The Friday Five // 01

November 22, 2019 / Kirsten / Leave a comment

Hey hey!! I am so pumped about bringing y’all this new blog series! For this first edition, I wanted to center around what I believe to be the most important area of life, faith. I have been a Christian all of my life, born and raised in the Lutheran church, but truthfully, it was always something I took for granted. I identified as a Christian, believed in Jesus, and went to church, but I didn’t always make it a huge priority outside of that. Over the past few years, however, beginning my last year of college, and recently in my first couple years of marriage, I have really begun to dig deep in the area of my personal walk with God. I’ve asked myself, and continue to ask the hard questions of, “What does it really look like to be a follower of Jesus?” and “How am I living out my faith every single day?” Throughout this journey, I have found several resources – books, podcasts, blogs, instagram accounts (yes, social media can be a positive thing), etc. that have really been helpful in molding who I am and what I believe, which is why I wanted to launch this series by sharing with you a few of those resources. Are you ready? Let’s get to it…

To Read // Women of the Word by Jen Wilkin

When I was in college at Texas A&M, I attended a weekly ministry on campus called Breakaway. It was here that I first heard about Jen Wilkin. She was the guest speaker one week and although I don’t remember the specifics of her talk, I do remember that she had this deep knowledge of the bible that left me wanting to hear more about her approach on how to study God’s word. I knew I should read the Bible, and I did, but I wanted to learn how to really read the Bible in a way that deepened my understanding of its meaning and context. Enter her book, Women of the Word. This book is an easy to read, practical approach to Bible study. The subtitle of the book is “How to Study the Bible with Both our Hearts and our Minds.” It walks you step by step through each of the five “P’s” of Bible study: Purpose, Perspective, Patience, Process, and Prayer. Jen explains how each of these apply and how to incorporate them into your daily study. It completely changed my approach to how I read and study God’s Word. f you are looking to dive deeper into your Bible I highly recommend picking up this book. I’m actually rereading it right now!

To Listen // “Women of the Church” Podcast

This new podcast launched in August and it has already been so good! I really enjoy learning about history, so when one of my favorite people to learn from, Phylicia Masonheimer (who I’ll be telling you more about next), recommended their podcast, I couldn’t wait to try it out. It did not disappoint! The goal of “Women of the Church” is to share stories of Christian women who have been gospel influencers in the home, the church, and society. The first season of the show is dedicated to telling the the story of the abolition of the slave trade and slavery in the British West Indies. Christian women played a critical role in fighting against slavery and the stories that are told of these persevering women will encourage your heart and most importantly point you to Jesus, and show you how he has been working all throughout history. Even if you think you don’t like history, I encourage you to give it a try! Most of the women they talk about I had never even heard of, so it was really encouraging to learn about these amazing women and how they changed the history of the church!

To Get Inspired // Phylicia Masonheimer

Alright y’all, I found Phylicia on Instagram this past summer and whoa! She is so knowledgeable on church history, theology, and the Bible in general. She has a very active social media presence on Instagram and Facebook, writes a blog, where she also offers two free courses on Bible study and productivity, and a new podcast that is launching in 2020. Phylicia is also a speaker, founder of the yearly women’s Verity conferency, and author, with a new book releasing in 2020! Her goal across all aspects of her work is to teach Christians how to discern truth and discuss the deep stuff. I have really enjoyed learning from her. One of the things I love most about Phylicia is that she teaches you about all views or sides of an issue, belief, or topic, and gives you tips, resources, and encouragement to do your own research to form your own view. She believes it is important for every Christian to study the bible for themselves, understand church history and theology, and define what they believe. If you are looking to dive deeper into your faith or learn about who Jesus is go check out her work. You can find her instagram here and her blog is phyliciamasonheimer.com.

