intentional living

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Stock images photo taken from freedigitalphotos.net
Stock images photo taken from freedigitalphotos.net

When you see heads turning during worship, people cringing, others whispering… you know Jennifer Slattery is close by. Kicked out of campus choir my freshman year in high school for, and I quote, “throwing the entire choir off-key”, you’d think I would’ve learned to keep my mouth closed, or at least, to sing quieter. But nope. Can’t do it.

Considering I’m tone-deaf, embarrassingly so, some find it odd that music plays such a big part in my walk with Christ. And yet, there’s something profoundly spiritual about lifting our hearts in praise musically. Today my sweet friend and multi-published author LoRee Peery shares some beautiful thoughts on singing.

But first… I wanted to invite you to join me on Dawn Janis’ blog as I talk about the niggling of a story that came in the middle of the Katrina chaos, an idea that was soon forgotten, but ultimately, blossomed into a novel reviewers have called hilarious and heartwarming. Read more HERE.

A Song in My Heart from LoRee Peery

Have you ever considered the possibility of going to jail for being a Christian? What would occupy your mind? You can be assured there’d be no Bible behind those bars.

I have no doubt the Holy Spirit would bring verses and passages to mind, but I believe I’d sing to keep my focus on the Lord as well as to keep my sanity.

David and other psalmists filled the book of Psalms with singing. My Bible is filled with underlined verses referring to music. We are to sing to the Lord, sing for joy, and sing praises.

O Lord, our Lord, how majestic is your name in all the earth, Psalm 8:1.

His song will be with me in the night, Psalm, 42:8.

I will praise the name of God with song, Psalm 69:30.

The Bible references psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs. We are to sing from a thankful heart and with a joyful soul.

Photo by Alexas_Fotos taken from pixabay.com
Photo by Alexas_Fotos taken from pixabay.com

Sing! Sing of His strength, and praise His mighty power.

My heart and my flesh sing for joy to the living God, Psalm 84:2.

I will sing to the Lord as long as I live, Psalm 104:33.

Sing to the Lord a new song, Psalm 149:1.

We are to use tongue, mouth, lips, flesh, and instruments, according to the writers of the Psalms.

May you take to heart, and implant in your soul, the words you voice during future times of Sunday worship. Go ahead and sing as you meditate on the Psalms.

Oh, my dear Author of music, I pray no matter where You plant me in life, You will bring a song to my heart and mind. I praise you for who You are, I praise You for past victories. I praise You for now. I long to forever sing from my soul to your ear. In your precious Name, amen.

First choiceChristian romance author LoRee Peery writes to feel alive, as a way of contributing, and to pass forward the hope of rescue from sin. She writes of redeeming grace with a sense of place. LoRee clings to I John 5:4 and prays her family sees that faith. She has authored the Frivolities Series and other e-books. Her desire for readers, the same as for her characters, is to discover where they fit in this life journey to best work out the Lord’s life plan. She is who she is by the grace of God: Christian, country girl, wife, mother, grandmother, sister, friend, and author. She’s been a reader since before kindergarten. One day she slapped a story in her lap. “I could write better than this.” (Lofty assumption, eh?) Her dear hubby challenged, “Why don’t you?” Thus her writing journey began many moons ago.

Her latest release is titled Where Hearts Meet:

Shattered by the loss of her parents, Deena pours her love into her patients at an assisted living facility. When the son of oneWhereHeartsMeet_w11796_300 her charges starts showing up to spend time with his mother, Deena’s wary heart is warmed by his attention to his mother…and to her. Simon is plagued by his ex-wife’s disappearance years before. When he meets Deena, who closely resembles the woman, he fears his attraction is based only on Deena’s looks. But she exhibits a warmth his ex-wife never had. Dare he risk his once broken heart? As two lonely souls pursue a tentative, budding love, secrets and lies come forward to tear them apart. Can Simon and Deena overcome loss and allow their hearts to mend?

But it HERE!

livingbygracepic.jpLet’s talk about this! In what ways has music helped to center your heart in Christ or bring you peace and comfort during a difficult time? Share your thoughts here in the comments below or at Living by Grace on Facebook.

