Family Update

We are heading back to the other side of the pond! Our time here has been full of joys, new relationships challenges, and surprising joys. One of those joys is that we are bringing a souvenir(of a somewhat Scottish nature) along with us. We are expecting our second baby! He/she is due December 8, 2014, and we are thrilled! We know we have our work cut out for us, but we welcome it, and we are ready!

In other news, Kirk has been offered a ministry job in New England, which he has accepted! We feel that New England is where we are supposed to be, and so this job (the Associate/Family Pastor at Trinity Evangelical Church in North Reading) fits our hearts' desire and sense of calling. We will move back to New England around the beginning of August, and we will settle into our new church shortly after. We are looking forward to settling in and meeting the community!

Our summer will be full of family, adventures, and a whole lot of writing for Kirk. He is in the process of finishing his degree, and so he plans on taking most of June and part of July to complete his dissertation (we would call it a thesis in the US). 

Time and all of our current busyness prevents me from being able to express my sincere gratitude and appreciation for my dear friends here in Edinburgh. What a beautiful picture of honest, real community! I wish I could write a specific 'shout out' to each of you, but hopefully you know my heart by now :). 

We are grateful for the time God has given us in the UK. Though it's not 'home', we truly believe this time was important to grow us closer to each other and to Jesus. We have so much we can learn when we allow ourselves to be stretched beyond what we know and are comfortable with, though it's never easy! 

Thank You, Father for looking out for us and for constantly drawing us back to You! Thanks for these amazing people we have met and grown to love! I pray that we will be able to stay in touch and that you will bless them beyond what they can ever imagine!

What a fun ride it has been! 

It has been a while.

I love this verse:

"Until now you have asked nothing in my name. Ask, and you will receive, that your joy may be full." John 16:24

Growing up, I probably would have taken this out of context and applied it to whatever desire or craving I had at the time, but as I read through John 16 this morning, I was comforted and challenged  by Jesus' own words to his disciples. He is talking to them about his return to the Father and the entry of the Holy Spirit into their lives. Jesus' closest friends are getting worried by his seemingly cryptic message, but he assures them that they will not be left alone. I love that. 

His words still apply today. He didn't leave us alone, and we are not powerless. I think I forget to ask The Comforter to enter into my day-to-day situations, because I'm fearful that the "comfort" I receive will not come in the form that I had hoped. And that is when I come to grips with a harsh reality that is hidden in the depths of who I am: I don't believe Jesus has good things for me, because I don't live 'loved'. I don't always see myself as He does- complete, entire, and lacking in no good thing (in Him).  I don't trust that He is always there, and because of that, my fear drives me to live in discontentment, shame, and the feeling that I owe Him.

So, as I read Jesus' words today, I will ask something in His name- fill me, equip me, and strenthen me by the power of your Holy Spirit, that my joy may be full. I want to know that comfort in a real way. I want to embrace each day with trust and openness to whatever lies ahead, because The Comforter is here! He is real, and he is the One who equips us for whatever we may face.

May you know how loved you are today. May you experience the power and strength He offers. May you live 'loved'. And when you ask something in His name, may you believe that He hears you and longs to bring you joy.

Refreshed.

I'll have to admit, I have been in a dry place lately. Maybe it's all of the loss I have witnessed? Maybe it's that I have chosen other comforts over the Comforter? Whatever the reason, I finally reached a point where my dry heart needed some nourishing.

As I was in bed last night scrolling through my phone, a sweet friend happened to be online in a time when I needed to pray, and it was such a needed moment with Jesus. Even though she wasn't in the same room, I felt like God used her to remind me of his ever-presentness (even when I had been basically ignoring Him). My favorite scriptures began to flood my mind, and a wave of thankfulness overtook me. At this point, my worries, fears and doubts were muted by the power of this thankfulness and feeling of security with Him. To top it off, I had the best night's sleep that I have had in awhile! 

As I face today, the worries and fears remain a temptation, but I am now more aware of God's power over them. The uncertainties may stay uncertain, but I trust that He is near and has a plan.

I pray that each of you feel refreshed today. I pray that you feel strengthened and sustained by the One who pursued you (and still does). I pray for us to remember His pursuit and be thankful. In that thankfulness, may we remember that God is near. When we ignore Him, He's still near. When we wrestle, He's near. When we can't seem to make sense of a situation, He's near.

