Walking With Grace

Something I’ve loved about this series is watching God work in big and little ways I never imagined when I began. Like I noted in my first post, I prefer to plan my writing in advance, pray about potential topics and themes, and have lots of time to ponder and edit before posting. This daily series doesn’t let me do that, so I’ve had to be much more dependent on the Lord to provide both topics and the time to write each day.

The first time I became distinctly aware of how God was working through this process was when our idea to periodically post Christmas carols led to my listening to my favorite Christmas recording by Jubilant Sykes and drafting a post about him on the day of his passing. I didn’t become aware of his death until after I was done (I subsequently updated the post), but I do believe God often puts people on our hearts for a reason, and I don’t think this was a coincidence since his family is deeply in need of prayer.

On a lighter note, I’ve continued to see God’s hand at work in prompting me to write about how he speaks through creation. The day after that post, Ivan and I were out in the park next to our condo and we ran across a beautiful, medium-sized coyote! I’m very grateful we live next to a park with lots of trees, grass and a walking trail, but this was a startling encounter because we are still in an urban area. Although we occasionally see raccoons and possums, and some of you may have heard about Ivan’s terrifying but anticlimactic run-in with a skunk last year, the critters in our complex are typically under three feet tall. Even more surprising was the fact that this unusual canine visitor did not seem the least bit disoriented or nervous around the families and dogs that flood our park every Saturday afternoon. In fact, he seemed quite at home.

We spent more time than was probably advisable admiring and photographing him (I don’t know for sure it was a “he,” but he had a very easygoing vibe in my opinion), and when we got home I was so curious about his nonchalance in the middle of a city park that I decided to do some research.

Apparently, the “urban coyote” is a well-established phenomenon and has its own Wikipedia page, as well as educational resources from the National Wildlife Federation and PBS. The short story is that urban coyotes are extremely adaptable and resourceful animals, useful for controlling rodent populations, and are unlikely to be aggressive if given proper space and respect.

I think this “friendly” coyote – if there is such a thing – is a wonderful example of God’s creation continuing to metamorphose as our society changes, and both Ivan and I were so grateful to experience a something a little “wilder” than the squirrels and finches we usually see on our afternoon walk.

See you tomorrow!

I recently heard the song “Once Upon” by Sovereign Grace for the first time, and these lyrics stood out to me:

“Once upon a bed of straw / slept the Sovereign Son of God / Lord of the universe /breathing the dust of earth.”

What an amazing love this is; there is none other like it. No other love freely gives up so much for such a poor return: leaving the glories of Heaven for a dirty stable, trading the worship of angels for the scorn and enmity of the humans He created.

The more I reflect on God’s sacrificial love for you and me, the more I am humbled and convicted of the shallowness of my love for Him and others. And the more I am grateful that He loves me this much. My hope lies in the character, acts, and promises of God, the One who never changes and who has promised to walk with me every day. The One who emptied Himself for my sake, to reconcile me to Himself. I belong to Him and can rejoice in Him.

May we take in the joy and wonder of Christmas more and more as we reflect on the eternal truth and love displayed in the birth of the baby in the manger.

See you tomorrow!

Good morning, everyone! Continuing the theme of resting in God’s presence that I started yesterday, I want to share that one way I enjoy spending time with the Lord is by taking a daily walk. While I affirm there is great reward found in beginning the day with prayer and Bible reading, and God has helped us both be faithful with this practice since college, there are also many Scriptures that emphasize how God uses creation to reveal various aspects of his character to both believers and unbelievers (e.g. Psalm 19, Psalm 29, and Romans 1).

Walks are a great encouragement to me because they provide an opportunity to disconnect from technology, observe the beauty of God’s creation, respond with thanks and praise, and pray over anything the Lord brings to mind. I continue to learn so much about God’s infinite creativity and attention to detail by noticing the tiny variations in the plants and animals around me. These times also bring me great comfort as I ponder the even greater care and attention the Lord lavishes on the lives of his human children:

Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? And not one of them will fall to the ground apart from your Father. But even the hairs of your head are all numbered. Fear not, therefore; you are of more value than many sparrows.

Matt:10:29-31

See you tomorrow!

I’ve spent a lot of time meditating on Psalm 131 this year, and I wanted to share it with you all today, as Christmas certainly comes with more opportunities to gather, do ministry, and travel to see friends and family than we encounter any other season. Depending on our life situation, this may create excitement and anticipation as December 25th draws near, or it may exacerbate other emotions like discouragement or anxiety about the future.

