Living With Less Podcast

This week's episode with Wendy Blight is one that teaches us why we need to have God's word tucked in our hearts and know His word for ourselves. She shares her story of overcoming the darkest of times by learning God's word and His deep love for her.

**Trigger Warning: Wendy's story involves sexual assault happening to her. If you'd like to skip that part it is at the end of the ninth minute, 9:49-9:57.**

1)Tell us about the wonderful you! (Family, where you live, ministry, church, etc.)

• I’m married to Monty and have two children, Lauren and Bo. Monty and I have been married 32 years!! We were college sweethearts, and he was my first, and only, boyfriend. Lauren was born 6 years after we got married, and she is now married (age 26) and living in Atlanta with her husband, Morgan, who is the best ever answer to prayer for her. Bo was born 4 ½ years after Lauren, and he is 21 years old, a senior in college academically and a redshirt junior for basketball. He plays college basketball at UNC Charlotte and is also actively involved with FCA.
• We attend a newly formed church called Moments of Hope. I teach weekly Bible study for our women with our pastor’s wife. I love our community. Though less than a year old, we already have over 1500 attending and have 300 women participating in our Bible study. So exciting!
• I work part time for Proverbs 31 Ministries as the Biblical Content Coordinator for P31 Online Bible Studies, and I absolutely LOVE my job. And, I work with the best people, one you know … Kendra … she has been your guest a few times.

As we dig into the meat of this episode I think we need to set the stage a bit for what Spiritual Warfare looks like. For some this part of scripture seems so foreign or uncomfortable. Can you give a breakdown about what it is and where people can read about it in the Bible.

• Spiritual warfare is REAL. It began in the Garden of Eden with Adam and Eve and it will continue until Jesus comes back as our Ruling and Reigning King. Satan slithered into this world, entered the serpent, tempted Eve and has been around ever since. And, he is not alone. Simple summary of the beginning of this war … At one time, Satan was one of God’s good angels. But, he decided he wanted what God had and rebelled against God. God threw him out of heaven along with 1/3 of the angels who sided with him. He has been battling God’s people ever since. The first chapter of Job gives us a great vision of what this warfare looks like!
• We hear most about spiritual warfare in Ephesians Chapter 6. Paul tells us in this chapter that we do not fight against flesh and blood enemies (though it often feels like it). We really fight against Satan and those fallen angels. But, we need not fear spiritual warfare because of so many truths in Scripture. First, when we are children of God, we have God’s Holy Spirit living in us. John tells us in 1 John 4:4 the truth about this situation … GREATER is the ONE who lives in us (Holy Spirit) than the one (Satan) who lives in this world. Paul tells us in Romans 8:37 that we are MORE than conquerors in these battles through Christ who lives in us. And, Paul tells us in Ephesians 6 God doesn’t leave us to fight alone. We have weapons of warfare … The Armor of God … Helmet of Salvation, Breastplate of Righteousness, Belt of Truth, Shield of Faith, Sword of the Spirit and the Shoes of the Gospel of Peace. That Sword is the Word of God. It is our OFFENSIVE weapon with which we can fight.

3) Many people live their lives taking others word for who God is and what His truths say. You and I both know the importance of knowing His word for ourselves and having that deep relational connection with who He is. Can you give an example when you were so thankful you knew God’s word for yourself in a season that was hard and filled with attacks from the enemy.

• The very worst, most horrific event in my life brought me closer to God and into a deeper understanding of God’s Word than anything else I’ve walked through. I had nothing else. In wrestling with God … in being so very angry with God … I came to know, trust and love Him by exposing my heart and mind to the Bible. I learned it was living, active and penetrating (Hebrews 4:12) meant to speak to us today and bring healing and life transformation. I learned that when His Word goes out … spoken or prayed or written … it will not return void but will accomplish His desires and achieve the purposes for which He sent it (Isaiah 55:11).

We also know there are many people who know God’s word but don’t know the weapon that it can be against the evil one! Can you explain how to stand firm in faith or stand firm from our knees in prayer when things get hard/painful/questionable.

• Share the power of praying God’s Word and how it came to fruition when I saw a wall of the angels surrounding my house as I was faithful to pray Scripture to free me from fear.

Since we know the enemy can’t create, but can twist and manipulate is there a tactic you feel the enemy uses with you over and over? How can someone begin identifying when he is attacking them instead of chalking it up to bad luck/bad day/ etc.

• My latest battle has been with anxiety. Our enemy knows our weaknesses. Peter tells us to be alert for the work of the enemy in our midst because He prowls around like a roaring lion, looking for someone to desire. So, Satan observes us and sees those places where we have no confidence, we struggle with trusting God and he attacks, pounces, lies and deceives. The enemy knows what things make me anxious. So, the more I began to pay attention to my anxious times and what was causing them, the less he could claim victory over me. I found Scriptures on peace and I memorized them (Isaiah 26:3 the biggest one) and I prayed them. I stopped allowing the anxiety to paralyze me. Baby steps. Riding the wave.

