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Rock On! or Mock On!

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Hi Friends,

I have had a busy few weeks. We attended graduation at Georgia, I finished my little teaching job (although I absolutely loved it, I am praying about what’s next because as an empty nester I should probably work more than two days a week). I’ve been spending quite a bit of time with Nate who leaves in a few days for his internship in Atlanta. Then this weekend we had the whole Jackson Five together, which is always a tremendous gift. One of my favorite things in the whole world is to drift off to sleep while hearing the brothers laugh together in the next room. Is there a better lullaby?

This morning, before we headed to church together (The Jackson Five at our beloved little church is another favorite of mine), I was reading from my Everyday Gospel Bible in the Book of Job. A line from Chapter 21 was an odd epiphany. Do you ever read a verse you have definitely read multiple times in the past and yet it hits hard, as if you have never in your life heard it? This is the line spoken by Job: “Bear with me, and I will speak, and after I have spoken, mock on.” In other words, “Let me speak my piece, but then mock me all you want.” My epiphany was that this is one of THE problems that plagues our culture in the 21st Century. People are so concerned about what others think. Mockery is avoided at all costs.

This should not be. We should not care in the least if the culture mocks us, or even, at times, our so-called friends. If the last five years have proven anything, it is the absurdity of groupthink. Could the majority be more wrong than they were in 2020? Who would want to fit in with that crowd? Yet it was not a unique era. It is a common occurrence for the majority to be dead wrong. We need to be committed to praying for wisdom and discernment and to saturate our thinking with the Word of God. The prevailing view may sometimes align with the straight and narrow path that God calls us to, but we shouldn’t be surprised if that alignment is rare.

Mantras like “You do you,” or “Rock on” affirm your chosen path, but “Mock on” acknowledges that there is a right path. You can mock me, Job says, my life may be in shambles, but “My Redeemer lives!”

Your Redeemer lives. Even the laughter of loved ones as a lullaby cannot compare to this truth.

With Love,

Kristie

The Making of a Commencement Speech

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Hi Friends,

I’ve been feeling a little run down this week. I sound like I’ve screamed my head off at a hockey game or something, but I haven’t. Then yesterday I had a terrible headache all day. Maybe it’s natural after last weekend. My 21-year-old son, Nate, graduated from The University of Georgia, which he did in just three years. This required a ton of hard work and was only possible because he started college with more than 25 credit hours from AP classes. Plus it was Mother’s Day. There was a lot of celebrating and a lot of roadtripping.

We heard two commencement speeches, one for the Terry College of Business and one for the whole school. Both of them were quite good. Both referenced Scripture — one gave the verse and reference, the other just used the wisdom without acknowledging that it came from the Bible. It made me realize the formula for a great commencement speech is to share a few personal stories, the funnier and more self-deprecating the better, and then share some biblical wisdom. A pastor once said a good sermon is just telling a joke and running to the Cross. But it applies beyond the pulpit because laughing is not just medicine — it’s heart-softening balm. It prepares you to receive truth and hope. Colleges should only platform speakers who can be funny. After the audience is softened up with a few laughs, then the speaker can share a few worthy points to ponder. Have you ever noticed that it is practically impossible to share a worthwhile message that is not somewhere in the Bible?

Yet many people do not look to the Bible for wisdom. In fact, there are people who treat the Bible as irrelevant for life in the 21st Century. What a profound victory for darkness to convince whole groups of people to avoid cracking open God’s Word. I am praying this morning for my friends who never read the Bible. May they have an openness to reading even just The Book of John and Proverbs.

And let’s be honest too about the results of ignoring God’s Word in the earliest stages of life. The cute photo above is Nate on Wednesday holding his birthday twin and second cousin, Bennett. Like Nate, this little baby isn’t being raised in a household that believes that children should figure out the truth for themselves. Hopefully the world is waking up to the horrifying effects of that nonsense. No, Bennett is being raised in a home where biblical wisdom is a part of daily life. He is being pointed to the truth with love. He is prayed over and cherished as wonderfully and uniquely made.

