The Nesting Place: A Book Review

I can't tell you how many times the following words have flowed quickly out of my mouth when a guest arrives at our home for the first time: "Please ignore the paint color in this room, we hope to get around to painting it soon.  And I'm sorry for the rip in our couch, we are currently saving up to get a new one." 

If anyone new comes to our home, I am the first person to point out everything negative about our home.  It's like I need to give an explanation for why something looks the way it is before someone looks at it and they judge me.  It's twisted and weird, but I constantly do it.   

That's why I love Myquillyn Smith's book, "The Nesting Place," because she doesn't just give tips on how to decorate your home, she invites you to evaluate how you view your home in general.  She also provided some VERY convicting words of wisdom like this one:

"Stop apologizing for your home, it makes guests feel uncomfortable, it encourages discontentment, and your husband could be hurt if he feels you apologizing for what he's provided."

Yeah, I'd say I needed to hear those words.  Instead, Smith encourages imperfections in our home, saying "imperfections play an important role, they put people at ease and people feel they can be real... when a home is perfect, I start thinking of myself and wonder if I can move a pillow or I worry about how to act."

And she then proceeds to break down the purpose of the home, asking how you want people to feel when they visit your home.  Do you want it to be a place to connect?  Then prioritize good conversation and plenty of comfortable seating.  Do you want it to be a place of inspiration?  Then pay attention to what inspires me and start collecting inspiring mementos.  By her asking these simple questions it led me to think what is the priority in my home?  After writing down some notes I decided that an important one is having plenty of space for Jake and his friends to place.  So, we did something as simple as switching the direction of our carpet and our coffee table so Jake had more carpet space to play on the floor (and let's be honest, so I could sit down with him, too!)  because we have all wooden floors in our home.

She also gives some great practical tips:

• Move the furniture around- easy and cheap way to change the look of your home
• Make your home useful for the life stage you are at
• Home is less about stuff and more about people
• Take risks
• Quiet the room: remove all but rugs, furniture, and drapes.  This lets you see the room and what it really needs- new drapes, new paint, etc.  Then, try to find a signature piece for that room.
• Start in the room you spend most time in then determine the purpose for that room
• Don't buy sets, buy unique pieces that you can change

I could write SO much about this book, but these are the big things that really stood out to me from her book, as well as all the beautiful pictures!  I love her perspective on the home and would highly recommend to anyone picking up this book- plus I hear you can get it on kindle for $2.99 right now which is a steal :)

What I'm Learning in the Adoption Process

Dan and I have almost 15 hours of training videos to watch for our home study on top of all the paperwork to complete (insert terrified emoji face here).  Initially I was a little nervous about completing these, and let me assure you, we still have plenty to do!  However, they actually have been very eye opening.  Our child most likely will have been living in an orphanage for most, if not their whole life.  All they will know is the orphanage.  One of the videos discusses how it is common for a child to hide food when they get to your home because where they used to live, food wasn't given to them freely.  They had one chance to eat at breakfast, lunch, and dinner, and that was it.  If you didn't eat you didn't get food until the next meal.  So when they arrive at your home, they aren't used to having an abundance of food, so they store it away just in case they don't get their next meal.

Similarly, in a book I'm reading called, "Adopted for Life," by Russell Moore, he mentions how "we must learn to be children, not orphans.  When my sons arrived [ from Russia ], their legal status was not ambiguous at all.  They were our kids.  But their wants and affections were still atrophied by a year in the orphanage.  They didn't know that flies on their faces were bad.  They didn't know that a strange man feeding them their first scary gulps of solid food wasn't a torturer.  Life in the cribs alone must have seemed like freedom."

Moore tells his sons that they won't miss that orphanage, but they do.  That is all they know.  In a different way we do the same thing when it comes to our relationship with God.  When we become a Christian, we have a whole new, wonderful and awesome life waiting for us. God doesn't just set us free from the power of sin in our lives and leave, he invites us into His home we become His kids.  We have a spotted past and an uncertain future yet God set out on a mission to rescue us from despair and he signed the papers and took us home.

 However, even after we become Christians we don't always believe that God will be there for us so we hold onto what we know.  When God pushes us to try new things, we resist and say God isn't good to us.  God asks us to trust Him to take care of us and we're scared to give up control so we run back to the old life we are more comfortable with, even if we are offered infinitely more.

What broke my heart in Moore's book is when he said that the the orphanages in Russia were eerily silent because the babies in the orphanage didn't cry - they just rocked themselves back and forth in their beds.  They didn't cry because no one responded to their cries, so they just stopped.  He goes on to say that he knew the moment his boys first received them was when they walked out of the room for the last time on their first trip [they had to make two trips like we will have to].  Their youngest son fell back in his crib and cried, and "that was the first time they heard him do it, because for whatever reason, he seemed to think he'd be heard and, for whatever reason, he no longer liked the prospect of being alone in the dark."  

They had tasted what it was like to have a mother and father who loved them and took care of them and they didn't want them to leave.  You guys, right around this point I was bawling reading this book.  Not just because it breaks my heart to think about orphans around the world in similar situations, but also because this must be how God feels for us.  When He sees us actually get it.  When we finally get that our identity is found in Him and it changes us completely- how we live and how we see ourselves. And we finally taste it and we don't want to ever be without it again.

God is seriously rocking our world with this adoption process.  He's not just preparing us to bring home a child.  He's changing how we view our relationships with Him.  I pray that I can be oh so patient with our little girl or boy.  That God will remind me of myself when I have to remind our child that they are indeed our child.  That we won't leave them.  That we will feed them lunch.  That we will take care of them.  That we will come back for them when we drop them off in the nursery at church.  And in turn I know I will be reminded of the grace that God gives me when I forget Whose I am and Who is taking care of me.  

Oh, friends.  This is only the beginning of such a long journey and we are learning so so much.

Parenting the Wholehearted Child- a book review

I seriously cannot recommend this book enough.  I purchased it on our kindle for something like 2.99 and it was some of the best money I have spent- honestly!  I have learned SO much from Jeannie Cunnion and she gives such practical wisdom on how to parent.  There are a lot of good "theoretical" parenting books out there, and don't get me wrong, I love those and you really need those, but Jeannie does such a great mix of both- sharing her heart behind how to parent well and then gives examples of how to do that (by God's grace).  She also gives some great resources from other authors throughout her book as well.  So Lord willing, I will just give a short review and not basically copy and paste her whole book here :)  I am not going to cover every chapter but these were some things that really stuck out to me.

Main Theme

Her main point: raising wholehearted kids: kids who live in the freedom found in being wholeheartedly and unconditionally loved by God.  Her first few chapters are spent on speaking directly to parents and encouraging us to make sure we are spending time with God so that our kids can get the best parts of us. I wrote down this verse to memorize on the tough days "Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up." Galatians 6:9.

