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Legacy

by Ashley

Live In The Round Reader,

In the church today, at least in the church plant that I attend, older female mentors are very rare.  The Bible reminds us that older believers should teach the younger (See Exodus 12:25-27, Deuteronomy 6:4-9, Deuteronomy11:19-21, Titus 2:2-8).  However, more often than not, those reminders get lost in the great debates of traditional versus contemporary services, felt boards versus ipads.  Today, Valentine’s Day, I would like to honor a woman who has been a beautiful example of God’s love and forgiveness to His broken bride, the church. 

Dear Grandmother,

There are many reasons for this letter today.  It is good timing as you have retired yet again (Is it the third time?).  I know that this past year has been an emotional one for you, filled with goodbyes to loved ones and hellos to a few more.  Today, Valentine’s Day, whether Hallmark invented it or not, is still a day to celebrate love.  So, this is what I want to do.  I want to show you how much you are loved.

In thinking about all your characteristics, the first thing that popped in my head was how much you love people.  You have friends wherever you go. When I have been out with you, it seemed like everywhere we went, you knew someone.   You know their names, their stories, and their families.

You are deeply in love with your own family.  A sign of this is how you cannot wait to take pictures to capture the few moments when we all can be together.  You have learned how to work an iPad and Facebook, just to connect better with loved ones who you do not get to see on a daily basis.  I love that.

Generosity is written all over your heart.  You give gifts like it is your (fourth) job.  Thinking back to when I was younger, I remember going to your house and receiving presents from you.  I do not remember the experience truly being about the gifts.  I just remember thinking what an exotic grandmother I had for having such treasures. 

Only in the past couple of years, have I actually discovered that my grandmother is such a hottie!  Of course, I am not surprised by this revelation.  Although I do not know the reasons for not pursuing a relationship, I have observed a godly woman responding to offers of romantic relationships when she did not feel that God was leading her in that direction.

I love the way that you seek to leave a legacy to your family.  I love every moment that I get to hear you share stories about our family’s past.  People who were gone long before I was around.  People who I mostly remember through photographs.  Your own stories of crazy adventures that play like a black and white film reel in my head.

The most powerful thing about you, Grandmother, is your love for Jesus.  I know that people in the church have hurt you deeply.  You have experienced more than your share of pain from those who profess the name of Christ.  You have faced backbiters, slanderers, and busybodies.

When so many would give up on Jesus because of His imperfect, broken bride, you have only clung harder to your Savior.  You have responded with grace that only the Holy Spirit is capable of giving His followers.  I have witnessed Psalm 30:11-12 in your life:

“You have turned for me my mourning into dancing; you have loosed my sackcloth and clothed me with gladness, that my glory may sing your praise and not be silent. O Lord my God, I will give thanks to you forever!”

Because God has turned your mourning into dancing, He has used your story to point others facing the same heartbreak toward Him.  I cannot begin to describe the delight that fills my heart when I think of God using your story for good.  I pray that I remember your example when I face the temptation to blame Christ for the way sinful man acts, instead of looking to Him directly for comfort in my hurt. 

You do not stop there, though, with a story that happened so many years ago.  You follow a living God, who is still sanctifying your heart.  You are always excited about what God is teaching you, and it seems like you are always going through another Bible study or reading another book to keep your eyes focused on Him.  I look forward to our next phone call so that you can tell me all about what you are learning.

So, although we have differing opinions on topics such as Joel Osteen, female pastors, and Calvinism (-hey, why am I the conservative one here?!), you will always be my hero and an example of the command from Paul in Titus 2:3-5,

“Older women likewise are to be reverent in behavior, not slanderers or slaves to much wine.  They are to teach what is good, and so train the young women to love their husbands and children, to be self-controlled, pure, working at home, kind, and submissive to their own husbands, that the word of God may not be reviled.”

It is my prayer that God will use your example to challenge many more women and bring them close to Himself, just as He has done for me.

See You In The Round (on your iPad, of course, Grandmother!)

Ashley

“Scripture quotations are from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version^® (ESV^®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Trusting God Part One

by Jennie

2013 was one of the most challenging years for me. In May, I finished my final year of grad school, graduating with a Master’s of Social Work degree. After casually looking for a job from March through June with no success, I returned to work at a 9-week summer therapeutic program for children and adolescents with autism spectrum disorders. Throughout the summer, I continued my job search, which also included applying to internal positions at the agency where I was working my seasonal job, but to no avail, I couldn’t seem to find a job in the Philadelphia area, where I had called home for the last 8 years. I even interviewed at a temp agency in hopes I could find something through them!

At the end of September, I received a call from a recruiter based out of Colorado who fills positions for medical/mental health agencies looking for employers. She asked me how my job search was going and what type of job offers, if any I had received. I explained to her my current situation at the time, and she asked if I had considered re-locating. She had a job she thought I would be a perfect fit, but there was a catch. It was 2-1/2 hours west of Philadelphia. I was in complete shock, unsure how to answer her, but long story short, I agreed to interview.


On my 2-1/2 hour drive to the interview, I was a complete ball of anxiety! I had no clue what to expect, but God was in control. At the interview, I met the behavior analyst first. She had relocated from northern Michigan for her position back in September. She took me on a tour of the facility while the program director was in a meeting. I was still a nervous-wreck, but I managed to carry on a decent conversation and ask her questions about relocating. Halfway through the tour, the program director came out to meet us. We finished up the tour and I went back in for my interview. It was one of the EASIEST interviews I had ever been in! We sat down, and he asked me if I had any questions, so I proceeded to ask multiple questions about the work I’d be doing, the program, and population I’d be working with. Ten minutes into the interview, I felt a complete peace, my anxiety was completely gone, and I knew this is where God was calling me. If I was offered the job, I would go. I wasn’t even halfway home when I received a call from the recruiter saying they were offering me the job, but negotiations were still in the works. I received the call with the final offer by Friday afternoon. They had given me two weeks. I had less than 2 weeks to find a place to live, pack up all my belongings, and move to start my new position in mid-October!


