Day 43

The snow has melted. I am all out of earl grey. And, this is our final day together. I must confess, along with Elizabeth Bennet, that the view from where I sit today is rather grey. 

Nonetheless, I pour my pot of jade citrus mint, believing that with every ending there is occasion for a new beginning. Besides, it seems only fitting to be sipping a refreshing mint tea, when on our first day together I shared that my hope for you is to be refreshed! 

There are many things in life that encourage and lift us up for a short time, but nothing can refresh and renew us like God's Word. No more pretty Bibles. Let us fill our Bibles with notes all around the edges, ink smears, tear stains, tea stains, tattered edges, crinkled and worn pages. Unmistakable signs that you have been there and have been involved. Let us fill our houses with powerful Scripture verses. Let us have prayer rooms where the carpet is wearing thin. Let us step away from our callous generation and say with Paul, "For me to live is Christ!" And, let our fire light the next generation to do the same!

Friends, the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all!


The journal concludes…

'But God forbid 

that I should glory, 

save in the cross 

of our Lord Jesus Christ.' 

(6:14) 

  

I write this verse in large letters, as I imagined Paul did on the original copy (6:11). Lest these self-seeking, self-righteous, finger-pointing believers at Galatia miss what they should be boasting in. Lest this self-seeking, easily distracted, busy mom miss what I should be glorying in. 

Thanksgiving day has arrived! And while this dare comes to an end, I must continue to sow…to sow to the Spirit—giving my time and energy not to satisfying my sinful desires, leading only to my own destruction, but to walking in the Spirit, leading to a harvest of life (6:8).

My Final Dare:

To rejoice in the cross—in Christ! I have found the joy I was looking for and it is seated at the table of thanksgiving, as I praise my Lord for His glorious gospel of grace! 

  

Day 42

I found myself talking to my washing machine today. Encouraging her, that though she would not get a nap time like the rest of us, I promise to give her Thursday off. See what kids do to us?!! I was once a respectable business owner and now I find myself comforting my washer! But, while there are days…there are days…when I feel like I am losing my mind, I really have the life! 

I would never go back to the days of lining up meetings at Starbucks with elite brides and putting together design packages for them. While it was great, my life now is grand. Now, I wake up to the pitter-patter of little feet and to sounds of laughter and giggles, and I am investing my life into four little lives that will grow up to impact others. 

I am resolved. Resolved to embrace my current season of life. Chasing little ones around all day is no easy task, but I will resist the urge to hurry the day by to get to bedtime. I will enjoy this time God has entrusted to me with His precious children and I will use it for Him. And another thing, I will not wait to enjoy my husband until the kids are grown and out of the way. The focus of this dare has been on being a light to my children, but my husband comes first in all of this. I am resolved.

Who will join me?


The journal continues…

I cannot do the things that I would (5:17). One thing I have seen so evident through this dare is that I cannot simply will to overcome the flesh. Paul knew this. He basically says in Romans 7, that what he wants to do he does not do, but what he does not want to do, that is what he finds himself doing. He wants to do good, he says in verse 19, but he ends up doing the evil he does not want to do. 

I find this struggle of the flesh always present with me as a mom. There is much good I want to do and yet everyday I find myself doing the exact things I do not want to do. The things I abhor about myself that I only discovered were a part of my character when tried by the fire of four energetic children. 

The works of the flesh Paul lists in chapter 5 may seem a far cry for most settled believers, but as I dig deeper, I see words that mean 'outbursts of anger' or 'self-seeking, selfish ambition' and I cringe in shame. The message of Galatians—of law versus grace—is that I cannot have victory in my own strength or by my own will. If I could, then Christ died in vain. God forbid!

This means there is a source beyond myself where I can find victory—the Spirit.

'Walk in the Spirit, and you shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh' (5:16).

The freedom I have in Christ compels me to love others. Love is the grand secret. It takes the place of all the laws God ever gave. If you love others, you will not steal, lie, envy… Love is God's substitute for law. But, this love is not something I can will to do in my own strength, in the same way I cannot fight the flesh on my own. Again, I need the Spirit. The Spirit was God's special gift to me given at the day of my salvation. But, everyday, I make the choice to yield to the flesh or to the Spirit.

'If you be led of the Spirit, you are not under the law' (5:18).

