Nine years ago, a little boy was conceived. He would be the first to call me mother. Our clan has now grown to three, a boy and two girls. Truly a gift unmerited from the Lord. Still, I have found myself running to the Lord for wisdom, strength, and identity in motherhood. His grace and strength have delivered me from the pit many times. The Word of the Lord has sustained me in times of uncertainty, strife, misunderstanding, longing, sickness, and grief. It is grace for sanctification, that through my children, He parents me yet more. The knowledge that I am called to be an ambassador of Christ to my children takes away the burden of “making” perfect children. Instead, I walk alongside the Lord as I watch His grace call lost hearts, mold characters, and create pure hearts in my children. I will boast yet in my weakness as I parent, for when I am weak then He is strong.

So, this blessing is for new mom with expectant eyes, for the mom who faced a miscarriage, for the mom who daily remembers an abortion, for the mom whose arms are left empty to the death of their child, for the mom whose womb remains barren yet, for the mom who has experienced a failed adoption, and for the mom whose children came through adoption. This blessing is for the mothers aching for children separated from them, the mothers who feel less than, and for the mothers loving children whose birth families are in crisis. This blessing also reaches to the moms at different stages, the mom with busy toddlers, the mom with school-aged children testing their boundaries, and the mom with children leaving the nest. This blessing also belongs to the mom with a child whose rejection aches heavy, the grandmother who now finds herself raising another set of children, the mom caring for a child with an illness or special needs, the moms yet to be, and those who know or may not know that the calling of motherhood also beckons them.

Another facet of motherhood for me is the calling to make disciples. I do this around the table monthly, with beautiful women from around the city. My calling to spiritual motherhood began many  years. One of my greatest treats was to spend time with the older ladies at my church. I asked, listened, gleaned, but mainly watched as they lived a life worthy of the calling of God. So I began to pay attention to the ones younger than me. I spoke life over them, I listened to them, I encouraged them to seek the Lord. One of the ways I loved to do this was by writing poems for them, letting them know  I saw Jesus in them. I also pointed them to the Word of God, showing them how learning it and loving it had made all the difference for me. It had looked different at different times of my life, but now that I have reflected on those times, I pray I can incorporate them with my littles too. Revel in the calling of spiritual motherhood. Let it bring life to areas of your life that may have gone dormant. You will be nourished and the Lord’s provision will simply astound you.

So, Dear Hearts, the Lord and I have been thinking about you and we bless you.

A baby in arms a heart full
A smile that plays in the eyes
Unbelief that this one is yours and will call you mom
Blessed be the God who filled your womb
You are blessed mother, run to your strength.

A prayer sent to heaven above
A cry stifled with tears warm
What was to be
Has not come to pass
Blessed be the God who hears
You are blessed mother,
Morning, noon, and evening His ears hear your cry.

Unsteady you sit tears stream
Your heart yearning, longing
To be full just one more time
The emptiness threatens to overtake
Blessed be the God who sees
You are blessed mother,
His arms tenderly hold your broken heart.

A desert bare
A wilderness of unknown
Where is the promise of a life-giving womb?
Again confronted with a womb full
And your heart aches with longing at first
And then with desperation
Will it ever be?
Blessed be the God who knows
You are blessed mother,
For He makes known to you the path of life.

A gift given
To experience your spiritual adoption in the physical
Your heart swings open
And you embrace one whom your soul loves
Dissonance loud, mistake, I’m sorry…
No longer yours
Blessed be the God who predestines for adoption
You are blessed mother,
He chose you from the foundation of the earth - you are His.

A family but children- just a desire
A joy to be with friends and inhale their giggles full
The beautiful souls unclaimed
Your heart couldn’t resist
The whisper, Love them
So you do and your heart almost implodes
Blessed be the God whose joy is our strength
You are blessed mother,
In His presence there is fullness of joy forever more.

The baby is on the move
The days seem to stretch
But nights are short and mornings come quickly
Frazzled, dazed, tired, hungry
Don’t numb, distract , or give in to indulgence
Blessed be the God who gives rest
You are blessed mother,
He invites you to come bathe in His rhythms of grace - Sabbath

A child vocal and strong
Curious explorer setting his own boundaries
Testing and prodding in whiny vocabulary
Your triggered-buttons pushes
A sigh of exasperation escapes
Is this even worth it?
Blessed be the God who shepherds
You are blessed mother,
As you guide your child, so as a lamb your Heavenly Father guides you to Quiet waters and restores your soul.

The long days turn to short years
And you look up and the child is grown
Where has the time gone?
Could it be time to completely let go and let fly?
Blessed be the God who bids us follow
You are blessed mother,
For the same God who calls you to follow Him also calls your child.

Anger, resentment, rejection
Taking, withholding
Longing for a small piece - if even that
The longing of a sweet blossoming of friendship as you both grew up
Still just a longing
Blessed be the God who intercedes
You are blessed mother,
For you have an advocate who day and night intercedes for you and your son at the right hand of the Father.

Your grandchildren are a crown
But you did not anticipate their care
They have burrowed deep in your heart
Life is different than imagined
Though rich and full of joy
Blessed be the God who renews your strength
You are blessed mother,
For they who wait for the Lord shall run and not be weary.

Fear grips your heart
Disease, incurable, not sure - more tests
This babe was supposed to be whole and healthy
Your heart pounds
No control
Only trust
Blessed be the God who heals
You are blessed mother,
For He gave his only Son by whose stripes we are healed.

The refinement of motherhood
Is not exclusive
It draws and attracts
The giving of ourselves
The unveiling of our souls to each other
Spiritual motherhood a calling
Strong resilient and needed
Look around and take them in
The ones placed within your boundaries on purpose
Blessed be God who sets our times and spaces
You are blessed spiritual mother,
For He has caused your boundaries to fall in pleasant places; surely you have a delightful inheritance.

Rejoice!
Light up in smiles
Clap, sing, dance, create
The blessings you have received
Are good and gracious
In beholding them you find more intricacies of Christ
It is His grace and kindness that leads us to repentance
In Him you have received everything you need
Blessed be the God who is pleased to reveal
You are blessed mother,
For He has made known to you the mystery of His will according to His good pleasure!

After you finish reading this blessing take some time to sit and rest in the Lord. You are truly blessed.

