Letters from Jozi: March 2014

As a mom of little people and a teenager, I find myself with little time to read deeply these days. In my single days I enjoyed reading four books at a time, different topics, genres, etc. These days I am a lucky girl if I can read one book in a month. I really can't even do that. After I put the babies down at night, cook supper for the bigger people and clean everything up, I just want to get on social media and pin to my hearts to delight, while catching up on series. All things that do not require much brain activity, which any mom can tell you at the end of the day is about all the brain activity we have left. In Lent however, I have given up some social media for the sake of seeing my deeper longing for Jesus and that is opening up my evenings a bit and allowing me to allow Him to refresh my heart and mind.

In that vein, I wanted to share some good books I have read this past year(like January 2013-March 2014). These are books that refueled me or were a sheer delight to read in the midst of children, sabbatical and daily crazy ministry life.

Desperate by Sarah Mae & Sally Clarkson

http://www.amazon.com/Desperate-Hope-Mom-Needs-Breathe/dp/1400204666/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1395063229&sr=8-1&keywords=desperate

In the beginning of last year I was here. I was desperate to breathe and feel like I could make it to tomorrow. I had just had my second baby and was incredibly overwhelmed with immediate and extended family circumstances, forget all the ministry and church challengs we faced daily. This book became my quiet time and meditation to try to and crawl out of my spiritual pit of despair. There are helpful application sections at the end of each chapter. The book is written by a young mom and an older mom, so there is much wisdom and experience to be gained from these two lovely women.

Emotionally Healthy Spirituality by Peter Scazzero

http://www.amazon.com/Emotionally-Healthy-Spirituality-Unleash-Revolution/dp/0849946425/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1395080948&sr=8-1&keywords=emotionally+healthy+spirituality+by+peter+scazzero

Wow. This has been a very challenging read. You can be very spiritually mature but lack emotional maturity. I think most of us do. We grow so quickly in our walk with Christ and study our bible and get involved in leadership and we think we are all set, somehow our emotional maturity is easily side lined and we wonder why at +/- 30 we feel burnt out and ready to quit lots of stuff in our lives. This book is super helpful in revealing where you are individually and gives hope that this is not all there as to be in your life, marriage or church experience. For someone like me, who was involved in a great ministry that developed my spiritual walk in incredible ways, I need a book like this. My emotional health and maturity is dwarfed in comparison. From one beggar to another, I commend this to you.

Bread & Wine by Shauna Niequist

http://www.amazon.com/Bread-Wine-Letter-Around-Recipes/dp/0310328179/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1395081011&sr=8-1&keywords=bread+and+wine

A fun, easy read a good friend of mine lent to me while we were in the states. She tells life stories and how certain meals around their table ministered to her in different seasons of life. Honest and refreshing. Recipes at the end of most chapters, some of which are staples in our family now. Thank you Shauna.

The Church Planting Wife by Christine Hoover

http://www.amazon.com/The-Church-Planting-Wife-Heart/dp/0802406386/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1395081076&sr=8-1&keywords=church+planting+wife

Reading this now and wow! I am being challenged at every turn. I am not a church planting wife, but I am a wife in a college ministry. I was involved as a student and came on staff single right out of college. Being married and now with children, the game has changed dramatically for me. No matter who you are or where you are in church leadership, on a core team, helping pioneer something bigger than yourself; this book is a great help with perspective.

I hope these are helpful for you as they have been helpful for me. Enjoy and Happy Monday and St. Patricks Day.

Growing up in the Lutheran church this was a season I was familiar with each year. We gave up something we loved for forty days to grow deeper in our walks with God. After I became a Christian in highschool I kind of abandoned lots of good practices to just focus on following Jesus and loving Him with all my heart. As I have grown up in my faith, many of those good practices have found their ways back into my heart and life again. God has used them to show me my need for Him daily and I have seen how seasonally they often help me refocus my heart back on Him as I am so easily distracted by any and everything that is not Him. Lent has always been hard for me, as I imagine it is for many of us because it involves a willing sacrifice."Fasting is a tangible, physical activity that points to our spiritual longing to be rooted in Jesus alone and find our true comfort and joy in Him." (Taken from the Gospel Coalition devotional guide for Lent). As a household, we are choosing to participate in Lent this year and are all giving up something near and dear. One of our staff guys, Siyanda, lives on our property and at supper decided he too would join Jeff, Casey and I. So here we go. Forty days to be more aware of my spiritual longing to be rooted in Jesus. I am excited and scared. Lots of refining ahead I am sure of it. Thankfully He is able and He will do it in me.

Here are some plans that were tossed my way the past few days. All are great, we are doing the one from The Gospel Coalition. Just wanted to resource those

Interested.