Don’t Complain; Be the Light

This blog post almost didn’t happen. I’ve been working on Philippians 2:12-15, and there is SO MUCH to unpack in these verses - too much for an easy blog post on a week where I’m swamped with the rest of life. 

So on Thursday after trying to write, I ended up checking email. I opened a newsletter that includes a weekly quote, and this week’s was from Augustine: 

“‘Bad times! Hard times!’ — this is what men are saying. But let us live well, and the times shall be well. We are the times. Such as we are, such are the times.”

And I knew which part of this I wanted to write about: light in the darkness. 

For context, here are the verses I’m talking about: 

“Do all things without complaining and disputing, that you may become blameless and harmless, children of God without fault in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation, among whom you shine as lights in the world.” (Philippians 2:14-15)

Because sometimes I feel like all the church does is complain about how dark and messed up the world is, as if it hasn’t been dark since the garden of Eden. I am weary of myself and everyone around me walking in fear and dread, as if we don’t have the power of God inside of us. I am so tired of people thinking the sky is falling, as if we don’t know the one who holds it up. 

We think we’re being “different” from the world because we have different concerns, but a lot of times we’re walking in the same fear and hopelessness. Like the only thing different between us and the culture is that we disagree on what’s wrong with the world; when the real difference is that we know how it will be made right. You can’t be afraid of the dark and also be the light of the world. 

And when you think of it that way, the darkness seems much less dark.  Yes, there’s a lot of craziness going on in the world…but also so much light. God is working. 

If you look at the stats about what percent of Gen Z (12-27 year olds) claim to be Christians, it looks dark, but if you look at individual stories of how God is working in people’s lives, it’s so bright. If it’s less socially acceptable to be a Christian, that just means those who claim Christ really mean it. If our generation is dark, that just means we get to shine so much brighter. 

If you watch the news and see all the wars and conflicts going on, it looks dark. But if you look back at history and see how many times it has already been like this, you can also see how God has been faithful all the way. His light has never faded throughout all of history. 

If you look at all the struggles and stresses in your own life, it will look dark. But if you compare them to everything God has already done in your life and everything he has promised you - incomparably bright. 

So to go back to the quote from the beginning: instead of moaning about the darkness, look to the light. The solution to a dark, crooked, perverse generation is not to complain and argue with them, but to keep being the light. To keep on being pure and blameless and harmless. To keep living in your identity as a child of God. 

I know it seems hard to believe we can have such an impact on the world around us, just by being light ourselves. Especially when we know how much darkness we can have inside of us. But don’t forget that light is more powerful than darkness. 

How do we actually live this out? Let’s go back to the context; the verses preceding this. Paul says, “it is God who works in you both to will and to do for his good pleasure.”

And let’s not forget that all of this is coming on the heels of verses 5-11, which is a description of Christ’s incarnation, death, and resurrection. 

We can be blameless, harmless, without fault, light in the darkness - because God is working in us. Because we are children of God. Because Christ has gone before us in obedience and humility. 

I almost ended this by saying “go be the light,” but that’s not where we start. We can only shine when we’re full of light directly from Jesus. So don’t go try to be the light; go sit with Jesus and bask in his light, until you’re glowing with the reflection of him.

The Narrow Road

I’m starting to understand why Jesus said following him is a “narrow road.” It’s not just that it’s sparsely populated; it’s because it’s so easy to veer off in either direction. 

Pretty much everything we can get wrong about following Jesus has an opposite, but equally wrong counterpart. 

I’ve been talking lately about humility and glory - how on one side, we can be prideful and  obsessed with our own glory, but on the other side, we can try so hard to look humble that we actually hide the gifts God wants us to use for his glory. But there are so many other examples.

On one side of the road you can be legalistic, doing good works to earn God’s favor. But on the other side, you can avoid good works altogether and not realize that obedience is a part of Christian life. 

On one side, you can be so wrapped up in talking about God’s love and forgiveness that you avoid speaking the hard truths about sin and judgment. But on the other side, you can be so zealous for truth that you use it as a weapon and forget to love. 

On one side, you might neglect the word of God and think you can know God without knowing the Bible. But on the other side, you can be so obsessed with your own knowledge of the Bible that you forget to worship God instead of the words on the page. 

On one side, you might be too in love with the world, chasing all kinds of pleasures that only serve to pull your heart away from God. But on the other side, you can throw away all kinds of good gifts from him just to appear holy. 

I could go on for pages. Pretty much every issue that Christians face, whether deep theological issues or practical “how to live your life” issues, has another side of the pendulum. These things have been the root of so many conflicts and divisions throughout the years of church history. 

I heard Jen Wilkin say once on a podcast that so many conflicts in the church have come from trying to make an “either-or” out of something that the Bible presents as “both-and.” (She probably said it much more eloquently than that, but since it was on a podcast I have no idea where to find the original quote.) 

And that, I think, is where the narrow road comes in. The Way of Jesus is the middle ground on all these issues. But not “middle ground” like a watered-down, compromised version of truth. “Middle ground” like an intricate melding of seemingly contradictory truths, which in the sovereignty of God are actually able to co-exist. 

It’s like what Spurgeon said about predestination and freewill; that they’re two parallel train tracks running into the distance, and at the furthest point of what you can see they appear to be one. 

So in the big-picture sovereign plan of God, opposites attract and eventually become one. But in everyday life, we are still going to be torn between two. We will always live in tension between grace and truth, love and judgment, legalism and licentiousness. 

Life is going to feel like a swerving drive or a swinging pendulum sometimes. You probably will, now and then, fall into the ditch on one side of the road, then overcorrect and go into the other ditch. 

This is why it’s so important to be in Christian community; when one of us goes too far to one extreme, someone else can be the balancing force, and all together we look a lot more like Christ. 

And there is grace no matter how many times we swerve off the road. I love Isaiah 30:21 for this: “Your ears shall hear a word behind you, saying, ‘This is the way, walk in it,’ whenever you turn to the right hand or whenever you turn to the left.”

I was in the middle of writing this when I ran across this quote from Blaise Pascal: 

“I do not admire the excess of a virtue like courage unless I see at the same time an excess of the opposite virtue…We show greatness, not by being at one extreme, but by touching both at once and occupying all the space in between.”

And of course, the only one who can touch both extremes of each virtue and fill all the space between, is the narrow Way himself - Jesus. 

Only Jesus was “full of grace AND truth.”

Only Jesus could be so tender towards sinners and so tough on sin.

Only Jesus could be perfect in humility and in authority.

And so only by trusting Jesus will we ever be able to stay on the narrow Way.

The Glory of Christ in Us

This humility topic is still swirling around in my mind - partly because that’s the season I’m in, partly because I’m still in Philippians 2:1-11 and there’s still so much there. 

I just continue to see ways I’ve hidden my gifts and tried to stay quiet in the name of humility. And for good reason: the Bible has plenty of examples of humility made manifest by being quiet and lowly. 

But…I think sometimes we forget that glorification is part of the Christian life too. 

See, part of being human is that we will always live in the paradox between humility and glory. The Bible says that we are dust, but dust formed into the very image of God. It says that our life is a vapor, but also that we will live forever. It calls us to humble ourselves and suffer like Christ, but also that we will be glorified together with him. 

