Rachel Dodge's Blog, page 17

You might be the answer to your own problems.

I am great at noticing problems. I’m not so great at being the solution.

Just this week, a friend told me she can’t attend many church functions because there isn’t childcare during the events and services at her smaller church. Another friend is struggling with a very dry climate at her church. My thought for myself and my friends: Maybe we’re the answer!

You might be the answer to your own problems IF . . .



You often analyze the problemOther people are affected by the problemYou think, “someone should do something about this.”Solutions to the problem keep coming to mindYou consider what you would do if you were in chargeYou want to find others who feel the same way

If any of that sounds familiar, it’s time to think about the strategic place God has planted you and your own unique gifts. You might be exactly where you are (in the exact uncomfortable place where you are) for a purpose.

PRAY

Before you freak out, this doesn’t mean you need to rush out and commit yourself to anything big. God may simply be calling you to pray and consider the problem from his perspective. After some prayer, you may see a change occur outwardly or inwardly. (Either something physical will change or you’ll stop caring about it so much.)

HELP

If you pray and sense God leading you to step out to help alleviate the problem, pray about what it will look like exactly. Write down some ideas, talk with a few people, and see if something can be done.

PARTNER

If you’re the only one who sees the need, then it might just be something you need to look into personally. However, it’s more likely that quite a few people want the same thing you want! Join together to meet the need.

START

When you set out to love your family, friends, and community by meeting a need, a little bit can go a long way. Years ago, when I saw the need for a meals ministry at my church, I started with a sign up sheet after church on the back table. People signed up, we started to provide meals, and it grew from there. That ministry has changed hands many times over the years, but it’s still going strong nearly 14 years later.

Is God asking you to step in and be the answer? If you’re someone who overcommits, make sure you pray long and hard first. If you’re hesitant to step out, pray and ask God for his guidance. He’ll give you what you need to take the first step.

Remember: The solution doesn’t have to be big or complicated!

Let’s Stay in Touch:



Subscribe: To receive articles like this, click here to subscribe to my blog. You’ll receive a set of Jane Austen prayers cards!Books & Gifts: To order a signed copy of my book, Praying with Jane: 31 Days Through the Prayers of Jane Austen, click here.Faith: For encouragement in your walk with God, click here.Jane Austen: For articles on Jane Austen and classic literature, click here. For Jane Austen’s World, click here.

The post You might be the answer to your own problems. appeared first on Rachel Dodge.

Courage, Dear Heart.

“Drinian’s hand shook on the tiller and a line of cold sweat ran down his face. The same idea was occurring to everyone on board. ‘We shall never get out, never get out,’ moaned the rowers. ‘He’s steering us wrong. We’re going round and round in circles. We shall never get out.’ –The Voyage of the Dawn Treader, C.S. Lewis

Sound familiar? Ever feel like you’re going in circles? Ever
thought, “Did you mean to send me here,
Lord?”

In The Voyage of the Dawn Treader, the characters sail the seas in search of heroic adventure. When they come upon a strange black fog, they bravely decide to explore it. Once inside it, an unknown force pulls them toward “the Island where Dreams come true.” It’s a place where your actual nighttime dreams come true—the “dreams that make you afraid of going to sleep again.”

When that realization hits, the crew frantically tries to row out of the darkness, but they can’t find a way out.

This scene reminds me of several Bible stories. In the New Testament, when the disciples were caught in a storm, they cried out to Jesus and he stilled the wind and the waves (Mark 4).

In the Old Testament, when the Israelites were delivered out of Egypt, they came up against armies, seas, deserts, hunger, and thirst. Each time they cried out to God, he delivered them.

Before victory came, God’s people faced doubt and fear.

In the storm, the disciples woke Jesus and said, “Teacher, don’t you care if we drown?” When the Israelites faced Pharoah’s army, they said, “Is it because there are no graves in Egypt that you have taken us away to die in the wilderness?” (Exodus 13:11).

When we take steps of faith, things don’t always go as planned. Sometimes, it’s like we’re trapped between the Red Sea and a giant army. The winds and the waves overwhelm us. We feel like we’re in the dark, going in circles, with no one to steer.

At times, we even wonder things like, “Did God bring me out
here to die?”

Spiritual progress and usefulness cannot be measured in tangible ways. We don’t often see God’s purposes while they’re playing out because it takes time to see God’s handiwork. When we come against road blocks, we assume we’ve made a wrong turn, but God sees the big picture and the WAY THROUGH. He’s working under the surface and behind the scenes.

When the Israelites saw Pharoah’s armies, they “cried out to the Lord.” (Exodus 14:10) Moses answered with this promise:

“Do not be afraid. Stand firm and you will see the deliverance the Lord will bring you today. The Egyptians you see today you will never see again. The Lord will fight for you; you need only to be still.”
(Exodus 14:13-14 NIV)

When you and I battle discouragement, temptation, loss, doubt, or confusion, when we feel like there’s nothing we can do, or when we run out of courage . . . we can run to God in prayer. As many times a day as we need.

When Lucy is overcome with fear on the Dawn Treader, she whispers, “Aslan, Aslan, if ever you loved us at all, send us help now.” A bird appears and flies ahead of the ship, guiding them out of the darkness. The narrator tells us this: “No one except Lucy knew that as it circled the mast it had whispered to her,

‘Courage, dear heart’, and the voice, she felt sure, was Aslan’s, and with the voice a delicious smell breathed in her face.’”