Maybe in 21 short years I’ll attend Bennett’s college graduation and hear a few fun tidbits and a message that sprints to the Cross. Maybe Nate will give the address. That wouldn’t surprise me at all.

“And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.” Hebrews 12:1b-2.

Have a fabulous weekend!

Love,

Kristie

Jackson Five Friday: Alabama Edition

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Hi Friends,

Intra-familial sports rivalries have been part of our family culture for a long time, but we’ve decided to up our game a bit. You may wonder — with an University of Tennessee graduate and an University of Georgia graduate (as of a week from today) – – how we could possibly turn up the heat, but we’ve found a way.

This fall Nate will be a graduate assistant at Auburn University while he earns a Masters of Accounting. Sam will be up down the road a bit as a Blount Scholar at the University of Alabama. I’m excited about us all converging in Alabama this fall to cheer on whichever team is playing. I will never stop singing lots of Rocky Top, and my Georgia Bulldogs won the football championship Nate’s freshman year. Still, I am willing to spread my SEC love.

The truth is, being an Auburn fan is not exactly new for me. If you’ve ever been there you know: it’s a special place. Likewise, the University of Alabama has an incredibly beautiful campus and the program Sam is doing is perfect for him. Plus, I realized on my visit to Tennessee in February that I really do miss the South and its alluring charm. Next month marks a full three years in Florida and while I never tire of swaying palms and sunshine, I do appreciate a little variation now and then. Lookout Mountain’s four distinct seasons, with just a dash of winter and daffodils by the end of January, made it ideal, but Alabama is similar. So I am excited to be able to combine getting a taste of seasons with seeing my sons.

Some families do not follow sports at all, but for us it has been a fun way to spend time together. Now with 25% of the SEC covered by Jacksons, we are almost guaranteed a winning Saturday every week!

Later this month, I am speaking to a Moms’ group about building a strong family culture. I will probably mention sports, but that won’t be my main focus, obviously. But I’d love to know some of the ways you have bonded with your own family. Are there things that pop to mind immediately? Are there things maybe you wish you had done more of? Or maybe less of? What kinds of things have especially glued you together?

Of course I believe the most important foundation is God and His Word. We are knit more closely together as we grow closer to Jesus. That is just the basic design.

You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might. And these words that I command you today shall be on your heart. You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, and when you walk by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise. You shall bind them as a sign on your hand, and they shall be as frontlets between your eyes. You shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates. Deuteronomy 6:5-9.

Love,

Kristie

P.S. These fierce logos are my favorites!

Make It Make Sense

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Friends,

I’ve been thinking about a phrase we often see on social media: Make it make sense. Most of the time, it is used to poke a political opponent, suggesting that the inherent hypocrisy is downright befuddling. Sometimes it is used in a humorous way, which is refreshing. But the last few days it’s struck me that it’s actually a deep-seated, universal need.

We need things to make sense. We need to understand why we are here. Where we are going. Why we face suffering. Why people we love die. Why natural disasters keep happening. Why the world cannot keep itself out of wars.

In our heart of hearts we really do have a longing for it to make sense. When my sons were little, they went to a school that was very explicit in teaching from a biblical worldview. The students were often asked– in the midst of various kinds of lessons — about evidence of God’s created purpose, how that purpose was marred by sin, how Jesus’ death on the cross and resurrection can redeem and one day — when we are in heaven — fully restore God’s design. This framework gives such meaning. Even so, answers rarely come in HD clarity. Still, I will gladly take an answer with blurred edges over no answer! And that really is the alternative. Rejection of the biblical narrative of creation, the fall, redemption and restoration leads to no answer at all.

As I’ve been more faithful in reading through the whole Bible the last couple years, some answers have come into focus for me in profound ways. I am grateful for those. Others still require faith. But there’s peace in trusting that God is loving and good and that He is sovereign. Perfect understanding is not required. A solid biblical framework, with a few areas of clarity and a growing faith is not a bad place to be. We should never stop seeking to understand. We should continue praying for wisdom, while acknowledging we won’t graduate from faith until we meet Jesus face to face.