And yet somehow we manage to run off the road in both directions. One minute we’re boasting in our own strength, seeking our own glory, and filled with self-made self-confidence, and the next we’re groveling in the very dust we’re made of, beating ourselves up and unable to even raise our eyes to heaven. Somehow we manage to suffer from selfish pride and low self-esteem all in the same breath. 

Meanwhile, the way of Jesus is right down the middle, where humility and glory collide. Philippians 2:5-11 tells the story of the Savior who was already equal with God, but chose to go all the way down to the level of humanity, to the point of dying the most shameful and humiliating death imaginable. And THEN he gets glory above every other name in the universe. 

To be sure, this is Jesus we’re talking about and we’re not meant to be exactly like him in everything - but he is the pattern for everything we do. And we talk a lot about humbling ourselves like Jesus, but not so much about being glorified like him.

Don’t get me wrong, there’s a good reason for this: self-glorification is all too easy to fall into and no one is immune to it. And the promise of glorification, for us, mainly comes in eternity. None of us should be expecting glory and exaltation in this life. 

But maybe our future glorification needs to have a little more of an effect on our lives now. 

Think of it this way: if Christ’s humiliation is the guardrail on one side of the road keeping us from getting too full of ourselves, maybe his glorification (and eventually ours) is the guardrail on the other side of the road keeping us from getting too down on ourselves. 

There is a fine line sometimes between humbly acknowledging our shortcomings and stubbornly clinging to guilt and shame that were supposed to have died with Christ. And the enemy loves to blur this line. If he can’t get at you with all the sneaky forms of pride, he’ll pull you the other direction into shame, making you believe that you will never be free of the stain of sin. 

But the truth is that you are washed clean, a new creation, being made into the likeness of Christ, and destined for unimaginable glory. If you live in that reality, the enemy’s lies don’t have a chance of sinking in.  

So…how do we think about the glory of God in us without doing the very human thing of making it all about us and our own glory? The answer, as usual, is Jesus. 

Look at Jesus. Think about Jesus. Abide in Jesus. Study the way he lived in the tension of humility and glory. And when your eyes are fixed on him, everything else will fall into place. 

Favorite Things Lately

I started this post intending to do mini-reviews of each of these things. And then halfway through writing it I hit something and exited the page without saving. So instead you’re just getting a list of things I’ve been enjoying lately without descriptions. Feel free to ask me if you do want more details about any of them :)

Reading:

Lazy B: Growing Up On a Cattle Ranch in the American Southwest by Sandra Day O’Connor

Find Your People by Jennie Allen

Percy Jackson series by Rick Riordan

Listening:

Whoa That’s Good Podcast (Sadie Robertson Huff)

Equip and Empower Podcast (Christine Caine)

Brandon Lake (music)

Using:

Method Bathroom Cleaner (okay, I have to explain why this is on here: I randomly bought this just as a disinfectant, but it takes soap scum off the shower walls like nothing I’ve ever used!)

Odor Eliminating Gel Beads (on subscription on Amazon because they actually remove odors from my house instead of masking them with a super strong smell of their own.)

Oontz Angle 3 Bluetooth Speaker (because my iPhone is two years old and starting to have issues with the speaker, so I pretty much need a bluetooth speaker to listen to anything)

*all Amazon links are affiliate links

How to BE Humble Instead of LOOKING Humble

Back to Philippians today! This month I’m working on chapter 2:1-11, which is all about humility - especially as displayed by Jesus. It’s an appropriate topic, because I’ve been thinking a lot about humility anyway. 

There’s a quote that goes “humility is not thinking less of yourself; it’s thinking of yourself less.” (I thought it was C.S. Lewis, but when I looked it up I found out it’s not? C.S. Lewis does write something similar about humility - this article explains the confusion.) 

Anyway, both quotes have been on my mind as I’ve been thinking about pride and humility and self-esteem and self-confidence. 

Because sometimes our idea of what humility looks like is messed up. 

I think most of us, if we saw one person loudly soaking in the attention of a whole room, and another sitting quietly in the corner, would assume the quiet one is more humble. We think of pride as loud and arrogant and swaggering around seeking attention, while humility is quiet and meek and avoiding the spotlight. 

But we’re forgetting something important: pride and humility are not personality traits. They’re character traits. There’s a difference. One is outward behavior, the other is the motivation behind the behavior.

And pride is sneaky. It may show up most clearly in loud, proud, over-confidence, but it’s also just as capable of motivating someone to sit down and shut up. 

And I should know. 

I am the quiet one. I am the one always deflecting attention away from me. I am the one who is hesitant to speak up, especially if I’m not sure how my words will be received. 

And the motivation in my heart is usually to hide, to stay safe, to avoid any situation where I might be judged or disliked. It comes from a place not of confident self-forgetfulness, but fearful, prideful self-consciousness. I am crazy good at doing what LOOKS humble because I don’t want anyone to THINK I’m prideful. 

And so for me, lately, becoming more humble means opening up, speaking up, stepping out of the corner and allowing the attention to be on me. It means learning to care more about whether I’m actually serving people than whether I look like a good servant. It means sometimes being willing to take the risk that people may assume I’m just trying to get attention and glory for myself, in order to actually step out and bring glory to God. 

It’s probably important to note that this is descriptive, not prescriptive. Sure, if you are just like me and your pride manifests as shyness, you can learn something here. But if you’re more naturally inclined to seek visible glory, being humble might look very different for you. 

The lesson for everyone is that pride is sneaky. Being prideful is never about the actions you do; it’s about the posture of your heart behind your actions. 

And so the only sure defense against pride is to bring your heart closer to the heart of God. That’s the only way to trust that your actions are motivated by love for him and his glory. 

If you’re not sure where to start with that? Try meditating on Philippians 2:1-11.

Alive Together With Him: How to Live a Resurrected Life Today

Happy Easter! For some reason, I’ve really struggled to come up with a good post for Easter this year. So here’s one from my old blog, but slightly modified and with a few new thoughts. 

1 Corinthians 15:19 says, “If in this life only we have hope in Christ, we are of all men the most pitiable.”

The hope we have in Christ is the hope of eternity. It’s the hope of knowing Him forever. It’s the hope of being unafraid of death because “death is swallowed up in victory.” (1 Cor. 15:54)

If you’re reading this, I think it’s safe to assume you’ve never died a physical death. But without Christ, we are dead in our sins, heading for an eternity of death and despair.

This is why Jesus said we must be “born again” to have new life in Him. Another metaphor is that we must be raised from the dead with Christ. 

Colossians 2:13 says: “And you, being dead in your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, he has made alive together with him…”

This is why the resurrection is the linchpin of the whole Christian faith. If Christ wasn’t made alive in the first place, it would be pretty hard for us to be made alive together with Him.

And as Paul says in 1 Corinthians 15:14,“...if Christ is not risen, then our preaching is empty and your faith is also empty.” Later in the same chapter he says, “If the dead do not rise, ‘Let us eat and drink, for tomorrow we die!’”(v.32) 

He’s saying that if resurrection isn’t a reality, this life is all we have. And if this life is all we have, why would we live as Christians?

