Since that blog post, I’ve been seeking God about what changes I need to make, and I’ve been led to cut back in different areas.  Interestingly—and I know it’s no coincidence—I’ve also gotten a few speaking requests in the last month.  I’ve declined them all, excited to refocus and re-purpose my heart toward this vital ministry of home.

Meanwhile, I also have a book deadline.  I’ve been feeling the pressure as I seek to write this next novel, spend quality time with my husband and teens, and devote time to the things to which I’m already committed, such as this blog.  I love my blog family.  I love fellowshipping with you all day after day, partaking of your wisdom and insights, smiling at the way you encourage one another, and lifting you up in prayer.  I thought I could avoid taking a blog break.  But that’s what God is impressing on my heart right now.

For the next month, I will focus my energy on meeting this deadline, while also spending needful time with God and my family.  I’ll also continue to seek Him as He shapes and molds this strategic plan.  I’m looking forward to what it will look like and what it will mean.

But I’ll miss you!  I know, I know . . . I’m not closing down shop.  God willing, I’ll be back in May.  Still . . . I connect with many of you each week, and you will be missed.  I’ll still be checking the blog and answering comments though!  Can’t take a total break. :)

Please know that you’ll be in my thoughts and prayers.  And let’s catch up on what’s happening in everyone’s life in May!

God knew they were coming.  I love that His angel had rolled away the stone so they could see.  I love that the angel sat on the stone, waiting.  Just as an angel from heaven announced the glorious news of Jesus’ birth, an angel announced the glorious news of His resurrection:

“He is not here, for He has risen, just as He said.”  Matthew 28:6

He is alive!  The power of God on full display!

“These are in accordance with the working of the strength of His might which He brought about in Christ, when He raised Him from the dead, and seated Him at His right hand in the heavenly places, far above all rule and authority and power and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this age, but also in the one to come.” Ephesians 1:19-21

  And because He lives, we can be raised to new life as well:

“Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His great mercy has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead . . .” 1 Peter 1:3

Celebrating the glorious resurrection of our Lord and Savior . . . and praying to live in the light of it.

He is Risen!

The charge against Him read, “THIS IS JESUS THE KING OF THE JEWS.”  My charge read, “Sinner.”  He had done nothing wrong.  I had a long list.

But it was He who was arrested.  It was He who was mocked and beaten.  It was He who hung from the tree.  For me.  My sins nailed to His cross.  My debt canceled.  Forgiven.

When Jesus breathed His last, the temple veil tore from top to bottom.  The earth shook.  Rocks split.  Tombs opened.  The world paused.  And more than two thousand years later, we pause still, in solemn remembrance.  We lay it all afresh before the cross.  We bow in worship before the One who gave His life so we could live.

“But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.”  Romans 5:8

I am eternally grateful for “the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world” (John 1:29).  What are you thankful for on this holy day of remembrance?

Your eyes have seen my unformed substance . . . Psalm 139:16 (NASB)

I can’t even grasp the magnitude and depth of that.  I wasn’t yet formed.  I had no physical nature.  I was nothing.  Yet I had substance.  Did you catch that?  It says “unformed substance.”  Though I didn’t yet exist, I had substance that God could see.

He knew what I would look like.  He knew the personality I would have—before and after Christ.  He saw all that I would and could be.

I wonder how much of that substance has formed.

The outer substance is in place, but what about the inner?  How much is undeveloped?  How much “self” still needs to die?  How much of my mind still needs to be renewed?  How much have I yet to believe?

God sees all—from the unformed substance we once were to the fully formed Christlike substance we’ll one day be.  And He knows what it will take to move us closer and closer to that ultimate goal—the pruning, the trials, the dying.  He knows how much is in us that’s unseen—that He sees.

Will you trust Him who saw your unformed substance—who formed the substance that is you—to see you through?  Will you trust Him to continue to develop the unseen?

But not to God.

You all know I’ve been studying Psalm 139 with my daughter, and I couldn’t wait to get to these verses:

For You formed my inward parts;

You wove me in my mother’s womb.

I will give thanks to You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made;

Wonderful are Your works,

And my soul knows it very well.

My frame was not hidden from You,

When I was made in secret,

And skillfully wrought in the depths of the earth;

Your eyes have seen my unformed substance;

And in Your book were all written the days that were ordained for me,

When as yet there was not one of them.  Psalm 139:13-16

I wanted my daughter to see, understand, and be in awe of those verses.  I wanted her to reflect deeply on how actively involved God has been with her life, with every life.  Look at the action verbs.  He formed.  Wove.  Made.  Skillfully wrought.  He saw us before we were.  He ordained every day before there was one.

There are no mistakes.  There’s no life that slips under His radar.  Not a single heart begins beating in the womb without Him.  It can’t beat without Him.  Each and every life . . . intentional.  Unique.  Fearfully and wonderfully made.  Loved.  By the God of the Universe.

Do you see yourself as fearfully and wonderfully made?  Like David, does your soul know this very well?

I’ve loved being home yet away from the normal routine.  I’ve loved the casual conversations throughout the day with my kids, extended time to hear their hearts.  I’ve loved pretending I’m away—sort of—by cutting down on computer time and grabbing spontaneous “together” moments.  Like lunch.  Or shopping (just us girls).  Speaking of which . . . I had another kind of “moment” today when my daughter tried on sandals in my shoe size.  And they fit.  And I don’t have small, dainty feet.  And I noticed she’s almost my height.  And I’m over 5’7”.  When did all of this happen?  Okay, I digress . . .