But what about kids who are not given even the flimsiest of frameworks to sort out life’s deepest questions? How can we expect them to flourish as humans? Is it any wonder that we have a population that is increasingly apathetic? What was the expected result when we’ve taught the masses that there is no objective truth? Tell people nothing really matters and then expect them to thrive? Make it make sense!

Relatedly, earlier this year I joined the advisory board of LifeWise Academy of Palm Beach County which aims to bring Bible education to public school students. My sons were blessed with the ability to analyze all that they were learning through a biblical worldview. I have no doubt that this framework — given to them very young in age-appropriate ways — has been vital in shaping who they are today. Why wouldn’t we want public school parents to also have the option for their kids to receive a solid Bible education?

Jesus tells us that He came so that we could have life to the FULL. (John 10:10b). I don’t think the full life He is referring to is possible without Him answering some of our deepest questions, do you?

Blessings,

Kristie

P.S. The picture above is from a LifeWise Academy event in Palm Beach Gardens on Monday. Your prayers for continued momentum from this event are appreciated. If you are local and would like to learn more, I’d love to meet with you. You can also find out about LifeWise Academy in your area by visiting the website.

The Magic Words

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I don’t know much about boating and even less about sailing, but I think the phrase “smooth sailing” is probably overused. In my experience, the very idea of smooth sailing is unrealistic. Plus, I am in a position to see the state of the Atlantic Ocean on most days, and I can assure you it is very rarely smooth.

Life too is rarely smooth. There are minor hiccups and major roadblocks along almost every path. Instead, the expression “there’s always something” is more apt. Just yesterday, I was driving across the state of Florida for an event with old friends that had been on the books for months. When I stopped to fill up my car before the Alligator Alley portion of the trip, my car started acting crazy. The “check engine” light came on (with a multitude of others) and it went into some “power reduced” mode where you can do 0 to 60 in about three miles. I was determined to stick to the plan, but eventually cried Uncle and headed for home. All told, it was a 4.5 hour drive to nowhere.

Last week, our A/C wasn’t keeping up, and it’s not exactly peak heat here in Florida. We used to have a service contract with an HVAC company, but it was sold a couple years ago, and so our upkeep has slacked off to merely changing the filter. Much like taking my car in this morning, I cringed to learn what was going on. The technician was a joyful kid who could have easily passed for sixteen. He told me that he had replaced the “capacitor,” and that the A/C seemed to be working just fine now. I was kind of horrified. The capacitor? That sounds expensive, I thought. Shouldn’t he have asked me before he did that? But then he followed with the magic words: it is under warranty. It never occurred to me that I would hear those words when the unit was replaced more than five years ago and the company that installed it was sold.

These are trivial things in the grand scheme of life, but I think the lesson is an important one. A certain way may seem right to us, but the Lord directs our steps. I don’t know why exactly my plan to be in Fort Myers today was thwarted, although to be honest I have a couple ideas. But I think sometimes we benefit from the reminder to stay supple. He is the Potter. We are the clay. It’s never a good thing when we stubbornly demand our own way. Instead we are blessed when we are yielded — surrendered to His plan. That doesn’t mean we don’t make plans. It means when He redirects we don’t fight it.

Maybe the most magical words of all are “[N]ot my will, but Yours.” Luke 22:42b.

Blessings,

Kristie

Amy Boyd Was Right

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When I was growing up I went to public school, except for first grade, when I went to school with all three of my siblings at Temple Christian in Redford, Michigan. My eldest brother was a senior, my sister was a junior and my other brother was in eighth grade. I am sure I would have been more of a mascot for all their friends if I wasn’t already so dang tall for a first grader. Still, I did receive a good bit of attention — certainly no one else in first grade drove to school with a senior on the basketball team. Sometimes much younger children have a hard time fitting in with their peers, as they’ve been exposed to the humor of the family and enjoy frequent outings past the bedtimes of most classmates. However, I must have had some friends, because my teacher, Miss Amy Boyd, taped my mouth shut for talking.