To Use // Crossway ESV Study Bible

Last December, my husband, Chad, and I began reading through the bible together so for Christmas he surprised me with a new study bible. It was so thoughtful and will forever be one of my most cherished possessions. On the outside, the Crossway Study Bible has a beautiful TruTone Walnut cover with a Celtic Imprint Design on the front. When you flip open the cover, not only is it filled with the words of God, it is also packed full of a wide array of study tools. At the beginning of each book is an introduction full of background information, including authors, dates, purpose, themes, literary features, and an outline of the book. As you read, you will find, on the bottom of each page, notes broken down by verse giving you more information to deepen your study. Additionally, there are hundreds of full color maps, illustrations, and charts to enhance your time in the Word. I am so grateful for my sweet husband, his thoughtful gift, and the way it has blessed my walk with Jesus. If you have the desire to take the next step in your own study of God’s Word, I can’t recommend this bible enough!

To Support Your Wellness // Frankincense

Last but not least, the oil I want to tell you about this week is frankincense. All of my recommendations this week have centered around faith, so I thought this oil was the perfect addition. Frankincense has a deep connection to the Bible; it was given to Jesus as a gift by one of the Wise Men after his birth! Today, frankincense is known as a powerhouse oil. Diffused by itself, or with lavender, is a great way to create a calm + peaceful setting in the evening or during your morning quiet time. At night you can also add 1-2 drops to your moisturizing cream, or better yet, just pop a roller top right onto the bottle and roll it straight on your face; frankincense is amazing for your skin!!! One way I love to use it daily in my immunity roller, made of frankincense, thieves, lemon, + oregano. Those are just some of the easiest ways to add frankincense into your life. The options are truly endless!

Well, there you have it, the first edition of The Friday Five! My hope is that you enjoyed reading through these recommendations and have either, found some new reading material (seriously y’all go check out Phylicia’s posts) or added a couple of things to your Christmas wish list! I’d love to hear which category you liked the best or which one you are most excited to try!

Thanks for reading along! Until next time,

Kirsten

The Friday Five // 00

October 25, 2019 / Kirsten / Leave a comment

I have some exciting news!!! A new series will be launching on the blog next week titled, “The Friday Five”. Each Friday I will be sharing five things I’m loving in five different categories: things for you…To Read, To Listen, To Get Inspired, To Use, and To Support Your Wellness. Personally, I love to read lists like these of what other people have tried and are loving so I’m excited to provide that for y’all! Some weeks all the categories will revolve around a central theme and some weeks each category will be completely different. Before the series launches, I thought I would take some time to briefly explain what you can expect to see in each category!

To Read

This category will feature exactly what it sounds like things for you to read. Books I have or am currently reading, magazines, articles, other inspiring blogs, etc. Reading is one of my favorite past times so I have a lot of great reads to share with you!

To Listen

Let’s be honest, I should have named this category “To Podcast” because that is what the majority of what I’ll share here. My podcast library is ever expanding so it’s not likely that I’ll run out of recommendations for you. That being said, occasionally I will be sharing new (or old) music I’m loving.

To Get Inspired

Instagram accounts, blogs, youtube channels. This is where I’ll be sharing accounts of people who I’ve been following, learning from, or inspired by. Teachers, preachers, business leaders, homemakers, or anyone in between!

To Use

Tried and true products that have made my life easier, simpler, or that I just plain love. Kitchen utensils, diffusers, clothes, etc. Grab a notepad and get your Christmas List started!

To Support Your Wellness

Oils, cleaning products, holistic wellness information, but mostly oils 😉 I have loved learning about holistic nutrition and wellness and want to share products that have helped support my health, wellness, and emotions. Once again, all the oils.

I hope you’re excited about the new series! I’ve had a ton of fun brainstorming different things to share with y’all! Do you like blog posts like these? If so, I’d love to hear which category your most excited about in the comments below!

Until next time,

Kirsten

The Greatest Love

August 1, 2019 / Kirsten / Leave a comment

What is the greatest love, you ask? The question isn’t what, it’s who, and the answer is quite simple really, it’s Jesus. Jesus, Son of God. He is without a doubt the greatest love you will ever experience. Why? Because it is through Him that we are saved from our sin and are able to have a relationship with God our Father. It is through Jesus that we have eternal life in heaven. Jesus, true man. Jesus, true God. Jesus. Jesus is the answer. Jesus is love.

