Jesus and the Beanstalk by Lori Roeleveld

I've been hearing about this book for a while now. Heard it wasn't like anything else out there. Heard it wasn't going to be "for everybody." 

Once I finally got my hands on it, I understood.

It is NOT like any thing I've ever read. It's part Christian living, but not like what you think of when you hear "Christian living." It's part devotional, but not like what you think of when you hear "devotional."

It is other.

Which is appropriate, because overcoming giants? Living a fruitful life? That requires something OTHER.

You don't need me to tell me you that. You already know. You already know that the usual stuff isn't going to cut it. And that's why you need to read this book. 

Lori is not interested in patting you on the back and telling you a fluffy story. This is a grown up story for grown ups fighting grown up giants in grown up battles.

If you're looking for a book full of platitudes that will make you feel better, this book isn't for you. If you're happy remaining childish in your faith, then you should pass.

But it you want to take your childLIKE faith and put some muscle on it? 
If you want to explore what virtue looks like in this day and age?
If you want to learn how to use Biblical knowledge in battle?
If you have issues with self-control (um, ouch), know you aren't always as steadfast as you should be, get a little nervous about "godliness," struggle with how to juggle affection and confrontation, and suspect that there is something missing in the way you love...then Jesus and the Beanstalk could be the very thing you didn't even realize you were looking for.

I know. Some of you are getting a little antsy. This sounds a lot like to-dos and those of us who consider ourselves to be recovering legalists tend to have a knee-jerk reaction to anyone telling us we NEED to do ANYTHING other than trust in Jesus.

Relax.

This book is not about condemnation. 
This book is not about doing more or pulling yourself up by your own bootstraps.

It IS about putting on the whole armor of God. 
It IS about growing in our understanding of Scripture.
It IS about seeking holiness and righteousness.
It IS about Biblical sanctification. 

It is OTHER.

And it can help you live a life that will point others to Jesus and the extraordinary, better-than-any-fairytale life He offers.

About the book: 

Jesus and the Beanstalk: Overcoming Your Giants and Living a Fruitful Life (Abingdon Press, September 2016)

What if a fairy tale and ten Bible verses could free you to live an effective, fruitful life in Christ?

We live in unsettling, challenging times. Everywhere we look, we see giant problems: giant obstacles to sharing faith, giant barriers to peaceful lives, giant strongholds of fear. But what if you knew eight small secrets to unlocking a strength big enough to overcome whatever obstacle life may bring?

Using allegory and a bit of humor, Jesus and the Beanstalkexplores a passage in 2 Peter 1 to uncover eight truths that will help you unleash a larger-than-life faith:

-Faith

-Goodness

-Knowledge

-Self-control

-Perseverance

-Godliness

-Affection for others

-Love

In this creative, refreshing perspective on spiritual growth, you will discover an unyielding strength when you tap the power of a God who is stronger than any beanstalk and bigger than your biggest giants.

Purchase a copy: http://bit.ly/2dcnopJ

About the author:

Lori Stanley Roeleveld is the author of Running from a Crazy Man (and other adventures traveling with Jesus) and Red Pen Redemption. Her blog, LoriRoeleveld.com, was voted Top 100 Christian Blogs by RedeemingGod.com and has enjoyed over 1.5 million views. Lori lives in Hope Valley, RI.

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Running from a Crazy Man

Lori Roeleveld

One of my favorite writers anywhere ever is Lori Roeleveld. I've had a writer crush on her since 2010, when I heard her share her story in a workshop at the Blue Ridge Mountains Christian Writers Conference...and then listened as her name was called several times during the awards ceremony a few days later. 

I discovered her blog, Deeper With Jesus in Rhode Island, and found myself developing a love/hate relationship with her posts. They are beautifully written, funny, and provocative. They are also courageous, disturbing, and convicting. When I read her posts, I am often encouraged. I am also frequently annoyed. Annoyed that I can no longer sit cozy in my comfy chair and ignore the plight of suffering Christians, stay silent on unpopular issues, or pretend that I serve the kind of God I can explain in a tweet.

I'm thrilled to tell you that Lori has just released a new book, Running From A Crazy Man (and other adventures traveling with Jesus). 

