She Speaks

You know when you were a kid and went to church camp, had that emotional, mountain-top experience with the Lord, and returned home completely renewed, joyful, and ready to fully live for Jesus?

Well, the gals at Create in Us had this exact same experience this weekend. We were fortunate enough to attend the awesome speaking and writing conference produced by Lysa Terkeurst and Proverbs 31 Ministries.

We went to learn how to further our cause, get some training on speaking, tips on writing. We went to make contacts in the publishing world and speaker circuit. And yeah, we learned notebooks full of information. But really we were reminded of why we do ministry in the first place.

Jesus.

Do we remember He's the reason? In all of our book proposals, and fan-girling over Whitney Capps (I LOVE YOU, WHITNEY!), and dreams of quitting our day jobs to become full time ministry workers? Do we remember that He called us?

I will not claim that I discovered the following truth on my own, I learned it from the wise teaching of Lysa Terkeurst on the first morning of the event: Yes, Jesus called us to go into the world and share the gospel. He called us to preach His Name, declare His glories. To cast our demons, to heal the sick. To bring Life. But before any of that, ANY of it, He simply calls us to be with Him. Mark 3:14 says the first reason Jesus called the apostles was, "that they might be with Him."

Think about your calling. Your calling as wife, mother, office worker, church nursery volunteer. These callings are high and noble and oh so important. But your first and greatest calling is to simply be with Him.

So today, before you do the work God has called you to do, be with Jesus. Seek Him first. Come back to your first Love.

We at Create in Us were reminded in such a mighty way by Lysa's teaching that the only purpose of our ministry is our Creator.

We also received precious affirmations that our ministry is something special and unique. Over the next few months you'll see some new happenings here at Create in Us. We can't wait to share our upcoming projects with you. We are eager as always to see you in our studio classes and visit you at your churches. We'll also be seeing you in some new places as well. September will bring some exciting announcements.

We are so in love with what we do at Create in Us. This year has been fast and furious in the best ways and we are excited to push further into what God has for us. But no matter what that may look like we were reminded of our priority purpose: to seek our Creator first, to dwell with Him always. And only then, when we are filled to the brim with Jesus, will we be able to share the gospel in our unique way. We were created to create, friends, but even more than that we were created to be with Jesus.

Lord, may it be so.

The Fruit Tree

While wandering through my mother's beautiful backyard yesterday I asked her about three craggy trees situated on the border of the adjoining hay field. "When did you plant those trees? Are they new?"

"No, we planted them about ten years ago."

Obviously, I should work on my observation skills.

For whatever reason on this particular visit to my parents' house these trees made an impression on me. For the first time in ten years I walked over to the little grove and explored the small fruit growing on the branches. "Are these apples?"

"No, those are peaches."

Okay....so I'm no fruit expert either. And apparently, I have no common sense.

Intrigued by the peach grove growing for the past decade in my parents' backyard that I knew nothing about I asked, "How do they do? Do you get a lot of peaches (NOT apples)?"

"When Rick was working at the Research Station and he had more time to treat them they did really well. We get some peaches now, just not as pretty or as many."

See, my stepdad is a retired scientist/farmer. He spent many years growing crops at a research facility funded by N.C. State. He figured out how to get the best fruits in the best ways. So that big, juicy summer tomato you put on your BLT today?

Dad says, "You're welcome."

But he retired from that line of work a few years ago and now serves as my hometown's Fire Chief. There's not much time for constant gardening any more.

I'm wondering if the reason I was drawn to the fruit trees was because of Jesus' words in Matthew 12:33 I had just read that morning:

Good trees produce good fruits; bad trees produce bad fruits. 

You can always tell a tree by its fruits.

I think about the fruits that I produce. I think about the Fruits of the Spirit which are feelings and actions that should occur in my life because I walk with Jesus: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self control.

Wow. That list seems wholly unobtainable. Has God even met me? I can immediately slash like, six of those off the list that makes up the person called Jennifer.

Because I try to produce good fruit. I try to bring people to the Lord, try to be a patient mother to my children, try to be a faithful friend, a kind wife, a joyful soldier of the Lord. I try to exhibit self-control with my words, my habits, my checkbook. I try to be good and gentle. Boy, how I try to love.

But guess what? Flat. I fall flat every time. And the fruit that I produce? It looks nothing like the fruit of a Master Gardener. In fact it looks so little like His fruit that it resembles a puny looking peach that could be confused for an apple.