One of my favorite verses I turn when under attack to other than Eph 6:16 is John 10:28, “I will give them eternal life, they shall never perish, no one will snatch them out of my hand.” What are some of the truths of God you point people to when they feel the enemy is coming against them?

• 1 John 4:4, “Greater is the One who lives in us than the one who lives in the world.”
• Romans 8:35-39 “Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword? As it is written: “For your sake we face death all day long; we are considered as sheep to be slaughtered.” No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

My favorite question of the episodes are this - the living with less podcast is all about living with less of the things getting in the way of who Christ is calling us to be. If someone asked you what they needed to begin living with less of in regard to this what would you tell them and why!

• Worry less about what you fear and what causes you anxiety. It truly sucks the joy and life out of us. I did me. When I look back, I think it’s where I lived for my late childhood and young adult life. Once I experienced the power of God’s Word and truly lived loved by God, I found myself living with more hope, more confidence, more faith. Faith and belief that God is BIGGER than my fears and anxieties. He is ABLE … MORE THAN ABLE … to equip us to overcome whatever challenges us right now. And will will only be able to live with more hope, confidence and faith when we KNOW God intimately and KNOW His Word so deeply that we’re familiar with it as we would be a favorite song or book. Know God’s names. Know the stories. These are what you can recall in those hard moments so speak truth and God’s promises over your heart and mind.

FUN question - I know you’re a huge college football girl, who is your team and how do you root them on? From the stands or the comforts of home!

• Great question! I went to Baylor and my husband was on the football team for a few years while we dated. So, we are Baylor fans first. And, they are undefeated as I write this. But, our daughter went to UGA, so we have also adopted the Dawgs and love to cheer them on. When we lived in Texas, we did go back for games. When my daughter was still at UGA, we would drive to Athens for some of the games. But, now we mostly watch both from TV. I also love college basketball!! My son plays for UNC Charlotte, so we go to all their home games and some away.

To learn more about Wendy and see her resources head to her website wendyblight.com and follow her on Instagram @wblight. 

This week kicks off the first bi-weekly devotional episodes for the Living With Less Podcast. These will be shorter episodes that dive into a main point and scripture from the previous week's topic to help you go deeper with The Lord in your relationship with Him. 

Does This Honor God or Me:

• Does my word or theme for the year honor God or does it honor me and what I want? 
• When when sit with our word/theme does it point people to Jesus or does it point people back to me?
• Does it challenge me, change me, and shape me to look more like Christ or does it keep me in a place of comfort?
• Does it stand up to God's word? His word's and truth never change. 
• Proverbs 21:21 - Whoever pursues righteousness and kindness will find life, righteousness, and honor.

This week's episode is exactly what you'd think, it's getting back to the basics of the podcast. Why we need to rid our lives of the things getting in the way of who Christ is calling us to be. As a new year begins Chelsey points us to the truth that what God did in us in 2019 and what He will do in 2020 are things that He wants to shape our whole life with. It's so much more than a "year" to Him, it's about our life being more tethered to Him. 

Why We Need To Get Rid Of Stuff

• We don’t want to be triggered emotionally by "stuff" that has no reason being in our lives.
• "Stuff" takes up room in our minds and hearts that belong to Christ.
   

God's Word Is For You and Me

• The words in the Bible are for you and me, not just the person who wrote them. People always say, "well I’m not like ___ who wrote that book of the Bible" and while they are right to some degree, all of us are different. God put these words in this book for you and me to learn from.

The Eternal Perspective

• We get so hyper focused on the “year” that we forget about wanting our changes to be lasting over our lifetime.
• The words God Miss Joyce year after year are still working in her life now.
• Just because 2019 is over doesn’t mean things He did in my life this year aren’t going to carry into my life next year.
• God what do you want for my life this year that is going to impact people around me for generations to come.

In this short 18 min. episode Chelsey shares on that portion of Luke 2 that stood out to her most this year. The Shepherds response when the angles left them, "LET US GO". They had no hesitation in the truth they heard. They wanted to see Jesus and share the good news, and great joy with ALL people. Which is exactly who Jesus came for you. You, me, and everyone else. Let us do just this as we head into our new year. May we declare it as one where we will urgently, without hesitation share the GOOD NEWS.

Episode 51 makes us take a closer look at all God has entrusted to us. Everything from the day to day little things to the big life moments. 1 Timothy is a book that has made Chelsey realize that every moment matters to the Kingdom. There isn't one second of our day or one relationship in our life that isn't important to The Lord.