Which brings me to the question, 'Who is leading my life or, more practically, my day?' Self? With all its emotions, lusts and pity. Or Spirit? With fruit that unfolds a beautiful life. And here is that lovely list of fruit without the plural ending because in my search for joy, God has filled me with the knowledge of so much more wealth available to me through Him—

Love

Joy

Peace

Longsuffering (patience)

Goodness

Gentleness

Faith

Meekness

Temperance (self-control)

This fruit all comes in the same basket. There can be no joy apart from love, patience, gentleness. But, rather than seeking to fill my home with all these beautiful graces, I simply need to seek my God—to abide in my Vine (John 15:1-5)—through the Word, prayer and humbly walking with Him. 

Why would God make salvation so simple and sanctification so difficult? I cannot live the Christian life. I was never meant to live the Christian life. I was meant to know my God and His Word, to love Him, to honor Him and to depend on Him for EVERYTHING. In Him is life and through His Spirit is fruit and through that fruit others—especially my children—are fed and helped and longing for what we have that can truly satisfy their souls.

And through this process of a desperate branch growing (becoming more like Christ), God is glorified.

My Dare:

To simplify my life—'For to me to live is Christ' (Philippians 1:21). And, what I mean by 'simplify': to relax and enjoy my wealth (what I have in Christ). I cannot add anything to my overwhelming, unsearchable riches. It is time to go to the bank (the Spirit) and withdraw life in full—abundant life (John 10:10). My deposit slip is prayer and my signature is dependence, trust. My response: a heart of thanksgiving—'eucharisto'—which always leads to joy.

'Joy is a flame that glimmers only in the palm of the open and humble hand. The moment the hand is clenched tight, fingers all pointing toward self and rights and demands, joy is snuffed out. Only self can kill joy.'*

And, only the Spirit can bring joy to fruition!

I encourage you to read Galatians 6 and join me tomorrow for our final dare! Paul does not bring his letter to a gentle close. He is looking for his Sharpie permanent marker—in big, bold, lasting letters, he will leave the believers at Galatia, and us, with one final challenge. And, though our journey will end with the joy we were searching for, this is all really just the beginning. 



* Ann Voskamp, One Thousand Gifts 

Day 41

The house feels eerily quiet this morning as I sit with my cup of earl grey, and watch the beautiful, C L E A N white snow melt away, revealing the muddy brown dirt beneath. I cringe. Then, distract myself to think on better things, like the faces of the seven children (I had my brother's three kids for the weekend plus my own four—a grand total of SEVEN!) as they went sledding down our mountainous hills. 

My husband and I were rolling in laughter as we watched these tiny persons whiz down from the top of our highest hill, then continue to slide across the driveway and go airborne over the second hill, landing in the middle of the pasture and stopping only feet away from our creek (whew!). My husband noted that one of the joys of parenting—more exciting than experiencing the fun yourself—is seeing your children enjoy what you found exciting as a child. 

I always enjoy my husband's tidbits of wisdom, especially after he grinds his dark roast coffee beans and waits the four minutes for them to brew in his press. He leans against the stove, with a sparkle in his eyes, excited to analyze the moments of the day with me. I am very drawn to words of wisdom—a rich quote, a deep book, the Scripture verses on my windowsill—and, as a parent, I often feel desperate for wisdom!

So, today, I am putting this verse on my windowsill:

"If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, 
that giveth to all liberally, and upbraideth not; 
and it shall be given him."
--James 1:5



The journal continues…

In thinking back to Paul's allegory in chapter 4, Ishmael (a symbol of legalism) could not coexist with Isaac (a symbol of grace). You cannot mix law and grace, flesh and Spirit, faith and works, God's gift of righteousness and man's attempts to earn righteousness. God commanded Abraham to send away his son Ishmael. Abraham's broken heart meant Israel's liberty; likewise, God's giving of His Son means our liberty in Christ. 

A few days ago I learned the purpose of the law, but I must be careful to not let it sneak its lustful way into my parenting. Legalism is not the setting of standards—it is worshipping these standards and thinking that we are spiritual because we obey them. It is judging other believers on the basis of these standards. 

The goal of parenting is not 'good' children. 

That will only lead us to the dreaded, 'I don't understand what happened…he/she was such a good kid before.' No, the goal of all true believers is to raise children who know their God and all the riches of His grace, as hopefully seen shining through the life of their parents through the power of the Holy Spirit—the secret to living by grace, through faith. 

