Last week, I shared the Eat this Book program with you. After a full week, I have to say this is the easiest “read the Bible in a year” program I’ve ever tried. (And yes, I’ve tried to do this before. Pretty sure I’ve never made it past February).

Our pastor recommended that we make an effort to read at the same time and in the same place each day, as part of the way we establish the routine. I agree with him. I’ve had a spot and a time (chair in my bedroom, first thing in the morning) for the past couple of years. I move out to the deck when the weather cooperates and I start as many days this way as I possibly can.

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I sent my daughter to school on Monday with the sure knowledge that, should unspeakable evil threaten, the teachers and staff at her school would do everything humanly possible to protect her.

And more importantly, that my Abba remains sovereign over all.

But that doesn’t mean I’ve got a handle on this.

I’m no theologian. I’m a mom. A mom who cried through the news coverage on Friday afternoon and again Friday evening after my precious ones were tucked into their beds.

I’m a mom who Does.Not.Understand.

And unless your faith is about as deep as the icing on the sugar cookies you like to decorate each year, Friday’s horror should make you ask questions.

It is not a sign of weak faith to bury your face in your hands and ask God, “Why?” 

The Bible tells us in James that, “If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him“. Besides, God knows we don’t understand, and faking it with Him makes about as much sense as going to Wal-mart on Christmas Eve.

That verse, interestingly enough, comes right after James tells us to count it all joy when we suffer. I think God knew we would struggle with this and wanted to make sure we knew we could always ask for help understanding the hard stuff. 

Thankfully, there are some incredible, Godly people out there who have shone light into the darkness. They’ve asked the hard questions and the answers are powerful.

The following is a brief list of some of the posts that have spoken to my heart over the past few days. They range from poignant to theologically profound.

As we celebrate the first coming of our Savior, my heart is longing for the second.
Even so, come quickly.

Deeper with Jesus in Rhode Island ~ Goodbye Little Christmas Angels

The Write Conversation ~ Weekend Worship: Where Was God?

A Holy Experience ~ The Truth About Sandy Hook: Where is God When Bad Things Happen?

Radical ~ The Gospel and Newtown (this one’s longer than the others, but there’s some serious theology here)

If you’ve come across a post that spoke to you, feel free to share it in the comments.

Grace and peace,
Lynn

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I’m still soaking up the writerly vibes of the Blue Ridge Mountains Writers Conference. And oh ya’ll, it’s been awesome!

But we’re still focused on motherhood this month, so I wanted to share a couple of my favorite places on the web. 

Places that help me be a better mom.

These aren’t websites that will tell you how to make your own laundry detergent (nothing wrong with that – I tried it – I liked it) or how to teach your kids to read before they can walk (please don’t get me started) or even how to save money (which I am all in favor of)!

No, these websites help me be a better mom because they help me grow in my faith. I have no greater responsibility than to share my passion for the Lord with my children. But I cannot share what I do not have. The enemy floods the world with things designed to distract me from the wonder of what God has done for me.
These websites remind me.

Deeper with Jesus in Rhode Island
If you want to be challenged to be a bolder believer, if you want to be encouraged in your walk, if you want to be equipped to tackle cultural issues from a Biblical perspective, you need to be subscribed to Deeper with Jesus in Rhode Island. My dear friend and sister in Christ, Lori Roeleveld, writes with conviction and passion and a heart to encourage believers and reach those who don’t share our faith.

I wish I could write about social and doctrinal issues with the clarity and insight she does each week. I pray for a fraction of her boldness and a smidgen of her heart. Someday, I’ll be saying “I knew her when” but I’m thrilled to be able to say “I know her now.”

There is no better thing we can do for our children that to deepen our relationship with our Savior, and Lori’s site is a great place to start.

A Holy Experience
I fully admit to having a writer crush on Ann Voskamp. If you haven’t read One Thousand Gifts, then we need to talk. I read a lot, and it’s been a long time since a book has had such a continuing impact on my daily life. Her writing is achingly beautiful and her posts leave me longing to know my Savior more, love my children better, and relish every single moment God has gifted me.

Our children live in a dark world. I want our home to be a place of joy and gratitude. A place where we notice what God has blessed us with and take the time to thank Him.

Ann’s book and posts help keep that fresh in my mind.
So take a few minutes and check out these websites. Then leave me a comment and tell me some of  your favorites!

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A few months ago I posted a review of One Thousand Gifts by Ann Voskamp. I’ve been counting gifts ever since. I’ve found it’s impossible to be grouchy and grateful at the same time so gift counting is something I wanted to be intentional about in 2012.

In December, I wrote about Joy. Joy in suffering. Joy in the Moment. Our real reason for Joy.

So imagine my Joy when I discovered the Joy Dare for 2012. An opportunity to count 1000 gifts in 2012, along with thousands of others, and rediscover Joy all year long.