Why would we do anything self-sacrificial or difficult or uncomfortable? Why wouldn’t we just pour ourselves into chasing every earthly pleasure and fulfillment as hard as we can for the time we have?

And here is where 2024 me is going to interject and answer this question a bit differently than I did in 2018. Not because I want to take back anything I said in 2018, just because I want to add to it. 

If in this life only we have hope in Jesus, yes, we are pitiable. But if in the next life only we have hope in Jesus Christ, that’s not right either. 

I am realizing just how many of God’s promises are available to us NOW, immediately, as soon as we start following him. We are not meant to just float along doing the best we can until we die, and then our new life begins. New life begins here and now. 

Sure, we will never be perfect in this life. We’re still going to suffer and sin and have days where we feel like the kingdom of God is a vague fantasy. But that doesn’t mean we can’t live joyful, abundant, beautiful lives on this side of heaven. 

In John 17:3, Jesus says, “And this is eternal life, that they may know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent.” 

If the very definition of eternal life is to know God, we can start that right now. If, as Colossians 2:13 says, we have been made alive together with Christ, we are alive with him right now. 

And to answer my rhetorical questions from above, we live as Christians not just because we’re looking forward to a future hope, but because we are already citizens of heaven. We are already called to live, as much as possible, the way we will live for all eternity.

That means worshiping God. Enjoying his presence. Becoming like him. Loving others through him. Walking in his footsteps and taking steps every day to align our hearts with his, so that one day when we leave this earth and step into eternity, it will truly feel like we’re finally coming home to what we’ve been preparing for our whole lives. 

Why I’m Not Using My Social Media to Advocate or Evangelize

Last Tuesday was National Ag Day, and I shared a reel and caption on social media that has seemed to resonate with a lot of people. Or maybe just a lot of people clicked on it because I started off with “Why I’m no longer using my social media to advocate for agriculture,” which is intriguing but maybe not the most accurate representation of what I explained further down in the caption. 

But later in the week, I shared a second one explaining why I’m also not using my social media to witness to unbelievers, which is a similar train of thought. So I thought I’d just put both together into a blog post. 

I wrote this because I was struggling to come up with any kind of a post for National Ag Day. But I think that’s because the day is largely about promoting agriculture to consumers, and that’s just not my thing anymore. 

Don’t get me wrong, if you’re a consumer watching my stuff and learning from it, that’s awesome! But it’s not my main goal, and here’s why: 

Last year I shared a reel about learning to drive a rake tractor as a kid, and it blew up like crazy - both the views on that reel, and my follower count. 

At first I was a little frustrated because I didn’t think this silly little reel was a good representation of the content that I wanted to make, and suddenly I had thousands of new followers from it. 

But then I looked at the comments. 

So, so many people had a story or a memory involved with raking hay or learning to drive a tractor - even if that was the only tractor they ever drove and they haven’t set foot on a farm since they were a kid. 

It wasn’t just a funny reel; it was a source of connection over a nostalgic childhood memory that so many people share.

Because agriculture isn’t just an industry, or a job, or even a means of producing food. It’s a whole lifestyle and culture - whether it’s your livelihood or just something you’re connected to because of where you live or who your friends are. 

And just like any culture, rural people have their share of struggles. There’s a deep need for conversations about wellness and mental health and building good habits and how to live a good life, and at the center of it all the deepest human need we all have, to know and love Jesus. 

The internet is full of advice for all of that, but sometimes it’s hard to know how to apply that to a lifestyle in ag, and my mission is to bridge that gap. I’m not sure how well I’m doing at staying focused on that, but it’s what I come back to every time I sit down and ask myself why I’m doing social media.

And along the way, I suppose I’m still advocating for agriculture in a way - it’s just not my main intention (and there are so many other people doing it so well!) 

On a similar train of thought, I shared this one later in the week, with a reel that said “why I’m not using my social media to witness to unbelievers:”

When I was younger, I was so passionate about evangelism - sharing the gospel with people who would never claim to believe in Jesus. (which is a super important calling for all believers!)

But becoming a Christian is more than praying a prayer to accept Jesus. It’s a completely new identity that changes every part of your life. 

And as I’ve gotten older, I’ve seen more and more the importance of discipleship - not just telling people about Jesus, but walking alongside as they follow him.

I recently read Practicing the Way by John Mark Comer, and he talks about how many people in America call themselves Christians compared to how few are truly following Jesus in a way that shapes their identity. 

I feel like this is even more true in rural America, where it’s still often more socially acceptable to call yourself a Christian than not, regardless of how you actually live your life. 

Like I said last week, there is so much information out there about how to live your life as a follower of Jesus, but it doesn’t always feel like it fits into an ag lifestyle, and I want to help bridge that gap. 

You don’t have to spend much time in ag to see all the burnout and stress and worldly thinking that is wearing us down, and the Bible has SO MUCH to say about those things. There are so many Christian farmers and ranchers who desperately need to be reminded of the hope of the gospel they say they believe. 

And so just like I’m not mainly trying to reach consumers with education about ag, I’m also not primarily trying to reach unbelievers with the hope of the gospel. 

Obviously God will use my content to reach whoever he wills, but I’m writing primarily to the people like me, people who believe in Jesus and just need a little encouragement to keep following him every day. 

So just know that you’re welcome here whether you’re in agriculture or not, Christian or non-Christian, here for content like this or just here for reels about funny, relatable ranch life. Thanks for following along!

And that applies to you, my blog readers, too. Although my content is a little different here, my goal is pretty similar. Thanks so much for being here! 

Worthy of the Gospel

When I hear the word “worthy” I think of two things. First is the passage in Revelation where the angel asks if anyone is worthy to open the scroll, and only the Lamb is found worthy. (which reminds me of multiple worship songs based on this passage.) But the point is: no one is really “worthy” but Jesus. 

The other thing I think of is Thor from the Marvel comics/movies. His father enchants his hammer so it can only be lifted by someone who is worthy to be king of Asgard. Thor has to work to prove himself worthy again before he can get his hammer and his position back. 

The first example is a standard of perfection that belongs to only One who has ever existed; the second, though fictional, is an example of a worthiness that is very much earned and worked for. 

And so when I come across this word in Philippians, it’s a little confusing. Paul says: “Only let your conduct be worthy of the gospel of Christ…”

Just as a refresher, the gospel is the good news that Jesus came to earth to die for our sins, was raised from the dead, and made a way for us to have new life both now and forever. And this life is a free gift of grace. 

So by definition, we can never be “worthy” of it. Either by perfection, or by working hard enough to earn it. 

What does Paul mean, then?

He’s definitely not saying to work to become someone who deserves grace. (that is, in fact, an oxymoron. If you deserve it, it’s not grace.)

This is not about striving towards something we have not yet gained; but rather trying to press into what we’ve already been given. 

One of the versions I looked up, instead of “conduct,” says “manner of life.” 

So it’s not our behavior that should be worthy of the gospel; it’s the way we live our lives. We are not trying to be on our best behavior so we can deserve the grace we’ve been given. We are trying to live our lives in a way that aligns with the new life we are being invited into. 

Okay, so…how do we live our lives in a way that is worthy of the gospel? 