Join Chelsey as she walks through 1 Timothy and ends with the sacred words Paul wrote to Timothy, "Guard the deposit entrusted to you." (1 Timothy 6:20)

The Mentions Of "Entrusted"

1 Timothy 1:11 - Paul writes that he has been entrusted with the gospel.

1 Timothy 1:18 - Paul writes that now Timothy is being entrusted with this sacred calling.

1 Timothy 6:20 - Paul concludes to Timothy to guard what's been given to him.

The Ramifications of Disobedience:

• 1 Tim 6:1 - God's name and the teachings will be reviled.
• When we misstep it causes others to stumble, grumble, and at times question God's character.

What we need to steer clear of and what is Godliness:

• Teach and urge these things. 3 If anyone teaches a different doctrine and does not agree with the sound words of our Lord Jesus Christ and the teaching that accords with godliness, 4 he is puffed up with conceit and understands nothing. He has an unhealthy craving for controversy and for quarrels about words, which produce envy, dissension, slander, evil suspicions, 5 and constant friction among people who are depraved in mind and deprived of the truth, imagining that godliness is a means of gain. 6 But godliness with contentment is great gain, 7 for we brought nothing into the world, and we cannot take anything out of the world.8 But if we have food and clothing, with these we will be content. 9 But those who desire to be rich fall into temptation, into a snare, into many senseless and harmful desires that plunge people into ruin and destruction. 10 For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evils. It is through this craving that some have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many pangs.

What We Need To Pursue (1 Timothy 6:11):

• Righteousness
• Godliness
• Faith
• Love
• Steadfastness
• Gentleness

What We're Called To:

• Be an image bearer of Christ.
• Living according to His word.
• Lead in truth, love in truth, serve in truth.
• In the places God is trusting us we need to look at it as a "call" not an option. 
• We need to be willing to learn what His word means when we don't understand something. 
• Know that we were all given specific things. Yours are different from everyone else. 

How To Be His Hands and Feet:

• We stop grumbling about where He has us and start seeking His purpose. 
• Start serving where we are and not thinking we'll serve when we get where "we want" to be. 

I pray this weeks episode leaves your heart in a posture to ask The Lord what things are you not taking care of that He has given to you. Your family, co-workers, husband, wife, children. The list goes on and they all matter. Every detail. I pray you guard what He's given you and that you join me in pursuing the Godliness He's calling us too! 

Episode 50 is a sit down with Sharon Hodde Miller, author of Nice. She shares her season of wrestling with "niceness". It keeps the peace, wins friends, gains influence, and serves our reputations well. It looks a lot like following Jesus, but it takes all the power and freedom out of our lives. Sharon shares her own battle with this false faith, confesses some of the bad fruits it produced in her life, and she shares biblical wisdom, insight, and deep convictions to lead women Godward in who God is really calling us to be.

What made you address this issue of "niceness" as an idol in your life?

• I started to serve my niceness more than Christ. It's a false virtue and false idol. My motives became muddy. I was a nice Christian girl because it got me things.

What is the difference in being nice and being kind?

• Nice has soft edges with a soft core.
• Harsh has hard edges and a firm core.
• Kind has soft edges - firm core - and conviction.
• When someone doesn't reciprocate your niceness we feel hurt. It makes "niceness" transactional.
• Kindness counts the cost. It's about honoring God and loving people no matter how they treat you back.

How has the church failed in this area of niceness?

• The church has failed because we've become good at looking "Christian". We have to have souls that are actually filled with the Holy Spirit.
• We have to have the courage and trust God. It's a muscle we must exercise.
• We want to look like Jesus instead of becoming like Jesus.

Things that indicate we're falling prey to "niceness":

• Niceness protects US.
• When we shy away from "hot topics" to keep the peace. We're really giving territory to the enemy.
• We classify "niceness" as faithfulness and wisdom.

What is a sentimental faith?

• A feel-good faith can begin to conveniently sidestep the cross.
• Driven by Christian subculture.
• It can look like a faith rooted in nostalgia and feel good emotions.
• It doesn't stand firm in the storm.
• Feeling/emotionally driven.
• Can confuse/cloud our motives.

If someone asked you what they needed to begin living with less of in regards to becoming who Christ is calling them to be what would you tell them and why?

• Less yes - so you can do well with what He's calling you to.

You're a pastors wife, mom of 3, and book writer.. what is you fuel besides Jesus!

• Cinderella Latte! - you can actually order this a Sbux! 

You can find out more about Sharon by visiting her website: https://sheworships.com and follow her on Instagram @sharonhmiller. You can get her books, Nice and Free Of Me at main retailers!

Episode 49 is a sweet sit down with Rachael Adams. She is the host of The Love Offering podcast. In this interview we dive deep into what it really means to love like Jesus and what our individual love offering looks like. God created us all differently with unique giftings Rachael challenges us to use that unique call God has put on your life to show His love to others. 

