The Thin Place - The Thin Place, Where We Experience the Sufficiency of Grace

October 21, 2018

The Ministry of the Mundane: Faithful Living When The Days Feel Unimportant

Life is compiled in the mundane moments. Much of our time is claimed by tasks we don’t even remember in days to come. Sleeping. Eating. Bathing. These are the tasks that allow us to maintain our life. But rarely are they note-worthy. We feel the absence of the mundane. We enjoy the occasional sparks that we remember for years to come but the daily, sustaining elements of our lives are often forgettable. It’s hard to accept ordinary, mundane things. We want life to be dramatic. We want to be remembered. We want to be Esthers, bursting into the throne room and saving the day. But we forgot that what made Esther memorable was only a moment, her character was forged in the mundane. My life can be boring, My days aren’t spent in an exciting manner but simply spent washing dishes that will be dirtied again at the next meal, folding clothes that will soon be mussed, and doing work that I will forget doing a year from now. Maybe even a month from now. Like the opening montage of a movie, my days play out, waiting for the excitement to begin, my life plays out over and over. But in the end, I don’t think it is those burst of excitement, but the mundane bits of life that define who we are. Anyone can show up and pull everything together for one day. It is true character to over and over again live out your daily tasks with love. Whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him. – Colossians 3:17, ESV Each and every task our hands are occupied with, each and every word that passes through our lips can be offered up to our Maker. Nothing is meaningless, but even the mundane is infused with eternity when offered up in the name of Jesus. We never know the ripple effect our actions will have. Our kind words may be the salve that soothes a soul wounded and broken. Hospitality extended to a stranger may be offered up to an angel. A cup of water given to one in need can be extended as to Christ Himself. The reach of our daily tasks extends beyond what our eyes can see. To lose heart because of the limits of our sight would be foolish. Our…

October 17, 2018

Prepare Him Room: An Advent Prayer Guide

Sign-up here to be the first to receive a free copy of Prepare Him Room: An Advent Prayer Guide. Christmas is coming. Halloween, All Saints’ Day, and Thanksgiving haven’t even passed yet but stores are already flooded with red and green. Instead of savoring the season, we are rush until the end of the story. We jump straight to the celebration without taking time to embrace the preparation. Advent calls us, not to busy ourselves, but to slow ourselves down and make room in our hearts and lives for Immanuel, God with us. When Jesus was born, there was no room available in the Inn for His mother to birth Him. There was no room. I wonder, would I have made room in my home? I wonder if there’s room in my life now. Will this be a Christmas where my eyes are distracted by the lights, frantically trying to keep up with the displays of Christmas? Or will my eyes simply rest on the Light of the World as He comes again into this world and my life? Traditionally, Advent has focused around preparing our hearts through prayer and charity. Through these practices, people have re-centered their hearts around Christ. Can we spend this season preparing together? Last year, we studied the names of Jesus, but this year, can we focus together on prayer? Can we humble our hearts and kneel before our Savior in prayer? In this very visible, season where everyone seems to be superwoman, prayer is a call to stop and focus not on what is seen but what is unseen. But sometimes, especially in these seasons when our lives feel on display, we wonder if these hidden moments matter. In the moments when we have pulled away from quiet times with God, we need to press into it. We need to stop and humble our hearts before God. He is working in these hidden moments on our behalf and, even in our failure, He is interceding and praying for us. When we don’t know how to pray, when our words fall short, the Living Word sustains us and carries our prayers. “If my people who are called by my name humble themselves, and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and heal their land. Now my eyes will be open and my…

October 14, 2018

How to Rock Aunthood (4 Biblical Examples to Follow)

This article originally appeared on She the Fierce. I have enjoyed the privilege of becoming an aunt again twice in the past few months. A sweet little baby boy and baby girl have filled their lungs with air and made their voices known to the world. And our family is rejoicing. Aunthood has been such a blessing. Motherhood is a high calling, but no matter what our role is in little ones lives, we are called to steward that role seriously. Becoming an aunt is no different. We need to welcome little ones are Christ instructed and teach them to love Him from a young age. As I gaze on these little lives, I want to take my role as aunt seriously. I want to be intentional about the time I have with them and about the privilege God has gifted me. So I search the scriptures and try to find examples of how non-mothers affected the lives of little ones. Miriam While Miriam was a sister, her example of carefully watching over a child not her own is one to emulate. She watched Moses as he traversed the Nile in his cradle and boldly went before Pharaoh’s daughter to ensure he was cared for. When he was older, she was a strong example of a follower of God and supported his ministry very publicly. Mordecai Esther’s uncle is one of my favorite examples of non-parental love in the Bible. He took responsibility for Esther when she was orphaned, and raised her as his own child. When she was grown, he continued to guide and shape her in the ways of the Lord. Because of his encouragement, Esther went before the king and saved the Jewish people. Ahaziah’s Sister This aunt doesn’t even have a known name, but her little story had a big impact. 2nd Kings 11 tells of how she rescued her infant nephew from death when the queen was on a rampage, murdering the entire royal family to stay in power. Because of her bravery and love for her nephew, Judah was restored and given a Godly king. She sets an example of self-sacrifice, devotion, and bravery for all of us to follow. Elizabeth This older cousin of Mary’s had a hard life. As the wife of a priest, she was in the public eye. As a barren woman, her shame was visible to all. Nevertheless, she…

