Only Then & All for Him!

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Only Then & All for Him!

ONLY THEN...

“Study this Book of Instruction continually. Meditate on it day and night so you will be sure to obey everything written in it. ONLY THEN will you prosper and succeed in all you do.” ~ Joshua‬ ‭1:8‬

We can’t obey everything in it if we aren’t in it everyday — Continually and consistently in the Word, not casually and conveniently to receive a word. God wants to speak to us every single day in an ongoing and active way — not just to tickle our ears but to transform our lives.

Two little words in this verse positioned perfectly to perfectly position us in complete submission and total surrender. ONLY THEN.

What comes before those two little words? study, meditate, continually, night and day, obey. That’s what we are called to do — not out of duty or obligation, but out of love for the very One who gave His life for you and me.

“ONLY THEN will you prosper and succeed in all you do.” Success without surrender is superficial, and prosperity without proper priorities will end in spiritual poverty.

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An Ode to Sundays

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An Ode to Sundays

I love Sundays. Time for church days. Family meeting days to hear the Word preached days. Time to worship together in spirit and truth days. Take authority against the enemy days as we come together and pray with power days. Time for the family of God to gather days, so the enemies of God can scatter days. Oh how I love Sundays.

“Therefore, brothers, since we have confidence to enter the holy places by the blood of Jesus, by the new and living way that he opened for us through the curtain, that is, through his flesh, and since we have a great priest over the house of God, let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, with our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water. Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for he who promised is faithful. And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near.” ~ Hebrews 10:19-25 ESV

“For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places.” ~ Ephesians 6:12 ESV

It’s time to go to church, so we can be the Church because without church, the world can not see the Church.

C’mon Church. Now is not the time to idly sit by, withdraw, or retreat. Now is the time to rise, come alive, and remind the enemy of his defeat. We have work to do, and although it may not all be done in a church pew, I’m convinced that the beauty of the bride of Christ grows deeper and fuller, and her call becomes clearer and louder as she comes together and gathers.

We gather for our marching orders — straight from the uncompromising Truth of the very Word of God. We gather to prepare for battle — fully equipped and armored up so God can send us out to take back what the god of this world has run amok.

We don’t gather to hear a word just to scratch our itching ears. We don’t gather to receive a pat on the back and then walk away still gripped by fear. Sundays aren’t some social club to puff us up as we pay our dues. Sundays can build us up, yes, but Sundays need to rebuke us, too.

God’s Truth transforms us beyond societal norms. It disrupts the evils allowed by cultural reforms. When we stand up for God’s Truth, we must not yield. And when that Truth seems a little rough around the edges, It’s merely the sharpness of the Sword we wield.

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

As Pastor Joe Green of St. Paul’s Missionary Baptist Church in Harrisburg, PA said on Sunday, “The more dangerous the situation, the sharper the Sword,” and I completely agree, the more evil our iniquity, the sharper the Sword must be!

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Social Media is not the boss of me. God‘s Word alone is my authority.

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Social Media is not the boss of me. God‘s Word alone is my authority.

Social media is not the boss of me. God‘s Word alone is my authority.

So much easier to type than to live out among the hype. We live in a world inundated by online connection and frustrated by real life disconnection. It’s a vicious cycle. Apart from putting social media in its proper place, it will keep us running this crazy rat race. Keep us comparing. Keep us competing. Keep us captive to counterfeit connection. We are longing for so much more, and yet we are settling for so much less than Christ alone, and He alone is the very best.

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Let us be FOUND, Lest we be LOST...

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Let us be FOUND, Lest we be LOST...

Let us be FOUND standing firm on the foundation of Biblical Truth, lest we be LOST as we are tossed back and forth by worldly views.


We live in the Information Age (have been for nearly half a century), and we are being bombarded by way too much, far too often, way too fast. It’s called an “information junkie” for a reason. We are not only gorging ourselves with, but we are addicted to, the junk we are being fed, and it’s leaving us so sickening full of the world’s ways, we have little room or appetite left for rich Biblical Truth. We may know a whole lot, but that whole lot of knowledge means a whole lot of nothing when we do a whole lot of nothing with that whole lot of knowledge. It’s a vicious cycle, fueled by empty promises, leaving us less than satisfied and completely unstable.


