Downy Ocean, Hon!

If you’re not from Baltimore, you are puzzled by my title. That’s how we say it here in MD. Even being here just a year, I have already resumed saying my O’s in the ole Bal’more way. It’s lovely. really. So I’m on vacation downy ocean, and not spending time crafting blog posts that require much thought.

As I was saying, Baltimore has a unique accent. Akronites don’t have much of an accent. Clevelanders do. It’s a really round, warm O and a really annunciated R.

What’s ahead in New Jersey? I don’t know. The area we will live in (if we ever sell the house in Akron for crying out loud, but no, I won’t whine here publicly on the blog. I will save that for Jason later. , Cherry Hill-ish, is more of a suburb of Philadelphia, so I’m guessing that’s the accent I’m hearing when I visit. All I know is I’m excited about adding a little more animal print to my wardrobe. Doesn’t that seem like a New Jersey-ish thing to do? I have to admit, I didn’t see many gals donning bump-its in their hair, or animal print stilettos at Sovereign Grace Church, NJ. They just dress normal like my home girls in MD.

So besides maybe holding off on the increase in animal prints and big-hair products, does anyone have any advice on relocating to New Jersey?

Trending now: #gospel-centered

Are you on twitter? I am. ( _jazzhands_ if you want to follow me.)  There are topics that trend on twitter all of the time. Today the trends so far are:

• #mysuperpowerwouldbe
• #thatsmydad
• #imhappiestwhen
• Marvins Room
• Twitter
• Pandora
• Friday
• Facebook
• Drake

It could seem as though being gospel-centered is trending in Christianity right now. Have you noticed how many books are being written on being gospel-centered? There have been conferences on gospel-centered living. Blogs devoted to being gospel-centered. Many, even popular, worship songs centered on the gospel. Other more articulate bloggers have written about this gospel-centeredness that is impacting Christianity. The whole gospel-centered thing is big these days!

I know that when I use a word like trending there is cynicism hiding in the italics. I want to say at the outset, that I am not cynical about this surge of gospel-centeredness in reformed Christian circles today. I am so grateful! God has poured out His Spirit on the church and the Spirit loves to reveal the Savior who is at the center of the gospel.With this wonderful focus on being gospel-centered, I want to step back and see why the gospel should be at the center of my life (my worship, my marriage, my parenting, my growth in godliness, my interpretation of scripture, my affections, etc.).

When something seems to be a trend, it is easy to casually adapt the right “look”, maybe with good intentions, but with no real conviction. That’s why the “trending now” feature changes everyday on twitter. Trends aren’t embraced as serious, or captivating so people move on to the next thing. I am guilty of this with trying to be gospel-centered. I grow overly familiar with the truth so my heart is unaffected and I move on. But the gospel isn’t trending. The gospel is the ultimate event of all time – before time and to eternity, even!  I just happen to either recognize it as such, or wander from it towards other things that may be trending.

So, largely for my own benefit – because I constantly need to be reminded, but also for anyone else who wants to come with me, I want to write a few posts about why the gospel must be at the center of my life, not just a passing trend. I mentioned before that I think my flesh and the devil conspire together to obscure the gospel, or keep me satisfied with having it function as a mere trend in my life. I want to fight against that and writing about what I am reading, listening to, talking with friends about helps keep this beautiful reality, that Jesus came to save hell-bound sinners like me, at the center of my mind, my heart, and my life.

Summer Vacation 1

We had so much fun at Jerusalem Mill today. I love my little family! (They aren’t so little these days).

On Basketball and the Gospel

I tried as I have tried many times before, but I just couldn’t do it. Jason has been watching the NBA finals lately, and because I somehow have a family obsessed with sports, I thought I would enter their world and try to watch a game last night.  I would like to pause here to say that I do fill out a bracket for March Madness which takes me five minutes. It takes Jason much longer. And yet somehow, I beat him every single time. (He loves when I say, “paralysis by analysis, babe.” and then offer a few pointers.)

But I’m not talking about my mad skillz with choosing winning teams for the tourney, I’m talking about how I have such good intentions to enter his world by watching a basketball game with him. I begin, but somehow can’t stick with it to the very end. At first it’s kind of exciting. This guy shoots in his basket, then that guy shoots in the other basket. Once in a while there are fouls and the resulting foul shots. And there are time outs, which means lots of commercial breaks.  And that’s that. But about a hundred times over until somebody wins.

At some point a little distraction will occur. My phone dings. Beth just tweeted something clever. I have to respond. It takes me a while to think of a clever little follow up tweet. That reminds me, I need to follow up on that facebook invitation to somebody’s Norwex party. And before you know it, my eyes are getting heavy, I have a strong urge to read Jane Austin. I head to bed…not knowing whether the Heat or the Mavericks won. And I truly don’t lose sleep over it. In fact, pondering the game helps put me to sleep.

Do I get any wife points for good intentions? I don’t know. Jason has no expectation that I’ll watch the game with him. He thinks it’s kind of cute when I vent about that traitor, LeBron James, and how I don’t want that team to win. I think that team is the Heat. Yes, that would make sense because they’re from Miami which is hot. But Dallas is hot, too. (is it hot in Dallas?) Oh well. I’ll get another shot at watching a game tomorrow night. I’ll let you know how I do. Please no distracting tweets or facebook invitations on Thursday during game time.

 Warning: Serious shift in blog post is about to take place

While I’m talking about good intentions and lack of follow through, I have to confess a far more serious area where I seem to start well, get distracted, and then drift off into a spiritual slumber. This area is keeping the gospel central in my life. My pastors have taught this so well to our church. I have read really good, inspiring books about it. I have even taught and written on the glories of the gospel and how they relate to an ordinary woman’s ordinary life. The thing is, I drift away from this truth. I get distracted by legalism, self sufficiency, condemnation, sinful comparison, self righteousness, and so many other things I’m probably not even aware of. My flesh and the devil hate the gospel, so I’m sure they conspire together to encourage that dangerous drift. Scary thing is, I can even use the gospel vernacular, almost out of habit, without really being affected and changed by what I am saying! I don’t want this blog to become a vehicle for reducing the gospel to a vocabulary or a technique. I want to remind myself of why I need to keep the gospel central in my life. I want to stop and consider where the gospel can connect to times of trial and testing, times of transition, times of blessing, and all the other times that make up the daily-ness of life.

So I’m getting back to what I truly love writing about: how the gospel, the truth that Jesus, who is fully God, came to earth as a man to live the perfect life I could never live, die on the cross bearing the curse my sins deserve, and was raised from the dead ensuring His victory over Satan, sin, and death – relates to my life as a Christian woman. I would love if you joined me!