Let’s look at Ephesians 4:1, where Paul has a similar message with slightly different wording and more details. He says: 

“walk worthy of the calling with which you were called, with all lowliness and gentleness, with longsuffering, bearing with one another in love, endeavoring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.” 

Summary: be like Jesus. Be gentle and lowly, patient and loving towards each other, and at peace by the power of the Holy Spirit. 

This is a little bit of what he’s getting at in Philippians, too. The verse goes on to say, 

“...so that whether I come and see you or am absent, I may hear of your affairs, that you stand fast in one spirit, with one mind striving together for the faith of the gospel, and not in any way terrified by your adversaries, which is to them a proof of perdition, but to you of salvation, and that from God.”

The best defense against the adversaries of the gospel is a group of unified believers who are all trying to be more like Jesus together. They are fearless and bold, but still gentle and loving at the same time. They are steadfast and willing to suffer for the gospel. 

But for these early Christians, life looked a lot different. They were a small group of new believers in a world that didn’t even know who Jesus was. How does this apply to us today?

First, our manner of life must be intentional. If we are in Christ our identity is fundamentally different from the world, so our lives should be different. It takes purpose and intention in our everyday routines to live like Jesus. 

And living in that identity will make us fearless in the face of all kinds of suffering and opposition. We are not facing the same type of adversaries as the Philippian church, but we have the same God and the same calling. And we can fight for the gospel best not by coming at our adversaries with guns blazing, but by focusing first on our own conduct and manner of life. 

Always remember, though, that if there is anything in you that is able to walk worthy of the gospel, it didn’t come from you. You are made worthy by the blood of Jesus. You can never earn or deserve his grace; but by the power of the Spirit you can walk worthy of it.

One Thing I Know: I Was Blind, Now I See

(adapted from an August 2017 post on The King and His Kingdom)

I talk a lot on here about studying the Bible - and for good reason. If the Bible is the word of God and his way of revealing himself to us, it makes sense to know as much as possible about what it says. 

(and besides, I like studying. As important as it is for everyone, I’ll admit that I’m a little more naturally inclined to want to fill my head with knowledge whether it’s useful or not.)

So yea, studying is important. But like Ecclesiastes 12:12 says, “much study is wearisome to the flesh.” 

There’s a time for studying, but there's also a time for a simple, childlike faith that’s based on what we know about God from personal experience.

And that’s what we see in John 9. In this story, Jesus heals a man who was born blind. He does this on the Sabbath - a common habit of his, and one that really got on the Pharisees’ nerves. So they start asking the man questions about how he was healed. They even bring in his parents to confirm that he had been blind since birth. 

The previously blind man doesn’t know much about Jesus. He thinks he must be a prophet. But when he realizes that the Pharisees don’t think much of him, he’s incredulous. He says:

“Whether He is a sinner or not I do not know. One thing I know: that though I was blind, now I see.

“Why, this is a marvelous thing, that you do not know where He is from; yet He has opened my eyes!

“Now we know that God does not hear sinners, but if anyone is a worshiper of God and does His will, He hears him. Since the world began it has been unheard of that anyone opened the eyes of one who was born blind.

“If this Man were not from God, He could do nothing.”

The healed man didn’t need to know all the arguments swirling throughout Jerusalem about who this man was.

He didn’t trust the Pharisees, who had spent all their lives studying the prophecies about the coming Messiah. 

He didn’t follow along with his parents, who were unwilling to say anything about Jesus healing their son because they didn’t want the Pharisees coming after them. 

He just knew that he had never been able to see until Jesus opened his eyes, and that was enough for him.

Later, after he had been cast out of the synagogue, Jesus found him and told him the truth - that he is the Son of God. And the man worshiped him, and although we hear no more of his story I’m sure he followed Jesus and learned more and more about him for the rest of his life. 

But it started with a simple faith in the man who opened his eyes. 

Millions of books have been written about why Christianity is true or what we should do about it. And don’t get me wrong, learning everything possible and having a solid foundation for what we believe is vital. 

But don’t get so caught up in knowing about God that you forget about just knowing him.  

Ground your faith in what he’s done in your life, not just facts you’ve learned. 

And never forget the simplicity of; “I once was lost, but now I’m found, was blind, but now I see.”

To Live is Christ, To Die is Gain

For today’s Philippians post, we’re talking about Philippians 1:21 and the following verses. I remembered writing a post about this verse on my old blog, so I decided to go dig it out. 

Sometimes when I look back at posts I wrote a long time ago (this one was published the day before my 19th birthday,) I’m amazed by how good they are. 

This is not one of those posts. 

For one thing, the writing just wasn’t that great, but for another - it’s a post about life and death and commitment and sacrifice, and there’s a lot of room for development of thought on those concepts from 19 to 26. 

So the following is loosely based on what I wrote 8 years ago, but very, very edited. 

Have you ever heard the quote about how bacon and eggs illustrate the difference between commitment and contribution? A chicken and a pig are both involved. But the chicken makes a contribution, and the pig makes a commitment. 

But if you think about it more, is that true? Or did they both make different kinds of commitments? The pig only follows through once. The chicken keeps giving its whole life. 

And I think that’s also the difference between dying for Christ and living for him. 

I grew up reading stories of great heroes of the faith, from the earliest apostles to modern day martyrs, and it always seemed like the ultimate measure of commitment to Christ was whether or not you were willing to die for your faith. But…dying for your faith happens once. And then it’s over, and you’re with Jesus forever. 

If instead you live for Christ, you have to wake up every morning and choose to continue. And let’s be honest, that scenario is much more likely for most of us reading this. I’m going to assume you’ve never been held at gunpoint and told to renounce your faith or die. 

Instead, you’re held at screenpoint and given a much more subtle choice between picking up your Bible or watching another episode. Or serving at church when you’d really rather stay home. Or speaking up for what’s right even though you know it might cost you socially. 

We sometimes romanticize the story of the apostles who died on a cross just like Jesus, but forget that Jesus asked us to take up a cross and die to ourselves - every day. 

So… what if it takes just as much commitment and faithfulness to live for Christ as to die for him?

I think this is what Paul was getting at in Philippians 1:21. Remember that when he writes this, he’s sitting in a Roman prison. He’s faced with a very real possibility of martyrdom any day, but still has every intention of being faithful until then. 

Paul says that for the Christian, life and death is a win-win. Death is nothing to fear. It’s better even, to begin your eternity with Christ than to continue the struggle here. 

When I wrote this 8 years ago someone commented that I should have pointed out this passage does not condone suicide, and I remember being a little annoyed because I thought that was obvious. But as prevalent as that issue is, I can see now that it’s worth addressing in any discussion of life and death. 

However. I still don’t think anyone ever committed suicide because of how much they were looking forward to heaven. 

Suicide happens when people lose hope; not when they are filled with hope in life after death. I can’t explain it, but the more we are full of the hope of heaven, the more energized and joyful we are for life on earth. 

If your mind and heart are full of the hope of eternity with Jesus, you know that his timing is perfect. And if you’re still here it means you still have a purpose here, one that makes life worth living. That is the paradox of the gospel; that those who have the least reason to fear death have the greatest reason to truly live. 