Even though I knew this is where God wanted me to go, I still struggled with the fact that I had to pick up the life I knew for the last 9 years and move to Central PA in less than two weeks.


The song “I Will Follow” by Chris Tomlin became my never-ending prayer those last two weeks as I prepared to pick up the life I knew and was comfortable with, the life I had expected to continue living, but God had different plans, a different direction for me, and I am blessed to be called His. I leave you with the chorus of “I Will Follow.” You can listen to the song in its entirety here.

“Where you go, I'll go
Where you stay, I'll stay
When you move, I'll move
I will follow you

Who you love, I'll love
How you serve, I'll serve
If this life I lose, I will follow you
I will follow you”

See you in the round!
Jennie

Living The Dream Part 2

by Stacy

Read Living The Dream Part 1 here

Picture God saying to you, “There are certain things I want to do with you, FILL IN YOUR NAME.” God has a plan and He is directing your steps. Do you realize how many trials Joseph went through? He was thrown in a pit by his own family and sold into slavery by them. He was falsely accused of rape. He was thrown into prison and spent 13 years in jail!

Get this in your head. Bad things don’t happen to people who are just involved in bad things. That theology is false doctrine and I rebuke it in the name of Jesus. I don’t get how people believe that, but I do see throughout Scripture how the Lord’s children suffer trials and tragedy. Take Jesus for example. God Himself suffered. If the cross wasn’t fair, what makes you think that your life is going to be fair? Joseph went through the bad, yet still knew the promise and dream of God was coming.

God is always directing you. Psalm 37:23-24,

“If the LORD delights in a man’s way, he makes his steps firm; though he stumble, he will not fall, for the LORD upholds him with His hand.”

God tells us in His Word that not even a sparrow falls to the ground that the Lord doesn’t know about. How much more does He love you!

God is always protecting you. Psalm 121: 5-8,

“The LORD watches over you---…The LORD will keep you from all harm---he will watch over your life; the LORD will watch over your coming and going both now and forevermore.”

God is always correcting you. Don’t ask “if God really loves us than why do we have these problems?” God’s greatest concern is not what happens to you, but how you respond to it, in it. Psalm 105:17-19,

“and he sent a man before them—Joseph, sold as a slave. They bruised his feet with shackles, his neck was put in irons, till what he foretold came to pass, till the word of the LORD proved him true.” 

This is the testing. He went through all kinds of stuff “till the word of the LORD proved him true.” Reading this makes my life look like a cakewalk. I have never been sold into slavery, been thrown into prison in shackles, been in jail for 13 years. Wow. REALITY CHECK.

God is perfecting you. God isn’t so concerned about delivering us out of the mess we’re in, but delivering us out of the mess we are. Joseph went from being a dreamer to a slave worker to a prisoner to a Ruler over the kingdom. And all throughout Genesis in the story of Joseph, the Lord makes it clear He was with him. Genesis 39:2, 3, 23, “The LORD was with Joseph…” “The LORD was with him…” “The LORD was with Joseph…” Even in Acts 7:9 when Luke recounts the story of Joseph in the New Testament, he reminds us that “God was with Joseph and rescued him from all his troubles.” Maybe we need to say that out loud more often to remind ourselves. “The LORD is with Stacy.” Say it out loud for yourself.

In case, you aren’t familiar with the end of the story, Joseph becomes a ruler over Egypt and there are all kinds of other crazy, awesome things that happen along the way. He ends up being given the opportunity to show mercy and forgiveness to his brothers and essentially save his entire family’s lives in the midst of a famine. This is a perfect testament to how God desires us to behave, react, and live. Joseph could have let bitterness and scorn and hatred fill his heart and cut off his brothers from help, but he knew and had always known the LORD was with him. His story gives us a perfect picture into the heart of God. Bless your enemies. Pray for those who persecute you. Love mercy and walk humbly with God. His story can be found in Genesis 37-50.

Though there are times you may not see Him, feel Him, sense Him, He is:

Directing you

Protecting you

Correcting you

Perfecting you

Following Jesus is making God-given dreams come to life.

See you in the Round,
Stacy

*Scripture quotations are from THE HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®, NIV® Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide

You And I Are The Same

by Karen

A gnarled hand grabbed my arm as I passed by. In a depressing common room of a “retirement center” outside of Savron, Ukraine, my fellow missionaries and I had finished delivering the good news of the Gospel to about twenty residents.

I was last in line as the 7-member team single-filed out of the room that smelled of stale urine and cheap alcohol. Only a few steps from the beckoning fresh air, my progress was halted by the twisted hand restraining me.

I looked up from the hand to find a pair of blue eyes wet with tears.

The owner of the hand, an older woman, began to speak urgently in Russian. While waiting a few minutes for one of the translators to get to us, my impatience grew. This visit had disheartened me, temporarily stuck in a warehouse of people whose crime of growing old and poor landed them in a collection of decrepit buildings with staff that seemed uninterested.

This place was far beyond my easy faith. Forged on the comfortable pews of Midwestern Lutheran churches, my faith was rarely challenged. Growing up, I had no doubt that God loved me, that Jesus died to save me from my sin, that as long as I believed (whatever that meant), I would be fine.

But the truth was that I wasn’t fine, and hadn’t been in a long while. As soon as I could, I left those comfortable pews and didn’t look back. I still believed (whatever that meant) but the fruits of my easy faith were far from what God promises. He had recently brought me back to the fold but in significant ways, I was still pretending that I was fine. As I stood there in Ukraine, the reality was that my easy life had crumbled.

When the translator reached us, he told me what the woman was saying: “I’m all alone. My husband is dead. I have no children. My family lives far away. No one loves me.” Apparently, she repeated this mantra as Zhenya, the translator, also repeated it in English.

