We Need Your Help! {Reader Survey}

April 30, 2013 by Caroline 1 Comment

We’re readjusting a few things here on Do Not Depart, and we’d like to know what YOU want and need from our site. How can we better serve you?

Complete the following survey and answer each question as honestly as you can. Please add any extra comments! They help us focus our resources.

To help, here’s a recap of our mission statement:

Do not depart. Abide. Remain.

The Bible is full of charges to stay close to Jesus, our source, supply and sustenance. Do Not Depart exists to help you do just that—stay close to Jesus.

We at Do Not Depart pray you have been and will continue to be equipped and encouraged to cling to—to not depart from— the Word of Life.

We will not share any private information. We will only use your answers to work together as a team to create content you want and you need.

As our gift to you for completing this survey, you can receive a discount on Quench Bible Ministries products! Completely fill out the survey and press “submit” to receive your code on the confirmation page. (Be sure to read the “confirmation” page for your code!)

This survey is available from April 30, 2013 until May 15th, 2013. It should take you 5 minutes or less to complete. If you have any questions, please email donotdepart (at) gmail.com. Thank you for taking time to fill this survey out!

If you cannot view the survey above, click here to access the survey.

If you’d like to share some of your thoughts here, too, feel free to leave comments and suggestions in the comments. How can we better serve you?

A Resource for Your Home

April 29, 2013 by Caroline Leave a Comment

NOTE: All affiliate links have been removed since the sale is now over. But, this post is still up so you can learn about the individual ebooks involved!

Starting at 9am today, there’s a fantastic new resource being offered!

For 6 days only, more than 75 widely-known bloggers and authors in the homemaking sphere have joined together to offer 97 of their most popular eBooks and eCourses, valued at just over $600, for the incredibly low price of $29.97! (Disclosure: Affiliate links present.)

The Ultimate Homemaking eBook Bundle is a HUGE resource, useful in a variety of areas in caring for family and home. You will not find a more comprehensive collection of homemaking resources anywhere on the web, and particularly not in this price range. For this low price, you gain access to every single one of these resources, so that you can customize your own collection to contain exactly the ones you want and know you’ll use.

One of the best parts: this homemaking bundle features two of Katie Orr and Lara Williams’s Quench Bible studies!

The Spiritual Growth section of this ebook bundle may of particular interest to you, our readers at Do Not Depart. The books included regarding faith are:

Pursuit of the Proverbs 31 by Amy @ Amy Bayliss ($3.99)

The Best of Visionary Womanhood by Natalie @ Visionary Womanhood ($5.00)

God’s Word in my Heart: A Scripture Memory Learning Guide with Verses {all 4 versions} by Jenn @ The Purposeful Mom ($3.99)

Kept: a 13-Week Inductive Study on 1 Peter by Lara and Katie @ Quench Bible ($4.99)

Love Like Him: an 8 week Inductive Bible study on 1 Corinthians 13 by Lara and Katie @ Quench Bible ($2.99)

The price of those five ebooks alone is around $19. For just ten more dollars, you receive 92 other ebooks plus freebies from some great companies. (See below for details.)

A Library of Homemaking

This library of homemaking helps include topics such as mothering, organization and cleaning, recipes and kitchen helps, home education, spiritual growth for both moms and kids, home décor and DIY, pregnancy and baby care, frugal living, health and fitness, and even work-from-home and financial tools.

The creators of this bundle also teamed up with 10 companies to bring you over $140 in bonus offers, giving you an affordable opportunity to get products you’ll use and love for only the cost of shipping, or in some cases, entirely for free!

What’s Included in the Sale?

When you purchase The Ultimate Homemaking eBook collection, you will get instant access to any of the 97 eBooks and eCourses listed below.

PLUS over $140 of FREE Bonuses

Each The Ultimate Homemaking eBook collection comes with more than $140 of FREE Bonuses from 10 companies that we know you’ll love. More on these bonuses below.