1)Tell us about you and share with everyone about the Love Offering mission and where it was birthed from? 

The true inspiration of the love offering actually started about 10 years. I was in a transitional season where I stopped my career to be a stay at home mom. Motherhood gave me a greater sense of purpose than I had ever had before, however there was still this inner longing I couldn’t quite put my finger on. I was questioning my purpose, my significance, my value, my worth. I was questioning do I matter? Why am I here? I was on a search to determine my purpose and fulfill it. I began to notice that serving my husband and children gave me purpose. Serving in my church and my friends gave me purpose. God continued to speak to my heart this recurring theme of service. The more I served others and the Lord my empty heart was filled. 

One specific night I woke up with the idea of the service project. I had recently read the happiness project by Gretchen Rubin and while I agree with a lot of what the author had to say I thought that there had to be something more to the equation other than simply making ourselves happy. From a Christian standpoint our happiness is derived from staying connected with the Lord and sharing His love with others. So I began journaling for years on the topics of servanthood and purpose in the Bible. 

Fast forward about 10 years later, I was sitting in the church pew on Sunday morning and I looked at the back of the pew and there was a love offering envelope. These envelopes are typically used for monetary giving, over and above your tithe. But on this occasion I got to thinking about how we as Christians are love offerings. We give our lives as love offerings to the Lord and we give our lives as love offerings to the world around us. That we can tangibly go above and beyond for others and for the Lord.

2) God put on your heart, “Rachael, who do you want to feed them, who do you want to hug them, who do you want to give them a home?” You followed by saying it’s not enough to just pray, we have to be active in loving people tangibly. How can you encourage someone in this place. When God does choose them to do the very thing they are asking Him to send someone else to do? 

Yes one night my daughter Kate and I were reading a book that she chose from our local church library titled Willie’s Soup Kitchen. In this book there is a baby in a high chair and Kate who was 4 at the time began to question how a child did not have anything to eat because she had no frame of reference for lack of food.  This lead to a conversation about hunger and homelessness and orphans/. I told her that it broke my heart to think about a child out there somewhere that has no one to hold them when they cry. Hearing this reality, Kate began to weep as if she was physically hurt, but it was an emotional hurt I had never witnessed from her before. Due to her reaction I was prompted to pray, Lord please give them a home and give them someone to comfort them and give them food. And in the middle of the prayer I clearly felt the Lord speak my heart and say, Rachael who do you want to feed them? Who do you want to clothe them? Who do you want to comfort them? That is why I put you here.

It was this call to action then and it is a call to action now. I am a firm believer in prayer. Prayer does work. God does listen to our prayers and we must communicate with him, however there is a point when He says quit praying about this and act. I have given you everything you need to change this situation. You have the time or the talent or the finances or the capacity to make a difference in this person’s life. So often we just wait for someone else to move or for God to move, when that is why He’s put us here on earth, to be his hands and feet. He uses us to accomplish His purposes. I have to remind myself of this often. We can be the answer to someone else’s prayer.

3) One of my favorite verses in the Bible is 1 Timothy 6:20 - “Guard the deposit entrusted to you.” I felt this when I listened to the episodes. We’ve got to love people with the gifts God has given us. Unfortunately, we live in a world where comparison and the enemy tries to make us look at everyone else’s gifts as better than our own. Was there a time when you felt this way and how did you get to the place of knowing the gifts God gave you were sacred and needed to be shared. 

I would love this verse too. It reminds me of the parable of the talents in Matthew 25. God gives us these talents and we can bury them or we can use them and we can invest them for His Kingdom. At the end of my life I want God to say well done good and faithful servant. Not well sad or well thought, but well done. 

You know I still doubt the gifts that God has given me. I feel like it’s so much easier to call out and see the gifts in other people than it is to recognize our own. But when we read in the Word, God says that we are all special. We all have a talent. We all have a treasure and time to share. But it is love that makes all of our gifts useful and we can all love.

When I doubt the gifts or wish for the gift He have to someone else, I am doubting God who gave them to me. When we start to compare our gifts to other people we are undermining God‘s workmanship and providence. God gave us these gifts and God does not make mistakes. 

I have not overcome this doubt and insecurity in my gifts. I question what I have to offer and I don’t know if this will ever go away altogether. But honestly, I wonder if this is for the best because it keeps me humble and reliant on the Lord. If I could do it on my own or in my own strength or because I have worked so hard, then I would take all the credit and I would get the glory. When the reality is, I can’t do this on my own. Scripture says in 2 Corinthians 12:9-10, My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness. That is why I delight in my weakness, for when I am weak, then I am strong. It is only because of Him that we can do or accomplish anything and that way He always gets the glory because he is the only one who deserves any glory. 