We think little sound bites of Biblical Truth will be sufficient, when in reality, we are Biblically deficient — craving truth, but settling for an insufficient substitute that does little to truly fill us and a lot to merely thrill us. We’re stuffing ourselves with worldly fluff and forgetting that God’s Word is more than enough.


Worldly knowledge that’s contrary to Biblical wisdom will do nothing but fill us with doubt and toss us about. Without the firm foundation of objective Biblical Truth (that is not subject to change and is solid and stable in every way), we will be lost as we’re tossed in that sea of doubt of subjective world views (constantly changing, fluid and unstable in every way).


He said, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” ~ John 14:6 ESV

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We Cannot Truly Shine Bright Apart From Reflecting The One True Light

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We Cannot Truly Shine Bright Apart From Reflecting The One True Light

An early morning drive by the light of a full moon gave me a visual reminder of this Biblical Truth.

Reflecting His Glory. His. Not ours. Not the world’s. The Glory is His and His alone. Not until we realize and walk in that Truth, will we truly be able to reflect and live out that Truth. Reflecting His Glory is a concept so contrary to the ways of the world that it clashes with the “rays” of the world.

We all long to shine bright, right? Make a difference? Be the change?

Truth is: we can’t, we never have, and we never will...apart from Him.

What is manmade or manufactured will malfunction. Artificial light will always dim and eventually burn out. You can change bulbs or batteries in an effort to keep things bright, but eventually anything in and of this world will lose its light, will cease to shine, will grow dark.

But the SUN is always shining, whether we see it or not. It will not lose its light, cease to shine, or grow dark. And the SON is our source of LIGHT and LIFE as well. He defeated spiritual darkness by defeating death, and He was and is and forever will be the LIGHT OF THE WORLD.

Because He is the source of LIFE and the source of LIGHT, things that truly make a difference, things of eternal significance, do not happen apart from Him.

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We Will Go the Way of What We're Willing to Say

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We Will Go the Way of What We're Willing to Say

Another post…another poem about truth. I hope that’s ok. Since this is what’s been heavy on my heart, I might as well “practice what I preach” or more accurately, “post what I speak.” To see the poem I posted prior to this one, click here.

And now, without further adieu, another poem I wrote just for you (and for me, too)…

We will go the way

of what we’re willing to say…

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Deep Calls to Deep

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Deep Calls to Deep

“Deep is calling out to deep, and it’s calling out to those who want to go deep.”

I recently heard this quote, and like a few others I’ve heard from Pastor Joe Green, it resonated deeply. Now y’all know, I love a good quote. The catchier, the better, right? But more than tickle my ears, this one touched my spirit. It stuck in a way I can’t quite explain. I promise I’ll try for the sake of this post, but more than my feeble attempt to dive deeper into the meaning of Pastor Green’s words with my words, I’m praying for us all to have a passion and desire to dive deeper into God’s Word.It is only in His Word we will find the only truth in which to trust, the only depth in which to delve, and the only hope in which to hope. Nothing else will satisfy. This is not something new, it is an age old truth, and it is truly calling out to me and you...

“Deep is calling out to deep, and it’s calling out to those who want to go deep.”

“Deep calls to deep at the roar of your waterfalls; all your breakers and your waves have gone over me.” ~ Psalm‬ ‭42:7‬ ‭ESV‬‬

God’s desire for His people is not that we would pick and choose the truths that are easy to use. In fact, when we do that, we often misuse and abuse God’s truth and its original intent to not only inform us, but transform us.

We cheapen grace every time we justify sin.

Sin was evil then, and it’s evil now. Yes, those in Christ are covered by His blood, and His grace is powerful and sufficient enough to cover our sin and make us right with Him. But Paul says in the New Testament,

“What shall we say then? Are we to continue in sin that grace may abound? By no means! How can we who died to sin still live in it?” ~ Romans‬ ‭6:1-2‬ ‭ESV‬‬

What was evil then, is evil now. Just because God loved us so much to make a way through His son, Jesus, to save us from sin, does not mean He suddenly changed His mind in regard to how He feels about sin or what He defines as sin.