This is a reminder of what Jesus told his disciples: “I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world.” (John 16:33)

C.S. Lewis ends the scene with this: “In a few moments the darkness turned into a greyness ahead, and then, almost before they dared to begin hoping, they had shot out into the sunlight and were in the warm, blue world again. And all at once everybody realised that there was nothing to be afraid of and never had been.”

COURAGE, dear heart. God goes with you. He loves you and he’s FOR you. He is at work.

Do you need to hear that today? Or does someone you know need to hear it? Please comment below and/or send this to a friend.

Let’s Stay in Touch:



Subscribe: To receive articles like this, click here to subscribe to my blog. You’ll receive a set of Jane Austen prayers cards!Books & Gifts: To order a signed copy of my book, Praying with Jane: 31 Days Through the Prayers of Jane Austen, click here.Faith: For encouragement in your walk with God, click here.Jane Austen: For articles on Jane Austen and classic literature, click here. For Jane Austen’s World, click here.

The post Courage, Dear Heart. appeared first on Rachel Dodge.

I Press On. (Adjusting to Change.)

After going through a big change as a family earlier this year, I see God’s plans and purposes in a new light. There’s joy, struggle, heartache, and beauty when we experience a season of “new.” Adjusting to change isn’t an easy road, but our willingness to face forward and press onward makes all the difference.

When my husband and I made the decision to move to a new school community a few months ago, I expected challenges along the way. Ever the planner in the family, I knew it wouldn’t be easy. However, I wasn’t fully prepared for the battle ahead . . . or the way it would unfold. I didn’t foresee just how hard it would be to leave our previous community, even though we knew God was calling us forward.

The minute we took the first steps of faith, things got rough.

The enemy struck hard during those first few weeks. And I—the mom, the prayer warrior, the planner, the one who cultivates peace, the one who cares for everyone else’s emotional well-being—got hit the hardest.

As things heated up, fiery darts of doubt, fear, and trouble hit me from every side. As a number of things went wrong practically, I struggled to maintain my foothold emotionally. It was hard not to look back and wonder if we’d made the right decision.

Even when we’re right in the middle of God’s will, it doesn’t mean everything works out brilliantly. Sometimes, all-out war breaks loose.

Normally, I find change exciting, especially when I know God’s called me forward, but I’ve learned that change also equals loss. No matter how good the new might be, it’s hard to say goodbye to the old. As the landscape shifts and your heart aches, it’s increasingly difficult to move forward with confidence.

I value familiarity,
comfort, and routine. Can you relate? With changes afoot, I found myself
far outside my comfort zone—like a fish out of water. The things I’d taken for
granted, the routines we’d set in place years ago and I’d come to rely on, all
slipped out from under me.

A few weeks in, God brought Lot’s wife to mind. She looked
back at her old city and reaped deadly consequences. For the first time, I found
I could really identify with her. Though I reminded myself daily to face
forward, not backward, it was incredibly difficult. I learned there’s a good
reason God warned Lot’s family not to look back:

The temptation to
LOOK BACK is a deadly trap.

Unlike me, Lot’s wife lived in a horrible city, full of sin and ugliness. A whole city full of people committing atrocities, daily. Before destroying it, God sent his messengers to bring Lot and his family out of the city to safety. They gave Lot this instruction: Don’t look back. However, once they were out and the city was destroyed, we read this:

“But Lot’s wife
looked back, and she became a pillar of salt.” (Genesis 19:26)

Why did Lot’s wife look back? Maybe she was curious. If the city I lived in was burned by sulfur from Heaven, it would be hard not to look back, just to see what happened! Or perhaps she was sad. Despite the evil there, her reluctance to leave shows she felt some connection to the home she’d built and the people she knew.

When we look back, we get stuck. We turn to stone. Sadness, fear, regret, and doubt suck the life from us and we come to a standstill.

Furthermore, Lot’s wife’s choice to disobey God’s command
wasn’t just deadly for her. You see, when she looked back, it also affected the
people around her. When she stopped and turned around, she effectively took her
love, help, and influence out of the lives of her family members. After her
death, her daughters fell into gross immorality (see Genesis 19:30-38). They
tricked their father into it as well. Maybe Lot’s wife could have stepped in
and helped. Maybe she could have led her daughters onto a better path. It’s
possible.

When we focus on what we’ve lost, we can’t set our faces bravely toward what we can gain. AND, we cease to go with those around us into the new realms God has for us.

However, if we face forward (aha!), we’re better fit for the challenges ahead and able to receive the blessings in store. We’re more effective as wives, mothers, friends, and daughters. We can come alongside the people who need us most.

If Lot’s wife was tempted to look back at a horrible place, how much more are we tempted to look back at a good place? Change does bring loss. In fact, if we don’t struggle to leave a place and a group of people, perhaps our hearts have grown cold.

Going forward, my prayer is for new relationships at our new school and continued relationships at our previous school. God never asks us to forget the important people in our lives, and it’s important to keep loving people, even when we don’t see them regularly. But he also doesn’t want us to get stuck looking in the rearview mirror at “what was” or “what could have been.”

In the midst of change, God broadens and expands our territories and our hearts so that we can embrace what’s ahead and open our arms to the “more” he has planned.

“I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 3:14)

Change comes in many forms. Sometimes, it brings relief. Other times, it brings pain. What’s your biggest struggle when adjusting to change?

Let’s Stay in Touch:



Subscribe: To receive articles like this, click here to subscribe to my blog. You’ll receive a set of Jane Austen prayers cards!Books & Gifts: To order a signed copy of my book, Praying with Jane: 31 Days Through the Prayers of Jane Austen, click here.Faith: For encouragement in your walk with God, click here.Jane Austen: For articles on Jane Austen and classic literature, click here. For Jane Austen’s World, click here.