To answer the second part of your question, how did I get to the place of knowing these gifts needed to be shared, I began to realize I was insecure in my giftings because of my concern or fear of man’s reaction, but the turning point for me was the realization that I feared God more. This fear is more of a reverent fear and a posture of obedience to His call to use the gifts He has given me. Not in an arrogant way, but in a humble responsible way. I got to the point that I can’t not do the things God was calling me to. It was a realization that I didn’t want to waste my life. I want to live this one life well, so that at the end of my time here on earth, He will say well done good and faithful servant.

4) If someone sees the need, knows God is calling them, but they don’t know how to move on it, how would you speak into the life of a woman who comes to you with that? “I know God is calling me to “this” and wants me to use “this” gift, but where do I start”. 

Gosh this question really resonates with me. It’s a daily battle isn’t it? The main thing is simply to start. One of my favorite stories in the Bible is in Mark 14 about a woman who anoints Jesus head with perfume. Everyone around her rebukes her and calls her offering a waste, but Jesus says she has done a beautiful thing. She did what she could. Those five simple words. And I believe that is all that He is asking of us as well - to simply do what we can. 

If your listeners are anything like me, we tend to get overwhelmed with the enormity of the problems and our lack of time and resources. But what these verses reveal to me is that we don’t need to exhaust ourselves thinking we have to do it all and do it all perfectly. There is such freedom in these verses. 

My family has a motto that says “do our best and let God take care of the rest.” We can't get stuck in the opinions of others, our our insecurity in our gifts, or fear of failure. Because if we do we stay stagnant, apathetic, and complacent and end up doing nothing instead. My hope is that through the love offering our generation is inspired to do something to manifest the better world we want to see. 

I do want to make it clear that we are not saved by our deeds, we are only saved by faith, however the book of James says faith without deeds is dead. It is our faith that saves us, but it is our active obedience that proves that our faith is genuine. 

So for the woman listening wondering where to start, first pray for God to lead you and secondly, start wherever you are. Where does God have you? Love there. And who has He surrounded you with? Love them. From the book of Eshter, who knows? You were there for such a time as this.

5) How do you inspire others to do the things God calls them. I can see we live in a place of we want to share seats at the table but at the same time hate seeing others get ahead of us. One thing I’ve learned is if I’m in step with the Spirit, I’m right where God has me. How do you push people God-ward?

I am directionally challenged in a physical sense, but also very much in a spiritual sense. I can get lost, sidetracked, and detoured so easily. I love the image in the metaphor of staying in step with the spirit, because where He leads I want to follow. I want nothing more than to be in the center of God’s will. However, how easy it is to question if the direction or step we are taking is in the right direction. We wonder if we heard God correctly, but I’m finding God can redirect us if we are on the wrong course, look at Jonah for example. He brought a fish to get back on track! 

God can get us back on track if we make a misstep. When we stay in tune with His voice by reading His Word, He will lead us. We need to trust that God will open and shut the right doors. He is the light for our path and Scripture assures us in Isaiah 30:21, whether you turn to the right or to the left, your ears will hear a voice behind you saying this is the way, walk in it. 

In regards to saving seats at the table, we do have a tendency to believe there is not enough room for all of us, but the reality is, God just keeps making a bigger table. He is a God of abundance, not scarcity. I want to be the kind of woman who helps others, rather than hinder others in their walk with Christ. And yet I fall short daily. Thank goodness for God’s grace. I can only hope I don’t push anybody in any direction, but rather point them in God‘s direction, so they too can stay in step with His Spirit. We never know whose eyes are on us, and so we would benefit from keeping our eyes fixed on Him. He is our shepherd and He will lead us, guide us and direct us Godward. 

6) People are feeling weary, excited, anxious, joy filled. There are so many emotions going on this time of year. How do you feel we can live out the rest of this season with our arms wide open and be the hands and feet of Jesus? How can we be a love offering? 

There are so many emotions this time of year. And I think the first step is to recognize that it’s not always joyful for everyone. I know for me and my relationships that even though people may be smiling on the outside, there is always something deeper on the inside that someone may be battling. Whether it’s a physical, emotional, or spiritual need. We all have need. We all need love. We can be a love offering by first allowing Christ to fill us with His love, because without the love of Christ we don’t truly have anything valuable to give. Then through Him and through the help of the Holy Spirit we are able to notice others. We can pray to be sensitive to His leading and to open the eyes of our hearts to see first the need and then act on the need. So many times we worry about having the right words to say or giving the perfect gift, but in reality people just want you to see them and to care about them and their needs. The greatest present you can give this season could simply be your presence.

