by Roseanna White | Mar 31, 2016 | Thoughtful Thursdays, Uncategorized
What makes a hero of the faith?
A Paul? A Nicholas? A George Muller? A John Lake? A Mother Theresa?
What makes someone the kind of Christian that earns him a place in church history? The kind whose stories we tell each other to buoy each other up, to teach each other truths?
During out Bible study talks during church in this last month, we were talking about this. About how John Lake had given up his family fortune and set off to be a missionary, not funding himself but relying on God. About how George Muller had given up his family wealth and a promising career to live on nothing but prayer and faith and ended up in charge of over a thousand orphans.
That’s when the question came to me–are these men capable of making these sacrifices, these decisions, because they’re great men of faith?
Or do we know them as great men of faith because they were willing to make these decisions?
Are more of us called to the same sort of sacrifice, the same sort of faith . . . but ignore it?
My grandmother was quick to say, “More are called than answer.”
I think this is true. I think this is undeniable. I think, without doubt, God calls more people to do His work than those few toiling in the fields. So what happens? Where is the breakdown? Not in Him doing the calling, that we know.
The problem is in us. The listener. We are so quick to say, “Oh, He doesn’t want us all to give everything. He doesn’t want us all to be missionaries. He doesn’t want us all to be preachers.”
No. He doesn’t. But He wants us all to do something. He doesn’t call us all to the same thing, but He calls us all. And the call of God always requires sacrifice. Reading through the Gospels back-to-back as I just did, that stood out loud and clear. When Jesus calls people to follow Him, He expects them to follow. Not look back.
The Church today looks back. And back again. And wanders toward home. And has perfected the line they tell themselves and each other: “God doesn’t expect that.”
Well, I’ll leave us with one last question to chew on this weekend:
What if He does?
by Roseanna White | Feb 4, 2016 | Thoughtful Thursdays, Uncategorized
Last weekend my husband, dad, and I went to visit a local church and speak about the missions trip they had taken in October, and of the service organization we’ve begun. After speaking of the trip for so long, the mike got handed to me to cover the org–though I’d said I was just there for moral support, LOL.
As I stood up there in front a group of strangers who are my family in Christ, as I tried to convey why this was important, a truth settled in my mind.
We’re not all called to foreign missions.
We’re not all called to domestic missions.
We’re not all called to adopt.
We’re not all called to minister to refugees.
We’re not all called to any one thing.
But we’re all called.
We’re not all asked to sacrifice our riches.
We’re not all asked to sacrifice our houses.
We’re not all asked to sacrifice our days.
We’re not all asked to sacrifice our hold on our children.
We’re not all asked to sacrifice our dreams.
But we’re all asked to sacrifice.
And if we don’t think we’ve heard a call or been asked to sacrifice…then it’s not because God hasn’t spoken. It’s because we’re not listening. And if we’re not listening, how long before He asks someone else to do, in our place, what He’d intended for us?
My husband put it like this on Saturday, and it’s so good an analogy that it’s stuck in my mind. Let’s look at our relationship with God like a romantic one. We’re told, over and over, that we need to learn to listen to God’s voice.
So maybe we sit around on the phone with him. We pray, we read the Bible. We concentrate on that voice.
Then one day, God says, “Hey, wanna catch a movie?”
We say, “Well…not tonight. I’ve got all this other stuff going on.”
So the next week, God says, “How about dinner?”
And we say, “Well…I’m kinda busy.”
If this plays out time and again, how long is it before you can’t honestly call yourself “dating” anymore? If you have the opportunity to DO and choose not to, is that an active relationship?
God doesn’t call us to an inactive faith. The Great Commission doesn’t say, “Stay ye at home and pray.” Jesus doesn’t answer the rich young ruler’s question about what he needs to do to be saved with, “Give a nice offering every week and pray you use your wealth wisely.”
He calls us all to GO.
He asks us all to GIVE.
Where to go? What to give?
That’s where we’re all different. But I say this: the example of the rich young ruler is a good one. Because He doesn’t ask for the easy way. He doesn’t ask for a sacrifice that costs him little. He asks for complete dedication. He asks for the removal of the thing that the man valued most.
What do you value most?
Family?
Security?
Ritual?
Comfort?
What if He asks you to sacrifice that? What do you do? Do you give it all up? Let your family members go? Give up the steady job and good insurance? Leave the comfortable confines of the denomination you know best? Give up your home?
Or do you just stop picking up the phone when God calls?
Because here’s the thing. He always calls. And if we don’t hear that phone ringing…maybe it’s because we ignored it too long.
American Christians are very good at talking. We value hearing His voice. And honestly, we’re good at throwing money at things…so long as it’s not enough that we’ll notice it missing when we’re at Walmart or browsing Amazon.
But when it comes to sacrificing…when it comes to going…when it comes to doing…
Are we really Christ-like? Or are we content with a mask of Christianity that costs us nothing?
by Roseanna White | Jan 21, 2016 | Thoughtful Thursdays
(First, I’d like to apologize for my blog being abandoned this week–we’ve had internet connectivity issues, and though I thought I posted, it didn’t go through, apparently…so those posts will just be saved until next week, LOL.)
In our homeschool Bible reading, we’re currently in 2 Chronicles. I sometimes dread reading those Old Testament books to the kids, because I remember Xoe’s reaction last time we went through them in a Bible story book. The heartbreak in her eyes as she asked, each time I read a heading about a new king, “Does this one love God?” And all too often having to answer, “No, baby. This one did what was wrong in the eyes of God.”
It can be a sad, sad history to read. But this week we got to the story of Josiah in 2 Chronicles 33-34. A king that sought after God. Who tore down the high places. Who had the house of the Lord cleaned and ordered and ready for service.
And I love this part of the story–how in preparing the temple for service again, the priests and Levites found the book of the Law of Moses. In a wall. Where, presumably, it had been hidden to avoid destruction by some devout man of generations past. But when? How long ago? Because no one knew it was there…and worse, no one seemed to know it was missing.
Think of it. The one copy of these words from God himself (presumably, since no one knew what it said anymore, so it isn’t as thought it was just the old copy found). THE way to know what God of expected of them.
Gone.
Missing.
Vanished.
Buried under generations of rubble. Under disbelief. Under hatred. Under the constant battle between those who served God and those who sought after Baal. Buried under generations of rubbish.
Then found again. The priest rushed it to King Josiah and read it to him. And Josiah tore his clothes, because he finally realized how wrong they’d all been. He begged God for mercy. He called all the people to come and hear His word. And they came. And they repented. And they rejoiced. They held a Passover for the first time in generations.
In this day and age, in this country, we have the Word of God everywhere. I have a whole shelf full of Bibles. I have a smart phone and a computer with every possible translation available at my fingertips. We have the Word all around us.
But how often is it buried? Buried under generations of rubble. Under disbelief. Under hatred. Under the constant battle between those who serve God and those who serve the world. Buried under generations of rubbish.
The walls covering it now are worse, aren’t they? Because they’re metaphorical. Invisible. And an invisible enemy is, I have always said, the scariest.
This enemy doesn’t need to destroy the physical books…because instead he can distort our understanding of it. How much more effective is that? How many lies does the modern church belief?
God doesn’t do that anymore.
That was only for the first century church.
Or perhaps more specifically.
When God warns against loving money, he’s talking to the REALLY rich, not to me.
He doesn’t ask ALL of us to give things up.
That warning is for someone else.
We’re so quick to read a warning in the New Testament and try to figure out who else it applies to. But I say this–let our first question be, “Lord, am I guilty of this? If so, forgive me–and show me how to fix it.”
It took those priests and Levites months to purge the Temple building of years of garbage in 2 Chronicles. Purification isn’t a quick process. It took the messengers months to spread the word to the people. But truth spread, and in this case, prevailed.
They tossed out all the trash. They burned it. More–and this is something that struck me as I read it–they ground it all up to dust and scattered that dust to the winds. How’s that for symbolic actions?
What’s cluttering up our faith these days? What walls have we shoved it into? What idols and trash and abominations have we let pile up in front of it? What Truths are we ignoring?
When we find one, I pray we don’t just shove it aside a little…rearranging it. I pray we break it down. Grind it to dust. And scatter it to the wind. I pray we fall to our knees and repent, seek God with a brand new fervor.
I pray we take whatever time is needed to purify ourselves. And to fill our ears with His Truth.
by Roseanna White | Jan 7, 2016 | Thoughtful Thursdays
In October, my husband David and father went to Bulgaria. Their goal was the refugee camp in Harmanli, on the Turkish/Bulgarian border. Their purpose was to interview Syrian refugees and learn their story.
