Jennifer Marshall Bleakley's Blog, page 4

When the foundations are being destroyed, what can we do? Look up!

“When the foundations are being destroyed,
    what can the righteous do? The Lord is in his holy temple;
    the Lord is on his heavenly throne.”

Psalm 11:3-4

When what we have been standing on, hoping in, and depending on begins to fall, what are we to do? 

We are to stand up, reach up and look up—this is the message God keeps whispering to my heart this week. 

Yes, things are bad. 
Yes, evil is running rampant. 
Yes, sin’s tentacles stretch far and wide. 

But, there is still hope! 

Why?

Because God is still on the throne!!!

This week my gaze has been fixed on the wretchedness of man’s sin, the depravity captured by news cameras, the hatred spewed across firmly drawn lines, and the horrors taking place in the name of love, justice and choice.

And my soul has cried. 
My heart has broken. 
And my head has bowed under the weight.

So I cried to God. I sat with my Bible open and my mouth closed. I raised my hands in worship and bent my knees in prayer. 

And I felt the Almighty God—our most kind and generous Savior—speak to my heart:

Look up, my child, came a whisper from heaven. 

I am still on my throne.

Look up, my child. I remain the same yesterday, today and tomorrow. Unlike the culture around you, I do not, and will never, change. 

Look up, my child and remember that I see all, I know all, and I care far more than you ever could.

Look up and remember that I am as just as I am gracious.

Look up and remember that I am stronger than sin and death and evil. 

Look up and see me in my holy temple and on my holy throne. Allow my holiness to move you to your knees in worship and adoration. There you will receive strength to persevere. 

Yes, foundations you have been standing on are crumbling. My people are feeling shaken as the foundations of politics, ideologies, and cultural norms are crumbling. But my child, those things were never meant to be your foundation. 

Why would you stand on something able to be destroyed by man?

Stand on me and me alone.
Cling to me and me alone.
For only then will you be able to stand firm, unafraid and unwavering. 

So stand up for justice.
Cry, weep, mourn and lament over the wretched effects of sin, for it is good and right for you to do so. 

But as you do—my blood-bought child—look up, see Me, and remember: 

I AM with you. 
I AM unchanging. 
I AM Yahweh, Jehovah, Messiah. 
I AM here. 



And I AM your hope. 

Sit with me. 
Talk to me. 
Quiet yourself before me. 

For my precious, precious child, I AM your hope and I AM right here. 

My friends, let’s look up and remember…..

Much love,
Jen 

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How Not to Pray (A series on Prayer: Day Two)

How Not to Pray

This post is part of a series on prayer. You can find all the posts here.

Sometimes the most effect way to learn what to do is by observing what not to do. Maybe this is why Jesus begins His instruction of prayer with how not to pray. 

“And when you pray, do not be like the hypocrites, for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the street corners to be seen by others. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward in full. But when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you. And when you pray, do not keep on babbling like pagans, for they think they will be heard because of their many words. Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him.”

Matthew 6:5-8

Here we have two examples of how not to pray: 

Don’t pray like a hypocrite.



Don’t pray like a pagan. 

There is so much unpack in these verses, but the most significant lesson to me is one of motivation—the why and the who behind our prayers. 

In both cases we see wrong motivation. 

Neither the hypocrites nor the pagans were having a genuine interaction with the Almighty God. Instead, they were having a “look at me/listen to me” moment. 

Both examples point to an incorrect view of prayer—that of the one-sided monologue.

The hypocrites (the religious elite) Jesus spoke of prayed loudly and with eloquent words. Yet, their sole motivation was impressing others. Their interest was not in humbly approaching the throne of God to have their hearts aligned with God’s, but in impressing those around them.

Imagine someone comes up to talk to you. After casting a quick glance your way, they turn away from you, and although they continue to use your name, they are clearing speaking to the crowd that has formed around you. They make themselves sound good, they talk about how close they are to you, they recall all the things they have done for you, but never once do they look into your eyes. Never once to they turn to you and invite you to speak. 

“Don’t be like them,” Jesus said. 

God desires us to sit with Him. To look at Him. To simply be with Him. He is not impressed by our words or our achievements. He simply desires us—for who we are.

