Studying Scripture in a Beautiful Way (SRT Bible Review)

I’ve been a She Reads Truth fan since nearly the beginning. I’ve written a few posts about their studies before.

I didn’t grow up in church and didn’t really know how to engage in scripture– SRT helped me by providing thoughtful devotions and corresponding scripture to study– and they did so in a way that was beautiful and thoughtful. I was a part of their launch team for the SRT Book, and have participated in countless studies by them for over 3 years.

So when I heard about the SRT Bible, I was ECSTATIC. It looked stunning from the outside, and I knew it would be as beautiful from the inside too. And I was not disappointed!

I was equally excited when the B&H Bloggers program had one on their site up for review purposes. I hadn’t had the money to splurge on an SRT Bible just yet, so it came at a great time!

I actually missed the cutoff for this review copy, due to a technical error, but the people at B&H are so nice they sent me one to review anyway! (shout out to Andy for being awesome!).

So here are my thoughts:

Bible in box (same color/design as Bible itself), with white cover– on back of white cover has the features/details of the Bible like a normal book would have.

front of the bible- with SRT logo

Bible spine– same font as on white cover/intro page. Simple design but beautiful!

First off, it is gorgeous looking. Isn’t it?! I love this color (I was thinking I’d get the grey one per the review copy, so was over the moon to receive the poppy colored one!! Squeal!!)

key features–maps, charts, etc

Now honestly, does scripture and the Bible have to LOOK pretty for us to engage with it? Nope. But doesn’t the beautiful word of God deserve to look as beautiful as the words within it are? I’d say yes. Jess Connolly made this point in one of our Dance Stand Run launch team live chats about her book– the cover is stunning, but it doesn’t have to be– but God deserves our best. He deserves beauty! And so does His word, to extend her example. The Bible is inherently beautiful, but making it look as beautiful outside as it is inside glorifies God all the more, in my opinion. 

“How to Read the Bible” article

“This is the Gospel” article

And truthfully, it makes using this Bible all the more engaging: looking at the beautiful scripture pages at the beginning of each book, studying the stunning maps, charts, and timelines that are as aesthetically pleasing as they are a valuable resource in learning about the whens and wheres of the Christian world. Especially charts. I’m a chart/worksheet kind of girl.

Chart from Proverbs

 

I get bored fairly easily reading the Bible, if I’m being honest. So making it captivating with design, helpful tools to understand it better, and devotions to bring it to life help me so much. Case in point:  the “How to read the Bible” and “This is the Gospel articles at front of Bible– super helpful for beginners. The “How to read the Bible” article helped me immensely, honestly.

Letter from Raechel Myers and Amanda Bible Williams, founders of SRT and editors of the SRT Bible

An aside: Now, if anyone knows me well, they know I am one of the messiest humans on earth. My books are typically very loved looking (meaning they’re worn out, dog-eared and usually falling apart by the end of the reading from being in my purse) because of this. I kind of love that about my books, because it shows you how much I love my books (which is a lot).

I’m not letting this happen with my SRT Bible. I love it by keeping it nice; I don’t want it to be dog-eared and messy. I don’t let myself have food/drink around it, it stays in its box when I’m not using it, I have a special place it goes with my other Bibles/journals/study tools that I put it back in EVERY night. It’s worth it to keep it pristine to me. I write in the margins w/ a sharpie pen, but haven’t highlighted due to the page thinness (more on that later). Back to the review!

1 Sam key verse page/ intro page

1 Sam map/study plan

I appreciate the different Bible study plans (pic on left)– both one for digging into each book of the Bible, and one for reading the Bible as a whole.I haven’t used one yet because I’m doing a study on 1&2 Samuel right now (with SRT of course, duh) but will definitely use one in the future. The book introductions (pic on right) are thorough and useful, a great tool as I engage in books I don’t know much about.

I love all the devotions I’ve read so far, though I wish they hadn’t been ones that were used on the SRT website already. (I doubt they all are, but the ones I’ve read so far I’ve read in previous studies!) Eg: I’m doing the Life of David study, and two of the devos in the Bible were also the study on the website. I also wish they’d write who wrote what on the devotion instead of having a directory of names in the back.

Features detailed// info on CSB translation (with key to footnotes on back)

As for the Bible’s version, it’s a new one to me-the Christian Standard Bible (CSB). I like this version! This is my first time using it. It’s very clear and easy to understand. The footnotes are a bit confusing though– I know there’s a key at the beginning of the Bible, but I wish they were easier to engage with and understand what they mean in relation to the scripture. For my study Bible, I use NLT, so this is a great companion to that (and the occasional reading of The Message for a fresh take on the wording).

The wide margins are great, especially as a Bible journaler– though I don’t intend on doing much artsy journaling in this Bible. I like using the margins to write out scriptures that stand out as I read them, or notes from my study.

I’ve read a lot of complaints on the thin pages– and I won’t lie, they are thin. I’m afraid if I move through them quickly I’ll rip one! But as far as the thinness in relation to reading the scripture, it doesn’t bother me too much. I can read it just fine. The only pages that it bothers me is on the pages where there’s a devotional on one side, and scripture on the other– the design of the devotional pages does make it a little harder to read the scripture. I wish they’d put devotionals on both sides of the same page to avoid this problem, but it’s more of a slight annoyance than anything else.

Example:

What it looks like when I write a long passage (front and back of same page):

I use a sharpie pen in my SRT Bible and can see some shading on the back, but no major bleedthrough has occurred from my writing.

What the pages with devotionals on one side, scripture on the other look like:

devo side

scripture side

See- because the outline/ design of the devotionals are different from the scripture pages, it looks wonky. Again, it’s merely an annoyance, not something to write home about.

Key Verses– one of the favorite aspects of the Bible. 1 from each book, intentionally chosen together.

Overall, I LOVE this Bible. It’s beautiful to look at, easy to read and understand, and thought-provoking in the additional details it provides. I’m a fan of most everything the SRT ladies put out there, but am especially proud of this product by them.