The result is a short film called Along the Path. Where my passion has always been the written word, my husband is feeling a call toward visual stories. I’m so proud of all he’s doing and praying I can support him as he has always supported me in my dreams.
In Along the Path, you’ll hear from a variety of refugees at the camp–a few who had only been in Bulgaria a few months. A few who had been there for years and had gone from being refugees to being volunteers who help other refugees. And you’ll hear from me, in the studio–my film debut, LOL. (I’m a STAR! Ahem. Cough, cough.)
If you have thirty minutes and wonder what these millions of refugees are experiencing, why they’re leaving their homes, and what they expect from the future, I encourage you to watch Along the Path. Hearing what these people have gone through has forever changed my outlook on the situation. I know it will do the same for others.
by Roseanna White | Dec 31, 2015 | Thoughtful Thursdays
I know, I know. Every blogger in the whole blogosphere is reflecting now on the exit of 2015 and the entrance of her baby sister. But under the firm belief that reflection is good for the soul, I must join in. 😉
As I look back over 2015, I see a year full to bursting with moments, milestones, and new missions that won’t just pass into history with the dawn of a new year.
This year, the very first novel I wrote saw publication, after 20 years of revisions and rewrites, and after 9 other published novels. I can’t quite explain how that feels, to have poured so much love into a project over so long, starting when I was twelve, and finally hold the finished project in my hands. It’s exhilarating. And it’s humbling. And it’s terrifying. Because now my very first baby is out in the world, and there are people who love it and people who hate it, people who judge those characters who have been so close to me for so long…yeah. But for all the negatives that come with putting out one’s work, they’ve got nothing on the positives. Thank you, Bethany House, for making this dream come true and pushing me to make this last version the best one by far!
This year, my designing took off in ways I honestly hadn’t expected. By my quick calculations, I designed over 60 book covers in 2015. For someone who thought she’d just take on freelance projects for some fun and extra cash, it’s been big fun and quite a blessing. I so love all the new writers and publishers I’ve gotten to meet through this, the new relationships formed, new discoveries made. God has really blessed me through this designing gig, and I’m so grateful to Him for the opportunities He provided.
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Xoe in the Nutcracker –
I would post one of Rowyn,
but he refuses to be captured
on camera! |
This year, my kids have grown up on me! Okay, not fully. But Xoe is 10. Double-digits. And starting to look like a young lady. And sometimes I just want to, as my mother always threatened, put a brick on their heads so they stop growing! It’s so cool to watch these fun little people learn and laugh and become who they are. They’re in 5th and 2nd grades now, and being their teacher continues to be something that wears me out but fills me up. I love being a homeschooling mom!
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| My post-Christmas project |
This year, I took up knitting. Technically, this fall. And I am totally hooked! I made a lot of Christmas gifts this year–and as gifts, I received yarn, circular needles, blocking mats, and giddiness as I got to dive in and create some new projects–like the boot toppers for my mom, above.
This year, my husband started chasing his dream. He’s long been interested in TV and film, and this year he took the first steps toward learning how to produce it. He went on two mission trips to Bulgaria in 2015, in March and October. During the second one, he visited a refugee camp with camera in hand and a heart to hear the stories of the refugees, and he came back with interviews that have become his first film. Along the Path is finished and ready for viewing; I’ll post a link next week. I’m so crazy-proud of this guy, who has always said that his calling is to help others reach their calling. It led him to start the Appalachian Relief Mission, took him an ocean away twice so far, and fills him with purpose. One of my greatest honors this year, and one of my biggest goals for 2016, is to support him in his dreams as he has always supported me in mine.
This year, my focus hasn’t changed much on the outside…but it’s changed a lot on the inside. Somehow, in the last few years, I’ve stopped caring about the things that surround me. I just want to be the woman God has made me. I just want to serve Him. I just want to help others know Him better.
And this year ended with a Joy I’m not at liberty to share just yet. 😉 But it’s a promise of stories to come and a 2016 filled with words, and it made this holiday season pretty darn bright for me!
by Roseanna White | Dec 17, 2015 | Thoughtful Thursdays, Uncategorized
Obviously, Christmas has been on my mind. And on my television. And in my news feed. It’s everywhere I look, and that’s awesome and fun. But this being me, I can’t just let it pass without thought. So I figured I’d share my reflections this year on the holiday…and how we recognize it.