First things First

A huge take away for me was how we approach "seeds" ie: prayer, Bible reading, scripture memorization, worship, and service with our kids.  She created a chart that showed how we first need to teach our kids about their identity in Christ- reminding them that they are unconditionally loved by God, then we can encourage the "seeds" because those things nurture and develop their identity in Christ.  You can't force prayer, Bible reading, etc without first sharing who God is and what that means for our kids, or they will reach a point where they start wondering why we are forcing them to read the Bible, serve other people, etc.  We want to first share the "why" we do these things- and it's not a check list to earn favor with God, it's to nurture our relationship with God because of what He has done for us.

Prayer

I LOVED her tips on how to teach your kids how to pray.  Some of us have heard of the adults version of "ACTS: Adoration, Confession, Thanksgiving, Supplication."  Basically it is a helpful acronym for what to pray.  She created something similar for kids to help teach them how to pray: Wow (God you are so great because...) , I'm sorry (please forgive me for ...), Thank you, and Please.  She also said if your kids are resisting prayer/ are uncomfortable, to ask them questions like "where did you experience God today?" or "what were your highs or lows" so this can start to show your kids that God is in the details of their life.

Life Verse

Dan and I picked out a verse for Jake when he was born and it is basically our "prayer" for him in a way (1 Samuel 12:24).  However I liked what Jennie does with hers- she picks a verse that God put on her heart either when she got pregnant with them or when they were born.  She wants them to read that verse knowing that God started their story even before they can remember.  It is a reminder that God is for them, He has a purpose for their life and they are apart of something greater.  Basically she wants to show them that this is how their "story" started. 

Worship

Do I present church/ worship as something we have to do or something we get to do?  In church am I smiling at them or snuggling with them or am I constantly correcting and shushing? 

Obedience

This part of her book not only changed my parenting view, but changed my view of God in general.  She shared that how we present to our kids the question of "why do we obey God's Word and follow His 'rules' in the Bible?" is huge.  And her response was so helpful to me:  Aren't God's instructions for righteous living an invitation to experience a more intimate relationship with Him?  Aren't His commandments intended to equip and bless us for the purpose of which we were created for?  Isn't His call to obedience actually the blueprint to abundant life and freedom from slavery to sin?  Jeannie encouraged us to share with our kids that we don't obey God's word because we have to- we actually obey God's Word because that is what brings us JOY.  God created us and therefore He knows how humans work.  He knows that we experience freedom when we confess our sin and say we are sorry that is why He tells us to do so.  God knows that this world doesn't offer things that ultimately bring true satisfaction that is why He tells us to read His Word and spend time in prayer because those are the things that bring true satisfaction in life. 

Freedom

She also shares how there is so much freedom in embracing the fact that our primary purpose in life is not to point to ourselves as the ultimate model for our kids but to point away from ourselves and to Jesus.  Am I more focused on what I want my kids to be doing or am I pointing them back to their need for Jesus and what He has done for them? 

Respect

Another tip I love is that she says to constantly ask questions such as, "How does it make you feel when you are left out or someone takes a toy from you?"  If we ask questions our kids are required to think deeply about what they are doing as opposed to us just saying, "Give that toy back!"

Self Control

I probably should memorize this chapter considering the toddler phase I am in right now.  She had some great advice for me.  First, she said I need to show a spirit of self control or I will teach my kids to do what I'm doing- outbursts, yelling, etc.   Here were some tips she gave that worked for her 3 boys were these when it came to helping them with self control:

• Have them show her their hands if they were hitting
• Use words not hands
• Help them come up with a plan of how to handle themselves
• Count or take deep breaths

Kindness

Each of our kids were created with unique gifts so encourage your kids to celebrate each others successes.  As a mom, we need to remember that kindness leads to repentance, so are we being kind and building up our kids or are we tearing them down?

Thankfulness

In a world that is filled with so much entitlement, this is going to be a difficult one to implement, but my prayer is that we can raise Jake to be thankful- realizing everything he has is a gift from God.  I also want to foster an overwhelming awareness of God's grace by teaching him what Jesus has done.  Instead of allowing our kids to complain, we can have them name something they are thankful for- being thankful changes the trajectory of our hearts. 

Peacemaking

I loved this chapter because who doesn't want a peaceful home?  She first tackles the issue of tattling and asks her kids when they are tattling, "are you being a peacemaker or trying to get your brother in trouble?"  She identifies that the root of tattling with her kids (and most kids) is pride and self righteousness- I'm the good guy and he's the bad guy.  One of her main points in this chapter is to encourage your kids to develop problem solving skills to solve issue themselves as opposed to coming to her at the first sign of an argument- and she gives some helpful steps on how she does this.

Authority, Training, and Instructing

I seriously underlined almost everything in these chapters but I'll spare you all of those details.  As with most parenting books I've read recently- she agrees that you shouldn't make kids obey out of fear and guilt because it doesn't change the heart.  I liked her principle of "respectful and reasonable."  When she asks her kids to do something (whether it's leaving the park, coming to the kitchen to eat, etc) she expects them to listen and obey, however, they can ask a reasonable request in a respectful manner, such as "Can I come to the table after I'm done reading this page?"  Some parenting books talk about how your kids need to listen right away without delay, but I like her principle because it seems more realistic to me (allowing your kids to respectfully ask questions as opposed to obeying immediately every single time) and she is encouraging her kids not to wine and complain.  Another take away from this chapter for me was when she encouraged parents to use specifics when praising your kids or asking them questions.  Instead of asking, "are you being a good boy?" ask, "are you being kind and gentle? Or are you being a peacemaker?"  I lastly loved how she encouraged parents not to always be on "sin patrol" but to look for the moments where we can encourage them- and to also be specific with that as well. 

Discipline

Jeannie begins this chapter by encouraging us to teach our kids about sin and what it does to our hearts, mind, and soul.  We have to tell them about sin so they see themselves in need of a Savior.  We also want to tell our kids that we discipline them because we want them to grow into the man (or woman) of God that they were created to be.  We need to come alongside them to help them understand the root of sin, instead of responding to our kids by saying, "How could you?" when they do something wrong.  Those are big opportunities to tell our kids about Jesus.  I know this may seem so obvious, but even her talking about setting realistic expectations was really helpful for me to read, such as don't expect your toddler to be a perfect angel if you're taking them out to eat at 8:30 at night.  These are the steps she uses when she disciplines: 

1. Why are you being disciplined (explain what they did)

2. Why did you disobey? (point to our fallen nature- aka sin)

3. How could you have responded differently? (good time to point them to Bible verses)

4. Now- Discipline (usually it is a logical consequence that correlates to the behavior such as a loss of privilege, time out, or spanking)

I know that was way more than I intended on writing but this book had SUCH good stuff in it that I wanted to share it all.  I have this problem where I can't just read books, I need to underline things then take notes on it later.  It seriously helps me remember all the info better (I guess I still think I'm in grad school lol)  Anyway, I hope you were encouraged by this in one way or another :)  Obviously if you're a parent, I highly recommend this book!  

