The Right Crowd

The story of the woman caught in adultery from John 8 has always been such an amazing story to me. It illustrates God's grace and man's judgment so clearly. In fact, one can glean many lessons from this story. I love Jesus' compassion and mercy, not excusing her sin, but allowing her to become free from it.

But one point I had not noticed before is found in verse 9: When the accusers heard this, they slipped away one by one, beginning with the oldest, until only Jesus was left in the middle of the crowd with the woman.

For years I've pictured this story in my mind as Jesus and the woman left there alone when He tells her He doesn't condemn her and to "go and sin no more." (vs. 11)

But did you see it?

...until only Jesus was left in the middle of the crowd with the woman.

The condemning, accusing, mocking, rock-wielding crowd left one by one. However, a crowd had already been gathered listening to Jesus teach. A crowd remained after the accusers left. As I realized that, I thought maybe this crowd was a crowd of disciples, those who truly wanted to be like Jesus in their attitudes and actions, those who were governed by love and compassion. I hope they were the ones who might share their cloak to cover the woman, some older women who might mentor her, and a crowd that offered encouragement to her for a future of following Christ. That's what I hope.

If that is the case, I want to be a part of that crowd.

I know there were still some in the crowd who judged Jesus' teachings and would have liked to arrest Him, but there were others. There were true followers, true believers in that crowd.

I hope when we gather in our churches that among the crowd are those who would take the time to encourage and help others who are struggling in their faith. We need encouragers and mentors. Without them (us), we could also become accusing mobs, and accusing mobs do not bring glory to God. They lift up the Law, not the One who came to set us free from it.

Well then, since God's grace has set us free from the law, does that mean we can go on sinning? Of course not! Don't you realize that you become the slave of whatever you choose to obey? You can be a slave to sin which leads to death or you can choose to obey God, which leads to righteous living. (Romans 6:15-16, NLT)

So encourage each other and build each other up, just as you are already doing. (1 Thessalonians 5:11, NLT)

Let us think of ways to motivate one another to acts of love and good works. (Hebrews 10:24 NLT)


Your love for one another will prove to the world that you are my disciples. (John 13:35, NLT)

Kid Lit that Nourishes Our Souls

I was thinking today about words and how they can nourish our souls. Maybe it is because I'm a writer and speaker and work with words, but they can spark something magical in my heart.

Have you ever read a verse of scripture, and it nearly took your breath away? Every time I read certain verses, it happens. One is from The Message, Matthew 11:28-30 where it says, "Are you tired? Worn out? Burned out on religion? Come to me. Get away with me and you'll recover your life. I'll show you how to take a real rest. Walk with me and work with me--watch how I do it. Learn the unforced rhythms of grace. I won't lay anything heavy or ill-fitting on you. Keep company with me and you'll learn to live freely and lightly." 

Those verses bring comfort and remind of how beautiful the Christian life is meant to be.

Another is 1 John 3:1, NLT, "See what great love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called the children of God! And that is what we are! The reason the world does not know us is that it did not know him."

The thought of God lavishing His love on us just melts my heart. I'm overwhelmed by His amazing, generous love.

In addition to God's beautiful Word, there are also some wonderful words written by mere humans that have also nourished my creative soul. I wanted to simply list some of those here and ask that you share some of your favorites. It would mean a lot to me to hear what books have blessed your life and nourished your soul, especially as a child or as you read to your child.

I have to start with my favorite author, C.S. Lewis. Most of his writing nourishes my soul and challenges my mind. I don't agree with all of his theology, but I love reading his work. My favorites will probably always be The Chronicles of Narnia, but I also love The Great Divorce, The Screwtape Letters, and his essays. I think every child should experience The Chronicles preferably read together with a parent the first time through. I once read the whole series to my class. We read a section every day after lunch and made it through the whole series in that school year with just those few minutes each day.

My Mama Had a Dancing Heart by Libba Gray is a delightful book. I love the special relationship between the mom and the daughter.

Alexander and the Magic Mouse by Martha Sanders is an oldie but a goodie. It's out of print and hard to find, but it is the most magical, quirky story. I loved it as a kid and have cherished it for years.

Hailstones and Halibut Bones: Adventures in Poetry and Color by Mary O'Neil is another oldie that I love. It is illustrated by John Wallner, and the illustrations are beautiful.