Let's involve Him. Let's invite Him in. 

3 You keep him in perfect peace
    whose mind is stayed on you,
    because he trusts in you.
4 Trust in the Lord forever,
    for the Lord God is an everlasting rock.

Isaiah 26:3-4

Life is precious. No, seriously- It is!

Over the past week, I have become keenly aware that our time on earth is short, our next day is not guaranteed, and the crap that we allow ourselves to hold against another is not worth the energy we spend on it.

Kirk lost his grandad, and our pastor in Scotland lost his brother. My heart grieves for these families, and I am now, more than ever, awakened to the painful reality that people pass away- people who were loved, laughed with, cried with, adventured with, eaten with, you name it. All too soon, we can easily forget the preciousness of these seemingly mundane moments with those we love.

The truth is that moments matter. Even the moments we spend being aggravated about some idiosyncrasy someone may have- they matter. I'm convinced that it's best to deal with these aggravations ASAP and move on to getting back to the said 'moments' with those we love. 

I want to love hard. I want to love with no regrets. I want to go to bed celebrating the moments I get to spend with people, instead of racing through all of the times I could have sounded cooler or looked better in my day. I am challenged to keep this revelation (for lack of a better term) in my heart and mind as I wake up and greet the day. 

May we all love hard. May we all love with  no regrets. May we all truly be in the moment with the people we love (and even those who may be hard to love).

This post is written in loving memory of Avery Patterson and Jordan Lewis. I know you will both be missed greatly.

Oh, today... I love you!

Today has been one to remember. The sun and the spontaneous family moments in the park have reminded me of the beauty of the 'simple things' in life. I have never been more thankful for something so small, but the sunshine has  been a huge boost for me over the past couple of days. It really is healing- body, mind, and soul!

Today I am thankful that no matter where we end up after this year abroad, we will be together as a family. Even if we go to another rainy place, I will just look forward to days like today and moments like these:

For now, I'm soaking it in and enjoying these precious people! I'm a happy mama! Thank you, Father!

Embracing Plan 'B'

 Today was an adventure!

I have spent the majority of this week indoors, as I just felt like we have been out and about quite a bit lately. It has been a cozy week, but at some point, mamas and babies come down with a bad case of cabin fever! The 'only prescription' today was out-ness. 

Micah and I set out to leave for our pretty long bus ride, and I decided to put her in the carrier, because I know stroller space is limited (think of The Amazing Race, but with moms). I thought I was being clever by wearing her, but about halfway through the ride, she got surprisingly quiet and buried her head in my shirt. When she came back up, my shirt had been decorated with beautiful shades of cauliflower and sweet potato. I cleaned her up, thankful that it had passed, and 5 minutes later it happened again! Yes! I've always wanted more tye dye in my life! 

We had a great time with Lois, who graciously lent me a sweatshirt, and around 4:00, we set out for another bus adventure. This time it was raining, the bus wasn't coming for 15 more minutes, I neglected to bring an umbrella, and there was no room under the awning. Yes! Awesomeness... not my favorite scenario!

Once we got on the bus, Micah started crying, so I thought she was hungry. I fed her, praying that it would calm her down, and then my little motion-sick baby started up again! At that point, I was DONE! I got off the bus, stood in the rain and waited for a taxi. I knew she might yak again, but I couldn't bear the stops and starts of the bus anymore, and I knew she couldn't. 

The taxi showed up quickly, and we didn't have any cash to pay him.  Yes! More awesomeness! Thankfully, Kirk was still home when I got there so he could take care of it (true awesomeness). He left hastily after that to go preach somewhere, and then MG and I started her nighttime routine. After all of the travel madness, I was a little nervous about putting her down, but she fell asleep peacefully, and I am in my third sweatshirt of the day! 

I guess being a mom is all about embracing plans B, C, and even Z. I learn a bit more about that every day. Gotta love this job!

Even on 'awesome' days, this picture sums it up:

The task I've been avoiding

Everyone has that one "special area" in their house that becomes a magical, Mary Poppins-esque catch-all spot. I wish there was just one in my apartment (especially since we have only lived here for six months), but alas, there are about five. Most of them will be ignored til we move back to the states, but one area has reached its full capacity, and that one area is Micah's closet. Oh, no! Micah's closet? Do I really have to pack up the clothes that no longer fit? Already? Wasn't she born yesterday?