Proud to be a member of the SRT Community, and grateful for the way they use their beautiful designs and thoughtful studies to bring women into the word of God every day. I hope this Bible does that job well for women around the world– it’s doing so for me! 

There’s a more succinct version of this review on Amazon and Goodreads.

Happy reading!

(Amazon affiliate links have been used in this post)

all the things (10.23)

And I’m back for the 2nd edition of All the Things weekly recap! I skipped last week because… well, while dogsitting I hardly had enough energy to open my laptop, let alone read things. Oops.

But anyways, here are this week’s happenings:

My little corner of the internet: 

Finding my Armor-Bearer: a pretty vulnerable post about friendship.

My FMF Post this week:

Jesus, mental health, and ignorant people on twitter:

Not a blog post, but I got my twitter-preacher girl on this week in light of an ignorant person’s twitter rant about faith and mental illness. I will continue screaming this at the top of my lungs until people get it. This stigma KILLS, y’all.

Words from the internet I liked: 

Honestly, I didn’t read a lot of articles/blog posts per my usual this week… because I’ve been reading a lot of actual books! How about that? Haha.

That Time I Danced Too Close: In light of the “me too” conversation happening about sexual harassment, this post was quite well said, especially from a Christian/church perspective. I follow Rachel on twitter and enjoy her thoughts!

“If we truly believe in the Imago Dei—that all people are created in the image of God—then we must recognize that what some brush off as “locker room talk” or “boys being boys” is actually a perpetuation of abuse which insults the image of God.”

Answering ‘How Are You?’ With ‘I’m Tired’ | The Mighty  

One day last year my former boss asked how I was and I said my usual, “tired but okay” and she exclaimed, “you ALWAYS say you’re tired!” Yes. Yes, I do. But tired doesn’t always equal physically tired, believe it or not.

“Because it’s life you’re tired of. You’re tired of people treating you like you don’t matter. You’re tired of feeling like you have no future. You’re tired of getting lost in your own head, of drowning in the thoughts and self doubts that pester you every second of every day, while you fight to keep your head above the tides.”

Really, I Blame the Women. |Sarah Bessey 

I was introduced to Heartline and the Livesays from both Sarah Bessey and Kristen Howerton. I love Tara’s sassiness, blatant honesty about life in Haiti, and her determination to not band-aid a problem, but create a solution. Also, the woman is freaking hilarious and posts the cutest pictures of babies and mamas on instagram. This is a great post by Sarah telling some of Heartline’s backstory in honor of their 10th anniversary, and it includes ways to support Heartline at the end!

What if there was a way to keep families together? What if there was a way to eliminate the need for orphanages altogether?

What if we gave all of the energy we’re giving to caring for orphans towards making sure these children never even became orphans in the first place?

Like I said, I blame the women.

Why is a popular interfaith website giving a disgraced misogynistic pastor a platform?

I saw Driscoll’s name popping up online over the last few weeks, and I cringed. Why, Patheos, Why? This article just has a sprinkling of the over-the-top offensive remarks the man has made. In the name of Jesus. I just can’t believe someone would let him wield power AGAIN. And no repentance for his actions, either. I just can’t.

In the sad words of one of the commenters: “Why is a popular interfaith website giving a disgraced misogynistic pastor a platform? 
 
It’s a simple question with a simple answer: Because those who have the authority to make the decision agree with his teachings.  
 
It’s no deeper than that. If they back him, they back his teachings.”

Sigh. Plus, the fact that he has followers (somehow?) and that will bring $. It all comes down to money, even if we have to sacrifice morals and human decency.

Patheos’ decision emerges as we witness the belated reckonings of powerful misogynist men whose behavior was ignored and enabled all in the name of the almighty dollar. Driscoll brings with him half a million Twitter followers and status as a New York Times best-selling author, but also a long history of sexism and outright misogyny.

–This isn’t a blog or article, but someone in my Enneagram facebook group (yes i’m in an enneagram fb group no shame) created a playlist for fellow Enneagram 2s (2w1 here) and I love it. Listen on spotify here.

Cool things to buy on the internet: 

-I just recently got a new Queen sized bed (thanks, Dad!), but haven’t bought a new bedspread to fit on it. I’ve found a few I like that are a bit out of my price range (why you so expensive, Anthropologie?!?) but have a found a few contenders.

I like pretty, florarly designs, but a little less bold than my college quilt (bright pink with brightly colored flowers. a tad loud for 25-year-old me. ).

I’ve found a few on urban outfitters I adore: this one is the biggest contender. I love this one too.

I REALLY want this one from anthro, but my mother doesn’t want me to get one with a white background. Bah humbug.

That’s also why she wasn’t a fan of this kate spade one, but I’m slightly obsessed with it.

I love this anthro one too, but can’t justify the price tag. Sigh.

So, should I save up for one of the anthro ones, or go with a cutesy one from urban outfitters?! help a sista out!

-I love that this and this exist. Bundt cakes that you cook like waffles? Sign me up. Plus, the mini one is just too cute.

-I have a few friends having babies in the near future, and the one thing I love gifting more than anything else? Books! Duh. I have a few on my wishlists I’m starting to buy for various babies I already love so much.

Jimmy Fallon has a new kids book out, and it is so cute. Anything Jimmy Fallon does is awesome, so…

I can’t remember where I read about this one, but I love it. Let’s start teaching ’em about diversity young! I want a copy of this one for myself– it’s stunningly designed!!

I’ve given this one to a friend’s babe before, and I’ll give it again because it is so good and lovely and heartfelt. I love MPT, and his children’s books are beautiful inside and out!

– Through the B&H/Lifeway bloggers program, I received the amazingly beautiful She Reads Truth Bible this week to review! I’ve had my eye on it since before it came out but wasn’t able to swing it financially. It is BEAUTIFUL. And so helpful/resourceful. I’ve been using it for Bible study since I got it, and it has made bible study so much easier. I’ll do a full review of it hopefully this week, but it is worth every penny.