If it was an abomination to the God of all creation, then who are we to think just because He set us free from the bondage of that sin, we are free to continue in that sin? The perpetuation of any abomination grieves the heart of the Father who sent His son for our sanctification. Like Paul said, “By no means! How can we who died to sin still live in it?” ~ Romans 6:2

“Deep is calling out to deep, and it’s calling out to those who want to go deep.”

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A word to the wise about compromise...

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A word to the wise about compromise...

It is not wise to compromise

when you trade

the truth of God’s Word

for a world full of lies.


Yeah, I know,

we are called to live in it,

but we are also called to stand out,

be set apart, not just comfortably fit.


It takes bravery

to go against the grain

and perseverance in the times

we feel like we’re going insane.


Since when has

being proud of sin

become our go to response

in hopes not to offend?


Christians, God’s standard

is sweetened by His grace,

and to continue in sin,

is like spitting in His face


Mocking the one

who went to the cross,

He paid the penalty for our sins,

our gain was His loss.


This isn’t some game

where we’re keeping the score.

Wear your mask and shut up

because those that do love more.


This is a matter

of life and death,

not just physical, but eternal,

beyond our last breath.


It’s spiritual, folks.

We must open our eyes.

The enemy’s at work

with all this compromise.


We’re confused and hurt

and we’re losing our minds.

But God is still God,

complete and divine.


We can tiptoe around words

trying to be politically correct,

Or we can open the Word,

and receive a Word we must never forget,

never neglect,

and will never ever regret.


When we compromise,

we perpetuate lies,

staying hidden in disguise,

while others chastise,

and please hear me when I say,

this is not wise,

it will lead to our demise.


It’s dangerous.

It’s deadly.

It’s time to stop

the insanity.


It is not wise to compromise

when you trade

the truth of God’s Word

for a world full of lies.

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Conversations > Cancellations

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Conversations > Cancellations

We must have conversations about objective truth because they are so much greater and far more effective than cancellations over subjective truth.

TRUTH, God’s Truth, to a believer of that truth, is verifiable, undeniable, indisputable, non-negotiable, actual, factual TRUTH.

It is objective, not subjective. The object of that truth is Jesus Christ Himself, and that truth is not subject to change based on opinions or feelings. If the Gospel is not objective truth to the believer, then what’s the point in believing it? Its veracity gives it authority, and its authority commands our bravery — bravery to have the hard conversation and not succumb to cancellation.

Now more than ever, our conversations about truth have been sabotaged by our dissenting definitions of truth. In order for truth to be defendable, it must be objective, based on facts and logic, free of individual subjectivity or relativism.

Obviously, I’m approaching this conversation from a Biblical Worldview, with the Bible, the very Word of God, being the ultimate authority on truth when viewing the world and all that is going on in it. I have wrestled with and reconciled this for myself, as I have trusted Jesus Christ, the son of God, as my Lord and Savior.

As a child of God, my highest calling is to know Him and make Him known, and I believe all who have trusted Him, all Christians, should view the world with that same objective, authoritative Biblical Truth as their lens lest we get confused and cower to the ways of this world that are contrary, crafty, and cunning — so much so they threaten to lead us further and further away from that objective truth that urges us to stay.

Whether you’re a great theologian or a great big skeptic, one of the world’s smartest academics or struggle to make sense of common logic, whether you are a conspiracy theorist, right or left wing activist, a BLM supporter or CRT purporter, whether you are an MD with a PhD or you have no degree and would rather agree to disagree, if you have placed your trust and hope in Christ, you have been called to stand up for Truth. Standing up for Biblical Truth requires releasing “lesser truths” that are subject to change and receiving “the only truth” that leads to life change.

We all want to know what’s right and what’s wrong, and guess what? The Bible has defined that all along. And if we claim to believe it, we must show we believe it, by the way we receive it, apply it and no longer deny it in our conversations about truth.

We’re all called to be apologists — not to apologize for our faith, but to defend our faith, and all the more against the opposition we face.

We must practice standing up and speaking up or our default will be to sit down and shut up. It’s like playing an instrument or sport, the more your practice it, the better you’ll get at it. Start in safe spaces, but have the conversations. They will become more challenging, but you’ll be better equipped to have them the less you shy away from them.

