Dirty Stove Top | My Stone Collective

There's a quote I've seen float around Facebook and Pinterest every now and then that says, "Excuse the mess, we live here." Have you seen that one? I chort to myself when I see it because, man oh man, is it true.

My stove top is often neglected in the "hurry clean the house someone's coming over!" bustle. You know exactly what I'm talking about right? The floor gets vacuumed, shelves get dusted (or something like it), pillows get fluffed and toilets get wiped, but rarely does my stove get attended to.

The other day a friend of mine came over and as she walked into my tiny kitchen, I cringed at the sight of my stove top. Dang it. I thought. I made a casual joke about Ty and I always fighting over who has to clean the stove and so it rarely gets done. haha. chuckle chuckle. please don't judge me. 

We went on about our day but I couldn't get that moment out of my head.

Why was I so ashamed about my stove top being dirty? Was it because of the fact that it was dirty or  because maybe I thought it represented me? My laziness. My inability to become anything domestic. I mean, the food on the stove wasn't even there because I cooked last...Ty did. He's normally the one who cooked last.

Shoot.

That was it. That dirty stove, in that moment, beamed like a spotlight of what I considered failure.

You don't clean enough Jules. Cooking? Forget about it. You'll never be a good housewife. 

Discouragement. Disappointment.

And then I remembered my calling. My promise to God and my family.

"Love the Lord your God with all your heart and soul and might. These words, which I am commanding you today, shall be on your heart. You shall teach them diligently to your sons and shall talk of them when you sit in your house and when you walk by the way and when you lie down and when you rise up. You shall bind them as a sign on your hand and they shall be as frontals on your forehead. You shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates."Deuteronomy 6:5-9

I wasn't called to be the perfect wife or mother or chef or house tidier. I wasn't called to perfection at all.

I was called to live.

Live fully and freely and in a way that would honor and love my God. I was called to live in such a way that His grace and love and hope would be natural verbs of my life.

I was called to talk about Him, to my husband and my girl and everyone that comes in that front door.

Into my messy kitchen.

Yes, I was called live, and my dirty stove reminded me that I lived that day. It is my Ebenezer stone that reminded me I fed, I nurtured, and I enjoyed doing it.

Are you too, easily ashamed of piece of your home? How about we learn to not be ashamed together?  Let's learn to be alive, together.
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The Stone Collective is a community making much of Jesus as we create art, photography, prose, poems or music that commemorate the wonderful things God does in our life. Started by Sarah Martin and based on the passage in 1 Samuel 7:12-14, each month we will collect Ebenezer Stones as a regularly practice in the art of worship via our creativity. 

Want to join in on The Stone Collective? Create your own Stone and link up to LIVE IT OUT! Blog. #TheStoneCollective

10 Notable Blogs to Read | I Get Around

I'm not a heavy reader. I get bored when I read for too long. #confession But I love scanning blogs and more often than not I get caught up in someone's faith journey, album/book release party, dress mishap or marriage lessons. I share a lot of articles via Facebook, but for the sake of my own recollection, I'd thought I'd start summing up notable blogs here.

ON LIFE

• In Which You Are a Beloved Warrior, was the most amazing way to start out my week. Guy or gal, it's worth a read. (Sarah Bessey)
• Yes, the protagonist of any decent story must want something, and want it bad enough to walk through fire, but she is not expected to plow through obstacles on her own. The Meaning of a Mentor. (Darling Mag)

ON MUSIC / WORSHIP

• Kari Jobe has a new worship album and you should get it. 
• Mutemath is one of Ty's favorite bands, and Mutemath's band wives are pretty cool. Laura has rad style and seems like a sweety. Stacy, well, she's Sucre. And I love her. 

