Dear friend,

 

Last weekend I spoke in Howell, Michigan for a sweet one-day event. It was a whirlwind trip there and back on Saturday, followed by another whirlwind as we reset the house, shuttled kids to soccer and piano, moved meetings around, and planned another down-and-back trip to remedy our ongoing vehicle situation (see last newsletter). The whirlwind was whirling so fast, I completely forgot to send this week's newsletter on Tuesday - which is why you're getting it today!

 

In the midst of that tornado of activity, though, there was goodness. We started the month of May, a beacon of hope after a bleak winter. We spent a lot of time outside, hiking with friends, working on the yard, prepping for spring. The buds are blooming on the trees which means leaves are closer to existence (we don't have leaves on the trees until the 2nd week of May here, most years). I write you this email from the giant couch in a Holiday Inn lobby, my “office” for the night.

 

In Howell, I spoke twice: once on the the Widow at Zarepath in 1 Kings 18 and a second time on the woman at the well in John 4. I never know what direction these sessions will go when I plan them. I write my notes, I read the passage, but as I exposit the verses from the stage, the Lord sometimes takes it a different direction. He brings to mind a story or a point I hadn't thought of before. When I left the Howell ladies, I felt like I'd preached to myself as much as I'd preached to them. 

The widow at Zarepath was a Gentile, a non-Jew. She had one son and no food. When Elijah came upon her to ask for water and bread, she told him she was about to eat her last meal. “After that, we will die.” 

 

Elijah asked her to feed him in faith that God would provide abundantly more. Neither oil nor flour will run out, he said, if you provide for me. The widow risked her own life and her son's, giving up everything she had… BEFORE God's provision became visible. The moment she made the bread for Elijah, she had nothing. But she also had everything, because she had access to God.

 

I've told our story over and over in newsletters, podcasts, books and emails, almost to the point I feel embarrassed to tell it because I'm sure you're as tired of it as I am. But I tell it for a reason: so the glory of God (His goodness) may be displayed. So your trust in Him may be bolstered. God has provided for us miraculously, abundantly, over the years. Every single time I was pregnant something devastating occurred – and God was faithful. Sometimes when people say “God was faithful” they mean the circumstances changed quickly. I don't mean it that way. There were seasons when God's faithfulness meant NOTHING changed in the natural, but EVERYTHING changed in the spiritual. My bank account looked the same, but my trust in Him grew by leaps and bounds. 

 

With Christ, you can have nothing and everything at the same time. 

The widow gave everything and ended up with nothing. Out of her nothing, God supplied everything. Not all her wants, but all of her needs. Through her boldness Elijah was blessed, and through Elijah the famine ended. I wonder if we know the ripple effects of faithful obedience? We tend to think of obedience as duty, but really, it's partnership. When we obey God, we get to see the great things He has planned. Not because He needs our faith, but because He wants to include us in the beautiful story He's writing in this world.

 

Oh, I have seen the goodness of the Lord – not in some eternal future, but in the land of the living. I have seen His glory here in the smallness of car repairs and work schedules, of parenting littles and watch our team grow. I have seen His goodness at the end of myself, which is where His glory begins. Out of my nothing He has made everything. He looks at my lack and says the oil will never run out. 

 

 

 

Sibling Relationship Cards: These cards are used daily in our home. They have a verse, short prompt, and activity for kids to practice loving their siblings well. Age 2-10 (scale through discussion).

 

Revelation Study Verse by Verse: Our Revelation verse by verse study walks you through the book of Revelation verse by verse with minimal commentary from me. You'll learn about the different views of end times/Revelation and go to the book itself to find a peaceful, confident stance.

 

Kid's Theology Handbook: This little booklet contains short answers to common kids' questions about God, the Spirit, Jesus, the cross, sin, salvation, Satan and more.

 

Teach Me to Pray Cards: These little cards contain short scripts for kids to use as they learn how to pray out loud. Pick one each night!

 

Motherhood Culture Quick Theology: Why do the mommy wars exist? How do we understand the conflict of identity many of us experience when becoming moms? This booklet addresses those questions!

 

Raising Tiny Disciples: Our OG book on creating routines to disciple well, manage your home, and give your kids a framework for parenting toward Christ. 

 

 

Sister Aimee: This is a biography of Aimee Semple McPherson, the founder of Foursquare churches and one of the first influences on modern Pentecostalism. I recommend this to anyone trying to understand the modern charismatic movement. 

 

Rescuing the Gospel from the Cowboys: This book is about the Christian tradition in Native America. Since the primary non-white population here in Michigan is Odawa, I like to read the perspective of Christian Native Americans and how the gospel meets them in their tradition.

 

Mitford Series: I am still working through book one! I am still enjoying it - the perfect book for evenings I don't want to read something heavy.

 

Glass Houses: Also still working on this Louise Penny mystery – it's my current Audible listen. I would say this is one of the slower books, but it's interesting enough to keep you guessing and wondering what Gamache will do next.