I’m thankful for a relaxing week at home with family.  And in the spirit of family time, I’d better finish this post so we can start the movie!

What are you thankful for this week?

My daughter and I were talking about these verses from Psalm 139:

“Where can I go from Your Spirit?

Or where can I flee from Your presence?

If I ascend to heaven, You are there;

If I make my bed in Sheol, behold, You are there.

If I take the wings of the dawn,

If I dwell in the remotest part of the sea,

Even there Your hand will lead me,

And Your right hand will take hold of me.”  Psalm 139:7-10

I love the imagery, the picture David paints of great distance—from the highest to the lowest to the remotest points.  Except . . . as far-flung as these places are, there’s no movement away from God.  No matter the distance, He is near.

He can reach into the depths of pain and loneliness and the heights of despair and difficulty.  If we run out of fear or shame, if we stray, if we find ourselves in places we never thought we’d go, places we ourselves don’t recognize—He is there.  He will lead us.  If we reach the end of ourselves, He extends His hand—His right hand, of which the Bible says, “Your right hand, O LORD, is majestic in power, Your right hand, O LORD, shatters the enemy” (Exodus 15:6).

As amazing as these truths are, I love how they are mirrored and magnified in the New Testament:

“For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.” Romans 8:38-39

David was convinced of the steadfast presence, power, and love of God.  Are you?

“You have enclosed me behind and before . . .”

Something about that blew me away—God, not just with me, but behind me and before me, actively orchestrating.  Limiting.  Preventing.  Protecting.  Places I might’ve gone, things I might’ve done, decisions I might’ve made . . . I didn’t.  Couldn’t.  Because He had enclosed me behind and before.

Certain people—Christians—whom I met but we never quite connected, and who weren’t exactly kind—which meant they remained safely on the outskirts of my life . . . God enclosing me behind and before.  Weapons formed, schemes hatched, destruction plotted by the enemy—much of it stopped before I’m even aware, none of it prospering—because He encloses me behind and before.  Or, as these versions put it:

“You have beset me and shut me in—behind and before . . .” (Amplified)

“You hem me in—behind and before . . .” (NIV)

It still blows me away.  And that’s before I get to the rest of the sentence, which seals it:

“And laid Your hand upon me.”

Not only have I been enclosed behind and before, but His hand is upon me?  That hand is a strong hand of deliverance, of protection, of power.  It’s no wonder that David, the author of this Psalm, says next, “Such knowledge is too wonderful for me . . .” (Psalm 139:6).

One verse from the Bible.  Rich.  Meaty.  Powerful.

How does that speak to you, knowing God has enclosed you behind and before and laid His hand upon you?  If you’re memorizing a Psalm, have you been so blown away that you had to camp at a verse and meditate a while?

Cameron saw the notes when she awoke the next morning, and they stayed on the board.  A couple of days later at dinner, I made a remark about “Dad’s note” on the board.  My fifteen-year-old son said, “Dad didn’t write that.  I did.”

Cameron and I both turned to him in surprise.  The two of them aren’t exactly known for displays of love.  I’ve prayed a specific prayer since they were little, that they would be loving toward one another, and supportive and encouraging of one another in Christ.  And I’ve prayed.  And prayed.  And I’ve had to believe by faith that God would answer because what I mostly see is sibling sniping.  But this night was different.

I said, “What made you write that?”  He shrugged and said, “I guess the Spirit moved me to do it.”  He’s been drawing near to God, through Bible reading and prayer, and I immediately recognized this as the fruit of it.  My daughter, visibly moved, turned back to the whiteboard, picked up a marker, and wrote, “Thank you, Quentin.”

And I’m thanking God for that glimpse of His grace, and for the power in telling someone they are loved.

What are you thankful for this week?  Let someone know today that he or she is loved!

I started studying Psalm 139 with my daughter tonight.  I want her to have a deep understanding of how intimately God knows her and sticks close to her.  We’re taking it slow, discussing one or two verses at a time in depth.  And I told her we’re also going to memorize it.  I was moved to bring the idea here, to challenge as many as feel moved to join in, to memorize a Psalm.

I’ll bet you have at least one favorite Psalm, probably several.  There’s a Psalm you turn to when you need to praise; a Psalm you turn to when you need to trust; a Psalm you turn to when you need to be reminded of God’s protection; a Psalm you turn to when you need strength, and so on.

Think what it would be like to have those divine words in your head, on your tongue, and embedded deep in your heart.  Think what it would be like to gain an even deeper understanding of the Psalm, and to have the Holy Spirit call those words to mind whenever you have need.  That’s the benefit of memorizing Scripture.

In the comments last week, some of you said you’ve tried to memorize Scripture and find it hard.  I understand.  I don’t want anyone to try to do so simply because of this challenge.  I want you to pray and ask the Lord if this is for you.  If so, ask Him to help you pick the Psalm you should memorize.  And memorize it at whatever speed is comfortable for you.  I write verses on spiral 4×6 index cards so I can carry them wherever I go, and I recite them aloud.  I try to add one new verse each day to maintain momentum.  But again, speed is not the issue.  As you memorize and meditate, pray for understanding and enjoy the walk with God.  And expect your life to be transformed . . .

Are you moved to memorize a Psalm?  Do you have one in mind?  What is it about that Psalm that moves you to memorize it?