And these temptations to get swept away by the hustle and bustle or give into other, less pleasant feelings are why I’m loving Psalm 131 so much right now. I first began sitting with this Psalm in the spring during a counseling class, where we were challenged to meditate on and pray over it every day for a month. If you’re interested in trying this out for yourself, I’ve attached an article that gets to the heart of the psalm and also describes ways to begin praying and meditating on it here. In the summer, our church did a series on the Psalms of Ascent which included Psalm 131, and that prompted me to revisit it for another fruitful season in my prayer life.

Until this year, I’d tended to gloss over Psalm 131, because I never really understood what David is saying when he compares himself to a weaned child. But these seasons of looking at it more deeply helped me realize that part of the beauty of the psalm is not just this unusual metaphor but also its counter-metaphor. A weaned child trusts that his mother will feed him at the right time and so can simply enjoy sitting in her lamp (i.e. her presence) without constantly being anxious about whether or not he’s going to be fed. In contrast, an infant’s primary concern is for survival. He’s not yet able to enjoy his mother’s company. He’s driven by the instinctual belief that, unless he screams, he will not be fed. So this psalm is a picture of David’s calm confidence that God will meet his needs in the right way at the right time, without him having to “take matters into his own hands” to force that to take place.

Whatever your current emotions may be as we find ourselves halfway through this Advent season, I encourage you to take a few moments today to meditate on this brief psalm and re-center on the rest and quietness that is always found in contemplating God’s gracious, loving sovereignty.

Lord, my heart is not proud;
    my eyes are not haughty.
I don’t concern myself with matters too great
    or too awesome for me to grasp.
 Instead, I have calmed and quieted myself,
    like a weaned child who no longer cries for its mother’s milk.
    Yes, like a weaned child is my soul within me.

O Israel, put your hope in the Lord—
    now and always.

See you tomorrow!

Good morning, everyone! Today I’d like to introduce you to a wonderful missionary couple, Shannon and Danielle Hurley, who are also fellow authors with Shepherd Press.

The Hurleys founded Sufficiency of Scripture (S.O.S.) Ministries in Uganda, where their mission is to strengthen the local church and raise faithful believers through Shepherd’s Training College and Legacy Christian School.

To support the Hurley’s ministry, Shepherd Press is currently offering a 20% discount and will match 20% of all profits to donate to S.O.S. Ministries through Sunday, December 14th.

See you tomorrow!

A few days ago, I mentioned that we read through the Bible every year. This lines up wonderfully with the Advent season, as it means we are typically reading through Revelation at the end of the year. Although Advent is most commonly known as a time for anticipating Jesus’ birth or first coming, a full celebration of Advent also acknowledges that we are once again awaiting Jesus’ arrival. But this time we are not awaiting His arrival as propitiation for our signs, but rather his arrival as the victorious King who will establish his earthly kingdom and heal everything that is currently broken. And that is why I personally find it so satisfying to read Revelation during the season when we commemorate his birth.

For today I wanted to share a passage from my quiet time that greatly encouraged me. The holidays can be a time of joy, busyness, and celebration, but for many of us they can also highlight circumstances and relationships that we’re still fervently praying for, or are not where we’d hoped they’d be this time last year. This passage, although it is specifically describing the reward awaiting those will give their lives for Christ during the tribulation, is also often used to describe the comfort awaiting all of us in heaven, and I believe there is merit to this application to. I particularly love the description of Jesus as both the Lamb and the Shepherd, which highlights his experiential sharing in our human suffering before he re-ascended his heavenly throne:

“They will never again be hungry or thirsty;
    they will never be scorched by the heat of the sun.
For the Lamb on the throne
    will be their Shepherd.
He will lead them to springs of life-giving water.
    And God will wipe every tear from their eyes.”

Revelation 7:16-17

See you tomorrow!

Yesterday was my 33rd birthday; thank you so much to everyone who sent birthday wishes! This birthday felt especially meaningful, perhaps because our Lord Jesus was 33 years old when He went to the cross to pay for our sins. Lord, may You be glorified through me this year.

Internally, I still feel like I’m around 23 years old instead of 33. Yet at the same time, so much has happened in the past 10 years that I unquestionably also feel much “older,” although I suspect that “future me” may also find this comical.

