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Abi Byrd has been one of my greatest gifts during Covid.  We hung out the wknd the world shut down and have built a friendship ever since.  Now, I just need to get north about 8 hours.  

Abi is a Bible teacher, a wife, a mom, a friend, and is on staff with McLean Bible Church in the DC Metro area.  I've loved her wisdom in parenting older kids and just her authenticity that you'll hear in this episode.

Liturgy for pursuing joy

Father you are the source of all joy. you have made us in your image and we are only to find out joy in you.  How often we seek our joy in other things.

Help us to know that with you there is fullness of joy.  We can pursue  joy in you with everything we are and never be let down. Our joy in you will never be disappointing. 

Wake us up in the morning counting everything as joy in you.  Keep us going throughout the day by focusing our hearts and minds on you…in every circumstance.  And as we close our eyes set night may be trust you with our hurts and our dreams and our tears and our smiles knowing that you hold all things together.

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I've enjoyed getting to know Katie Orr the past 3 years.  We first met in real life when she spoke at a women's retreat for our church.  I've gotten to know her even more through the Bible Study Hub where I am a coach.  You can join us if you are looking for a place where we read and study the Bible together - enjoying it together.  

Katie has been involved in ministry in several states and has written books and curriculum.  She enjoys helping women enjoy God's Word.  She is a pastor's wife and a mom and loves going to Disney with her family.  A perk of living in Florida.

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Ashton is a wife, teacher, and creative.  She is no stranger to the Lavish Hospitality podcast. If you've not heard the previous eps she's done you can do so:

Ashton on Light and Beauty and the Table - one of the most popular episodes
Ashton on the Fall Season

Here is your gentleness liturgy:

Thank you God for loving us and making us in your image.  You sent Jesus to die for us and to be a skin-in representation of who you are.  He defined himself as gentle and lowly.  Make us rely on Christ for everything we need.

Our flesh will not naturally be gentle.  Please change our heart of stone into a heart of flesh that is tuned to you and rely on you for the working-out of gentleness in our lives and in our relationships. 

Help us not get discouraged when we don't see gentleness displayed in our lives.  But, allow those moments to drive us to Christ - and we ask you to mold us Holy Spirit into who you want us to be - until the day of Jesus Christ.  We are new creatures and you are glorified when we trust in you.

Resources we talked about:
Gentle and Lowly Dane Ortlund
Phil Ryken Loving the Way Jesus Loves
Well-Watered Woman
Love Beyond Looks
In the Lord I Take Refuge Dane Ortlund
Miracles by CS Lewis


"So often when we aren't gentle, we are fearful."

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Jana White joins me today to talk about discernment: a topic we all need to talk about and grow in as women of God.  Jana and I were at Southeastern Seminary at the same time but I was didn't meet her until a couple of years ago.

Jana is a wife, mom, teacher, writer, and friend.

Hannah Anderson
Jana White on IG
Discernment article


Liturgy for Discernment:

Father - we know that the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom.  We desperately need more of you so that we can gain a heart of wisdom.  We ask that as we live in a fast-paced world, with streams of media always around us, that you would give us hearts that long to be discerning women of God.  That you would show us  how Christ lived a wise life.  Put other women around us who love you and love your word and may they pour into our lives.  Give us discernment on how we use our time and other resources  Give us discernment in what we read and how it will impact our heart and lives and the lives of those around us. You desire us to be discerning women and those who love you and walk closely with you.  We know that you can make us discerning and wise. We ask that now in the name of Jesus - Amen.

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Hi there.

Angie Elkins joins me today on the podcast where we start a series on attributes or characteristics that should be a part of our lives as Christian women.  We are all growing as the Holy Spirit is making us more like Christ of course.  So this season we are talking to different ladies about whatever topic they want to share. 

Angie is a daughter of God, a media specialist, a pastor's wife, a mom, and serves in so many areas! 

Go listen - and check out these links below.