Let's talk about organization

I love ALL things about organization.  I could pin thousands of pins on pinterest about it.  I could sort through a new drawer everyday and take everything out and put everything back in just how I want it.  I've always told Dan I would love being a secretary, to which he responds, "I can't believe you would say that.. however if I could hire you I totally would."  To some people, like Dan, organization does not sound like fun- the last way he would want to spend his time is organizing.  But, when we moved out here to New York, he took on a whole new job with lots of responsibility- including the monotonous tasks of filing things and keeping track of tons of papers (he's in HR :) ), so I tried to figure out a way that I could help him.

A couple years back we hired a new co worker at Trinity named Nicole and she talked about this "system" called "Getting Things Done."  My boss eventually jumped on the bandwagon but at the time I kind of had my own little system for my event planning job so I didn't pay too much attention to it.  When I started talking to Dan about his job, I figured it couldn't hurt to read the book and maybe I could gain some tips to pass onto Dan.  Needless to say, it was 100% my kind of book.

A lot of the stuff he says isn't revolutionary, it just makes sense.  He starts out by showing us that the single largest consumer of our time and energy is preoccupation with things you have to do- so the real issue is how we make choices about what we want to do at any given time.  We are constantly thinking about what we need to do or wondering what we should do next, so his theory is: 

1. Write down every single thing that is on your mind.  Seriously.. everything from watering the plant in your guest room to picking up Johnny from school.
2. Turn those things into action steps- {huge step} So don't just write down "Plan trip to Chicago" write down what the first step is that you need to do- whether it's looking up flights, talking with spouse to figure out a date- he wants you to be very specific.
3. Organize your results in to separate lists {will explain below}
4. Every day review your next actions list and use that to determine what your "to do list" is for the day.

Something I really liked was his different list ideas.  He suggests having a couple different lists:
1. Next actions (most immediate things that need done)
2. Waiting list (ie: you emailed someone and you're waiting for them to respond to you about that project)
3. Projects list (can separate by home and work)
4. Someday/ maybe list (books you want to read, vacations you want to take, things you want to buy) etc.
5. Just a basic calendar with meetings, etc.

What makes this so helpful is that now, when you have 5 minutes, you can look at your lists and decide what is the best way you can spend that 5 minutes of time, because you have everything you need to do in front of you.  I have even broken down my "next actions" list into a couple different things like "Stuff to do when Jake naps," "errands to run," "basic next steps."

Then came the fun part for me- create a work space that you enjoy!  Honestly, in a perfect world I would have my own adorable little pinterest styled office right off the living room.  But we don't have that.  We don't even have an office.  So, our dining room table and buffet table is my "office" most days.  However, I purchased some cute office supplies at Target and collected all of our pens, markers, paper, post it notes, rubber bands, scissors, etc. and organized them.  I also bought a couple of these to store all of our paperwork in (bills, taxes, receipts, medical, etc.) and then this binder which I use daily to keep all of my lists in.  I can't even begin to tell you how much fun I had doing this.  Again, I'm type A, so that's probably why :)

There is honestly SO much more to this book from how to keep track of your emails to specifically explaining how to create your lists and sort through pretty much everything that is going on in your life.  He talks about how he meets with CEO's and it can take days to do this part.  For me, a stay at home mom with one little boy, it didn't take me days :)

One of the main things this process did do for me is increase my ability to think about our long term goals and vision for our family and also increase my creativity.  Because I'm not spending time wondering about the little things I should do, I have more time to think about bigger more important things such as, "who can Jake and I bless today?" or "what little project can I tackle while Jake naps?"  Since all of my lists and to do's are right in front of me, every morning I can make a decision knowing that based off of everything that I've thought and prayed through, doing this is the best use of my time.  Obviously, as with everything, not everything can get done when I want it to.  But that's ok, if I can't get it done then that little project I didn't get to will stay on my projects list until I have time later, and I'm not thinking in five days, "what was that project that I wanted to do last Tuesday?"

I love this kind of stuff.  Probably too much but it's something that gets me really excited.  And, if you are thinking you would love a new way to keep your home life, job, etc. organized, I would recommend the read.  From specifically writing down who we can be praying for to restaurants we would like to try out in Binghamton, I feel so much more organized after reading his book and implementing his system.

Thankfulness

The other day I finished a journal.  A journal that I started in 2011.  Crazy, right?!  I wasn't even a mom then.  I was still working and finishing my Masters and we lived in Chicago and life was SO different.  It's a little bittersweet reading over my thoughts and what God was teaching me.  At the end of every journal I take time to read over everything and then I take  notes at the end of my journal on the big things that God was teaching me in that season of life and I honestly couldn't get over what I wrote about thankfulness this time around.  It truly amazes me how gratefulness can effect my life and I couldn't just put aside my journal and leave all the notes I took on thankfulness and One Thousand Gifts aside.  So, on this Thanksgiving, I found it appropriate to remember everything God was teaching me about thankfulness and type up  this list.  Even though this was a tough year for Dan and I in a couple different ways, we have so so much to be thankful for.  How I pray that I can remember this every day and not just on Thanksgiving.  I hope you were able to gather with family  around a wonderful meal, and enjoy reminiscing about all the blessings that you have been given.  I hope this Thanksgiving is one to remember :)

A Book Review: Give them Grace

I have been talking about the book "Give them Grace" for quite some time now.  For me, it is one of those books that I will probably revisit not just for parenting purposes, but simply to be reminded about the importance of the gospel for years to come.  I had many people tell me about this book and I had read blogs that raved about Elyse for months before Jake was born, so I decided to put it on our baby registry and I am so glad that I did.

Honestly I thought this book was going to be about cutting our kids some slack in this day and age where parents are so strict and rigid with rules.  I thought it was going to be about loving them in some sort of "radical" and new way.  To some extent my assumptions were correct, but she shares so much more than that.  As always, there is a lot to talk about with her book, but the main purpose of this post is to share what really impacted me.