The Triune God + His Holy Word

Before delving into the story of the good news and God’s love for all people, I must make one thing clear. There is only one true God. The Triune God. Three in one. Three parts, yet one whole. Different in role, equal in value. The one true God is the God of love, truth, forgiveness, grace, and mercy. God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit. The Father is the creator of the universe. He dwells in heaven and all believers will one day be united with him in heaven through his son Jesus Christ. Jesus is the only son of God, whom the Father sent to earth to save us from our sin through his death on the cross. Jesus is both true God and true man. Through him we have salvation and the assurance of life with the Father in heaven. It is through the Holy Spirit, and His work in our heart, that we are able to have faith in God. We know all these things through God’s gift of the Bible, which is His authoritative word, written down by man, but inspired by Him and is without error.

The Perfect World + Its Fall

At the beginning of time, God the Father created the heavens and the earth in the time-span of only seven days. He did this simply by his Word alone. He simply spoke, and it was so. During this seven-day period God also created mankind; a man named Adam and a woman, his wife, named Eve. They were created in His own image and were given the breath of life. That, in and of itself, is truly amazing. God, our Father, who made all of creation simply by his word, made us perfect, in His own image, and then breathed into us His breath of life. You see, the world wasn’t always meant to be the way it is today. In the beginning, the world was without sin. Adam and Eve were able to walk with and talk to God face to face. God’s plan was always to have a personal, intimate relationship with us, his people, here on earth.

Unfortunately, however, that plan was disrupted, and the perfect world came crashing down the moment sin entered the world. In the midst of the Garden of Eden, in which Adam and Eve lived, God placed a tree. The tree was the “Tree of Knowledge of Good & Evil” and was the only tree in the garden of which they were commanded not eat from. The devil, with his trickery and deceit, came to Eve one day while she was alone, in the form of a serpent. He cast doubt in her mind and made her question God’s command that was given to her and Adam. She ate of the fruit of the tree, and then gave some to Adam, which he ate as well. It was at this exact moment that their eyes were opened, sin entered into existence, and the perfect world became imperfect. Because of this sin, a curtain was put up, alienating mankind from God the Father, sentencing us to death and a life in eternal damnation, hell.

God’s Plan to Redeem His People

Fortunately for us, we need not fear because the story is far from over and, most certainly, does not end there. God has a love for his people that is like no other. His plan to save the world from the consequences of sin is by far the greatest love story ever told and is beautifully summed up in one verse in the bible, John 3:16, “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.” You see, when we fast forward the story hundreds of years, we find out that the Father sent his son, Jesus, to earth to save us from sin. He became true man and was born of the virgin Mary, led a perfect, sinless life here on the earth, all while experiencing the same temptations you and I face every single day. He remained faithful to his Father’s plan for our salvation to the end. He was taken, beaten, and hung on the cross to die a brutal death. He was blameless, yet willingly bore the burden of the Father’s wrath in our place. When he died, the curtain between God and man was torn forever. On the third day, after Jesus died on the cross, he rose again from the tomb. He rose from the dead. It was through his resurrection that he overcame sin, death, and the power of the devil. It is through these events that we are made holy in God’s sight once more and are able to once again have an intimate relationship with our Father, like he intended from the beginning. We are cleansed in the blood of Christ and now have the hope and assurance of life with God in heaven when our time on earth is finished.

More Than Just a Story

Whether reading this today was your first time hearing the good news, or you’ve heard it a thousand times, I encourage you to sit with it this week. If you are a believer reading this, allow yourself to once again be awestruck as you sit before your God. Stop taking it all for granted and live in the truth of being His child. If you are reading this today, and have doubt, have believed once and turned away, or have never believed at all, I encourage you just the same. Pick up a Bible. Read the pages between its covers. Tell yourself, just this once, it is more than a story. Question what it says. Mull it over in your mind. Wrestle with it in your heart. Allow yourself to ponder what it would mean for your life if it were really true. And lastly my friend, know that whether we are old friends or have never even met, I am here for you. Whether you accept Jesus in your heart today or not, I love you. I am praying for the Spirit to be at work within you. I am praying that one day you may believe for yourself that it is all more than just a story. I am praying that one day you will let yourself fully experience the greatest love of all, Jesus.