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Winter of the Soul: 5 Insights for Traversing Tough Seasons

Jan 18

On the dark seasons of our hearts:

1. Winter shames those in it. It feels like personal failure, something we've caused, or missed, or faltered in. We chide ourselves for being there. We're sure it’s our fault. We wonder if we're crazy, lazy, stupid.

2. And then God gave me insight: this was winter. It would end, in time, but not by my own doing. My responsibility was simply to know the season, and match my actions and inactions to it.

3. [My responsibility in winter] was to learn the slow hard discipline of waiting. It was my season to believe in spite of—to believe in the absence of evidence or emotion, when there's nothing, no bud, no color, no light, no birdsong, to validate belief. It was my time to walk without sight.

4. Winter grows pure faith. It grows almost nothing, but it grows biblical faith like no other season can. It combines the unique conditions that nurture the certainty of things hoped for and the assurance of things unseen.

5. Do not forget in the night what God has shown you in the day.

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These quotes are from Spiritual Rhythm: Being with Jesus Every Season of Your Soul by Mark Buchanan (markbuchanan.net).

Learn more about Spiritual Rhythm.

- Adam Forrest, Zondervan

(This post does not represent the official view of Zondervan or any of its representatives. The writer's opinions are their own, and are shared for information purposes only. To receive new Zondervan Blog posts in your reader or email inbox, subscribe to Zondervan Blog.)

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4 Bold Ideas about Compassion that Can Transform Your Life in 2012

Jan 03

1. We often confuse the heart of compassion that requires a response with the feeling of sympathy that remains idle.

2. Sometimes I would like to ask God why He allows poverty, suffering, and injustice when He could do something about it. But, I'm afraid He would ask me the same question. [-Anonymous]

3. Need is everywhere, yet we too often fail to see it. If we don't see it, we won't be bothered by it. If we're not bothered by it, we won't engage it. By our neglect, we become the oppressor.

4. All movement toward mission requires sacrifice. Nothing of great value comes without great cost.

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These quotes are from Barefoot Church: Serving the Least in a Consumer Culture by Brandon Hatmaker (@brandonhatmaker).

Learn more about Barefoot Church.

- Adam Forrest, Zondervan Internet Team

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Fearfully and Wonderfully Made, by Alison Strobel

May 12

In this guest post, novelist Alison Strobel explores the mystery of how our bodies and beliefs affect each other. This theme appears in Alison's latest novel, The Heart of Memory, which also examines the difference between emotional faith and life-giving truth. Read more from Alison on emotion and truth in her guest post …And Therein Lies the Truth.

About ten years ago, back before I'd even finished writing my first novel, I read an article in People Magazine that made me think, "Now there’s an idea for a book!" It talked about organ transplant recipients who began experiencing strange changes in personal taste (food, music, etc.) and memories of things they knew they'd never actually experienced. One man developed a sudden appreciation for the violin. Another, a craving for beer and chicken wings when she'd never liked either one. Still another found himself moved to tears by a recording artist whose music he'd never liked before. One kept having dreams of blinding lights swinging into his vision, accompanied by a feeling of intense fear.

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Through some detective work they each managed to contact their donors' families—and discovered these new memories and preferences actually came from the donors themselves. One had been a violinist who actually died clutching his instrument. One had been a biker with a steady diet of—you guessed it—beer and chicken wings. One had been a huge fan of the singer Sade. And the dream of blinding lights? They were likely the last thing the donor had seen before a car collided head-on with his in the middle of the night.

When the time came to start my research, I feared I wouldn't find anything else about this phenomenon, because I'd never read of anything else like it outside of that one article. As it turns out, there is very little written on the subject—in fact, much of the medical world dismisses such experiences as bunk. But then I read a book called The Heart's Code. The author, psychologist Paul Pearsall, kicks off the book talking about his own heart attack—and all the signs his body tried to give him beforehand that something was dreadfully wrong. He didn't heed the signs, and it nearly killed him. He posits in his book that our body has more 'intelligence' than we give it credit for, and shares research that supports his theory.

…And Therein Lies the Truth, by Alison Strobel

Apr 20

In this guest post, novelist Alison Strobel discusses her latest book The Heart of Memory and how it explores the difference between emotional faith and life-giving truth. Also, don't miss the Heart of Memory eBook Giveaway. Through May 2, you can download the eBook free wherever eBooks are sold.