Elyse's big principle is that rules ultimately don't change hearts.  For years we have already demonstrated that humans aren't good at keeping the rules.  That doesn't mean that we say heck with rules- obviously kids need boundaries and guidelines.  But what it does mean, is that when our kids fail to keep the rules God has set in the Bible, we use that opportunity as a time to share the gospel with them.  We tell them that as parents we struggle with keeping the rules too, and that's why Jesus came- he kept all the rules perfectly and lived a life without sin- something that we ultimately can't do.  The "rules" (law) in the Bible were meant to point us to a Savior, not to make us discouraged.

I love her chapter where she describes the parenting style of the father in the Parable of the Prodigal Son.  Elyse describes how this good father ultimately welcomes two wicked sons who were outwardly very different but inwardly the same.  Growing up I strived (and still do to some extent) to be the son who did the right thing.  I would have never ran away with my parents money and squandered it.  I was the "good girl."  However, because of this sometimes the good news didn't seem so good to me.  I didn't need Jesus' mercy because (in my eyes) I was already good enough by my outward performance.  That is why it is so important for us as parents to be confessing things like pride and judgment and criticism and envy and selfish ambition.  Because let me tell you, I had a lot of that going on (again... and still do).  Those are all inward sins that our kids don't see in our outward behavior, but they need to know that it exists and ultimately isn't "good." I don't want to teach Jake that religious activity and outward obedience elevates him out of the category of a sinner in need of mercy purely because he has kept the rules I have given him.

Elyse also talks a lot about discipline and the strong need for it.  Shepherding a Child's Heart discusses this as well, but she gives a pretty complete list of scripture that encourages discipline so I will list it for you in case you want to check them out :)

Proverbs 13:24
Proverbs 22:15
Proverbs 23:13-14
Proverbs 29:15
Hebrews 12:7-11

There is so much more in this book I could write about.  She talks about prayer and how we aren't meant to live our lives in Christian bubbles, but there was one last chapter that challenged me in particular.  Some of you have probably heard the Westminister Chatechism's statement: the chief end of man is to glorify God and enjoy Him forever.  Well, Elyse challenges us to evaluate this statement in context of our parenting.  She challenged me when she said that a strong, successful family may not be the way that God has chosen for us to glorify Him.  It could be in weakness and failure.  That is really difficult to think about.  Will I be ok if Jake and Lord willing, our other children, don't turn out to be perfect little, godly children?

"None of us wants to appear weak or incompetent especially when it comes to difficulties in our family.  We hate it when we can't boast about our successful parenting, yet we can grow in our faith to believe that the Lord is sending a particular trial because it glorifies Him." pg 150

As a parent, obviously my goal is that Jake will grow up to be a godly and caring man.  (I somewhat already talked about this in another post) And I will do everything I can to point him in that direction.  However, it was such a good and true reminder when Elyse pointed me to look at the cross- God used an ugly execution to demonstrate his grace, mercy, justice, and love.  He can turn anything that may appear bad into good.

I am sure there will be a lot of ups and downs on this journey in parenthood.  I'm sure each stage will bring new challenges but ultimately I want to shower Jake with grace.  I want to point him to Jesus and show him the gospel and guide him when he is unsure and encourage him when he fails and love him with the love that I have been shown by God.  Pretty big goals, right?  Thankfully there is grace.  And if I fail I will rest in that.  And I pray Jake can see that in my life.

A challenge to myself.

So a while back I wrote a couple posts about Shauna Niequist's books.  They are seriously a breath of fresh air.  Amidst all the intense seminary novels I was reading a year ago, her books were about all I could handle diving into at that time and that seems to be the case now that I have a little one as well!  Dan, being the wonderful husband that he is, preordered her book Bread and Wine for me.  And then, my replacement at Trinity just happens to be her sister in law and she got me a SIGNED copy of Bread and Wine.  Basically what I'm trying to say is that Shauna and I are pretty much bffs now. 

Anyway, I was really excited when she started talking about her next book.  It has a similar feel to her last books, mainly a collection of short stories, but she has a recipe at the end of each one.  I think I enjoyed this one so much because we have very similar thoughts about food- but she's a much better cook then me- hence her publishing a cook book.  I love how she talks about certain foods taking her back to a certain place and time in her life.. because really.. food does that for me, too.  I was trying to explain this to Dan and he laughed at me.  Dan doesn't live to eat, he eats to live.  Which means he can even skip lunch because he's so caught up doing other things.  That is craziness to me.  At breakfast I'm already thinking about lunch.  It's a blessing and curse.

However, I love how Shauna so perfectly puts into words how food is given to us by God to enjoy with one another and how eating meals around the table also creates community.  That is something I have loved here in Chicago.  While I love going out to eat, our budget however does not.  So, our friends have enjoyed having each other over, sharing meals, glasses of wine, and desserts.  Some of my favorite memories here in Chicago have been created over the dinner table.

So, you're probably wondering what the challenge is that I referenced to in the title.  Over the next couple months (or maybe year... a lot of her recipes call for ingredients from Trader Joe's and while there is one literally 2 minutes away from our house now.. in New York the closest one is either in Albany or Rochester.. both are over 2 hours away from where we're going to be living!)  Dan and I know from experience that it takes a while to make new friends when you move to a new city, so we are going to have lots of down time with each other :)  So I figured this is a perfect time to find some new favorite recipes and expand my cooking repertoire.  (I don't think I've ever used that word on this blog.. I hope that made sense...) I've already made a couple of them but I'll post about those recipes later.

Some of her recipes call for ingredients I've never bought (like goat cheese!) but I'm going to try to stick to them as much as I can - this will be a growing experience... really for Dan more than me :)  I'm excited to start cooking new food and sharing it with you along the way!

Thankful

Alas it has been almost 2 weeks and I still don't have my computer back :(  My hope is that they can save everything on it at this point.. we have a LOT of pictures on there.  Oh well.  Hopefully next week then I can share some of the pictures we've taken in the past couple months!