ON MOMMING 

• I hope I will be the kind of mom who ask for forgiveness. If I ever hear the words, I Forgive You Mom, from my sweet girl, I will sob. (Natalie Falls)
• Motherhood is awesome. And hilarious. Thank you Scary Mommy for saying the things that make the rest of us blush and giggle and raise our hands in an "Amen!" (Scary Mommy)

ON MARRIAGE 

• And Then I Stopped Talking to My Husband, an article filled with so much truth I stared at my screen for minutes to let it soak in. (Laura Tremaine)
• In Lasting Love, the first sentence is, "I am selfish. and used to be entitled, and just overall immature." Dude, me too. (Casey Wiegand)
• Conscious Uncoupling of the Martins. My heart broke and so did my non-star-struck husband's. But really, it's none of our business. (Gwyneth Paltrow)

original bike photo via

8 Months and a Mother's Poem

Look right here, sweet child of mine,
Your eyes so dark they swallow time,
The great unknown within your reach,
The One who knows will surely teach.

There is no need to fear the world,
It was built with love my sweet girl,
It's broken yes, and battered blue,
But now it's up to me and you,
To heal with hand and heart that's pure,
For only true love will endure.

Sometimes we see only what we want to see,
But trust me girl, that's not who you want to be,
Take heed to our words and keep open your eyes,
So you see what's before you and learn from the wise.

Your innocence in mama's bonnet,
Will someday be quite a sonnet,
Your voice will be heard from the top of the mount,
Just remember who loves you and what life's about.

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Sym's Outfit | Bonnet, hand-me-down, Polka Onsie, Carter's, Black leggings, Carter's

Why I’m Letting My Husband Off the Newlywed Hook

In life there are beautiful friendships that take time and energy to develop. And then there are friendships that are instant, electric and for life. Christina is one of those friends for me. Her writing and vulnerability will make you feel like you're chatting in her living with room a cup of tea in hand. I know, because I've been there. -JM

The newlywed phase is a beautiful thing. 

Sparks, romance, and hundreds of romantic-comedy worthy moments strung together to make up the first few years of marriage. There’s breakfasts in bed, always sharing the love seat, fetching drinks and other desired objects, and of course, cuddling. This is my newlywed snapshot. Maybe it’s yours, too. Maybe it’s not, but regardless of what it looks like, all marriages start out in their own snapshot of what love is all about. 

But then what?

Here it comes…

The slow (or not so slow) waning of flame, fizzle of oomph, and the like. In other words, time snuffs out the brand new, romance-driven, enticing day to day stimulation of being newlyweds. This is where I currently find myself: 3 years and 1 baby into my marriage and seemingly losing steam. 

I’ll be honest with you. I blamed it on him. I was convinced he wasn’t as interested in me, bored, getting lazy, seeing me as just another person in his day to day life. I whined about it. I complained I wasn’t getting enough attention and feeling loved. 

You see, he just wasn’t making a big enough fuss about me anymore.

Then God did something awesome. 

In so many ways, after however many silly fights, He showed me the whimsical idea of marriage I’d built up for myself was flawed, destructive, and littered with selfishness. It wasn’t love at all. 

I was expecting my husband to entertain my emotions with new and interesting behaviors, to win me over day after day with his chivalry and adoration. Sounds exhausting, doesn’t it? My quick fix: sell myself more effectively. This quickly lead to a roller coaster of highs and lows and ultimately dissatisfaction. 

Another loving intervention: "Your idea is flawed, but my idea is perfect. Let go of your culture-charged, emotion-driven ideas and let me show you something amazing." Our model for love in marriage (in any relationship, really!) is Christ.

Fully knowing our hearts and flaws, He gave himself up, out of love, so that we might have freedom from our sinful hearts and stand before the Father restored and redeemed. 

Marriage is the perfect relationship to grow more like Christ. (Click to tweet!) As we come to know each other intimately, forgiving each other’s sins, and loving each other without strings attached, we can stand before each other fully known, completely flawed, and madly in love. Suddenly my romantic ideas looked more like shadows of an incredible love story.

God’s love story for me.

