Petals from the Basket

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The Radical Rose

During the month of March, I am forming a bouquet of blog posts using a variety of “roses” that will be formed with these petals from the basket : (1) a quotation, (2) a daily verse, (3) a devotional thought, (4) a book dealing with that day’s topic, and (5) an idea to put into practice!

Petal 1: “We were settling for a Christianity that revolves around catering to ourselves, when the central message of Christianity is actually about abandoning ourselves.” —David Platt, Radical

Petal 2: “Don’t look out only for your own interests, but take an interest in others, too. You must have the same attitude that Christ Jesus had.” (Philippians 2:4-5, NLT)

Petal 3: As my siblings and I have gotten older, and as my sisters’ children have grown, it becomes more difficult to find a time when everyone can get together; when we do, there is great excitement—and lots of talking. In fact, as I observed all the simultaneous chatter at the last gathering, I said to someone, “Wow—everyone is talking at once, but who’s doing the listening?” Yes, we had a good laugh out of it, but how often are we like that in our Christian walk? We are very focused on our wants and what is important to us; however, we are commanded in Philippians to “take an interest in others, too.” Listen to the needs of those around you, and ask Christ to shape in your heart the same selfless attitude that He had.

Petal 4: David Platt’s straight-to-the-heart-of-the-matter book, Radical: Taking Back Your Faith from the American Dream, is one of those rare, life-changing books that I truly think every believer should read!

Petal 5: Be intentional about being a listener today, and let what you hear reach your heart.

By Petals from the Basket | March 20, 2013 | Bible Reading, Books, Family, Ideas |

The Rose of a Lasting Impact

During the month of March, I am forming a bouquet of blog posts using a variety of “roses” that will be formed with these petals from the basket : (1) a quotation, (2) a daily verse, (3) a devotional thought, (4) a book dealing with that day’s topic, and (5) an idea to put into practice!

Petal 1: “O holy and blessed Trinity, let me now so dwell in the mystery of this heavenly love that all hatred and malice may be rooted out from my heart and life. Let me love Thee, as Thou didst first love me; and in loving Thee let me love also my neighbour; and in loving Thee and my neighbour in Thee let me be saved from all false love of myself; and to Thee, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, be all glory and praise for ever.” —John Baillie, A Diary of Private Prayer (“Nineteenth Day”)

Petal 2: “If your gift is serving others, serve them well; if you are a teacher, teach well.” (Romans 12:7, NLT)

Petal 3: In college, I had the unique privilege of taking a course in music history from a music scholar extraordinaire. He knew everything about music—and I mean everything—but he taught us much more than historical facts: he taught us that loving God from the depths of our souls was the most important lesson of all. Along with a ginormous book containing the history of music through the ages, we were required to buy A Diary of Private Prayer and take it with us to every class session. I still have my well-worn copy (the original copyright is 1949—twenty-six years before a similar style of book, The Valley of Vision, was published), and through the years, I have often spoken in private the prayers it contains. My former professor is praising the Lord in person now, but in caring first and foremost about my walk with God, his influence will continue in the form of a lasting impact far deeper than my knowledge of music history.

Petal 4: John Baillie’s A Diary of Private Prayer is a book that you will use throughout your lifetime and that will change the way you pour out your heart to the Lord in prayer.

Petal 5: Present your heart’s deepest needs, longings, and thoughts of worship to the Lord in the form of a written prayer today.

By Petals from the Basket | March 19, 2013 | Bible Reading, Books, God-and-I-Time, Ideas, Life Changes |

The Rose of a Right Response

During the month of March, I am forming a bouquet of blog posts using a variety of “roses” that will be formed with these petals from the basket : (1) a quotation, (2) a daily verse, (3) a devotional thought, (4) a book dealing with that day’s topic, and (5) an idea to put into practice!

Petal 1: “In the situations where I want to become unglued, I always have the choice to be a reactor or a responder.” —Lysa TerKeurst, Unglued Devotional

Petal 2: “For the Spirit God gave us does not make us timid, but gives us power, love and self-discipline.” (2 Timothy 1:7, NIV)

Petal 3: I did a short book review of the Unglued Devotional in which I stated that I had a love-hate relationship with the book (find out why: here)—suffice it to say that the old saying is true: “the truth hurts!” However, it was a “happy pain,” because anything that scrapes away at the rough edges of my heart only makes my spirit “smoother” and allows me to serve Christ without as many jagged edges getting in the way! Focusing on the spirit that God gives me—a spirit which has power, love, and self-discipline as its attributes—helps me to remember that these qualities have their source in the One Whose very life exemplifies those traits; therefore, I can rely on Him to keep growing those characteristics in me. As I continue to learn from His perfect example, my reactions to situations that might otherwise cause me to become “unglued” can instead be embraced by a right response!