I organized. I teared up. I bagged up size newborn, three months, and so on, and it just got harder... What is my deal?Memories of the past eight months flooded my mind and heart, and I didn't expect it. I thought it was going to be a quick and easy task, but I was clearly wrong. 

I guess it just means I love this little chatty, mobile bundle more than I can express, and I am grateful that I get to spend each day making memories with her. 

Next time the closet calls, I'll know what to expect. I'm sure I'll cry again... And again... And again. I'm sure this is just the beginning, but I'll embrace each new Mommy moment as it comes. 

How I broke:

As Christians we sometimes feel like we have to conceal our inner struggles. I grew up in the 'Bible Belt', so I got pretty good at this game.* It wasn't until we moved away that I realized I wasn't very good at letting people into my world. I pushed people away by making excuses, marathon training (alone), and hiding behind Kirk. For some reason, I thought it was a good idea to live this way (or maybe I didn't realize the reclusive patterns I created). Then, I moved into Bell Hall, where it is nearly impossible to stay hidden.

I tried. It only lasted about a year before I got really annoyed with myself. It was time to open up and let people see Shelby, even her flaws- HELP! 

I am so thankful for the lessons I learned while Kirk was in seminary. I learned how to be honest and say what was really on my mind. I learned how to have people over anytime of day. I learned how to be available, because they were available.

I will always cherish my time there for these reasons. That part of my life has shaped the way I would like to do ministry- real, open, honest, and in community. 

Being here in Scotland has been a stretching time, but even tonight, as I was tempted to hide my true self from someone, I remembered how freeing it is to open up about my life. It really is freeing, but it's risky. It really is a better way to live, but it's vulnerable. It really is the way God intended it, but it's never easy.

It's worth it. My heart is healthier for it, and I have some of the closest friends I could ever hope for because of it.

Let's be real. Let's stop pretending that we all have it 'together'. I'm actually kinda glad I don't! 

*Bible Belt friends and fam: don't let this statement offend you. That was only intended to highlight some misconceptions I had when I was growing up. It's hard to be open and honest when you're a pastor's kid and when you're trying too hard in your own strength to be a good 'witness'. 

Sometimes you just gotta burp!

This week has been a bit of a tough one emotionally for some reason. It's probably a mixture of saying bye to our friends who just visited, the weather that teases you here, and finding out that the future job we were most excited about pursued other applicants... Bleh! 

Needless to say, I haven't been as chipper as I would like, and that annoys me- haha! Today took me out of my funka funk pretty quickly when we spent the afternoon with some new friends.

Adam and Kirsty, a sweet couple who we met at church, picked us up and took us on an adventure to a cozy little pub with a "roaring fire", as Adam would say, and we immediately loved it, because our dinky little fake "fireplace" heater is one blow away from KAPUT (my inventive spelling). Lunch was great, and we enjoyed getting to know about their lives, but I think the best part of the afternoon happened after lunch... When they took us to Krispy Kreme!

Not only was the hot sign on, but by some miracle (shhh... It's a secret), we managed to get a dozen of those assorted heavenly gems for FREE! What?!? 

As Kirk and I began our fest of gluttony in the backseat, we were midway through a hilarious conversation about how I continually mispronounce Scottish street names, and it happened... From deep down below... It wasn't going to wait... It didn't care that we hardly know these people... The post-KK rumbly in my tumbly! A burp that could be heard and felt in the highlands! And it was all I needed to stop taking myself and my life too seriously. I couldn't stop laughing! Even now, I'm STILL cracking up at my "HORRENDOUS" (Adam word again) manners in the UK of all places. I sure hope the Queen didn't hear me! 

The fun carried on when Adam and Kirsty dropped us back at the cafe where our day started. I met another friend there (Rachel from church), and we were able to enjoy a very relaxed convo, because Kirsty offered to take Micah and play with her the whole time! What an amazing group of people we have met here! 

We love y'all!

Fun with the Freds

Last week, some very dear friends came all the way across the pond to see us, leaving their precious toddlers in the care of their grandparents. Meg and Eric came and experienced the joys of Edinburgh, along with its "four seasons in a day".

They braved haggis, whiskey, bought "wellies" (rain boots), and even bought a very European-looking hat (well done, Eric). 