Please note: This collection is only available from 9 a.m. EST on April 29th to 11:59 p.m. EST on May 4th. There will be no late sales offered.

Real Food Kids: In the Kitchen plus 1 month access to select Real Food Kids eCourse videos by Wardeh @ GNOWFGLINS and Jami @ Eat Nourishing ($20.00)

Seasonal Menu Plans on a Budget: A Month of Meals from My Humble Kitchen to Yours by Diana @ My Humble Kitchen ($4.99)

Just Making Ice Cream by Marillyn @ Just Making Noise ($12.00)

The Curative Kitchen by Susan @ Handy Pantry – www.handypantry.com ($20.00)

Pregnancy & Baby Care

First Bites by Hilary @ Accidentally Green ($9.99)

Confessions of a Cloth Diaper Convert by Erin @ The Humbled Homemaker ($9.95)

Stress-Free Baby Shower by Sara @ Your Thriving Family ($4.00)

Unbound Birth by Jenny @ The Southern Institute ($2.99)

My Pregnancy Journey by Mindy @ Simply Designs ($9.99)

My Buttered Life Baby Edition by Renee @ Made On Hard Lotion ($5.00)

The Minimalist Mom’s Guide to Baby’s First Year by Rachel @ The Minimalist Mom ($5.00)

Redeeming Childbirth: Growth & Study Guide by Angie @ Redeeming Childbirth ($3.99)

Holidays & Special Events

Festive Traditions by Jill @ Modern Alternative Kitchen ($7.95)

Holiday Mixes: Gifts in a Jar by Kristy @ Little Natural Cottage ($4.00)

Flourishing Spring by Michele @ Frugal Granola ($5.95)

Family Camping Handbook by Katie @ Kitchen Stewardship ($6.95)

Truth in the Tinsel by Amanda @ Oh, Amanda! ($7.99)

Plan a Fabulous Party by Mary @ Giving Up on Perfect ($4.99)

iPhone Photography: The Visual Guide by Alli @ Alli Worthington($9.97)

Marriage & Romance

Rekindling Romance by Jason & Jami @ A Biblical Marriage ($4.99)

Good Wife’s Guide by Darlene @ Time-Warp Wife ($2.99)

31 Days to Build a Better Spouse by Ashley @ Ashley Pichea ($4.99)

31 Days to Great Sex by Sheila @ To Love, Honor and Vacuum ($4.99)

Entangled: Recognize Your Emotional Affair by Amy @ Amy J. Bennett ($4.99)

Motherhood

The Heart of Simplicity by various authors @ The Heart of Simplicity ($9.99)

True Christian Motherhood by June @ A Wise Woman Builds Her Home ($7.00)

Hula Hoop Girl by September @ One September Day ($4.99)

When Motherhood Feels Too Hard by Kelly @ Generation Cedar ($4.97)

Mindset for Moms by Jamie @ Steady Days ($4.99)

From Cube to Farm by Heather @ From Cube to Farm ($2.99)

4 Moms of 35+ Kids Answer Your Parenting Questions by various authors @ 4 Moms, 35+ Kids Parenting E-book ($7.99)

That Works for Me! by Kristen @ We are THAT Family ($8.00)

Health & Fitness

100-pound Loser by Jessica @ Muthering Heights ($4.99)

Honoring the Rhythm of Rest by Danielle @ Domestic Serenity ($2.99)

42 Days to Fit by Brandy @ The Marathon Mom, Emma @ Real Fit Moms and Stacy @ A Delightful Home ($4.99)

Healthy Homemaking by Stephanie @ Keeper of the Home ($12.95)

Personal ePlanner by Jennifer @ ListPlanIt ($5.00)

Beauty

Frumps to Pumps by Sarah Mae @ SaraMae.com ($4.99)

The Cottage Mama’s DIY Guide by Kristy @ Little Natural Cottage ($4.00)

Simple Scrubs to Make and Give by Stacy @ A Delightful Home ($3.99)