Grandfather's Journey by Allen Say is a wonderful book. It spoke to our hearts because of being on the mission field for so many years. Once another country becomes a second home, a part of you is never completely at home no matter where you are. This book, which is beautifully illustrated by Say as well, depicts so many of those feelings.

The Oak inside the Acorn by Max Lucado is a favorite. It's a beautiful story of purpose and possibilities centered on God. Lucado has several beautiful books we should all read to our kids. Who doesn't love Just In Case You Ever Wonder?

One Wintry Night by Ruth Bell Graham is a long story, but a wonderful one. The illustrations by Richard Jesse Watson are gorgeous. It's a story that shares the Gospel in a Christmas story.

Quinn's Promise Rock by Christie Thomas is a new addition to our library. It is such a beautiful book. It is a Christian book about God always being with us. If you haven't read it, you will be blessed when you do.

When I Pray for You by Michael Paul Turner is a great rhyming book that is perfect for a parent to read to a child. It shows the parent praying to God as he interacts with the child and shows such gratitude and joy in God's gift of that child. This book will bless the parent and the child as they read it.

Water bugs and Dragonflies: Explaining Death to Young Children by Doris Stickney. You may think it's odd to include a book about death in this list, but it's really a book about eternal life in Christ, and it is beautiful. We used it in a Christmas memorial service for those who had lost loved ones that year. It is a very sweet story that helps explain death and eternal life.

The Velveteen Rabbit by Margery Williams is a classic and such a sweet story. Most see it as an allegory of the Christian life, but even as a surface story, it is wonderful.

Maybe I Can Love My Neighbor Too and Maybe God Is Like that Too are two books by Jennifer Grant. Both are really great for reading to your children and discussing spiritual life and the fruit of the Spirit. I love both of these books.

A very cute good night book is Ten Little Night Stars by my wonderful friend Deb Gruelle. It is a very cute book that is sure to become a favorite of any young child.

How Far Is Faith? by Amy Parker is a sweet book that discusses the characteristics of faith and God. It's a really sweet story that will spark great discussions. She also wrote How Big Is Love? and How High Is Hope? All three are just wonderful books that help make these difficult concepts easier for children to grasp.

I will probably feature some of these again in different blog posts, and I have so many others I could add and will share in future posts. But I'm anxious to hear from you. What are the children's books that blessed you?

At a later time we'll feature books for older children. And we'll have to do one of the books that give you serious belly laughs. But for today, think of the young children from toddler to about 3rd/4th grade and what books would bless them.

Thank you for sharing your favorites with us!

Renewing My Mind about Church

I've been a pastor's wife for over 35 years. We've served in old churches, new churches, large churches, tiny churches, and house churches. I've seen churches start and churches end, and we've served in churches full of encouragement and churches full of discouragement. It kind of feels like the opening quote to The Tale of Two Cities when I think about it. Henry Blackaby once said when he's asked what the best part of ministry is, he answers, "It's the people" and what's the worst part of ministry..."It's the people."

We are the Church, and, sadly, sometimes we are a mess. But this is not about bashing Christians or the church. I love both! And so does God! But God has been renewing my mind about what being the Church means and what "doing church" should look like. And it comes back to the people and all our messy relationships as we live life together.

We are called very specifically by Jesus in Matthew 28:19-20 to make disciples, baptize people, and teach them what He's taught us. In most of the churches I've seen, discipleship is simply another class someone can sign up for. I don't think that is what Jesus had in mind; however, what He had in mind requires a lot from us and a real commitment to shepherding people in small groups.

God has been challenging me about where our focus should be. I love producing choir programs/dramas and special events in general for the church family. I love fellowship and Bible study. I love Sunday worship services full of prayer, music, and teaching/preaching. But none of that is really discipleship.

I've talked about this often, and I believe I've even blogged about it in the past, but it is becoming extremely obvious that we have to do something now to change the way most of us have done church. We are losing a whole generation of believers.

When I think of what Jesus did to train His disciples, I see several things that I think we should be focusing on in our groups.

1. He shared his experiences. We should share our testimonies, and experiences...the good, the bad, and sometimes the ugly. When we are afraid to share, we put up a wall between us and others. Our experiences from the past can help encourage someone who's struggling through the same thing now (2 Corinthians 1:3-4), and having others watch us as we walk through life's ups and downs helps them to learn how to navigate life as well. Hopefully we do it right, but even when we don't, we still get back up and keep going. We continue to follow God even if we need to repent in the process. 