When you are ready, take some time to look up the following Bible references. From the Word came the inspiration for how the Lord provides His grace in motherhood. The Word of God is alive and active, let it go deep into your heart and soul. In His grace, may the Word of God not return void but work in transformation for your sanctification. Glory to the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit: as it was in the beginning, is now, and evermore shall be: world without end. Amen.

• Romans 8:34 ESV

• Isaiah 53:5 ESV

• Psalm 16:6 ESV

• 1 Timothy 4:12 NIV

• Proverbs 17:6 ESV

• Isaiah 40:31 ESV

• Psalms 68:6 NLT

• Titus 2:3-5 ESV

• Psalm 113:9 ESV

• Romans 9:8 ESV

• Psalm 139:13 NIV

• Psalm 127:3 ESV

• Psalm 18:1 NIV

• Psalm 55:17 NIV

• Genesis 16:13 NIV

• Ephesians 1:5 NIV

• Psalm 16:11 ESV

• Matthew 11:28-30 ESV (also read in the The Message paraphrase)

• Psalm 23:3 ESV

• Matthew 16:24 ESV

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Daisy Dronen is a bellwether table-gatherer who loves fresh cut flowers and reading. Always reading! She invites women to join her around the table, creating a beautiful space in which to disciple a generation. With If:Dayton, she has discovered that beholding each other leads to a deeper revelation of who Jesus is and who He says we are - all while enjoying delicious food together. As a woman, she knows that we can all fear rejection. But around the table, we can make room for everyone to feel welcomed and push past our fears as we dive into meaningful conversation. A few evenings a week Daisy turns in her mom cape for a white coat as a nurse supervisor at a hospital in Dayton, Ohio. Adventuring with the love of her life is one of her greatest pleasures - following Jesus is her #1 pleasure. Daisy was born in Honduras, raised in Texas, but Dayton, Ohio is home. She loves to travel, spend time in nature, and dream of more dancing opportunities. This year one of her goals is to use her writing and story to encourage others that their story has a purpose in life. She would love to meet you and have you join her for tea. You can catch glimpses of her life on Instagram @daisyfd or email her at daisy.dronen@icloud.com

Photo credit to Echo by Design

You may or may not have heard the name Brené Brown, and if you have not, I strongly suggest  you look up her TED Talk on YouTube! You’ve definitely been impacted by her work, in one way or another. Brené is a speaker, story-teller, and shame-researcher. As you likely know, the area of shame is a hot topic in our world today, and what I think Brené uniquely seeks to do is very gospel-driven. Her desire is to understand things like shame, empathy, vulnerability, and connection - and it has impacted much of my thinking when it comes to how I show up in my life. In fact, in 2018, my cousin and I read Brené’s book, Rising Strong, and together we discovered how hard it is to be vulnerable, but in the same sense, how worth it vulnerability is!

Brené’s key piece of work, Daring Greatly (and the theme of her new Netflix special, “The Call to Courage”),* centers around this shortened quote by President Theodore Roosevelt:

“It is not the critic who counts…[no, instead] the credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena; whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly...and who at the worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly...”

This figurative man showed up to the fight, even if he knew he’d fail. He showed up with his whole heart, even when it hurt, and dared greatly to love in the face of previous hurt, to start the business in the face of risk, to go for the promotion that felt like a longshot, to evangelize to the person in his family who hates God, to pray for the miracle healing even though it may not happen. The truth is, he, and we too, can dare greatly, even when it’s risky!

....Sounds inspiring, right? Well, it is, but it’s also messy!

You see, this idea of daring greatly has been one I’ve wrestled with a lot the last few years. How do I both dare greatly AND fail well? What does it even mean to fail well? How do I obey God and risk big with wisdom? And how do I fail gracefully, while also still glorifying God? Below are just a few things I’ve learned in thinking, praying, and talking through these issues:

1) Failing well doesn’t mean you don’t risk. If you never risk, you never fail, which means you never succeed.
2) When you fail (and you will) learn from it and keep going! Persevere. 
3) Jesus will break your fall, every time. And He can handle your failure.
4) If you risk for Him, it will be worth it - He’s a Master Weaver!

These four truths have kept me going like a buoy in rocky waves throughout the last year. You see, whether others knew it or not, I’ve felt like I failed a lot in the last year. And it’s been vulnerable and crushing at times. I failed in big and small ways in career, friendships, love, housing, finances, business, etc. - and it’s been hard. I’m sure in many ways this will continue to be true. But the central thing I’ve learned throughout all this failure is there will ALWAYS be storms, but there will also, ALWAYS be Jesus.

I was recently the maid of honor in my best friend’s wedding, and one of the gifts she gave all her bridesmaids was a simple metal ring with a wave in the design. This small gift has been an anchoring point for me - it helps me to remember that Jesus is my Strong Tower in the storms of my life. That, like Peter, I can choose to trust Him. And trust, I have.

He will catch you. He is faithful, even when you fail. Because here’s the thing y’all: Failure is part of life in a Fallen world.

I know for a fact  it is He who has sustained me. It is He who has spoken life and truth to my weary soul  through music, through His Word, through the balm of a friend’s words. It is He who has restored what the locusts have eaten. It is He who has grown me up, pruned me, and dressed me as the vine I am in His hands. I can honestly say if it were not for this last year full of failure, I would not know Him the way I do now, and for that I am truly grateful. 

One Biblical story that has been a surprising comfort to me in this season has been the story of the unnamed woman who touched the hem of Jesus’ garment in a crowd. This saint with an “issue of blood” had been to many medical doctors and experienced much failure. She had tried it her way, the world’s way, and any other way she could get her hands on! She was worn out. She was tired. She was desperate. This medical failure drove her to Jesus. It drove her to dare greatly - right into the arms of the Healer! She didn’t just quit, even after much failure. She didn’t lay down and choose apathy or bitterness. No, instead, she showed up for her life and trusted God one more time.

I think that’s the main thing I want to remind you all today: Yes, dare greatly! But more importantly, dare greatly with Christ at the hem. He will catch you. He is faithful, even when you fail. Because here’s the thing y’all: Failure is part of life in a Fallen world.

It just is, we can’t avoid it, but so, too, is risk. So, I say, risk boldly and dare greatly - knowing that Jesus has your back. Or, as Paul put it in Phil. 1:21, remind yourself that “To live is Christ, and to die is gain!”

So….

Love again.

Witness to the broken.

Go bold in your career.

Show up for your life!

No fear - go all in for Jesus. Dare Greatly - with Christ at the hem.