My Dare:

To check my motives in discipline—if I am anxious, a ball of stress, impatient, complaining, fussing, arguing, justifying, embarrassed, overreacting—perhaps I am more concerned as to how my children offended me, rather than our holy God.

Was I more bothered because it was my Christmas decoration box that was messed with, possibly causing special decorations to be broken or because they need to learn a respect for the things of others, thus showing a Christ-like concern on the behalf of others? Would I have been upset if it had been a different box with items I did not care about? And, in all my rantings, I missed how nicely everything was put back and the kid's beautifully decorated rooms that matched the glow of excitement on their faces. 

Was this a time for discipline or careful training? The latter! My unrealistic standards sucked all the joy out of the beautiful morning God gave us. This is not how I teach grace to my children. The Spirit would have me learn patience, the biting of my tongue, a slowness to wrath, and true wisdom that would have seen exactly what was taking place. 

As we live by the Spirit, we gain all the wisdom we need as parents! 

Amid the dry, barrenness of winter, there is always one luscious bowl of color on my counter. Citrus. Oranges and Grapefruit to slice up throughout the day. Lemons for our salads and limes for our Pellegrinos. My daughter excitedly said to me one morning at breakfast, as she handed me a mound of orange peels for the compost, that she wishes she could live in a valley of citrus trees with only a soft little leaf as her bed. Needless to say, we are the peculiar family that drives past Disney World on our Florida vacation to enjoy a whole day of citrus picking and slurping down fresh squeezed orange juice slushies. 

But, better than the juiciness of a fresh picked orange, is the fruit that frees me from myself and fills the souls of children with endless delight. Join me tomorrow as we come to the end of chapter 5 of Galatians, to the awaited passage bearing the fruit of the Spirit.

Day 40

Take no thought for your life, what you shall eat, or what you shall drink; nor yet for your body, what you shall put on…
Behold the fowls of the air: for they sow not, neither do they reap, nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feedeth them. Are you not much better than they?
(Matthew 6:25-26)

It never rains worms. 

Birds have a God-given instinct that tells them where to find food, and they go for it. They work for it. Birds do not worry where they are going to find the food, they just fly until they find it, and God provides it. If birds have no reason to worry, then what are you worrying for? Are you not much better than a bird? Jesus asks in Matthew 6.

We are created in the image of Christ, designed to be joint heir with Jesus throughout eternity. No bird has a place prepared for him in heaven in the Father's house. Yet, if God sustains the life of a bird, how much more will He take care of us?

It never rains money. 

We must seek the Lord and live obedient to His will (6:33), and God will provide. When we ignore God's priorities and promises, we forfeit a carefree heart.* 

If God's promises are true—and they are!—then I never have cause for worry.

The journal continues…

Beans. Bananas. And, dollar Bread. 

That was my list for Walmart today as we scrape to get by until payday. We are well provided for by our God, but He has chosen to allow this to be an area of struggle for us—for us to have to trust Him for our daily need. While this is almost unheard of in today's world of credit cards, it has been an exciting journey for us to see God faithfully provide and remain true to His promises. And, to see the power of prayer.

So, as I come to Galatians today, without even a dollar in my bank account, Paul reminds me that I am extremely wealthy—spiritually rich. And, this is not an allegory as in chapter 4—this is literal. As a believer, I now share in the riches of God's grace (Ephesians 1:7), the riches of His glory (Ephesians 1:18, Philippians 4:19), the riches of His wisdom (Romans 11:33, James 1:5-6), and the unsearchable riches of Christ (Ephesians 3:8). I am 'complete in Him' (Colossians 2:10). I have everything I need to live the Christian life (2 Peter 1:3).

The believers at Galatia in choosing legalism had no profit (5:2), were in great debt to the law (5:3), and had none of the benefits of Christ (5:4). They had lost their freedom and their wealth.

'To live by grace means to depend on God's abundant supply of every need.'**

I am learning this in the physical sense as we trust God from paycheck to paycheck, but in the spiritual sense as I seek to grow in my Christian walk, how often am I looking to myself rather than to 'God's abundant supply'? Philippians and Galatians are taking me down the same path to Christlikeness—to finding true joy and love for my family: Depending on Christ to sanctify me the same way I depended on Him to save me—'through Christ,' 'with Christ,' 'by Christ,' 'in Christ.'

