Facets of Faith

Blessings—as You Go…

02.01.2021 by Jennifer Howe //

Dear Reader,

The FACETS are thankful for you. After all, this whole project was completed with you in mind. We thought of you each time we sat at the keyboard to share. I hope you know that.

A writer can be tempted to share words for her own benefit, and it would be difficult to think that focus of heart couldn’t slip in silently while we are unaware. Know our hearts desired to serve, to share words designed to bless and encourage. We always hoped to stir deeper connection with God and with others. Mostly, the team believed words could stir something in the soul that led to thoughtful moments and exciting conversations with God, internally, and with others. We hope FACETS of Faith blessed you, too. It definitely did some precious work in us!

Please—read the content here. Some of it is pure gold. We’ll keep it here for a period of time.

Before the last page turns and the book is closed, I (Jennifer) wish to pray for you—

Heavenly Father, I pause here and now to pray on behalf of your daughter, a member of the FACETS of Faith sisterhood. Hear my heart and receive the “golden bowl” I offer as a prayer of blessing…

My friend is precious in Your sight because You say, “He cares for you” (1 Peter 5:7). There is no burden she carries that You do not wait for her to set down at Your feet and give to You. Anxiety, fear, guilt, shame, every sin and the punishment connected to it—You ask her to put it all down and surrender it all to You. You will take it from her, and it will be far from her, “as far as the east is from the west” (Psalm 103:12).

Her experiences shape so much of who she is, and that, too, is precious. There is pain in the past, and You was present in those moments. Give her eyes to see Your presence and grace in those moments. Give her the gift of freedom and healing because You say, “by His wounds you have been healed” (1 Peter 2:24).

You are “the God who sees” (Genesis 16:13). You see her, my friend! You do not leave her alone in the highs, lows, or mundane middle. Your antidote for painful hardship, loneliness, or relational distance is relationship to You, “the God who is and who was and who is to come” (Revelation 1:8)! Thank you!

If You, Lord, can transform the life of the “chief of sinners,” You most certainly can do the same for my friend (1 Timothy 1:15). There is no one You don’t love deeply, no one You have not died for, no one who cannot be redeemed by grace through faith in Jesus’ saving work on the cross! Meet her in this moment and bring to mind the incredible, unfathomable love You have for her! You will meet her with truth, grace, mercy, and love. May the Spirit help her know more completely and to the core of her soul that You are her Savior, Lord, and Lover of her soul. Thank you!

Breathe fresh wind into her everyday life. Give her breath for each day. Sustain not only her breath but also her mind, heart, and strength. Help her see when she tries to succeed in her own smarts, heart, or perseverance. You give wisdom, if she asks (James 1:5). You calm the storm (Mark 4:39), give her peace in every moment (1 Thessalonians 3:16), and help fill her mind with thoughts that keep in step with Your mind (Philippians 4:8). Thank you!

Let her trade in life’s ashes for Your crown of beauty (Isaiah 61:3). Help her know and celebrate Your royalty and her adopted status when she seeks Your face. When she asks that the blood of Your Son be applied to her whole life in order to cover her sin, let Your Spirit confirm to her that she is victorious, a child of God (Revelation 21:7). Thank you!

Give her spiritual insight to notice and celebrate Your presence in everyday life. The world is noisy and busy and distracting and hard—all the things—Spirit, help her slow down and make space for Your quiet voice and gentle leading. Let her see the evidence of Your presence and the work You are completing in her during this life. Thank you!

She wants to hear Your voice! Help her hear the quiet whisper (1 Kings 19:12). Thank you!

She wants to be available to You. Work in and through her. Reveal Your presence and power in beautiful gifts and fruit as she submits her heart, mind, and strength to You (1 Corinthians 12, 14; Galations 5:22-ff.). Please give her courage and strength for the divine appointments You have placed before her. Thank you!

And grant her Spirit-infused endurance for the race so she can fight fiercely for things that matter to You and finish her life in a way that glorifies You to the end (2 Timothy 4:7). Thank you!

Lastly, “Let perseverance finish its work so that [she] may be mature and complete, not lacking anything” (James 1:4). She needs You to persevere through each day. Spirit, let it be! Thank you!

Friend, you are blessed as you go because I have asked Him to bless you. Thankfully, He answers prayers that are in keeping with His heart, mind, and purposes.

You are blessed to GO and BE a blessing!

Love you, friend. Until we meet again…

The Blessing of Knowing God

01.28.2021 by Megan Abbott //

FACET family, I am so thankful for this space. I am thankful for every word God has given me to share, and to hear such wisdom from Tracy, Jen, and our guests. This is a holy space. A space where blessings have been received, and blessings have been given. Thank you for joining us here again this month. Please take a look at the wonderful post Jen wrote earlier this month, and check back in a couple days as she rounds out “the Blessing”.

