Rivers and stones and the trees of the field, they sing in the night
And a thousand tongues lay deep in your lungs to raise to the sky
don't lie to yourself, o my soul--love your God.
Deep in your heart you feather and tar your folly and fear:
expose them for the fools they are, and the world comes clear.
Don't lie to yourself, o my soul--love your God.
Your worries will never love you
They'll leave you all alone
But your God will not forsake you
O my soul. - Audrey Assad
One of my favorite LifeWay publications is HomeLife magazine. Granted, I write for it from time to time, so maybe I'm a little attached to it, but I always love seeing a new issue and setting aside a little "me" time to read about family, faith, friendships - and maybe even get a new recipe or two.
The marketing team is so kind to distribute free copies of HomeLife at different women's events, and those free copies are always a huge hit. However, if you haven't been able to attend a women's event lately - or if you were at an event but missed the marketing table - you don't have to miss out on a complimentary issue of HomeLife.
Thanks to the wonders of technology, you're just a click away from a free HomeLife magazine download. The file is pretty big - it's a complete issue, after all - but it shouldn't take longer than a minute to download.
Enjoy, y'all, and if you'd like to subscribe to HomeLife, you can do that on the HomeLife web page.
As I've mentioned once or fourteen times, I grew up Methodist. And in the Methodist church, most people enter the Lenten season with the intent to give up or take on something for the 40 days leading up to Easter. The idea is that whenever you experience a craving or a desire for what you've given up, that craving serves as a reminder that our ultimate satisfaction is in Jesus. The very small sacrifices that we make during Lent turn our hearts toward the Cross, and I've always found the Lenten Season to be humbling, inspiring and convicting.
Earlier today I made a mental list of some things that I've given up for Lent over the years, and I couldn't help but smile. Whatever I gave up (or took on) is such a reflection of a specific time in my life, and it's interesting to look back and see that there were some struggles that stuck around for 2 or 3 years in a row. Last year I gave up celebrity gossip during Lent, and I'll never forget how truly difficult it was for me. This year I know that I'm going to have a struggle on my hands before I even start, but that's sort of the point, isn't it? We trust God to do what we just flat-out can't do in our own strength.
A few minutes ago I was listening to one of my favorite bands (on iTunes - not, you know, while they played in my living room), and one song in particular struck me as a pretty dead-on Lenten anthem.
May the next 40 days be a time of going deeper with the Lord - and experiencing lasting transformation in our hearts and in our lives.
LifeWay Women is hosting a great webcast today featuring Mary Kassian and Carolyn McCulley. The topic is Ministering Grace and Truth in a World of Confusion.
All you have to do is click right here to watch. It begins at noon central time!
Melanie
Melanie
Sophie
Sophie
Paige
Paige
Kris
Kris