One of the themes of my latest novel, The Heart of Memory, is that of the nature of truth. In this postmodern age, truth has been discussed to death—is there absolute truth, can we really know truth, what is truth in the first place? One of the most damaging realities that has arisen from this discussion is the emphasis some people place on emotion as an indicator of truth, especially as it relates to faith and religious belief. Nowadays there are some who teach that if a particular truth hurts your feelings, or doesn't feel right, or seems unfair, then it must not be true. But is this—well—the truth?

Jeremiah 17:9 tells us that the heart is deceitful above all things. We can all think of a time when our feelings led us down wrong, even destructive, paths, or when our emotions did not support the idea of doing what we knew was right. Relationships that are formed on nothing but feelings will crumble beneath the weight of discord or tragedy. And a faith that is contingent on feeling God's presence is a faith without the foundation of Scripture, and is likely to dissolve in the face of persecution or doubt.

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In The Heart of Memory, the main character, Savannah, finds her faith disappearing. Instead of returning to the unchanging Word of God, she allows her emotions—inexplicable as they are—to guide her. Sadly, this doesn't only happen in novels. I'm sure we can all think of someone (maybe even ourselves) who has turned their back on God because they let their emotions determine what was true. A life lived that way—ruled by feelings and not by truth—will always come to ruin eventually. Savannah was saved from the natural consequences of her emotions by a friend who cared enough to say, "Hey, I think you’re making a mistake." Do we have it in us to be that friend when we see someone making the same poor choice? Or do our own feelings—of fear, of pride, of embarrassment—keep us silent?

If you decide to give The Heart of Memory a try, I hope its examination of the true nature of truth will be an encouragement to you as you navigate your own faith. I know God gives me these stories for a reason—perhaps your own life is why The Heart of Memory was written.

Download the Heart of Memory eBook FREE through May 2
Download it from Christianbook.com, Amazon.com, Barnesandnoble.com, Sony.com, or anywhere else eBooks are sold. This is a limited time offer, so download it now!

About Alison Strobel

Alison Strobel writes novels that explore life, love and faith. She lives in Colorado with her husband and two daughters. Visit her at www.AlisonStrobel.com.

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Looking Behind “Heart of Lies” with Jill Marie Landis

Mar 24

Guest Post: Jill Marie Landis shares what inspired her new historical novel Heart of Lies, the second of three volumes in her Irish Angel Series. Set in the Louisiana bayou in the 1870's, this story of kidnapping, deception, and conflicting loyalties is full of romance and suspense. Jill writes:

Before she follows her heart … she has to change her ways.

Maddie Grande grew up as a thief and a beggar in a tribe of street urchins in New Orleans. As an adult hoping for a new life, she moves to the bayou with her twin “brothers”—who were fellow tribemates—and learns to love the serenity of the swamp. But when her brothers stubbornly continue their lawless ways and kidnap the daughter of a wealthy carpetbagger, Maddie is forced to hide the precocious eight-year-old.

Suddenly Maddie finds herself at another crossroad in her life—the perfect place to start a different story. This is where a heroine’s journey begins: where crises arise and choices are made—some good and some bad—epic choices guided by either a strong faith or the struggle it takes to survive while searching for one.

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I try to create heroines who are out of the ordinary—determined women who are strengthened by the adversities they have to face. Maddie was inspired by The Little Robber Maiden from "The Snow Queen" by Hans Christian Andersen; Oliver in Oliver Twist by Charles Dickens; and from news accounts of children who were kidnapped, brainwashed, and raised by their captors. Out of those stories came Maddie Grande, a lovely young woman who wanted to do the right thing but didn't know how—especially if it meant giving up a long-held dream.

To me the setting of a novel is just as important as a lead character. The setting must sweep the reader away as they become immersed in a sense of time and place—which are usually past times and places that resonate with me.

By placing Heart of Lies in the Louisiana bayou, I was able to work with one of my favorite settings—the swamp. Years ago, I traveled to southern Illinois for research and was taken to Heron Pond, a bald cypress swamp along the Lower Cache River.

The Lord’s Prayer: From the Heart of Children

Dec 03

We dare you to watch this video without cracking a smile.

If you liked the video, share it with your friends.

- Adam Forrest (Zondervan)

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