Petal 4: The book I quoted from (in Petal 1) is Unglued Devotional: 60 Days of Imperfect Progress, by Lysa TerKeurst; this is an excellent companion devotional book to the must-read book Unglued: Making Wise Choices in the Midst of Raw Emotions, also by Lysa TerKeurst.

Petal 5: When (not if) a situation arises today that might cause you to become “unglued,” line up your reaction next to the rungs of the ladder of right response—am I reacting with: (1) His power? (2) His love? and/or (3) Self-discipline? If the answer to any of these is “no,” hang on tight, because you’re going to slip down the ladder! Instead, find a verse that meets the need of the struggle you’re facing (do a keyword search on BibleGateway.com if you need to) and keep climbing upward on the ladder of right response!

By Petals from the Basket | March 18, 2013 | Bible Reading, Books, Ideas |

The Valuable Rose

During the month of March, I am forming a bouquet of blog posts using a variety of “roses” that will be formed with these petals from the basket : (1) a quotation, (2) a daily verse, (3) a devotional thought, (4) a book dealing with that day’s topic, and (5) an idea to put into practice!

Petal 1: “The most amazing thing about being women in the King’s court is that all of us—no matter how we see ourselves—are beautiful in His sight.” —Priscilla Shirer, A Jewel in His Crown

Petal 2: “For God loved the world so much that He gave His one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in Him will not perish but have eternal life.” (John 3:16, NLT)

Petal 3: Two of my dear friends, Liz and Carrie (pictured below with author and speaker Priscilla Shirer), know that I am grateful for the impact of Priscilla Shirer—daughter of Pastor Tony Evans—in my life (i.e., I’m a mega-fan). When they heard her speak at the True Woman Conference last year, they bought me one of her earliest books as a gift, and they not only had her sign it for me, they also took a picture to prove it! I started to read it once and couldn’t do it, because I was not at a place where I was ready to hear what she was saying through her written words. But I am now at the end of the book, and I am grateful for the reminder that I have great value to the King of all Creation—after all, the familiar verse in John 3:16 states that He valued me so much that He sent Jesus to take the punishment that I otherwise would have had to pay for my sinful actions and attitudes. Because of the value Jesus placed on my life through the sacrifice of His very own, how can I do less than give Him my best and strive to be a woman of excellence?

Petal 4: The illustrations of God’s love and grace that run throughout this book—combined with the godly life of its author (who is clearly dependent on God’s grace and who totally credits God for her skills and gifts)—make A Jewel in His Crown: Rediscovering Your Value as a Woman of Excellence, by Priscilla Shirer, the recommended book for today.

Petal 5: Read Psalm 139 today (click here to listen to Psalm 139—for two minutes and twenty-six seconds—on biblegateway.com) and write down three gifts, skills, or abilities God created within you. Thank Him for those, and then choose one of those areas to develop, use, or share with others throughout this week!

Liz, Priscilla Shirer, and Carrie at the True Woman 2012 Conference after Priscilla signed A Jewel in His Crown for me (the book is still in Priscilla's hand)!

 

By Petals from the Basket | March 17, 2013 | Bible Reading, Books, Ideas |

The Rose of Praise

During the month of March, I am forming a bouquet of blog posts using a variety of “roses” that will be formed with these petals from the basket : (1) a quotation, (2) a daily verse, (3) a devotional thought, (4) a book dealing with that day’s topic, and (5) an idea to put into practice!

Petal 1: “The more I learn about God, the more I want to know about Him, the more I want to praise Him, and the more I want to live for Him.” —Brenda Strohbehn, Let’s Take a Praise Walk

Petal 2: “For what you have done I will always praise you in the presence of your faithful people. And I will hope in your name, for your name is good.” (Psalm 52:9, NIV)

Petal 3: I was recently encouraged by the writings and example of Jeff Goins to develop a short, unique e-book that spells out my passion and also lets readers know what I write about and how I write it. Without going into the entire explanation, I will tell you that for several weeks, I have pondered how to put my “passion” in a nutshell-style e-book—especially when my tendency is to be wordy. The day I posted “It’s Time for a Praise Walk,” I realized that nothing summarizes my desire more than wanting to praise Him and honor His name—and encouraging others to do the same. So, I prayerfully sat down, and in a unique, extremely simple, free, easily-downloadable way, I wrote in very few pages and very few words what I’m calling a mini e-book: Let’s Take a Praise Walk.

Petal 4: Today’s book is, of course, Let’s Take a Praise Walk, which I made available first on Facebook yesterday and I am giving away as a free download on this site starting today!

Petal 5: The idea/tip for today is to download Let’s Take a Praise Walk (just click the large link below) and then share it with a friend (with my full permission) by e-mail, Facebook message, printed copy, or any other means (I only request that you make no changes to it). Then, take time this weekend for a Praise Walk!

Free Download: Let’s Take a Praise Walk

 

 

By Petals from the Basket | March 16, 2013 | Bible Reading, Books, Ebooks, Family, Friends, God-and-I-Time, Ideas |