Whitespace

I had just finished reading chapter 10 in Tonya Dalton’s new book, “The Joy of Missing Out,” when I saw on Facebook this quote by Elisabeth Elliott;

Rest is a weapon given to us by God.

The enemy hates it because he wants you

stressed and preoccupied.

 

Chapter 10 of “The Joy of Missing Out” is titled “Harmonize Whitespace.” On these pages of her book, Tonya reminds us that whitespace is necessary for life. Whitespace is necessary for us to thrive. She wrote, “In reality, to be truly productive we need to give our brains a little space to plan and explore—some unstructured time.”

Whitespace is essential for another reason—connection. And not just to connect but to be enabled to connect. Whitespace helps us cultivate in our own lives “love, happiness, and compassion” so we can extend those same feelings to others. Tonya quotes John Maxwell who said, “To bring out the best in others, I first have to bring out the best in me. I cannot give what I do not have.” Perhaps that is why Jesus commanded us to love others just as we love ourselves.

We need the whitespace in our lives to rest and be refreshed, not just for what is obvious—our bodies but also for the inner workings of our brain. Our brain needs times of rejuvenation—times of quiet and stillness.

It is in the whitespace where we slow down and savor life. It’s from there we can rise up—because we’ve given ourselves moments of nurture. This whitespace, in fact, makes us live more. This echoes the subtitle of Tonya Dalton’s book, “Live More by Doing Less.”

Perhaps that is why David wrote in Psalm 4:4b (NASB), “meditate within your heart on your bed and be still. Selah.” The word David used for “be still” is “damam” and it is used again in another of David’s Psalms. He writes, “Surely I have calmed and quieted [“damam”] my soul; Like a weaned child [resting] with his mother, my soul is like a weaned child within me [composed and freed from discontent].” (Psalm 131:2 AMP)

Do you struggle with stress? Are you so preoccupied you are running on empty and have no defense against the enemy’s darts?

Of course, I’d suggest that you do what David did. Meditate on the Lord God and lean into Him.

And then my next suggestion would be to consider learning from Tonya Dalton how to have joy and live more by doing less. Her book, “The Joy of Missing Out,” is available now for preorder.at https://www.readjomo.com/ from several of our favorite online retailers. And there’s bonuses if you preorder.

P.S. Love this cover! Doesn't it just speak to how we are trying to do "more"?

 

Secure. Sealed. Identified. For ALL Time!

In his high school years, one of my son’s well-liked classes was pottery. In fact, it was a great disappointment to him to find out that the pottery studio at college was only available to art majors.

However, lingering around our home—and the homes of others—are multiple pots created by his hands. And they are all different. We’ve even gained a few more as an inheritance—gifts he’d given his grandparents.

Every pot is clearly identified, permanently, by his initials. Well, all but one. Somehow, discovered too late, one pot has another mystery student’s initials. That pot, even though in our home, clearly belongs to another child.

In Anne Graham Lotz’s new book, “Jesus in Me,” chapter 25 speaks to the seal placed on the followers of Christ by God when we are born again. Anne writes, “He has sealed you with His stamp of proof [of ownership], the Holy Spirit.” We are marked as belonging to God. In fact, “the seal apparently is visible to the unseen world because it identifies us throughout the universe as authentic children of God.” All spiritual powers—in the whole universe—know who you and I are. We are the beloved children of the Father, the Creator, the Most High God! Just like my son’s initials, baked into the clay, identified pots that belong to Him, each child of God is permanently marked.

Secure. Sealed. Identified. For ALL time!
 

And you also became God's people when you heard the true message, the Good News that brought you salvation. You believed in Christ, and God put his stamp of ownership on you by giving you the Holy Spirit he had promised.

Ephesians 1:13 (GNT)

 

You can preorder "Jesus in Me" at https://www.annegrahamlotz.org/jesus-in-me/ from your favorite retailer. If you order prior to October 1, Anne has some bonuses for you!

 



The Lord is a Sun

As part of my daily devotions I do some Bible verse writing with word definition focused on the Names of God. Recently, the Name of God on the list was Sun. The scripture was Psalm 84:11 (NASB), “For the Lord God is a sun and shield; the Lord gives grace and glory; no good thing does He withhold from those who walk uprightly.”

 

The definition, one would think, for the word sun would be obvious. It’s the Hebrew word shemesh. And, yes, it means to be brilliant, the sun. But Strong’s adds more. It also means to be a notched battlement or a window. Interesting. Battlement.

