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Like many of you, I spend most of my days running from one obligation to the next. This makes it so difficult to fellowship as much as I would like. One thing I have long hoped to do is start a Bible study group. Unfortunately, I could never pull it together with so many hectic schedules to coordinate.
I am so excited about Lifeway's new Freefall to Fly online Bible Study with Rebekah Lyons. Hopefully this will be a new medium for folks like me to still engage in fellowship and Bible Study even when life makes it feel like it is impossible. I know nothing should ever take the place of in person fellowship, but I think this will be another great avenue to bring the gospel and community to so many people. Will you join me?
Looking for the perfect holiday gift for the special women in your life? If they are readers, there are a number of great books out there to consider giving. I especially love devotionals which feel like they give a new gift every time you open them up. Have any favorite books you've read recently? Please share them in the comments!
- Journey: A Women's Guide to Intimacy with God - I subscribed to this daily devotional magazine for about 7 years now. I absolutely love it!
- Believing God Day By Day: Growing Your Faith All Year Long - A one-year daily devotional based on Beth Moore's epic Believing God Bible Study and book that challenges readers to believe God for all His promises to His people.
- Portraits of Devotion - Another year long devotional by Beth Moore based on her Personal Reflection series on the lives of Jesus, David, John, and Paul.
- Mom's Night Out - Based on the Mom's Night Out movie, this devotional by Kerri Pomarolli is designed to help mom's remember God's provision of love and faithfulness as we go through the trials of life.
- The Resolution for Women - Priscilla Shirer outlines powerful resolutions for women to live spirit-filled lives based on being content and grateful for who they are and what they have and setting the right priorities in life. A great way to start 2015!
- Connected: Curing the Pandemic of Everyone Feeling Alone Together - Author Erin Davies recounts lessons she learned from talking to women across the country on loneliness and how to overcome the "lonely epidemic."
- Wherever the River Runs: How a Forgotten People Renewed My Hope in the Gospel - Kelly Minter describes her travels to the Amazon and how her work there helped her rediscover Jesus.
- Lean Together: An Agenda for Smarter Government, Stronger Communities and More Opportunity for Women - For the wonkier women in your life, this book by various female authors "presents a better vision for America: smaller government, stronger communities, a vibrant economy and more opportunity for women and men alike." The book also calls readers to action to help "restore the idea that more freedom-not more government-is what will create true health, security, prosperity, and ultimate happiness."
Today marks the beginning of Advent, or the celebration of the birth of Jesus Christ. There are so many beautiful and fun calendars out there to help countdown to December 25. Unfortunately, the true meaning of Advent can get a little lost in the midst of celebrating the worldly "Christmas." Don't get me wrong, I love eating that little piece of chocolate from the Trader Joe's 24 Chocolate Days Till Christmas Advent calendar just as much as the next person, but, as always, it is so important to keep things in perspective.
In The Expected One: Anticipating All of Jesus in the Advent, Scott James "brings to light the many promises of Christ--from birth to ascension--that demonstrate His love for us during the Advent season." The daily devotions highlight scripture that promise His coming, birth, life, death, resurrection and eternal reign. There are also "Review & Reflect" questions that are great to consider alone or with your family. This is an excellent guide to help us stop and think about the true meaning of the season. As always, you can enjoy it on your lunch break at work. Or, since it is designed with children in mind, take a little time everyday to slow down, gather as a family, and study the day's passage. You might even consider enjoying it with the treats from the chocolate Advent calendar!
The world is fraught with danger, particularly for children. Everywhere we turn there is potential harm. Parents must be vigilant about guarding children from pretty much everything, and more importantly preparing them to enter the world on their own. For example, it is not enough to try to protect them from degrading music, we must also carefully explain the dangers in the lifestyle promoted by the music so that hopefully when they get old enough to make decisions on their own, some of what we said will stick. For me, this can be exhausting. Virtually all of my conversations with friends or family end with a plea to pray for the little ones in my life.
A number of Christian authors have written extensively on praying for children. A Parent's Book of Prayers by Tony Woods is a day-by-day devotional that "provides parents with meaningful prayers to God for their children's faith, struggles, direction and future." In The Power of a Praying Parent, Stormie Omartian uses her own experience as a parent to guide others on praying for their child's safety, character development, adolescence, peer pressure, school experiences, friends and relationship with God. The Love Dare for Parents, which is based on the popular The Love Dare series of books, is a 40-day devotional that gives parents challenges to help them "understand, practice, and communicate Christ-like love to their children." How to pray for children is featured prominently in the book.
Luckily, we do not have to get fancy with our prayer requests. I know God hears the quiet "please watch over my son today." But, if you are interested in getting more guidance on how to pray over your children and children in your life, I highly recommend one of these titles!
I love the Book of Esther. When I think of Esther, I think of patience, faithfulness, courage and diplomacy. She used all of these traits to ultimately save her people. She waited patiently on God, but when the time was right, showed great courage to fulfill His plan for her. This is a difficult model to follow in today's world where we often feel we must "make things happen" in order to succeed. When we fall short as students, spouses or parents, our self-esteem takes such a blow. Its a difficult time to be a young girl or woman trying to find your way.
That is why I love author Angie Smith's new children's book for young girls entitled, For Such a Time as This. This Bible storybook brings to life forty stories of Biblical heroines like Esther, Mary Magdalene and Gomer with easy-to-read text and beautiful illustrations. There are also summaries at the end of each story that "highlight the attribute of God to be learned and offer thoughtful reflections for both parent and child to takeaway."
I love the reflections in Esther's story. Angie writes:
"Because of God's great power, we don't need to worry about our own weakness. When we step out in faith, choosing to believe that God is working through us instead of depending on us, we are free to live a life of courage. We don't have to be afraid that we aren't strong enough to do something or that we aren't big enough to take on challenges. Of course, we aren't strong or big when compared to God, but He is the One who carries our destinies. When we think we can't do something alone, it isn't weakness; it's realizing the truth. God is in charge, and trust me, that's exactly how we should want it to be."
There are so many other lovely reflections for young girls like this in the book. I pray that every young girl and woman I know will receive them into their heart...and believe!
I was so excited to see that my favorite Christian author, Priscilla Shirer, wrote a new book entitled Breathe: Making Room for Sabbath. Her book, One in a Million: Journey to Your Promised Land, changed my life and opened a new world of "promised land living" for me. Since I made the personal commitment to come out of the wilderness, I have seen God move in incredible ways in my life. I couldn't wait to see what life-changing truth and wisdom Priscilla was going to drop next.
Breathe didn't disappoint, but in a way I wasn't expecting. I thought the study would be primarily about recognizing the Sabbath and setting the day aside for fellowship and family. As someone who is chronically tired, I thought this may be the answer to my prayers. I already had my plan to stop working and checking my e-mail on Sundays in an effort to gain much needed rest. But the study went a little deeper than that for me. It actually spoke directly to my tendency to run myself ragged trying to "make" things happen in my life.
Recognizing the Sabbath is not just about abstaining from work on Sundays, but also stopping in any area of our life we find ourselves "striving" and focusing on God. Priscilla says it perfectly:
When we curtail our efforts and interests in obedience to the Spirit's conviction - resisting the gnawing sense of guilt or compulsion to keep pressing beyond the boundaries, beyond that which honors God - He will bless our obedience and sustain us.
As a working mother who sometimes feels overwhelmed by my "to do" list, this reminder was perfectly timed. There is a time to give it your all and a time to be still, focus on God, and wait for His perfect provision. The key is prayerfully discerning which road you need to take.
