fears, and sometimes anxiety that her horse can sometimes be the cause of and sometimes temporarily relieve!
Smokey gets so excited to see me he sits right down for a visit sometimes! These are the best conversations!
This is something I’ve been thinking a lot about lately. I’ve declared on more than one occasion that horses are the most stressful stress relievers on the planet, any horse related endeavor can often be a logistical nightmare! My relationship with my equine has taught me so much and caused me to reflect on myself and situations with new eyes. ( I say equine because if I left my mule, Smokey, out of my musings he’d be offended and surely retaliate in an inconvenient but not dangerous way, he can be petty sometimes!)
Mountain views scream the magnificence of God our Creator
When I go out to feed, check on, ride, or just smell my equine they could care less what I look like, or how I’m dressed. They spell love T-I-M-E and also maybe F-E-E-D (insert laughy face) but seriously, they don’t care what I look like, or smell like as long as I show up. It should go without saying that my relationship with God is the same way, He doesn’t care what I look like, how I smell, make up or no make up, messy bun or ball cap.
Lena poses for selfies and always goes with the flow!
When I climb through that fence and I spend time with my arms around one of my equine, listening to their snorting as they eat grass, their tails swishing and breathing in their smell, or I simply just sit in the pasture and be near them, watching them and observing their behavior I find myself relaxing, breathing more deeply, and experiencing a moment of peace. This is the same way I feel every time I am intentional to seek God, to spend time in His Word and allow His Word to correct with it’s truths the lies I’ve been deceived into believing, but unlike the pasture, long after I’ve gone on with the rest of my day, His word is hidden in my heart and His presence dwelling within me continues to guide and direct me.
Mo and Cricket are not nearly as impressed with Wesley’s antics
It is very often as I stand draped across or around one of the horses or riding at sunrise on a cool mountain morning that my soul sings in gratitude of the goodness of God. I specifically remember one morning ride in the mountains in Colorado while the sun began to rise and pierce through the last yellow leaves of the aspens to bathe the forest floor. As we quietly rode through the unbelievable beauty of God’s creation, tears streamed down my face and my soul seemed to hum a song in awe of God’s magnificence. Talking to the Lord while breathing in the aroma of horse (why is this not a candle) is a common occurrence for me. There’s something about the view from the saddle, or even the pasture that always shifts my gaze and my thoughts to the Lord.
Colorado morning mountain rides
Horse girls may have some defining characteristics, like hay in their hair, poop on their boots, being able to tack out by themselves and maybe seeming a little obsessed with our equine sometimes, but for me, God has used my love of horses(and mules) to show me things about His love for me and how much more peaceful and rooted I stand when I’m intentional about seeking Him, observing Him, and spending time in His Word and His presence.
Pedernales Falls, TX with Lena, Cricket and Skeeter and the kiddos
This Mother’s Day felt different than those that have come before. For the second year in a row I did not have all 3 kids together with me but while I missed my oldest terribly, it didn’t hurt as bad as it did the year before. As I reflected on my life and all of the things that have changed drastically over the last two years, one of the things that hasn’t changed is being mom.
I heard a lady once say that she understood the highest calling on her life was being a mother to the children the Lord blessed her with to raise and that she would not stoop to be the Queen of England if it got in the way of her fulfilling that calling. At that time, it was a soothing balm to my soul. I had heard another very successful, brilliant business woman call stay at home moms, especially ones with a degree, parasitic leaches on their husbands. I was just about to graduate from college with my undergraduate but had no plans on immediately entering the workforce as my husband and I had decided I would home school our kids. I took that lady’s comment hard. That was in 2010 and I can still hear her like it was yesterday, so the other woman’s God centered encouragement was a seed of truth planted in the soil of my faith at exactly the right time.
This is not to say that I have not struggled with needing or wanting to do other things that I was capable of doing while schooling and loving my kiddos. I started a business, volunteered on our Chamber Board and helped to serve our community, and had the blessing and honor of serving first as a volunteer and later on staff at our church directing youth. I went to graduate school and collected certificates for many other trainings. So many things, so many hats. Each of those seasons has changed as God has moved in our lives and challenged us to walk more deeply into new places and seasons with Him. I struggled heavily at first as many of the posts on this blog will affirm, I felt I had become untethered from so many of the things in my life that seemed to make me who I was rather than just things I did.
If you’re reading this and you’re a mom, chances are you are shaking your head because this is something you already knew, but sometimes I can be really slow on the uptake. While reflecting this Mother’s Day I realized that so many things about my life change and will continue to change as I follow the Lord, but one thing that will never change, because it is not a season, is being mom! It’s ok that “being mom” is part of my identity, I love being a mother! I have found an incredible blessing in this season of not having a ton of other hats to wear and getting to just be mom. I’ve discovered new things about my “kids” 20, 18 and 16 (not technically kids but ya know), I’ve discovered new recipes we love as we’ve had time to experiment in the kitchen together. We’ve learned to dance together, traveled more together, laughed more, cried more, and loved more together! We’ve learned to be more intentional with one another. Those nightly phone calls around dinner time that usually start with, “Hey Mama Bear, how do I cook (random favorite food), or what’s the recipe for…..” are music to my ears and make my heart swell with joy. I cherish our calls and time together better, especially that very intentional Mother’s Day one for just me! Even though we don’t live together anymore, I’m still mom, (or Mama Bear as the oldest calls me) and as the other two get older and eventually “fly the coop,” I’m going to be an absolute mess, but I’m still going to be mom! I still get to love them and speak words of encouragement and truth to them. I will always get to be Mom. aka Mama Bear, Ma, MUH- THER, Maaaahhhhhhhhm, MMMMAAAAHH, Mama Ray and random other variations from our bonus kids I’m privileged to get to love on beside their parents too!