This weekend has been pretty chill- I had my last event of the 2012 -2013 school year last week which is why you didn't hear from me :)  And Jake battled his first fever on Thursday and Friday which was sad- especially since I had to be at work.  However, he definitely couldn't have been in better hands with my mom being here!  Thankfully it's gone now and he's back to his normal self.  Dan and I have both been feeling a little under the weather recently.  Not sure if we picked up something from Jake or what but there has been a lot of sleeping going on here :)

A while back I talked about how I finished the book One Thousand Gifts and I wanted to share with you a brief summary of my thoughts on it.  Since the new year I wanted to focus on thankfulness and have been doing just that for the past (almost 4 months).  It really has changed my perspective on how I view God and the many ways he does bless me throughout the day.  I thought I was a pretty thankful person in general but this book convicted me that I could improve in this area in many more ways!  Ann (the author) is VERY descriptive and at times that is great and at times I found myself skimming over a those details.  Other than that, what the Lord has taught her in regards to thankfulness was really enlightening to me.  Here are some main points/ quotes that I took away from the book:

• The fall (of man) was related to ingratitude.  Humanity was discontent with all that God had freely given them and wanted more. 
• Being thankful allows you to live a full life (reference to Luke 17:17 and the leper that returns to thank Jesus)
• Quote by Julian of Norwich:"For of all the things that our minds can think about God, it is thinking upon his goodness that pleases him most and brings the most profit to our soul."
• Giving thanks slows down time.  When we're busy and rushed throughout our day we miss seeing the blessings God has given us.  
• We wage war with Satan for joy every day.  He tries to keep our eyes off God's goodness.
• "The hard discipline is leaning into the ugly and whispering thanks to transfigure it into beauty."
• Quote by Nicodemus of the Holy Mountain: "Every time you feel in God's creatures something pleasing and attractive, do not let your attention be arrested by them alone, but, passing them by, transfer your thought to God and say: "O my God, if Thy creations are so full of beauty, delight and joy, how infinitely more full of beauty, delight and joy art Though Thyself, Creator of all!"
• "I pay tribute to God by paying attention to Him."
• "Giving thanks creates an appetite for seeking more of God and giving him glory."
• "We don't have to change what we see, only the way we see it."
• The more you count your blessings, the more you see God's goodness toward you and the more you trust in Him.
• "Thanksgiving shapes a theology of trust."
• "It's only when our lives are emptied that we're surprised by how full our life was."
• Pride slays thanksgiving.  A proud man is seldom a grateful man- for he never gets what he deserves.
• Being thankful opens our eyes to how much God loves us.  

I'll share some verses I found on Thanksgiving that I really like later this week :) Happy weekend!

Seven

A couple weeks ago Dan and I were praying about some decisions and Dan brought up the idea of doing a fast.  Now, before you call my doctor on me, don't worry, our fast was not a typical "food fast."  We decided to do a media fast.  I said goodbye to blogging, pinterest, facebook, mindless internet browsing, twitter, tv, radio... trust me there were a LOT of things we could give up in the media realm to allow us to focus on prayer and seeking God.  Then, in our couples study that week we came to the part in the Sermon on the Mount where Jesus talked about fasting, and then a friend in my other Bible Study gave me a book called, "7, An Experimental Mutiny against Excess" by Jen Hatmaker which focused on fasting (without even knowing we were thinking about this).  Something told me this fast was something that God wanted me to do, and this book really showed me the importance of fasting.

Before I talk about this book, I do have to give some disclaimers.  I can't say that I 100% agree with everything in her book.  I believe there were some harsh judgments made about the church, and that at times she pushed her own "agenda" without biblical support.  Unfortunately, at other times, I felt some of the biblical support that was used, was manipulated in such a way to support her agenda.  Now, I know those things sound bad, however, while I felt it necessary to include those disclaimers, I did feel this book challenged me in a way that I needed to be challenged and she did make me look at the importance of fasting in a new light.

Here's the premise of the book: for 7 months she fasts from 7 different things: clothes, shopping, waste, food, possessions, media, and stress.  There are things that stood out to me from each chapter, but here are just a couple:

FOOD

Her first chapter was really convicting for me.  Hatmaker chose to eat only 7 foods for a whole month, and it really opened her eyes to how she thought about food.  As a result, it got me thinking about how I really need to pay more attention of the type of food that enters my body.  While Dan and I don't have the room in our budget to start shopping at Whole Foods and buying purely organic, I do have the ability to watch how much processed food I eat.  Hatmaker says, "I haven't had a glass of orange juice in four years, but I've had no problem drinking Diet Coke, with substantiated links to cancer and kidney failure.  But it's fat free.  My nutritional perspective is so tainted by marketing I've lost touch with common sense." pg. 38. Ouch.  I can relate all too much to this.  Focusing purely on calories and not on nutritional value is not healthy or smart. 

POSSESSIONS

Another thing to note about this book is that it is written in the form of a journal, and some of the things she writes are downright hilarious and literally made me laugh out loud.  Like this comment made in her chapter on possessions regarding getting rid of excess items in her home: "And don't get me started on blankets.  I am uptohere with blankets.  It's not like we live in the frozen tundra or don't enjoy a $250+ month electric habit.  We are not the Ingalls living in the Big Woods while our children, Caroline, Laura, and Mary, huddle together for warmth.  I should invite Michael Jackson's son, Blanket, to live here among his own kind." pg. 78

On a more serious note, she also comments how, "Although my stuff is decreasing, what matters is increasing in equal measure."  pg. 61.  Since it is Lent and typically Christians tend to "give up" something for 40 days, I have received multiple devotionals on fasting.  Anne Voskamp makes a similar comment when she says, "I need empty places so He can fill me...fasting is letting go of more of the world, to lay more hold of God."

At one point Hatmaker explains what she would tell "the 2004 Jen;" she says that she would drive around with her "2004 Jen" to all the extravagant neighborhoods in Austin with their meticulous landscaping and beautifully groomed women with killer wardrobes and perfect bodies, and tell her "This is all meaningless: substitute happiness.  This vicious trap will capture you with no mercy if you get too close.... I would assure her that this affluent lifestyle is a horrible goal.. and that she would be stunned where true happiness actually comes from."  pg. 107

MEDIA

Hatmaker shares some interesting statistics regarding media and how we struggle with focusing on one task for more than 20 minutes without checking our email or twitter, etc.  While I found the statistics she shared pretty interesting, something else she shared really hit me: "I'm just beginning to embrace the liberation that only exists at the bottom, where I have nothing to defend, nothing to protect.  Where it doesn't matter if I'm right or esteemed..I wonder if that's the freedom Jesus meant when He said, "Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven."  In order for Jesus' kingdom to come, my kingdom will have to go, and for the first time I think I'm okay with that." pg. 109

It seems like getting rid of our agenda and stuff allows us to more clearly see Jesus.  

SPENDING

For me, one of the most thought provoking and challenging things said in her book was this: "What Jesus says about the wealthy is that it is terribly hard for "us" to receive the Kingdom.  If this is true, then more than fearing poverty, we should fear prosperity." pg. 159 I can honestly say that while I have feared the thought of not having enough money or stuff, I have never feared becoming too rich that it would negatively effect my relationship with God.

