It is well with my soul
"For this God is our God forever and ever; He will be our guide even until death." -Psalm 48:144
I stumbled across Ann Voskamp's multivitamins a couple of weeks ago, which inspired me to share my own version. If you've never heard of it before, I highly recommend it. Essentially, Voskamp shares a collection of articles, photos, posts, and recipes designed to remind readers of the good gifts God has given and shift one's perspective from the earthly to the heavenly.
I've always had a special place in my heart for eternity, and I cherish any opportunity to remember that this world is not my home. In light of that, I'm clinging to joy and hope with all my might right now. One of my dear coworkers died a few weeks ago, which was a harsh wake-up call to the frailty and gift of life. Death is such a gruesome robber, an uninvited and inevitable intruder. It feels so senseless and wrong. And in a way, it is. Death is not what God intended when He created the world. It is a departure from what is good. It is as much in opposition to who God is as sin is, because it is a byproduct of sin and disobedience against God.
However, as much as it feels permanent and impenetrable, death does not get the last word.
We can find hope in the face and person of Jesus, who lived life as a human being, died a painful death Himself, and was raised to life again. Dietrich Bonhoeffer, a victim of the holocaust, wrote in his prison diary that "only the suffering God can help." Because of Jesus, we have a God who has experienced the pain of being a human, the pain of mortality, and the pain of death. Because of Jesus, though our bodies may perish, our souls can be reunited with God in heaven. As such, I've been grieving and seeking God's presence in the pain, because He gets it and offers healing balm to my soul. He has provided tangible experiences of His love and faithfulness, and I wanted to share some of the things that are ministering to my soul.
The Lives We Actually Have by Kate Bowler & Jessica Richie. I received a copy as a birthday gift from my thoughtful husband and I cannot put it down! This book somehow puts words to the feelings. With blessings ranging from for all the first without a loved one to for when you thought you would feel different by now to for a little boost in the morning, I have found great comfort in the words of these blessings.
The one I keep coming back to is for when you need a little hope. An excerpt reads,
God, seek us out and find us,
and lead us to where hope lies,
where your peaceable kingdom will come
and your will be done
on earth as it is in heaven.
Hope is an anchor dropped into the future.
We feel you pulling us toward it once again (Bowler & Richie, 2023).
Another book that has been speaking to me throughout the whole year is The Songs of Jesus by the late Tim Keller. It's a year-long daily devotional that goes through the entire book of Psalms. Tim & Kathy Keller dive into the meaning of the text to offer encouragement and conviction to readers.
I found this quote earlier this month, and it serves as a great reminder that our hope is not in this life and helps shift my perspective from earthly to eternal. I was doubly encouraged, because my favourite book, A Severe Mercy by Vanauken, also delves into this topic and similarly states "all shall be most well."
If you know Lars and I, you know we are always on the hunt for fresh recipes. We love cooking together and we love sharing the food we make with our peeps. Every week we do a Sunday Reset together where we tidy the whole house, do laundry, meal plan, and grocery shop for the upcoming week. Last week we decided to try these Rainbow Peanut Noodles and we were not disappointed.
Rainbow Peanut Noodles. Danielle Brown, Healthy Girl Kitchen.
I mean, just look at all that fresh goodness!
When we made this recipe, we did fry chicken pieces in Sweet Thai Chili Sauce with some flour to thicken. It was absolutely DELICIOUS. Plus we had leftovers for days, which is also a win (most of the time).
The Gray Havens have long been one of my favourite bands. The lyrics are deep and multi-faceted, the harmonies are magical, and the musicianship is evident. See You Again is speaking to my soul this month, another reminder that this world is not our home. Apart from See You Again, I wholeheartedly recommend their music in general. So many of their songs are reminiscent of C.S. Lewis and other beloved stories.
I have long been a candle connoisseur, even going so far as to craft my own scented candles. So, you can imagine my delight when I found a floor candelabra at my local antique store. It's not as fancy as the pictured candelabra, but it is quite lovely. There's something cheery and cozy about candles and candlesticks. If you can't find a candelabra, even dollar-store candles do the trick to brighten your space and lighten your heart.
I read an article from John Piper titled "Hope for More Than Unconditional Love." You can check it out here and be reminded that God isn't done with you, regardless of the choices you've made in the past. He is faithful and will finish what He starts.
Lars and I love to play games in the evening. A couple of our favourites include Sequence and Crib. The other night, Lars had the bright idea to put on a podcast while we played. We listened to How to Read the Bible from the Bible Project, and it is revolutionizing the way I am approaching my relationship with God. It's all about our paradigms our worldviews that influence how we approach, interpret, and apply the Bible to our lives.
In the same vein, I was having a conversation with one of my dear friends. She shared that she was reading a book that discussed a similar topic. The author had a shift from reading the Bible to apply to her life (and ending up with a miles-long to-do list) to reading the Bible to learn about God and allowing Him to do the transformative work. That is, instead of asking "how does this apply to me?" she would ask "what does this teach me about who God is?"
I think that's the key to being a follower of Christ. We need to immerse ourselves in God's word and learn who He is and what is really True and as our way of thinking is transformed to align with God's word, our behaviour will naturally follow suit. Trying to align our behaviour without mind and heart change is futile. It only addresses the external behaviour, not the root symptom.
Anyway, I suggest checking out this great podcast and listening for yourself.
I am going to stop there. I feel like I could keep going for ages and ages, because life is so full, God is so good, and there is a seemingly infinite amount of things to learn. Also, I have to go to work. I hope that this post has been a blessing and will inspire you to collect your own multivitamins list.
Please share with me the things that you are learning also - it's cool to hear how God is working in our regular daily lives.
♪ - listen to Les châteaux de sable by Co&Jane.