Running from a Crazy Man

Here's what I had to say about it on Amazon: If you've discovered that following Jesus is more like traveling to Mordor than following the yellow brick road, then the wisdom found in these pages will encourage you when you fear, strengthen you when you falter, whisper peace in the dark, and kick your rear when you start thinking about calling it quits. Lori writes from a unique place. She writes as a poet warrior who rests in the certainty that the One leading us into battle is not only big enough to have already won the war, but is also loving enough to understand how afraid we become when swords start flying at our heads. Running from a Crazy Man is an honest look at what it means to follow Jesus - it's an adventure no one will want to miss.

Here's what I had to say about it on Facebook: Lori is one of my favorite writers and Running from a Crazy Man is the kind of book that will encourage you as you walk with the Lord. Of course, by encourage, I mean the way jumper cables "encourage" a car to start! Running from a Crazy Man isn't the kind of book you read and then close the pages and think, "well, that was nice." Running from a Crazy Man is the kind of book you read and then get out of your comfy chair and live the adventure Jesus is calling you to.

This weekend, you can grab the paperback copy for $8.96. And the Kindle version is only $1.99! I don't know how long these prices will last, but Running from a Crazy Man would make a great gift for anyone on your Christmas shopping list. It belongs on your nightstand as well, so go ahead and pick up two or three. 

I know sometimes we wonder if the people who write books about the Christian life are the real deal. Do they live their faith? Do they mean what they say? You don't need to worry about that with Lori. Since that conference in 2010, it has been my privilege to call Lori my friend. Over the past few years, Lori has prayed for me, encouraged me, listened to me whine, prodded me, celebrated with me, asked me hard questions, and extended lots of grace.

I can recommend Running from a Crazy Man without reservation. Get it. Read it. Just don't expect to walk away unchanged. 

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Scratch-n-Sniff Bible

I’ve always wondered what it would be like if my Bible came with a scratch-n-sniff option.

Imagine what the Garden of Eden smelled like.

The fragrance of fruit trees and grasses and roses without thorns.

The aroma of a world brand new. Fresh and clean.

But it didn’t stay that way.

Decay and death soon entered.

In our scratch-n-sniff Bible, the rest of Genesis and a good chunk of Exodus smell like sweat and tears.

The aroma of perfection marred by sin.

But it didn’t stay that way.

There's more...but you'll need to pop over to Deeper With Jesus in Rhode Island to read the rest. I hope you will. 

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Let Down

Ever had someone let you down?

It happened to me recently.

At first, I was surprised. I have a fairly optimistic outlook and I tend to expect the best of people, so when they reveal a different side of themselves, it often catches me off guard.

The surprise was followed up with dismay and a lot of self-incrimination. “How could I be that gullible?” and “Am I really that naive?” and “I should have known…”

Now, I’m a “good Christian girl” or at least I try to be. So while I vented to my husband, there were several methods I did NOT take advantage of.

I did not compose a vague but needy Facebook post.

          I did not ....



If you want to read the rest of this post, you'll need to pop over to my dear friend Lori Roeleveld's fabulous site, Deeper with Jesus in Rhode Island. It is an indescribable honor for me to be guest posting there. 

Lori's blog is the first one I recommend whenever someone asks me which bloggers I follow. If you've never visited her site, do it today. And go ahead and sign up to have her posts sent to your email. You'll be amazed by the encouragement (and occasional kick in the rear!) you'll find there!

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When Others Have the Words

I sent my daughter to school on Monday with the sure knowledge that, should unspeakable evil threaten, the teachers and staff at her school would do everything humanly possible to protect her.

And more importantly, that my Abba remains sovereign over all.

But that doesn't mean I've got a handle on this.

I'm no theologian. I'm a mom. A mom who cried through the news coverage on Friday afternoon and again Friday evening after my precious ones were tucked into their beds.

I'm a mom who Does.Not.Understand.

And unless your faith is about as deep as the icing on the sugar cookies you like to decorate each year, Friday's horror should make you ask questions.

It is not a sign of weak faith to bury your face in your hands and ask God, "Why?" 

The Bible tells us in James that, "If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him". Besides, God knows we don't understand, and faking it with Him makes about as much sense as going to Wal-mart on Christmas Eve.

That verse, interestingly enough, comes right after James tells us to count it all joy when we suffer. I think God knew we would struggle with this and wanted to make sure we knew we could always ask for help understanding the hard stuff. 

Thankfully, there are some incredible, Godly people out there who have shone light into the darkness. They've asked the hard questions and the answers are powerful.

The following is a brief list of some of the posts that have spoken to my heart over the past few days. They range from poignant to theologically profound.

As we celebrate the first coming of our Savior, my heart is longing for the second.
Even so, come quickly.

Deeper with Jesus in Rhode Island ~ Goodbye Little Christmas Angels

The Write Conversation ~ Weekend Worship: Where Was God?

A Holy Experience ~ The Truth About Sandy Hook: Where is God When Bad Things Happen?

Radical ~ The Gospel and Newtown (this one's longer than the others, but there's some serious theology here)

If you've come across a post that spoke to you, feel free to share it in the comments.

Grace and peace,
Lynn

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Why You Should NOT Take A Break This Summer

A few weeks ago, I asked what you were planning to do to grow closer to God this summer. Remember? (If not, click here!)

I know that many of us participate in Bible studies during the school year, but we usually take the summer off. Which makes perfect sense. It’s hard to schedule group sessions around vacations and swim lessons.

What doesn’t make sense?

Taking the summer off.

We aren’t in first grade anymore. We’re supposed to be ever growing, ever learning, ever maturing.

Go ahead and take the summer off from scheduled, group study. But please don’t put your Bible and journal up on a shelf with plans to dig them back out in September.

We must remember that we are in a war. Our enemy doesn’t take summers off. For whole battalions to decide they aren’t going to fight for three months out of the year reveals a serious lack of spiritual maturity on the part of people who should be battle hardened warriors.

Make no mistake about it...if you aren't growing closer to God then you're moving away from Him. The enemy will gladly watch you drift and then he'll unleash every obstacle in his arsenal to be sure you never get as close as you once were.

Now that I’ve gotten all up in your business, let me share with you a resource you might want to consider. You could think of it as a summer refresher course.

Depending on where you are in your walk with the Lord, it might sound like a remedial class.

Trust me, it’s not.

A dear friend of mine (Lori Roeleveld of Deeper with Jesus in Rhode Island), threw out a call to take “The God Challenge” this summer by reading 40 Ways to Get Closer to God written by Jerry (Chip) MacGregor with Keri Wyatt Kent.

It sounded perfect. Maybe a little lighter than what I’d been planning, but hey, it’s summer.

Did I mention that this is not a remedial class?

Good.

It’s not that these challenges are hard. If you’ve been following God for any length of time, you may even read the challenge for that day and think, “Seriously? That’s it? I do that all the time.” I’ve had a few of those days.

To my surprise and embarrassment, when I attempt the challenge I often discover that I needed some work on that particular discipline after all. Consider me Gibbs slapped by God!

I’m not going to give it all away, but I started this in late May. It’s June 11th and I’m not even up to Day 10. I’m trying not to read or jump ahead until I have actually done, or at least planned when I will do, each activity. I'm taking my time because I don't want to just read a book about getting closer to God.

I want to actually get closer to God.

Over the next few weeks, I’ll share with you some of my adventures, what I’m learning, and what God is showing me about how amazing He is. If you’d like to jump in and join the fun, that would be fantastic. (Please send me a shout out in the comments!)

Whether you choose to join in on #TheGodChallenge (our Twitter hashtag) or not, please do something. Read the New Testament. Pray for each member of your family every day. Read the Psalms slowly (I did that last year - loved it!).

Your enemy is not taking the summer off. You shouldn’t either.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~



The Joy Dare continues...

3 Gifts Painted ~ Roses painted the perfect pink; baby faces painted in watermelon juice; smiles painted on the faces of friends reunited

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Web Wisdom

I'm still soaking up the writerly vibes of the Blue Ridge Mountains Writers Conference. And oh ya'll, it's been awesome!


But we're still focused on motherhood this month, so I wanted to share a couple of my favorite places on the web. 


Places that help me be a better mom.


These aren't websites that will tell you how to make your own laundry detergent (nothing wrong with that - I tried it - I liked it) or how to teach your kids to read before they can walk (please don't get me started) or even how to save money (which I am all in favor of)!


No, these websites help me be a better mom because they help me grow in my faith. I have no greater responsibility than to share my passion for the Lord with my children. But I cannot share what I do not have. The enemy floods the world with things designed to distract me from the wonder of what God has done for me.
These websites remind me.


Deeper with Jesus in Rhode Island
If you want to be challenged to be a bolder believer, if you want to be encouraged in your walk, if you want to be equipped to tackle cultural issues from a Biblical perspective, you need to be subscribed to Deeper with Jesus in Rhode Island. My dear friend and sister in Christ, Lori Roeleveld, writes with conviction and passion and a heart to encourage believers and reach those who don't share our faith.


I wish I could write about social and doctrinal issues with the clarity and insight she does each week. I pray for a fraction of her boldness and a smidgen of her heart. Someday, I'll be saying "I knew her when" but I'm thrilled to be able to say "I know her now."


There is no better thing we can do for our children that to deepen our relationship with our Savior, and Lori's site is a great place to start.


A Holy Experience
I fully admit to having a writer crush on Ann Voskamp. If you haven't read One Thousand Gifts, then we need to talk. I read a lot, and it's been a long time since a book has had such a continuing impact on my daily life. Her writing is achingly beautiful and her posts leave me longing to know my Savior more, love my children better, and relish every single moment God has gifted me.

Our children live in a dark world. I want our home to be a place of joy and gratitude. A place where we notice what God has blessed us with and take the time to thank Him.

Ann's book and posts help keep that fresh in my mind.
So take a few minutes and check out these websites. Then leave me a comment and tell me some of  your favorites!

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31 Days :: Day 17 ~ No books required?

Happy Monday! If your weekend was as crazy as mine and you need to catch up, you can find links to the sixteen previous posts here.

Phil. 4:8 ~ Whatever is honorable . . . think about these things. (ESV)

Yesterday, we talked about reading non-fiction as a way to renew our minds.

But what if you don't consider yourself to be a reader?

What if the idea of picking up a 100 page book is overwhelming, much less a 500 page biography? Or what if you don't have time for a lot of reading?

Well . . . welcome to 2011. If you're serious about renewing your mind, you have options.

LOTS OF OPTIONS!

1. This one is obvious, but you can read blogs. Most authors and speakers have blogs these days. A quick web search will get you started and most blogs (including this one!) have an option to subscribe by email. This means you never have to hunt for the blog again - anytime there's a new post, you'll get an email about it.

One blog I highly recommend is Deeper in Rhode Island with Jesus written by Lori Roeleveld. Lori updates her blog several times a week and never fails to make me think deeper about my faith.

2. Do you have a Twitter account? You can "follow" all sorts of people and churches and receive frequent words of encouragement and exhortation. I follow @PaulTripp, @DailyKeller (quotes from Tim Keller), @SouthsideChurch (my church), @CSLewisDaily (a daily quote from C.S. Lewis) to name a few. You could also follow me ... @LynnHBlackburn. :-)

3. You can sign up to receive daily devotions. I suggest you pick one or two and leave it at that, or you'll find yourself deleting more than reading. I like Christian Devotions for a couple of reasons. One, I know quite a few of the authors who contribute and two, the devotions are only 300-400 words. Long enough to make a point, short enough to be a quick read. (For reference, most of my blog posts are between 400-500 words).

4. If you really hate to read, then you probably haven't made it this far. And I realize that reading isn't always the best way for some people to receive information. If you're more of an auditory learner, or if you spend a lot of time in your car, podcasts and audiobooks are available from local churches, radio broadcasts, and nationally televised speakers.

For example, right now our church is going through II Corinthians. Powerful stuff. No matter where you live, you can download the sermons and listen along. Miss a Focus on the Family broadcast? You can download those, too. Love a particular speaker? A few clicks of the mouse and you'll find ways to hear their teaching.

All of these things are free and effective ways to renew your mind.

Regardless of the method you prefer, finding honorable things to think about isn't really hard.

But no one is going to do your renewing for you. 

So what are you waiting for?


*************
Got some other suggestions for renewing your mind by thinking about honorable things, with or without books? I'd love to hear about them in the comments!

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