In an age of silencing and censoring dissenting views, our voices must be louder and stronger when speaking the truth.

We must have conversations about objective truth because they are so much greater and far more effective than cancellations over subjective truth.

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{Revisited & Revised} Culture vs. Scripture. The Difference is Significant. {with real life examples}

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{Revisited & Revised} Culture vs. Scripture. The Difference is Significant. {with real life examples}

Hey there friend! I hope it’s OK that I call you friend. If you are visiting my blog, either for the first time or fairly regularly, I want you to know I consider you just that — a friend.

Friends come in all shapes and sizes, they come and go at different ages and life stages, they can be online or in real life, and I believe one of the indicators of a true friend is they not only encourage and cheer for you, but they challenge and sharpen you.

Recently, an online friend challenged me to revisit this post and add practical examples of each of the four statements that spoke to the difference between culture and scripture. She felt that real life examples would be a powerful addition to the original post. That’s the reason for this new post, this more detailed post, that says the same thing, but in a slightly different, and hopefully more relatable way.

I pray it encourages you just as much as the challenge to evaluate and enhance the post encouraged me. I am a firm believer that when we seek to know more, we can always grow more.

So, Gina, this is for you, but I pray it blesses others, too...

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Culture vs. Scripture. The Difference is Significant.

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Culture vs. Scripture. The Difference is Significant.

Culture cancels. Scripture counsels.

Culture condemns. Scripture convicts.

Culture corrupts. Scripture corrects.

Culture twists the truth. Scripture tells the truth.

The way of the world will always be just that — the world’s way, playing by the world’s rules, defined by the world’s truth. It is secular at its roots; therefore it will always produce Godless fruit.

Yes. God made the world. And it was good. And then sin, introduced by Satan, made it bad. But then forgiveness, offered by God through His son, gave it hope for good. His goodness exists whether we embrace it or not. His truth is true whether we agree with it or not.

To discern His truth and see His good, to believe His truth produces a good good enough to overcome all the bad is to surrender our way and submit to His way. He knows the way. He made a way. He is the way, and His way is so much better than the way of the world, because it is redemptive and restorative while the world’s way, well, it’s just not.

Culture, the way of the world, cancels, condemns, corrupts, all by twisting the truth. Scripture, the way of the Word, counsels, convicts, corrects, all by telling the truth.

He reveals His way in His Word. We will not know and discern wisdom and truth without it.

We will cave to and be consumed by culture if we do not crave and consume scripture.

We recognize the difference between culture and scripture when we realize the significance their difference has on our lives.

Good cannot grow from bad. Truth cannot be found in lies. Light cannot be manufactured by darkness. However, Good can overcome the bad. Truth can root out the lies. Light can overcome the darkness.

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The Great Mask Debate {Revisited}

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The Great Mask Debate {Revisited}

Revisiting “The Great Mask Debate” post from late summer 2020 — (about five months ago and about five months in to the pandemic). It sparked a lot of feedback on social media, on both sides, and I appreciated the honest discussion. I’m revisiting the post since visiting some college friends recently had me in airports and on planes masked up for hours along with so many others with lots of time to contemplate the great mask debate.

I know a piece of cloth covering your nose and mouth seems like a pretty trivial topic of discussion, but conspiracy theories aside, I still believe it’s indicative of a greater masking. One that is silencing and censoring anything contrary to the controlling narrative, and to me, that’s downright dangerous and threatens way more than our physical well being by blurring and sometimes blinding what our spiritual eyes are seeing.

Listen, I know it’s tricky. I know a lot of us disagree right now on a lot of things, even those of us who have historically agreed on just about everything. But now that a pandemic has plagued us and a political battle has enraged us, the various opinions of people in our lives have engaged us in conversation and in conflict.

We find ourselves at odds more now than ever before. These issues and our responses to them have pitted us against each other and left us wondering what in the world is going on and who is right and who is wrong.

Well, friends, it didn’t happen overnight. The enemy has been at work long before the onslaught of a pandemic, and just because it may seem he’s upped his game, he’s not all to blame. We, as Christians, also have a role to play and Biblical truth to proclaim.