At this point the world knows I have a 60 pound escape artist of a tortoise! He’s escaped at our home in Texas and he’s escaped at our home in Virginia. The first time he escaped it was completely my fault, I left the gates open! Future escapes have been because he’s strong, or major rain events have caused deterioration to his pen, or something on his pen broke or wore out like this last time. Sometimes it takes us a bit to figure out what we need to fix. As a result he’s now outfitted with a tracker!
There’s always tears and heartache when I lose Franklin. This time was no different. He was gone for 6 days and I cried every one of them. I searched every single day even in the rain knowing the weather was too cool in the evenings for him to go too far or move too much. He was ultimately found less than a half mile from the house by the sweetest girls who were just as elated at having found him an reunited him with us as we were that they found him and he was safe and sound.
I realized while taking steps to ensure we don’t have to go through this heartache again that there was something far more beautiful that has happened each time Frankie has been found.
In our community in Texas and in our community here in Virginia when the trumpet blast was sounded via social media, word of mouth, and text or phone calls, the community sprung into action to help us. When people you don’t know, have never met, and maybe never will, take the time to not only share your post, but to physically go out and walk the neighborhood, to message or comment words of encouragement and let you know they’re praying it ads dimension to the relief of finding Frankie. This is the beauty of community! God created us in His image which includes living in relationship and community together with Him but also with each other.
Finding Frankie in Texas and Virginia has come with its beauty and relief but seeing communities come together to support us in both of those places has been so much more beautiful. Honestly, we were longing for the same type of connection to our new community here in Virginia that we have in Texas. Finding Frankie helped us to see the beauty of this precious community and see with new eyes the joy of connecting to others in it.
I can only imagine what life was like in the early church in Acts chapter 2 as they daily met together and broke bread in their homes and shared their meals and “God added daily to their numbers those who were being saved!” Acts 2:47
Community, connection, unity is important, Paul writes about having the same mind in Philippians 2 loving one another and being united in spirit intent on one purpose. Specifically, he even noted to consider others interests as important as your own.
Our community considered my interests in Finding Frankie. They demonstrated love to us and we are so grateful to be a part of them, but also to see God’s word more clearly as we think about living in community and being united in one spirit intent on furthering the gospel.
This may mean sacrificing my time, my wants, my preferences so that someone else will come to know Jesus as Savior and King. As I reflect on how our community responded in love to help us find Frankie, I also reflect on God’s word and purpose for our lives and the tenacity with which he leaves the 99 to find the one lost (Matt 18 and Luke 15) and hope that we demonstrate that same zeal for sharing the gospel with the lost!
Have you ever walked around in the dark behind someone who had a flashlight but you didn’t? I remember this one time, in Texas of course, we were hog hunting. I can’t remember if Shaun and I were dating or had just gotten married but we were hog hunting with dogs with Shaun’s dad. I was new to hog hunting and had not run in and caught my first hog at that point. At that time I was the one who ran in after the dogs had caught and the guys had reached the hog and needed someone to pull the catch dogs off and secure them. Anyway, the bay dogs bayed in a pine thicket and we were fairly close, Shaun and his dad took off running with the catch dogs pausing to let them go as soon as they were close enough. You could hear the rally of hogs when they ran in. You could also hear the moment the catch dogs caught. I was not as brave, courageous, crazy at that time and didn’t run in as fast as the guys but I was headed that way. I was jogging in the pitch black of night without a flash light or a head light on my cap while hogs of various sizes were running out right past me and away! I remember being terrified but knowing I had to show up and do my part on our team. Depending on the size of the hog or if they had two separate hogs rather than one, they could use my help. I literally started saying out loud over and over, “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me,” from Philippians 4 verse 13. Granted, I was taking it wildly out of context because I didn’t know any better at that time but in retrospect even then, in my belief I realized where strength and power came from. I realized that to go on in difficult or terrifying situations I would have to rely on God.
Fast forward 22 years, more hog hunts than I can count although now we don’t have any dogs to enjoy chasing around the woods and we do our night hunting with thermals, a whole other level of disorienting and not being able to decipher what you’re seeing with your naked eyes when switching back and forth for a while walking around. I was meeting the hubs for dinner, but needed to get diesel because I’m one of those people who likes to let it get dangerously low. In my defense the light had not even come on this time! Now that I’m in my forties I find it difficult to read things without my glasses, this is a fun little thing that is apparently gifted to you pretty much on your 40th birthday. Anyhow, I couldn’t really read the sign to tell how much diesel was from that distance but the closer I got the more clearly I could see it. I was reflecting on the fact that I can actually see long distances well and it is usually only reading and computer work I struggle with. Then I reminisced about hog hunting experiences when I didn’t have a light or a thermal and just trusted following along behind Shaun or Daddy (Shaun’s Dad).
I thought about how much that describes my faith, realizing that when Paul wrote that we “walk by faith and not by sight” in 2nd Corinthians 5:7 he was talking about believing in the gospel and works of God when we have not seen it as Jesus mentioned in John 20:29. The Old Testament Jews witnessed the power of God in mighty ways and many of the New Testament Jews and Gentiles, witnessed Jesus Himself. For me it’s always easier to trust something I’ve seen with my own eyes, but that’s not faith, you have indisputable proof and answers, you don’t have to have faith. To me, I do have indisputable proof of the truths of the Bible, both historical and experiential, but I don’t have all of the answers or understand everything, that’s why walking by faith is necessary.