Speaking of music and praise, I hope you’ll join me and my Takin’ it to the Streets friends for a hilarious, musical, unexpected night of talented performers, exceptional speakers, and great auction items. Tickets are available at Divine Truth Christian Bookstore, Reality Church, and can be purchased at the door.

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Freedomversepic“So if the Son sets you free, you are truly free” (John 8:36).

Imagine living your entire life as a slave. What would you give for freedom? What would that freedom feel like once it came? And how long, once freed, would it take to shake off your slave mentality?

We don’t think about slavery much these days; I’m not sure we can ever fully grasp what life is like for those living as someone’s property, spending every moment doing someone else’s bidding. To dream of, long for–ache for–freedom. But to believe it is far from your grasp, so far, you begin to give up hope. You stop dreaming and settle into a life of barely existing.

Yesterday the Associated Press posted an article about a Burmese slave who spent 22 years in captivity. Oh, how he longed for freedom, but the one time he asked, he was beaten so severely, he nearly died. And so, he spent the next 14 years resigned to his fate. And yes, that desire, that deep, inner hunger for liberty and the ability to reconnect with those he loved, would not be stilled. Over time, it grew, and grew, until his desire to be free, truly free, overrode his fear of being beat. And so, he asked again. And again, and again, and each time, his owners beat him down.

One day, after his “owner” cracked his skull with a helmet, he ran away, determined to see his family once again… only to land right back into slavery. But his thirst for freedom would not be quenched, so after being chained to a fishing boat for three days, he managed to break free, and this time he ran with every ounce of energy and determination he possessed.

Oh, to be free, truly free! (You can read Myint’s entire story HERE.)

Last Sunday, our family pastor, Robert Conn asked us two questions: Who are you, and, what breaks your heart? You can watch this powerful sermon here:

The answer jumped to mind immediately–I’m redeemed, restored, and made whole by Christ, and I’m utterly devastated to see others in emotional and spiritual bondage. But the good news is, I know the route to freedom! And that is through Jesus Christ, God’s only Son.

May everything I do and say point to that truth, because without Christ, man is and will remain in bondage. For eternity.

livingbygracepic.jpLet’s talk about this! How would you answer Robert’s questions: Who are you, and what breaks your heart? More importantly, what might God be asking you to do about it? Who can you point to freedom? Share your thoughts here in the comments below or at living by grace on Facebook.

Speaking of freedom, have I sent the Sweet Freedom series? You get them free when you sign up for my (and 7 other authors’) free quarterly newsletter. Although really, we should probably call it an e-zine because it’s much more than news. In truth, it contains very little news, but a SF Front Coverwhole lot of other stuff, life serial story segments, recipes, devotions… Check out our last issue HERE.

And sign up to receive our next issue, and your free PDF copies of our Sweet Freedom series.

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SaraiLabelShe was beautiful, most likely came from a wealthy family, and would one day become the mother of an entire nation. The matriarch of a faith that would completely change the world, revealing God’s plan of redemption and ultimately, leading to the fulfillment of prophesies given since the beginning of time.

But when we meet her in Genesis 11, one label defines her: barren. At a time and in a culture when barrenness was a huge deal. Children were seen as a blessing, a sign of favor, and for these women who were often easily discarded, a promise of stability.

Infertility in any culture can lead to an incredible emptiness and sorrow, but in her day and age, it was downright shameful. In the ancient Middle East, most women didn’t work. They weren’t scholars, didn’t impress others with their deep and lofty thoughts on politics. Nope. They were valued for one thing–their ability to produce an heir.

In the land in which Sarai lived, failure to do so was considered grounds for divorce.

Can you imagine her shame? Despite her wealth and beauty, I envision her walking through the streets of Ur with her head bowed and her heart heavy. Watching the other women with swollen bellies, or infants held to their breast. Listening to mothers talk about how strong and capable their sons are.

Feeling completely isolated and alone. Held in bondage by this one label thrust on her by her peers: barren.