God is more concerned with our presence than our words.

I think He would rather we sit silent in His presence than say a bunch of words intended to impress others. 

He also warned us about not praying like the pagans. They treat God like a genie or a magic spell. Thinking that if they can figure out the right incantation that God will surely grant them their request.

This is also an example of a one-sided monologue. For when we pray like that—trying to crack God’s secret code—we are not engaging in a genuine moment with our Creator. We are trying to manipulate Him to do our bidding. Instead of asking Him to help us surrender to His will, we are trying to bend Him to ours. 

Both of these examples of how not to pray, provide a beautiful look into the heart of God. 

A heart which desires us. Desires a genuine relationship with us.

Ponder that for a moment!

God desires you!
To spend time with you. 
To hear from you.
To help you.

Prayer is the most powerful way we have to connect with the Almighty God. So let’s linger with the Savior today.
Let’s stop trying to find the right words and just sit with Him.
Let’s stop worrying about what others think, and turn our faces to the One who loves us more than we can fathom. 

And let’s simply pray. 

Much love,
Jen

The post How Not to Pray (A series on Prayer: Day Two) appeared first on Jennifer Bleakley.

Is prayer really all that important? (A series on prayer: Day one)

This post is part of a series on prayer. You can find all of the posts here

In my quest to dive deeper into the gift of prayer, I have written out several questions about prayer, as well as several statements which I believe contribute, at times, to my lack of prayer.

I so want to make this post all pretty and coherent structured. But I fear if I adhere to those standards I won’t write it at all!

Unwrapping one of God's Greatest Gifts—A blog series on prayer

My husband gave me a big leather box this Christmas. It was black and had a cool silver swirly thingy towards the top. But all I could see was a box. I turned it upside down. I turned it around. I touched the swirly thing. But I had no idea what I was supposed to […]

Unwrapping one of God’s Greatest Gifts—A blog series on prayer

My husband gave me a big leather box this Christmas. It was black and had a cool silver swirly thingy towards the top. But all I could see was a box. I turned it upside down. I turned it around. I touched the swirly thing. But I had no idea what I was supposed to do with the box. I kept a smile fixed to my face as I said thank you.

“Do you know what it is?” he laughed.

“Not a clue,” I admitted.

“Lift up on the silver handle and then pull down on the inside flap.”

It was a jewelry box!!

Apparently the push pins I had jammed into every surface of our bathroom closet to hold my necklaces provided the inspiration for the gift

To the Weary Writer: Maybe it's time for a change

To the Weary Writer Who Wants to Quit: I see you. I know you. I am you. You have words—so many words inside of you. You have a message, a story, a calling you want to share with the world. And you’ve done all the things—all the things they say to do. You made a […]

To the Weary Writer: Maybe it’s time for a change

To the Weary Writer Who Wants to Quit:

I see you.

I know you.

I am you.

You have words—so many words inside of you.

You have a message, a story, a calling you want to share with the world.

And you’ve done all the things—all the things they say to do.

You made a website. You started a blog. You post cute graphics every day. You learned what a sticky statement is and try to include one in every post. You attended a conference. You wrote a proposal, and a one-sheet, and a query letter. You practiced your elevator pitch. You joined a writing group and a critique group and a support group. You faced a Goliath-sized fear and did a facebook live video. You gathered email addresses and tried to create a newsletter. You figured out how to do an author page on facebook and invited people to like it. You created an instagram account and tried your best to figure out Pinterest. You created a Goodreads page and followed all the authors. Clearly, you have done ALL THE THINGS.

And yet…..

Your platform is still small. Your numbers have barely moved. Your posts rarely get engagement. And every one except YOU seems to be succeeding. Every one else seems to be doing it right.

You question your calling.

You question the One who called you.

You question your talent and ability and purpose.

“I will never be a success,” becomes the lament of your heart.

But then…..

A warmth spreads through your heart, as whispered words flutter through your soul.

You already are.

At first you don’t recognize the source of those words, for they are so different then the internal accusations and taunts that have been bombarding your for so long.

These words are different—much different. They feel like a hot shower to your cold and weary heart.

You lean into the words, desperate to hear more…

You are a success, you hear spoken over you, For you are writing for Me. You are sharing the words I have given you.