Listening in stereo, I heard a third voice, one that had become too familiar over the past eighteen months. I heard Satan whisper: “Take a good look Karen. This will be you soon.”

Now, my impatience turned to panic – I craved to be out of that room, away from this woman and back to my “I’m fine thank you, and you?” life.

I didn’t need any reminders of the horrible thoughts that come deep in the night when you find yourself a 41-year old widow. When the reality of your life is absolutely not what you pray for.

I guess the woman stopped speaking because Zhenya also stopped. Now, two pairs of blue eyes were looking at me. I was on the spot, needing something – anything -- to comfort this woman, convince her that God loved her.

But how could I do that for this stranger when I couldn’t do it for myself? When that hideous voice, which came during the night, was here now in the bright sunshine of the day?

I opened my mouth, and in answer to a prayer I didn’t realize I had prayed, the following words came out: “You and I are the same. My husband is dead. I have no children. I live far away from my family. But Jesus loves both of us and tells us we are never alone. His last words on Earth were ‘And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.’”

As I spoke, the woman’s grip on my arm loosened. No longer a shackle, her touch now comforted. I covered her hand with mine and said I would pray that she would always feel Jesus’ love.

When Zhenya repeated these words in Russian, I gently lifted her hand from my arm and murmured “Бог с тобой,” (God be with you).

Zhenya and I walked into the fresh air and bright sunshine.

I then realized I had never said aloud those terrible words – My husband is dead, I have no children, I’m all alone. Keeping them silent made them, and their author, powerful. By insisting that I was fine and needed nothing from anyone, I was easy prey for the lion who prowled around me. I resisted Divine Love and the perfect peace found only in Him.

The fairy tale ending would be that, with this realization, I have lived the rest of my days completely content in the Light of the World.

I wish.

The truth is that the end is not yet here. Just like any believer, I struggle with the old Karen every day. But I don’t struggle alone.

The words I spoke to the woman are truth: You and I are the same. God loves us and where His love is, we are never alone, even to the end of the age.

See You In The Round!
Karen

Selfishness

by Jenn

What an ugly word.

Yet I find my heart can often be described as nothing but that. Selfish. Stingy. Ungenerous. Mean.

I find my selfishness is the problem most often when things are spinning out of control in my home. Relationships are tense. Joy is buried deep under a pile of hurt. My husband suffers. My kids suffer. My communion with God suffers. Sometimes I believe it's really not my fault, but everyone else that has the problem. The kids don't want to obey. My husband wants to be lazy. But reading James 3:16 sure shines a light on that dark place:

"For where jealousy and selfish ambition exist, there will be disorder and every vile practice."

Am I more selfish than other people? Probably not. I think most of us can admit that we struggle here. We know the Bible calls us to be self-LESS. Not full of self. It's one thing to know this; another to live it out. What's a girl to do?


Well, for starters, how 'bout a confession of our true heart posture? If selfishness is pouring out, that certainly means our hearts need a good dose of humble pie. What better person to look at than Jesus himself.

Christ's Example of Humility

"Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others. Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross." Philippians 2:3-8

Jesus was the epitomy of selflessness. He gave up his cozy throne, warm robe, shiny crown, kingship. He came as a humble servant on a cold dark night as a helpless infant to a poor family in a barn. The reason He came? His beloved...us! He came to serve, not be served. Ultimately, he laid down his life so we could hear 'Not guilty' from the throne of God.

 

How does that empower us to live selflessly? Tim Keller says,

"People with a deep grasp of the gospel can turn around and admit that their selfishness is the problem and that they're going to work on it. And when they do that, they will often discover an immediate sense of liberation...You must lose yourself to find yourself." The Meaning of Marraige

Hold on tight to it. For it is the only fuel that can feed us to continually be selfless, no matter the circumstance.


What situation in your life do you need to grasp the gospel more deeply? Is there a struggle of selfishness you need to confess today? Be liberated, my friend!

"...let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross..." Hebrews 12:1-2

See you in the Round!
Jenn

Can You Teach Me How To Shower?

by Kim

"Can you teach me how to shower, just like you taught your kids?"-Daisy

When Daisy first came into our family, she was dirty, bruised all over her body, sick & longing for love. She was so excited to use toothpaste (something she had never used before) that we went through about six tubes of toothpaste the first two weeks. I bought all that the store had to restock our supplies. Even though most of the toothpaste ended up on the floor, it was so special and my little girl was thrilled! Hygiene was a new concept to her.

I did not know that putting her in the bath for the first time would be so momentous. To wash away a layer of uncleanliness, to see hopeful eyes staring back at me, "Can you teach me how to shower, just like you taught your kids?"

"Yes." I replied holding back tears knowing this child had never been taught how to brush her teeth, never been fed properly, barely even knowing what it was like to actually feel clean.

Watching the dirt run down the drain of that first bathwater felt like brokenness and healing all in the same filthy swirls of hope.

Today, my daughter happily plays in the bathtub or shower, whichever she is wanting for the day. She has bath time paints to paint on the wall, bubbles in warm water and most importantly, a loving Mommy who is there to teach her how to wash herself. It has only been a few months of having her here but what a difference a few months can make!

As we allow the cleansing of Jesus' healing to wash over our dirt-covered lives, may we try not to get discouraged when we don't know how to get the filth off. Jesus wants us to come to Him and ask for help to learn, just as He taught His disciples and Saints through history.

Matthew 11:28-30 says

28 “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. 29 Take my yoke upon you and LEARN FROM ME, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 30 For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.”

Lord, humbly, I come before You in awe of Your wisdom. Jesus, teach me. Help me to expand the depths of my thinking to know love and grace which does not come naturally in my humanness.


See You In The Round!
Kim

*Scripture quotations are from THE HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®, NIV® Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.

Terrifying Transparency

by Megan

In September, the women in

my church began a study on the book of Jeremiah. I've never been a part of a women’s bible study that was not full of fluff and facades. However, I had been desiring one in which we took off the "I have my life perfectly together" hat and put on the "my life's a struggle and I'm in need of God's daily grace" hat.