 

This same word is also in Isaiah 54:12, “Moreover, I will make your battlements of rubies, and your gates of crystal, and your entire wall of precious stones.

 

I was still thinking on these verses when I was reading chapter 24 in an Advanced Reader copy of Anne Graham Lotz’s new book, “Jesus in Me.” The chapter is titled, “Trust in His Pledge.” The Holy Spirit in us is God’s pledge to those who believe in Jesus—His covenant symbol, our “engagement ring,” Anne wrote. She then retold a story of her own engagement ring, it’s a beautiful reminder of her husband’s love and commitment.

 

I was struck how her story fit what I’d read in Scripture. In fact, Isaiah 54 is, in essence, referring to the marriage of Israel (God’s people) to the Lord God as their husband.

 

The Lord Himself is our shemesh. Anne writes, “The Holy Spirit within us is our “engagement ring.” He Himself is the promise…the guarantee…the pledge…that Jesus loves us. That He is committed and faithful to us. And that one day He will return to take us to live with Him forever in the home that He is preparing.”

 

And that home? Revelation 21 tells us of its beauty and adornments.

 

Anne ends this chapter with, “Gaze at your “engagement ring,” the Holy Spirit. …would you choose to trust Him? Relax. Rest in Him. You are precious to the Son, and therefore precious to the Father and precious to the Spirit. The Holy Spirit is absolutely committed to fulfilling His responsibility to take good care of you until the day you are presented as a glorious bride to your Bridegroom.

 

I have been so privileged to be a part of the “Jesus in Me” Book launch group. This is a book that reminds us of our constant, loving companion, the Holy Spirit. We need that reminder for such a time as this more than ever.

 

 

You can preorder her book at https://www.annegrahamlotz.org/jesus-in-me/. This site will direct you to your favorite retailer AND will also garner you free bonuses if your order prior to October 1, 2019.

 

Do I recommend this book? A resounding, “Yes!”

The Sound of Hope

A while back, my husband was watching a Revolutionary War movie, and even though I was in another room, I could hear the booming of canons. It made me think that perhaps that sound stirs up fear so much so that it is the reason we fear, at times, the sound of thunder. And then the musical notes of flutes resounded. Their “voices” were the sound of hope overcoming and drowning out the booms, the fear, and inspiring courage.

This is what God’s Voice, His Word, does. It speaks over the booms, the fear, sounding in our lives. It speaks of the Lord’s great power and mercy. His Voice is the sound of hope, the song or musical notes that we can echo in our hearts to give us courage and make us march forward with bravery.

The prophet Jeremiah, as the enemy “boomed” around him and Judah, heard the voice of the Lord say, “Just as I brought this great disaster upon My people, so will I do all these good things I have promised to them. Property will be bought and sold once again in this land about which you say, “This land is a wasteland—not fit for man or beast—for it has been handed over to the Chaldeans.” Property will be bought and sold once again for silver—deals will be made and deeds signed in the presence of witnesses—in the territory of Benjamin, in the vicinity of Jerusalem, in the villages of Judah and the hill country, in the villages of the western hills, and in the cities of the Negev. In all these places I will restore them from their exile.” (Jeremiah 32:42-44 VOICE)

This prophecy was God’s Voice to Judah to give them hope. It was the sound of flutes meant to overcome the booms of the enemy. Although they were in the midst of disaster, restoration was coming.

The Lord speaks over our lives in a similar way through the words of Peter as inspired by the Holy Spirit. “Celebrate with praises the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has shown us his extravagant mercy. For his fountain of mercy has given us a new life—we are reborn to experience a living, energetic hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead. We are reborn into a perfect inheritance that can never perish, never be defiled, and never diminish. It is promised and preserved forever in the heavenly realm for you! Through our faith, the mighty power of God constantly guards us until our full salvation is ready to be revealed in the last time. May the thought of this cause you to jump for joy, even though lately you’ve had to put up with the grief of many trials.” 1 Peter 1:3-6 (TPT)

We may have grief and trials today, but tomorrow celebrations will arise. Keep the sound of hope echoing in your hearts so you are listening, alert, and standing tall in the faith, courageous and strong. (from 1 Corinthians 16:13)

 

*****

On a much different note, this same movie had a scene where the characters were debating what to do with some dogs that had been left behind. One suggested they eat them. My husband said that at that point, Justified—a year old labrador, who was sitting on the couch beside him, looked at the television and then at him and then back at the TV as he couldn’t believe it! Eat the dogs!! No!!!