The No Brainer Wardrobe by Hayley @ The No Brainer Wardrobe ($7.99)

Embracing Beauty by Trina @ Trina Holden ($9.00)

Reuse, Refresh, Repurpose by Kristen @ The Frugal Girl ($3.99)

Working from Home & Blogging

Your Blogging Business: Tax, Talk and Tips by Nikki @ Christian Mommy Blogger ($4.99)

The Bootstrap VA by Lisa @ The Home Life {and Me} ($12.99)

How to Grow Your Blog and Manage Your Home by Jacinda @ Growing Home ($4.99)

How to Have Your Cake and Eat It, Too by Mandi @ Life Your Way ($12.00)

Simple Blogging: Less Computer Time, Better Blogging by Rachel @ Small Notebook ($8.00)

Ecourses

Learning in Love: The Preschool Years by Renee @ FIMBY ($7.99)

Homeschooling from the Heart by Renee @ FIMBY ($7.99)

Grocery University by Carrie @ Colorado Bargains ($24.95)

Vibrant Living Strategies for Moms by Lisa @ Well-Grounded Life ($59)

You Can Do This! The First Five Steps to a Real Food Kitchen by Laura @ Heavenly Homemakers ($5.00)

PLUS, You will receive FREE Bonuses from these companies…

A FREE Two-Month Membership to Fit2B Studio, where their wholesome workouts for the whole family are tummy safe and particularly target Diastasis Recti (split abs). ($19.98 value. No shipping restrictions.)

A $15 store credit to TruKid. With products like their aware-winning sun care, they are dedicated to providing all natural skin and hair care for kids, babies, and now pets. ($15.00 value. Standard shipping applies. International shipping available.)

Your choice of incredible natural products like sea salt and clay for FREE. Choose from the Redmond Trading Earthpaste Bundle ($24.90 value) or the Facial Mud Bundle ($26.90 value). (Standard shipping applies. Continental US only.)

Your choice of a FREE heirloom sourdough starter or FREE yogurt starter from Cultures for Health, the leading supplier of starter cultures and supplies for making cultured and fermented foods ($12.95 value. US & CAN addresses only. Standard shipping applies.)

Your choice of: a FREE 3-Month Subscription (for new accounts) or 30% off a One Year Subscription. Plan to Eat is an online menu planner that uses your recipes, scheduled for the days you want them. ($15.00 value. No shipping restrictions.)

A FREE Culinary Herbs Assorted Seed Pack Check just in time for spring planting from www.wheatgrasskits.com, a living whole foods company. ($11.95 value. Standard shipping applies to all US states and territories- no international shipping for seeds.)

Get $10 off Union28’s original “my husband rocks” tee. Their marriage apparel lets you celebrate your spouse in style. ($10.00 value. Standard shipping rates apply. International shipping available, but free shipping only available within USA.)

A $10 store credit plus 1 FREE lip balm from Bee All Natural. Their whole body products nourish and heal, and are made using only the highest quality, food grade, organic ingredients. ($13.49 value. Standard shipping applies. International shipping available.)

A FREE 2 oz. bottle of your choice of liquid herbal formula from TriLight Health. They specialize in fast acting, great tasting natural herbal remedies. ($12.95 value or more. Standard shipping applies, within the USA only.)

Your choice of 3 FREE ePlanners OR a 3-Month FREE Membership to ListPlanIt, whose mobile lists will help to organize your life. ($15.00 value. No shipping restrictions.)

The fine print:

Bonus Offers

Each bonus offer can be redeemed once only per eBook Bundle purchase.
For each bonus offer, transaction numbers or proof of purchase may be required at the time of redemption.
All bonus offers are free gifts from the bonus sponsors, are their sole responsibility to provide, and are subject to availability.
All bonus offers expire at midnight on May 19th, 2013 (2 weeks from the last day of this sale).

General

It is your responsibility to download and back-up your purchase within the 1-month download time-frame. With proof of purchase, we can renew download links up until August 1st, 2013. After this date we will no longer have access to the books and will not be able to provide any new links to download.
Due to the nature of this sale, there will be no refunds available. However, we would invite you to read the Frequently Asked Questions page to learn more about the file types, the download process, how the bonus offers work, etc.

Please note: This collection is only available from 9 a.m. EST on April 29th to 11:59 p.m. EST on May 4th. There will be no late sales offered, so make sure that you get your bundle right away!

Particularly for those wanting to read these ebooks on their mobile devices (iPhones or iPads, Android, Kindle, etc.) you will want to learn more about the file types, how to download them correctly, and how to transfer them to your device.

~~Click here to visit The Ultimate Homemaking eBook Bundle.~~ (Sale is over.)

Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links, which means this blog earns a portion of the sale of each ebook bundle at no additional cost to you. Thank you for your support of this site!

Surrendering My Calendar

April 25, 2013 by Kathy Howard 8 Comments

On my way to check out at Hobby Lobby I glanced down an aisle to my right. A cart stood in the middle of the floor, but it was the young woman that caught my attention. She sat slumped on the edge of the bottom shelf with her head in one hand and a cell phone in the other. Her body posture, her tears, and the Holy Spirit revealed her distress.

I had a decision to make. My body and my mind were already headed for the door and the rest of my day. But the Spirit of God within me had ordained different plans.

A year ago I might not have stopped. I may have simply thrown up a prayer as I passed by. After all – I would have told myself – what could I really offer? This woman wouldn’t want help from a stranger.

But God has been consistently pressing a truth into my heart and mind over the last several months. My whole life belongs to Him – including my time. He has shown me that I need to hold my calendar more loosely than I do. I can make plans, but I need to remember God has every right to intercept them for His purposes (Proverbs 19:21).

The Holy Spirit gently reminded me of this truth that day in Hobby Lobby. The to-do list could wait. Dinner could be a little late. Those things were insignificant compared to a divine appointment.

I approached the woman and slowly squatted beside her. “Is everything okay? You look like you’ve just gotten some bad news.” She glanced up at me and choked back a sob.

“Can I do something to help you?” She only shook her head.

Lord, I’m not sure what to do here. She won’t – or can’t talk with me.

Ask if you can pray for her now.

“Would it be okay if I prayed for you?”

She looked surprised, but nodded. I laid my hand on her arm and prayed for her out loud right there on the candle aisle.

After the “amen” she mumbled a thank you and assured me once again there wasn’t anything else I could do. I paid for my purchases and headed home. I may have checked one less thing off my to-do list that day, but I surrendered the time to God and got to participate in His plans. It doesn’t really matter that I don’t know the outcome.

Lest you think me super-spiritual, I must confess that I don’t always give Him my calendar so freely. In fact, I tend to hold it tightly in my hot little fist. My type A personality likes to plan my day, week, and month and then follow my plan to get everything accomplished. I cringe to think about the many opportunities I’ve missed to participate in what God is doing because I wouldn’t allow Him to interrupt my day.

That’s exactly why God keeps reinforcing the lesson that everything I have is His. I have been bought and paid for with the precious blood of Christ (1 Cor 6:19-20; 1 Peter 1:18-19). My soul, my body, my mind – and yes, my time – all belong to God. He has plans and purposes for my life far more important than mine.

I long to be increasingly more sensitive to the Holy Spirit’s leading. I want to completely surrender my life – and my calendar – to Him. Lord, keep teaching me…

Throughout the month of April, we’ve been sharing about surrender here at Do Not Depart. Each of us has shared about areas particularly difficult to give up to God’s control. If you are a believer, your life is not your own. It belongs to God. Every part of it. I pray we can all give in to sweet surrender.

What is that one thing you have the most trouble surrendering to God? Why do you think that is?

Why Should I Surrender to God?

April 23, 2013 by Patti Brown 6 Comments

Love your enemies.

It is not the first thing that comes to mind when I am in a trying situation.