Women are quite good at putting up a facade by pretending they're okay, pretending their life is in order, pretending they are not in need of help, or pretending they are someone contrary to whom they truly are. I’m 100% guilty of this.


Why do we do this? Why do we close ourselves off? Well, letting people in is risky. I discussed in my last post how the standards the world presents hinder our ability to be genuinely us. That includes sharing the depths of our heart with those we love. Therefore, we are also unable to be transparent and vulnerable in our community for fear we will disappoint or be judged.


When we decide to let someone in, we are signing up for potential judgment, hurt, disappointment, or condemnation. BUT, we are also signing up for encouragement, accountability, compassion, support, and counsel.


More times than not, bible studies for women function in a similar way. You come, meet with a group of ladies you probably do not know all too well, talk solely about surface level topics and the content of the study, but not what's actually going on in your heart. However, that's not how our first meeting went. Praise The Lord!


We established that it would be a safe place we could discuss the tough, difficult, embarrassing, shameful, and controversial things present in our lives; a place in which we could be totally transparent free from judgment. It was in that moment that I felt an overwhelming conviction from The Spirit to share what had been going on in my life for the past decade.

Galatians 1:10 asks,

"For am I now seeking the approval of man, or of God? Or am I trying to please man? If I were still trying to please man, I would not be a servant of Christ."

I battled with this conviction for minutes, which felt like hours. The more I fought God, the more I ran from Him…the more my heart beat faster and harder. I ran because I was absolutely terrified of what they would think of me. It was the first time in my life I had a paralyzing conviction to be obedient. Eventually, I caved. I cried a lot. I shared. I felt peace. Peace that permeated my soul. I was able to relax and finally stop running, hiding, and carrying this burden.


To my shock, it was received well. Their view of me did not waiver based on the honesty of my past. SO much good has come from my obedience and transparency, which I did not expect. I even felt physically lighter, like a 40 pound weight was lifted from my shoulders. My trust in God was significantly heightened. My friendships changed drastically. I was able to live freely around them because they knew me, the real me. They knew the deepest, darkest, most shameful areas of me and loved me still. Women bond through vulnerability because we like to know we're not alone in this struggle and that we're not the only one with a messy life.

“The LORD gives his people strength. The LORD blesses them with peace.”
-Psalm 29:11

Peace comes from God, not sin. When we put our trust in the One who made our brains and made us able to trust in Him, we no longer have anxiety about our futures. Feeling restless? Seek and obey the Lord God and rest will come.


God is my only source of peace. It is only in His presence that I feel absolute peace, safety, comfort, and security.

We are called to live in perfect obedience to The Lord. So why is it so hard? Why do we run from His promptings? We think we know what is best for our lives. We don't trust He has something better planed. We can't see past our present circumstances. God can, though. He knows our future.


Jesus said in John 14:27, “I am leaving you with a gift--peace of mind and heart, And the peace I give is a gift the world cannot give. So don’t be troubled or afraid.”


Acts 5:29 says, "But Peter and the apostles answered, “We must obey God rather than men.”


If you're not living your life being genuinely you, then you're not living - you're performing. You're no different than the actress in your favorite movie. Performers seek applause and affirmation to know what they are doing is acceptable and appreciated. Human beings fear rejection, so we seek acceptance. Think about all the televised awards shows there are.


However, we are not widely accepted when we are pretending to be someone other than ourselves. We are accepted when we are being genuinely us. When I stopped trying to please the world, I actually achieved acceptance.

See you in the Round!
Megan

“Scripture quotations are from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version^® (ESV^®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

The Good News

by Elaine

I have been thinking a lot this week about why exactly I believe what I believe about Jesus.  Every other reason a side (apologetics, historical proof, etc.), it is THE best news that I have ever heard.  I would much rather believe the Jesus of the Bible over anything else that the world offers.

In my last post, I referenced Philippians 2:1-11 when talking about living out Christ’s example of humility.  Now, I would like to simply meditate on the fact that my God became man and died to set me free.


I have found that in most other world religions, a set of strict rules is provided to help mostly good people become even better people and maybe, just maybe, gain favor with God and a pass into heaven.  God may be merciful, but you have to at least do your part in tipping the scale toward good rather than bad throughout the course of your life.

It is NOT about being Good

The beauty of Christianity is that I do not have to be a “mostly good person”.  I know and can freely admit that I am a bad person.  A person who messes up on a daily basis.  A person who continually fails.  A person who is stained, marred, blinded and stuck in a miry pit of sin and selfishness.


However, in the midst of my sin and selfishness, the perfect, holy, King of all Kings, Beginning and End, Savior and Redeemer came to earth, lived life, obeyed the Father, and submitted Himself to death on a cross.


It did not end there.  God raised Him to life and lifted His name above all names.  Through Him, life and freedom are available to us all and we can come just as we are; broken, and dead in our transgressions.

A Daughter of the King

So, I can admit that I am not anywhere close to perfect and I can even admit that I am terribly rotten.  How does the God of the universe, the Almighty respond?

“Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has set you free from the law of sin and of death.” (Romans 8:1-2, NASB)

The law of the Spirit of life is freedom.  It has set me free.  My sin is removed; I am no longer dead.  This is so much greater, better than systematic rules to follow.  Not only this, but God also takes this freedom much further,

“ For you have not received a spirit of slavery leading to fear again, but you have received a spirit of adoption as sons by which we cry out, “Abba! Father!” The Spirit Himself testifies with our spirit that we are children of God, and if children, heirs also, heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, if indeed we suffer with Him so that we may also be glorified with Him.” (Romans 8:15-17, NASB)

Wow. Reading this, I am utterly awe-struck.  I am not only free, but I am also adopted.  I can call myself a Daughter of the King.  I do not think I really have anything else to say.  I think I will just dwell in these beautiful words and conclude by saying I would so much rather believe this, follow this, commit to this, live and die by this than anything else in the entire world.