The post I Press On. (Adjusting to Change.) appeared first on Rachel Dodge.

I Press On: Adjusting to Change, Part 1

After going through a big change as a family earlier this year, I see God’s plans and purposes in a new light. There’s joy, struggle, heartache, and beauty when we experience a season of “new.” Adjusting to change isn’t an easy road, but our willingness to face forward and press onward makes all the difference.

When my husband and I made the decision to move to a new school community a few months ago, I expected challenges along the way. Ever the planner in the family, I knew it wouldn’t be easy. However, I wasn’t fully prepared for the battle ahead . . . or the way it would unfold. I didn’t foresee just how hard it would be to leave our previous community, even though we knew God was calling us forward.

The minute we took the first steps of faith, things got rough.

The enemy struck hard during those first few weeks. And I—the mom, the prayer warrior, the planner, the one who cultivates peace, the one who cares for everyone else’s emotional well-being—got hit the hardest.

As things heated up, fiery darts of doubt, fear, and trouble hit me from every side. As a number of things went wrong practically, I struggled to maintain my foothold emotionally. It was hard not to look back and wonder if we’d made the right decision.

Even when we’re right in the middle of God’s will, it doesn’t mean everything works out brilliantly. Sometimes, all-out war breaks loose.

Normally, I find change exciting, especially when I know God’s called me forward, but I’ve learned that change also equals loss. No matter how good the new might be, it’s hard to say goodbye to the old. As the landscape shifts and your heart aches, it’s increasingly difficult to move forward with confidence.

I value familiarity,
comfort, and routine. Can you relate? With changes afoot, I found myself
far outside my comfort zone—like a fish out of water. The things I’d taken for
granted, the routines we’d set in place years ago and I’d come to rely on, all
slipped out from under me.

A few weeks in, God brought Lot’s wife to mind. She looked
back at her old city and reaped deadly consequences. For the first time, I found
I could really identify with her. Though I reminded myself daily to face
forward, not backward, it was incredibly difficult. I learned there’s a good
reason God warned Lot’s family not to look back:

The temptation to
LOOK BACK is a deadly trap.

Unlike me, Lot’s wife lived in a horrible city, full of sin and ugliness. A whole city full of people committing atrocities, daily. Before destroying it, God sent his messengers to bring Lot and his family out of the city to safety. They gave Lot this instruction: Don’t look back. However, once they were out and the city was destroyed, we read this:

“But Lot’s wife
looked back, and she became a pillar of salt.” (Genesis 19:26)

Why did Lot’s wife look back? Maybe she was curious. If the city I lived in was burned by sulfur from Heaven, it would be hard not to look back, just to see what happened! Or perhaps she was sad. Despite the evil there, her reluctance to leave shows she felt some connection to the home she’d built and the people she knew.

When we look back, we get stuck. We turn to stone. Sadness, fear, regret, and doubt suck the life from us and we come to a standstill.

Furthermore, Lot’s wife’s choice to disobey God’s command
wasn’t just deadly for her. You see, when she looked back, it also affected the
people around her. When she stopped and turned around, she effectively took her
love, help, and influence out of the lives of her family members. After her
death, her daughters fell into gross immorality (see Genesis 19:30-38). They
tricked their father into it as well. Maybe Lot’s wife could have stepped in
and helped. Maybe she could have led her daughters onto a better path. It’s
possible.

When we focus on what we’ve lost, we can’t set our faces bravely toward what we can gain. AND, we cease to go with those around us into the new realms God has for us.

However, if we face forward (aha!), we’re better fit for the challenges ahead and able to receive the blessings in store. We’re more effective as wives, mothers, friends, and daughters. We can come alongside the people who need us most.

If Lot’s wife was tempted to look back at a horrible place, how much more are we tempted to look back at a good place? Change does bring loss. In fact, if we don’t struggle to leave a place and a group of people, perhaps our hearts have grown cold.

Going forward, my prayer is for new relationships at our new school and continued relationships at our previous school. God never asks us to forget the important people in our lives, and it’s important to keep loving people, even when we don’t see them regularly. But he also doesn’t want us to get stuck looking in the rearview mirror at “what was” or “what could have been.”

In the midst of change, God broadens and expands our territories and our hearts so that we can embrace what’s ahead and open our arms to the “more” he has planned.

“I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 3:14)

Change comes in many forms. Sometimes, it brings relief. Other times, it brings pain. What’s your biggest struggle when adjusting to change?

In the upcoming weeks, I’ll continue to explore the topic of change with these topics:
-The Red Sea of Overwhelm: Adjusting to Change, Part 2
-The Wilderness Before the Promise: Adjusting to Change, Part 3
-Giants, Armies, and Walled Cities: Adjusting to Change, Part 4

Let’s Stay in Touch:



Subscribe: To receive articles like this, click here to subscribe to my blog. You’ll receive a set of Jane Austen prayers cards!Books & Gifts: To order a signed copy of my book, Praying with Jane: 31 Days Through the Prayers of Jane Austen, click here.Faith: For encouragement in your walk with God, click here.Jane Austen: For articles on Jane Austen and classic literature, click here. For Jane Austen’s World, click here.

The post I Press On: Adjusting to Change, Part 1 appeared first on Rachel Dodge.

Places of Peace: Kilmeny of the Orchard

I recently read Kilmeny of the Orchard by L.M. Montgomery, author of the popular Anne of Green Gables book series. Whether you’ve read it or not, I want to encourage you with one of the faith lessons I discovered in it: God invites us into places of peace that we might dream dreams and see visions.