But God saw her differently. To Him, she was His princess, which is what her name (both versions) means. And He’d spend the next six chapters helping her live like His princess, to wear with pride and conviction the label He Himself gave her.

We all have labels: Unwanted. Unlovable. Failure. Tainted.Redeemedpic

Those labels, when latched on to, hinder our walk with Christ. Some, like Sarai’s, are negative. Hurtful, thrust upon us by others, relentlessly whispering to our wounded hearts, “You’re not good enough.” If not diligently fought against, those labels can cling to us long after we’ve been redeemed. And they begin to influence our actions and reactions.

But we, like Sarai, are princesses (or princes, fellas), daughters of the King! Let’s live like the royalty we are. No one can tag a label on to us unless we let them.

Not even us, ourselves.

Ah, so now we’ve come to the root of. Those labels wouldn’t stick unless we believed them–owned them. So how do we resist them? How do we learn to walk like the royalty we, redeemed and cherished children of Christ, are?

We replace our distorted view with truth and focus on who we are in Christ. That’s the only label we should cling to. That’s the only label we should nurture and live out.

Starting next week, a group of Facebook friends and I are going to follow Sarai/Sarah’s journey, inviting God to lead us on a similar trek–that of embracing and living in our true, defining label–daughters of the King. And I invite you to join us.

Speaking of labels, Tuesday I visited Internet Cafe Devotions to talk about those insidious lies we allow to weasel their way into our hearts, wearing us down and keeping us from the incredible joy available through Christ in an article entitled The Battle You Must Win. Read it HERE.

Let’s talk about this. We all, every one of us, have labels we carry around, some we’ve held on to so long, we’ve forgotten they’re even there. The only way, I believe, to shuck those self-defeating labels is to fill our hearts and minds with truth. This week, prayerfully ask God to show you what lies you’ve allowed yourself to hold on to. Ask Him to show you how He sees you, then ask Him to help you view yourself in the same light.

LivingbyGracepicIs there a certain label that jumped out at you when you read today’s post? Has God perhaps already helped you tear off a label from your past? If so, what was it, and how did God help you toss it? Share your thoughts here in the comments below or at Living by Grace on Facebook. 

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Do you feel average? Unnoticed? Like the easiest thing for you to do would be to blend in with the masses? Get up, go to work, go home, eat, go to bed, repeat. Like millions of Americans do each day. Settling for the plainness of mediocracy, never revealing their true, glorious, Christ-revealing beauty.

Colorado May 2015 009Today my guest Janet K. Brown, author of Worth Her Weight shares an insightful lesson God showed her through a seemingly plain creature.

The Unordinary Oriole

By Janet K. Brown

A beautiful oriole ministered to me on our recent visit to Aurora, Colorado. Our daughter’s house, like most in that area, sprawls the foothills of the Rockies, and hiking trails wind up and down, linking one trail after another. If I had the strength, I could hike for many miles. I stick with the two mile loop nearby.

While hiking, I noticed one shaggy pine that appeared to be home to a bird that I didn’t recognize. My husband researched and discovered it was an orchard oriole. Orioles hide in trees and feed on fruits and insects.

I noticed when the oriole perched in the tree, I could barely see it. The top of its head, body, and wings were black and blended with the trunk of the pine. Even when my husband or daughter said it was in the tree, I could search and search and not spot it. When the bird took flight, however, my eyes lifted and watched the graceful swoop.

“How beautiful,” I said. The bird’s breast and the bottom of its wings were brilliant orange, but without the flight, I couldn’t seebranch-386907_1280 its hidden beauty.

Are we not the same as the ordinary oriole?

My mother had a saying, “He puts his pants on one leg at a time, just like me.” I have two legs, two arms, and average intelligence. There’s nothing special about me. When I keep quiet and don’t strive for excellence, I blend with other woman around me. Like the oriole, I hide in my tree. When I weighed two hundred and fifty pounds, and my self esteem was as low as our North Texas red dirt, I wanted to hide.

God healed me emotionally and showed me the meaning of this verse:

“For God hath not given us the spirit of fear, but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind“ (2 Timothy 1:7 KJV).