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​Bekah Brewer wants to live in a world where discipleship is the thriving heartbeat of the whole Church. When she’s not practicing the art of digital marketing for Media Tractor or editing for her side business (Words Redeemed), you can find her playing soccer, pouring into friends & family, or planning out more times of fun, rest, and growth. Her favorite verse is Philippians 1:27a: "Just one thing: Live your life in a manner worthy of the gospel of Christ.” (HCSB)

Before we were even dating, my husband bought a fixer upper. And let me tell you, not even Chip and Joanna Gaines would’ve wanted to tackle this place. The house had gone vacant for sometime, inviting lots of little (and not so little) critters to make themselves at home. The walls were crumbling. The floors were black and peeling. The living room ceiling didn’t exist. And I won’t even mention the smell. Why did my husband go forward with purchasing this place? He was assured it had a firm foundation.

I don’t know much about buying or fixing homes. But I have learned from binge-watching Fixer Upper that a solid foundation matters. If that’s given way, you want to stay away—no matter how low the cost. Keep searching until you find a home with a firm foundation.

In His Sermon on the Mount, Jesus’ final parable explores the value of a house built on the rock. In Matthew 7:24, Jesus instructs, “Everyone who hears these words of mine and does them will be like a wise man who built his house on the rock.” Jesus makes it clear that a follower of Christ must go beyond listening to His Words. We must take care to put what we’ve discovered in His word into action. “Everyone who hears these words...and does them.” Does: A simple verb meaning to perform an action; work on; or make progress. Notice, Jesus isn’t saying read my Word and obey it perfectly. He is saying listen and work toward following it. The one who does this is wise. True wisdom is the practice of discovering and applying our knowledge of God and His Word.

Proverbs 1:7 states, “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge...” Paul also stresses the value of wisdom founded in Christ to the Colossians in verses 2:2-3 “...that they may be encouraged in heart and united in love, so that they may have the full riches of complete understanding, in order that they may know the mystery of God, namely Christ, in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.”

Wisdom—the act of knowing God’s word and acting on it—is one mark of a Christian. Maybe you’re like me, and when you think of a wise man, you think of a little figure dressed in royal robes featured in your mother’s nativity set. Like me, you might be thinking I don’t feel wise. Initially, pursuing wisdom seems counter to an everyday, normal life. But Jesus was speaking to the everyday person in His sermon. The everyday person, me and you included, is instructed to pursue wisdom. Wisdom is not reserved for the elite or extra intelligent. Wisdom, according to Jesus, is accessible to the everyday person.

We will stand in those storms, not in our own strength, but in the Lord’s so that others might see the love and power of God even amidst trials.

This was astonishing to the original audience as perhaps it is just as astonishing to you and me. Anyone has the power to be wise. They must only listen to God’s Word and strive, in God’s strength and grace, to follow it. Jesus uses the metaphor of building a house on the rock. The rock is a steady source of strength. It is the foundation. It is the Word of God. Those who listen and apply God’s Word are like wise men who build their homes on a firm foundation.

It’s been seven years, and our fixer upper is now our home. We’ve made great progress, but like any fixer upper—there’s always more to be done. Likewise, our journey of studying and doing God’s Word should not be accomplished overnight. In fact, it will take our whole lives to discover who Jesus is and what it looks like to follow Him full-heartedly day to day. Our pursuit of wisdom is not a pursuit of perfection. Rather, we pursue wisdom so that we can withstand the storms of suffering that will indeed come. We will stand in those storms, not in our own strength, but in the Lord’s so that others might see the love and power of God even amidst trials.

Jesus continues his parable, “And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house, but it did not fall, because it had been founded on the rock.”

But it did not fall. What a beautiful promise from our Lord. Floods will come, winds will blow and beat, but a life built on Jesus will stand. We are not protected from the consequences of sin in our fallen world. But true faith in the unfailing Rock equips us to endure those trials. I think of Paul who endured so much persecution in his journey to share the Good News to the lost. He knew he could withstand anything, if it meant others would see the life-giving power of Christ. In 2 Corinthians 4:7-9, Paul exclaims, “we have this treasure in jars of clay, to show that the surpassing power belongs to God, not to us. We are afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not driven to despise; persecuted, but not forsaken...”

Paul is a great example of a wise man who built his house on the Rock. He was beat in every way, but his spirit remained uncrushed. He continued to treasure God’s Word and let the power the Gospel be known, even amidst suffering.

My dear sisters in Christ, let’s pursue wisdom. Let’s build our house on the unfailing Rock. Psalm 46:1 encourages us that “God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.” The Lord’s promises were true then just as they are now. Together, let’s pursue time in prayer as we read our Bibles. Together, let’s work toward building a house that cannot be shaken when the storms crash against us. Let’s commit to encouraging one another as we dig into the word and make progress in acting it out in our everyday life. 

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Rachel Rowe is a wife to Caleb and mama to Adalyn, Oliver, and baby #3 coming in June! She’s learning to let the Word of Christ dwell in her heart. And finding out what that looks like in the everyday moments.​

I’ve always been a worker-bee. Well, perhaps not as a child. As an adult, though, and especially as a Christian, I’ve been a worker-bee. I found great pleasure in life by accomplishing a goal, but there was a driven-ness in this way of living. I’ve discovered that being a worker-bee is especially dangerous, spiritually. I’ve lived for a long time under the yoke of what I call "to-do list" Christianity. What a bondage. Self-effort doesn't work when it comes to doing what only God can do,which is anything of any spiritual value. That's why I love the Lord's invitation to the weary, burdened folk who followed Him:

Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light. Matthew 11:28-30 ESV

As we have seen in the previous blog post, Christ’s invitation in verse 28 is a call to find true rest in Him alone. And this rest is a gift (literally, “I will rest you.”) It’s the rest of spirit that is fixed and permanent, resulting from all that the Person and Work of Christ accomplished for us – total forgiveness, birth into the family of God, union with Christ, and much more. And this rest of spirit is mine when I respond to Jesus' gracious words, “Here to Me” (verse 28.)

But now the question is, how do I experience this rest in my soul every day of my life on this earth? How can rest be mine even in the midst of all the “doing what needs to be done?” How can anapausis, “the inner tranquility of soul while engaged in our necessary labors,” be mine right here, right now? I believe it’s all wrapped up in the image of the yoke.