Not having needed the therapy session of writing in a while I was able to dwell on what the Lord has brought me through and assured me of in this new season. If he had allowed me to see the big picture in fine detail like I can when I put my reading glasses on, I wouldn’t have learned as much, grown as much, tasted humble pie that I didn’t want to eat but definitely needed a piece of, and I wouldn’t be as grateful for the goodness and faithfulness of God as I am right now. As I drove towards those gas stations last night continuing to move forward but not knowing which one I was going to pull into until I could clearly see the prices, I thought that’s exactly what this last season looked like. We knew the direction we were supposed to walk obediently in but we couldn’t see the picture clearly. My focus is so much clearer now and God and an amazing group of Bible study ladies, have helped me to untether from needing to walk by sight and tether myself to walking by faith even when I can’t see clearly.
We joke sometimes in Bible study, especially when studying Revelation, when we struggle with something we are reading that we always just go back to the attributes of God and think about what we KNOW about his character revealed to us plainly in His word, and then think about how what we are struggling with aligns with His attributes and the metanarrative of the Bible. If it isn’t for our good and His glory and to win people to the Lord or help them walk in obedience then it’s stinking thinking. Walking in faith means I don’t always understand, but just like my relationship with my husband…and our dogs…I trust him, even when it’s scary, or I’m hurting, I walk forward in obedience, sometimes having to drag my feelings along behind me, and just as they are now, eventually the picture becomes clearer and more of God’s amazing character is revealed and my feelings align with my obedience. I see God continuing to work on me just as He promised! If I had seen it clearly in the beginning it wouldn’t have caused me to grow or stand more in awe and worship giving God the glory and trusting Him even more. I’m so grateful He’s not finished with me yet, even if moving forward isn’t always easy!
You Lead, I’ll Follow (If you know that Jamie Grace song, you’re welcome for it now being stuck on repeat in your head!)
With all of the end of the year banquets, and graduation announcements flooding the mail and social media it’s hard not to think about the high school graduates right now. This is true for us especially as our own daughter has just graduated and started her official first year as a full-time college sophomore, but also because we were the Directors of Students at Frist Baptist Grapeland and were with our oldest son’s group since they were freshman, actually 8th graders! OH the memories! Thirteen of them graduated and saw one season of their lives change into a new exciting, and for some, possibly a scary or intimidating season, just as Grace embarks on now. Shaun and I have an anchor verse that we generally write on personalized messages to them, Proverbs 3:5-6, it will be our text for today and it’s not only applicable to graduates in this new season, but to us as well and especially to me as I have shared about entering a new season of my life.
One of my very favorite things about Scripture is that Scripture Interprets Scripture. Scripture is internally consistent, other verses can help interpret other verses, we’ve even talked some about the “big ideas” or metanarratives, and themes throughout Scripture with loads of Scriptures that tie together to bring a full understanding of the theme or metanarrative. In both of these situations, the author is God, so there’s no room for human error of interpretation. Why am I saying all of this? The previous piece on “Hinds Feet” can help us to better understand today’s “direction of our path”!
“Trust in the Lord with all your heart and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will direct your path.”
Proverbs 3:5-6
Whatever we go through in life, we are to trust in the Lord and not lean on our understanding and let God direct our path. What do we know about our understanding? It’s a tough pill to swallow, but
Proverbs 21:2 tells us “Every man’s way is right in his own eyes, But the Lord weighs the hearts.”
So what about our hearts?
Jeremiah 17:9 tells us “The heart is more deceitful than all else and is desperately sick; Who can understand it?”
BUT GOD! I’m SO thankful for his love and mercy, for loving us while we were still sinners(Rom 5:8) and sending his Son to reconcile us to himself through his atoning sacrifice and defeat of death (2 Corinth 5:18, 1John 2:2)! When we trust God with all of our heart and we acknowledge Him in all of our ways, HE directs our paths, He’s the captain of our ship, the trail guide, the pilot, the driver! Does that change the terrain? Does that mean there won’t be potholes, storms, turbulence, or sheer rocky cliffs? We learned previously that those are some of the exact places God has already equipped us with “hinds feet” to trod, that when we trust God and are in pursuit of Him and understand that He gives us “hinds feet” to handle the terrain HE sets us on, regardless of our circumstance, we don’t have to be fearful, and we aren’t alone because He is with us wherever we go! HOW COMFORTING IS THAT!? Isn’t it awesome how all of these Scriptures connect together to help us deepen our understanding of the love of God and how He in His divine wisdom which is incomparable (Psalm 40:5, Isa 46:5) to anything, has spared no details! As we traverse these next few days, weeks, years, and for some, a new season of life, let’s be sure that we are being intentional about untethering ourselves from our way, and trusting God and acknowledging Him to direct our paths!
Long time no type. Well, it hasn’t really been that long but much longer than normal. Why? I’ve been in a funk, not a writing funk, a “what do I do with myself funk”. It’s crazy how this happens and the things that seem to pull me out of them. Almost every time, it’s digging into God’s word, and connection. This time is no different. Gracie is finishing up 2 classes before she gets a spring break and starts two more. She’s taking a theology class and one of her assignments was to write an essay on a term associated with the doctrine of salvation. She was struggling a little to understand why defining terms such as adoption, conversion, regeneration, redemption, reconciliation, justification, election, sanctification, or glorification were important if you understood the big picture. We broke it down and began to talk it out anyway.
