Heather Holleman's Blog, page 176
March 12, 2019
A Love Better Than Life
As a searching nineteen year old who longed so deeply to know God, I remember hearing a woman quote Psalm 63:3. It was summertime, and, like most young adults who decide to follow Jesus, I had made painful decisions to end relationships, surrender my future, and begin the beautiful but fraught journey of consecration. Was it worth it now? Was it going to be worth it?
She spoke about God’s love for her and said about Him, “Because your love is better than life, my lips will glorify you.” Her face radiated with joy I did not yet know. Her worshipping heart drew me in, and I began to marvel over this psalm.
Oh, but the questions!
His love is better than life? Is there anything more precious? Is there anything I have that would matter more? You mean my life–this life so precious to me, the one I’m designing for happiness–isn’t as good as experiencing Your love?
I began to consider that even the best life I could design for myself with all of my best dreams coming true would still not compare to the joy of knowing God’s love, of having Him.
The psalmist continues: “I will praise you as long as I live, and in your name I will lift up my hands. My soul will be satisfied as with the richest of food; with singing lips my mouth will praise you.”
Fast forward 25 years: I sit with my Bible and journal in this worn butter colored recliner. The sun rises over my small neighborhood in Pennsylvania where spring fights for a place on streets crowded with ice and dirty snow. All this time, I’ve journeyed into His love. And I’ve learned. His love is better than even life. And with Him we have the life we’ve always wanted. To know this changes everything about this exhausting pursuit of abundant life. We have it when we have Him. The psalm sets my mind right.
March 11, 2019
Look to Bless Someone
This morning–in the midst of exhaustion (it’s too early!)–and a desire to go back to the weekend’s ease, I remembered to take my eyes off myself for a minute and revise the day’s purpose:
I’m here. You’re here. What if I’m here on this day, in this pathway, in this body to offer blessings in some tangible way? What if God’s plan for you and me is to stand up and bless?
God sends us out today. God might just have people intersecting our lives who need practical help, words of encouragement, or any kind of aid.
And so the mission begins:
First, a student leaves her apple watch charging in my classroom. I take it for her and email her to meet up to deliver the precious object (and avoid certain theft): a small blessing.
Then, a student confides about a personal problem. I know she’s a Christian, so I speak words of hope and confidence from scripture: a vital blessing since God’s word works.
I think next about giving my full and best attention to students in office hours who need help with papers, time-sensitive recommendations, or advice about this or that: a simple but profound blessing to give our full attention.
It’s only been a few hours on this tired morning. But the task stays near. We open our eyes. We bless.
All day, we bless.
March 10, 2019
We Do In fact, Adjust
I think of losing that precious hour of sleep when we change our clocks. It feels so wrong, so terrible, and so punishing to wake so early.
But we do, in fact, adjust. It only takes a few days, and it’s like we were always on this schedule.
I think about how quickly we adapt to our surroundings. When things feel uncomfortable, I remember that we do, in fact, adjust. It just takes a little time. We’ll tune ourselves to what’s required of us in the environment.
March 9, 2019
A Meal Plan and Our Favorite Green Smoothie Recipe
I know how stressful and exhausting cooking for a family can be. And I know how great I feel when I plan out the week on Saturday, finish all the grocery shopping, and gain that sense of order before Monday sends us out full speed ahead.
In case you don’t know what you’re doing this week, here are some ideas:
Saturday: Caesar salad with Creamy Vegan Garlic Pasta with Roasted Tomatoes
Sunday: Homemade Pizzas with Wegmans dough, sauce, cheese, pepperoni, green pepper, basil, and onion.
Monday: Meatloaf, roasted rosemary potatoes, and green beans.
Tuesday: Black Bean Vegan Enchiladas
Wednesday: Salmon, saffron rice, and roasted brussel sprouts
Thursday: Stir Fry (any veggies in the fridge with Wegman’s Stir Fry Sauce) served over rice.
Friday: Dad’s Turkey Chili (ground turkey, fire roasted tomatoes, kidney beans)
Our Favorite Green Smoothie Recipe
In your blender place the following:
Two handfuls of kale, a chopped peeled apple, two bananas, two pitted medjool dates, a cup of frozen berries, almond / coconut milk, and a few ice cubes. Blend away. The dates bring a sweetness to this smoothie, and my daughters love drinking this after school and on the weekends for good nutrition. We sometimes add yogurt for probiotics, flax seed, and chia seeds.
March 8, 2019
Diminishing Needs
As I grow older, I find I need less.
The more time I spend with the Lord, the more I find myself filled to the brim and then overflowing. There’s too much, even. I have not only what I need, but all I need. And then I have some to share.
In past decades, I approached God with much need–physical, emotional, financial, relational, spiritual. I needed so much. I needed so much in my environment to guarantee peace and happiness. I needed so much for comfort and stability.
But now? In the forties? I need less. Praise God, I need less. I need more of Him, but less of everything else. I wonder if sanctification is really a diminishing of all those needs until we really just need Jesus. With Him, we find overflowing comfort and provision. His presence fills us and suddenly things like clothing, beautiful homes, vacations, novel experiences, and all the things don’t carry the same sparkle.
We need Him. We need the quiet of simple things: authentic connecting with a friend, a cool glass of water, a place to sit and read the Bible, and the mystery of abundance in whatever ordinary setting I’m in.
Today I’m praising God for diminishing needs.
The old high maintenance me has become lower maintenance me. I can hardly believe it.