But now the question is, how do I experience this rest in my soul every day of my life on this earth?

What is a yoke? A yoke is a bar or frame of wood that connects two animals together for a purpose or work of some kind. This was, and is, a common sight in the Middle East. Typically, a stronger animal is yoked to a weaker or more inexperienced one and so takes the lead. The two animals then work together to complete the same job. In addition to this use with animals, a master sometimes used a yoke to bind and control his slaves. Symbolically then, the yoke is a picture of yielding control to a master who is greater in power and authority, as well as being attached to one who is stronger and more skilled to accomplish a purpose together.

Jesus says I am to take on His yoke in order to find rest for my soul. My soul is my inner person – my mind, my emotions, and my will. This is where I often struggle and experience lack of peace and rest, but as I chose living from union with HIM above all other competing attachments, I experience the peace and rest of a loving Lord who lives through me in every situation I face.

However, the fact is there are other yokes pulling at me. These other attachments are often good things that end up becoming addictions, obsessions, dependencies, mini-gods exerting control over my life. Christine Wyrtzen, in her lovely website Daughters of Promise, names a few that women can become attached to, if we are not living by our indwelling Christ, yoked to Him above all else:

• the yoke of religion and living by “others’ measuring stick” (like the Pharisees of Jesus’ day)

• the yoke of slavery and living by “the demands of controllers”

• the yoke of shame and living by “the opinions of flawed people”

• the yoke of the flesh and living “like I did before I believed”

• the yoke of deception and living by “lies conceived at the gates of darkness.”

One I might add would be the yoke of self-effort and living by my own ingenuity and type-A personality. As I take HIS yoke upon me, though, and as I yield to the loving Lord who lives within me, I experience what Major Ian Thomas calls the faith-rest life: “Christ is in action, and you in your humanity are simply the clothes of His divine activity. This is the rest of faith. It is your hands with which He is at work, your lips with which He is speaking, your eyes with which He sees the need, your ears with which He hears the cry, and your heart with which He loves the lost. (The Indwelling Life of Christ, p 99)

So dear sisters, “take His yoke upon you” today and live from His indwelling life, while you are preparing the next meal, running to that necessary appointment, reading the Scriptures, loving your husband, changing another diaper … You may find that, in whatever unfolds before you each day, you will experience Love beyond your love, Forgiveness beyond your forgiveness, Patience beyond your patience, Skill beyond your skill, Fullness beyond your fullness, Peace beyond your peace, and Rest beyond your rest. 

You may also discover that His yoke is easy, His burden is light, because you are united to Him and His yoke fits you perfectly.

“Are you tired? Worn out? Burned out on religion? Come to me. Get away with me and you’ll recover your life. I’ll show you how to take a real rest. Walk with me and work with me—watch how I do it. Learn the unforced rhythms of grace. I won’t lay anything heavy or ill-fitting on you. Keep company with me and you’ll learn to live freely and lightly.”
Matthew 11:28-30 MSG

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Jan Loyd is a child of God, a disciple of Christ, a Jersey girl, a former nun, a teacher, and now a wife of 47 years, mother of two, grandmother of 5 boys and finally a baby girl...these are just some of the hats she wears or has worn. Her hat as teacher has seemed to be one she’s worn her entire adult life, ranging from elementary school, homeschool, adult ESOL and GED language and writing. But along with all of these opportunities has been her favorite above all the rest: teaching women the Word of God in various ways, Precept Upon Precept and Bible Studies she’s developed by the grace and tutelage of God along the way. Currently you may find her on her devotional blog “A Branch in the Vine” where she share several times a week and in her Bible Study/ devotional book The With-ness of our God: Relationship in Every Dimension.​

​Ah! REST...what a glorious word! I inhale and exhale deeply at just the sound of it. And oh, how we humans need deep, glorious rest... Moms especially need it...as do dads. Single folks need it; workers need it; retirees do, too. Even kids need it (although they would protest most loudly...especially in the midst of the frenetic-ness of no-sleep sleepovers!)

I remember as a mom of an infant how I longed for rest, praying my crying-in-the-middle-of-the-night baby would just fall quietly back to dreamland. Or my napping toddler would stay napping so I could lie prostrate for just a few more moments (Please, God!) And now, even as a senior retired adult, that beautiful rest calls my name more often than not in the midst of my afternoons. So I often take to my overstuffed couch and doze as I watch the old westerns from my childhood.

I can’t help but think our craving for physical rest is really just a picture of the rest we need even more so for our souls and spirits. That’s why Christ’s invitation is so attractive. We see it here:

Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light. Matthew 11:28-30 ESV

Here in the gospel of Matthew, Jesus promises rest as a gift. This is not just the "take a nap" kind of rest, it goes much deeper. It’s anapausis (“rest” in Greek.) It’s “inner tranquility” even while “engaged in necessary labor.”

In our passage, we see Jesus teaching and preaching to a crowd of people in Galilee. Who were these people? Of course, the crowd would include His disciples, who were His learners. The religious leaders dogged His every step, so of course, they surely were part of this crowd. But in the previous verses, there is a hint at who Jesus’ real audience is. Listen to how He prayed just before His invitation:

At that time Jesus declared, “I thank you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that you have hidden these things from the wise and understanding and revealed them to little children; yes, Father, for such was your gracious will. All things have been handed over to me by my Father, and no one knows the Son except the Father, and no one knows the Father except the Son and anyone to whom the Son chooses to reveal him. Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest… Matthew 11:25-28 ESV

Jesus’ primary offer was to the common folk, like you and me - “ragamuffins,” as one author calls us. Not the “perfect people” who have it all together. No, it’s for those of us who know we don’t have it together. Maybe we keep on trying, we “weary ones” who work our religious “to do list” to exhaustion or the “heavy laden,” burdened by the failure of falling back into habits of sinful shame. The invitation is for all of us who know we need something we cannot produce. So we see and hear Jesus, with His beautiful “yes face,” call to us:

Come to Me, all you who are weary and heavy laden, and I will give you rest …

Literally, it reads, “Here to Me, and I will rest you.”

Our Lord is pointing, as it were, to Himself as the Person who is the place of rest, in contrast to the Pharisees who were following Him and harassing the people with their “religious mega-list.”

we see and hear Jesus, with His beautiful “yes face,” call to us: Come to Me, all you who are weary and heavy laden, and I will give you rest …

That little Greek word translated “to/toward” in this verse is like an arrow aimed in a certain direction. So here we have Jesus saying “I am your focus, not those Pharisees over there and their ‘religious to do list;’ not your own self-effort to be righteous and good, but ME! I am your Rest.” And this is the inner rest of spirit that Jesus gives as a totally free gift when we come to Him. “I will rest you!”