With this hope, I spread my wings and wrote my books and taught my classes, and showed the beautiful orange side of me that God created.

The oriole is ordinary until it flies.

So, are we.

***

Janet K. Brown lives in Wichita Falls, Texas with her husband, Charles. Writing became her second career after retiring from medical coding.

Worth Her Weight is the author’s first inspirational women’s fiction, but it makes a perfect companion to her previously released, Divine Dining: 365 Devotions to Guide You to Healthier Weight and Abundant Wellness. Both books encompass her passion for diet, fitness, and God’s Word. Worth Her Weight marks Brown’s third book. Who knew she had a penchant for teens and ghosts? She released her debut novel, an inspirational young adult, Victoria and the Ghost, in July, 2012.

Janet and her husband love to travel with their RV, work in their church, and visit their three daughters, two sons-in-law and three perfect grandchildren. She teaches workshops on writing, weight loss, and the historical settings of her teen books.

Visit her online at http:/ /www.janetkbrown.com, on Twitter at https://twitter.com/janetkbrowntx, or on Facebook, and contact her by E-mail at: Janet(dot)hope(at)att(dot)net

Worth Her Weight:

How can a woman who gives to everyone but herself accept God’s love and healing when she believes she’s fat, unworthy, and unfixable? Can she be Worth Her Weight?

Lacey Chandler helps her mother, her sister, her friend, and then she binges on food and wonders is there really a God? Betty Chandler hates being handicapped and useless, so she lashes out at the daughter that helps, and the God who doesn’t seem to care. Toby Wheeler loves being police chief in Wharton Rock, but when the devil invades the small town, he can’t release control.

Is God enough in Wharton Rock?

Buy it HERE!  Also available on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, & at your local bookstore.

LivingbyGracepicLet’s talk about this!

 

Are you in hiding? Avoiding risks or certain opportunities to spread your wings and fly? That first step can be excruciatingly terrifying, but oh, the freedom we experience when we finally experience the beauty of full flight–of full surrender. Pause to prayerfully consider in what ways you’re hiding right now. Perhaps it’s relationally. Maybe you’ve been hurt so many times in the past, you’ve begun to hide behind your defenses. Or maybe it’s in your career, or in ministry. But like Janet says, we have not been given a spirit of fear, and our beauty, or rather, God’s beauty, is best displayed when we step out of hiding, spread our wings, and fly.

Share your thoughts in the comments below or at Living by Grace on Facebook.

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Photo by imagerymajestic taken from freedigitalphotos.net
Photo by imagerymajestic taken from freedigitalphotos.net

Has your obedience become conditional? Your view of God distorted? Do you draw near when life is great or you need aid but run and hide when reveals His God’s coaching-training side?

Romans 12:1 calls us to worship God with our whole selves, which means laying all we are on the altar, as a living sacrifice. The problem with living sacrifices is, they have a tendency to crawl off when things get too hot. I thought of this analogy, spoken by a pastor over a decade ago, when I read author Anita Higman’s devotion. As you read her thoughts on what is necessary to obtain a healthy Christian life, prayerfully consider the areas you’re tempted to withhold from God’s sovereign hand. Ask Him to help you release everything, your fears, struggles, anxieties, pride–whatever is getting in His way, so He can mold you into His beautiful masterpiece.

Tasting Real Joy by Anita Higman, author of Summer’s List

I’m a tea fan supreme, and a lover of chocolate, but when I discovered chocolate tea I have to admit I was not inspired. I’m either in the mood for tea, or I have a craving for chocolate. We humans have a way of compartmentalizing our lives.

I’m sure in my spiritual journey I’ve done a more profound version of that same partitioning. I keep God near when I’m in the mood for His healing touch, His blessings, His tender mercies in my life, and yet I want to disconnect from Him when He’s offering a growth experience that might be painful or when He’s showing me a transgression that requires nothing less than repentance. It’s hard for me to mingle these two seemingly incongruent attributes of God or to even acknowledge them. But I also know that His ways are not our ways.

