This is Good Advice

Surely goodness and mercy will follow me all the days of my life.

Psalm 26:3

I love weddings. Weddings are parties where people cry happy tears. I love parties and I love happy tears, so therefore, weddings are awesome. There is also good food. And dancing. And cake. If I were to conjure a patronus I would picture a wedding. (That was a super cool Harry Potter reference.)

My love for weddings is a good thing because "go to weddings" is in my husband's job description as a minister. I am guaranteed to celebrate a wedding three to four times a year. I do not mind.

But two weddings in the past month were of special significance. See, in my family I am the lone girl. My parents have four kids and only little ole me carries the XX chromosomes. These three brothers of mine are incredible blessings in my life. 

And two of them were married within weeks of each other this fall. My oldest son was in both weddings serving as ring bearer in one and AS BEST MAN in the other. My husband officiated both weddings. In one wedding my 2 year old loudly announced, "I'm goin' to the potty!" In the other, which was held in a beautiful field, he ran across said field to the bridesmaids as they began their walk down the aisle. I chased him at top speed wearing boots and a skirt and almost fell in front of a hundred people. 

I don't even get embarrassed anymore.

Where was I?

Oh, I love weddings.

During both ceremonies not only vows of commitment and sacred promises were shared, but the reasons why affections bloomed in the first place were stated. 

I love that you pray with me.

You love Jesus.

Your bible is worn.

You love the Lord.

Friend, do you want to know the greatest, most powerful piece of advice I can give you for a happy life?

Find a spouse who has found Jesus.

I know as young people we may make lists of attributes we'd like in a future spouse: educated, good cook, common interests, attractive, great job.

These things are certainly lovely to dream about. But that tip-top item should be Jesus. 

They should love Him more than they love you.

A man or woman who is devoted to Jesus lives their life in goodness and mercy, just like David said in the Psalm. Not because they are good and merciful, but because their Master is. David said, "Surely goodness and mercy will follow me." 

Not, "I will be good and merciful." 

But, "The Lord will be."

Eleven years into marriage and I can promise you some things: it's fun, it's comforting, it's the greatest blessing of my life, but it's hard. Choosing to love and, more importantly, like your spouse through the babies, bad moods, will-you-stop-snoring, will-you-take-out-the-trash, why-are-your-socks-on-the-dining-room-table moments is hard.

And, oh my, how my flesh fails at being good and merciful to my husband. But the Lord is present and where He goes mercy and goodness show up as well. Jesus not only makes a marriage work, but He makes it thrive.

Dear one, no one will love you more than your Savior. And no spouse can love you better than the one who loves Jesus most.

So make your lists. Dream about who you will meet at the altar, but make sure Jesus is there, too. 

Where He goes so go goodness and mercy.

And goodness knows we need a life full of that.

Jesus, create in us a heart that is filled with love for the one who loves You.

A Man After My Own Heart

I have a painting in my living room, black lettering embossed on a golden background with the words to an old hymn written as a reminder to my family:

Be thou my vision

O Lord of my heart.

It sounds like a psalm sung sweetly to the Lord. A prayer of praise and adoration, a prayer of supplication to the Lord who lives inside us.

King David would have loved this song. I'm sure of it. David's heart belonged to God, David even being called "a man after God's own heart" by God Himself:

After removing Saul, he made David their king. 

God testified concerning him: 'I have found David son of Jesse, 

a man after my own heart; he will do everything I want him to do.'

Acts 13:22

I think of the checklist that David must have completed to gain this lofty title. 

Merciful. Humble. Generous. Brave. Faithful. Loyal. Warrior both in battle and in prayer. Spiritual. A student of scripture. Bold in God's Name. Obedient. Kind. 

Wow, David certainly deserved the accolades given him. I could only dream of having this title connected to my name. 

That David sure did live a perfect life. Deserving he most certainly is.