What is this rest of spirit Jesus gives as a gift? It’s the rest of union with Him (Colossians 3:3.) This is rest indeed! And it is fixed, permanent, unchanging. It includes total forgiveness of all our sins, past, present, and future (Ephesians 1:7; Hebrews 10:17; 2 Corinthians 5:17;) birth into God’s family as a beloved child of God (John 1:12; 1 John 3:1-2;) identification with Christ in death, burial, and resurrection (Romans 6:4-14; Galatians 2:20.) It means Christ is living in me by His Holy Spirit (Colossians 1:27; 1 Corinthians 6:17,19.) I have all of Him in all of me (Colossians 2:9-10.) And this is true the moment I respond to Christ’s invitation: “Here, to ME!” He rests me.

So there is no more working, no earning, no trying to be right in God’s eyes; no grasping for His love, no agonizing over getting more of Him and His Spirit. I have it all because I have HIM. It’s all about receiving HIM who is my promised Sabbath Rest.

So may I ask you, dear sister in Christ, are you resting in Him who is your Rest? Or are you still working, trying to achieve what you already have and who you already are in Him? If so, search out some of the Scriptures above and rest in Him who rests in you.

Next time we will explore the crucial question: How can I experience this rest relationship with Christ in my real daily life? How can I live from these truths?

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 Jan Loyd is a child of God, a disciple of Christ, a Jersey girl, a former nun, a teacher, and now a wife of 47 years, mother of two, grandmother of 5 boys and finally a baby girl...these are just some of the hats she wears or has worn. Her hat as teacher has seemed to be one she’s worn her entire adult life, ranging from elementary school, homeschool, adult ESOL and GED language and writing. But along with all of these opportunities has been her favorite above all the rest: teaching women the Word of God in various ways, Precept Upon Precept and Bible Studies she’s developed by the grace and tutelage of God along the way. Currently you may find her on her devotional blog “A Branch in the Vine” where she share several times a week and in her Bible Study/ devotional book The With-ness of our God: Relationship in Every Dimension.

I've often heard talk of the “Resurrection power” we have as people who have received the Holy Spirit. I have been in awe of the Holy Spirit's works at Pentecost and throughout the book of the Acts of the Apostles. What amazing power! The sick are healed, Jesus' followers speak in tongues, the gospel is preached, and the Church grows in number, despite persecution. I've always looked for the Holy Spirit's work after the Resurrection because, before His death, Jesus promises the Spirit after He goes away. He tells His disciples it is actually better for them that He go away so the Advocate would come to them (John 16:7.) What?! There is something better than living face-to-face every day with Jesus?!

Jesus tells them the many things the Advocate, the Spirit, would do: “He will convict the world of its sin, and of God’s righteousness, and of the coming judgment” (Jn 16:8,) and “He will guide you into all truth. He will not speak on his own but will tell you what he has heard. He will tell you about the future. He will bring Me glory by telling you whatever he receives from me” (Jn 16:13-14.) Until the time of the Pentecost, Jesus' disciples had not yet experienced God in these unique ways. Therefore, we know there is actually something better for us than Jesus walking next to us on earth: being filled with the Holy Spirit.

When I think of learning about the Spirit, I usually focus my study on the books of the Bible that document the time after Jesus’ promise to the disciples in John 16 is fulfilled-- once the disciples have received the Holy Spirit at Pentecost. This might seem logical at first. However, just like Jesus, the Holy Spirit has always existed, since before there was time (Genesis 1:1.) We could say: “In the beginning the Spirit already existed. The Spirit was with God, and the Spirit was God. The Spirit existed in the beginning with God” (John 1:1-3, emphasis mine.) Just like Jesus, the entire Bible is the story of the Holy Spirit. The Spirit works in different roles than the Father and the Son, but has always been one with them.

And so today, I find the Holy Spirit quietly waiting to teach me in the first chapter of Matthew. I wasn’t looking for the Spirit here; God surprised me. I opened my Bible to the book of Matthew to meditate on Jesus' coming for the time of Advent. And there was the Holy Spirit, doing a work no human mind has ever fully understood:

“This is how Jesus the Messiah was born. His mother, Mary, was engaged to be married to Joseph. But before the marriage took place, while she was still a virgin, she became pregnant through the power of the Holy Spirit” (Matthew 1:18.)

The Holy Spirit, who possesses the power to raise Jesus up from the dead, also holds the capability to bring Jesus down from Heaven to earth. To bring Jesus from the spiritual realm into our physical, earthly realm. To bring the uncreated into the created, and somehow fuse the two together in some unfathomable mystery. To bring the holy, perfect God into our sinful, broken world. To bring God Himself to live with the people He made in His image-- as Isaiah foretold, “Immanuel, God with us” (Matthew 1:23, Isaiah 7:14.) There is so much power in the Incarnation that I have never had eyes to see before today.

When we walk into the workplace, we bring the true Light; when we enter into a disagreement between our children, we bring the Peacemaker…

What does this mean for us? This means, if we have believed on Jesus in faith and received the Holy Spirit (Ephesians 1:13-14,) then we have Incarnation power living inside of us. It means we are able to bring God into any situation or place we go. We bring Jesus from our own homes out into this broken world. When we walk into the workplace, we bring the true Light; when we enter into a disagreement between our children, we bring the Peacemaker; when we walk into a sick friend's home, we bring the Healer; to the hopeless, we bring true Hope; to the overwhelmed, we bring the Prince of Peace. Even into the lies we believe in our own hearts, we have the ability to bring the true Teacher. Wherever we go, we have the power of God living in us, carrying Christ with us into any and every broken place.

Have you considered the great power of the Holy Spirit who lives inside of you? Have you experienced bringing Jesus into an empty or broken situation? If you could bring Jesus into any sphere of your life, where would it be? Know that you have the power to call Him into that place. If the Spirit was able to bring Jesus, the God of all creation (Colossians 1:15-17,) into the womb of a woman as a human baby, surely you can bring Immanuel with you everywhere you go. Praise God for our Holy Spirit!