One of the things we practiced when the kids were younger before they started dual credit classes was what we called “fast writing story starts.” Sometimes we would take a random prompt and be given 30 minutes to write a story or part of a story that started with that prompt. Other times we did a 30 minute who, what, where, when, why on a particular person or event. I usually participated in these too and we read them out loud to each other afterwards. She chose the word justification, and we worked together to dig it out of Scripture and see at what point someone is justified in Christ.
As Grace rightly pointed out, justification isn’t a new concept, people have been justifying their actions for centuries, usually it’s when they have done something they weren’t supposed to do and they want to rationalize it to make the actions appear, right or justified, in right alignment with something……and cue fast writing story start on justification!
It is difficult to single out one aspect of the doctrine of salvation and analyze it’s relationship to sin and to a believer’s personal life. Perhaps one of the most interesting and visually appealing aspects of salvation is that of justification. A quick google search of the word justification reveals the definition to be “the action of showing something to be right or reasonable,” “good reason that something exists or has been done”, theologically speaking, “the action of declaring or making righteous in the sight of God,” or when typing a document, “the action of justifying a line of type or piece of text.” The last one paints the best picture although it’s difficult to understand since the word being defined is used in the definition. Simply put, justification is to put into right or correct alignment. Sin in the lives of humanity takes humans out of correct alignment with God the Father. Similar to beginning a paper with the heading in the center of the paper and then continuing to type the body of the paper while still aligned in the center. The body of a paper belongs on the left side of the paper and is out of alignment. When the left alignment or justification tab is selected the body of the paper is put into proper alignment.
Concerning salvation, the cause of our improper alignment is sin.
Romans 3:21-26, “21 But now apart from the Law the righteousness of God has been revealed, being witnessed by the Law and the Prophets, 22 but it is the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ for all those who believe; for there is no distinction, 23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, 24 being justified as a gift by His grace through the redemption which is in Christ Jesus, 25 whom God displayed publicly as a propitiation in His blood through faith. This was to demonstrate His righteousness, because in God’s merciful restraint He let the sins previously committed go unpunished; 26 for the demonstration, that is, of His righteousness at the present time, so that He would be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus.”
Romans 3:21-26 NASB
Jesus is the “control “a” (select all) control “L” (left align or justify) buttons of our life! The only thing that will align us rightly is repentance, which includes expressing sorrow over sin, turning from sin, and turning to God and faith in Jesus as Savior and Lord. Both of the words Savior and Lord need unpacking as well however, we will stick with justification. A wage is given as payment for sin, according to Romans 6:23, this wage is spiritual death. When repentance and faith in Jesus as the atoning sacrifice for that sin occurs, Jesus pays with His death as the only worthy, sinless sacrifice and we are then justified (aligned rightly) with God the Father because of Jesus. He pays your tab!
Galatians 2:16 states, “16 nevertheless, knowing that a person is not justified by works of the Law but through faith in Christ Jesus, even we have believed in Christ Jesus, so that we may be justified by faith in Christ and not by works of the Law; since by works of the Law no flesh will be justified.”
Galatians 2:16 NASB
Humanity cannot align itself rightly with God the Father. Humans cannot work for their salvation. The only way to be justified is by faith in Jesus. Ephesians 2:8-9 reiterates this same theological concept that we are saved by faith through grace not of our own works.
As a believer, while I am now aligned rightly with the Father through Jesus and sealed with the deposit of the Holy Spirit (Eph 1:13-14), I still am in need of sanctification, a process in which I become more and more like Christ throughout my life as a result of making decisions that reflect correct alignment with God. This means there are things I do and don’t participate in, things I do say and things I do not say regardless of where I am work, home, school, grocery store etc. as a result of my desire to follow Jesus’ teachings and become more Christ like. Sanctification is a process that will continue until my physical death or Jesus comes back as Philippians 1:6 indicates.
Justification is immediate when I repent and believe and occurs at the moment of Salvation “for if you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved; 10 for with the heart a person believes, resulting in righteousness, and with the mouth he confesses, resulting in salvation.” (Romans 10:9-10) It is at that moment a person becomes a believer and is put into correct alignment, justified, and righteous.
ANNNND TIME! I love how connection to and with others, especially studying the word of God together always aligns my thoughts rightly and untethers me from whatever funk I’m in! It’s almost as if we were created to live in relationship/community with one another (she typed sarcastically), because we were absolutely created this way!
Do you ever have days you just want to make a blanket fort and hide inside it with your coloring books and crayons? My Bestie and I joke about that a lot, although I think if I legit made a blanket fort she’d probably bring the crayons and join me! Recently, it seems there’s been no shortage of trials in our lives. It seems like just when we get through something and start to breathe and think of enjoying a moment the phone rings and BAM another wave of difficulty, or BAM something breaks down, or tragedy strikes, you get the idea.
The other night Shaun and I both woke up at 2am with 1.53 million thoughts running through our heads and couldn’t go back to sleep. He had different stressors than I did, and his brain was trying to prepare how to have difficult but intentional conversations the next day that would help rather than isolate and lead to unity and team building, among 1.52 million other things. I was laying there questioning every decision I’ve made in the last 2 years and reflecting on the will of God and praying about whether I was following Him or me. We are definitely two different people, when Shaun frets with things, he comes up with workable solutions mid fret and lets the Holy Spirit lead him. I tend to initially act like Chicken Little running around screaming that the sky is falling, and then finally manage to yield to the Holy Spirit and let Him comfort and guide me through things. It takes me a minute to capture my thoughts and beat them into submission. Shaun and I talked until 3 that night before we finally managed to drift back to sleep, I fell asleep mid prayer, this happens so much. I saw a cartoon on Facebook posted by a friend today that is the literal picture of what happens to me when I focus on my problems and stressors and when I focus on the problem solver, rather than counting sheep, focus on the Shepherd!
