Can we ever be "too serious" about studying the Word of God?

No... that is the simple answer.

Early this morning as I lie awake in my bed I listened to a sermon given by John Piper at the New Attitude Conference just earlier this week... on Memorial Day, to be exact. The title was William Tyndale: A Life Transformed by God's Word, and you can click here to listen or download the audio.

Piper recounts the story of the life and work of William Tyndale (c. 1494-1536) who was a Protestant Reformer and Bible Translator. He described Tyndale as having "one driving passion: he wanted to see the Bible in English to that ordinary folks would have access to it." Now, as one of those "ordinary folks" who can read and write in the single language of English, I have much to be thankful for as I learn about the great sacrifice that Tyndale gave so that today I might be in possession of not one, but several Bibles. Tyndale gave his life for the Word... he was strangled and burned at the stake at the age of 42.

But Tyndale's work lives on... According to Piper, Tyndale's work made its way into about 90% of the King James Version of the Bible, originally published in 1611. Listen to the sermon to hear some of the key passages that you know very well that are part of Tyndale's contribution.

And when you listen to the sermon, focus in on Piper's closing comments:

"Young people, you are the heirs of an amazing legacy...The Bible you hold in your hand cost William Tyndale and many others their lives, so don’t spare any effort in thought, any effort in work to know [your Bible]...And don’t ever think your hard work is the decisive key. The decisive key is the sovereign grace of God... I plead with you, don’t waste your life."

A few hours after listening to this sermon and thinking through it a bit, I remembered some comments I have heard over the past couple of days and my heart was broken. Comments like "we're just going to take the summer off (spiritually, that is)" or "let's do a bible study... nothing too serious" or "I just can't seem to find time to study God's Word." Heart broken.

God, as an heir to this amazing legacy, may I never treat your Word lightly. May I be "too serious" and "too intentional" about learning it, meditating upon it, applying it, proclaiming it, relying on it! May I spare no effort to work it into the fabric of my every day life... Through Your Word and the power of Your Spirit at work within me, will You transform this lowly , sinful, wretched life into one that brings glory to Your Name? Not for my sake, but for the sake of Your precious Son!

Friends... get serious about God's Word!

Bringing Your Heart to Christ's Love

“Bring your heart with its profoundest emptiness, its most startling discovery of sin, its lowest frame, its deepest sorrow, and sink it into the depths of the Saviour’s love… Christ’s love touching your hard heart, will dissolve it; touching your cold heart, will warm it; touching your sinful heart, will purify it; touching your sorrowful heart, will soothe it; touching your wandering heart, will draw it back to Jesus. Only bring your heart to Christ’s love.”

- Octavius Winslow, The Sympathy of Christ

(Harrisonburg, Va.: Sprinkle Publications, 1994), 165.

More like this on a daily basis, visit Of First Importance
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Payload of Pleasure or Spiritual Cavity?

If you dropped dead right now, would you take with you a payload of pleasure in God or would you stand before him with a spiritual cavity where covetousness used to be?

~ John Piper, Future Grace, p. 226.

More at Desiring God

Photo courtesy of allposters.com

He saves the crushed in spirit...

Psalm 34:17-19

When the righteous cry for help,

the LORD hears and delivers them

out of all their troubles.

The LORD is near to the brokenhearted

and saves the crushed in spirit.

Many are the afflictions of the righteous,

but the LORD delivers him out of them all.

Oh, how He does save the crushed in spirit! I'm off to pack my bags now, and I'll see y'all when I get back!

Lest you think that I think I am righteous on my own accord (how's that for a phrase!), might I remind you of Romans 5:19 and 2 Corinthians 5:21 which says that only by Christ are we made righteous.

Can I just be honest here?

Well… yes… technically, I can… I can write whatever I want to on my own blog, right?!

This week has been very full of discouraging and disappointing things for me, and to be perfectly honest with you, my spirits are down… way down. I’m not at all talking about a “loss of joy” here… joy resides much deeper than where these discouraging things fall. But I am talking about the kind of discouraging feelings that, if left unchecked, can lead to bitterness and a deterioration of active faith.

From discouraging comments made by a trusted leader to the ceasing of airline operations (read: a cancelled flight with no refund at this point) leaving us with no way to get home to Baton Rouge on Tuesday --- a trip that has been long anticipated, much looked forward to, and desperately in need of --- the discouragement has been piling up!