STRESS

In this chapter she really advocates for building a Sabbath into our schedule.  I can't argue with her when she says that the average American is really busy, and we don't stop.  We keep filling our calendars and racing from one activity to the next.  Most of our days we are trying to keep the wheels on and not living in the moment.  pg. 180

In conclusion, she advocates the practice of fasting because it changes you.  "It helps you develop mastery over competing voices in our heads that urge us toward more.  Believe it or not, God can still change us... and not just change our habits, but our hearts." pg. 219.  While she fasted for 7 months on 7 different things and I only fasted for one week... on one thing, I can say I can already agree with this statement.  Just a week of "giving something up" for God already drew me closer to Him.  As Christians we have to remember that Jesus says in the Sermon on the Mount "When you fast..." not "Try to fast" or "If you can squeeze it in this is good for you to do.."  He is assuming we are fasting.  And for someone who doesn't fast, this was really convicting.

Shepherding a Child's Heart

Onto day 2 of my parenting advice from Shepherding a Child's heart.  The other day I framed Tripp's purpose of parenting and gave you some of my thoughts regarding parenting.  Today I hope to share with you some wisdom and advice that Tripp gives in his book.

Your role as an authority figure

"The purpose for your authority in the lives of your children is not to hold them under your power, but to empower them to be self- controlled people living freely under the authority of God."

"You must require obedience of your children because they are called by God to obey and honor you- but you must exercise it as one who truly loves them.  Children generally do not resist authority that is truly kind and selfless."

Changing behavior

"Your children desperately need to understand not only the external "what" they did wrong, but also the internal "why" they did it."

"We often demand changed behavior yet Jesus condemns people who wash the outside of the cup while the inside is still clean.  We demand changed behavior and never address the heart that drives the behavior."

Your concern is to unmasks your child's sin, helping him to understand how it reflects a heart that has strayed.  That leads to the cross of Christ.

We need to address the heart behind why Suzie is yelling at your brother.  The problem is not her yelling, the problem is the anger and bitterness in her heart that her yelling expresses.  Many times we are too focused on correcting external behavior and not focused enough on understanding our kids.

Correction:

"If you allow unholy anger to muddy the correction process, you are wrong.  You need to ask for forgiveness.  Your right to discipline your child is tied to what God has called you to do, not your own agenda.  Unholy anger- anger over the fact that you are not getting what you want form your child- will muddy the waters of discipline.  Sadly, most correction occurs as a by- product of children being an embarrassment or irritation, and the child learns then about the fear of man not the fear of God.   Unholy human anger may teach your children to fear you.  They may even behave better, but it will not bring about biblical righteousness."

"Correction is not displaying your anger at their offenses; it is rather reminding them that their sinful behavior offends God."

"Discipline is an expression of love: Proverbs 3:12, Proverbs 13:24, Proverbs 19:18, Revelation 3:19."

"The rod is not

1. The right to unbridled temper
2. The right to hit our children whenever we wish
3. Venting of frustration
4. Retribution
5. Associated with vindictive anger."

Verse for the Rod: Hebrews 12:11 "No discipline seems pleasant at the time but painful.. later on however it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it."

Other advice in Parenting

"The chief end of man is to glorify God and enjoy him forever; therefore, your objective in every context must be to set a biblical worldview before your children.  From the earliest days, they must be taught that they are creatures made in the image of God- made for God.  They must learn they will only "find themselves" as they find him."

"Well behaved children should be well behaved because it is rooted in love: waiting to eat until everyone is served is showing consideration for those around you (Phil 2:20-21) and your desire to look out for the interests of others."

You must be a good communicator- listening to your kids even from a young age.  If you respond with "uh huh" all the time, they remember that and no wonder teenagers are unresponsive to parents.

Advice for parents of an infant:

"The most important lesson for the child to learn in this period is that He is an individual under authority.  He has been made by God and has a responsibility to obey God in all things. (Ephesians 6:1-3)"

Like I said yesterday, this is the first parenting book I have read, so everything is new and interesting to me.  There were some concepts that Tedd presented that were pretty straight forward and helpful.  It was helpful that Tripp pointed out the biblical reasons for why our children should obey us as parents, when and how it is appropriate to discipline, and how to point out the heart issues in your child.

I don't think that the concepts presented in this book will sink in all at once; I think this is a book I will be referring to at many different times.  I'm looking forward to reading other books on parenting and will share them with you as I read them :) (Hopefully before the baby is born... we'll see!)

Shepherding a Child's Heart

Normally over Christmas break I do my best to catch up on extra reading that I have no time to do when classes are in session.  There are so many great books that I wanted to read, but seeing as Dan and I will be taking on a new role in our lives pretty soon, I dove into a book that Dan's friend, Paul, got us called Shepherding a Child's Heart by Tedd Tripp.  Obviously, I am presenting a review of this book from someone who has never read a parenting book before and has no kids and therefore has no experience in parenting, so I say that as a disclaimer (I don't know if me not being a parent will help or hurt my review of this book... but we have to start somewhere, right?)

I don't have too many criticisms of the book, mainly because I don't have experience to say that has never "worked."  However, this book did open my eyes to just how serious the task of parenting is, and because of that I am thankful it is one of the first books I read on the topic.  This is not something we are going to take lightly; there is much more that comes with getting pregnant than picking our nursery colors, which may come as a surprise to many if you spend all of your time on Pinterest. (I say that sarcastically because I have spent too much time looking at nursery things on Pinterest and our little one won't even have a nursery until October!)

So, with that being said, I'm excited to share with you *some* quotes and advice I learned from this book.  There was a lot that this book covers and I could go much more in depth than I will, but I tried to pull out main themes.  So I don't bore you too much I am going to split it up into two different days.  Today I just want to share with you the main theme of the book, and then in my next post I will share further in detail regarding other parenting tips Tripp gives.

He states:

"The central focus of child-rearing is to bring children to a sober assessment of themselves as sinners.  They must understand the mercy of God, who offered Christ as sacrifice for sinners. The focal point of your discipline and correction must be your children seeing their utter inability to do the things that God requires unless they know the help and strength of God.  Your correction must hold the standard of righteousness as high as God holds it.  God's standard is correct behavior flowing from a heart that loves God and has God's glory as the sole purpose of life.... the alternative is a lesser standard that does not require grace and does not cast them on Christ, but rather on their own resources." pg. 120

Something that I continually kept thinking throughout this whole book is how I need to be constantly in the Word and walking with God to be able to parent well.  If I am supposed to be pointing our kids toward God and showing them His grace and mercy in our everyday living, I need to start seeing that in my life now.  I need to start evaluating my heart and recognizing when I am living in self sufficiency so I can point it out in our kids life.  I need to start recognizing my sin more and asking for forgiveness immediately so I can model for our kids what that looks like.