I can’t help but think Paul still had this in mind in Philippians 2 when he talks about having the mind of Christ, who gave up heaven to accomplish a mission on earth. He knew better than any of us what pleasures awaited him in heaven; but he had an even greater joy in being here to serve and suffer for his people. 

And so yes, to die is gain. One day we will all be called home and that is when our life will actually begin. There’s no reason to fear or flee death. 

But to live? To live is Christ. It’s to know him, to walk in his footsteps, to do as he did. To love and serve and work and enjoy the life he’s given us on this earth he created.

Reviewing my Favorite Bibles

I shared a reel a while back with my Bible in it, and someone asked what Bible it was. So I thought - why not just share my favorites? We’re blessed with SOOO many choices of Bibles these days and it can be kind of overwhelming if you’re trying to buy one!

I also did this in reel format over on Instagram so head over there (@marliscarborough) if you want to actually see the Bibles.

1.Thompson Chain Reference, NKJV

This is the Bible I’ve had since I was fifteen, and definitely my favorite. The “chain reference” means it has a huge topical index and each reference for a certain topic gives you the next reference where it comes up (e.g. Philippians 1:5 is a reference for “saint’s fellowship,” and you can either go directly to the next reference in the chain, v. 2:17, or you can flip to number 1325 in the back and look up all the verses about it.)

I also like that because of the references in the margins, there’s room to write there. And I always memorize in NKJV because that’s what I started memorizing in as a kid and it would be confusing to switch. 

2. ESV Journaling Bible.

I got this one and read through it last year. I love the journaling space for notes, and I did a lot of marking and note-taking. It’s still going to take a long time to be as familiar and comfortable as my first Bible though. 

(Link will take you to one that’s close to what I have, but there are so many different options for this one!)

3. ESV Thinline Bible.

This is the one I usually take to church because it’s so easy to just throw in my bag. I did read through it once with highlighters just to give the pages some definition so it’s easier to find things, but I rarely do much studying with it. It’s just for convenience. 

While I love these physical Bibles, it’s also priceless to be able to have it on my phone anywhere and anytime with apps like YouVersion or Dwell. I also love being able to switch between versions and try out different ones. 

And of course no matter how you choose to read the Bible, don’t forget that the words are what matter, not the pages that hold them :) 

That Your Love May Abound: Another Prayer from Paul

This week I tried to write a short Instagram post for Valentine’s Day, but I only had a little time and quickly got overwhelmed by everything I could say about love. And then I sat down to write a post about Philippians and realized that this verse is a good starting point for a lot of what I wanted to say.

Paul continues to tell the Philippians how he is praying for them, and in chapter 1:9-11 he says:

“And this I pray, that your love may abound still more and more in knowledge and all discernment, that you may approve the things that are excellent, that you may be sincere and without offense till the day of Christ, being filled with the fruits of righteousness which are by Jesus Christ, to the glory and praise of God.”

A lot of those words are not necessarily ones we associate with love - at least, not the flowers and hearts and chocolates version of “love” that we’ve seen so much of this week. But let’s break down how each phrase of this verse ties back to the purest form of love.

Paul says he is praying “that your love may abound…in knowledge and all discernment.” Those are interesting words to go with something that our world often sells as a mere feeling. But I think sometimes Christians overcorrect, and talk about love as if it’s only an action based on the truth you believe, and not connected to feelings at all.

What if biblical love is not a mere feeling or a cold truth, but the intersection of both? The combination of our deepest emotions and sharpest thoughts?

God created us with hearts AND minds, and they are meant to be used in tandem. We need the knowledge and discernment of biblical truth to inform us of God’s love for us, and inspire our love for him. And in turn, that abundant love gives us an even greater thirst for the knowledge of his truth.

And what is the result of this love abounding in knowledge and discernment?

First, that we would “approve what is excellent.” One version I looked at translates this as “understanding what really matters.”

When you are full of God’s love and truth, you learn to see things as he sees them. In a world created by a good God but marred by sin, that’s a useful skill, because it’s not always easy to see what’s good and what’s not.

And second, that we would be “sincere and without offense.” That’s the New King James Version, which is what I use for memorization, but most other versions say “pure and blameless.” Or, to simplify it even more, “holy.”

The word “holiness” just doesn’t have the same reputation as “love,” but I would argue that in their purest form they’re pretty close to the same thing. They are both deeply woven into the very heart of God.

The pursuit of holiness is really just being as close to and as like God as you can possibly be. And the more you know God and become like him, the more you are transformed into a person of love.

We don’t become holy or loving by our own efforts, though, which is why the next phrase says we are filled with the “fruits of righteousness which are by Jesus Christ.” Everything we’ve talked about so far is a fruit - a result that we did not create - of knowing Jesus. We get his perfect love and righteousness.

And that is why all of this is a prayer. None of these character traits are things we can earn and work for all on our own. They’re gifts from God. And Paul wraps up this section by talking about why:

“To the glory and praise of God.”

This is the purpose behind it all - the love, knowledge, holiness, and righteousness he gives us. It’s all for his glory and praise.

And in his infinite wisdom, what is best for his glory is always, always best for us.

How Your Smartphone Can Actually Be Good For You

I think we’ve all seen plenty of information about how our smartphones are destroying our relationships and making us more distracted and discontent and a host of other negative impacts. But yet…most of us still have them. And if they’re worth having, they’re probably worth learning to use well. 

So today I want to talk about how these computers in our pockets can actually make us better, holier, more Christlike people - if we treat them like a tool we can control instead of letting them control us. 

First, some of my favorite Bible-specific apps:

YouVersion Bible App 

There are other Bible apps out there, but this is by far the most common. They have lots of cool plans and features, but it’s also just easy to navigate to any passage of Scripture in whatever version you prefer.

Dwell Bible App

Dwell is an audio Bible app, with lots of different voices and versions to listen in. This does require a paid subscription, but in my opinion the price is very reasonable and so worth it. 

Logos 

Logos is actually a Bible study software you can purchase, but their mobile app is free and has lots of cool features. You can do word studies, browse commentaries, or read some of their free resources (I use it to read Morning and Evening by Charles Spurgeon, though you can find that for free in a lot of places.) 

Next, some basic apps that contain Christian content:

Podcasts 
My preferred app for podcasts is Overcast, but the app isn’t important here. One of my favorite Christian podcasts is Knowing Faith, and they’ve branched out into a whole podcast network too. You can also listen to sermons or short devotionals in podcast format.

Music

Honestly, as much as I love digging into the Bible, one of the most impactful things for me to do is listen to worship music. It can get right to my heart when I’m having trouble focusing on reading the Bible or praying. 

Audible

I personally prefer to only use Audible for fiction because I like to be able to visualize the argument of a non-fiction book, but this is a great option if you don’t like reading. There are so many great Christian books available, but a few recommendations are Mere Christianity by C.S. Lewis or Gentle and Lowly by Dane Ortlund. 

Not apps, just fun hacks to make your phone more useful:

Create verse images to put on your lock screen or at the top of your to-do list. I usually just use Instagram stories to add text to a photo I’ve taken, then save the photo to my camera roll. YouVersion also has an option to create verse images, or you could use Canva or any other photo editing app. Sometimes I do a full verse, but when I’m memorizing I do the first letter of each word in the verse so I can review it without seeing the whole verse. 