When I am not in contact with my Master Gardener I do not produce good fruit. I mean, I'll produce fruit. There will be some gentleness, some kindness, some love. But it will ultimately look like that peach. A peach with so much fuzzy, juicy potential, but because it wasn't tended by the Holy Spirit that beautiful fruit ended up being so much less than it could be.

Jesus said a good tree produces good fruit. And, quite simply, I cannot be a good tree with good fruit unless I am under the care of an Expert. A Gardener who has the best in mind for me. He knows exactly what I need to produce vibrant, lovely fruit. He supplies me with sustenance and sun. He gives me strength and vitality. He gives me shelter and keeps me safe.

I can produce fruit without Jesus. But, friends - it's bad. It looks like this world and tastes sour. It isn't vibrant or plentiful. It is rotten and sparse. My fruit is only good if I am in the keeping of a Constant Gardener.

A Gardener who has rooted me in love.

I want the fruit I give this world to be bright and just plain good. I can't give that to the world without His care, His closeness.

I may not know an apple from a peach, but I do know this: apart from my Gardener I am just no good. Filled with good intentions, maybe, but I will yield bad fruit nonetheless. John 15:5 says that apart from Jesus "we can do nothing."

So in order to yield this good fruit I will be devoted this day in prayer, in worship, in Bible study. I will live today knowing that I have nothing good to give this world, but, through me, Jesus can create beautiful things. I will be known for my fruit, or my actions (Matthew 7:20). Oh and how I want my actions to be helpful, and generous, and good.

Good fruit from a good Gardener. Bind the tree that is me close to you, Lord. Root me in love, Jesus. And let the harvest be plentiful.

Lord, may it be so.

Mercy, Not Sacrifice

It was not a good morning. By 9 am I had already made my two-year-old cry. Dude had peed on the floor and couch, stolen my iPad, upturned the box of spaghetti noodles all over the kitchen floor and made me wake up way too early. The patience tank was empty before the car of what was Monday had even pulled out of the driveway. I was exhausted. I mean, so what if I didn't go to sleep until 2 am? I was reading The Thornbirds and Ralph was returning to Drogehda! (If you have no idea what I'm talking about ask your mother. She'll totally know.)

Very little sleep. Angry toddler. Blah-feeling Mommy.

I guess I was just no good that day, right? I mean, what a failure the day was already.

Here comes the guilt. Here comes the I'm a terrible person. Here comes the hardening of my heart.

But it's Monday...and amidst all this guilt and no-goodness-in-me it's blog day and I have to write about the love of Jesus which I'm not really feeling. This is not going well.

But then I remember: "I desire mercy, not sacrifice."

Twice Jesus quotes this verse from Hosea during His early ministry. If Jesus says something even just once it's worth remembering, but if He quotes it two different times then it's probably something I should write down. It's probably something I should tattoo on my arm.

In Matthew 9:13 Jesus is eating with tax collectors and other sinners (I feel like I would have fit in well at this sinner-table). The Pharisees see Him and condemn Him - what are you doing with these low-lifes? And Jesus says, "These are the very people I've come for. I'm here for mercy, not pious perfection."

Again the Pharisees show up to ridicule Jesus' disciples when they pick grain to eat on the Sabbath in Matthew 12. Jesus again tells the Pharisees (who can't seem to get it!) that mercy is more important than ritualistic living.

(Is it bad that I identify with both the table of sinners and the Pharisees? Eek.)

Jesus is quoting Hosea 6:6. Hosea is a book filled with God's people wandering far from Him while He's desperately telling them, Come back to me! I desire to give you mercy! I don't want your empty sacrifices! I want you!

The ISV translation of this verse says that God seeks love, not how "good" you are.

So why did Jesus quote this? Why does He feel it's important to say this verse twice? Our Jesus, who knew His words would be written for the ages to read?

Because Jesus is the mercy.

From the beginning of time God desired to pour out His mercy onto the world. And the day Jesus was born, mercy was born. Where Jesus walked, mercy followed. When He spoke, mercy whispered.

When the blind man asked if Jesus wanted to heal him, mercy spoke: "Of course I do." When the woman with the issue of blood just wanted to touch His hem, mercy actually stopped and touched her.

We are so much more than our faults, friends. We are so much more than our grumpy moods and our bad days. And if we bring our cold, grumpy hearts to Him He is faithful to show us mercy. Because He wants our hearts, even if our hearts aren't having the best day. Even if we feel like our heart isn't a worthy sacrifice to bring Him.