Parenting is way more than I can handle.  I know I will never be ready for this journey, but I also know that nobody is prepared to be a parent, and nobody is a perfect parent.  Thankfully, we have a perfect God who gave us instruction in His Word on how to parent, and also gives us the grace and mercy we need to be patient, loving, and an encouragement our kids.  While I don't think this parenting thing is going to be a breeze, I do believe it's going to be one of the most fun and rewarding experiences Dan and I will have.  We're so ready ;)

More to come!

New beginnings

There is something I love so much about starting a new journal.  Not only because I like buying new things, but because I anticipate the time when I can go back and read through what God has been doing in my life for the past couple months.

This last journal I had for a whole YEAR.  I think that's a record in my journaling life.  I mean, this journal was big- really big. It didn't fit in my purse, and when I took notes in church I'm pretty sure people would do a double take, or I just assumed if people looked in my direction they were staring at my journal, but either way I was self conscious about it in public.

It actually took me a couple days to go through my journal when I was done.  I'm one of those people who goes back and writes a table of context at the beginning so if I ever need to see notes I took on a certain subject or book I can find it easily.  Come to think of it, I may be the only person I know who does that.  Anyway, the reason why I write in journals is so I can look back and see what God is doing in my life, so I like to keep it organized :)

If you've been reading my blog for a while you'll probably remember when Dan and I wrestled through our decision to continue serving in Jr High  or take a break as our classes at Trinity picked up.  I also read through the quotes that I wrote down from Shauna Niequist's books Cold tangerines & Bittersweet as I got completely lost in those last summer.  Her writing is SO real and raw and I loved every second of it.  If I ever have a quiet moment at home I still sneak those books off my shelf and read a couple stories.  There is something about her writing that connects with me and I love that :)

Because of her love for Michigan and the fact that we got a new camera last year, Dan and I took a trip over Labor Day last year to South Haven and I loved reading about our trip in my journal and the time that we spent with the Lord at their cute coffee shops.

I also really enjoyed looking over the notes I took from all the books I read.  Some of my favorites from this past year were: 

Humility

Just Do Something

When People are Big and God is Small

Think

Forgotten God

Each of these books met me right where I needed to be- whether it was my struggles with people pleasing or Dan and I wrestling with big life decisions, I was so thankful that in between all the reading we have for our classes I was able to get away and read some "less academic" books :)

I also came across journal entries from our Trip to Florida and loved how every single journal entry started off with "Lord I am just so thankful ..." God has been really good to us.

And lastly, a huge chunk of my journal was devoted to all the notes I took at the Gospel Coalition.  We were so so thankful that we could go, and I learned a ton from all of the speakers and breakout sessions.  Those are definitely sections of my journal that I will be looking back on in the future!

So thanks for taking a trip down memory lane with me :)  It honestly warms my heart to look back and read about how God has blessed us this past "journal year" and what He has taught us.  I know there are going to be journals in my life that are more painful to look back on- ones where my prayers are dry and I seem to just be asking God "Why is this happening" or "Why is this not working out," but for now I will continue to praise God through the blessings that He has given us- and use these journals to remember His goodness and mercy.

Satisfaction in the wrong places

I read The Journals of Jim Elliot in college and was so extremely encouraged by it.  His thoughts and dedicated to God were convicting and inspiring.  Here's one journal entry where I too, sadly, can relate to the desire that Jim feels.

April 5th, 1949:

Hosea 13:6 "According to their pasture, so they were filled." Israel's satisfaction depended upon and varied with her environment.  was it the "land of great drought?"  They complained and were hungry.  Was it the "flowing land, " then they found fullness and looked not to the hand of God.  Heart of mine, when wilt thou learn this lesson, not to be dependent upon thy context for joy, but upon this One who says of all His own, "I will heal... I will love them freely."

From The Journals of Jim Elliot

Priority for Today

Today I am meditating on this: 

"Look at the fruit in your own life and let it be a gauge for your own connectedness.  Do you listen to the Spirit as you stand in line at the grocery store?  Do I allow the Spirit to lead when creating a budget?  Where do I tend to do my own thing?"

I sadly have a feeling I could have a reeeallly long list for that last question.

(Forgotten God, Francis Chan)

Forgotten God

This fall in my women's Bible study we are going to go through Acts.  I'm seriously SO excited.  I love Acts- there is so much good stuff in that book.  It's going to be awesome.

In preparation for leading a Bible study, Lina, recommended we read Forgotten God by Francis Chan, and I just finished it.  There are a couple things I really liked about this book:

1. He encourages you to reexamine your past thoughts toward the "Holy Spirit."  We've all had many different encounters with the Holy Spirit.  I probably came from a church that was like "Oh yeah... the  Holy Spirit.  We should probably talk about that more."  Whereas others have come from a pretty charasmatic background.  Either way, he encourages you to start out reading the book with an open mind, even being open to the possibility that your view of the Holy Spirit could be wrong.
2. It's biblical.  He doesn't bring up anything new from the Bible that I hadn't heard, but he does use the Bible to talk about the Spirit.  The Spirit is a "He," not an "it."  Chan doesn't just talk about feelings, he talks about truth.
3.  It was super easy to read.  In the world that Dan and I are in right now, it is SO refreshing to read a simple, straight to the point book.
4. He's inspiring.  Chan stirred up passion in me to imagine how my life could be so different if I listened to the Holy Spirit more and let Him work in my life.  Here's a couple good passages I liked:

"I want to consistently live with an awareness of His strength.  I want to be different today from what I was yesterday as the fruit of the Spirit becomes more manifest in my life."

"No matter what your personality, it is a spiritual discipline to be still, to listen, and to cut out the distraction of our world.  When we practice this stillness, this waiting and being, it is then that we can experience deep intimacy and relationship with the Holy Spirit."

"The reality is that I am indwelt by the Holy Spirit and because of this reality, stress and tiredness and impatience don't have to define my day."

I put up another one here.

Now tell me if after reading that you don't want to go and pick up this book? 

A Husband's Advice

I once heard advice from a pastor where he recommended couples to keep a journal devoted to writing things about their spouse.  Not just prayers for your spouse, but notes about their spouse.  Things they say- their dreams, what excites them, those small comments that they say in passing, that are hard to remember but so important.

I am sad to say that I actually bought a journal, and wrote a couple things in it, but unfortunately I didn't keep up with it.  Some things work for me, and some don't.  Trying to keep track of my prayer journal is difficult enough, so I don't know why I thought a second journal would stick.

But, that doesn't negate the fact that I want to learn more about Dan- what makes him tick, what makes him feel respected and loved, and what he's passionate about.

