Hey friends.
I hope everyone survived whatever winter weather you had to endure last week. Here in Louisville, we spent the week shivering through the single digits only to peel all those layers off for a 60 degree day full of rain. Welcome to Kentucky!
Today I want to chat a little about faithfulness, or more honestly, a lack thereof. Schedules get tossed out the window over holiday breaks, and the snow and cold temps extended the break our kids enjoyed from school last week. So despite my best intentions to start some new rhythms of reading and praying this year, this is the first week I’ve had that looks remotely normal.
Naturally, it’s not been the smoothest of transitions back into finding quiet moments and spaces to engage with the Lord consistently. Oh sure, I’ve mapped out the books I want to read and piled them dutifully by my reading chair (Full disclosure: that’s not my reading spot in the pic above. I’m not nearly that ambitious, or committed to keeping plants alive). I’ve got my daily devo right on top, staring at me as soon as I walk into the room. I even tossed a pen on top of the pile in case I needed to underline something or write down a prayer request. A recipe for inevitable success and growth. Huzzah!
Monday was three full weeks after the calendar rolled over to 2024, and my first real leap into this reinvigorated exploration of spiritual health and growth. Reading and prayer. Silence and solitude. Bang, knocked it out of the park. Then Tuesday rolled around and the wheels fell off. Dog appointments, kids with eye infections, trips back and forth to the pharmacy, homework packets, new dinner recipes, and whatever else rolled through my brain formed some sort of wall between me and that quiet spot in my chair.
Crushing it for one whole day, and then feeling pretty down and beat up about a few days worth of failure. Ain’t that the way it goes. As I was skimming through Paul Tripp’s New Morning Mercies to “catch up,” I came across his entry for January 13th. He writes, “Yes, it is true—God will remain faithful even when you’re not, because his faithfulness rests on who he is, not on what you’re doing.” Of course, I’d write the same thing on a theology exam, but it’s hard to remember the grace of that truth in the middle of a streak of days without spending any meaningful time in word or prayer. We need folks in our lives (or in our reading diet) that can consistently remind us of God’s faithfulness to us, even when (especially when?) we fail to hold up our end of the deal.
We don’t just have to take Tripp’s word for it. He points us to Paul in II Timothy 2:13, “If we are faithless, he remains faithful—for he cannot deny himself.” What good news! One of the gifts of Tripp’s writing is his ability to remind us of God’s deeply personal connection to us. Our God who is eternal and almighty still stoops down to care for us and offers us his wisdom, grace, mercy, and love. Not because of how well we do, or what we have to offer, but in spite of our failures and lack of faithfulness.
This doesn’t give me the green light to toss the books and get rid of the chair (though my wife does kinda hate it). Instead, this reminder of God’s grace and faithfulness serves as another invitation to draw near to him. To continue to fight to make room to enjoy God’s presence as I pray (see the article below), read, and listen. My prayer is that I (and you!) don’t grow weary in our pursuit of God’s grace and wisdom. Here’s to a new week of celebrating God’s grace in our successes, and resting in his perfect righteousness when our own inevitably fails us.
Discovering Prayer (Discipleship)
“This doesn’t mean we are chasing an experience; it means we are pursuing a living God. Above all, prayer isn’t merely ‘a way to get things from God but a way to get more of God himself’” I doubt I’m the only one, but finding and keeping a rhythm of prayer is often more difficult than I’d like it to be. All Matt Smethurst had to do was hit me with the “lessons for a better prayer life” subtitle, and he had my click. His piece is challenging in the best possible way. He invites us to discover (or rediscover?) prayer in a way that helps us “to meditate on his Word, marvel at [our] adoption, adore him for his character, and step into divine joy.” In case that wasn’t enough, he draws on reflections from Tim Keller’s own pursuit of a more meaningful prayer life. It’s both compelling and practical, and I hope it spurs you to seek more of God’s presence through prayer in your own life.
Discipling Children (Parenting, Kids Min)
Our guy, Jared Kennedy, is back on the mic for a new podcast with Randy Newman from the C.S. Lewis Institute. Their conversation covered everything from children’s ministry and discipleship, to parenting children with autism, and the great debate about how to pronounce the word “crayons.” Lots to love and learn from these two guys sharing their wisdom and curiosity with one another. You can listen or read the transcript at the link above.
Hopeful Future (Kids Ministry)
“My greatest hope for the future of disability ministry isn’t these expanded ministry offerings. My assurance is in Jesus’s love.” Sandra Peoples, our friend and special needs ministry queen, has a new piece up at TGC this week. She shares her own story with special needs ministry—a sister with Down syndrome navigating Sunday school and a son diagnosed with autism and their church adapting to make him feel welcome—before diving in to how churches are shifting to welcome in and care for so many families that are dealing with disabilities today. She highlights a lot of the good work, training, and education that institutions are providing. It’s a great piece to get your ministry brain thinking about how (or if) your church makes space for individuals and families affected with a disability or diagnoses.
Deal Making
Based on the 5.5 million likes, I’m guessing most of you have seen this video already. Buuuuut, on the off chance you haven’t, here it is. This is basically a warning to be careful about the deals you make with young, and perhaps a recommendation to run everything you say through an attorney. May your Target gift cards never run dry. Enjoy the weekend friends!
Immediately changing my bio to "special needs ministry queen" 😆 Thanks for sharing the article and writing such a helpful summary!