Timothy Keller wrote in, The Meaning of Marriage:

“Romance, sex, laughter, and plain fun are the by-products of this process of sanctification, refinement, glorification. Those things are important, but they can’t keep a marriage going through years and years of ordinary life. What keeps the marriage going is your commitment to your spouse’s holiness. You’re committed to his or her beauty. You’re committed to his greatness and perfection. You’re committed to her honesty and passion for the things of God. That’s your job as a spouse."

I lost sight of this. 

I forgot that this thing called marriage was about encouraging, loving, and walking through the process of becoming more like Christ. I let my focus fall from the incredible leader and father God was currently molding my husband to be, to the ways he was failing to serve my emotions. I was missing out on seeing the very thing that made me fall in love with him come to light. I was settling for a cheap version of romance when God (and my husband!) had something much greater in mind. 

Maybe you are, too.

So, I am letting my husband off the newlywed hook. 

I am letting myself off the newlywed hook.  I am abandoning my silly ideas of love and romance, my selfishness, my need to be made much of, and my attempts to present my husband with a flawless bride. 

I am committing myself to truly loving and knowing my husband as he grows into what God has for him. I am embracing the freedom in letting my husband see who I am and who I am becoming with the incredibly romantic knowledge that God has written our love story and it’s better than I ever imagined. 

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Written by Christina Nunez, wife, mother, writer and best friend. 
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Photos via Lukabella & Kandis Howell Photography

Do You Love Him? | On Mothering a Son with Down Syndrome

"I've never met Natalie in person, but we know each other through the grapevines of our small(ish) home town. It was her unique eye for photography that initially captured my attention. And then I read her story. And I kept reading. And reading. And couldn't stop. You'll see why." -JM 

There is something that pierces my soul. It stares me in the eyes and I am forced to remember. Four years ago I learned something that I would never forget. Something I can't be quiet about until my breath is gone. 

But first, look at him—my son...

Some things are more comfortable kept quiet. Kept secret. Some things hurt too much to talk about, or even think about…but maybe, just maybe, you will read this in secret. 

Sometimes we don't understand why hard things happen to us. Or why a baby like my son is given to us. For every ten women who find out they're having a baby with Down syndrome, only one of them continues with their pregnancy. When I first read that Elias was the only one of ten to be born, my heart and soul ached. Four years later the aching hasn't stopped, it hasn't gone away. It has become worse. 

Like a mother who tries to articulate the beauty of that moment she holds her newborn and looks into his eyes for the first time, how could I ever explain to you how much I love my son?

"Do you love him?" she asked me. The fear of the unknown was shaking in her voice as we talked over the phone. She was desperate to know if I loved Elias, and if she could ever love her unborn son with Down syndrome.

How can I tell you what my heart feels when I lay down with him in his bed, and he sings and puts his hand on my face? Or what wonderful thoughts go through my mind when he sees his daddy and yells, "Daddy!" and with everything in his little body he gives his best hug? And the joy I feel when I see him wrestle with his brother and belly laugh with his sister. I wish you could know for a moment the depth of love I have for my son.

There is right and there is wrong. Life is always right. If God has created breath, they are meant to breathe. The inhale and the exhale, the beating—they don't want to stop. They want to breath, they want to beat.

I watch his chest rise and fall. I put my face next to his and feel his breath. My hand is resting on his heart. He knows what so many babies should know; but they don't, and they never will.

There is something that pierces my soul. Something that stares me in the eyes every day. Every day I'm reminded: those who God has given life to are meant to live. (Click to tweet) 

I am one mom out of ten that knows the joy and beauty of having a child with Down syndrome. And I can tell you, my life is full. I love my son and I would not change him or choose a different life.

You can read more about our first days with Elias.

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My favorite posts from Natalie // Unexpected Love, Why Do You Write?, I Forgive You, Mom

Follow her blog, you won't regret it.