In the book Radical Womanhood, McCulley has an excerpt where a husband encourages wives with the following advice:

"You will have to fight the natural human tendency to obsess over your husband's weakness.  When I urge you to affirm your husband's strengths, I'm not minimizing this many weaknesses.  I'm just encouraging you to make the daily spiritual choice of focusing on qualities for which you feel thankful.  The time will come when you can address the weakness- after you've established a firm foundation of love and encouragement. For now, you must make a conscious choice to give thanks for his strengths. 

Guys rise to praise.  When someone compliments us, we want to keep that person's positive opinion intact. We love how it feels when our wives respect us; we get a rush like nothing else when we hear her praise or see that look of awe in her eyes- and we will all but travel to the ends of the earth to keep it coming." Pg 89

Dan apparently isn't the only guy who has "Words of Affirmation" as one of his top love languages :)  Although men think women are hard to understand... I'm thankful for some insight into the mind of a guy sometimes.  

Because this is a post about husbands, and mine is a stud,  I decided to put a picture of Dan.  Happy Wednesday :)

Sitting Still

"Multitasking has become the norm.  When was the last time you had an uninterrupted conversation with anyone?  No phones, text messages, or to-do lists running through your mind.  It's so rare nowadays to be able to look someone in the eye without interruption or distraction . . . In my quest to accomplish much, I've lost the art of focusing on one thing or one person.  This in turn has affected my prayer life, as I'm sure it has affected yours.  I find it harder to simply be with God, to focus only on Him while spending intentional time with Him.... Our lack of intimacy often is due to our refusal to unplug and shut off communication from all others so we can be alone with him."

 - Forgotten God, Francis Chan

I was definitely reading that exact paragraph while multitasking between doing my quiet time and uploading pictures to Facebook.  Yep, that was convicting.  

Hope you have a relaxing weekend :)

A little exercise for young theologians

Confession time:  the awful, ugly temptation of pride that comes with knowledge has popped in and out of my life during my time at seminary.  Not only has the thought crossed my mind that taking classes at Trinity would somehow makes me "wiser" than others (ummmm.. this is so completely far from the truth), I also have felt at times more spiritual than other Christians.  Reading that last sentence is seriously painful.  I am thankful that God has convicted me every time this thought creeps in, but it saddens me that the thought even appears in the first place.

Not only have I struggled with the above, but I also have been quick to judge the motives of some of my colleagues.  At times I look around my classes and think "why are we all sitting around arguing over things that the God of the universe can only understand when there are people out there who desperately need to hear about Jesus- the message of the gospel?"

First of all, yes, this is a valid thought IF that is all you do - argue and stubbornly try to prove your point and not live out your faith.  But, I'm pretty sure that most, if not every single one, of my classmates hope to be apart of ministries that show and share the message of Jesus.  This arguing (otherwise known as discussion to some people :)  is challenging their (and my!) minds to prepare them for life outside of seminary. 

After opening up about this exact struggle to one of my dear friends Caroline, she pointed me toward a book that discusses this exact thing.  Helmut Thielicke wrote "A Little Exercise for Young Theologians" for seminary students, reminding them that their education is a privilege and encouraging to humbly apply their education to the rest of their lives.

One of my favorite quotes is: 

"Faith must mean more to us than a mere commodity stored in the tin cans of reflection or bottled in the lecture notebook, whence at any time it may be reproduced in the brain."  

This quote reminds me that what I'm learning at Trinity should not be put back in a paper, test, or project.  It also shouldn't be stored up in my mind so I can pridefully flaunt to others how much "knowledge" I have (even though at times I think seminary has made me more confused in some areas... but that's another subject for another day).  What I'm learning is supposed to be used to glorify God and increase my love for Him.  I pray that I don't distort the gift of Seminary that God has given me and use it to bring glory to myself.  

Mondays and more on "Think"

Hello Monday!  Yep this morning was definitely one of those Monday's- waking up late, feeling exhausted, and running out the door.  [We didn't even stay up that late!] I guess I've been spoiled with getting 9 hours of sleep a night this past weekend.  7 hours didn't feel like I had quite enough rest. 

Anyway, we had another relaxing weekend.  Oh the joys of summer.  While part of the weekend was spent preparing for our summer class, somehow reading by the pool or outside sitting on a blanket while Dan played softball [church league style] makes it much more manageable :)  I'll probably get around to posting pictures tomorrow.

In the meantime, I finished the book "Think" by John Piper.  What I loved most about this book is that it reiterated the importance for me to think carefully about what I read and what I believe.  It is so extremely easy for me to get in the habit of just absorbing large amounts of info in seminary without really thinking or processing what I'm reading and how it can apply to my life.

Piper states right in the text that the aim of the book is to: encourage serious, faithful, humble, thinking that leads to the true knowledge of God, which leads to loving him, which overflows in loving others.

One of the key verses for the book was 2 Timothy 2:7 "Think over what I say, for the Lord will give you understanding in everything."

I feel like these quotes will give you a good insight into the book- at least these were some of my favorites :)

"Loving God with the mind means that our thinking is wholly engaged to do all it can to awaken and express the heartfelt fullness of treasuring God above all things."

"There is no part of us that should be uninvolved in treasuring God above all things."

"His glory- His beauty- compels your admiration and delight."

"Every joy that does not have God as its central gladness is a hollow joy and in the end will burst like a bubble."

"People embrace relativism because its physically and emotionally gratifying.  It provides the covering they need at moments in their lives to do what they want without intrusion from absolutes." (he had a couple chapters on relativism- definitely shed a new light on that line of thinking for me)

"Make God's supreme beauty and worth the driving force of all your thinking.  And make it the centerpiece of everything you create." (sound familiar?)

"Our worth consists of our capacity to consciously make much of His worth."

Traveling Light

I read this a while ago and loved how Max Lucado broke Psalm 23 down in his book "Traveling Light."  He talks about how we're so burdened in this life and "carrying" with us too many things we were never intended to bear.  Below, he shows how Psalm 23 calls us to rest.

Rest from doing things my way. Why? Because the Lord is my Shepherd.

Rest from the endless wants. Why? Because I shall not want.

Rest from weariness. Why? Because he makes me to lie down.

Rest from worry. Why? Because he leads me.

Rest from hopelessness. Why? Because he restores my soul

Rest from guilt. Why? Because He leads me in the paths of righteousness.

Rest from arrogance. Why? Because it's for His name’s sake

Rest from valley of death. Why? Because He walks me through it.

Rest from shadow of grief. Why? Because He guides me.

Rest from fear. Why? Because His presence comforts me

Rest from loneliness. Why? Because He is with me

Rest from shame. Why? Because He has prepared a place for me in the presence of my enemies

Rest from disappointments. Why? Because He anoints me

Rest from envy. Why? Because My cup overflows

Rest from doubt. Why? Because He follows me

Rest from homesickness. Why? Because I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever