Happy #TakeawayThursday !

This week our podcast was from The God Centered Mom podcast, with Shelene Bryan.(link below if you have not already listened.)

http://godcenteredmom.com/2016/04/18/ridiculous-faith-shelene-bryan-ep-116/

Shelene is the author of “Ridiculous Faith”( http://ridiculousfaithbook.com) due to release in May.  The first chapter is available now on the link above and it is definitely a hook.

Listening to the podcast and reading the beginning of her book was enough to make me race to pre-order.  Looking forward to the rest of the story…

At the bottom of this post, I have included the “golden nuggets” notes and tweets I have gleaned throughout the week from this inspiring new friend, a friend I may not know in person but whom I feel like I know through the transparent sharing of her heart, her walk with Christ, her parenting and her life.

I love that Shelene uses RIDICULOUS in this context:

Ridiculous: something that is unbelievable in some way, shape or form; an event worthy of memory.

I have 3 teenagers.  I spend a lot of time with kids and this is their language; this is my language! This is my jam:)

Shelene’s Ridiculous Faith has inspired me to respond in poetry:)

“Redefining Ridiculousness”

Noah and Moses had it

And the supply is never-ending.

It is found in deep water,

where there is no pretending.

RIDICULOUS FAITH

Single mammas,

 wearing the aroma of mustard seeds,

The chronically ill

hanging on HIS hem, as they bleed.

RIDICULOUS FAITH

The parents of prodigals, with dreams that are shredded,

praying for children, who are lost and deceived.

The steadfast missionary watching new friends beheaded

because they heard, received and now they believed.

RIDICULOUS FAITH

The barren who still decorate the nursery.

The soldier deployed dreaming about his wife.

The dying who have joy,

because they walked with LIFE-

Jesus is HIS NAME!

RIDICULOUS FAITH

A King who came as a servant to all,

The only bridge to the Father after the fall,

RIDICULOUS GOD!

The Creator of splendor who washed feet like a champ,

A man of mercy, our light and foot lamp

RIDICULOUS GOD!

He hugged the crazy and hung out with the trash;

The One robed in white, who wears a gold sash,

RIDICULOUS GOD!

HE came to save; HE defeated the grave.

HE erased all shame-

Jesus is HIS NAME!

RIDICULOUSNESS REDEFINED!

**I hope you listen to the podcast if you haven’t already and comment your takeaways!  Below is just a sample of the gold I sifted and the beauty marks this message left on my life!

“#TakeawayThursday Golden Nuggets”

Maybe we shouldn’t be so concerned about failing but more concerned about succeeding at something that doesn’t matter ‪#BlogPod2

I don’t want to miss Heaven by 18 inches, the length b/w our heart & head! Head knowledge is not salvation. The demons have that. ‪#BlogPod2

The only failure is not trusting God with today! ‪#BlogPod2  It was HIS 1st!

‪@shelenebryan‪ my 1st went to college last year. I still take pics of his empty parking pad at home & send to him, we both laugh:) #BlogPod2

‪@GodCenteredMom‪ Fact: God has given us everything we need for life and godliness TODAY! What are we going to do with that? #BlogPod2

God is in the victory business!

God is the hero of our story, not us!

God only has plan A and HE wins

May we raise our kids to be givers not takers.  I love that Shelene’s family serves at a shelter every Christmas morning.  They have always told their kids,”Christmas is not your birthday; it is Jesus’ birthday.  When it is your birthday we make much of you.”

They are teaching their kids that we make much of Jesus by serving others!

God is not a duplicator he is a Creator!

God is still doing the miraculous!  Stories like those documented in the Bible are happening now!

The ridiculous awesomeness of God’s power and grace will charge us and pump up our faith, ridiculous faith goes with the ridiculous awesomeness and goodness of our God

God clearly tells us in HIS word what it looks like to follow HIM:

Seek justice, love mercy, walk humbly with God.

Care for the least of these, feed the hungry, clothe the naked, visit the prisoner, love on the widow and orphan.

When I die, I want my kids to be able to look at this list and say my parents did all this stuff because they loved and followed Jesus. I don’t want my kids to simply say their parents talked about this stuff a lot.  I want to go to grave with muddy boots, dirty fingernails and completely spent, spent in loving God by loving people well for HIS GLORY!

Gal 6:9

Don’t give up!

We are called to persevere; HE brings the fruit!

The fact is He has given us every thing we need for life and godliness for TODAY!

Have the best day evah!

***Please comment your takeaways from the podcast or anything this post inspires you to share:)