2. He told stories. Stories are powerful. Whether we are sharing with our children or with another adult, sometimes spiritual truth is grasped more easily through analogy and metaphor. We need to let God's wonderful creativity flow through us so that others can gain true understanding.

3. He spent time with them. Jesus spent nearly all of His time with His disciples. I know it's hard to spend extended periods of time with people in our current culture, but we must try. We need to text, call, email, and meet face-to-face as much as our schedules will allow. The more consistent time we can spend with someone, the more we grow. I have shared before about the year that I discipled two young women who would come to our home every evening after work. It was the most wonderful experience I've ever had as a believer. If you can do it, don't hesitate. One word of caution: I know that disciples can become too reliant on us for their spiritual understanding. The year I had with these two women was so wonderful because they were daily devouring the Word of God. They came equipped with questions and wanting understanding of what they had read. We used no other books except the Bible.

4. He taught them directly. Many times Jesus sat with His disciples and taught them directly. He knew what they needed to learn because He knew everything. When we spend time with people we can discern what God wants us to teach. We can use teachable moments and planned teaching times to help our disciples grow.

5. He answered their questions. I love it when disciples ask questions. Often they ask really hard questions! But what a joy to wrestle with those questions and help them find the answers. It's one of my favorite parts of discipleship.

6. He challenged them. Jesus lovingly challenged His disciples when they were making wrong choices or were lacking in faith. We have to challenge our disciples too in a loving and supportive way. We want to see them succeed and grow. To ignore problems is not loving or supportive.

7. He let God's miraculous power show. Jesus calmed the storm, walked on water, fed people, raised the dead, and healed. He showed His disciples that God's power was real and that God is real. He is concerned about His children and is active in our world. Letting God's work in our lives show is hard if we don't acknowledge it ourselves. I recommend making a prayer list and keeping track of answered prayer. It helps us become more aware of what God is doing around us.

Jesus had an unbroken relationship with God, of course, because He did not sin. However, He also spent time in prayer with God each day. We need to follow His example. As leaders, teachers, and most importantly, as disciplers, we must spend time with God in prayer and in His Word. We should daily lift up our disciples in prayer. When our hearts are right with God, we can be effective in obeying His command to make disciples because we can hear His voice and follow His leading in how best to lead others. This is real church.

***As parents, we are the first disciplers our children have. We need to take that responsibility seriously. We must be comfortable with spiritual discussions. Kids are curious, and we should enjoy that curiosity. Their faith is so beautiful, and we should encourage it. I love what Jennifer Grant said in a recent blog post,

"I'm not inspired to write books that explain God to kids or preach at them. (They get enough of that sort of thing already, don't you think?) Rather, I'm inspired to wonder, with them, about the nature of God. Why must we listen to them and become like them to know God? Do they, more than jaded grownups, reflect God's image in their openness and curiosity? Their enthusiasm? Their lack of pretense? What can we learn from the way children see the world about how God sees it?" --Jennifer Grant, author of Maybe I Can Love My Neighbor Too and other books worth buying.

I think one of the best books we can share with our kids to open up discussions about discipleship is C. S. Lewis's The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe. The whole series is wonderful, but I recommend you take some time to re-read the book and then share it with your children when they are in elementary school. There are so many open doors for discussion in those pages.***

Tell Your Story

I wrote this blog post originally in another blog, but I've added to it and edited it some. It seemed it needed to be posted again, especially in light of a few things on my heart and mind. As I am preparing for an upcoming workshop, I've felt strongly that we need to speak more in redemptive ways. Yes, we need to tell our stories, but not just our stories. Our stories must reflect and amplify His Story to the world that needs Jesus so much. 

I've been thinking a lot about resilience. When I think of all those who've lost everything to hurricanes, tornadoes, fires, or earthquakes, I realize they grieve, and they go on.

When I think of those who lost loved ones in a shooting or an act of terror or even from illness or accident, they grieve, and they go on.

And with all the talk of the "me too" campaign, I realize they too have gone on.