This reminds me of the passage in Matthew 14:22-33 when Peter has the bright idea to walk to Jesus on the water while wind was causing the boat to be buffeted (beaten) by waves, and Jesus tells him to “Come”. Bro was doing fine the whole time he kept his eyes on Jesus but when he started to focus on the wind around him, he started sinking. Literally my life!
On Tuesdays I do a zoom Bible study with a group of ladies from all over, I’m new to the group, this is my first study with them, but they readily embraced me and made me feel like we’ve been doing life together for years. We are studying Revelation which can certainly make you focus on calamity, especially with the wrong perspective! Nancy Guthrie’s accompaniment book “Blessed” has been tremendously helpful in focusing on Jesus throughout all of the confusing and heavy passages. We were discussing interpretations of some of those passages yesterday and discovered it really kind of depends on where you stand eschatologically. Which is a big word that just means study of the end times. I used to be a “pan theologist” meaning Revelation is tough, just trust Jesus and it will all “pan out”, but then I listened to one pastor talk and I decided that I believed that believers would likely have to face the tribulation or at least part of it, this is known as post-tribulation, or mid-tribulation. Then I listened to another teacher who I affectionally call Professor, because he’s literally one of the smartest most humble people on this planet! Anyhow, after his class I decided I was a pre-tribulation believer. Then I went to seminary and just became more confused, I think! There are still even more viewpoints of the end times because technically those labels are just in regard to a specific event in the Bible concerning the end times. Check out this simple chart and then I’ll try not to confuse myself anymore and know that there are still scholars studying and debating and they don’t even have it all figure out yet.
So, when I say pre-trib, mid-trib, post-trib, I’m also stating what I believe inside one of the above categories. The trib refers to the great tribulation and the pre, post, or mid refer to the timing of all believers (the church) being raptured (gathering together of believers in clouds with Jesus and taken from Earth) 1Thessalonians 4:13-18. See why pan-theology is starting to sound nice right about now! How you view these will be impacted by your Covenant Theology (your study and belief of God’s Covenants). Cue Raychel beginning to run around like Chicken Little! Truthfully, I really have and do sort all of this out by reading Scripture and allowing it to inform and instruct me, I just do it like one would eat an elephant…one small bite at a time…Not that I encourage the eating of elephants or would eat one, it’s just a colloquial saying about doing something that seems impossible!
As we discussed a touch of this in our study our leader reminded us that the whole purpose of Nancy’s study was more of a zoomed-out view of Revelation, rather than trying to nail down every single answer to every single thing we are trying to understand (which isn’t possible), to look at it through the perspective of what it reveals about Jesus and how that impacts how we are exhorted to live our lives as it unfolds.Literally, focus on the Shepherd!We were reminded too, that what we believe about how the end times will specifically play out does not affect our salvation or the commission we all have to go and make disciples. Two believers can believe the end times and the rapture will occur differently and because they have trusted Jesus for their wage of death for their sin through His death burial and resurrection on the cross, (repentance and faith), they’ll still end up in the same place at the end! We don’t have to have all the answers, that’s not faith, and we aren’t God, that doesn’t mean we don’t study, the Bible literally tells us to do that in 2Timothy 2:15.
As we wrapped up our study and shared with each other some of the things we each have going on in our lives, I began to have the thought that adulting seems unnecessarily hard sometimes. But we could look to James chapter one and know that these trials are purposeful, and they produce perseverance which leads to maturity. Trials mean He’s still working on me and are actually a comfort because I know that I am in Him and He’s working on me (Phil 1:6), granted, some of my trials are a result of my own stupid or poor decisions, but I still learn something and grow! All of this to say that life does seem really tough sometimes, and when I focus on how hard and difficult things can be, when I focus on the problems, I get depressed and, in the dumps, and feel like it’s all unnecessary, definitely thoughts I need to Untether from. But when I tether myself to Jesus and force my eyes to look at Him and His Word, I find verses like John 16:33 and I have peace and hope in Him!
If this encouraged you at all, please consider liking, commenting, and or sharing with someone else to encourage them!
I was having a conversation with my oldest son the other day about a quote the late Kobe Bryant made that Wes retorted to his sister while in a verbal sparring match. They were discussing teamwork and Gracie, not so gently, chided Wesley that there was no “I” in team, to which he replied, “well, in the words of my man Kobe, there is an “M-E”!
I began to think about that statement and apply a Biblical filter to it, you can’t find that filter on snap, or insta, trust me, I’ve looked!
When you are part of a team, there is a ME in team, but those two letters don’t make up the whole team and neither do you. However, your role is important, and your contribution is to bring your very best at what you are good at! Teamwork isn’t a Major League sports idea or concept. In fact, God had Paul write about it WAY before anyone ever became famous playing any sort of team sport on a league as he talked about how each person uses their spiritual gifts in 1Corinthians 12 as part of the Body of Christ.