I don’t think you could do that today, even in a private school. But it was a memorable experience. The first time Miss Boyd ripped off the tape it hurt like the dickens. Subsequent tapings though were not as effective because I was wise to it. The trick was to move your mouth quite a bit while it was taped. This made removal relatively painless.

But guess what amps up sleep quality like nothing else I have experienced? Taping your mouth shut. Funny that in a weird twist of fate, my first grade teacher was on to something. It’s the breathing through your nose. The nights I tape my mouth shut with surgical tape, I wake up feeling more rested in the morning. Like a lot more rested. You can consciously breathe through your nose during the day, utilizing God’s built-in air filtration system, but most of us can’t do that while sleeping. Plus, it’s pretty hard, but not impossible, to snore through your nose.

Can focusing on breath really help you feel better? I believe it can. The older I get, the more I think “little” things matter. I believe fresh air, feet in the sand, and a little sunshine are healing too. God gave us lots of little gifts to enjoy and we honor Him by doing so — by soaking them up. Being still and breathing deeply are calming. Giving thanks brings joy. Sometimes the answers really are simple. But we don’t do them by default. Walking with God — abiding in Him — requires a daily and intentional commitment.

Rankin Wilbourne puts it like this in his book Union with Christ:

“[O]ne of the most challenging aspects of the Christian life — [is] the simple repetitiveness of it. Left, right, left, right. Again and again, over and over. All the way. Every day. Like a long walk uphill.”

Christina Rossetti has a poem that opens:

Does the road wind up-hill all the way?

Yes, to the very end.

We might prefer to fly. We may wonder if there are any shortcuts. And there are some, but once you find out what they are — humiliation and suffering — you’ll probably prefer to walk.”

It may be uphill all the way, but if you have sweet believing friends to make the trek alongside, reminding each other that the “simple repetitiveness” will end in glory beyond imagination, then it will seem less steep.

As Paul wrote to the Romans, let us “be mutually encouraged by each other’s faith.” Romans 1: 12.

Blessings,

Kristie

P.S. If you tape your mouth shut, leave a little folded tab to enable quick removal should there be a need.

Adults Only

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In October 2001, I became a mother for the first time. But even before that I spent lots of time with my niece and nephew, and before that I doted on my little cousins. For most of my life I have had the blessing of children to love on and be entertained by. Today however marks a new season. Eighteen years ago today our third and last baby boy was born. Suddenly I find myself surrounded by men — men who can vote and be drafted and go to jail.

The blessing is that my three sons, who brought so much laughter to my last couple decades, are amazing men. I mean they are sinners like everyone else, but I am proud of how thoughtful and intelligent they’ve become. They are driven and faith-filled. Plus they know that I always love to hear a funny story.

The world may relentlessly sow seeds of dissatisfaction, telling you that you can’t be happy unless you have this or that. But I believe the best thing you can do, after deciding to live for Jesus of course, is to have a family. A family is a sanctifying gift that brings joy and meaning beyond measure. Nothing compares. I’ve had the opportunity to see many facets of life: I’ve oddly had a high paying job in a prestigious law firm. I’ve rubbed elbows with people in various professions who have achieved tremendous success. I’ve taken some incredible vacations. I’ve attended some very glamorous events. But nothing compares to the joy of being a mother. The social media movement touting the supposed freedom of being childless is just another joy-robbing scheme of the devil. Sadly, many DINKs (dual income, no kids) will come to their senses when it’s too late, and they won’t be able to enjoy being DIAKs (dual income, adult kids). Yes, I made that up but I kind of like it!

That doesn’t mean that parenting is easy. Obviously it’s not. Motherhood requires sacrifice, and we are always going to make mistakes. We will wound the little people we aim to love. We will let them give up when they should persevere, and we will push them when we should call it a day. Sometimes we will choose the wrong battles. Sometimes we will fail to recognize what they need. But we will learn so much trying, and so will they. We will grow more reliant on the Lord. We will grow increasingly convinced that He is sovereign and that we cannot orchestrate any particular outcome. We will be forced to pry our stubborn fingers from their futile efforts to control, and hand our children over to God. We will do this again and again, even when they are adults.

In the midst of this, the family bond will be reinforced through the best and worst moments. Together, we will witness that God uses it all for our good and His glory.

“And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.” Romans 8:28

Blessings,

Kristie

P.S. The pain of wanting a family and not having one is not a topic that I could possibly tackle, but I am praying tonight for the those who face this heartache. I also have been blessed by wonderful people in my life who invested in others as a parent-like figure. This too is a reflection of God’s design and I am grateful for that influence.

People Change

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I know people change from personal experience. Have you ever heard the quip, “There is no one I have less in common with than me posting on Facebook ten years ago!” That’s true for me, in many respects. I was such an over-poster. Another silly example is I remember wanting a Volkswagen Jetta as a college student. One of the features that I was enamored with was that the radio could stay on after you turned the car off. That’s how dorky I was. I thought that was cool. And now my Nissan Pathfinder has that feature — the music stays on until you open the door and I hate it. Blaring music is fun but I need silence to gather my thoughts before I get out of the car.

A few minutes ago I was relaxing on the beach above listening to this podcast. Talk about someone changing! Dr. Larry Sanger, was one of the founders of Wikipedia, and in the last few years he has become a Christian. The podcast, eX-skeptic, is part of the ministry that I have been involved with for many years: The C.S. Lewis Institute. When I did the Fellows Program it was just in the D.C. area, but now there are Fellows Programs in many cities (this is a little snippet from the Fellows Program in Atlanta). Plus, the website itself is full of excellent resources. I really cannot recommend it highly enough.

Another ministry that I am just getting involved with is LifeWise Academy. LifeWise aims to bring Bible education to public school students. As the podcast above states, reading the Bible is so important. Asking questions of the Bible is so important. I hope you know personally how Jesus and the Bible change people in profound, even miraculous ways.

Introducing people to Jesus is step one, encouraging true discipleship is step two, but how wonderful that so many great people around the world support missions that do both of these.

The best kind of change is possible for you and for me. As Paul said, “And we all, with unveiled face, beholding the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another.” 2 Corinthians 3:18a.

Praise God for transformation from one degree of glory to another!

Blessings,

Kristie

Marble, Sand and Chainsaws

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This week I took a trip with my youngest son to Chattanooga. We left in 2022 and haven’t visited in over two years. On Wednesday, we flew into Chattanooga’s delightful little airport which has added two gates since we left. We rented a car and headed for the mountain. The trek up was a reminder of how insane it is that all three of our sons learned to drive there. The margin for error is tiny — the slightest mistake could be deadly. Many of the roads are dangerously narrow, the guardrails absurdly flimsy. But dang is it charming! We drove by our old house and it looks prettier than ever. The snow from that morning stuck peacefully to the trees, and having not seen snow in years, it looked downright magical. And I was able to connect with a few friends, too. A beautiful place with wonderful people. Mostly.

It would be a lie to say that our departure from Chattanooga was 100% joyful. There were some aspects that were really hard. It’s weird to know people have it out for you. And that’s an understatement! The malice, the lies, the downright evil — it’s surprising and disconcerting. We are such easygoing people. It is jarring to know people are genuinely committed to your demise. It often felt like an overwrought drama. I mean, “C’mon. You are overreacting!” Yet unbelievably, it was real life.

Thankfully, what others may have meant for evil, God has meant for good. Despite the efforts of others to destroy us, we landed at the beach. We have had the sweetest three years as a Jackson trio. I can see how God has specifically blessed us in ways we would not have imagined. I did not know I needed this slower-paced season. But the rhythm of often seeing both the sunrise and sunset and getting a mega dose of Vitamin D on the daily has been a gift.

Yesterday I saw this quote from Charles Spurgeon:

We are too prone to engrave our trials in marble and write our blessings in sand.

Do you engrave your trials in marble and record your blessings in sand? I think the temptation is to memorialize how we’ve been wronged in granite, with the font of a chainsaw. But the older I get the more I am convinced that the trials– even those that cut the deepest and are hardest to understand — need to be as erasable as my footprints in the sand. Bitterness longs for permanence. But grace is more like high tide, wiping the slate clean a minimum of twice a day.

We need to record the blessings with a sharpie, but the trials in expo dry erase. We need to understand that all of it will be used for our good and God’s glory. In fact, remembering the trials at all should be for the sole purpose of building our faith –God was faithful in that season and He does not change.

I’ve been mediating on these words from Colossians:

“Continue steadfastly in prayer, being watchful in it with thanksgiving.” (4:2). My brief visit to Chattanooga this week filled me with such thanksgiving for so many blessings of our time there. Perhaps you too could benefit from revisiting a season that was not 100% wonderful and let the ceaseless tide of grace wash over the pain. You may walk away with a renewed sense of gratitude for the blessings.

With Love,

Kristie

P.S. The picture above is from a spot I used to walk to regularly. From that vantage point I could see the boys’ school and my husband’s work. I would often pray for them as I took in this amazing view. But I can guarantee I never walked there when it was less than 30 degrees. But maybe the cold air makes the view even crisper. It was well worth the brisk walk from the rental car!

My Final Load of Laundry

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The other day I did my final load of laundry.

No, it’s not my final FINAL load. But it is the last time I will ever wash an athletic uniform. My youngest son is now officially retired from competitive sports. His basketball team lost in the first round of playoffs last week, and yesterday he turned in his uniforms. Maybe instead of going to games three-ish times a week, I’ll take up the habit of taking an evening stroll!

It is interesting as we get closer to a college decision and empty nesting, how it makes you aware of such things as a final load of laundry. By God’s grace, I think I have been pretty good at savoring the seasons. I loved cuddling my newborns. I adored the daily laughs of toddlerhood and the joy of their simplest of pleasures. Would that a wand and some bubbles could so satisfy us as adults! How gratifying to see my sons learn to read, to work hard at sports, to make friends, to navigate big changes like moving states. How wonderful to witness them ask deep questions and embrace a biblical worldview! This last season has been a sweet one with just one at home — three years of just us three.

I don’t want to be the kind of person that longs for something other than what God has for me. I don’t want to be a sad empty nester. I am sure the college drop off will be tearful, but I want to bounce back quickly and cherish that new season and whatever it brings. I can always look back with gratitude that I had the opportunity to quit my job as a lawyer and be a full-time mom. It wasn’t a hard decision and it was one I’ve never regretted. I do not know what I’ll do in this next decade, but I am excited to find out.

The world wants us to feel less than satisfied without the obtaining the latest gadget or achieving the latest look, but the Bible teaches to be content in all circumstances, to recognize that seasons come and go, but that God is faithful. Today I heard a teenage girl recite this poem.

Dust if You Must

Dust if you must, but wouldn’t it be better 
To paint a picture, or write a letter,
Bake a cake, or plant a seed;
Ponder the difference between want and need?

Dust if you must, but there’s not much time,
With rivers to swim, and mountains to climb;
Music to hear, and books to read;
Friends to cherish, and a life to lead.

Dust if you must, but the world’s out there 
With the sun in your eyes, and the wind in your hair;
A flutter of snow, a shower of rain,
This day will not come round again.

Dust if you must, but bear in mind,
Old age will come and it’s not kind.
And when you go (and go you must)
You, yourself, will make more dust.
By Rose Milligan.

I’m not very knowledgeable about poetry, but the poems I like best are like this one — sweet and simple, but also poignant. After all, we are indeed on our way to returning to dust; our bodies and all our stuff will be mere dust. Shouldn’t we be thankful for the blessings of today?

Fortunately, our souls are eternal, God’s Word is eternal, and His steadfast love endures forever. Psalm 136.

Blessings,

Kristie