These are the kinds of things (as are all things) that simply must be given over to God because He alone is sovereign… He alone is truly loving… He alone works the details of our lives to maximize His glory (which as it turns out is always for our good)! But how do I really do that? I thought about an old hymn I love to sing… Count Your Blessings! So, I’m gonna count a few for you (but mostly for me!)…

• The flight was cancelled before we were en route. Imagine if everything would have ceased while we were already in Baton Rouge! The cost to get back home would have been pretty high, and with our Uganda Mission Trip deadline being only May 1st, that would have left us with a lot of extra costs.

• Though my real family is thousands of miles away and even though my heart is really aching right now to be with them, God has given me friends here who show God’s love to me everyday. They are family of a different kind… and they are one of the greatest blessings God has ever given me.

• Though some people think today’s generation of young adults are fickle, self-seeking, and in search of constant entertainment (and yes, some are), God has placed a few of them in my life who are proof that He is at work in the lives of this generation. They are evidence to me that God, through His Spirit, is enacting true transformation within this generation for His glory.

• Rather than travel alone to Atlanta for Passion next weekend, Brian might be able to travel with the guys from Resonate… imagine the abundant time of iron sharpening iron that can take place during their long drive!

• Brian, Dylan, and Brooklyn... my mom & dad... Lisa, Chuck, Katherine, and Audrey... Karen... Mawmaw... Bobbi... all who will also be affected by our flight cancellation

• Through our concert last night, we did raise a little bit of money to go towards the Uganda Mission Trip, and we experienced the generosity of local musicians who willingly gave of themselves.

Bottom line... my cup overfloweth with the goodness of the Lord in my life!

Count Your Blessings

Words by Johnson Oatman, Jr and Music by Edwin O. Excell

When upon life’s billows you are tempest tossed,
When you are discouraged, thinking all is lost,
Count your many blessings, name them one by one,
And it will surprise you what the Lord hath done.

Count your many blessings, name them one by one,
Count your blessings, see what God hath done!
Count your many blessings, name them one by one,
And it will surprise you what the Lord hath done.

Are you ever burdened with a load of care?
Does the cross seem heavy you are called to bear?
Count your many blessings, every doubt will fly,
And you will keep singing as the days go by.

When you look at others with their lands and gold,
Think that Christ has promised you His wealth untold;
Count your many blessings. Wealth can never buy
Your reward in heaven, nor your home on high.

So, amid the conflict whether great or small,
Do not be disheartened, God is over all;
Count your many blessings, angels will attend,
Help and comfort give you to your journey’s end.

Discouraged... then encouraged!

I'll just admit it... this post is a bit of a vent!

Yesterday while catching up on the writings of friends, family, and other bloggers that I read often, I came across a post that was so completely discouraging to me that I literally wept at my computer. To me, it was a rather personal post --- a post negatively targeted towards the generation that I love deeply and have invested in personally, yet it was written by someone I have admired and respected. I don't feel like going into details, but know that while I agreed with some of the points made, I was taken aback by the tone, the criticism, and the stereotyping. Oh, I have much to say in response, but will hold my tongue. God has softened my heart towards this generation, and I long to see them mature in their faith, assured of their salvation, and living passionately to proclaim Christ. Needless to say, that post brought great discouragement to me all day. At least until I opened the mail yesterday afternoon...

where I found a little postcard written to Brian and me by our newest pastor. It contained only a few sentences about his recent visit to our small groups, but it encouraged me so greatly that I smiled and all my frustrations and bitterness melted away...

Words matter! Whether they are spoken, written in a journal, or posted for the entire world to see, they matter!

"A soft answer turns away wrath,

but a harsh word stirs up anger."

~ Proverbs 15:1 ~

Photo courtesy of Christian Book Distributors.

Words to Live By... Book #2

Book #2: Pride and Prejudice

by Jane Austen

Karen, you guessed it right! Pride & Prejudice is definitely on the list, but possibly not for the reasons you may suspect. Bear in mind that my list is not in order of greater influence, but in the order that I first read them.