The Bible tells us that plenty of things were written on our hearts by our Creator that we have “gut” feelings about but don’t always understand because someone hasn’t helped us see through a Biblical lens. This is evidenced in Romans 1:18-20 where God through Paul says,
“For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of people who suppress the truth in unrighteousness because that which is made known about God is evident to them. For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes that is, His eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, being understood by what has been made, so they are without excuse.”
Romans 1:18-20
This is general revelation; we can observe nature and see that it bears the mark of an intelligent designer when we observe its uniqueness and complexities. We understand that creation did not just haphazardly boom into place or evolve from pond scum at its own will into what we see now. Creation screams there is a Divine Creator.
People for centuries have understood that “instinctively” but needed further revelation, special revelation, to understand who that creator is. This is also evidenced by the progression of the book of Romans where by chapter 10, Paul writes starting in verse 14,
“How then are they to call on Him in whom they have not believed? How are they to believe in Him whom they have not heard? And how are they to hear without a preacher? But how are they to preach unless they are sent? Just as it is written: “How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news of good things.”
Romans 10:14-15
When we hear the word preacher, you may be thinking the dude that stands in the pulpit, but this word could also be translated proclaimer. This is special revelation that we are all tasked by Jesus in Matt 28:19-20 to go and tell, not just making converts but disciples, meaning not only sharing the gospel but also teaching those we have had the opportunity to evangelize to, to obey everything Jesus has commanded, or at the very least, making sure someone will be able to build that discipleship relationship with them.
As a personal aside, I am missing the big toenail off of my left foot, it fell casualty to multiple incidents, the first involving me having to drag a deer that I had harvested across a too full and FREEZING creek whereby I took my shoes and coveralls off so they wouldn’t get wet and stumped my toe on an underwater log creating a 90-degree angle between my toe and said toenail. The coups de gras was not nearly as exciting of a tale, I again created a 90-degree angle with this same toenail and toe by catching the end of it while lifting an unplugged chop saw to move it while in sandals. All of this was to illustrate that due to that missing toenail, my feet are anything but beautiful by worldly standards but according to the Bible, as I am obedient to the commission to share the gospel they just look better and better!
As you read through 1Corinthians chapter 12, spend some time meditating on what you are gifted at, what others in your spiritual circle have affirmed you’re gifted at and brainstorm ways you can use your talents to bring special revelation (the truth about Christ) to the table in your local congregation, at your workplace or school, in your home and community! My youngest son, Tristan, often uses his unique skills doing card tricks to gain an audience and build relationships so he can share the gospel! What unique and creative ideas do you have? Are you simply just a kid magnet, orator, athlete, organizer, etc. bring it!
As Christians according to what we read 1Corinthians 12, we understand that we are gifted with spiritual gifts by the Holy Spirit when we are saved. In what is likely a poor attempt to pull of this together, is it possible that the idea of teamwork and desire to play on a team and in sports is a manifestation of that instinctive need written upon our hearts by God to not only recognize Him as creator and place our faith in King Jesus as Savior and Lord so that we are reconciled to God, but as we take on our roles in the body of Christ and live out our calling, utilizing our gifting(s) to strengthen the body, we are fulfilling that desire by playing our part on Team Jesus?
A couple of years ago, I came across one of the best illustrations, particularly as a southerner who loves a good potluck, I have ever seen in relating how we each are to use our spiritual gifts to bring our very best to the table of ministry in the body of Christ. Check out the excerpt below!
BRING YOUR BEST
I like to eat. I travel a lot for my work, so I get to eat out regularly. As much as possible, I frequent local dives rather than franchises. But no matter the restaurant, the chef, the city, or the ambiance, nothing replaces a good covered-dish meal.
In the church culture I grew up in, periodically after the Sunday worship service, everyone would make their way to the fellowship hall, pull out their food dishes, and we would feast.
Each person had his or her specialty. Mrs. Polly cooked macaroni and cheese, while Mrs. Smith baked pecan pie with the pecans she’d picked and cracked from her own yard. Mr. Thompson made homemade vanilla-bean ice cream (that topped off the pie) better than any ice cream parlor you have been to.
We had sugar-cured ham with a drizzle of honey, green-bean casserole, peach cobbler, fried okra, mini ham sandwiches on poppy-seed sweet rolls, buttermilk fried chicken, and every other assortment of mouthwatering food you can imagine.
The key to this covered-dish dinner is that everyone knew what they made well, spent time putting their contribution together, and brought to the table the best they had to offer. No one tried to make better fried okra than Mrs. White. They brought their own specialty.
The covered-dish feast is an important illustration in the life of the church. God has given each of us our own specialty that He specifically designed us to have and use. That includes you.
The greatest meals are the ones where everyone brings their best. The table is not a table for one. It’s an enormous banquet table where God Himself invites all to come and dine. Your “covered dish” is the particular gifts God has given you, no matter what they may be. Paul tells us that since we have “gifts that differ according to the grace given to us, let us use them:”
Excerpt from: “Life in Community: Joining Together to Display the Gospel” by Dustin Willis.
As we continue to seek the Lord and serve Him, let’s BRING OUR BEST! Seek the Lord in prayer and through His word asking Him to reveal ways that He has uniquely created, prepared, and equipped you to serve in the Body of Christ, see these opportunities in your everyday life at home, work, school, doctors’ offices and public. Remember, that he promises to be with us wherever we go, our role is to be obedient to go and tell (Matt 28:19-20), and the Holy Spirit will guide and convict into truth (John 16:8), that’s teamwork! Untether yourself from thinking you don’t have something someone else has to give, bring what YOU have to give, that what’s needed!!