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 Teresa Beach, born and raised in Dayton, is a Christ follower who has experienced much physical pain and medical difficulty in her life, yet has seen the beauty of God's Spirit and His Church in the midst of suffering. After many years of darkness, God has drawn her to Himself again, and she is excited to share what He speaks to her through His Word with other women. She loves living life with her Apex house church family in West Dayton, and desires to equip the Church to better serve and reach chronically suffering people.

Today we are taking a break from our normal DWITW 365 posts to share a bit of what God has been teaching our sister Laura Swain through her time spent in the Word.

 “Rollercoaster” is the cliché I would use to describe my life right now, high-highs and low-lows. And a fair number of nauseating corkscrews that make your knuckles go white and your voice go hoarse.

Things have become much harder now that my twins need a more predictable rhythm day to day. My kids and I are virtually housebound as we decode the secret nap schedule that only the twins know and are reluctant to divulge completely. My older girls and I are feeling stir crazy and a bit isolated.

I have never felt closer to the Lord than I do right now, though. I have never wanted to know Him more. I have never been hungrier for Scripture. And at the same time, I still face daily struggles with idols who have names like “Alone Time” or “Feeling Appreciated.”

I’ve been praying through this and feeling so mystified about it. God, why is there such ugliness in my heart when I was just relishing every morsel of Your Word a few hours earlier? How could I feel so close to You and still lose my cool like that? The juxtaposition of my attitudes has been surprising to me. But it doesn’t surprise God.

I’ve just finished reading the Pentateuch as part of #DWITW365. I am only about 150 days behind (haha!) but I am chugging along. At the end of Deuteronomy, we see how tenderly the LORD shares some ugly truths with his beloved servant Moses. In Deuteronomy 31:16 God says to Moses: “You are about to rest with your fathers, and these people will soon prostitute themselves with the foreign gods of the land they are entering.” Gulp. He goes on to say that because they break the covenant He will no longer dwell with them. This is starting to sound a lot like Genesis 3. And then: “For I know what they are prone to do, even before I bring them into the land I swore to give them” (v. 21).

He blesses. We rebel. He corrects. He reminds us who He is. Then He takes us where He has promised us we will go, in full knowledge that the cycle will repeat again and again and again.

Well, you don’t have to be God to know that these people are prone to do this. The entire story so far has been about God performing literal miracles to save this people group (who, by the way, he calls HIS). The people He longs to be with, the people He wants to save the world through, the people He calls, delivers, raises up, and meets in the desert. And that glorious goodness is met by their complaining that they wish God had left them in slavery in Egypt.

So these people will leave God and the Law and call their prosperity their own? Shocker. Sarcasm aside, what does shock me is that God still takes them there! He knows what they will do in the promised land and He still makes them victorious to possess it and call it their own!

Today I texted some friends asking for prayer because I was feeling frustrated with my flares of anger. Beautiful that they are, they responded to my ugly sin problem by blessing me. “Hey, why don’t you drop off the girls so they can join us for a pizza and game night?” And, “Hey, I am dropping off a brownie in your mailbox.”

On the way back from dropping the girls off, I ran through the Burger King drive-thru. Little did I know, this seemingly quick stop would take nearly an hour out of my day. I was chill for the first 20 minutes: listening to vintage Steven Curtis Chapman and praising God as the twins were miraculously quiet in the backseat. But when I began to realize I had been forgotten – abandoned in the “please pull up and we’ll bring your food out to you” zone – I began to crumble. I’ll save the entire story for another day, but that anger I had just been praying about came spilling out of me so fast. Want to know the song that was playing right before it happened? “Only Natural” by SCC. You really should give the whole thing a listen. Part of it goes like this:
 So mirror, mirror look again,
 You’ve seen the fool that I have been.
 But did you see the grace that covers me
 Not to do anything I please;
 In fact, grace is the only thing
 That makes me what I am not naturally.
 Its supernatural power brings life out of the grave.
 It gives sight to the blind man,
 And it will not let me stay…
 Only natural, only natural.
 I’ve got the spirit of the living God alive in me,
 Giving me power so I don’t have to be
 Only natural.

I was face to face with grace. And grace looked a lot like brownies and pizza and games and prayers from friends that have seen my most broken parts. Yet I am like an Israelite who forgets. And like He did with the Israelites, God is good to say to me, “Hey you, look around at the piles of precious food, friends, and practical love I am making fall from the sky to feed your soul. Also, I saved your life. And, I love you.”

He blesses. We rebel. He corrects. He reminds us who He is. Then He takes us where He has promised us we will go, in full knowledge that the cycle will repeat again and again and again. This is what we are “prone to do” (Deut 31:21). And faithfully loving us is what He is prone to do.

The good news is that what comes naturally to us is not the way it has to be. Just a chapter earlier in Deuteronomy, Moses is summarizing his last speech to the Israelites. He has been imploring them for nearly the entire book to love the LORD only and follow His Law, not turning to the right or left. And then he says:

“This command that I give you today [to love the LORD and follow his Law] is certainly not too difficult or beyond your reach. It is not in heaven so that you have to ask, ‘Who will go up to heaven, get it for us, and proclaim it to us so that we may follow it?’ And it is not across the sea so that you have to ask, ‘Who will cross the sea, get it for us, and proclaim it to us so that we may follow it?’ But the message is very near you, in your mouth and in your heart, so that you may follow it.” (Deuteronomy 30:11-14)

Of course, we know that we could never do this perfectly. That’s why we need a Savior! And He’s also given us the Holy Spirit – the one that lives inside of us – who empowers us to follow God, even when it is not the natural thing to do. He calls us to this unnatural living and gives us what we need to do it! It is not “beyond our reach.” And as I yield to Him and allow Him to cut out the ugliness in my heart, He is not surprised by what spills out.

Lord, I have seen the sin cycle of Israel and lived it myself. I don’t want to do what comes naturally to me. I want to live freely, live as your child, redeemed and forgiven and empowered by your Spirit to obey you. Thank you for working in my heart, patiently and persistently. Thank you for equipping me to do what seems upside-down to the rest of the world. Teach me what “unnatural” living looks like. Make me hungry for your Word and help me understand it and apply it. Amen.

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Laura Swain wants to live in a world where her kids sleep until 8am. When she's not outside in the garden, you can find her on the floor reading with her kids.

One of her favorite passages in the Bible is 2 Corinthians 3:7-18 (NIV), which ends with: "And we all, who with unveiled faces contemplate the Lord's glory, are being transformed into his image with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit."