In an early scene in the book, the main character, Eric, discovers a beautiful old orchard on one of his long walks through the countryside. He’s a new teacher in the area, and he enjoys exploring all the hidden and overgrown paths.

When Eric finds the orchard, Montgomery tells us this: “The charm of the place took sudden possession of Eric as nothing had ever done before. He was not given to romantic fancies; but the orchard laid hold of him subtly and drew him to itself, and he was never to be quite his own man again. He went into it over one of the broken panels of fence, and so, unknowing, went forward to meet all that life held for him.” (Chapter 5)

Montgomery’s descriptions bring the orchard alive before our
eyes. It’s filled with blossoms, waving grasses, and intoxicating fragrances .
. . and the sound of ethereal music. The music, Eric later discovers, comes
from a violin played by a young woman named Kilmeny, who will later become his
wife.

Eric explores the orchard and finds it “a veritable ‘haunt of ancient peace.’” He sits down there and takes in every detail of the orchard with delighted eyes. He says:

“I could fall asleep here, dream dreams and see visions.”

Upon discovering the orchard, Eric knows he’s found something important. Though he’s “walked briskly along” on his long walk thus far that evening, he slows down when he comes to the orchard. Its beauty arrests him, and he stops. He senses that the ancient orchard is somehow part of his destiny.

In our lives, we come upon ancient orchards and places of peace that God wants us to enter and enjoy. Though we might normally walk briskly past, there are times when we find ourselves arrested by something – something that tells us we need to stop. As we enter into that place of peace, we find a quiet place where we can dream dreams and see visions.

In places of peace, God gives our hearts space to flourish and grow.

In my own faith journey, the beauty of who Jesus is made me
stop in my tracks many times over the years, even before I knew him personally.
There was something about “this Jesus” that made my heart stop and wonder. I wanted
to know him more. I felt his kindness and goodness. I knew he was LOVE
incarnate. After I came to know him as my personal Lord and Savior, I entered
into his peace and found all that life with him held for me.

Now, as I walk hand-in-hand with Jesus, he lovingly leads me
to quiet, withdrawn places from time-time. He draws me to places of stillness
and peace. He opens up space for rest. He calls me to set things down and come
into the ancient orchard of his peace. He allows me to see the beauty around
me. He brings me into a place where I dream dreams with him and see visions. He
refreshes my soul.

Are you in need of quiet time away, alone with Jesus? Are you seeking a place of peace, new vision, or fresh anointing?

May this be an encouragement and reminder to you. You and I must be sensitive to the Holy Spirit in all that we do, on every path we walk.

We must allow God to set our course and our pace.

When he says “come away,” whether it’s for a few minutes of quiet prayer, a long walk, an hour spent on a bench or in a cozy spot, or a day or week away from your regular duties, it’s important to listen.

God knows what you need and wants to give you refreshment
for your soul. When we enter into places of peace, he allows us to dream dreams
and see visions. We receive God’s rest – and we step forward into all that he
has for us.

“Come away by yourselves to a secluded place and rest a while.” Mark 6:31



Let’s Stay in Touch:



Subscribe: To receive articles like this, along with book reviews and other literary ramblings, click here to subscribe to my blog. When you do, you’ll receive a set of lovely Jane Austen prayers cards!Jane Austen: For more articles like this, click here.Faith: For encouragement in your walk with God, click here.Jane Austen’s World: To read my articles for Jane Austen’s World, click here.



Easter Gifts:

Click below to purchase a signed copy of Praying with Jane: 31 Days Through the Prayers of Jane Austen:

Signed Praying with Jane BookSPrayer Journal 3-pack SALE (3 journals for $14.99)Jane Austen Desk Set (Journal, Mug, and Stickers)Jane Austen Silhouette Stickers (3-pack)

All products include free U.S. shipping. Please contact me for a shipping quote to your country or for special pricing on multiple orders.

The post Places of Peace: Kilmeny of the Orchard appeared first on Rachel Dodge.

Show Me How to Comfort

Dearest readers, please join me in welcoming my friend, Robin Horne, to the Kindred Spirit blog as she encourages us to comfort others in their times of need. Robin is a gifted elementary school teacher, blogger, and Christian writer. I hope you enjoy her guest post today!

In “Day 29: Look with Compassion,” from Rachel’s book Praying with Jane, Jane’s prayer says, “Look with compassion upon the afflicted of every condition, assuage the pangs of disease, comfort the broken in spirit.” Also in that section, the prayer from “Let Us Pray” encourages us to ask the Lord to “Show me how to comfort and care for them with your love. Give me your words to encourage them.”

I have to admit that’s a prayer I’ve not often prayed. I’ve asked God to comfort others…but I’ve not really been asking Him to show me how I can do so in a way that’s applicable to everyday situations. When it comes to helping others who are going through tough times and I could offer meals, gifts, or kind words spoken in person, I often seem to flounder. I question if my help is wanted, or even needed. I wonder if what I have to give is good enough.  

So during the times I find that I have the impulse to help, to do something…I tend to stop myself just short of taking the plunge. I don’t reach out because of my fears. However, I’m beginning to believe that those things I’ve been telling myself are lies. So many people have been such a comfort to me…I know what it is to be encouraged and comforted. How can I not try do the same for others?

Today, I found myself choosing differently.

I took my spry six-month-old yellow Lab puppy to the vet because she got a piece of a twig stuck deep in her skin just above her eye. (The dangers of playing fetch with bushes nearby.) She’s a squirrely thing; I knew she’d be fine, but I needed help getting the piece out.