Angie Elkins Media
FBC Orlando
Simple Seminary
Beth McCord - Your Enneagram Coach
Angie's Podcast with Beth (most recent)
Scott McKnight book
Sick of Me: Whitney Capps

And here is the liturgy for the show.  Something I'm seeking to do to go with these as a way to help us all know how to pray about these topics:

Thank you Father and Creator for making us in your image.  You have made us and called us good.  We are fearfully and wonderfully made.  You know every word and thought we have.  You know when we get up in the morning and when we go to bed at night (so tired most of the time) and you know our anxious times and our peaceful times.  
We are fully known and loved by you.  We don't (and cant) have to hide anything from you to make you love us any more than we already are.  You know everything!  
As we live in relationship with other people in this beautiful and broken world, give us wisdom to show up even imperfectly, to not fear what others think of us, and how to live life with others in such a way that is a blessing to those around us and gives them a real look at us - and who you are making us to be.  
If we are rejected - help us to respond appropriately.  You were rejected - and you are our great High Priest who has experienced everything we have.  Let us run to you.  If we are anxious - help us to take those concerns and thoughts to you first. Give us someone who is safe for us - who will point us to you and our hope in the Gospel.
You are a good good Father - Amen

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Hey yall.  I  take this episode to talk about my favorite family worship gospel resources.  I hope these will give you some new ones or maybe it'll give you some new ways to build habits of family worship - no matter what that looks like for your family. 
Leave me a comment with your favorite resource y'all have used.

Jared Kennedy
Sally Lloyd Jones
Marty Machowski
God with Us
Advent Blocks
Kevin DeYoung
Getty Music
Ellie Holcomb
Slugs and Bugs
Andrew Peterson

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My neighbor and friend Cynthia Stuckey joins me for this season 3 opener : the one where we eat cake, look back at 21 and look ahead at 22. 

We always talk about so many things.  So here are some links you'll find helpful;

The London House
Rosamunde Pilcher
Little Women
Hoopla
Come Thou Long Expected Jesus
Cynthia's website
The Time Cynthia was on the podcast before
Mary's Whole Life Brussel Sprouts
Smitten Kitchen Buche de Noel
Primal Gourmet Chicken
Deeper Dane
Lanier Ivester
Ray Ortlund Proverbs

And so many other things

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Merry Christmas
Christmas Liturgy 2021

As we celebrate your birth Lord Jesus, may we remember in this greatest present – you  have come to meet with us – to dwell with us.  You became flesh and pitched a tent with us in our yard – so that you would show us the glory of the Father – or your Abba Daddy.

You are our Suffering Servant – meeting with us in our suffering.

You are our All-Satisfying Savior who meets us in our want and desire

You are our Patient One who meets us in our long dark waiting

You are the One who cried and also catches us our tears and meets us when the tears never cease

You are one who relieves all doubt and meets with us in our fears and questions and doubts.

You are the Gentle savior who meets us in our stress and calls us to come and rest

You are the great designer and orchestrator of the universe who holds all things together and meets us in our chaos.

You are the Everlasting Life who meets us in our pain of the death of loved ones or when we walk through our own valley of the shadow of death

You are our Way Maker and meet us at every point of our own journey – no matter how many mountains and valleys we go through

You are our Easy Yoke who meets us in our hard

You are the Light of the World who meets us in our darkness and doesn’t allow the darkness to overthrow it.

You are our Near God who meets us when we our outcast even from those who profess your name

You are our Friend who sticks closer than any other who meets us when we are lonely.

You are the one to which we lift our eyes and meet us in the valley

You are our Love and meet us when we are impatient and unkind

You are our Fullness of Joy and meet us when our longings are unmet

You are the Great High Priest who knew much suffering and meets us in our grief – especially the grief that is new, that is hard, that is unwanted, that is long in its welcome.

You are the One who knew much sorrow and meets us in ours.

You are the Prince of Peace who meets us when peace is so lacking in our homes and hearts.

Your presence brings gladness and you meet us to overwhelm our sadness

You have promised to make all things new and you meet us in our brokenness

You are the Way and the Wonderful Counselor and meet us in our lostness.

You are our Sanctifying friend and meet us in our depression.

You sit with us and meet us in our silence when we don’t know what to say.

You mend our hearts and meet us in our woundedness.

In you there is joy, wonder, faith, hope, love, and peace.  We welcome you.  And we pray Come quickly Lord Jesus.  Thank you for breaking in to our world and letting us know you.  And Have life in you

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Last day of Advent.  Tomorrow we celebrate his coming!

Luke 1

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Day 26 of Advent

2 Corinthians 5

Henri Nouwen