March 7, 2019
Two Lessons from a Ballerina
I learn something profound from my ballerina friend who studied under one of the best instructors in the world. She tells me of two rules in ballet that made me think about living life more beautifully.
First, when the ballerina walked on the stage, the instructor told her to present herself as if a beautiful jewel sat on a necklace around her neck. She was to walk as if wanting to draw attention to that rare jewel alone. As she told me this, I squared my shoulders, lengthened my neck, and tilted up my chin. I discovered a fresh confidence in my gait. What a difference it made in my posture just imaging the idea of presenting myself this way–with strength and beauty like this! Consider the rare jewel around your neck today.
Secondly, I’m told that when a ballerina looks at her extended hand, she must imagine she’s gazing upon a magnificent, beautiful piece of art or some truly astonishing thing. That look on her face will direct the audience to also gaze with wonder. The ballerina in this way instructs the audience how to marvel. She marvels at what we will then marvel over. I immediately think of how I gaze upon those around me–children, my students, my husband, even strangers, and yes, even myself. What if I saw these as the truly magnificent beings they are? And what if my gaze then instructed others how to see others–especially the overlooked and ignored?
Those two lessons related to posture and confidence as well gazing in a way that reveals marveling changed how I moved through my day today.
March 6, 2019
Knowing God’s Presence
I realize that many people don’t experience the “presence” of God in their lives. They wonder if it’s even biblical to speak so mystically. What does it feel like? Is God really there?
This morning I read Psalm 21:6 and David’s claim about God. He writes, “Surely you have granted him eternal blessings and made him glad with the joy of your presence.” Or consider Psalm 89:15 and what it means when the priest writes, “Blessed are those who have learned to acclaim you, who walk in the light of your presence, Lord.” In the New Testament, we learn that God’s spirit dwells in us; we experience His presence through the indwelling Holy Spirit (Ephesians 2:22). Indeed, this Holy Spirit, “lives in you and will be with you” (John 14:17). This is God who is actually living in us (Romans 8; 2 Timothy 1:14).
A.W. Tozer explained it like this:
“. . . At the bottom of religious experience [is] this sense of something there. But better far is the sense of Someone there. It was this that filled with abiding wonder the first members of the church of Christ. . . How wonderful is this sense of Someone there. . . Nothing can take the place of the touch of God in the soul and the sense of Someone there. Where true faith is, the knowledge of God will be given as a fact of consciousness altogether apart from the conclusions of logic. The spiritual giants of old experienced God.”
As I talk to people about Jesus and talk about the gospel, I remember that the reason why forgiveness of our sins matters so deeply isn’t only because of being saved from future punishment. It’s an invitation into a life that knows the presence of God, through Christ, with the indwelling Holy Spirit. It’s a relationship with an actual Living Presence. Asking the Lord to forgive our sins and inviting Jesus into our lives means we now enter into a holy, sacred experience of knowing God. Day by day, we experience Him more and more as we trust Him, worship Him, pray to Him, and learn about Him through the Bible.
Knowing this presence in our lives—made possible by the crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus Christ—brings an unspeakable joy, an enduring peace, boundless love, power, and worship to our hearts. We walk all our days with a Generous Friend, a Wise Counselor, a Delighted Observer, and a Faithful shepherd. It’s more beautiful than any words can say. It’s the answer to that question in your soul about the purpose of everything, about what you’re here for and what it all means.
It’s about Jesus, about knowing Him and being with Him.
March 5, 2019
A Few Gems from Psalm 16-18
Psalm 16:5: You alone are my portion and my cup; you make my lot secure.
Psalm 17: 6-7 I call on you, my God, for you will answer me; turn your ear to me and hear my prayer. Show me the wonders of your great love, you who save by your right hand.
Psalm 18:16: He reached down from on high and took hold of me. He drew me out of deep waters. . .
Psalm 18:32: It is God who arms me with strength and keeps my way secure.
I love thinking about God making us secure (not all of our stress and worry), about God answering us and showing us the wonder of His love, and about God reaching down to take hold of us.
I hope these verses have encouraged you today.
March 4, 2019
Nature Therapy
I leave for the woods on this bright, snowy late morning. I enjoy the silence and the peacefulness. I stay for an hour, thinking about anything I need to think about, taking notice of beautiful things, and capturing moments.
March 3, 2019
As If Death Were Already Behind Us
This morning I read In the School of the Holy Spirit and Interior Freedom by Jacques Philippe as both have aided me in my journey to mental health.
I read two phrases that help me understanding surrender to the Lord in a deeper way. First, I read of truly free people. Philippe writes, “The only people who are truly free are those who have nothing left to lose. . . it can be said that their death is already behind them because all their ‘treasure’ is in God and in Him alone. . . All the good that matters to them is already guaranteed by God.”
Their death is already behind them. . .
How wonderful to live a “crucified life” when you have surrendered everything–even your very life–to the Lord’s keeping. Your death is already behind you, and you having nothing to lose and everything to gain. All the good you’ve ever wanted is already guaranteed in the Lord.
Secondly, I read this strange phrase about maintaining “obedience to events.” This phrase doesn’t mean what I first thought. It’s not about passively accepting every terrible thing in our lives without attempting to change anything. Instead, it’s a surrender to our circumstances with an attitude that God is here working and drawing good out of everything–even difficult things. Moving through the day with “obedience to events” means we accept where we are and understand our role in receiving from God right here and working as He wills for us to work in these circumstances.
Living as if death is already behind us and that we might maintain obedience to events offers a new path to maturity in the Lord for me.