See you in the Round!
Elaine

*Scripture quotations taken from the NASB.

Contrapuntal Treatment

by Christina

con·tra·pun·tal [kon-truh-puhn-tl]

adjective Music.

Of or pertaining to counterpoint.

Composed of two or more relatively independent melodies sounded together.

Dictionary.com



Bear with me and my semi-musically geeky self here a minute.

The other night while my husband and I were talking, we somehow got onto the subject of music and fugues. He, being rather non-musically inclined, asked me what a fugue was, and I, drawing on my ancient knowledge from Music Appreciation in college, told him it was a piece of music that is basically made up of several melodies—each line can stand on its own, yet played all together, they complement each other to make a song. I looked it up on dictionary.com just to see how close I was to the real thing, and sure enough, that was the gist of it.


What caught my eye, though, was where it said that a fugue is composed of “several parts or voices in turn, subjected to contrapuntal treatment...” That was something I didn't remember from Music Appreciation, so I had to click on over to learn what “contrapuntal” was. I was, quite frankly, fascinated—probably mostly because it was so much fun to say “contrapuntal treatment”!


Richard and I then started joking about how we were each our own melodies and that we were subjected to contrapuntal treatment on our wedding day, and then again when William was born. Then it hit me—blog idea!

Living contrapuntally

What started out as just having a couple laughs struck me as actually being very true. We enter this world with something to offer that no one else can. We go about our lives carrying out the tasks God has placed before us in whatever place he has called us to, and no two of us do things quite exactly like the other.


Taking the different lines of a fugue apart will give you several different voices that are able to stand on their own. But oh, the music they can make when played all together! When we live and work together in harmony—or contrapuntally, I should say—we can do great things to the glory of God,                                                                shine his light in this dark world, and lift each other up.


It's kind of like the body parts in 1 Corinthians 12—we all play a different part, “but in all of them and in everyone it is the same God at work” (v. 6). And the same as in music, “Just as a body, though one, has many parts, but all its many parts form one body, so it is with Christ” (v. 12). Every part is essential on its own and with others, and no one can tell you your music is no good (and even if they did, you could remind them that Psalm 98:4 says to “make a joyful noise,” not music!)

In the Round

Our lives are one big fugue, basically. You could even compare it to a round—you start your life as a counterpoint to someone else's melody that has been playing for a while. You grow up, you play your own tune, and one day that melody is joined with someone else's in a joyful contrapuntal treatment. You make beautiful music together, and, Lord willing, another little melodic line is added to your fugue in another happy counterpoint. That baby grows up, finds his own melody, and it's started all over again.


Each melodic line joins another in an unending song, starting with one fugue and then joining with another, one big round, over and over. It's one big hymn to our glorious God above!

See you in the Round!
Christina

*Scripture quotations are from THE HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®, NIV® Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.

Living The Dream (Part 1)

by Stacy

"Livin' The Dream!" Most of us say this phrase with a lot of sarcasm. We say it to make the person laugh who asked us how we’re doing because we all can relate that life can just be dull sometimes. My husband and I are in a transition period right now. Yeah, you know how fun transition periods are! Lol! Trying to find a house to buy, trying to start a family, trying to find out where God is leading us next. Well, let’s remind ourselves that we each have a dream that was placed inside of us by God. This dream is specifically for us to do the will of the Creator.


Dr. James Merritt, a pastor in Georgia and once the President of Southern Seminary in Kentucky, recently spoke about living out the dream that God has placed in our hearts and how we can fall for things to get us off track.

In this day and age when everyone worships celebrities and desires to look and to act like them, it is easy to fall into the trap of comparison. The pressure is on to keep up with the Jones’. It’s not a secret that our society is teaching us everything contradictory to the Word of God. TV Shows called “Revenge”, “Betrayal”, and “Scandal” just perpetuate this way of life.

I’m not even just talking about a cultural level of comparison, but also a comparison even amongst ourselves as sisters in Christ. You and your husband may have been trying for a baby for years and your best friend just got pregnant. Please do not fall into the trap of comparison or jealousy will rear its ugly head and drive a wedge between your relationships. Our envy of others devours us most of all. God’s relationship with you is just as special as it is with your best friend. He sees you and is with you. God has a plan for your life---through you, with you, for you.

Following Jesus is making God-given dreams come to life. Remember Joseph?? He had a dream. Let’s look at the beginning of his story in Genesis 37:5,

 “Joseph had a dream, and when he told it to his brothers, they hated him all the more. He said to them, “Listen to this dream I had: We were binding sheaves of grain out in the field when suddenly my sheaf rose and stood upright, while your sheaves gathered around mine and bowed down to it.”

Now I have a brother and if he came to me with this dream, my reaction would totally depend on how he presented it to me. lol If he came to me proud and haughty, I would probably call him a punk. But if he approached me innocently and sincerely to tell me that God gave him a vision, I would keep it in mind. Who knows how Joseph presented it. All we know is that his brothers didn’t take the information so well.

It also didn’t help that Joseph’s brothers were jealous because their father favored him over all. But God doesn’t say that everything will be perfect in life. He doesn’t say to behave according to how someone approaches you. I’ve got some work to do over here. He warns that jealousy is worldy in 1 Corinthians 3:3, and that we are not to behave in jealousy in Romans 13:13. The point here is that Joseph had a dream. God showed him over and over that He had a purpose.

Warning: You will be criticized, even mocked, for carrying out the dream God gave you. For example, Alexander Graham Bell’s naysayers said in a Western Union internal memo, 1878, “the telephone has too many shortcomings to be seriously considered as a practical form of communication. The device is inherently of no value to us.” Responding to an offer from Alexander Graham Bell to sell his telephone company, the Western Union president William Orton said, “What use could this company make of an electrical toy?”