-To go with my new SRT Bible, I splurged on a new prayer journal. I’ve been following Val Marie Paper forever online but have never tried one of their products. They have a yearly prayer journal that looks beautiful and awesome but wanted to spend a little less than $50 for the first time I’ve used one of the prayer journals. She sells an undated version for a fraction of that, so I went with it. And it matches the color of my Bible! (not that that matters, but hey sometimes girl likes to be cute!). I love things that are prompted/scripted for me to follow as a guide, so I’m excited to add it to my arsenal of Bible study tools. If I like it, I’ll def spring for the yearly version (… or ask for it as a Christmas present. Girlfriend is stingy).

-Books! Two books by two of my favorites come out this week, and GIRL IS PUMPED.

My favorite gal Annie F Downs has a new devotional coming out, and I could squeal I’m so excited. Devotionals are my favorite. If I could have one singular job as a writer, writing devotionals would be it. I have a few good ones in my rotation nightly but am excited to add 100 Days of Brave to the group. Especially since I loved Let’s All Be Brave– girl knows about brave, and I’m pumped for more bravery talk. Bonus: it’s all glittery and that makes me extra excited. (Just as I was finishing this post I got the email that amazon shipped it, and I may have squealed).

and lastly, HAVE YOU PREORDERED DANCE STAND RUN YET? IF NOT, WHAT ARE YOU WAITING FOR? AND YES I’M WRITING IN ALL CAPS BECAUSE I AM SERIOUS Y’ALL.

You’ve got about 24ish hours to preorder to get the goodies from dancestandrun.com, but even more than that: this book needs to be in the hands of as many women as possible, y’all. and if we preorder, more booksellers will keep it in stock and display it. So, GO BUY IT. It comes out officially on Tuesday, and I do intend on writing about DSR sometime this week. I got my official launch team copies last week, and not only is it stunning (it shimmers, y’all!), but it is even better holding the book in my hands! Y’all, this book is going to change the world. And Jess is a woman fully leaning on God’s truth to carry her and her words, and they’re words we NEED to hear. Let’s go.

That’s it for this week, yo. What did you see/read/buy on the internet this week?

Upcoming posts this week include: SRT Bible Review (later this week), and a review/message of Dance Stand Run. Let’s do it!

[amazon affiliate links have been used in this post]

finding my armor-bearer.

1 Samuel 14:7 has been one of my favorite verses since college. It’s a sweet reminder to me of God’s all-knowing guidance wherever I go:

His armor-bearer responded, “Do what is in your heart. You choose. I’m right here with you whatever you decide.” (CSB)

 “Do all that you have in mind,” his armor-bearer said. “Go ahead; I am with you heart and soul.” (NIV)

I’ve been slowly going through She Read Truth’s 1 and 2nd Samuel study (which was over at least a month ago, but I’m slow and September wasn’t my best month!). I got to 1 Sam 13 and 14 last night. It was the first time I’d studied 1 Sam 14:7 in its full context. Here’s a bit of that, from verses 6-10:

Jonathan said to the attendant who carried his weapons, “Come on, let’s cross over to the garrison of these uncircumcised men. Perhaps the Lord will help us. Nothing can keep the Lord from saving, whether by many or by few.”

⁷ His armor-bearer responded, “Do what is in your heart. You choose. I’m right here with you whatever you decide.”

⁸ “All right,” Jonathan replied, “we’ll cross over to the men and then let them see us. ⁹ If they say, ‘Wait until we reach you,’ then we will stay where we are and not go up to them. ¹⁰ But if they say, ‘Come on up,’ then we’ll go up, because the Lord has handed them over to us—that will be our sign.” 

Reading the verse in context, mixed with life happenings that changed my perspective, made me look at it in a new way.

I’ve always read this verse as the armor-bearer representing God. I don’t think this is necessarily a wrong way to read the verse; for the season of life I was in when I first read this verse, that is what I needed it to be, I think. I was trying to figure out my life, my dreams, and my plans, unsure of my next steps. I didn’t know where God was leading me or what He had called me to anymore. I needed the comfort that God was with me, heart and soul, that he was going to use my gifts and my talents and my dreams right where I was, whatever I did with them. I didn’t fear doing the ‘right’ thing as much when I read this verse–I felt that as long as I was trusting that God was with me no matter what, I couldn’t go down a wrong path.

With all my struggle on calling and careers and the future, this verse has acted as a reminder for my must-figure-life-out-ness and desire to know my future before it happens. 

That is what I’ve needed that verse to be for me at the time. But now, I’m reading it differently, from a different place in my life.

While studying this verse in a more recent context, I didn’t see God as an armor-bearer anymore. I saw people. Community. Friends.

It made me realize I need an armor-bearer in my life. Or a better one, at least. 

Upon reading this verse in this light, I decided to check out a few commentaries for a definition of an armor-bearer. I could kind of guess what they were based on context (that English degree did teach me something!) but I wanted some more depth.

The words “armor-bearer” literally translate to “the one carrying the armor.” It’s defined as “One who carried the large shield and perhaps other weapons for a king, commander in chief, leader, etc.” (source)

The armor-bearer was a leader or warrior’s right-hand man, carrying weapons and armor to and from battle. He worked for and with the leader; he was his helper, his encourager, his support.

He was his person. Reliable and capable, supportive and strong, a guiding force that carried their respective leader or warrior’s life in their hands. Where the leader went, so the armor-bearer went too.

When we get to this point in 1 Sam 14, Jonathan is wanting to go against protocol and charge towards the Philistines. He fully trusted that God would be on his side. Jonathan fully depended on God to carry him through the battle, so he decided to go for it. When he told his armor-bearer his plan, 14:7 was his response.

⁷ “Do all that you have in mind,” his armor-bearer said. “Go ahead; I am with you heart and soul.”

His armor-bearer was with him heart and soul. He would go alongside him no matter what. He supported him. He encouraged him. He knew Jonathan and trusted God too, so he trusted Jonathan’s judgment. So together, they went off to battle and came out victorious (for now).