God’s Word is filled with challenging commands and nonintuitive expectations. Can anyone say “With humility of mind regard one another as more important than yourselves?” (Phil 2:3) Ouch.

A vibrant walk with God only comes through a laying down of my fleshly response, a surrender of my will. I am not held hostage by God… I choose. Surrender is an act that by definition must be initiated on my side.

And every day I catch myself resisting. I resist because I want control. Even if it is an unconscious resistance, there it is. Every day I fight an internal battle over who will be Lord of my life.

Safe Surrender

When my qualifications are placed next to the Creator’s, you can imagine who looks more suited for the job of Lord. It is the very character of God, and what He has done for me, that compel me to lay it all down.

God is Good

Oh, taste and see that the Lord is good!
Blessed is the man who takes refuge in him!
Psalm 34:8

I can safely surrender my will to God because God is good. And He does good. His love is forever! Jesus is the good shepherd Who laid down His life for His sheep… for you and for me. (1)

God is Trustworthy

Trust in the Lord with all your heart,
and do not lean on your own understanding.
In all your ways acknowledge him,
and he will make straight your paths.
Proverbs 3:5-6

God will not abandon me. I can trust Him! He has a plan for my life, and it is a good one. He even created good works in advance for me to do. (2)

I am Not My Own

But now, O Lord, you are our Father;
we are the clay, and you are our potter;
we are all the work of your hand.
Isaiah 64:8

I am His. The work of His hands. His adopted child. My very body houses the Holy Spirit. I am a vessel created by God, to be filled by Him. I am not my own. It’s really that simple. (3)

I Have Been Redeemed by the Blood of Christ

… you were ransomed from the futile ways inherited from your forefathers, not with perishable things such as silver or gold, 19 but with the precious blood of Christ, like that of a lamb without blemish or spot.
1 Peter 1:18-19

God created His children to love and obey Him, yet we embrace sin. And still He pursues us. God sent His son Jesus Christ to die a criminals’ death in our stead. For all the disobedience and pain we live out, Jesus shed His blood. We have been redeemed. We have been purchased. The blood of the Lamb is the price that was paid for God’s fleeing bride, the church. (4)

It All Comes Down to Who He Is

In the end, I weigh my options. Do I surrender to the all-powerful, good, trustworthy Lord of the Universe? Or do I surrender to my own whim and passions?

As hard as it can sometimes be to walk in obedience to God and His Word, the fact is that I am a lousy director of my own life. God has never failed me, but I fail myself every single day. God doesn’t change! (Malachi 3:6)

So when I face a difficult person, I know that if I choose to surrender my desire to speak angrily, to surrender standing my ground, God will bless my obedience. I still have to deal with my emotions, and there’s nothing magical that makes life suddenly easy. But when I lay my very self down as an offering, God heaps blessing upon blessing on me.

God’s pleasure when I choose to obey by surrendering to His will and His Word, because of Who He is, results in the gift of a joy that fills me up to overflowing.

Do you have a favorite verse about the character of God that gives you strength to surrender to His will? Share in the comments!

(1) 1 Chronicles 16:34, Psalm 34:8, Psalm 119:68, John 10:11
(2) Psalm 9:10, Deuteronomy 31:6, Proverbs 3:5-6, Isaiah 26:4, Jeremiah 29:11, Ephesians 2:10
(3) Isaiah 64:8, Galatians 4:7, Ephesians 1:5, 1 Corinthians 1:19, Ephesians 4:7, Ephesians 3:19
(4) John 14:15, 1 John 2:5, 1 Peter 1:18-19

photo credit

Surrendering Our Fears

April 18, 2013 by Caroline 18 Comments

I’ve battled fear for a majority of my conscious memory. Fear is a relentless foe; it presses back every time I push it away.

But I’ve been given a way to push harder.

By letting go.

Why Surrender Is Hard and How to Start

Lisa’s post last week brought up the point of surrendering in the moment.