We may never need to endure the blending of two dissimilar culinary flavors as tea and chocolate, but a mingling and

Photo by holohololand taken from freedigitalphotos.net
Photo by holohololand taken from freedigitalphotos.net

embracing of all of God’s powers is required for a healthy Christian life. It’s the only way for us to taste real and lasting joy. It’s the only way to live the kind of life that really matters spiritually—so that when our great hour comes we can hear those precious words that we long to hear from our Savior, “Well done, my faithful servant.”

His master replied, “Well done, good and faithful servant!…  Matthew 25: 21 (NIV)

Lord, may I always welcome not just your attributes that I am comfortable with, but the parts of you that love justice and truth and a pure heart.

***

5_016Best-selling and award-winning author, Anita Higman, has forty books published. She’s been a Barnes & Noble “Author of the Month” for Houston and has a BA in the combined fields of speech communication, psychology, and art. Anita loves good movies, traveling to exotic places, and brunch with her friends.

Please check out Anita’s latest novel, Summer’s List, through Moody Publishers. Feel free to drop by her website at www.anitahigman.com or connect with her on her Facebook Reader Page at http://www.facebook.com/AuthorAnitaHigman. She would love to hear from you!

Summer’s List:

A dying wish alters the course of a young woman’s life.Summer's List front cover

Life hadn’t been easy for Summer Snow. In acts of selflessness-caring for her ailing parents and running her grandmother’s bookstore-she had forfeited her youth and dreams for the needs of others. And the only tries she had at love… didn’t turn out. She had the bookstore, she had her beloved granny, but she was missing something-or someone.

Opportunity strikes when Granny sends Summer on an unexpected adventure with one Martin Langtree, a kind but gangly young man from Summer’s past. A childhood friendship is rekindled, a romance is sparked, and mysteries are solved in one magical Texas summer. Will Summer strike out on love again, or will things finally go her way?

With lovable characters and surprising twists, Summer’s List is a simple delight.

livingbygracepic.jpJoin us at Living by Grace as we talk about releasing our expectations, resisting compartmentalized worship, and surrendering our whole selves to Christ as He molds us into His masterpieces. How do you tend to react when in a period of molding, stretching, waiting or teaching? What are some ways you work to keep your heart pliable? Share your thoughts here in the comments below or at Living by Grace on Facebook.

In other news… for my local friends:

Join me on June 21st as I talk about living with an open hand and the life-changing power of grace.

Missiontohomelessjpg-page-001

Then (this one’s for my writing friends) join me at the downtown Omaha Public Library, on Thursday evening, June 25th as I talk about ways to build your platform and advance your God-given calling. Find out more HERE!

And while we’re talking writing, consider spending a few days with me this summer in Atlanta where I’ll be teaching and speaking at the Christian Authors Guild Atlanta Conference. Best part? Shannon Taylor Vannatter and Edie Melson will be there! Yay! I hear Jennifer Hallmark will, too. Find out more and register HERE!

If you’d like me to come speak at your missions or women’s or mother’s group event, or if you’d like to learn more about Takin’ it to the Streets, an Omaha Metro ministry serving the working poor and homeless, contact me at jenniferaslattery (at) gmail(dot)com.

Oh, and I almost forgot, there’s still time to get entered into the Amazon give-away to win one of four copies of my debut novel, Beyond I Do! Find out more and enter HERE! Read a free, 36-page excerpt HERE!

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Photo by Marcolm taken from freedigitalphotos.net
Photo by Marcolm taken from freedigitalphotos.net

There are numerous articles expounding on all that’s wrong with the church. They’re trying to be too contemporary, too relevant. They’re behind the times. They’re full of hypocrites, ran by hypocrites. They’re too judgmental, or too lenient, or too rigid, or to laxed…

I could go on, but I choose not to.

I’d rather remind us all that WE are the church. We are the ones whom Christ sent out, to help the poor, love our enemies, pray for those who persecute us, to die to ourselves and “to find common ground with everyone, doing everything [we] can to save some” (1 Corinthians 9:22b).