October 7, 2018

Feeling Spiritually Stagnant? Here Are 5 Things You Need To Do

Spiritual stagnancy is something many of us experience in life. When I was younger, I remember being confused by these seasons that felt uneventful. I would go to conferences and feel like I left walking hand in hand with my Savior. But after a few weeks of normal life, of laundry and school work and little brothers pushing my patience, I’d feel distant and apathetic again. While I’d like to tell you that this pattern disappeared as I aged and matured in my faith, it hasn’t changed much. I still have seasons when I feel exceptionally close to God and seasons when my faith feels more like an abstract concept than a life and soul-transforming part of my daily life. These seasons of stagnancy can lead us to feel like a lesser Christian. But it is often in these seasons when the emotions aren’t propelling us that we truly move into the work we need to do to build a faith that survives the storms of life. When you doubt whether or not the work you’re doing to grow your spiritual life matters, that is when you need to dig deeper into tools God has given you. 1. Repent Often times, seasons of stagnancy in my life cause me to become complacent with the little “white lie” level sins in my life that I’ve convinced myself hurt no one. But sin never hurts no one. Every little white lie, every moment of sloth, every unkind word, each uncharitable though is an action that Jesus bled and died for. If I want to break out of feeling apathetic, I need to take my sin as seriously as Jesus does. I need to evaluate my heart and my actions and repent of anything not worthy of the high calling Christ has placed on my life. 2. Pray When you are feeling lost in your faith, when your prayers feel memorized and heartless, don’t let the devil convince you that your prayers are meaningless. Prayer changes your heart and it changes the world. Whether you feel stagnant because of sin, life changes, or some combination of life busyness that you’re just not able to identify, prayer can change things. If you’re having trouble coming up with a prayer, pray as Jesus taught us and say the Lord’s Prayer. Commit each day when you wake up and each night before bed to praying it aloud…

October 2, 2018

30+ Gorgeous Nativity Sets You Can Buy on Amazon

One of the things I love dearly is my collection of nativity sets. I am not sure why I began the habit of collecting one each year after I got married, but it has become something I have cherished each year as I begin decorating. Nativities are a beautiful way to remind yourself of Christ’s presence in your home and our world at Christmas time. Even as a child, I loved playing with each of the little statues, arranging the shepherds, the stable animals, and the Holy Family. For my niece’s first Christmas, I bought her her very own nativity set that she could play with as she grew. If you’re looking to make your home cozy for Christmas time and to set up visual reminders of what God has done, I encourage you to consider purchasing a nativity set. Whether you want a set for children to play with, one for your yard, an extravagant purchase, or a “starter” nativity set, Amazon has a wide selection of beautiful sets fo revery budget. Note: This post contains affiliate links which means I may receive a small commission (at no additional cost to you) for items purchased through these links. See my sidebar for my full disclosure. Nativity Sets for Children Nativity Sets Under $35 Nativity Sets Under $75 Unique Nativity Sets Outdoor Nativity Sets If you’re looking for other ways to keep your eyes focused on Jesus this Christmas, I encourage you to sign up for access to my Resource Library to receive my free Advent devotional, “His Name Shall Be Called.” The little Baby in the manger of our nativity sets was known by many names. The Light of the World. The Prince of Peace. The Way, the Truth, and the Life. The Son of God. The Word. Each and every one of these names is infused with great meaning to us today, giving us a new hope and love for our Savior. When we learn His names, when we understand in our hearts and not just our heads who this God-Man was, we embrace more fully the truth and beauty of our salvation. Just as learning our earthly friends’ names shows our love for them, so does learning the names of Jesus demonstrate that He is captivating our hearts. In the hustle and bustle of the season, seek Jesus. Don’t let Him become overshadowed by the…

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