I have not called you to walk another’s journey. I have called you to walk with Me. To write for Me.

If I call you to speak to just one and you do, you are a success.

If I call you to write a devotional for your church, or a blog post to reach just a few people and you do, you are a success.

If I speak a word to you and you allow that word to change you, you are a success.

You hold these words deep in your soul. You play them over and over again, until the voice of Love speaks once again….

Precious child, you must change your definition of success.

For too long you have allowed this world to define success for you. Let go.

Let this be your definition of success: that you write and speak for me—trusting my plans are greater than your own.

I may not call you to write a book, or a magazine article or a viral blog post, but that does not make the words I give you any less powerful.

I am not interested in numbers. I am interested in people.

Whether one or one million—each one matters to me. You are a success if you reach the ones I send to you.

You sit in stunned silence.

You test His words on your own lips, “I am a success to God.”

Your heart shifts with the declaration. And fervor begins to grow as you commit yourself to the One who has called you. As you commit to make a most important change:

I will write for you and no other.

I will trust your plan for me—regardless of your plans for others.

I will not be consumed by numbers or results—only with sharing your message.

I will allow you to define success for me—and daily surrender my definition to You.

You know it will not be an easy road, but you are willing to walk it, because the One who called you is faithful and He is your biggest fan!

Listen….can you hear the Father cheering you on? He’s cheering for you—the apple of His eye and the delight of His heart.

Keep writing!

Jen

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My Life Motto Should Clearly Be: I Try….I really, really try

My life motto should really be “I try.”

You guys, I try so hard. I really do. But so often it just doesn’t quite work out.

Case in point: last night’s dinner.

I had it all planned out.

Having done take out several nights this week, I committed to making a nice home made meal. I searched Pinterest and found the perfect fall recipe.

Cranberry Orange Zest Chicken.

I gathered all the required ingredients. And was thrilled to realize I already had chicken breasts in the freezer!

I chopped.

I minced.

I zested.

I marinated and I baked.

And then I waited for the savory smells of autumn to fill my house. 

“Mom, it stinks in here,” my daughter stated, matter-of-factly as she walked into the kitchen. “What are you making??”

Sadly, I had to agree with her. The kitchen definitely did not smell like an autumn bouquet. It smelled off. Unpleasant. Not quite right.

I peaked in the oven. It looked like an autumn bounty. The chicken was browning, the cranberries deepening in color.

It was beautiful. 

So, I tried to ignore the smell. 

It became impossible.

Maybe I did something wrong with the marinade? Too much garlic? Too much zest?

No, I followed the recipe exactly. I was sure of it. Besides, it was the chicken that smelled off.

Could the chicken be bad? I had pulled it out of the freezer after all. Maybe it was a few months past it’s prime???

I dug thru the trash to find the package. 

You guys!!! The sell by date was 9/9/2015!!! 

Some JOEY News to Share

I just received word that JOEY is being reprinted again!!! That makes 4 hardback printings and 6 softcover printings!!! You guys, never (like never ever) could I have imagined I would write those words!!


 


I just need a moment to give praise where praise is due….


Before launching JOEY my greatest fear was that it wouldn’t sell. That only my family would buy copies.


I knew that 20,000 copies sold was a big deal. That was the number needed to call a book a “success.” (Just for some perspective, the average book sells 3,000 copies over its lifetime). I will confess to wishing I had never learned that piece of information because the number 20,000 started to haunt me.

It felt insurmountable.
Lofty.
Unobtainable.

Fear gripped my heart.

I knew I had to stop thinking about that number. I knew God was bigger than any number. He was bigger than any book.

He had led me to this story and asked me to write it.

That was all.
He didn’t ask me to control the results.
He didn’t ask me to obsess about numbers. He didn’t even ask me to be concerned with numbers.

And so, with His help, I surrendered the numbers and sales to Him. I stopped checking.
I exhaled.


And I asked God to redefine success for me. And He did (I’m writing about that topic later this week). But part of His definition was trusting Him with the results. Doing my part, of course, but trusting Him with the actual results.



And it has been so freeing.

Of course I want JOEY to do well. Of course I would love to see as many people as possible read this story of hope and friendship.
But more than anything I want to trust God.