Because let’s face it, our pastors are outnumbered. In a congregation of 500, in a given week, you’ll have those who are sick and in need of visitation, those who are struggling financially and in need of aid, single moms who are lonely and in need of a friend, and I could go on. And on. And on.

Sadly, there will likely always be more needs than resources to meet them. That benevolence fund created to help families in need eventually runs dry, and needs you and I to contribute to it. Because the funds for ministries aimed at showing Christ’s love and helping our communities come from you and I.

As I type this, I’m thinking of Jesus’ advice in Matthew 7:3-5

“And why worry about a speck in your friend’s eye when you have a log in your own? How can you think of saying to your friend, ‘Let me help you get rid of that speck in your eye,’ when you can’t see past the log in your own eye? Hypocrite! First get rid of the log in your own eye; then you will see well enough to deal with the speck in your friend’s eye” (NLT).

The hypocrite, it seems, is the one who criticizes others without taking the time to evaluate themselves, without taking the time to zero in on and remove the plank that’s distorting their vision.

When I do this, when I focus on my vision-distorting plank, I suddenly remember all the times I chose to buy a latte rather than giving to a need. Or when I avoided that which was inconvenient or awkward–the reaching out to a new neighbor, or watching the children of a single mother, or cleaning the house of a shut-in–to do that which was most pleasurable.

Each day, I make selfish, non-loving choices. Each day, I get caught up in my agenda, or my schedule, or even the 5,000 thoughts swirling through my popcorn-kernelling brain. Leaving those I love and want to love hurt in my wake.

And each day, I must confess this selfish side of me to Christ, asking Him to help me do better, to love better, and to better Lovewithactionversereflect who He is.

So let’s drop our pointing fingers, set aside our debates, roll up our sleeves and get to work. Because there’s a big, hurting world out there, a world of incredible needs, and it’s going to take all of us, working together, to meet them. To love them. And to reach this generation for Christ.

Unity of the gospel is a powerful thing.

LivingbyGracepicLet’s talk about this! How do you feel about the points raised in this post? (If you disagree, that’s totally OK! 🙂 ) When have you been tempted to focus on another’s faults or weaknesses, either personally or in relation to their ministry? How did God bring you back to a place of unity? Why do you think people are often quick to point fingers at the church? What are the dangers in doing so?

Share your thoughts with me in the comments below or at Living by Grace on Facebook.

And before you go, I wanted to introduce you to our newest addition to the Living by Grace team: Susan Aken! My regularly readers are probably fairly familiar with Susan and her writing by now, as I’ve had her on here numerous times. She has such a heart for Christ and such a sweet, humble way of presenting thought provoking truth. She’ll be hosting on Mondays. In the meantime, visit her blog (HERE) and tell her hello!

And, if you haven’t done so, I encourage you to sign up for my (our) free quarterly newsletter. When you do, not only will you receive great content (serial story segments, devotions, recipes, and more!), but you’ll also receive free e-copies of my two compilations: Sweet Freedom With a Slice of Peach Cobbler and Sweet Freedom Ala Mode. So sign up now! 🙂 (If you’ve already signed up but didn’t receive your free copy yet, please let me know! I’ve had some emails bounce back on me.)

 

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It’s easy to fall into rote behaviors. To pray without thinking; to worship half-heartedly with our mouth singing one thing while our mind jumps to every task awaiting us. To read Scripture without personalizing and digesting the precious, intimate, life-changing Words of God.

It happens every year, it seems. Actually, more like every month, but admitting such would be far too self-disclosing. Somehow, my to-do list begins to grow, tugging at my heart, my mind, my worship. And when that happens, I’m left with two choices: keep going as if busyness is somehow normal and desirable, as if it’s perfectly okay to allow the temporal to crowd out the eternal–to keep me from the One person, the only One, who can strengthen, nourish, refresh, and fulfill me. Or I can stop! And make a conscious choice to slow down.

King David’s words to his son, right before assigning him a monumental task that would take decades to complete, really resonated with me this morning.

“…learn to know the God of your ancestors intimately. Worship and serve Him with your whole heart and a willing mind. For the Lord sees every heart and knows every plan and thought. If you seek Him, you will find Him” (1 Chron. 28:9 NLT).