The president of the Michigan Savings Bank advised Henry Ford’s lawyer not to invest in the Ford Motor Co., in 1903, saying, “The horse is here to stay, but the automobile is only a novelty—a fad.” Being from a Chevy family, my Dad would probably have a joke or two about Fords at this point.

And Joseph’s brothers mocked him saying “Here comes this dreamer.”

See me next time in the Round for Part 2!

Stacy

*Scripture quotations are from THE HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®, NIV® Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide

The Struggle Is Real

by Joy

“The struggle is real.” It is a phrase used ironically to make jokes (full definition here on Urban Dictionary).

For instance, if you say, “My cell phone charger cord is too short to reach the bed,” someone may reply, “The struggle is real.” Of course that struggle isn’t really real. However, as Christians, we are in very real struggles everyday. Paul says in Ephesians 6:12,

"For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places."(ESV) 

What Are We Fighting For?

Last time I wrote about finding my identity in Christ alone, and I know I am not the only one who must fight to believe that truth. Whether our personal struggle sounds silly or serious to us, that struggle is real. Regardless of if we keep on building our identity on something that seems small, such as clothes or home décor, or something that seems bigger, like body image or infertility, it is still the fight to believe Jesus is the only one who gets the final say in who we are.

Establishing my identity on things other than Christ does not always look like the discouragement I talked about last time, either. Sometimes I instead swell with pride, ego inflated like the Goodyear Blimp so that from my altitude, I can only look down on others. Though that may seem like an opposite problem from the first, they are actually just two symptoms of the same problem.


Both are symptoms of the kind of problem Paul describes in Romans 1:18-25. I fail to honor God as God, allowing other things to tell me who I am instead of listening to Him. I know where I should find my identity because God has told me, yet I so often exchange the truth for a lie and look for significance
in the created rather than the Creator.

How Do We Fight?

When the Holy Spirit is gracious to convict us that we are basing our identity on something other than Jesus, how do we fight to put our faith in Christ alone as the source of and ultimate authority over our identity? Fighting for something like faith often seems slippery since it is not just behavior modification. So I want to give you a few practical ways to engage in the battle.


First, ask God for faith. Faith is a gift given to us by God (Ephesians 2:8-9, Romans 12:3). It is not something we conjure up on our own. So it follows that if we want to grow in faith, we ought to ask the One who gives it. Be honest with Him about your weaknesses and doubts.  Then beg God to help you believe that your identity is in Jesus, that it is more than enough, that there is nothing you can say or do, acquire or lose, that will change who you are in Christ.


The Bible also says that faith comes through hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ (Romans 10:17). Did you catch that? If we want faith, we need to hear from God in the Bible. We need to regularly listen to Jesus in His Word if we are to persevere.  We need to be reminded of Truth so we are able to fight the lies. And as Ashley talked about earlier this week, we need a community of other believers to remind us of Truth, as well.


Finally, look to Jesus. The author of Hebrews reminds us to look to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith (Hebrews 12:2). I love this quote from Robert Murray M’Cheyne, 

“For every look at yourself take ten looks at Christ.” 

It is so easy to get caught up in ourselves, either in pride or shame, but we miss the point when we focus on self. Jesus is the point. Focus on Him. Consider His identity, He who is fully God but became fully man. As your eyes are fixed on Him, see if you start to care less about the worldly thing begging for your attention and realize that nothing makes sense but to define your life by Christ. See Him humbly emptying Himself, exchanging our identity for His, so that when the Father looks on us, He would see Jesus.


See y’all in the Round!
Joy

Practice Parenting

by Susan

Though I am not a parent yet, I do have three godchildren. The oldest is 21 and the youngest is 5. The middle godchild, age 10, is the one I spend the most time with because I pick her up from school each day, and she spends snow days and the summer vacation days with me. Of the three of them, I would say she is the one I try my future parenting skills on the most.

I've known Kendall, who I usually refer to as Little Mamas (that's a story for another day), since she was one year old. It has been a blast watching her grow up and turn into a caring, compassionate, intelligent young lady. She has strong female role models in her mother, grandmother, and dare I say, me.

As I said, I think how I interact with her is how I will eventually interact with my own children. I give her good doses of love, encouragement, and reality. Her mom is amazingly tolerant of all three, even though I am sure sometimes she wishes I would tone it down a little on some aspects.

I recently asked Kendall what kind of mom she thinks I will be. She said, "You will be the one who goes up to the school a lot... You should consider home schooling." You know, she is probably right. One of my frustrations when I help her with schoolwork is how the curriculum has changed since I was her age. Sheesh, I know that I am getting old when I lament the lack of social studies and citizenship being taught. I like to joke with her that I am going to sit in on her class one day.

Concerning social studies and citizenship, I feel the need to step in and fill her in on the things she isn't getting a steady diet of at school. As a result (and with the support of her mother, I don't want people to think I just do these things without permission), Kendall has helped out on a political campaign, saw a presidential candidate, and can name senators and representatives from various states. That is very important to me, because I want her to grow up with a healthy understanding of how our nation works and have the confidence to get involved in the process.

My biggest and most important "parenting" has definitely been in the area of her spiritual growth and teaching her the importance of helping others. Again, it is something reinforced by her mother as well. In April of 2013, my family took in a family friend who had just been released from prison after serving 11 years. The charge is not important, but it did require some conversations to happen. He was going to be living with us, and therefore interacting with Kendall. Her mother and I discussed what to tell her about the whole thing. At first, we decided that we would just say he moved back to town, especially since she wouldn't really see him right away.

Because Kendall is wiser than her years, she caught on quickly and already had the story figured out by the time we told her the details. At her age, she would have every reason to be scared by the thought of an ex-prisoner being around. Instead, she didn't bat an eye. She has since become one of his biggest advocates. It makes me so proud that she gave him unconditional acceptance. .

This is the girl who writes letters for me to take to people in Guatemala, the girl who makes rainbow loom bracelets for a missions auction, the girl who watches out for bullying and puts a stop to it. She does for the least of these. I couldn't be prouder. Her mother has done a wonderful job, and it is my pleasure to re-enforce those values and watch her grow into a woman of God.