Waiting for her turn, my pup, Carly, wriggled happily and gave a healthy, tongue-wagging hello to everyone who walked into the office. Her youth was infectious; she brought smiles to everyone’s faces, even to the faces of the family that eventually sat across from us while they waited for their dog to get some tests done. Worry had settled in the lines between their brows as they sat silently. The room had become heavy with their arrival.

I recognized the mom of the family from somewhere, but I did not know where. After chatting a little. we realized we’d seen each other around because we both worked in education. We exchanged names across the waiting room, and they all began to laugh out loud when Carly tried to eat the trash can liners, the seat cushions, and the dog scale tucked in the corner.

After several minutes, their handsome senior, Boxer, was slowly escorted back down the dim hallway on his tall legs. He stopped and looked in on us with large, brown solemn eyes before he let the tech walk him into the examining room. The family quieted again and then they stood and filed back into the room one by one, barely fitting in. That dear old dog was loved for sure.

The veterinarian was the last one to go in. I watched as he paused in front of the closed door with his head down. He took a deep breath, then walked in and shut the door. Bless his heart for having the courage every day to give families such sad news. My hope for their dog sank, and even Carly sat still and looked around panting as if she knew something was wrong.

When they came back out again, it was clear that their sweet dog had little time left here on Earth. I overheard the details as they asked further questions at the counter and made plans for his last visit, and while they wrapped up the appointment, that familiar war of doubt rose up within me. My heart that loves felt compelled to give the woman a hug. She stood at the counter, barely able to ask her questions, her eyes red-rimmed and wet with tears.

“You can’t hug her. You don’t even know her,” those pesky old warnings whispered. But on this day, a stronger thought cut through my worry. A gentle reminder:

“Show me how to comfort and care for them with your love.”

I knew what it felt like to go through what she was going through. And I remembered how much it meant to me when people who cared reached out to try to comfort me when I had to say goodbye to my last dog two years ago. My old chocolate Lab meant the world to me—she was family. Now it was my turn to be a comforter…if I could just be brave enough.

What was the worst that could happen? She might shrug me off. She might tell me to leave her alone. But my soul knew her heart was breaking, and when my heart is breaking, a hug has the power to hold the fragile broken pieces of my soul together, even if just for a moment. I asked the Lord for guidance, holding my breath until I heard His answer.

As she turned to leave the office, my feet found themselves flying across the white linoleum floor. I wrapped my arms around her, and…you know what? She held on tightly for the longest time, this woman that I didn’t know.

Someone told me a long time ago, “Never be the first to let go when you hug someone. Give them as long as they need.” So I held on. As we broke apart, we looked at each other with tears in our eyes. I told her how sorry I was. I don’t know if I’ll ever see her again, but I do know this: I don’t regret reaching out to comfort her.

And I know I’ll be braver the next time I have the opportunity to lend a hand or an ear or a meal.

In the next few weeks, I’ll be thinking about the Boxer family and their heartache. I’ll be praying for them, hoping they find some joy in their last days with their beloved companion, even though their time is short. And in the future, I’ll be praying I am bold enough to take action whenever I see someone else who needs to be comforted or encouraged….looking to see how I can be an ambassador of God’s love. It’s what we’re called to do.

“Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our affliction, so that we may be able to comfort those who are in any affliction, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God.” 2 Corinthians 1:3-4 (ESV)

If you enjoyed Robin’s guest article and want to read more of her writing, you can visit her at Encourage Your Heart.

Can you relate to Robin’s feelings of doubt in that moment? I sure can! Do you have a similar story to share? Please let us know in the comments below. Robin and I would love to hear from you and encourage you!

Let’s Stay in Touch!



Subscribe: To receive articles like this, along with book reviews and other literary ramblings, click here to subscribe to my blog. When you do, you’ll receive a set of lovely Jane Austen prayers cards!Jane Austen: For more articles like this, click here.Faith: For encouragement in your walk with God, click here.Jane Austen’s World: To read my articles for Jane Austen’s World, click here.



Signed Books and Gifts for Spring:

Click below to purchase a signed copy of Praying with Jane: 31 Days Through the Prayers of Jane Austen:

Signed Praying with Jane BookSPrayer Journal 3-pack SALE (3 journals for $14.99)Jane Austen Desk Set (Journal, Mug, and Stickers)Jane Austen Silhouette Stickers (3-pack)

All products include free U.S. shipping. Please contact me for a shipping quote to your country or for special pricing on multiple orders.

The post Show Me How to Comfort appeared first on Rachel Dodge.

Keep the fire of faith burning

“Meanwhile, the fire on the altar must be kept burning; it must never go out. Each morning the priest will add fresh wood to the fire and arrange the burnt offering on it.” (Leviticus 6:12)

Growing up, the only source of heat in our home was a wood stove. Its warmth reached our kitchen, living room, and front bathroom. The rest of the house was unheated. Winters in Central California are cold, damp, and foggy, so our family gathered near the stove all winter long. That’s where we did our homework, practiced piano, read books, watched shows and movies, ate popcorn, and visited.

My dad got up every winter morning to start the fire. Most mornings, he started the fire from the coals from the night before, but on mornings when he had to clean out the ashes, he had to start from scratch. That cold black stove took a long time to heat up. Many times, our living room was only just losing its chill when I had to start walking to the bus stop for school.

To make sure we had enough fuel for the stove, we took the wheelbarrow to the wood lot each evening, filled it with wood, and stacked the wood next to the back door. (Oh, how I hated that job and the creepy-crawlies that were involved!) Next, we filled the wood box by the stove. The giant, tarp-covered stacks of wood in the wood lot were the result of many sweaty days of work each summer.