Jonathan didn’t just go into battle with God alone. He had his armor-bearer with him, someone he trusted, someone who cared and supported him. With God and his armor-bearer at his side, Jonathan did what he intended to do, and did it well.

A lot of the commentaries I read on this verse talk about the encouragement and support of the armor-bearer:

Who could not win victories backed by such armor bearers as that? Go back through history and you will see that the men who have done the greatest work in the world are the men who have been backed by faithful helpers with staunch and loyal hearts. (source)

 “Armor-bearers in ancient times had to be unusually brave and loyal, since the lives of their masters often depended on them.”

These words from Jonathan’s armor bearer must have cheered Jonathan greatly. When we step out in faith, encouragement can make all the difference for good and discouragement can make all the difference for evil. (source)

Jonathan’s armor-bearer was a man of resource and courage. (source)

I see a lot of descriptors here: loyal, faithful, brave, encouraging, resourceful, courageous.

This embodies what an armor-bearer was in scripture. Dependable, encouraging, helpful, loyal, brave.

In a lot of ways, I think it embodies what we’re called to be to each other. 

We’re called to be armor-bearers for one another.

Are we literally carrying armor into battle for each other? I sure hope not. But we still carry each other– our stories, our hurts, our joys, our tears. At least we’re supposed to do that for each other, right?

We all need people like an armor-bearer in our lives. Someone we depend on to help lighten the load as we walk into whatever battlefield we’re going into. Someone who will boldly encourage us, while gently reminding us that they’re with us no matter the outcome. People that are loyal and brave and willing to support us through it all.

We need people who will be a bearer of our lives, no matter what’s going on or what we do. 

---

One of the things I’ve talked to God a lot about lately is my need of a friend. I have friends– a community of friends I love spending time with, whenever we can.  But I need not just community, but a friend. A best friend. Someone I feel like I can text funny things or serious things without feeling a tinge of guilt or burdensomeness, one that will actually respond more than 1 or 2 words. One I can be honest about my life with– and all of it, not just bits and pieces I usually share. 

I’m tired of shallow relationships, to put it bluntly. I’m tired of always being the one to text first, without the lack of a response. I’m tired of being an afterthought or forgotten about. I’m tired of thinking I’m a close friend with someone, only to find out that they don’t think we’re as close as I think we are. I don’t want half-assed friendships where I’m only remembered when I’m needed or only thought about when I initiate the conversation. I’ve had enough of those in my life.

Don’t get me wrong– I have some good friends. But a lot of friends have come and go or just fizzled out. I get that life happens and things and people change. I get that life gets crazy busy and circumstances sometimes keep us apart from each other. But I feel like I’m the friend that always gets left in the cold. And I’m tired of trying to be a better friend without reciprocation, or at least an attempt to be a friend back. Friendship has to involve at least two people, ya know? It requires work and honesty and vulnerability on both sides. I’m trying to deliver on my part. I don’t want to be enough of a friend for two of us, and it’s hard for me to be honest and vulnerable if I don’t think you’re going to stay. 

My prayers for better and stronger friendships were met with this scripture. Funny how God works sometimes.

I need an armor-bearer kind of friend. One that embodies the qualities of Jonathan’s armor-bearer: supportive and encouraging, helpful and loyal. One that pushes me to more and brave things, while not leaving me in the process.

Rant/segue: I don’t need flighty people that come and go in my life. I’ve had enough of that kind of relationship in my 25 years. It doesn’t hurt any less the more it happens to you, by the way. You continually second guess yourself, and your worthiness of friendship when people keep leaving you. You get to feeling like you’re alone and no one actually wants to spend time with you, but do so begrudgingly when you ask to. You feel like you’re doing something wrong or annoying everyone– and even if you are, you wish people would tell you what it is so you could fix it! When people come and go, you get the impression that you’re not worth staying for. I’ve felt that way about myself pretty much my whole life; I don’t need friends making me feel like that too. /rant over 

Where does one find this type of friend? An armor-bearer type that actually tries to be there for you, loves you despite your faults and annoyances, and will walk alongside you in every chapter? (Especially the hard ones).

I haven’t figured it out yet. I’m afraid to, honestly. Because I’m afraid of more of those friendships where I think we’re better friends than we actually are, and I’m afraid people are going to keep coming and going like I’m a revolving door of friendship. 

But I want it. I need it. I’ve been living at home since June, and can count the times on my hand I’ve spent time outside it with someone besides my mom. I live in my middle of nowhere hometown and few to none of my friends live here anymore– for good reason. (I love MJ, but it’s freaking boring). I go days on end without texts or any kind of social interactions from people besides family. 99% of my texts/calls are from my mom. I am not proud of this fact.

I’m praying for stronger, better friendships still, but I’ve changed my words a bit. I’m praying I’ll find my armor-bearer; I’m praying for someone to be that armor-bearer for me. I’m praying for the type of friend I can depend on, that will carry my stories and I can carry theirs. One that I don’t feel like a burden towards or guilty about actually trying to be their friend. A dependable, helpful, loving friend I can be an armor-bearer back to. A friend that treats friendship like the two-way street it should be.

But in the paraphrased words of Flannery O’Connor: a good friend is hard to find.

 

discovering yourself in scripture (five minute friday)

Holaaa. I was going to wait until this weekend to write because I have another post I’m working on, but as I was doing my studies tonight I got the inspiration and I don’t want it to leave me! So here we go. The word is:

Have you ever had a moment when studying scripture where you see yourself and your sin?

I truly believe Jesus uses scripture time and time again not as a comfort, but as a reminder of who I am and where I struggle.

When I look for Him, Jesus usually shows me himself in scripture. But tonight, I discovered a bit of myself… and not my good side.

I’m working through 1st and 2nd Samuel with She Reads Truth’s the Life of David study. Tonight I was on 1 Sam 15 and 16 when I came across some of Saul’s words that I feel like could have easily been mine in response to Samuel calling him out.