But that's the thing: He doesn't want sacrifice, He wants love. He desires our humanity, not our acts of piety. Because all that perfection and righteousness are never gifts we will be able to bring to Him. Even on our best days. Those are gifts He supplies to us, along with His great mercy.

So my tired, grumpy, hard heart was given to Jesus to fix on that Monday morning. And, wouldn't you know? A little more love crept in, a little more laughter, a little more patience.

There will be many more times in my life when I will give my hardened heart to Jesus to fix. And that's okay because He told me. Twice:

I desire mercy.

Lord, may it be so.

Jesus, Teach Me

My prayer recently has been, "Jesus, teach me." I forget that I am His disciple. Not a disciple of culture. Not a disciple of religion. Not a disciple of a region or a political party. Not a disciple of law. I am a disciple of love.

Jesus, teach me.

If you're like me you may be feeling like the kid in the cafeteria that no one wants to talk to. In the lunchroom that is the world, here I am standing with my tray, looking with eager eyes. Who wants to sit with me? I'm nice, I'm loving. I serve a great and generous Father.

But the world turns away from me, the Christian, this Jesus follower, labeling me trouble, calling me ugly names. So I sit alone, eating my PB and J, with great love in my heart for those who have rejected me. But what did I expect, really?

What did we think would happen? Did we think Jesus Christ would be proved a liar? This is not news to me that Christians the world over are being rejected, persecuted. And we, who feel sad when those on something as lame as social media don't understand our faith, stand in miniature to truly persecuted Christians:

Saeed Abedini, an American pastor who has been unlawfully imprisoned in Iran for almost three years. 

Yat Michael Ruot and Peter Yein Reit, two pastors in Sudan who face the death penalty for practicing their faith. 

Asia Bibi, a mother in Pakistan on trial for being a Christian who drank out of the same cup as Muslims.

Churches being burned in our own country.

Countless others.

Jesus, teach me.

Here's the bad news: Jesus was right. Christians worldwide are facing intense persecution.

“If you find the godless world is hating you, remember it got its start hating me. If you lived on the world’s terms, the world would love you as one of its own. But since I picked you to live on God’s terms and no longer on the world’s terms, the world is going to hate you." (‭John‬ ‭15‬:‭18-19‬ MSG)

Here's the good news: Jesus was right.

Jesus told me that I don't live here, not really. I'm just staying here for now. He told me that the world will hate me. And if it hates me...I should rejoice. I should be filled with joy.

“You’re blessed when your commitment to God provokes persecution. The persecution drives you even deeper into God’s kingdom. Not only that—count yourselves blessed every time people put you down or throw you out or speak lies about you to discredit me. What it means is that the truth is too close for comfort and they are uncomfortable. You can be glad when that happens—give a cheer, even!—for though they don’t like it, I do! And all heaven applauds. And know that you are in good company. My prophets and witnesses have always gotten into this kind of trouble." (‭Matthew‬ ‭5‬:‭10-12‬ MSG)

So, if you're confused or disheartened by Christian persecution, I'm confused by you. Through this persecution Jesus has been proved right yet again. And if He's right about all the bad stuff then He's right about all the good:

"In this godless world you will continue to experience difficulties. But take heart! I’ve conquered the world.” (‭John‬ ‭16‬:‭31-33‬ MSG)

So what exactly are we supposed to do in this world in which we don't belong?

Jesus, teach me.

“Here’s another way to put it: You’re here to be light, bringing out the God-colors in the world. God is not a secret to be kept. We’re going public with this, as public as a city on a hill. If I make you light-bearers, you don’t think I’m going to hide you under a bucket, do you? I’m putting you on a light stand. Now that I’ve put you there on a hilltop, on a light stand—shine! Keep open house; be generous with your lives. By opening up to others, you’ll prompt people to open up with God, this generous Father in heaven." (‭Matthew‬ ‭5‬:‭14-16‬ MSG)

Do I share His light? Do I rejoice in it? Do I give and love without limits? Do I claim the Name of Jesus, lover of all humanity? Or do I claim a name that loves only people who look like me?

Oh Jesus, teach me.

I pray for a new era of belief in Jesus. I see people coming to the Lord not because culture tells them good people go to church (because this is certainly not the case anymore). I see people coming to Jesus because they want to. Because they see a persecuted church and see the persecuted rejoicing and being open and generous with our lives.

They see a generous Father and a Risen Christ that is always true. And persecuted or not, they join right in. At our lunch table.

Lord, may it be so.