Looking Out The Window: Andrea Chatelaine Talks About Her New Book, Intentional Holidays: 30 Reflections of Rest and Rejoicing And Shares A New Year's Devotional

A Warm Welcome to Andrea Chatelaine

Andrea Brings Us A Book For Holidays And A Devotional for New Year's

Intentional Holidays: 30 Days of Rest and Rejoicing

This holiday season, God invites us to slow down our hustle, to trade striving and performing for resting and rejoicing. In our Photoshopped, Instagram, hyper-publicized culture, it feels like the bar is always rising. Not only must we create that memorable Thanksgiving meal, but it also must look Pinterest-worthy when we’re done! But Immanuel—God with us—is indeed with us in the middle of our dinner fails and celebrations.This holiday season, each morning, no matter how busy our day or frazzled our heart, God is drawing us near so that we can live filled. We can experience peace in the middle of our crazy through the Prince of Peace, our Savior, Immanuel.

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Resolutions Vs. Transformation

By Andrea Chatelain

As we count down to the New Year, our minds rev up with possible resolutions for 2020. Social media will tout advice on how to be a new you. We’ll read tips to get a six pack or five steps to be more efficient. But as helpful as resolutions are, there's only one decision that truly transforms, and it's the one I used to avoid. Allowing God to change me from the inside out as I come near to Him.
It sounds more logical that if we alter our bodies or eating habits we’ll feel better about life. But I've tried all sorts of diets and none can repair the things that really matter...my marriage, my family, my sinful heart. Only Jesus.

Of course, take care of yourself. Make healthy choices and enjoy the life He gave you. But let's be honest, a beautiful body doesn't mean as much if the soul is still unhealthy. So if you're like I was, striving to live better, and still feeling less-than, there's only one way to abundant living-- surrender.
Jesus said, "Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light” (Matthew 11:28-30 ESV).

I needed this to be true a few years ago. Life felt heavy and I needed Jesus to take my burdens in exchange for His peace. I was trying so hard to be a good mom, good wife, good everything and I felt like I came up short on all fronts. I was easily frustrated and felt like a failure most days. My attitude was a reflection of my constant effort to be a perfect version of myself that God never required me to be. But I found freedom when I stopped striving and started surrendering each day to Him and trusting His grace was sufficient.

If you've been laboring for a better version of you, stop. Come to Jesus, learn from Him, and take a break from trying to be perfect.

That's what I'm going to do this New Year. I'm trusting God to transform me one day at a time as I spend time with Him in prayer, learn by reading truth in my Bible, and follow where He leads my choices and life. It's not an overnight fix, it's a new way to live that takes some humility and patience.
The good news? Jesus doesn't require anything but your trust. You don't have to be awesome. You don't have to try to be anything, because you are already His. You are loved and valued by the Savior of the world and that is enough. He has a purpose for you if you put down your striving and dare to follow.

So yes, do some yoga next year and eat more veggies, but that's not what will change us to the core. Let’s start the New Year securely, knowing that we don’t have to renovate ourselves. When we come near to Christ, He will lead us to real transformation inside and out.

Bio

Andrea Chatelain’s mission is to meet women in their struggles and love them forward with God’s truth. She’s a Midwest mom of three, faith and family writer at www.Glory-Be.org, writer/speaker for WhollyLoved Ministries, and college English instructor to immigrants and refugees. She loves connecting with women to remind them they can find everything they need in Jesus.

Looking Out the Window: Memories on the Heart

Several weeks ago my husband, Rick, and I ate at a restaurant we frequent fairly regularly. The cute, young waitress who usually waits on us took our orders for burgers and fries. I’ll call her Mandy. As usual Mandy’s smile and bubbly personality brightened our day. We giggled and confessed to her that we shouldn’t eat the fries, but we were going to do it just this once. She joked. “Okay, you’re being bad today.” Not long after we got our food a couple came in and sat in the booth behind us. Mandy walked up to the table with her big grin. “Hi, how are you?” she asked. The man, who had salt and pepper colored hair and a pudgy face, spoke in a harsh tone, “I want the steak.” “Sure, which one would you like?” Mandy asked. “I don’t want you to put it in the microwave. That will make it tough. Do you understand?” Mandy’s lips turned down. “Yes sir, which one do you want to order?” “I want it medium rare. I don’t want blood oozing out of it. I want it cooked right.” “Yes sir, which steak di...

Looking out the Window: Bible Study Leader Kristi Neace Says God Won't Fail Us and Introduces Us to Her New Book, Pathlight to Praise. Free Bible Study Coming Soon.

A Warm Welcome to Kristi Neace Kristi shares a devotional. She will start a new Bible study on Facebook in July. Watch for the announcement, giving the exact date and time on her Facebook Page Scriptural videos also available. See below.* In a Pit? Psalm 40:1-3‚ “I waited patiently for the LORD; he turned to me and heard my cry. He lifted me out of the slimy pit, out of the mud and mire; he set my feet on a rock and gave me a firm place to stand. He put a new song in my mouth, a hymn of praise to our God. Many will see and fear and put their trust in the LORD.” Can you think of a time when God helped you out of a low place? Perhaps something had caused you to spiral downward, or maybe like the Old Testament character, Jonah, you had run away from God so as not to have to do what He was asking of you. Through this passage, we see that David was experiencing this first-hand. He was in a place of despair, yet God was gracious, and after some time, placed Dav...

Looking out the Window: Multi-award-winning, Best Selling Author Nancy Mehl talks about Her Latest Book, Cold Threat, the Second Novel in the Ryland St.Clair Series. Giveaway.

A Warm Welcome to Nancy Mehl Nancy will give away a print copy of her latest book, Cold Threat (U.S. residents only). To enter to win leave a comment and an email address below and enter the Rafflecopter contest. Hi Nancy, first, tell us a little about yourself. I’m a wife, mother, and a writer. I’ve been writing for over twenty-five years and recently had my fifty-third book published. I don’t have a lot of free time, but I love to read and watch TV to relax. Lots of writers enjoyed reading as children. Were you an avid reader as a child? Yes. I would stay up all night and read books under my bedspread, using a flashlight so I could see. I suspect my mother knew, but she didn’t say anything. Why do you write? I write because I believe God called me to do it. Tell us about your latest book. Cold Threat is the second book in my Ryland and St. Clair series. River Ryland and Tony St. Clair travel to Burlington, Iowa, to help Tony’s father with a very c...

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