We toured the castle, the palace, tried numerous cafés, and played many a card game in the evenings. They walked along Frederick street and the Royal Mile, and they saw a lot of Princes Street, because our welly search took awhile :).

They rode the bus and taxis, experiencing the strange feelings of being on the other side of the road, and they enjoyed our long morning commute through the park.

We had some wonderful chats and spent some good time together as a group of four, but my favorite moments of the trip were when Meg and I had time by ourselves to catch up and just "be". We ran through the park to end up at Starbucks and we walked to the beach to freeze while we dreamed together of celebrating our 30th birthdays (in 3.5 years) together at Disney World. 

I am so thankful for the lasting friendship that God has blessed me with in Meg. She has walked with me through so many seasons of life, and she is the most loyal person I know (aside from Kirk, obviously). She is, and will always be, my "Best Woman"! 

Thank you, Meg and Eric, for coming here and blessing us! Thanks for giving us the extra "push" we need to get to the end of this "being away from home-ness". We love you both and can't wait to have a Phase 10 rematch!

"Auntie Meg" giving mama a break

The Freds at Fredericks

View of Edinburgh from the castle

The haggis... Not a fan!

Micah approved the hat!

School playground+burial site?

On Thursday I was hanging out with my momma friend Brennen. We watched girly shows and played with our babies while eating junk food- a perfect afternoon, if you ask me! When it was time for her to pick up her 2 boys from school, I told her I would join. What I saw when I went with her is pretty exciting...

Human remains that date back to the prehistoric Bronze Age! I knew Edinburgh had a lot of history, but I didn't realize it had THAT kind of history! It doesn't even need to be said, but Brennen's boys think this is pretty much the best thing about going to school, and I have to say, I would too! 

The bone on the left is a femur. I'm not sure what the one on the right is.

"Sunny Dunny"

This weekend, our little family took a train to visit some friends in a nearby town called Dunbar. The most wonderful perk about this place is that it is the sunniest place in all of Scotland, and it was true to form on our visit!

A little back story on this family we went to visit- when we first moved to Scotland, we knew no one and had a steep cultural learning curve. I found it very difficult to be away from Kirk during the day, because I felt like a lost puppy leading an even smaller lost puppy around, so Micah and I found a little coffee shop next to Kirk's school to spend our time. The first time we visited this coffee shop, the manager made it a point to reach out to me, and each time after, she came to chat with me and give Micah a "cuddle". She even gave me a birthday card, because Kirk sneakily mentioned to her when my birthday was. This probably goes without saying, but I consider Sue to be my first friend in Edinburgh. She is such a gift!

Ever since I've known her, she has been trying to get our family out to "Sunny Dunny" for a weekend getaway. We finally made it happen this weekend, and it was a great change of pace. Sue and Paul, her culinary master of a husband, have a cute little ginger named Daniel, and he adores Kirk! I found him cuddled up beside him on more than one occasion. Daniel also loves Micah! It was adorable to watch him try and make her laugh with his 5-year-old tricks. 

Some of my favorite Daniel quotes from the weekend (imagine them spoken in a British accent):

"I'm done with all of this entertaining stuff!"

"Why doesn't Micah have a willy?"

"Johnny Tess has a dog and his name is Dukey". (Funny to us, bc of what dukey means in the states).

"This dog is stinking the whole place down and is making my nose blind!"

In an effort to try to get Kirk and me to stay longer and prevent his dad from driving us to the train station, he whispered in my ear, "Shelby, would you like me to kick my dad in the leg so you can stay the night?" 

And later that day, "Dad, don't forget that I am going to kick your butt before you get in the car!"

We had such a fun time with the Mitchells! I'm glad we finally got a chance to go visit them!

Lois to the Rescue!

I spent the morning with my friend Lois, who was nannying the cutest little 2-year-old boy decked out in converse shoes and an adorable jumper (sweater). We had coffee, basked in the sunshine, went into a few shops so she could buy thank you cards for all of her wedding gifts, and then we had to part ways. 

We were caught up in conversation, walking from street to street, and then it happened... I made what could have been a scary (American visiting the UK) mistake. I looked right when crossing the street when I should have looked left, and to my surprise, Lois grabbed my arm, yelled "STOP!" I looked and saw a bus coming straight for the stroller. 