Sometimes we want to have all the right words, and know all the right things to do and say. Sometimes, though, our minds and hearts just aren’t equipped. That is where I exist lately. After a long season of mourning, finding joy, mourning, searching for joy, mourning, clinging to any glimmer of joy, I am here coexisting with both. I find myself turning again and again to the promises of God as my source of hope for the future, peace for now, and for joy. There is blessing in knowing His character.

His love is unconditional and inescapable:

For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any power, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.” – Romans 8:38-39

He is the giver of peace:

Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” – Philippians 4:6-7

He promises His presence is with us always:

The Lord your God is in your midst, a mighty one who will save; He will rejoice over you with gladness; He will quiet you by His love; He will exult over you with loud singing.” -Zephaniah 3:17

When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and when you pass through the rivers, they will not sweep over you. When you walk through the fire, you will not be burned; the flames will not set you ablaze.” -Isaiah 43:2

He promises joy:

You make known to me the path of life; you will fill me with joy in your presence, with eternal pleasures at your right hand.” – Psalm 16:11

For me, the blessing is being able to hold on to the promises of God when I no longer see where the path is leading. That I can know fully that He is trustworthy, He loves me, He sees me, He is good, and He is sovereign.

And now, O Lord, for what do I wait? My hope is in you.” – Psalm 39:7

The Blessing and the Battle

01.18.2021 by Jennifer Howe //

Hello, friend. I’m thankful you’ve come back to visit during this special month. If you’re following along, you know we’re focusing on “The Blessing.” If you haven’t seen the team post from last week, take a look. We had the honor of walking along Memory Lane. It’s so sweet, really.

Look for different posting times and authors this month. You never know what you’re gonna get in January.

When I (Jennifer) sat down to write my final FACETS post, I was a mess. I puzzled…and paused…and puddled. Over and over. It’s been days. To be honest, I had no idea what to say in my last words strung together in this space. Please have grace for the “behemoth” that follows. I’m leaning into the blessing and the battle.

Finishing Well

The focus of this site looms bigger now: conversations about life, faith, and friendship. When I began, my heart was revealed in Bible study-like posts. Over time, I learned to share a little more of my soul. A tiny crack became an open door. My heart for relationship to God, self, and safe others became the lens through which I wanted to write.

Buckle up, friend, because a shift is happening—from The Road I’ve Walked when you first met me to the longer road I hope to walk when I’m no longer one of the FACETS. In one sense, I’m thankful to know when the finish is, as sad as that is. I see the end of the run, and I want to finish well.

Words are Powerful

When I joined the team that dreamed up FACETS, I believed words were powerful, and I hoped to share my heart. The topics weren’t the “fluffy” kind most of the time, and that was intentional. The niche was women who craved something more thought-provoking—deeper, truer, real-er than the usual. It could’ve been FACETS of Faith Lite… Nah!

I’ve mulled these words over for quite a while. I hope you find them useful in your world and in your journey.

Wars and Rumors…

You and I live in a time like no other. We live more completely and immediately connected but more distant than ever. This played out in 2020, didn’t it? The world shifted to a 2-D life. Fear and social distancing threatened our relationships and maybe our peace with God and others. I felt that.

Then the election dropped a seemingly catastrophic wedge between people who used to hug and high-five. I felt that pain, too.

“Once-upon-a-time-friends” started lining up to oppose each other. I don’t think it was obvious to all of us at first. Nevertheless, there was the right way to do life…and everyone else’s way. Masks, six feet, and gathering. Race, protests, and riots. To vax or not to vax. Government, the election, and every political thing. And then it seemed everything was a political thing.

This is war?

And when you hear of wars and rumors of wars, do not be alarmed… Mark 13:7a ESV

Not if. When. This time and this place? I’m not sure. Still, there are obvious culture wars.

What’s Going on Here?

I’m sad, friend. People I know and love stifle words for fear of rejection, condemnation, and shame. I do it, too. The social media feeding frenzy whips up quick. I’ve seen friends—people I know love each other!—shred one another with posts, comments, and words before my very eyes. There’s a terrible, political information war going on here, and too many are casualties of “friendly fire.”

Is a habit, preference, priority, or belief system so valuable? More valuable than the person right there in two dimensions or three? I had to ask myself these questions first. I blamed 2020 for a long list of relationship fractures; and while stress added a thick layer over everything, I’m responsible for my portion of any relational tension. Ouch!

When the FACETS chose relationship—the “high way” over “my way or the highway”—it was a thing. Over and over. We chose relationship. We chose peace. We chose to think the best of each other. We chose to honor one another. This isn’t just the stuff of blog collaboration. It’s for every relationship!