When I was in Junior High and early high school I didn’t really like working in groups, I was always nervous to have to rely on someone else’s work for MY grade. Usually, I would just do all of the work and turn it in for us to ensure an A. I’m not sure if I would have come out then and said that I thought I was smarter or just that I had trust issues. When I was in the last couple of years in high school, the group I interacted with academically often challenged me. I’ll never forget the first time I got to choose my own group and came out with Prem, Alan, and Amanda and we sat down to talk about the project and what needed to be done. These 3 actually graduated valedictorian, salutatorian, and high honors of our class. Prem and Alan were literally the smartest people I knew at the time and Amanda was probably the most creative when it came to meshing ideas together and making them flow. We each pulled our weight and brought something different to the team. We each taught each other new things. This challenged my early idea of group work. I realized I didn’t have to be the smartest person in the room, our grades together were actually better than when I took over and did it all myself. Sure, the work was done but it could have been so much better. I realized that I just needed to be able to locate the people who were gifted in the areas I was not, or who were just smarter than me all together. I don’t have to be the smartest person in the room or on the team, I need people who know more than me!
This strategy worked well for me all through college, sometimes I got to choose my groups and sometimes I was assigned them. EVERYONE has something contribute, so everyone can contribute somehow in a way that someone else wouldn’t. It just takes getting to know your team, and figuring out what that is!
In the last two weeks I have encountered two situations, one involving a new Christian and the other a non-believer. In both of these situations, they were conversing in a group of people they felt like were definitely “smarter” than them where the Bible was concerned. One conversation was over translations of the Bible among what was clearly seminary trained or well-studied adults. The new believer described this experience like “friendly fire” as they each made their case for their favorite Bible translation and why. The new believer was just happy to have a Bible and be able to understand it finally. She didn’t really understand why a group of Christians was essentially arguing with each other over reading the Bible!
When I was younger the only translation, we had in the house was a King James translation and I used to try to read it but then always ended up acting like an actor in a Shakespeare play and heralding what I was reading rather than actually comprehending it. Then, when I was 13, I received a Youth Walk devotional Bible which was probably an NIV translation, maybe ESV but my money is on NIV (I lost it in a wreck in my 20’s). Anyhow, I remember thinking, “OMG, this is in English!” It was the first Bible I had actually been able to read and understand.
I’ve seen that scenario play out plenty of times teaching youth over the past 10 years. When I went to seminary and was taking Hermeneutics, I learned about the different Bible translations, but my professor equated them not only with how they were translated, word for word, literal, or thought for thought, etc. He also explained them with reading and comprehension in mind and gave us suggestions when understanding who we were providing the Bible to.
While I do have a favorite translation I personally read from, I read from my paper NASB 77 but my electronic NASB 95, because I prefer a word for word translation of the original text, but that’s not usually my “go to” recommendation for kids! Really the biggest one I absolutely stay away from is “The Message” translation and others that are thought for thought translations because that means the passage has been interpreted by a human and translated into what they believe the thought of the writer was. Now, my husband can be thinking and say something to me, and I react in a way that makes me want to throat chop him, as we talk it out, what I heard and what he was thinking when he articulated were two very different things and I end up not being upset at all. I’m fallible, I make mistakes and misunderstand. Because we understand that the Bible was written under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit guiding the human men’s hands along that physically penned the words (2Peter 1:21), we understand the author to be God. We know that God is perfect, does not make mistakes, and never fails. So, I prefer to leave someone else’s thought process out of the translation process into my language when it comes to interpretation. I prefer the most literal word for word translation I can read. This doesn’t mean I never pick up an NIV or ESV or even a CSB, I actually have a CSB apologetic out now, because I sometimes get to a difficult passage and need to hear some of the other translations as I began a word study.
All of this to say, the smartest people in the room that day, who have a valid point about Bible translations, participated in a conversation among people that left at least one new believer for sure, feeling overwhelmed and like she was reading an inferior translation to what “the scholars” read but not being able to understand them fully, they ended up detracting from her discipleship rather than encouraging her. Fortunately, this time, I didn’t participate in this particular conversation, but unfortunately, I can recall times I’ve discussed something similar and probably did make someone feel this way.
The other scenario was a conversation in front of and with a non-believer about questions he had but that lead to different denominational practices. Fortunately, the Holy Spirit swooped in an arrested my thoughts and tongue and directed me to focus on what I would call “Primary Doctrine,” that of how it is we come to faith in Jesus as Savior and King. In this instance, two of us having the conversation believed rightly the same thing about Jesus and had already repented of sin and believed the gospel of Christ, placing our faith in Jesus. The discussion was beginning to take a turn towards certain ways we practice our faith, such as speaking in tongues and if that means a language of a tribe or nation of peoples or a spiritual language that also requires a spiritual interpreter. There are people who are on both sides of the fence on this one. This wasn’t a discussion that was going to be helpful at the moment to a non-believer who wasn’t the one who asked that question but had asked other questions trying to understand a basic Biblical metanarrative (big idea of the Bible). The Holy Spirit steered us away from having a debate and towards talking about Jesus’ death burial and resurrection and that He is the answer to all the brokenness and hurting in the world. God has done something about it, He sent Jesus, and in His grace and mercy we are given time to come to repentance and faith!