Learn to know God intimately.

Worship and serve Him with [my] whole heart. An undivided heart. A focused and surrendered heart. And a willing mind, AbideVersejpg-photopublicdomainwhich means, I need to surrender my mind, and all those lists and agendas that run through it in a given day, to the lover of my soul. If I do that, if I intentionally seek Him, I will find Him.

Today, I need to unplug. Slow down. Rest and connect. And I plan to intentionally fill that need. This morning my sweet hubby and I are going to a lavender farm not too far from us, so we can enjoy the beauty of God’s creation, a creation that naturally draws the heart to the Creator. We’ll listen to praise music. Pray. And simply rest.

What about you? When was the last time you set your to-do list aside and simply slowed down? What are some ways, when your heart and mind feel pulled in a thousand directions, that you still it and center it in worship?

Share your thoughts in the comments below, and have a happy, restful, worshipful weekend!

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Created a new verse picKnowing why we are here changes everything… if that reason is true, valid, and big enough to carry all the muck. I was thinking about this very thing yesterday, as I pushed through some physical challenges. Thinking how all this gunk, (and we’ve all got our gunk) would feel utterly pointless and defeating, if not for my mission in Christ.

Knowing–and living–our purpose changes everything. Today my sweet friend and Author photoone of my most cherished critique partners Marji Lane shares her thoughts on this liberating and life-infusing subject this morning.

The Purpose of Our Lives by Marji Lane

I saw a tweet the other day that apparently quoted the Dali Lama. According to the tweeter, the purpose of our lives is to be happy.

Really? What a self-absorbed, empty life that is. It’s all about me being happy. That means whatever it takes to make ME happy, that’s what I should do because my purpose is to enjoy happiness.

Yikes. No wonder folks are so messed up.

I don’t pretend to have all the answers, but I know wrong ones when I see them. I don’t care how often-quoted or sincere a person is; wrong is just wrong.

Purpose for our lives goes back to creation. Why were humans made in the first place?

“Then God said, “Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness” Genesis 1:26. And in the third chapter, in the midst of the first sin, the man and the woman “heard the sound of the LORD God walking in the garden in the cool of the day …. Then the LORD God called to the man, and said to him, “Where are you?”

Sounds like Adam and Eve had a habit of walking with God in the cool of the evening. So much so, that when they weren’t there, He called out to them. (Not that He didn’t know what was going on.) All this leads me to believe they were created to be the Lord’s companions. That identifies where I should be putting my effort now.

I need to make sure I cultivate that ongoing relationship with my Heavenly Father.Draw Near verse pic

In addition, Christ gave instruction to share the good news of His gift of eternal life. “Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I commanded you” Matthew 28:19.

Another purpose for my being here is to share the amazing love and grace of the Father, the sacrifice of Christ, and the good news of our adoption into God’s family. I find this purpose difficult to act on. I’m not naturally an evangelist – I don’t have that gift of the Spirit. Yet, regardless of how comfortable I feel doing it, I am still called to share.

I do have one other purpose, one that falls more fully into my forte. Whereas I don’t have the spiritual gift of evangelism, I do have the gift of exhortation. The apostle Paul, through the Holy Spirit’s prompting, urges us to encourage one another in Christ and build up His Body, the Church. (1 Thessalonians 5:11) I am called to find ways to support other believers, to strengthen them as they act in accord with the Lord’s work and will. My words need to be full of grace and love, with the intent to renew the spirits of my brothers and sisters. Especially when they are struggling for the cause of Christ.

This certainly gives more depth and satisfaction than to simply “be happy.” And all of my actions should fulfill my purposes.

  • Learn about the Father through scripture and spend time with Him in prayer, listening to the Spirit’s urging to follow as closely to Him as I can.
  • Sharing the truth that I’ve learned with hurting people who desperately need to know of the hope and love they can have through Christ’s sacrifice.
  • Encouraging other believers with my words and actions—”Speak to one another with songs, hymns, and spiritual songs.” Ephesians 5:19—in order to strengthen the body of Christ.