Do you sense the sarcasm? Because there are some things about David that tend to get overlooked. There are some other words we can associate with our hero:

Impulsive. Cheater. Disobedient. Coward. Irresponsible Father. Murderer. Adulterer. Egotistical. Heartbreaker. 

Once David had to leave his new bride Michal. He was running for his life and she risked hers to save him. She loved him so. But he never came back for Michal. For whatever reasons, he left her behind. She was married off to another man. Years later David heard of this and demanded her return as she rightfully belonged to him. Her second husband dutifully brought her back to David, weeping as he lost her. 

That's not cool, David.

And then there was this other time that David impregnated a married woman and had her husband (who was also his best friend) murdered.

Yeah, that's not okay, David.

Oh, and then there was this time when one of David's sons raped his daughter and David did nothing about it. 

Wow, "how the mighty have fallen" is right, David.

A man after God's own heart? Well now I'm super confused. David was obviously an incredibly flawed man. A sinner. 

But yes, still a man after God's own heart.

David made many mistakes and believe me when I say he suffered the consequences of them. He felt the physical ill that true repentance brought with each and every one of these mistakes.

Michal hated him for the rest of her life. The child conceived with Bathsheba died and David walked in crippling humility for the rest of his life. His family fell apart due to his inability to discipline his son.

See, David earned this title not because of filling the boxes on a checklist of good deeds, but because of the state of his heart.  

David got how much he mattered to God. He understood that even through terrible sinful choices that God still loved him. David got that his very existence delighted God. 

David knew he was made for God's joy. And his joyful love for God reflected that. David was a man after God's own heart because he loved God with all of his.

Friend, God doesn't want us to complete a goodness checklist. He just wants us to love Him. While David suffered long term, crippling, and severe consequences for his disobedience he never stopped loving the Lord. His mind and body strayed, but his heart never did.

Want to know what a heart that is after God's looks like? Go peruse 2 Samuel 22. Some familiar snippets:

The Lord is my rock, my fortress, my deliverer.

He rescued me because He delighted in me.

As for God, His way is perfect. 

He makes my feet like the feet of the deer; he enables me to stand on the heights.

Perfection doesn't make us a friend of God. Loving Him does. And David understood this better than anyone.

As we strive for a sinless life you and I will falter. We will sin. It's going to happen. But "if we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness," says 1 John 1:9.

Do you understand how much you matter to God? Do you know that He takes great delight in you and the life you live? God doesn't expect perfection from you, dear one. Obedience? Yes. A life in which you strive to do right and follow His Word? Absolutely.

But personal perfection doesn't make you his. Your acceptance of His love through Jesus Christ does.

And you and I are even more blessed than David. We live in the fullness of the knowledge of Jesus. David knew nothing of Jesus until he entered eternity.

We will never obtain perfection. We will not lead a sinless life. In this we are already exactly like David. But let his deep love for the Lord inspire us to see God differently.

Be Thou my Vision, O Lord of my heart;

Naught be all else to me, save that Thou art;

Thou my best thought, by day or by night,

Waking or sleeping, Thy presence my light.

God of David, create in us a heart that loves you just as much as he did.

Crushed

Have you ever had a bone crushed? No? Well, I have. And let me tell you in case you doubted...it hurts. Like...a lot. Like I've had two babies and the pain of a crushed bone totally trumps having two babies.

I repeat: a crushed bone is more painful than childbirth.

So, how did I break this bone, you ask? A skiing accident? Car wreck? Putting myself in harm's way to save a small child from wandering out into traffic?

Nope. I was a senior in high school and a varsity cheerleader...and I fell off the top of a pyramid.

The ridiculousness of it is not lost on me.

The days and weeks that followed the accident were excruciating. My left foot broke in half vertically and the small block of bone that connects my foot to my leg was shattered into several pieces. I missed weeks of school, took strictly-managed Vicodin to ease pain, and attended three-times weekly physical therapy sessions. I had a cast up to my knee, but it couldn't go all the way around my leg because of the three pins that for 8 weeks stuck three inches out of my foot. The cast instead was held on by an Ace bandage.