Arrange your apps so the most useful ones are easiest to get to. I have my most used apps front and center on the first page of my home screen. I also have a couple of widgets with the verse of the day and a few other things I want to see throughout the day. And I will sometimes put my social media apps on their own page, which I can then remove from the home screen for a day if I need a break. 

This is iPhone specific, not sure how it works on other phones - but if you set a reminder for a specific time, it will stay on your lock screen til you mark it as completed. Lately as I’ve been memorizing Philippians, I will sometimes set a reminder to review the verse I’m on every two hours. By the end of the day, it’s pretty set in my mind. 

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As I scroll through my apps, I’m realizing this post could be so much longer if I included every app that can be helpful. Messaging and social media provide connection with other believers. I have a bookmark for my church website. My obnoxious alarm app gets me out of bed in time to start my day with Jesus every morning. 

Our smartphones are capable of so many things; sometimes it’s hard to separate the good from the bad. It’s really easy to pick it up to look at a Bible app and twenty minutes later find yourself scrolling Instagram. Which is why there are definitely times when it’s smart to put the phone down and read a physical Bible. 

But it’s also an amazing gift to have God’s Word at your fingertips no matter where you are. So let’s not waste it. The main thing is to remember that your phone is a tool for YOU to use in a way that improves your life. You don’t have to let it drag you into a place you don’t want to be. 

What’s one thing you can change on your phone today to make it even more useful?

Confident of This Very Thing

Six verses into memorizing Philippians, I ran into a verse that doesn’t need much work because I’ve turned it over in my mind so many times before. It goes like this:

…being confident of this very thing, that he who has begun a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ…

It’s part of a longer sentence; in all of verses 3-7 Paul describes to the Philippians how he prays for them. The whole passage, but especially this verse, is great to pray for someone else, or for yourself. But it’s not so much a request for God to do something as it is a bold affirmation of what he will do.

It’s a repetition of a message that’s at the core of the whole Bible:

God keeps his promises.

God will do what he said he would do.

God will always finish what he started.

And it’s not a maybe. Paul doesn’t say he is “hopeful” about this; he says he is confident about it. Confidence is a bit of a buzzword these days, but I can’t think of any better use for the word than this right here. This is the kind of confidence that’s truly empowering and unshakeable; a holy confidence in the power and promise of God to do what he said he will do.

Even if, at times, it seems like the opposite is happening. When it seems like the world is getting more and more broken, instead of being restored like he promised. When it feels like all you can see is the power of sin and suffering and none of the promises of God even seem possible. When your own heart feels so far from the work he began, you wonder if there’s any way you can actually stay the course.

Maybe you feel this way right now; wondering if God is even working in your life. Maybe you can clearly see how far he’s brought you, but you know there’s a long way to go. Maybe this whole message rings out in your soul because his work in your life is so beautifully evident right now.

Either way, you probably need this reminder: the work God is doing will not be completed in this life. The completion of everything he’s doing - in us as individuals, in his church as a whole, and for all of creation - is reserved for “the day of Jesus Christ,” the end of time and the beginning of everything else.

I like to compare Bible versions when I’m studying a verse or passage, and I loved how the Message version says this: “[he will] …bring it to a flourishing finish on the very day Christ Jesus appears.”

You could use all kinds of artistic language to describe what God is doing in the world and in our lives - a symphony, a painting, a story. No one wants to see those things half-finished; they’re a nonsensical mess. But I think we can trust that the greatest Artist ever will complete his work with a flourishing finish like we can’t even imagine.

No wait, I don’t think. I am confident of it.

Don’t Get Bored with the Gospel

This was originally posted at The King and His Kingdom on September 30th, 2017.

Basic gospel message: God sent His Son, Jesus, to die on the cross for our sins. He rose again and sent His disciples to make more disciples and preach the message that if we believe in Him, He will give us eternal life.

Did you just skim over that, thinking “yes, I’ve heard this before, I know what it’s about, let’s get to the point”?

If you already believe it, you probably did. I know I have. I hear someone start preaching the basic gospel message to others in the audience who aren’t believers and I automatically tune it out, thinking, “I know and believe this already, this message is not for me.”

But we’re not just talking about the morning news. The gospel isn’t a set of facts that can only benefit you the first time you hear them. We’re talking about the best news EVER. How can we be bored with the most amazing truth in the world? Who cares if we know it already?

Yes, there’s a time to dig deeper into theological topics and practical applications and all sorts of other things that aren’t so basic. Paul says to eat solid food, not milk, like babies. (Hebrews 5:12-14)

But Paul also begins several of his epistles (Ephesians, for example) with an outpouring of truth about what God has done for us.

Just think for a minute about the enormity of the universe. Try to wrap your brain around how many millions of galaxies there are, each one full of stars that make our own sun seem like a speck of dust. And God created all these galaxies and stars and planets just by speaking.

He didn’t have to do anything else. He could have stopped after creating that.

But then He chose one little planet circling around one tiny star in one galaxy and gave it the greatest honor of all: people. People who were created in His image. People He would communicate with and love and give a whole earth full of amazing things.

People who would have minds capable of great thinking and hearts capable of great love, modeled after their Creator, but also able to be corrupted by too much thinking and love for themselves. People who would time and time again turn their backs on God, worshiping the creation He had given them, instead of the One who created it.

People He would love despite all of it. He loved them so much, in fact, that this God who spoke the stars into existence stooped so low as to put Himself in a human body and come to earth to be with His creatures, to live as one of them, to feel the pain they would feel, and to allow them to treat Him like any other poor Jewish carpenter. He taught them and healed them and then He let them kill Him so He could take the punishment they deserved for giving Him anything less than the absolute adoration and unconditional obedience He deserves.

But because He was Lord over all of creation, including death, He was not bound by death, even with His human body, and He came back to life and went back to His people just long enough to show them His victory over death.

And He chose a few people to tell the entire world about Him. He chose more people to live with Him for eternity. Like, forever. No end. Ever. We throw that word around a lot, but I don’t think any of us really get it. And all that time, we get to live with the God who created and controls all of this.

And THAT is the gospel. That is nothing to be bored about. That is the most amazing thing you’ll ever hear, and there’s no way you can ever hear it too many times. Next time you hear someone preach the gospel, don’t turn away or tune out. Instead, listen closely, reminding yourself again and again how amazing His grace is, and praising Him with all your heart.

What’s Your Title? A Lesson about Identity from Philippians

Lately I’ve been meditating on a verse I bet you’ve never spent much time thinking about:

Paul and Timothy, bondservants of Jesus Christ: To all the saints in Philippi who are in Christ Jesus, with the bishops and deacons: Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. (Philippians 1:1-2)

This is not a verse you see on a coffee mug. It’s not one you’d probably choose to memorize. It’s pretty easy to skim over when reading Philippians.

But when you start memorizing a whole book of the Bibe, that means meditating on every verse. It forces you to slow down and find meaning in a verse you wouldn’t normally study. You have to think from every angle about what the verse actually means.

And that’s when you realize it’s about identity. In these two verses the name of Jesus is mentioned three times; all for the purpose of defining the identity of Paul and Timothy and the Philippians.

