Bible reading and the surrendered life

Today I want to make the case for why reading the Bible in One year is not hard. First, let us define hard. Hopelessness is hard. The side effects of hopelessness are also hard. Wanting to read the Bible and not having the freedom to do it is hard. A friend from another country told me she would hide pages of the Bible in her science book so her parents wouldn't know she became a Christian. That's hard. Opening the words of life in a free country is as hard as we choose to make it. I want to propose that reading the Bible in One Year is part of a surrendered life to a God who wouldn't ask us to do something He didn't do Himself. 

Bible reading and the surrendered life. Jesus was surrendered to the will of His Father. We know this by Jesus' words and actions. Reading the Bible was not an option but part of Jesus' surrendered life. He was often found in the synagogue reading and teaching. He went around teaching, doing good, and telling others about God. Likewise, we can make Bible reading part of our lives outside of Sunday. From that place of surrender, we too can go on doing good and telling others about God. 

"This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate in it day and night, that you may observe to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success." Joshua 1:8 

I am grateful for the Biblical evidence of our daily need for the word of God. I appreciate this verse of Scripture because it tells me of the benefits of making sure I read the Bible regularly. To put it simply, things will go well. Things are not going to be perfect as in human terms but things go well for those who obey God's commands. 

I empathize with those who find it challenging to fit daily Bible reading into their schedule. I've written extensively about every excuse in the book along with solutions for each one. Transparency in the process is refreshing. I know I get late in my reading. Sometimes, chronically late. I learned to pick from where I left off. God's blessing meets me right there in my humanity. 

Opening the words of life in a free country is as hard as we choose to make it. May we have the courage to admit we are blessed. May we have the willingness to surrender our lives to God and His word. May we learn what it means to say: 

"Oh, how I love Your law! It is my meditation all the day." Psalm 119:97 

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One-woman Retreat

Some women have the power to elevate us from the mundane to the Divine. Sally Clarkson does that for me. I listen to her when I crave kind wisdom. She said, "The year is about to get busier. It is okay to do something lovely for yourself such as a one-woman retreat." I was fascinated with the idea. My life is never not busy. The fact that I can soothe the busier months to come was intriguing. 

The idea was to do something realistic. Lighting a candle and reserving 15 minutes to drink tea without having to rush to the next thing. Something that will add gentleness to a hurried life. So I lit the candle and I brewed the tea. I was better for it. The one-woman retreat idea stayed with me long after. 

The following week was one of the busiest ones in my current job. I worked over the weekend and I was tired. I decided to take a day off during the week to recover. I implemented the one-woman retreat idea that day. 

Sally's suggestion was to add something lovely to the reality of life. I sent the kids to school with a blessing and a kiss as we do daily. Breakfast was next. I took my time and made sure my plate was nutritious yet pretty. I truly enjoyed eating. Next, I did my mani and pedi while finishing a lovely movie. My husband was available at lunch time so we turned the retreat into a "one-woman one-man retreat." His company filled my heart with joy. Then I got a phone call that caused the opposite effect. Just because I made room for a lovely day, it doesn't mean that life's circumstances won't interrupt it. I stepped outside the restaurant and worked on the matter. I had to do that three times. I felt myself getting stressed. I did not like that feeling. I took a deep breath and asked God to fill me with the peace I needed. We finished our lunch and went to a store next door. We found some new jams we wanted to try. My husband suggested we find a coffee shop. I bought a calligraphy kit and worked on it while we enjoyed a great oat milk latte. I walked next door and found the tarragon plant I wanted to grow this summer. What an extra boost of joy! 

Shortly after that, it was time to go back to a life I love and appreciate. Picking up kids from band rehearsal, snack time, packing everyone's dinner, and heading to church. 

The one-woman retreat ended up better than it started. It landed me safely in the place I'm rooted: family. 

While the end of the year will always be busy, I can take firm steps toward the lovely side of life. I don't think this was self-care. I care for myself regularly. This was an investment in myself. It was a way to sprinkle goodness on an otherwise ordinary day.

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Sunday Seven

 Sunday Seven 

1. Bible reading is part of a surrendered life. This week on the blog I will propose why this is not as hard as some may think but it is part of a life Jesus modeled for us. 
2. Some women have the power to elevate us from the mundane to the Divine. This week I write on the blog about my "one-woman retreat," an idea I received from a great woman of God I never met in person. 
3. Family is where I'm rooted. Thank God for the purpose, growing pains, and joys that family life brings. I am deeply grateful to God for His brilliance in planting us in families. 
4. Marital love is nurturing. I learned this week how nurtured I feel when spending time with my husband. Our interactions this week filled my heart with so much goodness. I am grateful for the steadfast character of Zeke's love for me. 
5. The kids are growing. I always thought I should grow and mature as well. Why stay the same if God wants me to grow? "Therefore, laying aside all malice, all deceit, hypocrisy, envy, and all evil speaking, as newborn babes, desire the pure milk of the word, that you may grow thereby  if indeed you have tasted that the Lord is gracious." I Peter 2:1-3
6. Change is not costly. Change is a privilege. Staying the same, in my case, suffering the side effects of ill health, is costly. 
7. If I say 'I changed,' you can believe it. I do not have to sacrifice my morals and integrity for you to believe what I say. I live in a world where some quickly leave excellence of virtuous character for the filthiness of sin. I say this standing in the grace and truth of God who wants virtue to flow from our lives, not the vulgar. 

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Sunday Seven

Sunday Seven

I was recently asked, "What can you control?" My schedule was busy, filled with uncontrollable variables. A lot of them were making me angry. I've been reflecting on the answers, which I want to share with you today. 

1 • How much I expose myself to Scripture reading. Yesterday at church, I was reminded that Scripture shapes both my opinions and prayers. The reading and study of Scripture are empirical in my life, no matter how busy my week may be. 

2 •  When faced with toxic, negative comments and complaints, I can control my response. The person wants a reaction, but I believe that a response is something I can control. The best way to provide a Biblical response is to be sure that my attitude lines up with what I read. 

3 • Toxic and negative complaints are part of what I do. Over the years, I learned to set up and maintain great boundaries. I turn off comments and notifications. I go outside and enjoy nature. I even passed the torch to another coworker who would read each complaint and only notify me of something truly important. These and other steps, which I can control, allowed me to keep my joy and peace. 

4 • "The excellence of my job" was the first answer that came to my mind. I can't control variables. I can't control what other people think of me, how they react to me, and how mean they are to me. What I can control is how I rely on excellence as I work. I decided that I do my work unto the Lord because I serve Him. Excellence is costly yet worth the price of the peace it brings. 

5 • I can control how much I exercise. I can control how many hours of sleep I get at night. I can control how many servings of vegetables I eat during busy weeks. I decided that I could mindlessly browse the internet or I can be proactive about my health. It was within my control to buy a bag of spinach and a case of strawberries, so I did just that. I felt much better, although I was tired at the end of the week.

6 • I can control my response and heart attitude toward people who manage insecurities in public. I often tell myself, "Cintia, you don't deal with public insecurity, and you do not have to have the same attitude as this dear person." Then, I stand in my confidence. Standing in my confidence has saved me from drowning in the insecurity of others. I do not believe that embracing someone else's insecurity is the same as loving them. Oftentimes, people do not want to let go of their insecurity. I can't convince them otherwise. I can pray and I can stand in my confidence. 

7 • It may seem counterproductive, but I can control how much I think and do for others during a busy week. When God clearly puts someone in my mind and heart, I go to action. I write a note or I give a small token. I can control how much good I show to others. I discussed with my kids this weekend that it is more blessed to give than to receive. We all shared how much joy giving brings to our hearts. We prayed that God would allow us to be more alert of those around us who need to be uplifted. Uplifting someone is completely within my control. 

How about you? What can you control?

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Easter Practices for Busy Families

Hello my friend! If you are so incredibly busy with your family's activities, you will love this episode.  

I speak about the easy practices my family adopted over the past 15 years to make Easter a meaninful season for the soul. You can listen and subscribe here.

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