So what kind of parent will I be? Surely I will be one who goes up to the school alot. More importantly, I will be one who teaches her children that they have a place and an obligation to further God's kingdom by seeing individuals for who they are and showing kindness and compassion to  them along the way.

See you in the Round!
Susan

Lessons from the 2014 Snowpocolypse

by Jenn

On what should have been my son's first week back to school after Christmas break, we had a rough patch of weather here in Northwest Ohio. The count was around 21 inches of snow in less than a week, plus drifting snow and subzero temperatures. I do not think anything could make me wish for summer more than that!

When it was all said and done, school was cancelled five days in a row. Mothers for miles around did a collective scream and started to get crazy twitchy eyes as that last day's cancellation was announced. Oh yes we did!

Here is a list of what I learned during Snowpocolypse 2014:

1. You know you have cabin fever when the sound of Curious George sends you into fits of hysterical laughter. And then you really lose it when your son says, "Mom, my video just said we are like Lima beans to sharks".

2. In a desperate attempt to get away from a momma with her crazy twitching eye and hot chocolate mustache, children are willing to brave subzero temperatures for long periods of time.

*That was purely for your amusement. And now for my real list:

1. It is amazing how life slows down when you are literally snowed in. It made me realize how quickly my three boys are growing up. I need to stop blinking. Sometimes I long for when they are older and less annoying more mature. I hear the lie when I say life will be easier then. Truthfully, it will just bring different challenges. God has things to teach me in this time and place if I only let Him.

2. It became evident while in close quarters, that my husband and I were clearly not in control of our house. As parents who desperately want our children to love Jesus, we had been focusing on showing our children how loving and gracious God is by giving them lots of grace (a good thing, right?). We came to realize, though, that for spiritual training to take hold in our children's hearts, we first must require obedience and respect from our boys. The Bible teaches that without the law, we cannot know that we sin (Romans 7:7). If we want our children to realize their sinful nature before a good and loving God, we need to teach them the law and expect them to follow it.

3. As many moms find out, it is very easy to get caught up in the tyranny of the urgent. We forget to make time for less urgent but still worthwhile pursuits. Lately, I have been walking around in a mental fog, not thinking deeper than what is needed for my daily survival. I have been neglecting doing things that I enjoy. Of course, do let us not forget the sleepless nights with a three month old baby. As a result, I have been a bit of a grump. However, I am a daughter of the King, and am loved and cherished. He does not want me to just survive, but to thrive. All of those enjoyed extra things that have been neglected are part of who God made me to be and I should not forget about them. So, I am picking up my camera again. I have my eye on a few books to start reading. I am so excited for the opportunity to write for this blog. Each of these things will help keep my head out of the foggy daily grind, as I strive to share how God is moving in my life.

What has God been teaching you lately?

4 Secrets to Mommy Perfection

by Kim

That’s right Moms! I am a Mom to 7 children and I am perfect! My entire house is organized, cleaned and runs smoothly 100% of the time. We have such a clear daily routine that my children never throw fits or whine. I grow all of my own food organically. This Momma also exercises daily, never raises her voice, has children that eat their veggies and always play well with others. Want to know how I do it?

Kim's Mommy perfection secrets:

1. Laugh at what you just read and realize that does not happen for me, or anyone else! If all that does happen for you, please share your secret.

2. Forgive ourselves for the mistakes we have made.

3. Forgive our children for the mistakes they have made.

4. Laugh again and realize that these energetic little humans that are learning are the exact reason we became Mommies.


Now that we got that out of the way… I wanted to get real with you. The real lowdown of motherhood is that we have no idea what life will throw at us. We are going to maneuver this tremendous blessing called motherhood that is rich, scary, beautiful, tiring and fun at the same time. Everyone around us will give their opinions on everything we should be doing.


We will have moments where we feel we are rocking out the best job in the world. We will also have moments where we shut ourselves in the laundry room with a cup of coffee for a few minutes just to wrap our head around the day ahead (or maybe that is just me). Wherever you are in this journey, know that you are not alone. I would love for you to join me as I share my journey of love, adoption, large family living, and life in general, as a wife to one and Mommy to seven as we live in the round.


See you in the Round!
Kim

When Faith Gets Hard

by Ashley

When we truly experience God’s Grace and the Holy Spirit opens our eyes to see Jesus’ finished work on the cross on our behalf, life is never the same. The lifelong adventure of following our Savior begins. We are excited, joyful, and maybe even a bit over-eager as new believers to share with everyone what God is up to.

Life Takes Over

However, somewhere along the way that energy begins to slowly bleed out. Life takes over and if we’re not careful, our First Love becomes routine. Good things like meeting with other believers and studying the Bible morph into a list of obligations rather than life-energizing opportunities. And all of a sudden following Jesus is just hard.

How can we regain the energy that formerly came from a thriving understanding of our faith?

According to the Bible, one way to reinvigorate our faith is to consider the faith of others. Read about the heroes in the Bible (see 1 Corinthians 11:1). Read biographies of those who have gone before us (see Hebrews 13:17). Do not forget to identify godly women in your own circles who have an admirable faith. Paul says in Philippians 3:17,

“(Sisters), join in imitating me, and keep your eyes on those who walk according to the example you have in us.”

Foolish Choices 

In college, I struggled to reconcile my understanding of the Christian faith with my rebellious lifestyle. I would defend Christ as the Way, the Truth, and the Life (John 14:6), but my foolish choices birthed debilitating frustrations that ended up making me miserable. My life was a reflection of the discouragement that had overtaken me due to a lack of understanding about how amazing God truly is.

www.uncannytoys.com/drink-hat-red

One day I met two girls and it was obvious they were both in love with Christ. While I have no delusions that their faith was perfect, I saw these joyful girls who loved life, sought adventure, and worshiped Christ through it all. At first, I watched them from a distance. I heard stories of things that you truly can only get away with in college - deciding one night to go downtown in pajamas to see what kind of reaction they got from passersby, buying beer-drinking hats to fill up with soft drinks, again for the sake of funny looks, and other crazy stunts. They did the things I only wish I was brave enough to do.