But the most heartbreaking consequence of the break was when we told my surgeon where I'd be attending college in the fall: the University of Tennessee in Knoxville. I remember when he, very-matter-of-factly said, "Jennifer, I'm sorry but you can't go that far away. Your leg is still healing, still fragile. And I'll need you around for therapy."

But, I already had my dorm assignment. And a roommate. I was ready to sing "Rocky Top" and proudly wear that obnoxious shade of orange! Peyton Manning expected me to be there!

Bone crushed. Heart crushed, too.

Psalm 51:8 says, "Let the bones you have crushed rejoice."

In this Psalm David is experiencing some anguish of the soul. But David knows God. He knows this crushing of "bone," of spirit was momentarily painful, but ultimately for his spiritual good.

God was allowing David to experience hurt, so he could know greater things and live a better life.

That fall I began my college experience at a much smaller school than UT, a school only an hour away from my hometown - Western Carolina University.

That winter I met amazing friends. Friends who are still dear to me today.

That spring I laid eyes on the cutest boy I'd ever seen.

And four summers later I married him.

If not for my crushed bone:

I would not be his wife.

I would not be their mother.

I would not live this life.

I would not be this person.

We live through painful experiences both physical and emotional. But just like Joseph who experienced slavery, sexual harassment, and wrongful imprisonment we need to believe that God will mean all these things for good (Genesis 50:20).

A crushed bone. A crushed heart. A crushed spirit.

God loves you enough to give you momentary pain for eternal joy.

Almost twenty years after my injury there is still daily pain, still a slight limp, still more surgeries to be had in the future.

But that crushed bone paved the way for the greatest joys of my life.

So when I take that first stiff step in the morning or feel from the ache that it's about to rain or get "Is something wrong with your leg?" from a stranger I say, "Oh, that's just my crushed bone...and it's rejoicing."

Lord, may it be so.

Create in Us

Every story has a beginning and, to be honest, Create in Us is still very much at our beginning. I had no idea when I started the blog in December how the idea of Create in Us would move and take shape so quickly and so powerfully.

Today's blog will be a little different. It will be a bit of testimony mixed in with what Create in Us actually does as a ministry and how you can help that ministry grow.

As the blog description over there on the side says I've been a Bible teacher for about six years. This was not a role that I actively sought: I was asked to help teach a class, I said well...okay, and basically - my entire life was changed.

For the next few years I studied God's Word like never before:  reading books in the Bible that sounded like a sneeze (Habakkuk. God bless you.). Reading Biblical commentaries by old dudes much smarter than myself and understanding about half. Seeing the seamless way that every inch of His Word is woven together. For the first time I saw how the Bible is living and breathing, and applicable to NOW.

Over the years, people told me I should write a blog. My answer: Awww....thanks...No.

No for several reasons. The top two being: I don't want to and I'm not a writer.

When we categorize ourselves into "Cannots," "I'm Nots," and "Will Nots" God looks down on us, pats us on the head, and says "You can," "You Are," and "You Will."

Yes, Sir.

So in December I made a commitment to blog a devotional I had written. Once a week. No more. No less.

I had already been teaching a class once a month at the art studio A Place to Land. I make no claim of creating great art.  But my brilliant, ethereal, Holy Spirit-filled friend, Andrea Noles, does. She owns the studio and teaches several art classes per month.  I would pop in once a month to lead a class in a devotion before they began work on their art project.

One of our first classes at A Place to Land

The class and the blog merged to become Create in Us.  The past couple of months have been a whirlwind. We host small groups, Sunday school classes of all ages, bachelorette parties, and the like. We tailor the class to a specific Biblical topic you'd like for your group to focus on and modify the art piece based on learner ability level. We hold one class open to the public per month. I lead the class in a lesson and Andrea leads the class in creating a piece of art linked to that lesson. I blog and will continue to blog as an extension of that ministry.