Then Samuel said:

Does the Lord take pleasure in burnt offerings and sacrifices
as much as in obeying the Lord?
Look: to obey is better than sacrifice,
to pay attention is better than the fat of rams.
²³ For rebellion is like the sin of divination,
and defiance is like wickedness and idolatry.
Because you have rejected the word of the Lord,
he has rejected you as king.

²⁴ Saul answered Samuel, “I have sinned. I have transgressed the Lord’s command and your words. Because I was afraid of the people, I obeyed them. ²⁵ Now, therefore, please forgive my sin and return with me so I can worship the Lord.” (CSB Version) 

When I read Saul’s response to Samuel’s stern conviction, I was taken aback. When I read the second half of verse 24, I sat and thought, “hmm, sure sounds like Saul was trying to be a people pleaser!” 

Sure enough, here’s the Message version:

Then Samuel said,

Do you think all God wants are sacrifices—
    empty rituals just for show?
He wants you to listen to him!
Plain listening is the thing,
    not staging a lavish religious production.
Not doing what God tells you
    is far worse than fooling around in the occult.
Getting self-important around God
    is far worse than making deals with your dead ancestors.
Because you said No to God’s command,
    he says No to your kingship.

^24-25 Saul gave in and confessed, “I’ve sinned. I’ve trampled roughshod over God’s Word and your instructions. I cared more about pleasing the people. I let them tell me what to do. Oh, absolve me of my sin! Take my hand and lead me to the altar so I can worship God!” (Message)

Ouch.

I discovered not only was Saul a people-pleaser, trying to keep everyone happy by disobeying God’s commands ever-so discretely… I discovered that I had a bit of Saul in me. Or a lot of Saul in me. Crap.

Hi my name is Jordan and I am a people pleaser to the extreme. It’s something I’ve struggled with my whole life, but has recently become apparent to me in my faith.

I have put on a show of faith– rituals in the form of social media posts and pretty pictures showing off myself studying the Bible for the likes and virtual pats on the back for being ‘good.’ All the while not actually studying to know God or learn more about Him and his love for me.

I”ve let other people dictate my faith life– or what I share of it. Instead of doing things like praying and reading my Bible and the like for God, I’ve done it to look pleasing and good to other people. And that’s not where my heart should be.

God doesn’t care about the perfect instagram caption about a scripture. he cares about my heart, and whether or not I’m putting on a show or actually trying to follow him.

I don’t share as much on social media these days about my faith, unless it’s something actually pressing or newly discovered I want to share so others know too. I study for me and my relationship with God, instead of for my relationship with man. i don’t want my rituals and faith to be empty and disobedient. I want to listen to the one voice, the one opinion that matters.

It’s amazing what you discover about yourself when you do things for the right reason. Just ask Saul. 🙂

longer than 5 minutes, because this became less of a five minute friday thing and more of an actual blog post I’d like to elaborate on later… hmm.

Forgot how relevant this song was to this topic. Heh.

we’re invited in. (five minute friday)

Happy five minute friday, yo.

Skipped the party because… well, I forgot about it until after it was over. #sotired #workingthreejobsthisweek #dogsittingisexhausting

Anywho, the word of the day is:

I was taking the dog I’ve been dogsitting all week out late tonight for his last outdoor adventure of the day. I walked outside, pondering tonight’s prompt, and immediately was taken in by the sea of stars covering the sky. (This and this alone is why I love living in a small city).

Anyone who knows me well knows that I love stars. I joke that they’re one of my love languages, because it’s one of the biggest ways God reminds me of his love for me.

I was looking upward, while keeping an eye on the dog running around when a thought popped into my head.

 

The same person who created and named the stars invites me into life with Him.

He invites me into life with him. Life where he knows my name and all the things about me– and loves me still.

I’m invited into life with Him. Not just life where I do what I think he says I should do and cross Christian-y tasks off my get-to-heaven to-do list. No, actual relationship. He invites me into something bigger and better than i can find anywhere on this earth.

I just have to invite him in first.

 

STOP.

 

I actually wrote this one in 5 minutes, y’all. *throws confetti*

 

and my favorite stars-related song:

Definitely dare ya to not sing the chorus at the top of your lungs. Pretty sure my throat was sore the day after Switchfoot in concert solely because of this song.

all the things (a weekly recap)

If you’re friends with me on Facebook, you know about 90% of what I share on there are articles I found helpful/fascinating/needed. The other 10% include memes, things I want to buy, and my weekly frustrations with This Is Us.  

A lot of my favorite blogs have started a weekly round-up of sorts with all the blogs/articles/ fun things they find online, and I’ve wanted to do the same for a while now as a way to blog here more often. So here ya go:

My little corner of the internet: 

No freelancing articles to share this week, but I did write a couple posts here:

My new monthly book recap:

lots of books that came out this week! Go read about reading.

Five Minute Friday: Story

my weekly linkup post for FMF. I loved what I came up with this week.

My facebook page!! I finally created an author/website facebook for writing/blogging updates and the like. If you haven’t already, would you give it a like and follow along?

Words from the internet I liked: 

Seeing a Musical Is as Good for You as a 30-Minute Workout: 

“Bye-bye yoga studio; they only workout room I’m going to be in from now on is the Room Where It Happens.”

THIS IS THE BEST NEWS EVER. So long, gyms! Imma spend my money on the musical workout circuit. I knew being a Broadway nerd would pay off!!

Rumours of the Real: 

“Seeing and experiencing the real thing has given me a whole new perspective on what used to satisfy me. It’s not that I don’t love my little note card reproduction of First Steps, After Millet by Van Gogh – I do. It’s just that now I have seen the real thing and I know that this is only a whisper of it.

It’s a reminder, a placeholder, for the powerful reality I encountered once and hopefully will again.”

As always, Sarah has a way of writing that makes me think about faith and Jesus in a whole new way.

I had a similar visceral reaction that Sarah did at the Met when I walked into the Monroeville County Courthouse (the setting for To Kill a Mockingbird). It’s surreal when what we envision in our heads or see a recreation of becomes a reality.