How can I make this really practical so that it is more than just a nice thought in my head? I sense Paul is getting ready to tell me. I imagine he is anxious. Now that the doctrine of law and grace has been put on trial, he is ready to get the believers at Galatia living right. And, just in time before this Thanksgiving dare comes to a close!

My Dare:

When it comes to God's provision, it seems He often gives just enough for today to keep us trusting for tomorrow. So, when it comes to my daily living, to not worry about tomorrow or the next big activity on the calendar—to plan and to pray—but to LIVE TODAY dependent on Christ and thankful to God for all of today's blessing. This is His will for me (I Thessalonians 5:18, Micah 6:8).

Do you ever wish your life was like a movie set, where you could do a few takes of each key moment and then pick the best one? Far too often, I find myself thinking back to what I should or should not have said and how the day could have been much more pleasant had I paused (and prayed!) before reacting to whatever life threw at me. The truth is our reactions reveal our hearts. Join me tomorrow as we focus our hearts, motives and parenting on what really matters.





* John MacArthur, Overcoming Financial Worry Part 1, www.gty.org
** Warren Wiersbe, Be Free 

Day 39

There was a rare moment yesterday. The kids were quietly working on their school work, while Handel's Water Music beautifully filled the hush of the room. 

I breathed. 

Of course, it was only for a moment, but I savored it. Life is full of little snippets of wonder, glimpsing us of our good Father who is always present. 

As we enter chapter four of Galatians today, we learn that Christ has not only freed us from the law, but has also given us a new name—His very own. We are in His family now, heirs of His kingdom. 'Great is the mystery of redemption!'*

The journal continues…

And, if as a child of God, I am free from the burden of the law, I no longer HAVE to obey…out of fear. I now CHOOSE to obey…out of love.

'If you love me, keep my commandments.' John 14:15

The Spirit whispers in my heart, 'Abba, Father,' drawing me to God and all I have in Him as a daughter or heir [Galatians 4:6-7]. The Spirit is living within me. I am 'partaker of the divine nature' (2 Peter 1:4). I am free from the weight and burden of things I have to do or should do. 

This freedom is not my ticket to independence, however. With it comes great responsibility to love and serve others (Galatians 5:13)—to show others the same grace that has been freely bestowed on me.

My Dare:

To be motivated by my love for God and appreciation of all He has done for me as I love and serve my family. To not be driven by duty as a mom and, thus, wear myself thin. A heart motivated by love is always full of joy and energy! 

We are nearing the end of our time together and I do not want you to leave empty handed. So, I encourage you to read Galatians 5 over the weekend and to come with open hands on Monday, ready to receive the riches of your inheritance in Christ! 

 * The Reformation Heritage KJV Study Bible, Thoughts for Personal/Family Worship: Galatians 4

Day 38

"God paints a new picture for us everyday, and few take the time to notice," a friend of mine once said, concerning the sky—my favorite part of God's creation. I take it in today. The soft line of orange rising behind the trees and over the mountain tops. The crystal blue, the textured clouds, the radiant glow of the sun. A glorious backdrop for the still picture of a red barn and rolling hills dusted with the first signs of snowfall this winter. 

This is our God. Filling our ordinary, bleak, cold days with His majestic glory! Only, few take the time to really see Him.

The journal continues…

If I did not care that my children grow up to honor and love God and to walk with Him, I would not need this dare. I simply would not let anything get me down in the day, do whatever quick fix was necessary to restore peace and provide fun fun fun for the kids. Coolest mom ever! That's what my kids would think in the beginning, but then they would grow up resenting me for their inability to mature into adulthood and live life richly. Or worse, they would be ignorant to the countless lives they touch in a negative way.

I do not negate the law. The law is not against the gospel, Paul says [Galatians 3:21]. The law was given to reveal sin and lead us to Christ. And so, I care. I discipline. I don't seek peace; I seek truth. I count the days, knowing they are fleeting and will soon vanish like the wind. I see every infraction translated into future fathers, husbands, wives, mothers. I set schedules and boundaries and rules. And this is good! Paul says the law is our 'schoolmaster.' But the problem with a schoolmaster is they do not stay around past maturity [Galatians 3:24-25]. 