It’s through re-reading her post (and our other posts this month) that I’ve realized: When I fear, I’m surrendering to and serving fear in that moment.

Ouch.

The strong-willed (read: stubborn) majority of me immediately fights back, No way do I want to serve fear! Yet, that’s just what I’m doing. And, that stubbornness prevented me from surrendering to God to begin with.

When God calls me to “fear not,” what can I do instead?

Surrender fear by blasting its darkness with light.

“The Lord is my light and my salvation—whom shall I fear?” – Psalm 27:1

Surrender fear by grabbing gratitude.

“Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.” – 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18

Surrender fear and replace it with peace given by His presence.

“God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.” – Psalm 46:1 (See also Philippians 4:6-7)

Surrender fear by fighting with truth. God is here. And God loves, reminding us why he wants us to surrender.

“So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.” – Isaiah 41:10

“Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God so that at the proper time he may exalt you, casting all your anxieties on him, because he cares for you.” – 1 Peter 5:6-7

What Happens When We Surrender Our Fears

Why can we let go of fear? Because God already extended (and continues to extend grace to us):

“For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation for all people…” – Titus 2:11 (See all of Titus 2:11-14)

What comes when we get rid of fear? Hope.

I’m still battling fear, but each time I read these truths, speak them out loud, and really believe in them, I open up to His strength a little bit more.

Read, speak, believe. Repeat again and again. As C.S. Lewis said, “Relying on God has to begin all over again every day as if nothing had yet been done.”

I’d much rather surrender to His hope over fear. How about you?

Also, we don’t have to fight fear alone. Let’s fight fear with community (Colossians 3:15-17). How do you fight fear with His Word? How can we pray together for you today? Share in the comments.

It’s our pleasure to serve & follow Jesus

April 16, 2013 by Julie 4 Comments

Where I live, the temperature crept up into the flip flop zone today, and the sky was the color blue that makes you want to stand on top of a hill and spin around. You know what I mean, don’t you? Apparently, this clear, sunny, warm day also made everyone crave Chick-fil-a. Our double drive-thru lines stretched out to the street as cars full of people dangled their hands out of their windows. The employees were not rattled by the masses or the lunchtime challenge. No, if you’re going to work at Chick-fil-a, you have to be ready to answer every customer with a genuine “My pleasure.” Becoming an employee comes with certain expectations.

If anyone serves Jesus, you have to follow him. Becoming a disciple comes with certain expectations.

The Ultimate Servant

Just after announcing that the time had finally come for the Son of Man to be glorified, Jesus explained that when “a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies,” it is able to bear a harvest. Knowing that he was about to sacrifice his life on the cross in order to offer the gift of eternal life, Jesus directed his words to those who would serve him and follow him. Instead of recruiting disciples with promises of an easy journey with guaranteed low pain and high prosperity, Jesus told the truth. He was going to be the ultimate servant by surrendering his life for others, and those who want to serve him will be called to do the same.

The Following Servant

To serve Christ the Lord is to be ready to answer every lost person with a genuine desire to sacrifice self as a follower of Christ. It may mean you forego a pleasure in order to make room for someone else. It may mean you give up your own recognition to defer to another person. It may mean you risk your reputation by claiming to know Christ Jesus. It may mean you surrender your life to a government that demands you renounce your faith. It may mean you run into a smoke filled Boston sidewalk just moments after a bombing to carry a victim to safety, because that’s what Jesus did for us in the conflict of eternity.

The Servant’s Truth

It’s unthinkable that we would serve Jesus and not follow him in a daily life of surrender. To be his servant is to be his follower. Modern church culture often sells a watered down version to entice would-be recruits to an easy grace, but Jesus tells it like it really is. Grace came with a high price, and to follow in the steps of the One who paid it, we must also live a life of surrender. For the genuine servant of Christ, it is possible to do the hard work, even the sacrificial work, of following because, “I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me” (Galatians 2:20).