I don't say "moved on" because that would insinuate that they ignore what happened and aren't affected by it. No, we are forever changed by these events in our lives. We really never get over the loved one who died or the baby we lost. We still carry scares from the attacks, storms, and unwelcome advances. Like footprints in our hearts and minds, they are there. Shadows that follow us unnoticed on most days, but there nonetheless.

I am saddened by all that has happened lately. But more than that, I am amazed! I am encouraged by the strength, determination, and perseverance of the human race.

I love what Zora Neale Hurston says in her essay "How It Feels to Be Colored Me," "I am not tragically colored. There is no great sorrow dammed up in my soul, nor lurking behind my eyes. I do not mind at all...I do not weep at the world--I am too busy sharpening my oyster knife."

I love that. It isn't that she didn't suffer prejudice and discrimination; it's that she didn't let it rule her life. She looked to the future and saw the world as her oyster. That's what we do. We are not victims but overcomers. We are not beaten down, we have risen. We aren't bitter, we are forgivers.

Victims suffer in silence and are imprisoned by their fear and pain. Overcomers find freedom, victory, and life even in the worst of circumstances. They live over their circumstances and in spite of them, not under them.

I saw a video of a man who had lost everything because of his faith. He was a refugee in his own country. I was amazed. All he had was love and concern for those who took everything. He was content. He was joyful. He was victorious. That's what forgiveness does for the forgiver. It frees us. It fills us with God's love for those who are unjust and hate-filled.

Forgiveness does not say that what they did was right. I believe some have come to this false notion because of how we approach others and God when we need forgiven.

C.S. Lewis wrote a great essay about forgiveness, but he was dealing with when we confess our sins to God. If we go making excuses for our sins, we are not truly asking for forgiveness. Maybe that's why we have so much trouble forgiving others. We've misunderstood what forgiveness really is. It is always undeserved. It is always unearned. There is never an excuse for our behavior. And there is no one to blame but ourselves. If we come to God or others asking forgiveness, it is because we have no excuse for our actions or decisions. If we have a good excuse, then it is a mistake that makes sense and can be overlooked. But forgiveness covers what has no excuse.

Yes, I know I just chased a rabbit there...back to the resilience of the human heart. I have seen those who suffer from PTSD, and they continue to find ways to thrive. The human heart is somehow capable of carrying a tremendous amount of pain and still walk in joy. It is a mystery to me how that is even possible, but God made us this way. He warned us life would be cruel to us and that we'd have many sorrows. But He made a way for us to find joy through it all.

I have to go to a couple other Zora Neale Hurston quotes: "There is no agony like bearing an untold story inside of you." and "If you are silent about your pain they'll kill you and say you enjoyed it."

We need to tell our stories. There is healing in the telling and in the hearing. Your story can help bring healing and hope to others. In the early stages of healing when we are still processing the fear and pain, our story helps us walk through our situation. As we begin to find healing and wholeness and joy, our story helps others have hope. We should tell our stories a thousand times, because each time we've gone through different steps and stages and have more to tell. Life is never stagnant but always moving, always changing and growing. We should too.

If you feel like you are stuck and stagnant, can I encourage you to tell your story? Find someone you can trust who can listen and truly hear your story. The healing waters will begin to flow, even if only a small trickle at the beginning.

He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds. (Psalms 147:3, NKJV)

I watched the sweetest video today and thought you might enjoy it as well. This song and these children's outlook show a little of the resilience I'm meaning here. God is so good, and we are fearfully and wonderfully made!

***As part of my mission, I want to share books with you that you can share with the children in your life. We are the first disciplers in their lives. We need to be passionate about reaching and teaching them. I found a few books about resilience and courage, but as I looked, I could not get the story of Joseph out of my mind. So, this time, I wrote an interactive story for you to enjoy with your child. I hope you enjoy it.

Sign up for my mailing list, and you can download the story for free.

If you are already on my mailing list, please email contact@terriehellardbrown.com and I will send you the link to the story.***

Go, Stay, Give: A Call to Obedience - 2nd blog post for Inspire Writers

I forgot to share my second post published for Inspire Christian Writers! I'm thrilled they chose to publish my post. I hope you enjoy it. It's based on a quote that has often spoken to me. I have it on my wall near my desk where I write and do my Bible study. I read it often and pray about whether or not I am obeying God as I should.