Mo Life in March | According to Instagram

(From top left to right) People watching on family park day // Brought one out of the Ty Jules love archives for #throwbackthursday. Who doesn't fall asleep in a hammock? // Dancing, dancing, dancing // Raised $5000 for my first 5k! // Baby food making, easiest thing ever // Worshipped with my hus. It's on youtube. // Pinteresting is a real problem thing. // New devotional from @naptimediaries. #lovingit // Vitamin bottles, entertaining babies in airports since, well, now // Have an instagram? Find me and let's heart each other's pictures!

That One Time I Ran for Her Life

Running a 5k didn't change me. It moved me. Forward. Literally.

Friday night, Baby Girl Mo decided sleep wasn't that important and so we pulled a close-to-all-nighter. That was fun.

At 5:40AM, my melodic alarm started singing to me and I wish I could say I popped out of bed, bright eyed and bushy tailed, ready to run on behalf of girls I love and hold dearly.

But rather, I cursed it's robotic nature and hit the snooze button. Nine more minutes. I just need nine more minutes, because nine more minutes will definitely solve exhaustion.

Nine minutes later, I whipped off the covers, sat up as fast as I could, waiting for the rush of excitement, anxiousness, anything to get me moving.

And then I actually looked at my alarm. I'd forgotten I titled that morning's alarm She's been up all night. You run for her. 

That moved me.

With each piece of clothing I pulled on, I prayed over the homes of My Refuge House. For each girl who finds safety and love and freedom in their four walls, though I don't know their names.

With each strand of hair I braided, I thought about the millions still trapped in the sex trade, this disgusting business that somehow thrives in this world.

With each shoe lace I weaved into their sturdy double knots, I wept knowing the She I was running for told my friend Crystal only weeks before, I never knew this kind of love existed. And she wasn't talking about romantic, fuzzy, over the top love. She was talking about the kind of love that hugs, clothes, feeds, and laughs with a child.

Basic yet powerful love.

That's why I'm running, I coached myself. But by that point, I didn't need anymore coaching. I was ready to run across the world for her.

Maegan and I crossed the finish line together (at 34:16!), and our team raised over $5,000! Thank you so much for your comments and notes and messages of encouragement! And thank you to those who donated! Especially my Becoming Girls. You are the future and you're making it look goooood.

Special thanks to Maegan, Andrew, Lindsey (and friends), my mother and little sister for coming out and running with me!

Thanks to Crystal for having an infectious heart for your girls and letting me be a small part of your world. I got the bug :) 

Thanks to Christina and Joanna for cheering me on and bringing me donuts! Real friends bring their friends maple bars after a morning run ;) #psyourenotoffthehookforgettingpregnantanddroppingoutoftherace

And thanks to Tyson, for making fun of me along the way and watching Baby Girl Mo when I needed drag my booty outside to run. I'm so glad I get to do life with you. 

Dear Pastor's Wives | You Are Free to Be Imperfect

Dear Pastor's Wives,

You are one of the few types of wives that assume more than just your husband's last name. Similar to the First Lady, you obtain an unspoken role of leadership in your church. Some of you thrive in this role and others of you fear it. Or maybe you do both, like me. 

I have not been a pastor's wife for very long. A little less than 5 years to be exact, but I am the daughter of a pastor and watched my mother swim through the ebb and flow in the sea that is ministry. 

To us, her children, she wasn't perfect, but she was close. 

But not because she kept her life and love neatly fastened together with a big pink bow. 

Behind the haven of our front door she had her moments of panic and fear, her bouts of depression and loneliness and her seasons of weariness. We saw them. She let us see them. And, in my opinion, her vulnerability made us better human beings. 

It made us better human beings because, while we grew up with expectations to be respectful, we were never expected to be perfect. We knew our parents weren't perfect and it emboldened us. It gave us the chance to see God's grace at work in their lives and as a result, to recognize it in our own. 

Yet even with that background, I am still a woman and I still live in pressure, from myself and the world around me. 

As women, we already struggle with daily pressure to be perfect inside and out, but then adding the spiritual, emotional and physical weight from your husband's job and heightened attention, both intentionally and unintentionally, on the demeanor of you and your family, it can be a lot for one woman to bear. 