If you look at the top of this page, you’ll see a “One Thousand Gifts” tab. You can click there to see my one thousand gifts in 2012. Ann’s made it as easy as imaginable with a calendar and prompts for every day.

I’ll also be tweeting (@LynnHBlackburn) my gifts (#1KGiftsDare) several times a week.

Won’t you join me in intentional joy and thankfulness this year?

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I think the truest test of the power of a book is whether or not it lingers in your mind long after you’ve turned the last page. And if, in the lingering, it inspires you to change.

Based on that definition, One Thousand Gifts by Ann Voskamp is a powder keg in hardback.

I was a little skeptical at first. I mean, keeping a gratitude journal is almost passé. Oprah did it years ago. And we all know we should be thankful.

But Ann’s take on thankfulness is unlike any I’ve heard before.

And her list of 1000 gifts is no mere “I’m thankful for my kids” compilation. It’s a journey into seeing each experience through the eyes of grace. Or as the book cover declares, “A dare to live fully, right where you are.”

Beginning in the second chapter, she introduces us to the concept of eucharisteo – it’s a Greek word that’s translated “he gave thanks” and has in its roots the Greek words “charis” and “chara” – grace and joy. From there, she takes us on a poetic journey into how grace, thanksgiving, and joy are intertwined and always available to us.

As a word lover, I found her poetic prose lush and descriptive. But I will confess that there were times when the poetry somewhat clouded the message. When I needed to go back, slow down, re-read, and ponder. Because this is no light read. There are deep questions raised. How do we give thanks for suffering? How do we trust God in the face of pain and loss?

Depending on your theology, you may not agree with all of her conclusions. But you would do well to ask the questions yourself.

For her, the deep questions all began when someone challenged her to make a list – 1000 gifts – and the list changed her life.

Because “the counting of all blessings is ultimately summed up in One. All gratitude is ultimately gratitude for Christ, all remembering a remembrance of Him. For in Him all things were created, are sustained, have their being. Thus Christ is all there is to give thanks for; Christ is all there is to remember. To know how we can count on God, we count graces, but ultimately there is really only One.” (p. 155)

That’s what makes this listing of gifts unlike any other. Because each one points to the One.

I went out and bought a plain, blue leather journal from Wal-mart. It’s huge. It’s big enough to capture far more than 1000 gifts. I have this mental picture of a grandchild someday thumbing through it and asking me if I remember what prompted me to write “18. The perfect shoes on clearance.”

I probably won’t remember by then. But I pray the journal is worn, faded, and full of reminders of the love-notes my Abba sends me every day.

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I love my Tervis tumbler.


It happened so fast, all I could do was pick up the pieces.

Literally.

You wouldn’t think an 8-month-old had hands that move at the speed of light. But mine does. I walked by the counter, and before I could say, gasp, yell “NO!” he had grabbed the rim of my Tervis tumbler and sent it crashing to the kitchen floor.

Tervis tumblers are supposed to be indestructible. They have a lifetime guarantee, but I’m afraid the company is going to lose money on me. My 3-year-old cracked my first tumbler on the store floor before we had plunked down the plastic to pay for it.

Now, my cup (which survived), lid (which did not), and six ounces of coffee mocked me from the hardwood floor, while another few ounces ran in caramel streams down the kitchen cabinets.

I was unhappy, annoyed. OK. Fine. I was ticked.

Not at Drew. He was just doing his best impression of an eight-month-old.

But I was ticked. The way I get ticked when my day goes off on an unpleasant tangent. In “Lynn’s Math” unplanned = unpleasant. Given that I have three children, you can imagine how often I struggle with unpleasant events.

I put Drew in his high chair and walked stomped to the paper towel holder.

And then it happened.

I remembered.

I remembered all those blog posts from October about renewing my mind.

I remembered all the planned blog posts for November about gratitude.

I remembered that pretty new journal where I’d begun to record things—big and little things—that I’m thankful for.

Gulp.

It’s hard to stay ticked when you’re trying to be thankful.

It’s hard to be in a bad mood when you choose to think about things that are true and lovely and excellent.

Which made me wonder . . . how many times am I in a bad mood for no reason other than that I choose to be? Being upset over spilled coffee may seem trivial. But how often do the trivial things throw my day into a tailspin that I never recover from?

I thought about this as I cleaned the floors and cabinets, made another cup of coffee, and added a new entry to my list of gifts God has given me.

#6 – Hardwood floors that are easy to clean up.

I’ve decided that nothing is too obvious to go on my list.

Because sometimes it’s the obvious to which I’m most oblivious.

********

I’d like to challenge you to think about making your own list. My list is growing and I’ll be sharing random entries in blog posts this month. I was inspired to start my list after reading One Thousand Gifts by Ann Voskamp and I’ll be talking about her book on Thursday. I hope you’ll stop back by!

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