And so today when I opened up my email and learned there are now more than 31,000 copies of JOEY in this world (that’s 11,000 more than the number I prayed for so many months ago), all I can do is lift up my hands to the One who is able to do immeasurably more than we can ask or imagine.



These certainly aren’t NY Times Bestseller numbers. And there may be no more copies ever sold. Or this may be only the beginning. Or it may be a slow trickle of sales….and to each possibility I say thank you!

Thank you to God for being bigger than numbers and platforms and sales. And thank you to each one who has purchased a copy of JOEY and/or referred it to someone else.



I am so very, very grateful to be a part of this journey and this process.


To God be the glory!!!

Much love,
Jen

The post Some JOEY News to Share appeared first on Jennifer Bleakley.

When Your Story Doesn’t Have a Happily Ever After

When your story doesn’t have a happily-ever-after

Once upon a time I told God that I would never write a book that would make people cry.

I should have known better than to do that. After all, I also recall, at different points in my life, telling God that I would never marry a man who couldn’t sing (my amazingly talented husband can do almost everything but sing!); live anywhere other than my home state of Florida (I now reside in North Carolina); teach Vacation Bible School (I not only taught it a few times, but ended up writing VBS curriculum for our church in NC); or ever do any public speaking (I recently spoke to 300 women at a women’s event).

So what on earth possessed me to tell God I wouldn’t write a book that made people cry? Actually, what I really said was that I would never write a book where an animal dies. In fact, I think my actual words to the Lord were, “I will not write Old Yeller.”

Let’s just say God seems to delight in moving me past my list of “I wont’s” in order to embrace his will.

And so…spoiler alert…I wrote a book where an animal dies. Ugh. I am so sorry! However, when you are writing a true story and the actual animal that you are writing about dies, well…what are you supposed to do?

I know what I wanted to do! I wanted to change the ending. I wanted to write the happily-ever-after scene that I had imagined and dreamed about. I had the ending all worked out in my mind. It was going to be glorious, inspiring, cheer worthy. But as I was hard at work writing about an amazing animal and how God was using him to lead others to hope and healing, the animal died.

He died!!!

I was devastated. “How could you let this happen?” I remember crying out to God. This story was supposed to inspire people, make them hopeful, bring joy into their lives. And now the main character of the book was dead.

After receiving word that he had died, I remember closing my computer, convinced my dream of writing his story had just died too. After all, who would want to read a book about a dead horse? And what publisher would want to market a book about a dead horse?

My computer remained closed for days as I grieved a multilayered loss.

I felt numb, broken, defeated. I attended a memorial service for the horse. Almost a hundred people came! For a horse! There are humans who don’t have even have half that many people come! As I sat in the back and listened to people share their stories of loving this horse, and of how the horse helped them heal and find hope, I felt God stir my soul to continue writing. I shook the feeling off. It would be too painful, to raw, to “un-happily ever after.”

But it would be real. I heard whispered to my soul.

I chewed on those words throughout the service as I watched the faces of those in attendance—most of whom were well acquainted with grief and loss, who knew first hand that happily-ever-afters really only exists only in fairytales.

As a hundred memorial balloons dotted the clear blue sky, I suddenly I knew what I had to do—write what was real.

That day I was reminded that loss is a part of life, and that the best way to honor a life is to allow yourself to grief the loss, and share what that life meant to others.

I was also reminded that hope does not come from happy endings, but from perseverance and determination that we can keep going even when life knocks us down.

Hope comes from knowing—from trusting—that One greater than us will hold us through the hurt and pain of this life.

I will confess that I still wish I could have written the happily-ever-after scene, but maybe in a way I did. Because now the world will know about a very special animal who made a huge difference in the lives of many people—people who are different because of him. People who now share the light of hope with others that they first saw reflected in his eyes.

Not every story will have a happily ever after, but maybe that’s ok.

Because maybe what people need more than a happy ending is….hope.

Much love,

Jen

[I was so honored that Tyndale House Publishers recently chose to share “When Your Story Doesn’t Have a Happily Ever After” in their staff newsletter! I just love Tyndale and am so thankful for their support!

And if you would like to learn more about JOEY or even help a new author out and buy a copy