The Story Behind Kate and Rebecca’s Explosive Fight on ‘This Is Us’ Season Two Episode Two:

Spoiler alert! If you’re a This is Us fan and you haven’t watched yet, skip this one. 

I’m so excited/sad about this plotline. Kate is the character I relate to the most (tied w/Randall’s anxiety/perfectionism). What we’ve seen of her issues with her mom so far (which isn’t a lot, but there is some backstory if you go back and think about it) mirror a lot of the struggles I had as an overweight kid (and adult!) with my family, so I’m curious as to how it will unfold.

25 Texts to Send a Loved One Living With Depression

One of the simplest ways to let someone struggling with depression know you’re there for them? Text them. Let them know you’re there. Isolation is such a huge struggle for people living with depression… so reaching out when they can’t is something that is beyond helpful. All of them at one point would have been helpful for me, but 15-17 especially so.

Pete Davidson Talks BPD and Depression on SNL’s Weekend Update

SO PROUD of Pete for talking about this. On live TV. You go, Pete.

Talking about mental illness in a way that’s humorous but not degrading= huge win. So glad SNL made this happen. Though he wasn’t exactly correct that borderline personality disorder is a form of depression (it’s not, but depression is something people with BPD can be diagnosed with alongside BPD), the fact that he opened up about his struggle mental illness helps normalize the discussion. Go SNL!

We Need To Back Off And Give Introverted Kids The Space They Need To Thrive

I am a true-blue introvert. I get my energy from being by myself, recharging by reading or writing or doing art. Constant chatter or overwhelming loudness exhausts me quickly, and small talk is the devil’s plaything. I’ve ALWAYS been like this, but as a kid it didn’t have a name. As a kid, I thought I was just weird and different and odd because I lived in my own world and didn’t enjoy screaming at the football game on TV like the rest of my family. I didn’t hear the terms introvert or extrovert until college and didn’t understand introversion entirely until I read Quiet by Susan Cain. It was then that a light bulb went off. I’M NOT WEIRD! I’M JUST INTROVERTED! YEAH! I’M SUPPOSED TO BE LIKE THIS!

My life made SO much more sense once I learned these things about my personality. I wish I had known this stuff as a kid, and more so– I wish my family had known it. It would have changed my life, truly.

Cool things to buy on the internet: 

JUDY BLUME. WRITING CLASS.

Judy Blume was/is my favorite childhood author. I’ve read every one of her kids’ books. She’s teaching an online Master writing class in the new year, and I WANT IT. I don’t even write fiction, but who wouldn’t want to learn from their childhood hero?

Illustrated Faith Word Nerd Kit!  (affiliate link)

I haven’t bought an IF kit in awhile because money, but I LOVE this one. It’s sooo cute! I love words and have professed myself a word nerd so many times. I love that they changed the format of the Bible devotional part– instead of getting a full book of devotions, they give you weekly devotion cards you can actually use in your bible! I love it.

 TURTLES. ALL. THE. WAY. DOWN. (affiliate link)

I HAVE BEEN WAITING FIVE YEARS FOR THIS BOOK. (or any book by John, since TFIOS). It comes out Tuesday. DON’T LET ME DOWN, GREEN.

I am sooo ready for another John Green novel.

Have you preordered Dance Stand Run yet? (affiliate link)

If you haven’t, why haven’t you?!?! It comes out October 24th, and I fully believe Jess’s words are going to change lives for Jesus. Plus, if you preorder, you get awesome gifts. The more preorders a book gets, the more likely stores are to buy more copies and put in physical stores (like Target!), so consider preordering. You won’t be disappointed, y’all.

 

I think that’s it for this week, peeps. If you see anything interesting I should add to next week’s recap, share with me on my facebook page?

Until next time!

i love to tell the story (five minute friday)

Holaaaa. I got caught up watching Full house on Hulu during the #fmfparty tonight– today was a bit of information overload. Started research for a potential freelance project, and went to meet the pups I’m dogsitting for a friend next week and learned their schedules and such. I is tired.

but now I write!

the word this week is:

 I wrote all about stories yesterday! teehee. Go read if you wish, it has good things in it.

Anyhow, on to the post:

My first thought was “This is my story, this is my song…” but Kate stole that one. So here’s another story hymn:

I love to tell the story of unseen things above, Of Jesus and His glory, of Jesus and His love. I love to tell the

Of Jesus and His glory, of Jesus and His love. I love to tell the

I love to tell the story, because I know ’tis true;

It satisfies my longings as nothing else can do.

I love to tell the story, ’twill be my theme in glory,

To tell the old, old story of Jesus and His love.

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I love to tell stories. If you’ve ever read my about me page, it’s all about stories for this reason.

It’s why I write: stories are my favorite thing. I love to read them, write them, hear them, share them.

Stories are the best place for me to both escape and unveil myself. I read stories to understand the world; I write stories to understand myself.

The more I learn about following Christ, I realize that He understood this story thing too. He taught through parables, stories that catch our attention and teach us something about him.

That kind of story is the best: one that enraptures us yet helps us learn and understand something– whether that be about us, the world, or God Himself. Stories that satisfy our longing for something– understanding, hope, humor, light in the darkness.

Just like His story satisfies longings nothing on this Earth can fill, no matter how much I try to make them fill the void.

I strive to write these kind of stories, about my life or life itself: stories that grab our attention with beautiful words and details, real-life anecdotes and sassy thoughts. And I try to ensure that they all point back to Him, the master storyteller himself.

And I try to ensure that all my stories point back to Him, the master storyteller himself.

I love to tell the story. His story, mine, and where He weaves the two together. It’s a beautiful story to see unfold, and I hope His story is always the one I long to tell.

I love this version (though the Alan Jackson one comes in 2nd… not sure how I feel about country sounding hymns, though).

 

 

Jordan Reads Things (September)

I get asked all the time about what I’m reading, or what I’ve read, or what books I recommend for x,y, and z. I’ve always thought about sharing the books I’m reading but have never gotten around to it; I finally decided that I want to do some more regular blogging on here while I’m working on freelancing, so I thought a good segment would be on my monthly reads!