Paul and Timothy, the writers of the letter (though we tend to read it as mostly Paul) could have chosen anything to put here. They could have said “preachers of the gospel” or “followers of the Way” or “traveling tentmakers,” all of which would have been accurate. But the phrase they choose as their most important identifier is “bondservants of Jesus Christ.”

Most people open a letter with some title or description that elevates them and shows why they’re worth listening to. Instead, these authors go the opposite way with a title that no one would willingly have chosen. Jesus’ message of servanthood has seeped into our culture just enough that we might not realize just how repulsive this was to the culture of the time. Being a bondservant - which in some translations means simply “slave” - was not glamorous or honorable.

But Paul and Timothy are so sold out on Jesus’ message of becoming the lowliest and the least that servanthood is the very thing they choose to define themselves. And not servanthood to just anyone - they are servants of Jesus Christ. They put themselves completely under his leadership, and by doing so exalt him even higher. Their humility magnifies the glory of which he is so worthy.

And next they address the recipients of the letter according to their identity in Christ, calling them “the saints who are in Christ Jesus.”

That little word “in” has way more meaning than the two letters seem to carry. This is an entire doctrine; the doctrine of union with Christ. The idea that if we believe in him, our whole identity, our life, our everything is in him. I’ve heard it defined as “everything that is true of Christ is true of us.”

They also call them “saints”. We use the word “saint” for someone who is especially holy and righteous, but the Bible uses it to describe all believers. Because ALL believers are equally holy and righteous by identity, even if not in everyday practice.

If you’re in Christ, you’re set apart for him, washed clean and holy by his blood, and clothed in his righteousness. Which means you have no business identifying yourself as a sinner and thinking of others as saints. YOU are a saint because God says so, whether you feel saintly or not.

And if confirming this identity wasn’t rich enough, Paul continues by offering them grace and peace from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. He repeats once again the powerful name of God who is Father, and Lord, and Savior, and Messiah - and the truth that all grace and peace flow from him.

I’ve memorized all the way through verse 6 so far, and I intended to write about all 6 verses. But it’s amazing how much you can squeeze out of just two verses after focusing on them for a week! So buckle up, because this blog will probably run pretty heavy on Philippians throughout this year :)

Random Thoughts about Joy on a -25 Degree Morning

Raise your hand if you’ve said or felt one of these things lately:

“Ugh, I’m so not looking forward to the weather this weekend…”

“Why do I live here?”

“I just want to hibernate til spring.”

If you’ve shared a post with these sentiments, don’t feel like I’m trying to call you out - because I’ve definitely said all these things plenty of times this week. And…I’m starting to get a little tired of hearing them come out of my own mouth.

I get it - sarcastically complaining and comparing how we feel about the weather is a way to relate to each other.

But I’m starting to wonder if sometimes we’re having so much fun being collectively miserable that we forget to ask whether it’s even worth being miserable at all.

My feelings about the cold are about 10 percent serious stress about things that could go really wrong, and 90 percent just discomfort. I’m pretty sure complaining, even if it’s humorous, does nothing to help my stress. And last I checked, discomfort is usually either completely harmless or actually helpful.

I’ve been debating all day whether I should even post this because I know I will continue to complain about the cold plenty and I don’t want to be a hypocrite. But maybe it’s better to be a hypocrite because you can’t meet your own high expectations than to not have expectations at all.

And so I’m trying to curb my impulses to complain or be sarcastic about the weather, and instead focus on what’s actually helpful.

For the things I’m actually stressed about, trusting in God’s protection and remembering it’s not up to me to keep everything safe and warm. I love turning to passages like Psalm 147:15-18:

“He sends out his command to the earth; his word runs swiftly. He gives snow like wool; he scatters frost like ashes. He hurls down his crystals of ice like crumbs; who can stand before his cold? He sends out his word, and melts them; he makes his wind blow and the waters flow.”

And for the uncomfortable parts - leaning into the discomfort and finding what’s enjoyable about it. Like breathing in the crisp, cold, bugless, pollenless air. Being in awe of just how resilient animals are in the face of such extreme cold. Embracing the gift of warming up in a cozy house. And just being grateful for all of it, good, bad, and indifferent.

And trying to reframe all those things we usually say.

Thinking about what I AM looking forward to this weekend instead of letting the weather define the whole time.

Thinking about all the great things I would miss if I hibernated til spring.

And remembering exactly “why I live here” because obviously there are plenty of really good reasons, or I wouldn’t be here.

Let me know if this helps you switch up your mindset about winter!

Happy, Healthy, Holy Habits

One of my sharing goals for 2024 is to share more about habits and routines. I just haven’t started yet because I keep trying to write a post about my thought process behind it, and I can’t seem to trim it down enough to fit in an Instagram caption while still making sense.

So I finally decided to just share the thought process here in a longer post. If you want to actually see which habits and routines I’ve found helpful, go follow my social media!

This started sometime in September, when I watched a documentary series about “Life in the Blue Zones.” “Blue zones” are areas that researchers have identified where the average life expectancy is much higher than average.

I’m fascinated by the fascination with longevity research, because even if you check all the boxes to live to 100 there are still a million ways to die that have nothing to do with your health. Which is why trusting in Jesus for eternal life always takes priority over trying to extend your life on this earth.

I’m not terribly concerned with how old I live to be, I just want to be fully alive for all the time I’m on this earth. I don’t want to be 65 and starting to slowly decay for the next 20 years, and even at 26 I hate feeling like I can’t do what I want to do because I don’t have enough energy.

Really, though, I can’t say I learned anything new from the Blue Zones documentary. It was more of a reminder of how simple good health really is. Move your body. Eat a balanced diet. Get enough sleep. Have purpose and community and an outlet for stress.

Holy, Healthy, and Happy Habits

As I was thinking and journaling about this, I came up with this framework of being holy, healthy, and happy. But those three words can have lots of meanings, so let’s define them:

Holy: what you might think of is some pious, angelic religious person. What it actually means, at it’s core, is being like Jesus. And last I checked, that is the end game of being a Christian. If you believe in Jesus, holiness is a part of your identity whether you are fully living it or not - so if the word “holy” makes you turn up your nose it’s worth thinking about what the word really means.

Healthy: For some reason this one has a negative connotation, too: “oh, she’s trying to be all healthy,” or “this tastes healthy.” We’re offered a false dichotomy between being healthy and enjoying life. We glorify unhealthy habits in the name of freedom, but are you really enjoying your life by being sedentary and stuffing your face? Or is it actually just making you more foggy and tired and anxious?

Happy: and this is the one that a lot of Christians get uppity about, and I’m tired of that mindset because I think God made us to be happy. I’m certain he didn’t want us to be unhappy. Where we go wrong is chasing happiness for happiness sake, but if your happiness is based in enjoying God and the good gifts he gave us, there is nothing to be ashamed of with wanting to be happy.

(if you disagree with this, just try substituting the word “joy” and it probably sounds a lot better. I’m just not convinced there’s as much difference between the two words as I used to think. This is a big opinion in a small paragraph, so I’d be happy to share more of my thoughts if you’re not so sure about this.)