From these girls, I also saw glimpses of a faith that I previously thought I possessed, claimed to have, and wanted for myself so desperately. I heard stories about meeting people of other faiths, befriending and sharing the Gospel, and fostering relationships with them. I heard about random stories of God’s miraculous hand at work around them. I saw how they loved people with a love that did not make sense.

A Grand Adventure

Through their example, I learned so much about the character of God. I learned that He is not a stodgy, vapid Being. I discovered through fresh eyes that He is active in the lives of His people. He truly transforms hearts to beat for Him. He continues to take us on a grand adventure, whether or not we notice. And when we passionately pursue Him, our faith flourishes and others take note.


These two women very quickly became good friends of mine. Although I never quite grew the....um... ovaries to join in their college antics, my joy in Christ grew exponentially.


This, I believe, is one of the many reasons we are wired to live in Biblical community, especially with other faith-filled women. Sometimes, we all need a helping hand, and honestly sometimes we need to be pulled along.


I’m not sure that I’ve ever shared with these two college friends the extent to which they unknowingly pulled me closer to Christ. Of course, I still struggle with seeing the excitement of living for Christ. I see my Bible gathering dust on my table and the inner-debate begins, much the same way I struggle to do the dishes. However, it is my deepest desire to remain in mutually-encouraging community with other women who will, if necessary, drag me forward in my walk with Christ with their words and experiences. This blog is the result of that desire.

How are you being pulled closer to Christ? Who in your life has been an encouragement in your walk?


See you in the Round!
Ashley

“Scripture quotations are from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version^® (ESV^®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

The Hardest Battle

by Megan

“Above all else,

guard your heart,

for everything you do flows from it.”

-Proverbs 4:23

Ladies, do yourself a favor and guard your heart…

It is a phrase that we have all heard before. It is the advice that I have given friends who have just begun dating someone. Looking deeper, it is a phrase that can sound quite ambiguous. What does it really mean to guard your heart?

I have come to find that, contrary to popular belief, guarding my heart is not confined to romantic
relationships. Instead, this idea should permeate all areas of my life. A wrong relationship is not the only way that my heart can be tainted and altered in a negative way. I need to also guard my heart from the world we are living in- from media, culture, societal pressures, individuals, expectations, and norms.


Think about all you encounter in one day: People you met, conversations you had, media you were exposed to, opinions and expectations that were thrust upon you... All these things influence every aspect of your being. They can either have a positive or negative impact on the way you view life, yourself, and God. You have the liberty to decipher the ultimate truth.


As a woman living in today’s society, I constantly feel the pressure to be smart enough, skinny enough, less emotional, kind-hearted, compassionate, not too sensitive, have a little more this and little less that, do this, not that. The world does a great job at telling us who we are to be, rather than encourage us to embrace that which we already are. This pressure can be quite crippling…it can impair us.

“To be nobody but yourself in a world which is doing its best, night and day, to make you everybody else means to fight the hardest battle which any human being can fight; and never stop fighting.” 

–E.E. Cummings, 1955

The ultimate standards that the world creates hinder our ability to see that there are no actual standards anyway. God does not have a single standard for His creation. He made each of us in HIS image and likeness, and therefore, we are inherently valuable. Life becomes beautiful, enjoyable, and liberating when we embrace the differences within us, as the things that make us gorgeous.


I do not have to seek this world or anyone in it to give me value and worth (and neither should you). I have already found that worth in God. Seeking value from the world will do nothing but let us down, disappoint us, and leave us feeling empty.


For most of the past 10 years, I tried to be someone I certainly was not. In fact, I tried to be and do EXACTLY what my friends were doing, wearing, saying, and liking. Independence, what’s that? Conforming was essential. Why? Well, because I wanted to do everything in my power to be accepted in my environment. I was tired of being the one who stuck out, the one who did not have a “place” in her surroundings. Fear drove me to act like those around me as best as I could. I was afraid that I would not be liked for who I really was, so I did my best to attain the characteristics of the people around me that were socially accepted and liked by others.

I felt like a slave to this world. It was not until I faced this idolatry head on, confessed, and repented to Jesus that I finally reached freedom…freedom from the bondage of this world and its foolish, irrational, unattainable standards. Believe me, this was not an easy process. It was excruciating. However, immediate peace overwhelmed me. God began pruning me to be more like Jesus. That rarely FEELS good, but good ALWAYS follows. For the first time in my life, I was able to stop trying and stop pretending to be anyone other than who the God Almighty has designed me to be. Insert a sigh of relief.


Once this happened, I was able to love God, others, and myself more deeply. When idols are removed from our lives, we are able to live freely.

IDOLS ARE ENSLAVING --- GOD IS FREEING.

IDOLATRY IS SELFISH --- GOD IS SELFLESS.

Simply put, guarding our hearts means to monitor what is going in and out of it.


It does not mean removing yourself from painful circumstances, difficult people, or even to isolation from the challenging realities of this world. Removing ourselves completely from this culture in order to guard our hearts is not helpful either. We have to figure out how to balance living IN this world, while also refusing to let our heart become a PART of it. There are huge ramifications for permitting the world to alter our hearts to its liking. We quickly become less of who we have been designed to be and less like our Savior.

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                    

Whatever we allow to enter our heart will affect what comes out of our heart.

Matthew 15:18 says, 

“But what comes out of the mouth proceeds from the heart, and this defiles a person.”

Luke 6:45 says,

“A good person produces good things from the treasury of a good heart, and an evil person produces evil things from the treasury of an evil heart. What you say flows from what is in your heart.”

See ya in the Round!
Megan

“Scripture quotations are from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version^® (ESV^®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.