There is an expectation that if anyone in the church has it together, it's probably the pastor and his family. But we know, this is rarely the case, because are we a part of the human race. 

We sin and struggle. Just like everyone else. 

There is pressure to be THE Proverbs 31 woman of your church. And while that is an honorable goal of any and every woman who has submitted herself to Jesus, it is not a standard by which we are to live all at one time. 

If you read closely, the woman in Proverbs 31 (10-31) is on a journey of becoming "the Proverbs 31 woman" herself. 

She didn't start out that way. 

She had to learn submission. 

She had to learn household management.

She had to learn to be a good mother and a good wife.

She had to learn how to bridle her tongue and she had to gain the respect and trust of her husband. 

She wasn't born that way. 

And neither are we. 

If you're looking for failure, you will find it. As a pastor's wife, that is true of us. If someone is looking for my failures, they will easily find them. If you are looking for your own failure, well, who am I kidding? We don't have to look.

But that is why God sent Jesus. For people like us, who fail and need freedom to live.

Sweet friend, you are free to be imperfect. And maybe you just needed a little reminder of that today.

You are free to fail and get up and do it again. You are free to learn and grow.

You are loved right where you are and your ministry to your husband, your family and your church will benefit significantly from you basking in that freedom. 

You are free to become the Proverbs 31 woman that you so desire, because there is no judgement from God on how long it takes you to get there. (Tweet that!)

So it's okay, you don't have to be perfect for anyone, not even your children, because God already declared you perfect and that's good enough.

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This article is part of the DEAR CHURCH SERIES. Click to read the rest of the series. 

Dear Pastors | There is Honor in What You Do

Dear Pastors,

You stimulate change byway of love. 

Your job is love, as 1 Timothy 1:5 says, love that's issued from a pure heart and a good conscience and a sincere faith. 

That's your goal. It's what you've been called to do by God. Your position is one of pressure and divine dependance. 

Without God, you would called a public speaker and many of you might not even choose that occupation. You'd rather be a business man, a construction worker, or even musicians. But God has seen it fit for you to be speaking publicly, here and now, the Gospel to your world and you have taken up the challenge. 

There is honor in that. Great honor.  

God has chosen you as His representative. You directly and indirectly represent the almighty, all knowing, all present and all powerful God of the universe. That's insane right? 

Between your education, internships, volunteering and employment, you've given years to the calling and house of God. You have sacrificed hours and days, relationships and opportunities, and at times maybe your sanity. But your sacrifice is not in vain. 

There is honor in that. Great honor. 

Every week, we sit and we listen to you speak; well studied truth and relatable principles God has directed. Some soak it up like a sponge, some criticize in the form of a long email on Monday morning, and others have found the balance between the two. 

It's easy to get hung up on the criticizers. But know, they will always exist. The early apostles had them, the great patriarchs and matriarchs of the Church had them. Listen, test their words, discern their hearts and leave the rest behind. 

There is honor in that. Great honor. 

Your calling is not dependent on the speculations of men, but on the will of God. Not on the whens and ifs of your failures, but on the will of God.  (Click to tweet)

I love how Paul says it to the Philippians:

I’m not saying that I have this all together, that I have it made. But I am well on my way, reaching out for Christ, who has so wondrously reached out for me. Friends, don’t get me wrong: By no means do I count myself an expert in all of this, but I’ve got my eye on the goal, where God is beckoning us onward—to Jesus. I’m off and running, and I’m not turning back. 

So let’s keep focused on that goal, those of us who want everything God has for us. If any of you have something else in mind, something less than total commitment, God will clear your blurred vision—you’ll see it yet! Now that we’re on the right track, let’s stay on it. (Philippians 3:12-16 MSG)

Let this be the vehicle in which you drive home the Gospel, week after week. Running hard after the heart of God, allowing yourself to slow only long enough to gain perspective. 

There is honor in that. Great honor. 