The Fire of Faith

When I read these words in Leviticus last week, I immediately saw a picture of the fire of faith in my own heart. It must be kept burning. It must never go out. And to do that, it needs to be stoked continually.

These verses are the instructions God gave to Moses for the Levites as they served in the Tabernacle. The fire on the altar burned day and night. They must “never” allow it to go out. In order to keep it burning, they gathered the necessary fuel and tended it day and night.

It took a lot of work to keep the fire going in our family stove. Keeping a fire ablaze isn’t a once-and-done kind of a thing, and the same is true for our faith. There is so much that goes into tending the fires of our hearts. There’s the active “putting on” of the fuel that keeps our faith burning strong and bright. And there’s the proactive “putting off” of the things that can so easily quench it or cause it to burn out.

Activities that fuel our faith:



Extended times of prayer (journaling my prayers, praying out loud, and praying on my knees all help me focus)Quiet time reading the Bible (with a pen handy to make notes)Singing worship songs at church or with the radioTime with Christians I look up to and are inspired byReading Christian biographies and devotional booksHearing testimonies about how God is working in other people’s livesGathering with other believers to worship, study, pray, and/or serveOther (fill in with your own list)



Activities that quench our faith:



Anything that suffocates the fire in my heartAnything that numbs the spiritual side of my lifeToo much of any kind of mediaCertain types of television shows, movies, or books that bring me down, create temptation, or cause me to fearToo much time focused on worldly issues from a worldly perspective Too much time spent distracted by other thingsA lack of all the things that fuel my faithSkipping Bible study, church, or prayer meetingsOther (fill in with your own list)

It’s dangerous to let the fire of faith die down because our hearts can grow chilly and cold quite quickly. Once that happens, it’s possible to get the fire blazing again, but it takes a lot more time and effort.

The Levitical priests added fresh wood to the fire each morning and arranged the burnt offering. What a great practical picture! It reminds me of how important it is for me to get up in the morning and add fresh fuel to my faith. I can’t forego that vital part of my day. If I wait until later, or if I lay just a tiny bit of fuel on the altar of my heart, I can easily burn out before I’m even halfway through the day.

Do you feel like the fire of faith in your life needs some more fuel? Is it burning bright or dying down? Please comment below or reply to let me know how I can pray for you today. Sometimes we need a little encouragement to keep us going!

Let us pray:

“Lord Jesus, thank you for the truth of the Bible and for this reminder today. Thank you that the Old Testament is still so radically applicable to me today because YOU are the same yesterday, today, and tomorrow. Lord, I do want the fire of my faith to burn bright and hot. I confess that I haven’t been stoking my faith in these areas: ____ (fill in your own specifics). I also confess that these things are quenching my faith: ____ (fill in your own specifics). Please be the passion in my heart. Please show me one thing I can do today to fuel the fire. In Jesus’ name, Amen.”

Let’s Stay in Touch:



Subscribe: To receive articles like this, along with book reviews and other literary ramblings, click here to subscribe to my blog. When you do, you’ll receive a set of lovely Jane Austen prayers cards!Jane Austen: For more articles like this, click here.Faith: For encouragement in your walk with God, click here.Jane Austen’s World: To read my articles for Jane Austen’s World, click here.



Signed Books and Gifts:

Click below to purchase a signed copy of Praying with Jane: 31 Days Through the Prayers of Jane Austen:

Signed Praying with Jane BookSPrayer Journal 3-pack SALE (3 journals for $14.99)Jane Austen Desk Set (Journal, Mug, and Stickers)Jane Austen Silhouette Stickers (3-pack)

All products include free U.S. shipping. Please contact me for a shipping quote to your country or for special pricing on multiple orders.

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Love and Friendship

In honor of “Galentine’s Day,”* today, I’ve been thinking about my favorite friends (both real and fictional).

I’ve learned a lot about friendship from Anne of Green Gables. In it, Anne Shirley says, “Kindred spirits are not so scarce as I used to think. It’s splendid to find out there are so many of them in the world.”

Isn’t that a wonderful thought? If you’ve ever felt like
there aren’t many kindred spirits out there, don’t give up; keep looking
around. Your bosom friend might be the new hire at work, someone at your church,
the girl next to you at the gym, a mom in your son’s class at school, or the
person standing in line next to you at the grocery store. (Or maybe it’s the
girl with her nose in a book in the lunch room. Bingo!)

I love the scene when Anne first tells Marilla she wants a
bosom friend:

Anne tipped the vase of apple blossoms near enough to bestow a soft kiss on a pink-cupped bud, and then studied diligently for some moments longer.

“Marilla,” she demanded presently, “do you think that I shall ever have a bosom friend in Avonlea?”

“A—a what kind of friend?”

“A bosom friend—an intimate friend, you know—a really kindred spirit to whom I can confide my inmost soul. I’ve dreamed of meeting her all my life. I never really supposed I would, but so many of my loveliest dreams have come true all at once that perhaps this one will, too. Do you think it’s possible?”

–Anne of Green Gables by Lucy Maud Montgomery

At their first meeting, Anne and Diana become instant friends.
Anne, the over-eager one who isn’t exactly aware of certain social cues, asks
Diana if she could like her enough to become bosom friends. She asks for a vow
of commitment right then and there. It’s delightfully funny and utterly
endearing.

Anne’s definition of a bosom friend is spot-on. We all long
for that kind of friend – a friend we can love and who will love us in return, in
whom we can truly “confide.”

I used to think every girl was destined to have one “bosom” friend,
and while it’s wonderful to have a few really deep friendships, I, like Anne,
have learned that kindred spirits aren’t so scarce as I used to think.