I’ll be honest: it got really hard to read for fun in college. Being an English major, reading was basically my life, but it was reading un-fun things about theory (sorry Dr. C!) or reading classic literature that I loathed (sorry Dr. R!). That, on top of my internship last year made it hard for me to unwind with a book– I didn’t want to think anymore! I just wanted to veg. (Did I mention my last semester of college was when I got Netflix? I’m so glad I didn’t have it before then).

Now that I’m post-grad and no longer reading for torture (i mean for school) or working myself to death at my internship, my brain is a lot less exhausted these days, so I’ve been reading so much more. I finally fell back in love with reading!

The past couple months I’ve been on various launch teams for books (basically a marketing team that gets to read the book for free ahead of its launch in exchange for help publicizing/sharing the book). In between launch team reading I was able to slip in a couple fun reads, too!

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Come Find Me, Sage Parker by Aliza Latta 

 I read this while dogsitting for my aunt over Labor Day weekend. It’d been a long time since I’d gotten lost in a novel– when I do read these days, it tends to be Jesus-y and nonfiction. But my brain needed an escape. A friend had posted about this book being free on Kindle (it’s not on sale now), so I decided to go for it and download it to my iPad.

The story is about Maeve Parker, a girl whose mother, Sage, left  when Maeve was 9 years old– after being quite the unconventional mom up till then, Sage left “to go find her self.” But she never came back. Maeve was left to her own devices with Sage’s live-in boyfriend, Sol, who took on the role of guardian (but mostly in name only). They move when Maeve is 16 for Sol to start a new job; Maeve is thrust into a new community with new people, including Ky and Levi, who work to befriend her despite Maeve’s pushing them away (it’s hard to trust people when people have left you, you know. #storyofmylife). I need a Levi in my life: he doesn’t give up on her.  As this school year with these new friends unfolds, and tragedy ensues, Maeve begins a quest: to find Sage Parker.

Y’all. I haven’t gotten so hooked on a book since The Fault in Our Stars. (and that’s saying something since TFiOS I basically read in a 24-hour time span). I read this in barely a day’s time. It is captivating– you won’t want to put it down!  It is so beautifully written, with a few plot twists I did not see coming (which is not usually the case for me– I usually catch things!). The characters are richly developed and so vast– there are no real flat characters here, they all play a major part of the story. The story is heartfelt and puts you on an emotional roller coaster.

This is Aliza’s first novel, and I hope it’s not her last! I’ve read some of her faith stuff for (in)courage and she’s such a talented writer.  While I wouldn’t label the book “Christian fiction” (that title enrages me anyway– you can find Christ in all literature if you look hard enough), there are a lot of Christian themes and thoughts weaved throughout, along with a lot of other issues we face today. It’s all woven into this lyrically poetic story about a girl trying to find herself– and her mother along the way.

Do you have to run away in order to find yourself? And when, exactly, do you know when that self you were so desperately looking for is found?

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Shalom Sistas: Living Wholeheartedly in a Brokenhearted World by Osheta Moore 

This is one of the books I’ve been on a launch team for. My friend Syndal invited me to join since she knew how much I loved launch teams (I get to read books and talk about them! Whee!!). Y’all. This launch team was so fun. Osheta is the real-deal awesome, and I look forward to the day she comes to Nashville so I can hug her neck in person. Beyond the launch team being fun (weekly dance parties during reading check-in, hello!!) The book itself was SO GOOD. And so needed for this chaotic, crazy world we’re dealing with right now.

She re-defined what Shalom looks like for me. I always thought of peacemakers as these perfect, quiet people that do BIG things to change the world, like Mother Teresa and the like. Osheta, like myself, isn’t this kind of peacemaker: loud, sassy, and sometimes overwhelmed, Moore knew that she wanted to be a peacemaker but didn’t know how to be a ‘typical’ one.

When she challenged herself to study peace in the Bible for 40 days (during Lent), she learned what shalom really looked like– and it wasn’t always meek and quiet. Sometimes tables got thrown. (thanks, Jesus!) Osheta realized that shalom was about finding the ways to make peace in her everyday life, and in herself. So in Shalom Sistas, she lays out 3 areas she wants to seek shalom- Shalom with God, Shalom within Ourselves, and Shalom in Our Relationships- and through that comes to her 12-point Shalom Sistas Manifesto, which outlines how Osheta practices being a Shalom Sista.

Within each of these points, Osheta uses her sass and biblical knowledge to explain why these places of peace are important, and how she’s implemented them in her own life (or attempted to) right where she is. There’s silliness, there’s snark, there’s biblical truth. A little bit for everyone, am I right?! She also gives practical ways to live out each manifesto point (Shalom Steps). I love practicality– don’t just teach me something and leave me going “how do I do it/use it/implement it?” I love the actions and ideas she gives for each of the points– some are big and fun, some are small and simple– all are great ideas to incorporate more Shalom in your life.

If you’ve read here for long, you know I love me some Annie Downs and Let’s All Be Brave. One of the things I love about that book is that it called me to bravery right where I was, right smack dab in the middle of my messy not-so-brave life. I am not this person set out to change the whole world or do it all– it’s just not in my DNA. I’ve never been someone who wanted to save the world or change everything. I just want to do what I can, with what I have, right where I am– and if that changes one life, then I’ll be happy.

I think that’s why I love books like Annie’s and Osheta’s. The world tells us so often that we have to act in these big, grandiose measures to be seen and heard. But we don’t. We can do one thing, and do it well, to change the world– to change our world, our community.

Annie taught me how to brave right where I am.

Osheta taught me how to bring peace right where I am.

And they did so through experiences from their own life– right in the trenches of it, not on the sidelines just telling me what to do. They’re doing this whole everyday thing right alongside me, and that makes it easier to stand up and say I can be brave and be a peacemaker right here.

Osheta uses her sparkly personality and wicked sense of humor to be real and honest about shalom fails and triumphs, and uses Biblical support to teach about shalom and seeking peace in the world– I highly recommend it if you’re looking for ways to claim shalom in your life.