The law cannot give life. It cannot justify the guilty sinner. It cannot give a person oneness with God. We need the law to 'bring us to Christ, that we might be justified by faith' [3:24]. The law is like a mirror that helps us see our 'dirty faces'—but you do not wash your face with the mirror! It is grace that provides the cleansing. 

My Dare:

As I teach my children righteousness and show them their 'dirty faces' in the mirror, to also shower them with grace—gospel love that I possess as an heir of God—forgiveness, selflessness, patience, kindness, tenderness, sympathy, a willingness to enter into childish troubles, a readiness to take part in childish joys.

Many would say the secret to obedient children is FEAR, but I would agree with J.C. Ryle that 'LOVE is the grand secret of successful training.' 'Few are to be found, even among grown-up people, who are not more easy to draw than to drive.'*

I want to draw my kids to Jesus—the One who can cleanse them and make them whole! 

FREE ENERGY.
That's right! Tomorrow, you can save your money on that Clif bar, Einstein power bagel, or Starbucks coffee. Because as we continue on to chapter 4 of Galatians, we learn that we are free from the law that drives us by duty, and free to live in the Spirit who energizes us by love.






* J.C. Ryle, The Duties of Parents 

Day 37

Three times today I asked God to help my car go into gear, and three times I had to keep my hand on the shifter, my foot on the brake and jump up and down, back and forth repeatedly like a madwoman to move the car out of park and get the shifter to go into drive. God answered my prayers after much struggle, leaving me exhausted, with hair going in every direction and hoping nobody at the library noticed the crazy mom shaking her car from the driver's seat. Reminds me of most of my days with kids—exhaustion, frizzy hair, hoping no one takes notice. Is there ever an EASY day with kids? Is there ever an easy day in life? 

God never promises an easy life, a life free of difficulty and pain. As parents we sometimes fail our kids. We give them the cookie they are whining for; we make their beds to save the hassle of forcing them to do it; we throw their uneaten green beans into the trash; I think I'll stop now, because my own stomach is cringing with conviction. But, God is not like that. He allows the struggle, the bits of pain, the unknowns, because He sees a much bigger picture. And, He is working for a much greater purpose. 

So, "What is God doing?" you may ask. I like the answer Stephen and Alex Kendrick give in their new book, The Battle Plan for Prayer, 
"He is thinking of His glory."

Deep deep deep down we sort-of think, "Bummer, and here I thought God was in it for ME all along!" Remember that verse, God's thoughts are not our thoughts, neither are His ways our ways? (Isaiah 55:8) In an amazing design of God, our good is completely intertwined with His glory (Romans 8:28). Don't forget—He died for YOU! He loves YOU! But, also don't forget—HE is God and we have been created for HIM (Isaiah 43:7; Romans 11:36). 

Our greatest joy is in bringing Him glory.  Maximum glory!   

The journal continues…

The believer who lives 'by grace, through faith' has no room for pride. She measures and compares herself with Christ, not with others. Thus, she cannot boast in her achievements or in anything, save in Jesus Christ. Legalists—lovers of the law—turn their noses at other Christians, but those who live by faith know true humility. 

The law is so appealing to us—we love to be able to measure our spirituality and check off our little 'godly to-do list' for the day—but Paul calls the law a 'curse' [Galatians 3:10-13]. It ends in death. Christ became this curse for us that we might end in life!

I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live!  [Galatians 2:20]

My Dare:

To SHOW my kids their need of Christ. It is easy to breed little legalists—we say so much with our lips, but so little with our living. We tell them how big our God is and that they can trust Him. And, then they sit in their car seats and observe their stressed out mom, lost in traffic, trying to race against the clock, cast down from the many little troubles of the day and even blaming them for their late lunch because if she wouldn't have been distracted by the fighting in the back seat, she wouldn't have missed the turn 20 minutes back!

They don't see grace—a mom prayerfully trusting God through her day—they see law, complete with its high standards and zero tolerance for imperfection. Life is meant to be full of living—twists and turns, detours, bumps and curves in the road, just like the ones I love to drive every day to our home nestled in the mountains. How daunting it would be to go straight the WHOLE way! 

Where the path takes shape is when life gets good. Give them beautiful, pliable, life-giving grace!

Now that we have seen the binding effects of the law, should we just throw it out all together in the name of grace? Join me tomorrow as we come to the end of chapter three of Galatians where Paul explains the purpose of the law, giving us a picture of where law and grace should both come into play in our homes.