If you haven’t already read this book, you simply must! The MW Encyclopedia of Literature describes it as a

Novel by Jane Austen, published anonymously in three volumes in 1813. The narrative, which Austen initially titled “First Impressions,” describes the clash between Elizabeth Bennet, the daughter of a country gentleman, and Fitzwilliam Darcy, a rich and aristocratic landowner. Austen reverses the convention of first impressions: "pride" of rank and fortune, and "prejudice" against Elizabeth's inferiority of family, hold Darcy aloof; while Elizabeth is equally fired both by the pride of self-respect and by prejudice against Darcy's snobbery. Ultimately, they come together in love and self-understanding.

I first read this book during my sophomore year of high school. My English teacher, whose name I can’t even remember at all, decided that the entire class was going to read a book together and report on it. For the life of me, I can’t remember what book we were asked to read --- neither the book nor the teacher left a lasting impression on me. My school (which was an engineering high school) seemed to attract quite good math and science teachers, but it was seriously lacking in English teachers who inspired anything more than just getting the basic, required work done. I digress… The book we were asked to read was appalling. I remember being absolutely disgusted by the first chapter because of its crude and indecent nature. My teacher agreed to let me select another book to read and report on, and I have no idea how I made my choice, but I somehow ended up with Pride and Prejudice. The decision proved serendipitous!

Pride and Prejudice remains a book that I love to read… and re-read. I think I read it about once a year! It was springtime in Louisiana the first time that I read it, and I can vividly remember lying facedown on my bed, windows thrown wide open to the gentle breeze with my feet kicked up into the air as I devoured the text.

Something about this book awakened in me a true love of books and of reading… a love that continues to this day and is evidenced by the stacks and stacks of books precariously balanced upon my night stand. For that, it finds its way onto my list of influential books.

So, what do you think of Pride and Prejudice? And what books top your list of influential reading?

Words to Live By... Book #1

Book #1: The Bible (the given!)

I'll start off with the easy one... the given I mentioned in the previous post. The Bible trumps all other books as the single most influential book in my life. Period. Amen. After all, there is no other book that I can actually use as an offensive weapon in the daily struggles and spiritual battles of my life... no other book that is "living and active"... no book whose words are truly worth "storing up in our hearts"... no other book that is "breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness". So the Bible stands as the first, last, and always most influential book in my life!

I do have some Bibles that are more meaningful to me than others, though ---

... like my very first Bible, the little pink New Testament someone gave me when I was born...

... or the Children's Living Bible that my parents gave me in 1982 on which I later wrote the date of my salvation in 1984 and on which my sister Karen decided to inscribe her own name (not sure why you did that, sis, but I treasure it!)...

... or the NIV Thinline that I carried to Merida, Mexico in 1996 on the trip where God rescued me from me...

...or the burgundy NASB Thinline that I took to Passion '98 where God awakened me to the understanding that "God is most glorified in me when I am most satisfied in Him"...

... or the black NASB Giant Print that Brian gave to Brother Steve to use in our wedding ceremony...

... or the little burgundy NASB that Brian gave me the first Christmas after we were married which I carried all over Europe as I read through the Psalms...

... or the Tiny Black ESV that Brian gave me one Valentine's Day that I carry in my purse today. I figure I better carry my sword with me everywhere I go, right!

... or the Bible recently given to us by The Seed Company that appears to be a normal Bible from the outside cover; however, upon opening this one, you will find the pages entirely blank. What a reminder to us that there are many people around the world who still do not have a Bible translated into their native language!

Most of you need no convincing that the Bible is the most influential book for everyone of us, so I will just leave it at that!

Words to Live By... a series of influential books!

"The worth of a book

is to be measured by what

you carry away from it."

~ James Bryce

A month or so ago I read a book that made a lasting impact on me... a long-lasting one! When I would describe it to others who had not already read it, the only way I could adequately communicate how much I got out of this book was to call it "one of the top 5 most influential books I've ever read." Books are best friends to me, but quite frankly, some books are just better than others! Some books are worth reading and some books profit me so little.

Emerson once wrote

"If we encounter a man of rare intellect we should ask him what books he reads."

And Abraham Lincoln once said

"The things I want to know are in books; my best friend is the man who will get me a book I have not read."

I love to read and I read a fair amount, but what are the books that have really been the most influential to me? I've been thinking about this for a while, and I think I've finally narrowed it down to actually six books. Six because there is a "given" in this equation. So, here begins a new series...

