Welcome to my monthly newsletter! What a wonderful time to quiet yourself as we celebrate EASTER! Few things nourish us more than time set apart to follow the thoughts of our hearts and today our hearts take us to the hope & promise of His Resurrection! Grab your coffee and join me for Sunday Afternoon Pause: Chapter 3.
"He is not here; He has risen!"
Luke 24:6-7
“Jesus Christ did not come into this world to make bad people good;
He came into this world to make dead people live.”
Lee Strobel
Devotion:
“Sunday hope...even in the midst of our Friday hearts. Left up to myself, I would perpetually dwell in the hopelessness of Good Friday, rather than the victory of Resurrection Sunday. I'm far too proficient at rehearsing all that is unbearably hard about life, when the only truth I need is that Christ bore it all. He conquered far greater than my greatest heartaches and trials. He's chosen to make us, His children...His BELOVED. We need to hold fast to Sunday hope...even in the midst of our Friday hearts.” I love this insight from Ruth Chow Simons.
Pause Memory Verse: “I have come that they may have life and life more abundantly.”
John 10:10
Pause Quote: "We need to hold fast to Sunday hope...even in the midst of our Friday hearts.”
Pause Question: Are you ready to let go of your Friday heart?
Keeping Your Heart
This last Christmas I received a gift from a dear friend, it was a monthly subscription to a Christian women's devotional magazine called Journey, from Lifeway. I find it to be insightful, challenging and thoroughly encouraging and I think you will too.
Recently it recommended reading or singing a Psalm a day and so I challenge you to join me and do the same. Michelle Hicks shares, "Early in my walk with Christ, a friend recommended reading or singing a Psalm a day. It has been a practice I have continued off and on through the years. No matter how many times I read and ponder one of the Psalms, it seems the Lord has something new for me to learn. I return to them over and over again for comfort and consistency in my walk with the Lord. The Psalms teach me how to relate to God and others. So here are some of my favorite Psalms.
Psalm 1: The Two Ways. Pursuing God's path leads to flourishing, but following the way of the wicked leads only to destruction. I love how this opening Psalm immediately gives guidance into the way we should walk through life. It reminds me that whether I walk, stand, or sit, I need to do those things in community with those who love God and follow His ways.
Psalm 16: Confidence in the Lord. This is truly one of my favorite Psalms. Frankly, I've lived a lot of my life afraid and anxious. As I learn to put my trust and confidence in God those fears and worries loosened their grip. Psalm 16 reminds me that God is my portion, blessing, and the path of life for me.
Psalm 51: A Prayer for Restoration. If I could choose two words to describe this Psalm they would be transparency and transformation. In this Psalm David was willing to own his own sin and confess it. Repentance is where freedom begins. This Psalm helps me remember that sin and idols are takers, but holiness and being right with God is life-giving.
Psalm 103: The Forgiving God. Who doesn't need the good news of God's forgiveness? As a person who has struggled with many fears, I see Psalm 103 as a balm to my very needy soul. "The Lord is compassionate and gracious, slow to anger and abounding in faithful love." (Psalm 103:8) This verse was life-changing for me. God has compassion on you and will change your life!
Psalm 119: Delight in God's Word. One way I have learned to demonstrate my love for God is by loving His Word. "I have treasured Your word in my heart so that I may not sin against You." (Psalm 119:11). Michelle ends with, "I am praying that the truth of Scripture will bring healing, compassion, forgiveness, and praise for you to continue singing the Psalms.
If you're interested in getting this monthly devotional magazine you can do so at lifeway.com
Bound to Please: Book Recommendation
I am enjoying this book by Elisabeth Elliot. "We are busy People. We frantically move through our days with hardly a moment of true rest and reflection. It's hard to comprehend the thought of being still, of leaving our anxiety and worry and impatience in the capable hands of a loving God. But that is exactly what we are called to do."
From chapter 3, All Things Are Yours, Elisabeth shares, "Sometimes the deepest level of trust has the appearance of doing nothing. This does not go well with our busy souls... A quiet heart is content with what God gives. It is enough. One morning my computer simply would not obey me. What a nuisance. I had my work laid out, my timing figured, my mind all set. My work was delayed, my timing thrown off, my thinking interrupted. Then I remembered. It was not for nothing. This was part of the Plan (not mine, His).
Now if the interruption had been a human being instead of an infuriating mechanism, it would not have been so hard to see it as the most important part of the work of the day. But all is under my Father's control: yes, recalcitrant computers, faulty transmissions, the prescription that is not ready when I go to pick it up, the long line at the grocery store. None of these things are random. My response is what matters. All events serve His will."
Rejoicing with you this Easter! Lovingly Linda