7) I love when you talked about starting a chain reaction that points people to Jesus. I love the thought of what this looks like. Encounter after encounter. What are some simple things people can be focused on to start this chain reaction?

I also love this image. I believe our small acts of love in God’s hands can make an enormous impact. Throughout the Bible God always used ordinary people and ordinary objects to do extraordinary things. He is a God of multiplication. Although I’m not much of a scientist, when I think of reaction, Newton’s Law of motion comes to mind which states for every action there is an equal or opposite reaction. When I apply this to my Christian life, God’s love should prompt a response of love in me. This concept has proven true in my own life. When someone smiles at me it causes me to want to smile. When someone laughs it makes me want to laugh. When someone gives me a hug it makes me want to hug them back. If someone makes me a meal, I want to make a meal for someone else. It’s this pay it forward concept for Christians. 

We also need to be mindful that this chain reaction can go the opposite way. Our harsh words, our judgement, our lack of forgiveness, our lack of mercy, and our inactivity can do as much negative as our positive can do positively. 

In order to start a positive chain reaction we must first stay in God‘s word, stay in step with His spirit like we talked about earlier, pray, and be willing to be interrupted. So often, especially during the Christmas season we are busy with all the things. This season let’s make it our goal to slow down enough to notice and be aware of the needs around us. Simply take the time to invite someone to get together, text someone a kind thought, pray for someone, give someone a gift, or surprise them by doing a chore. It’s not as much about what you give but, just that you do give and with the right motive.

8) The Living With Less podcast is all about living with less of the things getting in the way of who Christ is calling us to be. If someone asked you what they needed to begin living with less of in regards to this, what would you tell them and why?

I love the name of your podcast. It brings to mind less of me and more of Christ. That we are dying to our self and living a newness of life with Him. Our natural sinful tendency is to be selfish and focus on our needs and our wants. So in this respect, to live with less would be to live with less of ourselves- to be selfless. God has called us to take up our cross and follow Him. Jesus came as a servant and we are to model our behavior to live like Him. 

Isaiah 40 talks about being a servant of the Lord and one of my favorite phrases in the commentary I read about this chapter stated majestic works prompt majestic responses. Because of God’s love we should respond in love to Him and to those around us, so they may respond to God’s love too. That is our purpose. To have a relationship with Him so that we can spend eternity in heaven and to lead others to relationship with Him so they can spend eternity in heaven too. 

9) What's been the best thing God has taught you in this season of “The Love Offering” podcast? 

Gosh this is a hard question because He is teaching me so much every day and through this podcast I feel so lucky to be able to talk to so many amazing women and get to learn from each of them. So many times we hear a lot of negative news, but there really are a lot of people doing a lot of great things in this world. And that is something to celebrate. Everybody’s life and offerings look different and they’re all at a different pace, in a different place, in a different position, but they are all important to God and kingdom work. We just simply must all do our part. 

When I think about the love offering and I think about God as the most extraordinary giver, we give because God gave first. He created us in love. He sent His son Jesus because He loved us. Jesus died on the cross because He loved us. And we are to love because He first loved us. That is our greatest offering.

Where you can find Rachael at her website https://rachaelkadams.com, on Facebook, and Instagram @rachaeladamsauthor.

The Tug Of Persistent Distractions dives into the story of Nehemiah and how he stood firm against the distractions the enemy was trying to scheme. Not only did he stand firm against the but he called on God to give him strength. Because his trust was in the faithfulness of God, not in himself.

This week will challenge you to ask God to reveal to you the things that are persistently distracting you from Him and all He is trying to do in and through you. 

Nehemiah's Distraction Story: 

• Now when Sanballat and Tobiah and Geshem the Arab and the rest of our enemies heard that I had built the wall and that there was no breach left in it (although up to that time I had not set up the doors in the gates), 2 Sanballat and Geshem sent to me, saying, “Come and let us meet together at Hakkephirim in the plain of Ono.” But they intended to do me harm. 3 And I sent messengers to them, saying, “I am doing a great work and I cannot come down. Why should the work stop while I leave it and come down to you?” 4 And they sent to me four times in this way, and I answered them in the same manner. 5 In the same way Sanballat for the fifth time sent his servant to me with an open letter in his hand. 6 In it was written, “It is reported among the nations, and Geshem also says it, that you and the Jews intend to rebel; that is why you are building the wall. And according to these reports you wish to become their king. 7 And you have also set up prophets to proclaim concerning you in Jerusalem, ‘There is a king in Judah.’ And now the king will hear of these reports. So now come and let us take counsel together.”8 Then I sent to him, saying, “No such things as you say have been done, for you are inventing them out of your own mind.” 9 For they all wanted to frighten us, thinking, “Their hands will drop from the work, and it will not be done.” But now, O God,strengthen my hands. 10 Now when I went into the house of Shemaiah the son of Delaiah, son of Mehetabel, who was confined to his home, he said, “Let us meet together in the house of God, within the temple. Let us close the doors of the temple, for they are coming to kill you. They are coming to kill you by night.” 11 But I said, “Should such a man as I run away? And what man such as I could go into the temple and live? I will not go in.” 12 And I understood and saw that God had not sent him, but he had pronounced the prophecy against me because Tobiah and Sanballat had hired him. 13 For this purpose he was hired, that I should be afraid and act in this way and sin, and so they could give me a bad name in order to taunt me.14 Remember Tobiah and Sanballat, O my God, according to these things that they did, and also the prophetess Noadiah and the rest of the prophets who wanted to make me afraid.