Let’s be honest: I’m mainly using these three words because I like alliteration. Probably a more accurate way to describe it is a focus on spiritual, physical, and mental health, and the way those three things are intertwined. The more I think about it, the more convinced I am that the best way to live a vibrant, abundant life is to focus on habits that will help our souls to be holy and Christlike, our bodies to be strong and healthy, and our minds and emotions clear and regulated.

Why this matters to me (and should matter to you)

This is especially important to me as a rancher. You’ve probably seen the statistics on the suicide rate among farmers versus the general populace. (I don’t know any stats about physical health, but we’ve all heard the jokes about how sick a rancher has to be to go to the doctor.)

At the same time, the ag community is one of the most overtly Christian demographics in the US, if not the world. That doesn’t mean we shouldn’t have any other issues, but it does mean we could probably do a better job of connecting the faith we proclaim with the type of lives we live.

There are a lot of great conversations happening about mental health among farmers. And I know some people who are doing a good job of also encouraging us to take better care of our physical health. But I think our spiritual health is sometimes taken for granted.

Just because you go to church or have a cross on your tailgate doesn’t mean you have a healthy relationship with Jesus. And if you’re not spiritually healthy, you’re probably going to struggle with your mental and physical health, too. On the flip side, if you think you can start a new diet and read your Bible while continuing to ignore your mental health, you may end up just getting even more tangled up.

And the best way to stay focused on our mental, physical AND spiritual health is through small habits and routines that keep us connected to what’s most important to us. This, too, can be difficult for ranchers, with long days and schedules that change wildly throughout the year. But I’ve found ways to make these habits work into my life as a rancher, and I’m excited to share them.

So if you’re ready to get inspired with new habits you can start this year, go check out my social media! And let me know in the comments if there are any habits you’ve found helpful in your life!

2023 out, 2024 in

I started writing this as a recap of the “big things” that happened in 2023. There were a few, for sure. I was in a play, I did a podcast interview, I had puppies (ok, my dog had puppies but it was a lot of work for me too,) I moved my blog to a new website, I had a reel hit 9 million views, and had some family events that deserve their own post to explain at some point.

But as I scrolled back through my journal, those things only made up a small portion of my year. At least 340 days were pretty non-eventful. Which leaves me wondering: why do we focus so much of our attention on things that take up so little of our time?

If I look back at each day of the year individually, my best days are the most routine days. Yes, occasionally routine can make me a little restless, but when I get truly anxious and restless is in the seasons when I’m going a million different directions and can’t make time every day for things that matter.

The life I want is not about chasing new adventures and mountaintop experiences; it’s about being anchored in following Jesus through everyday life. If you truly want a life of adventure and excitement that’s great, but I think a lot of us have bought into that dream just because it looks more exciting than delighting in an everyday life.

We watched Lord of the Rings over Christmas, and I can’t help but think this is why so many people love the hobbits. Because while it’s fun to watch the “skilled warrior” types take down dozens of enemies without breaking a sweat, most of us relate more to the hobbits who really just want to go home.

They trek across mountains and fight battles not because they love the adrenaline rush, but because they know if they don’t, they will never again be able to eat seven meals a day and plant gardens and dance and sing whenever they want to. They go on adventures not for the sake of adventure, but for the sake of protecting their ordinary, happy, beautiful lives.

So maybe the “big moments” in life are not important on their own. Maybe they’re important to us only because they’re pivot points that lead to more little moments of joy.

And so I think this idea has been influencing a lot of my thoughts as I make goals for 2024. I always come up with so many goals each year, some big and some small, but this year I did a decent job of paring it down to just a handful to really focus on:

Less daydreaming, more meditating on Scripture. To help with this, I’m planning to memorize Philippians over the course of the year.

Less scrolling, more reading. I’m going to try to set aside intentional blocks of time to engage on social media, and use my “margin time” of five minutes here and there to read instead of scrolling.

Less time inside, more time outside. Over the past few years I’ve taken on a lot of responsibilities that keep me inside, but I’d love to get better about delegating each of those things to a certain time of the day or week and free up the rest of my time to do more outside.

Less time driving, more time at home or close to home. This one’s pretty unique to my situation, but it’s a two-hour round trip to town and I’m tired of making it 2-3 times a week. I love my church community, but I need to find more ways to form community without so much driving.

Less jumping through all the little social media hoops and more writing and creating what I want. I would rather create good content for a small audience than “whatever the algorithm likes this week” for a large audience. I’ll probably share more on this as the year goes on, but this is the baseline goal.

Less focusing on what I want to accomplish and more on who I want to be. (“more like Jesus” would be a good summary.)

(P.S. If you’re a nerd about goal-setting like me you’re probably thinking that these are a little too vague and broad to be good goals, but I do have more specific plans for all of these. This is just the more concise version for sharing purposes 🙂)

What did you love about 2023? And what goals do you have for 2024? Let me know in the comments!

Worth Celebrating Every Day

I think Christmas is a little overrated.

Hear me out; this is coming from someone who enjoys Christmas. I like Christmas music, I like driving around town and seeing decorations, I like sitting by the lighted Christmas tree. But what really matters about Christmas?

The proper Christian answer is that it’s about the birth of Jesus, and then after that it’s about family or friends or giving. You know, the “reason for the season.”

Truly, family and friends and giving should be top of the list in our lives, and the birth of Jesus changes everything.

But shouldn’t those be the things we celebrate every single day?

What if the things that we say are important enough to have their own holiday are actually important enough to have a place in the fabric of our daily lives? If gratitude is so important, shouldn’t we be forming a daily habit of giving thanks? If the birth of Christ is so important, shouldn’t we be in awe of that every day of our lives?

And don’t even get me started on Easter – the celebration of the Savior who defeated death should be in every breath we take, not one Sunday a year.

This is not to be cynical about Christmas, this is to be stubbornly uncynical about every other day.

Whether you feel like this is “the most wonderful time of the year,” or you’re struggling because this is a hard time of year for you, may I suggest that maybe you’re putting too much of your hope in the basket of one season, or even one day, trying to get something out of it that it can’t deliver?

We are going to wake up every day into a broken world ruled by a good God, and there will be seasons when one of those realities is more obvious to you than others. But regardless of that, you get to choose every day whether you’re going to walk in the hope or the darkness.

It doesn’t matter what season of your life it is, or what season of the year, that’s a choice you get to make every day. And if you expect things to be more joyful just because the calendar says it’s December 25th, more often than not you’re going to be disappointed.

But what if you look for that joy in every single day? A big Thanksgiving meal is good, but so is a cold turkey sandwich on a Tuesday in August. Unwrapping presents on Christmas morning is fun, but it’s also great when a family member spontaneously comes home from the grocery store with your favorite snack.

Personally, I’ve found that I have more joy in Christmas when my joy doesn’t depend on Christmas. My favorite part of Christmas is sitting in my house alone by the lighted tree, sipping hot cocoa and reading a good book.

If that sounds shallow, I’m okay with that. I’m choosing to treat Christmas as a good gift from God, a simple pleasure to be enjoyed without all the pressure of spiritual significance.

The things that are truly significant – the birth of the Savior, God made flesh to live a perfect life and then die and rise again so that we could have eternal life with Him – that is for every day.

When we live in that reality, every day is sacred. Every day is a holy day.

Also known as a holiday.