“Shalom is what happens when the love of God meets our most tender places. Therefore, we can all be peacemakers, because we can all seek and access the love of God to heal our broken places.”

(bonus! my favorite Canadian Sarah Bessey wrote the forward. *fangirl screams here*)

Shalom Sistas is out NOW!

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Daring to Hope: Finding God’s Goodness in the Broken and the Beautiful by Katie Davis Majors 

I was on the launch team for this one as well!

I first heard about Katie my freshman year of college when Kisses for Katie came out, and she spoke at my school’s chapel. She was so sweet and articulate about her passion and her mission, and that goes the same for her writing. I loved Kisses for Katie– I had always had a heart for serving others and had been on mission trips with my old church, but her words gave me a new way to see mission. I’ve never been to Uganda or anywhere “big” to serve, but I gave my heart to a little orphanage in Cozumel my sophomore year of college, and I haven’t looked back since. That is my mission field, where I feel most alive and connected to God.

In Daring to Hope, Katie poetically shares her story of tragedy and heartache and questioning of God in the hard seasons. She reminds us that God is with us in the dark, and that hope is always worth daring for. She is brutally honest and open about her struggles, and yet she is equally bold in her reminders of truth and hope that anchors her.

I’m in the middle of a rough, dark season myself, so this book wasn’t the easiest for me to read– but Katie’s words felt like they were written for me sometimes.  They are a reminder and comfort of the hope we have in Jesus, even in the dark. It was lyrically written and filled with truth and scripture to carry us when we can’t carry ourselves, and anecdotes of her life in Uganda to remind us that we have hope– and it never disappoints us. It’s a beautiful book.

“The God of all mercy and compassion is using our heartache to draw us to Himself and transform us into His likeness. He will turn our sorrows into joy and He will use our suffering to illuminate gifts of grace. He will turn our darkness to light, and He will carry us home. “Chin up, love,” He whispers. “Hold on to that hope. Eyes on me, dear one. I am not done yet.””

Daring to Hope is out NOW!

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and lastly:

A Moment to Breathe: 365 Devotions that Meet You in Your Everyday Mess by (in)courage team (lots of different writers!!)

Shocker, I was on the launch team for this one too! (last one for this month, promise!)

A Moment to Breathe isn’t a book, but a devotional. I love devotionals. I have a short attention span– I write in short stories/essays (versus writing a book), I prefer reading blogs and articles and essay collections versus a large novel. Devotionals are a perfect mix of scriptural insight and real-lifeness that makes me think and fills me up for the day ahead. If I could get find job writing/editing devotionals for a living, sign me up!

My everyday go-to for the last few months has been Savor by Shauna Niequist (and it’s still the way I close out my days). I typically either read AMTB alongside Savor, or I read it earlier in the day– usually when I’m overwhelmed or frustrated and need an actual moment to breathe before I explode.

I like that it’s undated so I don’t feel guilty if I miss a day, and can read at my own pace. So far I’ve really enjoyed a lot of the devotionals in the book– they’re written by some familiar faces (Annie Downs! Jennifer Dukes Lee! Deidra Riggs!!) and some I don’t know but am really enjoying. There were a few that didn’t feel relatable to me, but that’s always going to happen. I liked the little “moment to breathe” section at the bottom of each devotion– I wished they had all been more action-y and some way to apply a lesson or thought from the story. (Like I said above, I like practical application).

My only ‘complaint’ (not really a complaint, just a thought) is that I wish the devotions centered around the theme of the book– I was hoping for the stories to be more streamlined and less random. I was hoping this would be a devotional more focused on rest/Sabbath/peace, not just a conglomerate of devotions like other devotionals. Not the end of the world though– it’s still a great little book to find a few minutes of peace and quiet in an otherwise crazy day.

This is a great devotional– well-written, beautifully designed, easy to pick up and read for a few minutes of time with Jesus.

A Moment to Breathe is out NOW!

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Those are what I finished in September! I’m still working on 2 books from September currently:

Dance Stand Run: The God-Inspired Moves of a Woman on Holy Ground by Jess Connolly: I’ve written a couple times about this one (I’m on the launch team for it, of course!) but Y’ALL. It’s SO GOOD. I’m a teensy bit behind in the actual reading (we get an ebook version of each chapter one week at a time, and September kicked my tail), but I’m a little over halfway done and it is going to change lives. I know it. It’s already changing mine. It comes out October 24th, so you’ll probably hear me on all the social media chatting about it. And if you preorder 2 or more you get some awesome stuff, so go buy it now!

Reading People: How Seeing the World through the Lens of Personality Changes Everything by Anne Bogel

I’ve been so intrigued by this book since I first saw it advertised. It has not disappointed me! I’m almost halfway done and have learned SO MUCH about personality. Anne says it’s just a primer into the world of personality theory (things like Myers Briggs, Enneagram, etc), but there are a few I know nothing about, so I’m excited to dive in and learn. It’s the first time I’ve read a book just to learn something that wasn’t Jesus-y since college! I miss it sometimes. (OK not really but I do love learning).

It’s very practical, real-life anecdotal, informative, and slightly heady– if you enjoy Brene Brown, this is a much tamer version (much more my speed– love me some Brene, but she’s sometimes a little over my head). I’ll share more about what I’m learning once I finish!!

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I’m intending to keep doing a monthly post about what I’m reading– both as a way to keep me reading (hold me accountable, people!) and as a way to share things and quotes other than on Instagram. Eventually, once I move my blog to self-hosting (soon, I hope), I plan to have a tab up at the top dedicated to all things books and what I’m reading/favorite books of all time, etc. To be a good writer, you need to be a reader.  I want to keep myself reading — and share about my reading adventures here with people!

What are you reading right now? Especially fiction– after all this heavy launch team-ing, I need something fun to veg out to. Fiction suggestions welcomed!!

Until next month, happy reading!

 

**note: affiliate links have been used in this post, meaning if you click on them and buy something, I get a small commission. 🙂