Over the next few weeks, I'll be posting the six books which I consider to be the ones that have had the greatest impact on my life. The titles may suprise you because some of them actually surprised me. I'll post them in chronological order rathern than in order of influence (that is way too hard to figure out!). I'll write a little bit about the book and why it's impact on my life has been long-lasting.

But I need more reading recommendations, so I want you to join in... will you? If you are reading this post, consider yourself "tagged!"

If you have a blog, please join me in posting the most influential books in your life. Then leave me a comment on this post so I can find your site. If you do not have a blog, just leave me your list as a series of comments. And for those of you who have been lurking around here, now's your time to 'fess up and help me create a new reading list!

Stay tuned... the first installment is coming shortly!

Hospitality's Purpose

Our home has been open a lot lately... and to a lot of different people... and for a lot of different reasons. We don't mind at all that our home has become a sort of "kool aid" house for the young adults in our lives... we absolutely love having them over. But after sitting up until 4:30 this morning with a couple of them (Brian made it all the way through the entire night with them... I couldn't last), I sit here today and I can honestly barely muster enough energy and clear thought to spell my own name. Through the fog of my fatigue, God brought a couple of thoughts to mind.

The first thing is the subject of hospitality. I discovered a blog this morning called The Purple Cellar and found an article about hospitality that I really enjoyed reading. The blog author, Lydia, writes about her friend Susie who personifies hospitality. Here's what she writes:

Susie defines two distinct types of hospitality, both of which we should prepare our hearts to offer. First is calculated ospitality, which includes hosting our friends, making meals for the sick--basically, the sort we can plan ahead. The second type is spontaneous hospitality, which is opening our home and heart to that drop-in neighbor or friend who calls at an inconvenient time. How we handle spontaneous hospitality is a matter of mindset, of putting others ahead of our personal comfort. But that doesn't mean there aren't great rewards for such service: generosity comes back on our heads! But, primarily, every time we open our homes and hearts to someone in need, it is Jesus we are serving. Do we think about that? Do we see today's interruption or inconvenience as an opportunity to love Christ? Jesus said, "Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brothers, you did it to me" (Matt. 5:40).

I love the description of spontaneous hospitality as "a matter of mindset, of putting others ahead of our personal comfort." Click here to read the rest of the article.

The second thing came to me as I was thinking about Colossians 1:28-29 which says,

"Him we proclaim, warning everyone and teaching everyone with all wisdom, that we may present everyone mature in Christ. For this I toil, struggling with all his energy that He powerfully works within me."

As I struggle to keep my eyes open today, I can know that our toil was done in an effort to proclaim Christ! Knowledge of this causes a surge of energy to coarse through my body... maybe I can actually make it through the rest of the day!

Whiter than Snow...

Today, a little child through her mother's blog reminded me of a wonderful hymn I haven't sung in a very long while. It bears a message I want a friend of mine, who has probably never read this blog, to hear. I want him to hear the last verse when Nicholson penned "Come now, and within me a new heart create; To those who have sought Thee Thou never saidst, No," and I want him to know that the Lord will not reject him... that with arms open wide, He will receive him into His family and create in him a clean heart.

I also want you to listen, read, think...

Whiter Than Snow
by James Nicholson
Composer: William Gustavus Fischer

Lord Jesus, I long to be perfectly whole, I want Thee forever to live in my soul; Break down every idol, cast out every foe; Now wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow.

Refrain: Whiter than snow; yes, whiter than snow; Now wash me and I shall be whiter than snow.

Lord Jesus, let nothing unholy remain, Apply Thine own blood and extract every stain; To get this blest cleansing I all things forego; Now wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow.

Lord Jesus, look down from Thy throne in the skies, And help me to make a complete sacrifice; I give up myself and whatever I know; Now wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow.

Lord Jesus, for this I most humbly entreat; I wait, blessed Lord, at Thy crucified feet; By faith, for my cleansing I see Thy blood flow; Now wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow.

Lord Jesus, Thou seest I patiently wait; Come now, and within me a new heart create; To those who have sought Thee Thou never saidst, No; Now wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow.

You can hear the instrumental version here.

Photo courtesy of allposters.com

White Fog I by Stan Shire

Tiny Bibles...

