Now that I’m well on the road to recovery from my ridiculous thumb injury, it’s time to start talking about my One Word for 2013 – Margin.

One of the things I love about this word is that it has several different meanings. Which one do you think of first?

I tend to think of margin as the blank space around the page. The space where there’s room to write a note or add a thought. When this meaning is applied to my life, it’s the room I make on the edges of my responsibilities to allow me to say “Yes” to things when I feel God leading me in a new direction. It’s also the space that gives me the freedom to be spontaneous, should the mood strike.

(I’ll be talking about spontaneity in a few weeks and it’s sure to be entertaining given that “spontaneous” is the last word anyone would ever use to describe me, so stay tuned).

But there is another meaning. “Margin” is also used to describe the boundary or the place where we set up some priorities.

So while you might expect me to talk about all the things I’m removing from my life in an effort to establish some healthy margins, instead, I’m going to spend the next two weeks talking about some things I’m adding. I’m not adding them because I’m a glutton for punishment or because I’ve been pressured into it. I’m adding them because I believe both of these things are critical to the establishment of margins in my life.

Matthew 6:33 says to seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness. Ultimately, I don’t want to be the one setting my margins. I want God to do it. But I won’t have a clue as to how He wants those margins set if I’m not saturating my mind with His Word.

Which is why I’m so excited about the Eat this Book program our church just started. For the next year, Southsiders (and anyone else who wants to join us) will be reading through the Bible. We just started on Monday, so it is not to late to jump in!

You can find all the details on our church website. I’ve chosen to download the YouVersion app to my iPhone and iPad to help me keep up with it, but there are free printable schedules on the website that you can print off if you prefer paper to digital :-).

One of the things that is fun about this program is the Bible in Five videos (also on the website). If the Bible seems like an overwhelming and complicated book to you, these five minute videos will help you get the big picture of what’s going on in each book. They are very interesting and even if you don’t want to dive into the Eat this Book program, you still should check out these videos.

Our pastor, Charlie Boyd, pointed out a few weeks ago that “Every Christian should be a Bible geek.” So join me? We’ll have fun. We’ll learn a lot. We’ll be able to say we read the whole Bible in a year.
Most importantly, we’ll be filling our heads and hearts with the greatest Story every told.

Who knows what God might do if His people became people of His Word?

The post Eat this Book appeared first on Lynn H. Blackburn.

Books: I’ve been reading all sorts of stuff. While on the cruise, I read Opening Moves by Steven James (excellent, as always), Trinity by Ronie Kendig (loved it), and The Mark of Athena by Rick Riordan (YA, fantasy, fun).

Writing: I’ve enjoyed getting back into the writing groove. My main characters in my WIP (work in progress) won’t shut up. And they are getting quite cozy. Love it when that happens!

Family: James is four and is really in to our Jesse Tree Ornaments. He’s clear that we celebrate Christmas because it is Jesus’ birthday, but he is very curious about “that Christmas guy” and how he gets in and out of houses. He seems to think this may be a little bit shady.

Music: I waited until December 1st to really get into the Christmas music, but I’ve got it playing everywhere now. My iPod playlist is a mixture of Brian Setzer, Mannheim Steamroller, Mariah Carey, Harry Connick, Jr., and Michael Buble. I have George Winston’s December CD in my van, and the Christmas CD from our church, The Best Time of the Year, in the kitchen.

Lynn

The post Currents ~ 12.08.12 appeared first on Lynn H. Blackburn.

Happy Monday! If your weekend was as crazy as mine and you need to catch up, you can find links to the sixteen previous posts here.

Phil. 4:8 ~ Whatever is honorable . . . think about these things. (ESV)

Yesterday, we talked about reading non-fiction as a way to renew our minds.

But what if you don’t consider yourself to be a reader?

What if the idea of picking up a 100 page book is overwhelming, much less a 500 page biography? Or what if you don’t have time for a lot of reading?

Well . . . welcome to 2011. If you’re serious about renewing your mind, you have options.

LOTS OF OPTIONS!