The Servant’s Promise

The Chick-fil-a job application promises a positive work environment, competitive pay, training, flexible hours, and even fun employee outings. They’re looking for “friendly, enthusiastic people who enjoy serving customers.” That’s awesome if you’re Chick-fil-a, but Jesus asks for more and promises more.

If you serve him, you have to follow him daily, everywhere, even to the hard places.
You have to surrender everything, but you gain everything.
He promised, “If anyone serves me, the Father will honor him,” (John 12:26b).

Jesus glorified his Father by surrendering his life, and he invites us to do the same. “Whoever loves his life loses it, and whoever hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life” (John 12:25).

To serve Jesus is to surrender your own agenda and follow him, and as you do, it will be his divine pleasure to welcome you to a present peace with him now and a perfect future with him for eternity.

Has God ever asked you to make a sacrifice as His servant/follower?
What scripture gives you confidence that God will enable you to do the hard things?

Your Moment of Surrender – 5 Little Things to Give Up

April 11, 2013 by Lisa Burgess 21 Comments

I dream that in a moment of dramatic testing, I’d make the big sacrifice. You know the one—gun to the head, demanding me to deny Jesus, my very life at stake. And I boldly proclaim, “Jesus forever!”, giving up my earthly life.

Yet I can’t give up my place in line at Walmart?

Do you also experience these smaller tugs of war to die to self and live for Christ? Afraid that if you loosen your grip, the situation will spin out of control or a treasure will slip through your fingers? I want to hand over all my concerns and plans to the Lord, but I don’t do it as fully as I’d like.

So how do we learn to let go of our will and grab hold of God’s?

HOW DID JESUS DO IT?

In coming to earth—trading in the Taj Mahal for a shack—Jesus turned Himself inside out, laying down all the privileges of royalty, living in the skin of a servant instead.

Who, though he was in the form of God, [Jesus] did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but made himself nothing, taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men.
Philippians 2:6-7

How could He? Because He wanted to please the Father more than He wanted to please Himself (Luke 22:42). And because He understood the joy to come would exceed the cost of the moment (Hebrews 12:2).

So He surrendered to the moment (Luke 23:46).

YOUR MOMENT OF SURRENDER

Which moment is your grand moment of surrender? This one.

Maybe you’re not asked in this moment to physically die for the cause, but you are daily called to numerous symbolic deaths. Consider these five practices to help surrender a little thing today.

5 LITTLE THINGS TO GIVE UP

1. Give up the last word
In that discussion with your man or a co-worker, eliminate a few of your own words and instead listen to more of theirs. Giving up your demand to be understood and have the last word makes a difference in the climate of your home or office. Jesus was amazing at this (Mark 15:3-5).

2. Give up your place in line
That harried mom with the whiny toddler? Let her cut in line at the grocery store. Or make room for that speeding maniac to merge in front of you in traffic. By surrendering your place in line—literally and figuratively—you practice putting others before yourself, exactly what God did for you (Romans 8:32).

3. Give up doing it alone
Winning the prize for “Ms. Independent” isn’t a trophy you want. Practice humility by accepting help from others and learn selflessness by giving help to others. Even Jesus did nothing by Himself (John 5:19).

4. Give up a dollar
If your finances allow, add an extra dollar above your normal tip to the waitress. Or toss some cash to the guy collecting money for a good cause outside the mall. Small sacrifices are big practices for storing less treasure here and releasing more into the Kingdom (Matthew 6:19-21).

5. Give up the clear answer
Sometimes we hesitate and wait for overwhelming confirmation and safety before we’ll step out in faith. And while Jesus says count the cost, he also says follow him (Matthew 8:22). Peter didn’t have time to analyze the water temperature and buoyancy levels before he walked on the water to Jesus. Surrender your desire for perfect clarity and instead depend more on God’s grace.

LITTLE IS BIG

Every surrender is an offering to God that can bring Him glory, no matter its size. And maybe the little things are really big after all. Because when we surrender to Jesus, we lose nothing of value, but we gain an eternity of joy.