Take a look: https://www.inspirewriters.com/go-stay-give-a-call-to-obedience/

Dance of Spring

This is an unusual post for my blog, but I'm entering a writing contest called "Spring Fling." Below is my entry. It is limited to 150 words and must match a gif. This has 149 words. I hope you enjoy it. The story is called "The Dance of Spring."

Bruno and I decided to be spring fairies today. We are starting the dance of spring!

“Blow, gentle wind. Join in the dance of spring.”

The breeze kisses my cheek dancing by.

The sun peeks out from behind a cloud.

“Shine pretty sun. Join in the dance of spring.”

Bruno feels the warmth, chasing his tail with joy.

Seeds wait to sprout. We give them some water.

“Come out, little flowers! Join in the dance of spring.”

The flowers bloom with color, smelling sweet.

“Look, Bruno. A chrysalis!”

“Come out, butterfly! Join in the dance of spring.”

The butterfly breaks free and flies in the sunshine.

We climb the bare branches of a tall tree.

“Wake up, giant trees. Join in the dance of spring.”

Green leaves grow, pink flowers bud and bees buzz by.

Finally, our day done, we lie in the grass enjoying the dance of spring.

The gif is from here: https://gph.is/2AP86BP 

Dropping Stones

The story of the woman caught in adultery found in John 8 is such a remarkable story of forgiveness. And it is such a revealing story of what religion without love and vulnerability can become.

The church leaders brought the woman before Jesus to condemn her and try to trap Him. They had a definite agenda. Have you ever noticed how the "religious"* always have an agenda? (I've always wondered where the dude caught in adultery was too. If they were truly concerned about righteousness, wouldn't they have brought both people to Christ that day?...but that's another issue).

However, I love two very important things in this story: Jesus' response to the people and His response to the woman.

The leaders wanted to get Jesus into a religious argument. He refused. He simply said for those who had not sinned to cast the first stone. He didn't dismiss the Law. He didn't ignore it. He fulfilled it, and He upheld the truest heart of the Law.

I love that each person there, without another word said, was convicted of their own sin. And they walked away. (There is hope for the religious agenda-pushers after all!)

Then, Jesus, simply asks the woman if anyone still accuses her. The One who had the right to throw the stones was still there. Jesus was the only one qualified to judge this woman's sin, and the sin of each person there. And He makes it clear that He does not condemn her.

Why did everyone drop their stones?
Was it because the woman hadn't really sinned? No.
Was it because it was okay to commit adultery? No.
No, it was because then, like now, the only one qualified to throw stones is Jesus.
And He chose then, like now, to forgive instead.
He did not okay what she did. He did not overlook or pretend the sin wasn't real. He did not ignore the Law, the right and wrong. He solved the problem of her sin. He changed her heart. He forgave her sin. 
Then, He told her to stop sinning.

I'm afraid, too often, we want to ignore that part. We want the forgiveness, love, and acceptance of Jesus. It is wonderful! It is miraculous! But it calls us to "sin no more." Instead, we want to change the definition of what sin is. We want to pretend that others sin worse than we do, so we are okay. We want to look at the good we do and say how it outweighs the bad we've done, as though righteousness is a scale, not an absolute. We want to pretend that because God is a God of Love, He does not condemn sin. We want to justify our sin by making excuses.

It's hard to stand in front of Jesus, naked, caught in the act, vulnerable and guilty without hope. But that's how we all come to Christ. We all are the woman caught in adultery when we stand before God. Our only hope is the same as hers: Christ's amazing forgiveness.

What's our "takeaway" from this?
#1 - Jesus' forgiveness is complete and life-changing. It does not ignore or discount our sin, but it covers it completely.
#2 - He calls us to righteousness. We are also to "go and sin no more."
#3 - We need to let go of our fear of other people's judgment. Jesus is the only One qualified to judge us. When His Spirit convicts us of sin, we need to repent and follow Christ.

What other takeaways do you have from this story?
How is God speaking to your heart?

*When I refer to religious people, I am not picking on any specific faith or group, but on those who get trapped in the legalistic attitudes of religion that appoints oneself as judge and jury for other people. We truly have to guard our hearts so that we do not fall into this trap. Our enemy would like nothing more than for us to fall into a religious attitude rather than a changed heart in relationship with the Living, Life-Changing God. If you have questions about what I'm talking about, please feel free to ask.