Looking at these in a nutshell, I see I’m not in the center of any of them. My desires are focused on others and on the Lord. That type of focus brings true satisfaction and joy. Especially when the quest for joy isn’t the point of what I’m doing.

Your turn: How do you define your purpose?

Marji Laine is a homeschooling mom with teenage twins left in the nest. An independent author with her debut novel, GRIME BEAT, just released, she spends her non-writing times transporting to and from volleyball, teaching writing classes at a local coop, and directing the children’s music program at her church. Raised in suburban Dallas, she got her first taste of writing through the stories of brilliant authors of their day, Mignon Eberhart and Phyllis A. Whitney, and through stage experience. After directing and acting in productions for decades, Marji started writing her own scripts. From that early beginning, she delved into creating scintillating suspense with a side of Texas sassy. She invites readers to unravel their inspiration, seeking a deeper knowledge of the Lord’s Great Mystery that invites us all.

imgresGrime Beat:

Her best friend missing, every cell in Dani Foster’s body screams something is wrong.

Crime scene cleaning is the perfect job for relocated Dani Foster. But her orders to maintain a low profile and stay out of trouble mean little when her friend goes missing. Suspicions point to the handsome crime scene specialist, Jay Hunter, but he’s also the only person willing to help Dani. Dare she trust him even when lies seem to surround him?

Dani amuses Jay. Her penchant for speaking and acting without regard to the consequences land her in the funniest situations. But her latest moves have thrust her into serious danger. As he learns more about her circumstances, the stakes rise until her very life is on the line. He has no time or inclination for romance, but this girl needs him, and she seems to have no one else. How can he turn his back?

This is the first episode of this Christian Mystery and Romance series set in Dallas, Texas. Dani’s troubles and Jay’s attraction are only just beginning!

Buy it HERE!

livingbygracepic.jpLet’s talk about this! Have you discovered your purpose? The reason you’re here? Are you living it? What things tend to distract you from living out your purpose? What activities or verses help you to remain diligent and focused on your purpose? Share your thoughts here in the comments below or at Living by Grace on Facebook.

And before you go… have you signed up for my (and 7 other authors) free quarterly newsletter? If not, wanna? You’ll receive free serial story segments, recipes, devotions, and more!

(Check out our last edition HERE!)

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Photo by Stuart Miles from freedigitalphotos.net
Photo by Stuart Miles from freedigitalphotos.net

Oh, to be brave! To embrace risk and challenges all for the sake of Christ with little thought of the what-ifs. To daily surrender myself so fully to Christ, I would always and only do His will…

Unfortunately, my actions are often more characterized by fear than faith and striving than surrender. But God is faithful, even when–especially when!–I’m not.

This past Saturday, I had the privilege of reconnecting with the ladies at Northland Baptist in Kansas City, MO. While there, I 11110888_10204129386370679_2892693323041088365_otalked about fear–of the world and the Lord.

One refreshes and strengthens us, the other leaves us drained, stressed, and completely exhausted.

So which will you choose?

My study on what it means to fear the Lord and how this impacts a believer’s life has FindingRefreshmentinChristbeen so rich, I decided to extend it and invite you to come alone! I’ve created a one-week study guide, which I gave to the Northland ladies and also posted on Facebook. I’ve also created a Facebook “group” and page where we can all dialogue about what God is showing us through the study. I hope you’ll join us! Later this week, Susan Aken and Julie Arduini, blogging friends of mine, will be sharing their thoughts on some of the study verses. I can’t wait! I love learning from other believers. 🙂 And on Thursday, Kimberly Rose Johnson, another writing friend, will be here to talk about waiting on God, so make sure to pop back to join that discussion!

If you’re not on Facebook, that’s OK. I can send you the questions via email. Simply shoot me an email at jenniferaslattery@gmail.com letting me know you’d like and I’ll send them off to you.

In the meantime, you can watch segment one of my speech here. I hope to have segment two posted to Youtube tomorrow.

Or, if you’d rather see the video in it’s entirety, recorded on the day of the event, you can watch that here: