An Apology

Hello friends,

I missed posting yesterday.

I'm away at the moment, doing some more canvassing work (going door to door with Christian books and trying to help out the community). I prepared posts beforehand - I have drafts I could publish - but it doesn't feel honest for me to do that. It wouldn't come from my heart; it wouldn't be what I'm really feeling. I want to be real, and right now the realest thing I can do is miss a couple of weeks of posting. I hope that makes sense - and I will be back!

In the meantime, I'll leave you with this powerful quote from The Pursuit of God: "Whoever defends himself will have himself for his defense, and he will have no other; but let him come defenseless before the Lord and he will have for his defender no less than God Himself."

I hope you're all going well, and staying strong and joyful in the Lord. Tell me what's been going on for you! Do you struggle to post on schedule? Have you read The Pursuit of God? What have you been learning or feeling lately?

My Favourite Christian Living Resources of 2017

I haven’t been doing monthly or quarterly recaps, so I wanted to share a few things that were a great blessing to me in my spiritual journey throughout 2017. I hope they can be an encouragement to you too! :)

The Bible

It seems obvious, but seriously? It beats every thing else on this list. If we have nothing else but the Bible, we’ll still have enough. It’s the very word of God to us, and I realized even more last year how inexhaustible it is. I have so much more to learn!

Outreach

This might sound irrelevant, but last year proved so clearly to me that outreach is an essential part of the Christian life. Toward the end of the year, I wasn't doing any active outreach, and my spiritual walk felt it. There’s nothing as powerful as working with God for the salvation of others.

The Insanity of God by Nik Ripken

This book opened my eyes to another perspective on persecution, and God’s purpose for it. It was also convicting and inspiring to read about the dedication of God’s people in other countries. I appreciated the author’s honesty; he had doubts, and the book was refreshingly real.

Grace for the Afflicted by Matthew Stanford

I read this book for my counselling studies, but I’m glad to own it. It offers a clinical and Biblical perspective on mental health, and a lot of different mental disorders. It looks at what the Bible says about mental disorders, possible causes and treatments of the disorders, what life is like for people with the disorder, and how the church can best support people with mental disorders. I found it informative and useful, and appreciated the Biblical and how-to-help perspectives.

The Great Controversy by Ellen White

This book offers a perspective on the controversy between Christ and Satan, good and evil. It has history of the early church, which was convicting and inspiring again. It offers counsel for today, and a hope of what we have to look forward to after this earth. I found it to be Bible-based and very encouraging. It’s helpful to realize the battle zone we’re living in, but have it reinforced that the victory is already won.

Christy by Catherine Marshall

This is a story, as opposed to the books above, but it hit me where I needed it a couple of months ago. I related to Christy’s struggles, and it was refreshing and encouraging to see real questions and doubts about God treated in a solid and non-cliché way. I learned a lot, I enjoyed it, and I plan to reread this book many times. 

Far Away Distance

I already mentioned this channel, but it has been a great blessing to me this year. I really appreciate Bekah’s heart for Jesus, and the practical Christian living topics she covers in her videos.

Coffee and Bible Time

This is another encouraging youtube channel I recently discovered, and the videos I’ve been able to watch have been a blessing as well! I appreciate their honest sharing, and practical Christian living videos too.

Jordan Lee Dooley

Her videos are a huge blessing – again very practical and relevant for the Christian life. I also follow Jordan's blog which is similarly good.

Tiny Notes from Home/Sounds Like Reign

These are a different style of channel – Tiny Notes from Home is vlogs of the Kirkland family's life and meaningful thoughts and discussion, and Sounds Like Reign are music focused videos from the same family. They have been an inspiration to me to live a simple and God-filled life.

I wish I could list posts here as well, because there have been some amazing posts throughout the year, and I am so grateful to know awesome bloggers. You all are a blessing to me – far more than a resource.

There you go! I hope that could be some help to you, and I haven't forgotten anything. What were some of your favourite resources from 2017? Are there things you’re planning to dig into this year? I’m all eager for any recommendations - we're on this journey together. :)

Encouragement for 2018!

I often think of the question Ashleigh shared a few posts ago: if I could only say one piece of encouragement to someone, what would it be? I always come back to this: God is.

In Exodus 3:14, God describes Himself to Moses as, ‘I AM THAT I AM.’ My grandparents have those words on a plaque, and I would read it every time we were at their house, and wonder what God meant; it's confusing.

We like to define God. We call Him mighty, merciful, just, and loving – and He is. But He’s also far beyond what we can describe. We can’t imagine the depth of His character, and I think that’s why God described Himself to Moses as I am Who I am, and why Jesus also answers ‘I am,’ in the New Testament. He isn’t definable in our terms.

‘Is’, or ‘am’, implies existence. No matter what else fails or gives way, God is still there, immoveable. He cannot fail, He cannot change. That alone gives us hope and assurance.

There is no qualifier, or definition: I am –, or God is –, and I believe that’s because God can be everything we need, whatever it is. If we’re in danger, God is a refuge. If we’re broken, God is a healer. If we’re lonely, God is a friend. God is not limited to helping us in just one area of life. His capabilities have no boundaries.

There are many unknowns of the new year, and maybe it’s a little scary. But God is there, and He’s everything we need. If there’s one thing I learned last year, it’s that regardless of what difficulty or discouragement I’ve faced, more God is always the solution. And when God is with us – or when we’re with God, as I prefer to say – we cannot fail. So let’s go, 2018!

I have set the Lord always before me: because he is at my right hand, I shall not be moved. Psalm 16:8

~

What are your feelings about a new year? Are there any particular goals you’re aiming for this year? Do you celebrate or have any new years traditions? If you could only give one word of encouragement, what would you say? 

Also, the biggest thank you, beautiful people, for making 2017 my most exciting year of blogging yet! You encourage, inspire, and bless me; I’m so thankful, and pray for you all. xx