All I could do in that moment was thank God I had Lois with me. I don't want to play the "what if" game, because it gives me the heebie jeebies. I'm just thankful. She says it was just the wheel of the stroller that was in the road, but wheel or entire thing, it shouldn't have been in the road, and I'm aware of that now. Thank you Jesus for protecting my sweet baby! And thank you Jesus for Lois, who thankfully knows the traffic patterns here!

Guess who's gonna look left from now on?

Father-Daughter Bonding

I love the way God takes us through different stages of our life and chooses to display a different characteristic of Himself to us throughout those various stages. He goes by so many names, but perhaps the most powerful, and all-encompassing name we can call Him is 'Father'. 

I have heard this name of God my whole life, and I have listened to countless teachers talk about this attribute of God, but it wasn't until very recently that I started to let it grab my heart.

One morning I was searching through a list of podcast subscriptions that I like, and I randomly chose to listen to the Keller sermon entitled "Our Father". I enjoyed this sermon so much, because it clearly demonstrates the difference between feeling like we have to prove ourselves as worthy of The Lord and simply being worthy because of Him. He explains that those who feel they must prove themselves see God as a landlord- we pay Him to stay here, and when we do well with our expectations as a tenant, He somehow owes us something. I have been in this situation more times than I care to count, and it makes for a very heartless relationship with the very Lover of my soul. 

Keller then goes on to describe that when we see God as Father, we joyfully understand that we are NOT worthy in and of ourselves, but that He loves us enough to call us His very own in the midst of our dysfunction. He describes the family of God as one that is full of dysfunction, but it is also full of children learning how to see themselves as God sees them- worthy. I love this! The fact that we are deemed 'worthy' brings so much freedom when we let it go beyond a business relationship with God and into one that is marked by grace.

This idea of having a familial relationship with God has been stuck in my mind since I heard that message, and it came up again when I was at church on Sunday. Our pastor spoke of how being worthy is both walking in the grace of God and letting that sense of worthiness drive us to live in such a way that aims to please Him. We want to please Him because we love Him. We want to please Him because we are grateful. We want to please Him because He's family.

It's a strange concept to think that we please Him because we are His kids (with our messy metaphoric life finger paintings), but we also please Him by honoring Him with our lives. I am still discovering who our Father is, but I can tell you confidently that seeing Him as such has caused a deep yearning within me to just 'be' with Him. I'm so tired of the parts of me that feel like I have to win Bible drills and get people 'saved' to prove my Christian-ness! I'm just me, God's daughter, making a mess, but learning how to laugh as He helps me clean it up. If God leads me to share with someone, I will, but it won't be a performance. It will be because my Father asked me to, and I love Him.

Thanks for being my Father, Lord. Thanks for seeing me as complete because of what Jesus has done. Help me remember what You are showing me, because it's my favorite! I am so grateful for Your compassion toward us in the midst of your perfect holiness. I am amazed!

Provision by the cute lady on her 60th birthday

Micah and I were walking by a cafe this afternoon, when a couple of sweet older ladies stopped in their tracks to look into the stroller. If the story stopped there, it wouldn't be that weird, but...

One of the women said, "Oh, just look at her beautiful wee eyes! It is my birthday today, and that is the best thing I have seen all day!" Then, she proceeded to put some £ in Micah's stroller.

Ha! My kid gets paid because she's cute. Kinda weird, but it ended up being such a God moment- when Kirk and I ran to catch the bus home, I found out that my bus pass had expired and I needed to pay for my ride. Thanks to this lady, we had what we needed (Micah rode too, so hopefully it's not like I stole from her- haha).

That's all for today! God provides in funny ways! He takes care of His kids. More on that next time...

Tension

Oh, the tension that we live in as believers!

The balance between the love of God and the holiness of God- people are on both sides of the fence on this one, but I wonder if anything can get done when the two sides scream at each other in an effort to prove a point. Where are you, Jesus? Can you be honored in these skirmishes? I think we have to drop our weapons and let you speak.

The balance between speaking our desires and being content... so difficult, yet this is an area that draws us to know your heart more deeply. When should we hold off, and when should we "PUSH"? When should we beg for healing and when should we accept our situation? Oh, Jesus! Above all theological debates and religious frustrations, I know you want us to remember you.

The grey areas... where are you in these, Jesus? The only answer that makes sense is, "Come to me... I give rest...take my yolk upon you and learn from ME!"