I asked this question in that original mask post (you can find it in its entirety below), and I’ll ask it again, “Who have we believed?” And I’ll take it a step further and ask, “Are we being deceived?” Are we blindly trusting man and his mandates over God and His commandments?

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The Great Mask Debate

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The Great Mask Debate

This was originally posted on Instagram and Facebook on September 7th (before I started this blog). I’m posting this on the blog today, because I am sharing a follow-up past today as well entitled: The Great Mask Debate {Revisited}.

Welp. This is way harder than I imagined. I’ve typed, deleted, and retyped. I’ve overthought and under cared. I’ve under thought and over cared. I’ve read and reread my words, held them up to God’s Word, and prayed they’d be the right words — words that don’t neglect others’ feelings but still reflect God’s truth.

Being brave is hard, but I guess that’s the point, right? It’s all heart, but it doesn’t forget its head. It sometimes reins in the passion in order to accomplish its purpose. Balancing being soft spoken and outspoken requires a dexterity of discernment that loves others by both taming the tongue and telling the truth. So, here’s my feeble attempt to do just that...

I cannot be indifferent to what is going on in the world, if I’m called to make a difference in the world. Bravery is more than speaking up with empty words, it’s standing up on the firm foundation of God’s Word.

I am usually not a pot stirrer by nature, but God is a heart stirrer by His Spirit, and He’s been stirring my heart with these questions:

{Tabitha, are you hiding behind your cutesy quotes and propensity to please, all the while being silenced by fear, maybe not fear of a virus, but fear of the cost of standing up in the face of fear? Are you shooting straight, or playing it safe?}

I’m finally weighing in to the great mask debate — not to be a rebel, not to be insensitive and unloving, actually quite the contrary. I believe the most loving thing I can do is speak the truth as I understand it. I believe the most obedient thing I can do is take what I believe God has spoken to my heart and share it with yours. I believe the bravest thing we all can do is trust God together.

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When in doubt...

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When in doubt...

When in doubt, don’t look to the world to figure it out, go deeper into God’s Word where you won’t be tossed about.

I’ve been thinking quite a bit about quite a bit lately. You too, huh? Bouts of pensiveness among the craziness of this past year and a half? Even the strongest among us have, at some point, doubted something — doubted the statistics, doubted the science, doubted the mandates, doubted the motives. We may have even doubted God.

Honestly, the thing that has me bothered most as I ponder it all, is the fact that in today’s culture, doubting God is praised, while questioning the motives of man is condemned. Seems a little backward to me, but that’s just typical of this wayward society. Why are we allowed (and even encouraged) to doubt a holy, perfect, righteous God, but we are not allowed to (and extremely discouraged if we) question corrupt, flawed, sinful human beings?

So many have not only questioned their sanity, they’re questioning their faith and many are literally jumping ship as they dive head first into a sea of doubt. I believe this sea of doubt is made up of torrent waves of progressivism, deconstruction, reconstruction, and other forms of evolutionary faith — faith that is fluid and fickle, not foundational and factual. Any faith that is fluid will not hold fast in times of trial. Swimming in this sea of doubt is dangerous and destructive, and it will destroy anyone who lets this doubt consume them.

Then we will no longer be immature like children. We won’t be tossed and blown about by every wind of new teaching. We will not be influenced when people try to trick us with lies so clever they sound like the truth. ~ Ephesians 4:14

But when you ask him, be sure that your faith is in God alone. Do not waver, for a person with divided loyalty is as unsettled as a wave of the sea that is blown and tossed by the wind. ~ James 1:6

When you choose to swim in a sea of doubt, you will be tossed about. The waters in this sea are dark and deep. There is no anchor of truth to steady you. There is no lifeboat of proof to rescue you. There is no lighthouse of hope to guide you.

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abide.

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abide.

abide. My one word for 2021. I’ve been studying it closely for the past two years, but it only took me a couple days to decide that in 2021 (and beyond) this is where I want to stay. Safe and secure in Him.

abide. Honestly, the mere thought of focusing on this one word throughout this new year brings peace to my troubled heart. There’s no magic formula in picking one word for the year, and believe me there is no power in the word itself, but oh is there power in the Word of God to help us live it out no matter what this year brings about!