We are so pleased to welcome our sister Victoria Baker as a guest writer on the blog today. 

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“Then Jesus said to his disciples, “If any of you wants to be my follower, you must give up your own way, take up your cross, and follow me. If you try to hang on to your life, you will lose it. But if you give up your life for my sake, you will save it. And what do you benefit if you gain the whole world but lose your own soul? Is anything worth more than your soul?”

— Matthew 16:24-26, NLT

Right now, the Lord is teaching me something sacred and painful, yet completely life-giving. What may you ask is this? Wait for it...wait for it... dying to self. Yes, He is teaching me what it looks like to take up my cross and follow after Him. To be okay with the world not seeing Victoria: but through her death, seeing Jesus. He has paid the price and died in my place and gifted me with Himself.

At a young age, I came to know and believe in Jesus. He was a friend. He was where my mom and I would sit down and pray, where I felt peace. As the years progressed and life was life, I found my understanding of Him changing. I was discovering how much I was leaning on my own "strength" (which is really nothing) and through years of eating disorders, anxiety, OCD, and perfectionism, He drew near. He drew near to the little girl who lived in a world of people pleasing, approval needs, and fear. He began to show me how much shame and guilt was a part of my life. He began to show me that I was His and He never wanted me to try and atone for my sins in human ways. He began to flip my world upside down and inside out.

In college, I was baptized. Late high school into early college was when He and I went deeper and deeper; my faith became what felt like my own. He began to show me how tangled I was (even more than I realized) and he held me dearly. He began to shift my understandings of what love looked like, what my identity was rooted in and how I was secure.

As a perfectionist, security was something I cherished. He showed me how nothing was secure in my life apart from Him. Because of what He had done, I could rest securely. This is something that even to this day I am growing in. Even in my failures and flaws. He peeled off so many layers. He was patient as I denied Him so many times, choosing myself and other things. He continued to carry me to the foot of the cross and to His throne room.

Soon, the nations began to captivate my heart and international outreach became a passion. Empowering women and seeking to find the beauty in the mundane was the adventure my heart longed for. He met me in sunflowers, in tears, in praying for widows and in the ridding of myself. I returned from a year abroad and struggled to resettle at home in Miamisburg. I revisited old struggles, OCD panic attacks, eating disorder lies and falls, as well as seeing again the vastness of my brokenness. He began to speak to my heart in new ways: pictures, metaphors, whispers. The truth of His Word, which had been proven through all of this to be alive, gained even more momentum despite my continued failings.

Over the past few months, the Holy Spirit has been laying many prayers on my heart. Even the prayer for me to ask the Lord to mold my prayers while praying! He has brought up heart motives, marriage, perseverance, humility, dying to self and truly growing in living out what loving people and loving Him looks like.

As a dreamer by nature, He is growing me in practicality and I am stoked for His continued workings. He continues to teach me that apart from Him I can do nothing. He reminds me that self-flogging does not make us right with Him: only the power of His blood can do that. He continues to teach me to take the posture of a humble servant. He continues to grow me in walking in grace. He has helped to grow the desire to be nothing, and for Him to take full stage.

Dying to self is hard. It's a lifelong thing. It doesn't end. I have been around for almost 26 short years and have barely skimmed the surface of growing in this. But He remains faithful despite my faithlessness. He reminds me that I never have to be perfect because He has already paved the path and simply desires for me to keep my eyes on Him. However He asks me to die, so ultimately I may live, is for the best: for He is better. This truth has been echoing in my heart as I reach for him and I cry out to be rid of me; the me who blocks so much life.

He reveals that He is Perfect Love. And perfect love is a humble servant.

“Even though I am a free man with no master, I have become a slave to all people to bring many to Christ. When I was with the Jews, I lived like a Jew to bring the Jews to Christ. When I was with those who follow the Jewish law, I too lived under that law. Even though I am not subject to the law, I did this so I could bring to Christ those who are under the law. When I am with the Gentiles who do not follow the Jewish law, I too live apart from that law so I can bring them to Christ. But I do not ignore the law of God; I obey the law of Christ. When I am with those who are weak, I share their weakness, for I want to bring the weak to Christ. Yes, I try to find common ground with everyone, doing everything I can to save some. I do everything to spread the Good News and share in its blessings.”

— 1 Corinthians 9:19-23, NLT

This morning, I was sitting in a coffee shop and I was reminded of a picture: a rope that is tangled. I was reminded of how Jesus and the power of His Perfect Love enters into our lives and helps to untangle us. We are freed of ourselves, the ones who are all tangled within and afraid of being nothing. He unties the knots, and in the process, helps us to see that there is no fear in love; but hope. Hope in losing ourselves for the sake of the Gospel and for His name. We have hope that like Paul says, it is only Jesus and the power of the Spirit that allows us to keep our bearings and become to a Jew like a Jew, a slave like a slave, and to sit in wisdom.

Oh, how Love is on the move. Oh, how newness and deeper understandings are on the horizon. He is making all things new, and that includes our understanding of His love and how in it, there is no fear.

To be a servant. A humble servant. To simply be okay with being a clear vessel, a rope. For people to grab hold of the good news, resting in Christ and holding onto the rope; by the power of the Spirit and all by His doing, following the invitation and taking a seat at the table...where a spot has been prepared for them!

He is life. As I grow in getting out of the way, He shows how much true life is found in Him. He is fully satisfying and abundant. He continues to show with patience and love that He is better. The dying of me will allow for more of the invading of Him!

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Victoria wants to live in a world where servanthood is the desired career of choice, love is tangible, and self is tossed at the door so people may see how life is found no where in self but in Christ.  When she's not teaching young kiddos how to grow in a love for reading, you can find her sitting around the table soaking in conversations, out and about in the forest, and exploring the beauty that breathes around her. Whimsy, adventure, truth and grace inspire her as she is uncovering the beauty of humble servanthood. Her favorite Scriptures are...Philippians 3 and Psalm 103!  Feel free to connect and share in conversation anytime: victoriabaker193@gmail.com.

Today we would like to share a guest journal from our sister, Stephani Duff. 