In this 'tension' we find Jesus. He exists to turn everything on its head. He doesn't want stances without his Father's stamp on them. He doesn't want our good ideas to turn into programs that weren't meant to happen in the first place (especially if they weren't birthed from him).

Jesus, show us where you are, and we will join you. Show us your heart in the tension. Hold us closely, help us to follow you, and may you always keep us in the blessing of this tension... it means we are letting go of control and trusting you.

Thank you, Scotland!

Dear Scotland, 

I have been complaining a lot about your weather and the various inconveniences I have encountered since arriving, so I thought I would take a wee moment to tell you what I love about you. Here I go!

Thank you for heaters in the bathroom! I don't freeze when I get out of the shower, and that is a wonderful thing!

Thank you for serving tea, coffee, and biscuits everywhere I go! I love the cozy atmosphere you set. It helps with the weather blues.

Thank you for humor. So many of my new friends (who call you home) look at life's ups and downs and know how to laugh in the midst of them. I like that about you.

Thank you for exercise that is built into the lifestyle here. Though I am exhausted at the end of each day, I am thankful for your butt-kicking hills and the fact that we are car-less.

Thank you for free admission to museums and other historical venues. It gives this mama something to do!

Thank you for mum groups- I have so many to choose from!

And finally, thank you for giving my family and I a year to experience something new. Sure, it's different and sometimes challenging, but I know we will look back and smile at getting to spend so much time with you.

So, thanks, dear friend. We are almost halfway through our time with you, and I thought this was a good time to tell you I am a fan of yours (most of the time).

Sincerely,

Shelby 

I needed this today.

Today has been... well, just plain crappy.  I woke up hating the wet, windy weather here, mad that it takes numerous steps to get anywhere, losing a glove (not that big of a deal, I realize), and then losing my phone (that contains my contacts, and a lot of personal stuff).

I am so frustrated, and I really just want to jump on a plane and come home to convenience, family, and familiarity.  I know I typically write with a positive spin, but to be honest, I'm not feeling quite like Pollyanna today.  I really need to find my phone, and I have tried everything I know to do.  So now I just have to be patient and see if it turns up.

When I got back to the apartment, soaked like a wet dog, I opened my email to find this little devotional below.  I really need it today, because I certainly am not operating with the mind of Christ at the moment.  The part that really struck me (as you'll read for yourself below) had to do with feeling like we have the "strongest ground for taking up a certain attitude..."  Oh man, I feel like I have every reason to be frustrated right now, but I know I am allowing my frustration to cloud my view.  I'm thankful for God's constant ability to think clearly and perfectly.

We have the mind of Christ. (1 Corinthians 2:16)

Our natural mind is a great obstacle in the race which we are running, cropping up all the time with its complexes, its arguments, its interests and its methods. When the Corinthians were brought into the Church they left behind their obvious sins, but they carried over into their new realm the old, natural ways of thinking and reasoning which belonged to the world and not to the Spirit of God. But the apostle remonstrated with them: "But we have the mind of Christ" (1 Corinthians 2:16), so urging them to allow the Cross to be planted between the natural mind and the spiritual. We shall only come to the fullness of Christ as we leave behind the mind of the natural man and move on more and more in the progress of the mind of Christ. On everything; every judgment, every conclusion, every analysis, every appraisal; we must ask the Lord: "Is that Your mind, Lord, or is it mine?" We may sometimes feel that we have the strongest ground for taking up a certain attitude or coming to a certain conclusion; we may feel that we have all the evidence and so are convinced; and yet we may be wrong.

The man who wrote the letter to the Corinthians knew from deep and bitter experience that this was the case. "I verily thought... that I ought to do many things contrary to the name of Jesus of Nazareth," he said (Acts 26:9). There was no man who had stronger convictions as to the rightness of his course than Saul of Tarsus. The great revolution which took place in him when he came to Christ was that he had to say: "I have been all wrong in my fundamental way of thinking." After that confession he made good headway in the race because he was always ready to subject his thinking to the jurisdiction of his crucified Lord. This is the way of spiritual progress. We shall not get very far while we hold to our own opinions and our own conclusions, even though we may have the support of others; we have to learn to conquer our natural mind by submission to the mind of Christ. This is most important if we are concerned about spiritual progress. And spiritual progress is th e increase of Christ – there is no other.

By T. Austin-Sparks from: God's Purpose in All - Chapter 1