 That's me on the right with Andrea (center) and our dear friend, 

   Vicki, who also teaches at the studio

We started slowly.  Sometimes our classes were full, other times no one came. But now our classes are selling out in less than 24 hours of the class' posting. Praise God!

A recent class at the studio on watercolor and lettering

Our name is taken from Psalm 51:10. Here David pleads with God after he had sinned. In this passage (verses 10-15) is our mission:

Create in me a clean heart, O God,

and renew a right spirit within me.

Do not cast me away from your presence

or take your Holy Spirit from me.

Restore to me the joy of your salvation

and grant me a willing spirit to sustain me.

Then I will teach transgressors your ways,

and sinners will turn back to you.

Save me from bloodguilt, O God,

the God who saves me,

and my tongue will sing of your

righteousness.

O Lord, open my lips,

and my mouth will declare your praise.

We long that God will create in us a heart that has been cleansed by the blood of Jesus.  We long to live lives filled with the Holy Spirit.  And in celebration of our forgiveness, redemption, and fullness of joy in Him we in turn will praise His name and celebrate Him with our lives.

We want to bring that joy to each and every class we teach.  We want to acknowledge the beauty God has created in us and, in return, create something beautiful as an act of worship. You leave a Create in Us class with your piece of art that signifies that worship and stands as a reminder of what you have experienced with God.

Our table at Merry Market in Mount Holly

So, how can you help our ministry?

A few ways:

1. Sharing and liking the blog and all of its posts on Facebook and Instagram. This is a pretty big social media favor to ask, I realize.  We ask for a purpose, though. Andrea and I have the amazing privilege of meeting with a publisher this summer.  To be taken seriously we need at least 500 likes on Facebook. As of now we are approaching 300. We need your support as you like or share each post, each blog entry, and spread the word of Create in Us.  As you share the blog will you specifically ask your friends to Like our Facebook page?

2. Subscribe to the blog. You can do this in two ways. You can subscribe by scrolling all the way down to the bottom of the home page and clicking Subscribe.  Or you can add your email to the Follow Us By Email button to your right. 

3. Like the Facebook page A Place to Land. Here you'll see our class listings and be linked to the website where you can sign up for our monthly class.

4. Schedule an event with us! Our spring dates are filling up quickly, so email us soon!

   We tailor each class to be suitable for any age and ability level.

My dearest friends, I appreciate so deeply the love you have shown Create in Us over the past few months. Honestly, it has been one of the biggest blessings of my life. 

My prayer will continue to be that He will create in us a clean heart and from that clean heart will sprout the desire to declare His precious Name to our community.

Lord, may it be so.

Take These Chances

Like any teenager of the 90s I have a special place in my heart for Dave Matthews Band.  I have to admit that my heart feels its age, however, when I turn to the Lite FM station and hear "Crash Into Me."  I'm such a grown up that the music of my youth has been relagated to the speakers of grocery stores and elevators.

Maybe you aren't a big Dave Matthews fan, but I'm sure you've been sitting in the waiting room of your dentist's office and heard the lyrics "Take these chances...." from the song "Ants Marching."  And then you want to sing along, but you're not exactly sure how that line finishes up.  Or you're like me and you don't care and you just sing random sounds.  Well, let's clear up this missing-lyrics mystery:

 Take these chances

Place them in a box until a 

quieter time

Lights down, you up and die

I hear this song and, by golly, give me a pair of Docs, a dELiA*s catalog, and an episode of teen angst in My So Called Life.  Here I come, 1995!

This song, this gem of 90s alt rock, serves to call us out of the mundane.  It tells us not to miss out on the beautiful stuff in life while we're busy living, well...life.

You know who would have loved this song?  Another great musician, another Dave.  King David to be exact.  And King David was a go-getter.  He saw the beauty of the world and the greatness of God in it.  