{a little aside, and then back to abide... vision was my one word for 2020. Seemed appropriate, right?!? Well, I can tell you now, on the other side of 2020, hindsight truly is 20/20. In a year of so much chaos and confusion, God’s Word, His Truth, His Way has never been clearer. Life Giving Gospel Truth calling me to be brave as I simply stay and abide...}

abide. A small word that silently screams “be still,” yet harnesses so much power and potential. I want abiding to be more than a topic of study, I long for it to be a new rhythm — a pace I’ll learn to embrace as God continues to embrace me. He holds me fast. I stay. He leads. I follow. He speaks. I listen. He prompts. I obey.

abide. The very structure of the word personifies its meaning — symmetrical and seeming to flow rhythmically through the ups and downs of vowel, consonant, vowel, consonant, and vowel. The long “i” — longing to stay planted, rooted, and established in the very center of the word (much like I long to stay planted, rooted, and established in the very center of God’s will. That little letter — safe and secure in that little word — cushioned by the “b” and “d,” as if God is whispering, “I’ve got you. I’m holding you there.”

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His Ever Present Light is Greater Than This Present Darkness

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His Ever Present Light is Greater Than This Present Darkness

This. Present. Darkness.

I heard these three words strung together as Chelsey, the host of the Living with Less Podcast quoted verse 12 of Ephesians 6 in the English Standard Version. This verse is found in the passage of scripture that explains what the armor of God is and why we, as Christians, should take up this armor every single day.

When I heard Chelsey say these words, and read them again in God’s Word, it reminded me of a book I read years ago when I first started walking with the Lord. The book, This Present Darkness by Frank Peretti, is a fictional allegory that sheds light on a spiritual reality. There’s a reason God gives us His armor. We are at war with the forces of evil. Light vs Dark. Good vs Evil. God vs Satan.

The sole purpose of the armor of God is to battle THIS PRESENT DARKNESS.

THIS. As in “This” right here, not “that” over there. It is right in front of us. It is creeping up behind us, and it is all around us seeking to devour us. It is THIS present darkness. This one here, up close and personal. Not “that” one, way over there, far away, staying at bay.

PRESENT. As in present, not absent. It is here and accounted for. It is not missing in action, on leave, or excused. It is PRESENT. It is also PRESENT. As in present tense, not past or future tense (although it was present then and will be until the end). It is PRESENT. Right here and right now.

DARKNESS. As in pure evil. Vile. I think there’s a reason evil and vile are made up of the same letters. It doesn’t matter how you try to change it, rearrange it, or explain it, evil is evil, vile is vile, and both are wicked and sick and lead to destruction and death.

I’ve been thinking about this present darkness quite a bit lately. I know that probably seems pretty morbid, but I think my mind goes there because this darkness is so evidently here. THIS DARKNESS is PRESENTLY PRESENT. Here and now. Not a thing of the past or a future threat. And it is trying to not only dim the Light, but to diminish it altogether.

Yes, the presence of darkness is all around us, and this present darkness is trying to confound us.

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In the War of Words, it's Time for A Better Word

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In the War of Words, it's Time for A Better Word

Are you weary from the war of words in today’s world? Are you confused by the chaos in the words you read and hear (and maybe even repeat and share) from so many news sources and popular opinions? Are you saddened (and sometimes sickened) by the downward spiral these words start in your heart and the vicious cycle they perpetuate in your mind?

Me, too. So, ya know what? I’m at war against them. I’d love to have you join me in battle.

The war that’s waging in our heads and hearts (and in the world at large) is not a war we can fight with weak words, because it’s not a battle against flesh and blood...

“For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.” Ephesians 6:12

And in order to battle this “war of words” and defeat the ones that twist & turn the truth and confuse & confound the confident, we must use different words, better words. We must wield THE ONLY WORD, because other words must yield to God’s Word.

God’s Word speaks A BETTER WORD.

DO YOU KNOW THAT BETTER WORD?

Does it ring true in your heart among ideologies that try to influence it?

Does it hold steady in spite of the opinions that try to confuse it?

Does it stand defiant against the condemnation that tries to persuade it?

Does it speak confidently over the lies that try to silence it?

God’s Word is the BETTER WORD. “The precious blood of Christ speaks a BETTER WORD.” The Gospel Truth is the BEST WORD, and praise God, it’s THE FINAL WORD.

