During today’s conversation on Back Porch Theology we’re talking about how to cultivate a more relaxed, trusting, and intimate relationship with Jesus. My first time, guest co-conspirator on the porch is Megan Fate Marshman, a Bible teacher and theological scholar who spews joy with the same effervesce that a shaken bottle of Coke spurts soda when you unscrew the cap. And her joy is especially compelling when you find out it coexists with heartbreaking loss. I’ve wanted to meet Megan since a mutual friend sent me a clip of her teaching last year and I was undone by her honest grappling regarding how to cling to the goodness of God after she became a young widow with two little boys. Just listen to this wisdom bomb she dropped recently: Do we want a relationship where we strive independently, sidelining our awareness of His sovereignty or are we yearning for a relationship where we engage in heartfelt conversations with God, forsaking the need to figure everything out on our own? Dependence requires our humility – acknowledging our need for help, voicing our worries and hopes, and opening our plans for His guidance. Megan goes on to explain how her grief has given her the gift of perspective. How the math of God is abundance – how under the canopy of His sovereign mercy even pain has the potential to multiply love, joy, and peace. And how the opposite of joy isn’t sadness, it’s hopelessness. If you’ve ever wondered if gut-wrenching loss and deep faith in the kindness of God can truly coexist, you’re going to meet the honest affirmation to that seeming juxtaposition today. So please grab a peppermint mocha or a gingerbread latte and your Bible - unless of course you’re up to your elbows in sticky fake snow because you’re trying to recreate one of those gorgeous, flocked garlands you saw on Pinterest - and come hang out on the porch with Megan and me. We’re really glad to get to spend this time with you!