Nehemiah Trusted God:

• In 6:9 you see at the end that Nehemiah not only trusted God but called on Him to "strengthen his hands".
• He hadn't forgotten all God had been faithful in prior. 
• He trusted God's heart for him.

What is Persistently Distracting You?

• Sin issues // unseen sin issues
• Health issues
• Family issues
• Friendship issues

How Do We Stop Getting Distracted and Persistently Pursue Christ?:

• We get serious about God's word and realize it is not a book of suggestions.
• We ask The Lord to help us with our priorities. 
• We get honest with God about where our hearts are and lament to Him.

GIVEAWAY:

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Entires will be open 11/27 through Christmas morning 12/25 at 6AM EST. 

Entry Details: 

• EACH WEDNESDAY there will be a post for the Blessing Box Giveaway 
• Enter by following, liking, and sharing on your stories!
• Tag your friends in the comments extra entries 

In episode 47 Chelsey sits down to talk singleness with Brice Mitchell, Student Director at 514 Church in Columbus, OH and Kendra Schwarz, OBS Manager for Proverbs 31 Ministries in Charlotte, NC. Brice and Kendra give a refreshing perspective on how this season of life is not a curse, maybe not desired in their hearts, but that God is preparing them for what He has prepared for them. We all have seasons we may not desire but that God will use to grow us. Single or not, this message is for all of us. 

How have you learned how to live with the desire for marriage but also being okay with God’s plan for your life?

• K: It hasn’t been easy. Remembering God is sovereign and good and all-knowing puts my life into perspective. Also, taking a year from dating in 2016 helped re-align my wants/desires with what God has in store for my life (thoughts matter, desires matter, motives matter, how we understand love matters).
• B: - I actually think that I repressed this desire for the longest time. While marriage was something I wanted, I kept telling myself and everyone else around me that I was “too busy” to date—that between my job, my friendships and social life, and my own walk with God, that I just didn’t have the margin to add in a romantic relationship. I’ve been on a journey of discovering that a lot of it was that the idea of marriage and letting someone be that proximate to my pain was hard for me, even though I wanted it desperately. I’ve learned to see where I’m at in life as a season of specific growth. I’m planted, I’m rooted, I’m being nurtured, but I’m also being pruned into becoming more and more like Jesus. When you see your season as a season of growth, it changes the way you see the rest of your life. God is preparing me for what he has prepared for me.

How can we stay content when God has us single even though we may not think it’s the best plan for our life?

• K: wanting to please God and be kept in His perfect plan is my motivation to embrace singleness. Also, understanding why He might have us in this season helps too. For example, you’ll never have more freedom than you do now. So recognizing I have a lot of time to dedicate to friends and freedom to make my own schedule and fill it how I want helps me be content. Understanding He may be cultivating something in me to match His character. What would I miss out on if He removed me from this season right now? Would I miss out on being more patient in the future? Also, after struggling with it for years, I’m finally seeing some fruit come from my struggle. Speaking at small conferences about singleness, talking to friends who struggle, connecting with people on social media… it’s given my struggle a purpose and it’s been neat to see.
• B: This one is a little more tough. It’s incredibly difficult. As a type four on the enneagram, I struggle to be content with anything that I have—I create inner-idealized fantasies of where I should be in life, the things I would like, the way I want things to play out, and reality tends to never match that of what I create in my mind. That’s a dangerous place to be. I have been striving to live in the season I’m in rather than wait for the season to come. There’s so much happening right here and right now that I’m too afraid to miss what God has placed directly in front of me — friendships, ministry, my small groups, etc.

How do you navigate new seasons and changing friendships when all your friends start getting married and having babies besides you?