1. This one is obvious, but you can read blogs. Most authors and speakers have blogs these days. A quick web search will get you started and most blogs (including this one!) have an option to subscribe by email. This means you never have to hunt for the blog again – anytime there’s a new post, you’ll get an email about it.

One blog I highly recommend is Deeper in Rhode Island with Jesus written by Lori Roeleveld. Lori updates her blog several times a week and never fails to make me think deeper about my faith.

2. Do you have a Twitter account? You can “follow” all sorts of people and churches and receive frequent words of encouragement and exhortation. I follow @PaulTripp, @DailyKeller (quotes from Tim Keller), @SouthsideChurch (my church), @CSLewisDaily (a daily quote from C.S. Lewis) to name a few. You could also follow me … @LynnHBlackburn.

3. You can sign up to receive daily devotions. I suggest you pick one or two and leave it at that, or you’ll find yourself deleting more than reading. I like Christian Devotions for a couple of reasons. One, I know quite a few of the authors who contribute and two, the devotions are only 300-400 words. Long enough to make a point, short enough to be a quick read. (For reference, most of my blog posts are between 400-500 words).

4. If you really hate to read, then you probably haven’t made it this far. And I realize that reading isn’t always the best way for some people to receive information. If you’re more of an auditory learner, or if you spend a lot of time in your car, podcasts and audiobooks are available from local churches, radio broadcasts, and nationally televised speakers.

For example, right now our church is going through II Corinthians. Powerful stuff. No matter where you live, you can download the sermons and listen along. Miss a Focus on the Family broadcast? You can download those, too. Love a particular speaker? A few clicks of the mouse and you’ll find ways to hear their teaching.

All of these things are free and effective ways to renew your mind.

Regardless of the method you prefer, finding honorable things to think about isn’t really hard.

But no one is going to do your renewing for you. 

So what are you waiting for?

*************
Got some other suggestions for renewing your mind by thinking about honorable things, with or without books? I’d love to hear about them in the comments!

The post 31 Days :: Day 17 ~ No books required? appeared first on Lynn H. Blackburn.

From yesterday – Remembering . . . the first step to renewing.

I need to remember who I was.

And this was – and often still is – a tricky spot for me.

Because by human standards, I wasn’t that bad.

I accepted Christ as my Savior at the age of four. What’s the worst I had done? Refuse to share my crayons?

Other people have testimonies of amazing life transformation, overcoming addictions, turning from a life of crime or promiscuity.

My testimony is B-O-R-I-N-G.

• I got saved. 
• I never got in trouble.
• I love Jesus.
• The end.

I thank God for my Godly heritage. For parents who taught me, early and often, about the God of the Universe and His redemptive plan. I’m thankful that my spirit is not scarred by sins that – while eternally forgiven – have lasting consequences on earth.

But please note that earlier I said “by human standards.” Because if I only think about how I measure up to those around me, I’ll totally miss the point.

I am a sinner.

My list of offenses is long and it grieves the Holy heart of God. My transgressions, while not “flashy” are, in their own way, darker and more insidious than the ones that get shared and shouted about on testimony night at the camp meeting.

It’s not often you hear someone share about how God has forgiven them for their pride. For their lust. For their greed. For their anger. For their self-sufficiency.

Some sins just aren’t popular to talk about.

Because some sins are just way too popular.

How is it possible? How are some sins tolerated? Overlooked? Ignored? My guess is because we aren’t allowing the Holy Spirit to renew our minds. We think we’re okay and we don’t need to change.

I heard this statement in a sermon recently and it has been branded on my soul.

Some of us are unable to appreciate God’s grace because deep down . . . we think we deserve it. (Jason Malone, Southside Fellowship, 9/25/11)

Before you brush that off, dwell on it for a few minutes. Let it sink in. Because you know it’s true.

Have you forgotten who you were?

Are you living your life under the notion that you deserve God’s grace?

How would your life be different . . . if you remembered?

Father, help us remember who we were. Give us hearts that beat with the deep recognition of our hopelessness and helplessness and desperate need for your grace.

The post Day 5 ~ What do I forget to remember? appeared first on Lynn H. Blackburn.