There are many types of friendships and friendship seasons, and
life and experience bring all sorts of wonderful people in and out of our
lives. I’ve known some of my friends since before I can remember, a few since elementary
school, and many from college and beyond. However, a lot of my friendships from
the past decade-plus are mostly friends I met at church during my “young mom” days.

In the early years, we wedged play dates (otherwise known as
mommy sanity sessions) in between breakfast cleanup, nursing sessions, and nap
schedules. On the edge of exhaustion, we were thankful for the chance to lock
eyes with another adult. We grew close, clinging together in the trenches, bonding
over the sporadic triumphs and never-ending challenges of motherhood.

Now that most of my friends either have older children or a
mix of both, our friendships look a lot different. Some of us still have little
ones coming up, others are home schooling, still others have children in school
and are involved in work, ministry, or a mixture of both. Thus, the old “glory”
days of seeing one another regularly and in the same playground circles are in the
past.

Like you, I’ve had my fair share of heartache where friends
are concerned. It’s painful to realize that a friend has “moved on” and isn’t
interested in taking you along into the next phase of her life. And, of course,
I’m separated from some of my dearest friends by long distances, which makes it
harder to stay close.

In this new season, I strive to push myself out of my comfort
zone to forge new friendships and I work hard to stay close with my “bosom”
friends. A handful of my close friends are very intentional about investing in
our friendship; they are committed to keeping our relationship alive. We need quality
time together to thrive, so we’re careful to set dates and prioritize our time
together.

One of my friends always says things like, “We give our best to so many other things in this life; why wouldn’t we give our best to our friendships?” She’s right!

Do you have one or two special friends in your life? Or can
you think of a woman you know who might need a friend? This Galentine’s Day,
let’s all to do something special for a girlfriend or two. You never know what
kind of ripple effect it might have.

Ideas for making your gal pals feel special this week:



Write her a handwritten cardPut flowers on her front stepShare a meal togetherLend her a favorite bookTake her a coffee or tea and enjoy a chatMeet up before or after workSet up a phone call or FaceTime session

What are some things you like to do with your friends? If
you have any long-term friendships, please share the way you stay close!

*Galentine’s Day: A day when women friends honor one other
on February 13th. The term was coined by the character Leslie Knope
(played by Amy Poehler) in Parks and
Recreation, which just happens to be one of my most favorite shows.

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Let’s Stay in Touch:



Subscribe: To receive articles like this, along with book reviews and other literary ramblings, click here to subscribe to my blog. When you do, you’ll receive a set of lovely Jane Austen prayers cards!Jane Austen: For more articles like this, click here.Faith: For encouragement in your walk with God, click here.Jane Austen’s World: To read my articles for Jane Austen’s World, click here.



Signed Books and Gifts:

Click below to purchase a signed copy of Praying with Jane: 31 Days Through the Prayers of Jane Austen:

Signed Praying with Jane Book and Prayer Journal ComboSPrayer Journal 3-pack SALE (3 journals for $14.99)Jane Austen Desk Set (Journal, Mug, and Stickers)Jane Austen Silhouette Stickers (3-pack)

All products include free U.S. shipping. Please contact me for a shipping quote to your country or for special pricing on multiple orders.

The post Love and Friendship appeared first on Rachel Dodge.

Praying with Jane at the Jane Austen Centre, Bath

Hello, my dearest readers, the big news around here is that the Jane Austen Centre in Bath has selected Praying with Jane for their online gift shop. Signed books are now available to people around the world!

{Quick, bring the smelling salts! This is where I swoon and am carried to a couch to be revived.}

I’m so full of joy I could burst. This is the result of much prayer and a lot of hard work. Working with the Centre has been a wonderful experience. I am honored they selected the book. To God be all the glory!

When I first started praying about and drafting Praying with Jane, I had a vision for the people who might want to read it. I thought of the Christian women and the Jane Austen fans who would enjoy it. However, I remember the day I prayed over the book and realized God wanted the message of the book to reach people in the US, in the UK, and around the world. At the time, the idea seemed far-fetched (and way beyond me). However, God loves to work in surprising and even far-fetched ways!

Jane Austen Centre Blog Article

The Centre asked me to write an article for their blog. I titled it “Prayers Composed by my ever dear Sister Jane” because I love that Jane’s sister Cassandra wrote that inscription on the outer sheet of Jane’s prayers. Isn’t it so dear? In the article, I write about my inspiration and writing process for Praying with Jane. Here’s an excerpt:

“My first introduction to Jane Austen’s prayers, over a decade ago, happened by chance. I was in graduate school, working on my master’s thesis on Pride and Prejudice, when I found them at the back of the Chapman edition of Austen’s novels (in the Minor Works volume). At the time, I thought the prayers were beautifully written and wondered why I had heard so little about them.”

As I began to study Austen’s prayers more closely, I discovered that they are, of course, much more than beautiful. They provide a unique glimpse into her private life and offer clues as to how her faith impacted the way she lived, worked, and wrote. To continue reading, please click here.

Also, I’ve included a photo of the original prayer manuscripts. I took this photo when I visited and transcribed the manuscripts.

I hope this finds you well, dear readers. It’s cold and rainy where I live, but I’m snug at my writing desk with a heated blanket, surrounded by my favorite books. What’s it like where you live?

Let’s Stay in Touch:



Subscribe: To receive articles like this, along with book reviews and other literary ramblings, click here to subscribe to my blog. When you do, you’ll receive a set of lovely Jane Austen prayers cards!Jane Austen: For more articles like this, click here.Faith: For encouragement in your walk with God, click here.Jane Austen’s World: To read my articles for Jane Austen’s World, click here.