I have a thing for tiny bibles so imagine my curiosity when I stumbled upon a post entitled "Itsy Bitsy Bibles" over at Bible Design and Binding. (Hat tip to The Gospel-Driven Church for the link!)

Since my senior year of college, I have had a string of little bibles, all small enough to tuck into my purse, backpack, or diaper bag. The thought of carrying around one of those 10 lb study bibles just doesn't sit well with me... after all, I am usually also toting a couple of 20-30 lb kids and their gear too!

So... this is my current "little" bible... a Valentine's Day gift from my dear husband. It's a mere 3.75" x 5.75" and the text is --- well --- not for the faint of sight!! It's an ESV, and I have completely enjoyed the transition away from my long-time NIV and even my much-loved NASB. You can read more about the ESV here, but John Piper summed it up when he said "The ESV satisfies the preaching, memorizing, studying, and reading needs of our church, from children to adults."

I'm just glad to know that there are others in the world who love their "little" bibles as much as I do and who hide God's word in their hearts (and their purses)!

Autumn is arriving...

"Autumn is a second spring

when every leaf's a flower."
~ A. Camus

No... this isn't what our house looks like yet. We are still a couple of weeks away from the glorious changing of the leaves, but this morning when I stepped outside I noticed the Sugar Maple down the street had already begun it's quiet transformation.

This particular Sugar Maple is the first to change every year, and it's bright orange leaves burn with the announcement that Autumn has indeed arrived. This is the time of the year I cherish the most --- the cool, breezy days... the bright blue skies... the pumpkins, gourds, and hay bales... the difference between Ohio and Louisiana.

I miss "home" often because things there are familiar and the people are so dear to me and the food is so good, but each fall God brings me a special gift that He could never have given me had I not obeyed His call to follow. That gift is His incredible creation dressed in His glory and displaying the colors of fall.

So... check back later. As the brief, but glorious season of fall continues around our little house, there will be more pictures of God's glory on display for us to see.

You can also find the Fall Color Reports for Ohio here... the guest room is open!

"Yours, O LORD, is the greatness and the power and the glory and the victory and the majesty, for all that is in the heavens and in the earth is yours. Yours is the kingdom, O LORD, and you are exalted as head above all."

1 Chronicles 29:11

A Call for Coronary Christians...

What kind of Christian are you? Marked by spurts of energy & fatigue or by endurance over the long-haul? Here's a thought-provoking quote from John Piper from his 2002 Taste & See Article, A Call for Coronary Christians.

I am glad for adrenaline; I suspect it gets me through lots of Sundays. But it doesn't do much for Mondays. I am more thankful for my heart. It just keeps on serving – during good days and bad days, happy and sad, high and low, appreciated and unappreciated. It never lets me down. It never says, "I don't like your attitude, Piper, I'm taking a day off." It just keeps humbly lubb-dubbing along.

Coronary Christians are like the heart in the causes they serve. Adrenal Christians are like adrenaline – a spurt of energy and then fatigue. What we need in the cause of racial justice and justice for the unborn is coronary Christians. Marathoners, not just sprinters. People who find the pace to finish the (life-long) race.

O, for coronary Christians! Christians committed to great Causes, not great comforts. I pleaded with you to dream a dream bigger than you and your families and your churches. I tried to un-deify the American family and say that our children are not our cause; they are given to us to train for the great causes of mercy and justice in a prejudiced, pain-filled, and perishing world.

By John Piper. © Desiring God. Website: http://www.desiringgod.org/. Email: mail@desiringGod.org. Toll Free: 1.888.346.4700.

Photo Courtesy of Art.com

Hard Road to a Good Place...

"In between one place and another, we're vulnerable to the discomfort of our transitory state. If the trip is long or taxing, at odd mile markers our restlessness overrides expectation, or even drifts into despair. When trouble comes we may wonder why we ever embarked at all --- or simply stop short of our intended destination, insisting (like the Israelites east of Jordan) that the spot we've settled for is adequate enough, thank you. The best of all journeys may be a hard road to a good place; perhaps fully experiencing the hard, unpredictable road helps us to recognize the good place when we
arrive."

~ Leigh McLeroy

The Beautiful Ache: Finding the God Who Statisfies When Life Does Not

Traveling the Countryside I

by Charlene Winter Olson

Photo Courtesy of Allposters.com