• K: I love people and I love celebrating people. I’d be lying if I told you I can go to weddings and not think, “why not me?” but as I’ve gotten older and spent more time with God and understanding His character, I’m able to re-focus my attention not on a girl in a white dress professing forever to a guy but on the beautiful covenant they’re making to each other and this makes me excited for them. Also remembering it’s not all blissful. So if I get married, it’s not going to fill the void in my heart. De-throning my future husband/role as a mom is something I’ve had to learn.
• B: I’m in the same boat as Kendra on this one. I absolutely love weddings and love celebrating life’s biggest milestones, like having a child, but it can also be really difficult. I don’t think I’ve ever become apathetic or have lost sight of celebrating, but what tends to happen to me is all of those little thoughts in the back of your mind the next day. I’m fully present in the moment, but the next moment leaves me a little sad and yearning for what they have. I’ve had to check myself and check my heart. I think yearning is okay, but yearning can quickly become jealousy or envy. I think it’s okay to say, “I wish I had that,” while also learning to say, “I’m happy that they are experiencing this amazing, beautiful thing.”

What do you do in your season of singleness to live life and just live in the moment?

• K: I keep busy. I’ve been in a little quarter-life crisis mode. It’s an exciting place to be though because it’s kicked my butt into high gear to do things while I’m young and “free” before I settle down (go to Italy, visit family who live far away, etc.)
• B: I fill my margin. Now, this did become a dangerous thing for awhile, so I’ve had to learn boundaries and how to prioritize my time, but when I’m at my healthiest, I’m spending time with people. As a youth pastor, my heart breaks for students but my heart is also filled by doing life with them, so I spend a lot of time building relationships with them. Living in the moment is one thing, but owning the moment (Carl Lentz) is another. I’ve been learning to utilize every moment, to not just live in it, but to consciously choose to be present, to show grace, to experience joy, and to point others to Jesus.

Where do you turn in God’s word when you’re wrestling with trusting Him in this area?

• K: Mentors and past journal entries of how He has come through before.
• B: Psalm 23:1, My boss, my roommate, my journals.

Do guys struggle with singleness as much as girls do?

• B: I can’t speak for everyone, but in speaking for myself and the other men that I have surrounded myself with…ABSOLUTLELY. I honestly think that one of the biggest factors in why many people, especially men, struggle with singleness is because of how it’s portrayed by the modern-day church. Marriage is celebrated while being single is almost either never talked about or it’s seen as an obstacle in life. The amount of times that I’ve heard, “you’ll find someone,” or “God has a plan,” while in the context of the church is almost disheartening. Most churches don’t talk about singleness, but they’ll talk about marriage all day long. As a 26 year old Christian man, I would love to hear some messages about how to be content in this season, how I can glorify God through my singleness, rather than just hearing messages on how to become the right person or how to find the right person. Those are important messages, but they portray a sense of yearning for something that I don’t have, which can almost come off as “you’re not good enough for marriage.”

Living with less question - the living with less podcast is all about living with less of the things getting in the way of who Christ is calling us to be. If someone asked you what they 1st needed to begin living with less of what would it be and why?

• K: Live with less control and expectation.
• B: less PRIDE. The more you focus on God and who He is, the less you think of yourself and you begin to become more informed of who you are called to be, rather than who you want to be.

What do you think the score will be for the Ohio State/Michigan game?

• K: LOL
• B: Honestly, same as Kendra, but 48-20.

I'm so thankful these two took the time to sit down and get real about this season. I love that they shed like on a topic that the church can get negative about. You can find Brice and Kendra on Instagram, @br1cekr1spy and @kendraschwarz.

Episode 46 is one for the books. Chelsey got to sit down and talk with Kasey Van Norman as she shared the heart behind her book, Nothing Wasted. Kasey shares how God used the hardest parts of her story to show that a holy, sovereign God lovingly works, not in spite of our past, but through it. 

We Serve A God Of Redemption

• God wants to redeem the worst parts of who we are.
• God uses the back door. He doesn't care to see the cleaned up versions of ourselves. He wants every single part of us. He wants to do a new thing in us!
• Through Kasey's husband, God showed her the true love of Jesus in the midst of the worst pain she'd ever put her husband through.

All Christian's Have Messy Seasons

• It's hard to believe when we walk in church sometimes that there are people with lives that are unraveling. You may feel like you're the only one in the room with a problem, but there is probably a dozen other people in a hard season as well. 
• One thing Kasey stated that I LOVE in regards to addressing sin is this, "A mature Christian seeks out change. A person who is truly free in Christ has the self-awareness to learn from others without compromising their own obedience."

Wounds and Healing

• "God doesn't waste the wounds we've buried. He orchestrates events to resurface them for healing.
• "God wrote an entire book about people who need saving just as much as we do."
• "God does not waste our traumas. He uses them to overwhelm us into grace."

You can find Kasey www.kaseyvannorman.com and also follow her on Instagram @kaseyvannorman. You can purchase her book from her website. I pray that you find Nothing Wasted into your hands at some point. It shows the deep love Christ has for us in the midst of devastating seasons. Kasey has a true heart of gold and a bold love for Jesus!