But far too often, the story of King David overshadows the story of another action-taker:  his wife, Abigail.  Abigail was known for her intelligence and beauty.  In fact, I Samuel 25:3 states flat out, "The woman was smart and good looking."  (Now that's a legacy to leave.  The Bible calling you a beauty with brains!)  Abigail is introduced to us through a story where she is called to save her entire people from David's wrath after her first husband, Nabal, insults David.

David and his men were riding to Nabal's land to slaughter his people, but Abigail's servants ran to her so she could solve the problem.  Why?  Because they knew she was smart enough to come up with a plan and brave enough to put that plan into action.

When Abigail heard of the impending danger, I Samuel 25:18 says, "She lost no time" and came up with a plan to save her people.

Long story short - she did save her people.  David was so impressed with her that sometime later when Nabal died David immediately asked Abigail to be his wife.  She, in turn, quickly said yes.

See the pattern?  We remember David and Abigail because they lived lives worth remembering.  They saw needs, they fulfilled them.  They saw love, they latched onto it.  They heard a call, they answered it.

Abigail's wisdom, fantastic as it was, wasn't worth anything without her willingness to act.

Biblical characters, we are not, but people of action we can be.  Do you see a need?  Do you have a dream, an idea brewing?  Why don't you see it through?

Satan is a champ at telling us lies.  Lies such as, you aren't enough.  Not smart enough.  Not talented enough.  Not strong enough.  Not fill-in-the-blank enough.  He knows exactly which lie he can tell you to keep your dreams in the box that Dave Matthews told us about.

John 10:10 tells us in explicit terms that Satan has come to "steal, kill, and destroy."  Steal your joy, kill your creativity, and destroy the glory that your action-taking could give God.

But do you know what the second part of that verse says?  Our Jesus is talking and he's saying words so sweet they deserve some boldface: 

I have come that they may have life

and have it to the full.

Let's take a minute and explore this word life as it's used in this verse.  In the original text it doesn't simply mean bio or a living organism.  It means zoe - to live!  Salud!  Cheers!  This kind of life means to be alive and present and thriving.  Some versions of this verse have the accompanying adjective "abundantly" or "superfluously" with zoe.  This means so much life and joy and celebration that a person is overflowing with it.  Dancing and singing and joy and you know, LIFE!  

This, my friends, is the kind of living God wants for you.  A life of living creatively, using your gifts, and having a curious heart.  No, not in the name of hedonism or for your own pleasure, but in the name of glorifying God. 

The biggest lie Satan can tell you is that living abundantly is living frivolously. Friend, living with joy and in pursuit of your dreams is a beautiful freedom that has been bought for you through Jesus Christ.  

Abigail's willingness to act saved lives and enriched her own.  Her risk not only led to foreseeable rewards, but unforeseeable ones.  She never imagined her bravery would make her a queen.

So let's be like Abigail.  What in your life is risky, but deserves a leap?  Maybe a call to adoption?  An idea for a business?  Going back to school?  Or simply taking a calligraphy class?

Hear me, friend:  take these chances.  Take these chances for yourself, sure. But truly take them to glorify the Lord.  Your freedom in Him is worthy of doing great things for Him.  Because there is one thing that's better than life and that's His love (Psalm 63:3, written by King David himself).  His love is worth making the most of your life.  

I don't want to be another ant, marching along and never looking at the beautiful opportunities of life, putting my precious chances in a box until a better time awaits.  I want to be like Abigail and bravely dare to say, I'm capable of at least changing my own life, at most changing the world and I'm going to do it now.

God of Abigail,

Thank you for the testimony of her life.  You instilled in her the ability to enact change, to make the most of the now.  Because of Jesus, we too are free to make change, to make something beautiful, to make the world better.  Fulfill the visions you have placed in our hearts.  Always helping us to remember that it's for your glory.  May we too hear the words David said to Abigail, "Praise be to the Lord.  He sent you!"  Precious Lord, since your love is better than life, let me use my life to glorify you.

Lord, may it be so.