Signed Books and Gifts

For those of you in the US, you can purchase a signed copy of Praying with Jane: 31 Days Through the Prayers of Jane Austen from me directly. I also have enamel mugs, prayer journals, and other goodies available:

Signed Praying with Jane Book and Prayer Journal ComboS Prayer Journal 3-pack SALE  (3 journals for $14.99)Jane Austen Desk Set (Journal, Mug, and Stickers)Jane Austen Silhouette Stickers (3-pack)

All products include free U.S. shipping. Please contact me for a shipping quote to your country or for special pricing on multiple orders.

The post Praying with Jane at the Jane Austen Centre, Bath appeared first on Rachel Dodge.

Book Review: love where you live (how to live sent in the place you call home)

Do you love where you live? It’s a great question and one we all should ponder. In her wonderful and inspiring new book love where you live: how to live sent in the place you call home, Shauna Pilgreen reminds us that we are EXACTLY where God wants us to be, right here, right now.

Did you hear that? God has a purpose and a plan for you . . . right where you are. TODAY.

I confess I sometimes look around my house, my street, my town, and think, “I wish this place was more like this or more like that.” I can easily look at my work, my plans, my kids’ school, my community and say, “if only . . . “

But “if only” is a dangerous place to live. I know because I lived in Los Angeles for seven years before moving to Northern California . . . and never once did I purposefully or prayerfully try to LOVE where I lived. I disliked everything about it and couldn’t wait to leave. My thoughts were a long series of “if onlys” at times. I found some people I loved and who loved me, which kept me going, but that was it. I left that city as soon as I could.

I look back on those years, and I see that God was doing a great work in my heart and life. That’s when and where I was introduced to Jesus. Hallelujah! So despite my hatred of where I was living, God had a plan and a purpose for me — RIGHT THERE. I became a Christian there, spent four years of college being discipled by loving people, and lived and worked and went to church for another three years, learning how to love and know God in very practical ways.

My time in that big city was a whole lot about God loving me. And that’s okay. But now, I’m older, I’m wiser . . . and I’m (hopefully) a lot more mature in my faith. I can certainly be on the giving end of things a lot more now. I can pass on what I’ve received. So many people have loved me well. It’s time for me to love others well.

I think I do “live sent” in my sphere, to some extent. But I think I can do it more, do it better, . . . and do it in more creative ways. And that’s where this book and its message get exciting: Shauna shows us the creativity of God and how he loves to use our gifts, talents, and interests to naturally propel us into places and spaces where we can serve him and LOVE people.

Shauna reminds us that when we start to see the people around us as God’s workmanship AND begin to see that we are God’s workers, given a certain longitude and latitude for our own special Kingdom work, our perspective changes. We start to see that we are living in a specific time and place for a specific reason.

Shauna tells her own story beautifully, and I really related to her story. This book packs a big punch with conviction, encouragement, and plenty of testimony. She moved across the country with her husband and small children to plant a church in San Fransisco nearly 8 years ago now. I’ve never done that, but I could relate to Shauna so well as she struggled at first to find her footing and learn how to reach out to her community in practical and tangible ways.

She fought against the urge to settle in, find a comfortable spot, and then live in a bubble. Even in my much smaller community, I have to fight that urge DAILY.

Shauna’s stories are raw and personal; it’s like she’s talking to you one-on-one. She shares from the heart, and I could see myself and my own attitudes mirrored in hers.

The best part about this book: Shauna’s ideas are refreshing and provide a new way of “seeing” people. Her stories will encourage and convict you, whether you’re new to town or have lived there your whole life.

“Living sent” is something we’re all called to do . . . and it’s hard, uncomfortable, and even inconvenient at times . . . whether you are moving to a new city or living in the same place you’ve been for decades. Loving where we live isn’t always easy. You might be up against some really hard circumstances, unlovely coworkers, or difficult relationships. However, it can all take on more purpose (and become even exciting and thrilling) when we begin see it all as a journey with God.

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Shauna talks a lot about the mental attitude of choosing to stay, which struck me. We choose to settle in and make a place (a job, a church, a neighborhood, a school) our home in so many ways, but we can easily get into a rut and make it all about our own comfort.

She gives wonderful and practical tips about how to “start to stay” and how to put down roots, reach out to the people we see each day, and pour into the lives around us (instead of living in our own bubble). She encourages us to use our gifts, to call out gifts in others, and to think outside the box in very creative and loving ways.

Shauna says, “The strategies we will unpack together are not intended to add to your already-overcrowded calendar. They are to shape that calendar and give meaning to your schedule. We’ll use what we’ve got around us and in us to love well. We’ll have fun, and we can trust that others will feel cared for and satisfied.”But what if I’ve lived in the same place for a long time? Will this book help me “live sent” in a place where nothing much is new? I had this same question, and Shauna had a great answer for me! “Moving shakes things up a bit and gives us new perspective, but we can all fall victim to complacency and comfortability and forget the reason why we live where we live. If you’ve been doing the same thing for quite some time…it’s time to change things up. Take a different route, go to the gym at a different hour. Open up your circles to newcomers.”

If you want to live a life with more purpose and creativity, if you want to be part of living for Christ, sharing your faith practically, loving others personally, and truly living “on mission,” then this is the book for you. It’s full of stories, practical tips, biblical examples, and creative inspiration. Shauna gets you moving in the most surprising and fun ways.

I hope you’ll read along with me and open your heart to love where you live — more fully and more fearlessly — in 2019!

Order your copy of love where you live here:

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