“This is the kind of fast day I’m after: to break the chains of injustice, get rid of exploitation in the workplace, free the oppressed, cancel debts. ”

— Isaiah 58:6, MSG

The notion of fasting has always baffled me. In junior high and high school, before I knew Jesus or understood what it meant to be so distracted by the world that setting my gaze on Him would feel crippling, “fasting” felt like some sort of social experiment. I gave up things like soda, or fried food, and inevitably broke it just days later, never to look back as I popped the tab of an ice cold can of Coke and laughed next to friends with whom I’d promised fasting in comradery.

Once I really began to know Jesus and understand more fully what it meant to walk with Him, I would hear people within my community, or at church, talk about fasting and a proverbial hunger pang would ripple through my body. I am not a woman who withholds much – least of all her tongue, her coffee, or her caloric intake. And why would Jesus want me to walk around hangry all the time, anyway?

But He is always ready and willing to educate us more about Himself, isn’t He?

Years later, post that insecure junior high student who did the no soda thing because her friends were doing it, too, and now more comfortable in the skin that often feels like it’s too much, I am a woman who travels as part of her work. I am a woman who has a spiritual mentor, because the Lord and I both know this hot mess needs accountability and good, tough love from someone I will not roll my eyes at and walk away from. I am, against all odds and misconceptions I’ve had about myself, a woman who genuinely wants to be better.

Recently, in a conversation with my mentor, I confessed I didn’t want to be distracted by men and dating while I was traveling. My time with Jesus always feels the sweetest and most intimate when I am international; undistracted by technology and easy access to my favorite people, my wandering heart is forced to hit those speed bumps slow and come to a stop – and I have come to savor those tender moments.

My sweet mentor smiled softly at me as she laid the hammer down. “Steph, if you don’t want to be distracted by men, then don’t allow the space for them to distract you in the first place. I want you to pray through fasting from dating.”

I scoffed, thinking how deliciously cute it was that she thought I’d even mildly consider giving up dating, attention, and conversation with men who were interested in me for any amount of time.

But then it became all I could think about. What would this look like for me? What might I learn about myself in the absence of being hungry to garner attention? Even more, what might I learn about Jesus?

I began to consider all the ways this would lead me to stretch myself – in the quiet moments when I didn’t want to be alone, but wouldn’t have someone to reach out to fill it, I would need to position myself before the Lord, asking Him to fill the space, the heart within me, the loneliness that all too often beat like a drum. It occurred to me this would strengthen a muscle I may have not even realized I possessed before, let alone knew how to use. The questions mixed with my fear of willingly stepping into a season of intentional singleness, and instead of fear roaring like a deafening death toll, all I could hear was the softest whisper, imploring me.

Meet me here. Won’t you just meet me right here?

 I won’t pretend to be an expert on fasting – listing all the ways this has, or will, transform me into a better, stronger woman. I won’t deign to believe that every step of this will feel easy and soft, a welcoming down comforter after a long day. And I don’t know how this will end. But I do know He is in it. He asked me to join Him and He hasn’t left my side for one moment.

In all the hours I spent trying to make conversation happen with men who were painfully and obviously wrong for me, I was unknowingly closing doors of entry to better understand my Maker.

I am in a season of fasting right now, and here’s what I’m learning.

Jesus is a gentleman. I don’t know many of them. But I am for certain He is one. He is careful with me. He waits patiently for me. He longs for my time so He can remind me of His love for me. He takes Scripture I’ve read and underlined before and makes it new – just for me. Y’all, Jesus is sweet. Maybe this isn’t news to you. But maybe, just maybe, you are like me and don’t fully know His character. He enjoys showing sweetness to His girls. I am certain.

Fasting will cultivate cravings for something better. In His grace, I have not missed dating. That’s not to say it will never creep up on me. But I find myself excited to open my Bible, to discover what He plans to teach me from one day to the next – and this is new. When we become so consumed with a facet of our lives that it’s what we wake up thinking about, we are missing the bigger story He is crafting on our behalf. We are missing the opportunity to be found hopeful.

When we welcome Him into the fallow ground of our hearts, His harvest will be bountiful. In the midst of this season of fast, I am also seeking medical assistance for food sensitivities and allergies. I said it before, and I will say it again – I am not a health conscious person. I like what feels and tastes and smells good. Whether it is a wise choice for me, or not. But what are we missing when we hold tight to only what we’re certain is good, in place of what He promises will be better? I’ve been walking around so consumed with the desire to be known and seen by another human that I’ve missed all the times Jesus has snuggled in close to me and said, just let me hold your hand, girl. I’ve been kicking up stones and dirtying my hands with mud, trying to dig up something I’m so convinced is right, and all the while, He’s waiting to plant wildflowers and say the word, ya’ll.

 Bloom, girl. Just, bloom.

 Let Him do the planting. Let Him break the chains. Let Him write the story. And trust that when He’s asking us to wait, we are most certainly in good company.

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Steph Duff wants to live in a world where every voiceless child is given articulation and Jesus is the name on every lip. When she's not sharing Kingdom-shaking stories with Back2Back Ministries, you can find her drinking copious amounts of caffeine, curling up with her nose in a book, laughing loudly, continuing an on-going attachment to semi-colons, planning her next trip to India, and making snail mail cool, again. Her favorite scripture is "Look among the nations and see; wonder and be astounded. For I am doing a work in your days that you would not believe if told." Habakkuk 1:5 ESV. Learn a little bit about what makes her blood stir and the yearnings of her heart at www.stephaniduff.wordpress.com.

“Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God, so that at the proper time He may exalt you, casting all your anxieties on Him because He cares for you.”

— 1 Peter 5:6-7

On this week's Dayton Women in the Word podcast, we had the privilege of hearing from our friend, Linda Martin. During the episode, Linda mentions how much wisdom she gleaned from studying The Acts or Offices of Humility, a work written by Reverend Jeremy Taylor in 1856. After reading, she decided to paraphrase it in her own words from the original old English so she could understand it better and share it with others. In preparing the episode to air, Jillian requested a copy to share with us here on the DWITW blog. 

Linda responded, "I searched high and low and couldn't find my original translation so I re-did it. What a pleasure to be reminded of these most challenging exhortations! I feel that God did not want me to find my original but wanted me to study these again. They are so convicting! But so thankful for God's grace through Jesus; that he does not hold our sin against us or repay us accordingly! Truly, this list is only for those who are in Christ and empowered by the Holy Spirit. The world would be outraged by it since it clearly doesn't promote "self-esteem".

We are praying that these practices become our own. We hope you will read and ask the Lord to humble you as He is humbling us!

Click to download and read the PDF of Linda's translation here.