What “little things” are hard for you to surrender on a daily basis? What helps you give them up? Do you have a favorite scripture about surrendering? Please leave a comment below.

Some Days I Just Want to Give Up
3 Ways to Surrender in Your Home

April 9, 2013 by Teri Lynne Underwood 9 Comments

There are these people in my life. The demanding sort of people. The kind who always seem to be there at the most inopportune moments. The kind who don’t always think about what they say and how they say it. The kind who always, always want something from me. Sometimes, these people make me really tired. Often they frustrate me in ways I can’t even put into words. One, in particular, has the unique ability to find my last remaning nerve and jump on it. Another knows every one of my buttons and sometimes it seems finds inexplicable joy in pushing them, all at the same time.

These are the people who ask me questions like, “Where is my binder?” or “Do you know what time I have to be at the doctor?” They want to know what’s for supper and why there are no clean towels. They demand things like toilet paper in the bathrooms and snacks after school.

Some days, I look at all these people want from me and I really just want to give up.

Who are these tyrants in my life? My family. And, I’d guess if you are a wife and mom, you know exactly what I’m talking about. We’re often expected to be everything, know everything, and do everything—all at once.

A few weeks ago, the Lord laid a verse on my heart. Well, laid is a nice way to say it: Actually He beat me with it.

These lessons on humility are playing out in all sorts of ways … from understanding how hard repentance is to realizing how much I like to be right. But what I’m finding is this learning to “count others more significant” is hardest in my home.

As we spend this month at Do Not Depart considering a life surrendered, contemplating what it means to submit ourselves to the Lord and to one another, I’d guess that for many of us, the hardest place to surrender is in our homes.

I’d like to offer three ways I’m practicing surrender, humility, in my home. Maybe they’ll be helpful to you as well.

Focused Prayer. Each morning I am purposefully praying the Lord will give me a desire to serve the members of my family. In fact, I’ve asked Him to make me miserable if I don’t.
Fresh Perspective. I’ve been making a list of the ways my family members serve others. It helps me see how we are cultivating a heart of serving in our home. I tend to focus on the negative sometimes and this practice is helping me have a clearer view of the reality of our family’s focus and lifestyle.
First Priority. Every day I’m making it my first priority to serve the members of my family. Before I get my coffee, I am trying to make sure my husband has his. When I wake my girl, I’m working hard to use a positive tone and not nag her even when she’s running late.

A surrendered life has to happen at home first. We need to begin by serving first in our homes, learning to count ourselves less significant than the other members of our families. It’s the hardest place … but I firmly believe it’s the one place that carries the most weight.

How do you pursue a surrendered life in your home?

A Surrendered Life

April 5, 2013 by Kathy Howard 1 Comment

Surrender.

What image does the word conjure up for you? Perhaps you imagine a white flag waving or hands raised high in the air.

We sing about surrender in church, but do we really practice it? What does it even mean to “surrender all?”

The verb “surrender” means “to give oneself up, as into the power of another; submit or yield.”

I don’t know about you, but I like to be my own boss, make my own decisions, and choose my own way. Giving up control is just plain hard.

Seems silly though doesn’t it? Our God knows everything, has all power, and in reality is in control of everything. “Surrendering” is simply acknowledging and yielding to the authority He already possesses. Besides, He loves me and wants what’s best for me. Oh, so simple. Yet hard to do because of my stubborn, selfish nature.

Through the month of April, we will be exploring what surrender looks like in the day-to-day life of a believer. We want to look at the biblical truth and apply it practically to our lives. Our theme Scripture is Galatians 2:20, a verse God has been pressing into my heart and mind for the last decade.

I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me.

Surrender. We usually view surrender as something negative. But surrender to Christ is sweet release. Surrender means no more striving or fighting. Just simple submission to God’s best for your life. In surrender you find the satisfaction, fulfillment, and abundance Christ promises.

Will you come out with your hands up in surrender? What is holding you back?