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Ps. On a completely personal and surface level note, pick up some flowers for your wife on your way home today. She'll love you for it :) Unless she doesn't like flowers, then go with some Lindt Chocolates. 

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This article is part of the DEAR CHURCH SERIES. Click to read the rest of the series. 

Dear Church Goers | Setting Aside the "Hows" and Asking "Why Church"

It's Sunday morning. You walk through those double doors with your bible in one hand and your iPhone in the other, practicing your smile and trying to "leave this week at the doors so you can worship freely." But as the first song begins to play, you can't hear what the worship leader is saying because the guilt and shame and baggage of your week is loudly clashing and clanging around your mind. 

But you keep smiling, because maybe if you smile long enough, no one will guess what's really going on inside your head. 

The band is transitioning to song three by now, you know, the one that you're supposed to "make your prayer"? But praying is the last thing you want to do. 

You can't talk to God like this! 

Maybe next week. 

You'll do better next week.

Is this what Church is? A place where the guilty are inhibited to worship?

"What if the Church could really be what it was meant to be?" Isn't that the question we're asking? What if we were actually a place of love and refuge for all?

A legitimate question. But maybe we're asking the wrong question. Maybe we've been focusing too closely on the strategies (successful or failed) of HOW to be this Church instead of seeing WHY we need to be this Church. 

Let's look back for some perspective.

The act of "going to church" comes from the 1st Century gathering of Jesus' disciples and those who had heard about Him rising from the dead. They met together out of both desire and necessity. 

Desire, so they build community, accountability and stability in their lives as Christians. (Acts 2:42-47)

Necessity, because they recognized this life of a Christian was impossible to live out alone. (Colossians 3)

They needed each other. (Galatians 6:2, Romans 12:3-13, 1 Thessalonians 5:14)

"And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near." Hebrews 10:24-25

Nothing about that has changed from then to now. The human condition is still the same. There was sin then and there is sin now. There was shame and fear then and there is shame and fear now. Just because the first gatherings of people who dubbed the name "Church" were closer to the life of Jesus, didn't mean they were less human or more holy. 

They knew the primary goal of their gathering was to encourage, equip, and evangelize; not to erase sin.  According to them, Jesus already did that! (Ephesians 4)

According to them, Jesus' life, death and resurrection was SO THAT we (us and them) could live with no inhibition in this life. It was so we could freely move about in this world, as image bearers of God almighty, illuminating the ground we walk upon. (John 10:1-10, Galatians 5)

The Gospel, the greatest news of our existence, is as true and simple and real and powerful now as it was then:

If you confess with your words that Jesus is Lord, the Son of God, and believe with your heart (kardia: the heart, mind, character, will, inner self, intention, center) that God raised Him from the dead, after dying to pay the debt of mankind, you are saved. For with the heart a person believes, resulting in a right standing with God, and with their mouth they confess their inability to ever be good enough for God's approval on their own, resulting in their salvation (Paraphrased from Romans 10:9-10)

No more masks, because we all have a reason to wear one. (Tweet that!)

No more fake smiles, because life is more miserable as a fake, and we've all got something to fake. 

What if the Church continued it's journey, as flawed and broken as it may be, towards  the WHY and away from the polished HOW we feel we need to create.  (Click to tweet.)

What if God's intention for the Church was never to "arrive," but to "thrive" in the journey of discovery? 

What if we step back and see, really see the generations before us and after us for who they really are?

What if we could answer the WHY of Church, together? 

What could happen then? 

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It's scary to be real, but someone's got to make the first move. Let's (and by let's I mean you and me!) be bold this weekend. Don't fake it. Talk to someone. Pray with someone. Tell your story and ask theirs and see how the flood gates open up. 

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This post is part of a week long series of letters to the people of the Church. Read the rest of the letters here.

On Rediscovering Church

I was raised in the Church. 

I am the daughter of a salesman turned pastor and the wife to a worship pastor/church planter. 

We got married in the Church. 

I worked at the Church. 