First up, I’d like to shake my head at all the kids’ shows where they have to “save” Christmas. Where someone is threatening to ruin it or steal it or destroy it somehow or another. It was cute in the Grinch, because he then realizes that Christmas is something more. But I would like to posit this to all movie and TV show makers: you cannot steal Christmas. You cannot destroy it. You cannot ruin it. Christmas is not about anything we do. Christmas is about a miracle from God to man. And just like no villain can take it away, no hero can restore it. Because it’s not about us.
Which leads me to observations not aimed at the television. 😉 We also cannot have Christmas. I know that we’re thinking with generous hearts when we say we want that unfortunate family to still be able to have Christmas, so we help them out. But that’s been niggling at me too. Don’t get me wrong–I think it’s awesome to help out a family down on their luck. I think it’s wonderful to give gifts to kids, especially, who may never have gotten much before.
But “having” Christmas isn’t about what’s under the tree. We know this, intellectually. But it’s still the way we think, isn’t it?
We think of Christmas as something to experience. Something that involves all these traditions, all this pomp, all these things–sparkly things and lit-up things, expensive things and cheap things. Christmas is an event, played out each year with the help of retailers and marketing executives.
What would happen, I wonder, if one year we had no gifts? Would Christmas not come? Would we not have it? The Whos down in Whoville knew better, but I posit that most of us wouldn’t hold hands and start singing if we discovered all our stuff had vanished.
But let’s put aside the stuff and things. Let’s give ourselves credit and say that, yes, if the things were removed, we’d still rejoice on Christmas. But…why? Because, probably, we’d say we still have our families, and that’s what matters.
This is beautiful. And anyone who knows me even a little knows how much I value my family.
But this year, thanks to my husband’s reflections at Thanksgiving, I had a new realization.
Christmas isn’t about our families either.
Maybe, just maybe…we’re doing something a little bit wrong
by making it about spending time with loved ones.
Don’t get me wrong, I’m not advocating not spending time with family–I think this is important! But I think it’s important all year long. Every day or week. Not just on holidays. They provide a great reason for us to get together, and the tradition of gathering to observe holy days is long-standing and not something to toss aside.
But within our hearts and minds, where are we ranking that family time in relation to Christ, to worshiping Him and standing in awe at his arrival?
If it were in the right place, would people who have lost loved ones still find this time of year so hard? Depressing? Difficult to get through?
I don’t think so. I think…and I know people are going to rail at me for saying this…I think we’ve turned our families into idols, especially this time of year. I think we value them more than we value God. Christmas has become more about who is around us than Who is in our hearts. Gathering together for a holiday is supposed to be a way of teaching the young what the day means, of reminding each other, of corporate reflection and thanksgiving–after all, corporate prayer is greater than the sum of its parts, so I daresay corporate praise is too! But the gathering-together is not supposed to be the main thing it’s about. Thanksgiving, for instance, was first and foremost supposed to be a day to thank God-–even if we’ve lost our families in the year past. How much more so Christmas?
A few years ago, we had an ice storm Christmas morning that prevented our normal brunch at my mother’s house. And yes, it got me down. I missed my family, missed spending that time together, and was watching the thermometer, waiting for it to rise above 32 and melt that ice.
Now I wonder…what should I have been doing that day to make it special, even without all my family? How can I keep my eyes on Him, even if I’m alone (I wasn’t even alone that day, still had hubby and kiddos)?
I love, love, love my family. But I ought to love, love, love, love God even more. Spending time with them is important. But spending time with Him is even more important. So here’s my challenge to myself and anyone else who wants to join in.
This year, I will take time only for Him on Christmas. This year, I will stop and rethink my thoughts to make sure that I’m paying more attention to Him than to gifts and cookies and lights and decorations…and family.
This year, Christmas will not be about presents. It will not be about anything I can “have.” It will not even be about those people I love so much.
Christmas will be about Christ.
So if we were each absolutely alone this year on December 25…how would we worship Him? And how can we bring that into our busy day?
Roseanna M. White is a bestselling, Christy Award winning author who has long claimed that words are the air she breathes. When not writing fiction, she’s homeschooling her two kids, editing, designing book covers, and pretending her house will clean itself. Roseanna is the author of a slew of historical novels that span several continents and thousands of years. Spies and war and mayhem always seem to find their way into her books…to offset her real life, which is blessedly ordinary.