Time is a strange thing, isn’t it? Especially when we consider the perspective of God, who created time in the first place. Peter famously said, “But do not overlook this one fact, beloved, that with the Lord one day is as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day” (2 Peter 3:8).

God has been with me every day of the past 33 years of my life; even if I had been born 330 or 3300 years ago, His sovereignty and goodness would remain unchanged. And my hope throughout life is that God is calling me home to be with Him and enjoy Him forever in the life to come. When I’m tempted to think of myself as the main character of “my story,” God’s Word reminds me that He is the main character of history, and He has invited me (and all of us) to play a part in His redemptive story.

I’d like to end by sharing that yesterday I felt God impress this verse on my heart as a key verse for this next year of my life:

“For God gave us a spirit not of fear but of power and love and self-control.”

2 Timothy 1:7

When we find ourselves facing fear, or any of its companions – worry, anxiety, discouragement, doubt – may we cling to the God who is the source of power, love, and self-control. For those of us who have placed our faith in Christ, He is transforming our hearts from the inside out so that day by day we resemble Him more, radiating His light and love to those around us, for His glory. May we fear Him above all else, trusting in His unchanging love, mercy and grace.

One of the bright spots I can count on every December is Ivan’s birthday! I’m so grateful we’ve gotten to celebrate quite a few together at this point. He asked me to start praying about dating the day before his 21st birthday, and today he turns 33! If the Lord is pleased to grant us both continued health and safety, then we have many more to look forward to together.

It’s been such a privilege walking alongside Ivan throughout our twenties and now into our thirties. Early in our marriage, almost all of his time and energy was devoted to caring for my physical health, but as God has graciously removed some of those burdens, it’s been exciting to see him growing in areas that were put on hold, or he hadn’t yet explored. This past year, I’ve been grateful to see him grow in leading worship (he’s always been a gifted pianist, but developing in leadership is exciting), as well as joining me in prayer ministry and interceding for others. I’m so grateful that God in His perfect wisdom chose us to journey through life together, and I can’t wait to see how He will continue to work in Ivan’s life in the coming years.

And it is my prayer that your love may abound more and more, with knowledge and all discernment, so that you may approve what is excellent, and so be pure and blameless for the day of Christ, filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ, to the glory and praise of God.

– Phil. 1:9-11

I’m grateful to my parents for instilling in me the importance of memorizing Scripture at a young age. They enrolled me in AWANA when I was five, shortly after we moved to California for my dad to attend seminary, and I stayed enrolled until we moved Wisconsin (5th grade). If you’re not familiar with the program, it teaches children to memorize and understand Bible verses in a fun, age-appropriate environment. I can still recite many of the verses I learned during those years, so I am proof that God can use these programs throughout children’s lives to strengthen, encourage, and comfort them.

Later, while I was studying violin in New York, a dear friend and I memorized the entire book of 1 John together. This endeavor reminded us what it meant to walk in the light and be a child of God in an environment where it was very challenging and unpopular to be a Christian. Ivan and I continued this trajectory while we were dating by memorizing Philippians and Colossians.

After my accident, Scripture memory has become A LOT more difficult. I originally thought it was impossible, but over the years the Lord challenged this assumption by revealing how many of the verses I memorized long ago are stored in long-term memory. I’ve realized that Scripture memory is still possible – it just requires significantly more time and repetition. Recently, my discipleship group has been memorizing Psalm 46 at the rate of 1 verse per week. This is the perfect pace for me, and I’m so grateful for how the Lord has been using each verse as timely encouragement.

This post also brings up the question of why memorize Scripture in the first place? My favorite answer is found in Psalm 119:11:

“I have stored up your word in my heart,
    that I might not sin against you.”

Memorizing Scripture makes us more familiar with what God has told us about himself in his Word, which will grow both our capacity for worship and our gratitude for his amazing gift of salvation. It will also empower us in our ongoing battle against sin and temptation. I’m struck by the fact that even Jesus, when he was tempted by Satan in the wilderness, chose to resist by quoting Scripture rather than unleashing divine power. Perhaps that was an example for all of us who are not the Son of God, but are nonetheless called to both imitate his example and trust that he can empathize with us in our weaknesses (1 Peter 2:21; Heb. 4:15).

My prayer is that, whether you’ve been memorizing Scripture for a lifetime or are just starting out, this testimony will encourage you as you continue on your journey.

See you tomorrow!