I volunteered in the Church. 

I've been a part of mega churches, growing churches, celebrity churches and churches with less than 25 people in attendance. 

I've led worship at churches with well established teams and professional bands and I've led at churches with mediocre talent but surrendered hearts. 

I've been in the middle of one gruesome church split and two inspiring church plants.

I've seen churches grow over night and churches close before their first birthday.

But while time and experience can create insight, I believe what gives me any ounce authority on speaking to and from the Christian Church perspective, is that like 37% of unchurched adults* in our country, I have been burned by the Church.

I understand fear. I understand anger. I understand being vulnerable and being judged. 

I understand because I've been on both ends of that phone line. I've been hurt and controlled and I've been the one to hurt and control others. I am both offender and offended and that, I believe, gives me some sliver of substance to speak out on this massively ambiguous topic of Church. 

Over the past decade, many coffee shop dialogues, reactionary blogs and podium messages on "the church" have come from the youth of my generation. Now adults, and today's church, we've written, spoken, and cried out from a deep, deep well of resentment.

So what happened exactly Church?

Why do we feel you screwed us up? 
Why do you feel we've rebelled? 

Why do we have such high and low expectations of each other that neither generation can seem to fulfill?

The answer doesn't fit inside the coloring lines. I've tried. 

I believe the conversations surrounding the Church (both local and global) could stand for a little flame fanning and ash stoking, but this time, maybe with the perspective that Jesus had when he prayed and died and rose again for "the Church."** 

Neither for these alone do I pray [it is not for their sake only that I make this request], but also for all those who will ever come to believe in (trust in, cling to, rely on) Me through their word and teaching, that they all may be one, [just] as You, Father, are in Me and I in You, that they also may be one in Us, so that the world may believe and be convinced that You have sent Me. 

I have given to them the glory and honor which You have given Me, that they may be one [even] as We are one: I in them and You in Me, in order that they may become one and perfectly united, that the world may know and [definitely] recognize that You sent Me and that You have loved them [even] as You have loved Me.

John 17: 20-23

For the joy set before Him, [Jesus] endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. 

Hebrews 12:2 

The Church is Christ's joy and if we are following His lead, somehow it must become ours too.

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I hope you will journey with me this week and ask the tough questions. 

Your feedback and insight is always welcome in the comments section. But let's remember to keep it just that, a conversation. No name-calling, foul language or foul play. Your comment will be deleted. 

Let's re-discover together. 

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*This number does not include those burned and still attending. 
**I am fully aware that there are extremely serious wounds caused by people in the church and church leadership (ie. verbal, emotional, sexual and physical abuse). The following letters are not an attempt to address those cases. And I am sorry if that has been your experience. You do not deserve that. 

Upcoming Blog Series | Letters to Various People in the Church

I love the Church. I love it because, like most Christians, I believe the Church is not a building we drive to once or twice a week; it is the people who fill that building. (Click to tweet)

In that same vein, entering and exiting the building doesn't determine when we put on or take off our identity as "the Church." As one who has entrusted their life in the risen Jesus Christ, you and I are the Church at all times, in all places. (Tweet, tweet?)

This week I'll be writing seven letters to seven different groups of people in the Christian Church. They will be biblically based and filled with Scripture to show where I am pulling my insights from. 

The series is affectionately titled, Dear Church.

IMPORTANT NOTE:  I am exploring and discovering my faith just as much as the next person. These letters are not intended to prove, argue, or bully my way into any type of authority when it comes to knowing, being, or living out faith. 

Some of the letters are heavily based on my own personal experience and some on the experiences of others. 

Writing these has played a pivotal point in my journey as a follower of Christ.  

I do not want to preach. I want to converse.
I do not want to tell. I want to ask.
I do not want to plaster guilt. I want to invite freedom.

I hope you enjoy this series and feel free to give your two cents along the way in the comment section below. I'd like to hear your perspectives, especially if you fit into one of the category letters. 

The series will begin Sunday, March 9, 2014.