I have to admit I haven’t always yielded to the Holy Spirit in these matters. I mean it’s not like it’s wrong to talk these things out with others and have a spiritual conversation, right? TIME AND PLACE! When that conversation takes place in front of a person or people who are new to the faith or unbelievers, and they see it as more of a debate, it can actually detract rather than build. Unfortunately, I’ve been guilty of this before, and I’ve also seen it happen. When I was in seminary, I got comfortable around my “bubble” of “little theologians”, and we were made to discuss these things regularly amongst each other. The same “debates” shouldn’t take place in all settings. Especially if you’re just trying to prove that you are as smart as the guy next to you. Those “bubbles” can be dangerous, especially for people in leadership positions in a local congregation, there’s a difference in educating and equipping the people you have the privilege to encounter and making them feel like you’re the smartest person in the room and the only one capable of rightly sharing the gospel to lead someone to Christ or for continued discipleship. Jesus commissioned all believers to do that, not just the seminary educated ones, pastors, scholars, or other church staff. “If you know enough to be saved, you know enough to lead someone else to Christ,” after that you can learn together! We ALL have something to contribute, don’t let someone make you feel inferior or uncapable to share the gospel and disciple! We are all “little theologians” whether we do it in seminary or home, or church, we are all studying God and His Word! Your pastor may have more experience speaking to groups or people due to his “job” and his “professional training,” but the same Holy Spirit that lives in him lives in you and you are completely capable of learning and sharing!
If you are usually the smartest person in the room, and especially if you feel the need to prove you’re the smartest person in the room, find a new room! Recognize how that may make others feel especially if your end goal is to participate in study or conversation that equips and grows both you and the people around you. Recognize you can learn something from everyone. I might spell or write better than my hubby, but he can outperform and outthink me mechanically, physically, and leadership wise, honestly, he’s better at loving me than I am him too! We are smart in different ways, together we are better! When we are with people, lets untether ourselves from the worldly idea of competition and seek to learn from each other and bring our best to build and grow together regardless of our experience or education levels!
I previously saved the “Love Is” cartoons from the Dallas Morning News which always featured a couple drawn in a precious moments style and a cute saying, like, “love is always kissing her goodnight.” One very aptly read “Love is letting her warm her feet!” This one makes me laugh because my husband HATES cold things touching his skin and he’s always incredibly warm, my feet….not so much…..and I KNOW it’s an act of true love when he sticks his legs up to the bottom of my feet and let’s me warm them! There are a million other things that love is and a million and one that the world will tell you it is.
That’s vulnerability!
My vote is to always look to the word of God to discern what things are because He’s the reason it exists anyway! 1 John 4:8, NIV: Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love. Jesus tells us the greatest command is to love the Lord our God with all of our heart soul and mind, and the second greatest is like it, to love our neighbors as ourself in Matthew 22:37-39. He wasn’t talking about the house next to you, He was talking about everyone you see. Every person you come into contact with is your neighbor. We could go deeper into that, but let’s follow the “love trail” for today. There’s an entire chapter in 1 Corinthians dedicated to love!
1If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am only a ringing gong or a clanging cymbal. 2If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have absolute faith so as to move mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. 3If I give all I possess to the poor and exult in the surrender of my body, but have not love, I gain nothing.
4Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. 5It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no account of wrongs. 6Love takes no pleasure in evil, but rejoices in the truth. 7It bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.
8Love never fails. But where there are prophecies, they will cease; where there are tongues, they will be restrained; where there is knowledge, it will be dismissed. 9For we know in part and we prophesy in part, 10but when the perfect comes, the partial passes away.
11When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I set aside childish ways. 12Now we see but a dim reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known.
13And now these three remain: faith, hope, and love; but the greatest of these is love.
1 Corinthians literally the whole chapter 13
Did you catch that? Bc it was a lot! Let’s look at an excerpt.
Not only is God all of those things because he is love, as we follow Him and demonstrate His love to others as He has asked us to do this should characterize how we love others.
In youth we had a sign that we would hold across our chests with our hands when we needed to encourage someone to remember how to be loving which consisted of a 1 and a 3 to remind ourselves of this chapter. We also liked to do “Live it outs,” which were practical ways that we would apply Scriptural knowledge and live it out in our daily lives. I mentioned a personal example of Shaun and my cold feet! There are so many others.
Sometimes loving others makes us nervous, AWKWARD, vulnerable, and look weird…ok a lot of times it can do that. It can be not coming back with that zinger while verbally sparring with someone that is sure to win you popularity points with the class or crowd and get a good laugh but humiliate the other person. Love may look like sitting beside a friend who’s lost a loved one and not saying a word just being present so they know they aren’t alone because nothing you can say would make a difference in that moment anyway. Love may look like a text to say you were thinking about them. It may look like showing up with dinner for a family after they’ve received rough news or been through something or have been sick. It may look like a shift at the hospital with a friend who’s fighting for their life or healing from an injury or surgery, it may look like walking in and doing the dishes or laundry for a friend after the loss of a loved one or even when they have children and just need a break. It may look like walking in and holding the baby for a friend so she can shower or nap for a bit. It may look like an invitation to literally anything. It sounds a whole lot like doing life together, even when it’s awkward and you don’t know what to say! It’s certainly always sharing the gospel because that is the greatest demonstration of love ever and it shows you care about them spiritually, not just physically and if you’ve ever done that it can be real awkward. Sometimes love is speaking the truth IN LOVE saying the hard things in the softest of ways. Love only looks like things that glorify God the Father because He is love. Let’s untether from our worldly, hallmark, and other awful movie depictions of love and tether ourselves to the Father who will show us how we can love each other sacrificially in Him and by His power!
Raychel Writes 