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Advent: Restful Anticipating, not Stressful Waiting

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Advent: Restful Anticipating, not Stressful Waiting

Advent 2020 is upon us, and I don’t know about you, but it’s about time 2020 gives us some good news, even if that good news is not necessarily new news since we revisit this familiar story at this time every year, and even if that good news is not necessarily new news since it has been told for over two millennia.

It may not be new news, but it is the Good News, and that is the best news indeed! The Gospel began with a journey, not just a journey to Bethlehem, but a journey to introduce us to Him — that babe in a manger who would become our Savior invites us into that journey with Him.

Regardless of when you first heard this good news, it is never too early or too late to start waiting in hope by observing Advent. To me, that’s what Advent really is — anticipating the most amazing gift that’s ALREADY BEEN GIVEN. Seems like an oxymoron — waiting for something you already have, but that is exactly why…

Advent is restful anticipating, not stressful waiting.

It’s probably a good thing we revisit this story each year, because I, for one, need the reminder. As a mom of boys, more specifically, as mom of four boys, and now, as mom of four teenage boys, I can assure you that over the years my approach to advent didn’t always invite restful anticipating, but rather incited stressful waiting.

In my attempt to manufacture a meaningful journey to the manger for our family each year, I’d try to find the perfect devotional, the perfect activity, the perfect craft, the perfect resource. Oftentimes, in my search for the perfect Advent experience, I’d forget to search for the Savior, the babe in the manager, perfection Himself. I’d miss the meaning altogether, because I was too busy making it about me and my family, when it is not about me and my family, it’s all about Him and becoming part of His family.

Even still, I am thankful for the years I spent struggling through Advent, because honestly, it was in the struggle the meaning and message came alive in my heart. The struggle refined my motives for teaching my boys the meaning and message. I realized it was better caught than taught. Better lived than learned.

Until Advent invited restful anticipating in my own heart, I would continue to incite stressful waiting in the hearts of others.

So, what does restful anticipating even look like? I’m glad you asked!

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Chew the Meat, Spit Out the Bones. Sound Advice or a Dangerous Lie?

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Chew the Meat, Spit Out the Bones. Sound Advice or a Dangerous Lie?

You may be able to chew the meat and spit out the bones, but you can’t chew the meat and spit out the poison.

Maybe you’ve heard part or all of this clever expression, and while it may be quite clever, it’s also rather concerning.

I‘ve actually heard it quoted a couple times recently, once during a conversation between Allie Beth Stuckey and Dr. Neil Shenvi, and Dr. Shenvi’s addition of the poison component resonated so very deeply in my troubled heart.

I’ve been thinking a lot about the seeming innocence of the first part of this expression in juxtaposition to the dangerous toxicity of the latter half.

In light of the many false narratives circulating among our culture and the false gospels creeping into our churches, I’m feeling an urge to call it out — not to stir the pot, but to stir your heart.

What “gospel” are you reading? And who are you believing? Are you listening and learning out of guilt? Are you being convinced your very moral foundation must be rebuilt?

There are a lot of new ideologies floating around out there, with seemingly innocent and somewhat good messages, but the truth of the matter is, there is only one truth that matters — the Gospel Truth.

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In a Year of Curve Balls, Free Falls, and Duty Calls, We need to Align with the True Plumb Line

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In a Year of Curve Balls, Free Falls, and Duty Calls, We need to Align with the True Plumb Line

Oh 2020, you’ve been full of curve balls, free falls, and duty calls.

Curve balls that have consisted of cancelations, closures, and the craziness covid invited into our daily lives.

Free falls that have felt a bit out of control and left us not knowing how to pull the cord, when to open the chute, or where we should land.

Duty calls. We’ve voted so our voice could be heard. We’ve prayed so His voice would be the final word.

We’ve questioned our sanity. But even that doesn’t change reality. 2 + 2 = 4. Always and forever. When things in our world aren’t quite adding up, it’s time to get back to the basics (because it’s highly probable someone’s been skewing the equations)...

Gospel Truth through the lens of a Biblical Worldview. He died once. For all. Sin divides us. Jesus unites us.

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