Love each other with genuine affection, and take delight in honoring each other. Romans 12:10 ESV

I’m learning how to do that every day, and there’s plenty of room for growth.

The Battle

Closing this chapter called “FACETS” feels right, complete, and awkward at the same time. When the decision was made, we never thought there would be the swirling activity in culture we see now. The “cultural war” seems to rage, but I submit to you a much larger battle looms—a battle was waged in Genesis 3 has raged ever since.

The serpent was the shrewdest of all the wild animals the LORD God had made. Genesis 3:1a ESV

This battle between God and the enemy of our souls has an end, and we can read about it (Genesis 3:15; Revelation 21:1-ff.).

Our Battles

In many ways, every day is a battle, isn’t it? We might label our own battles according to topics or our enemies:

Struggles with God and others
Finances and having enough
Personal image as we are accepted or rejected
The political thing is hard to overlook
The battle for freedom
Every war on—everything

And all these things can divide us. Make no mistake, the Christian is called to be wise, discerning, and generous. The follower of Jesus defends the weak and cares for the poor. Like the “men of Issachar” and other wise men, we can know the signs of the times when we live with the Bible in one hand and the newspaper in the other (1 Chronicles 12:32). We don’t know the dates or times established for His appearing, but we can look through a biblical lens.

Like the Bereans, we must study and test all things against the Scriptures.

Now the Berean Jews were of more noble character than those in Thessalonica, for they received the message with great eagerness and examined the Scriptures every day to see if what Paul said was true. Acts 17:11 ESV

The Scriptures, the Sword of the Spirit, is one of our weapons for battle! (See Ephesians 6:10-18.)

The Wrong Battles

We pick our battles for all the emotional reasons I mentioned: habits, preferences, priorities, deeply held beliefs, and religious values.

Maybe we pick some of them because they are in line with righteous indignation described in the Scriptures. Not every battle is wrong, but some definitely cannot reflect the heart, mind, or hand of God. I’ve picked some that reflected the darkened heart and mind of Jen well enough.

Fight the good fight for the true faith. Hold tightly to the eternal life to which God has called you, which you have confessed so well before many witnesses. 1 Timothy 6:12 NLT

There is a “good fight.” That fight is for “true faith”—and holding on to the gift of God, which is eternal life, and confessing that gospel to those who do not know Him or the true faith. We never know who that is, do we?

We have one singular message.

For I decided to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ and him crucified. 1 Corinthians 2:2

Err and Repair

We were made for “life, faith, and friendship.” Something in us knows there is something more than this world; that’s eternal life. We were made to trust in something (Someone!) bigger and more powerful than ourselves, to search for hope in this hard world; that’s faith. And we were made to love and be loved; that’s friendship. When any of these things is out of whack, we know and feel it deeply.

A “seemingly catastrophic wedge.” These are the words that come back to me. I may not be responsible for the wedge appearing between me and God or me and others, but I’m responsible for what I do with it. Do you know how many times I’ve caught myself working with the wedge divisively in relationships hours, days, months, or years late? If you only knew how selfish I can be.

But there is hope!

I need two things: repentance and reconciliation.

The times of ignorance God overlooked, but now he commands all people everywhere to repent, Acts 17:30 NLT

Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come. All this is from God, who through Christ reconciled us to himself and gave us the ministry of reconciliation; that is, in Christ God was reconciling the world to himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and entrusting to us the message of reconciliation. 2 Corinthians 5:17-19 NIV

The peacemakers are blessed, for they will be called sons of God. Matthew 5:9 HCSB

There is forbearance for the weakness and ignorance in relationship to God and others, but the call is to repent and reconcile. The real calling on a Christian’s life is to be a peacemaker. And there’s no time like the present!

We err in relationship because we are human. We repair the relationship because, as followers of Jesus, we must! We desperately need spiritual vision, a gift from the Spirit, in order to see our errs and navigate the repairs.

The Blessing

By now you’re wondering why I chose these words. It’s out of love. Can you believe that? I wish to bless you with words that reflect one message: Christ crucified. I need the reminder if you don’t.

Friend, this—

And let us be concerned about one another in order to promote love and good works, not staying away from our worship meetings, as some habitually do, but encouraging each other, and all the more as you see the day drawing near. Hebrews 10:24-25 HCSB

The conversation about life, faith, and friendship in this space may not go on, but it simply must continue in our lives, in the culture, and in our individual spheres of influence. Who are you caring for, concerned about, and encouraging? Who are you blessing? I am choosing to bless YOU!

I offer these words because I hope you will choose love and good deeds, and also encourage others in the same. I submit them because I’ve had a talk with my own heart as they were written. Those words up there are challenging for me, too.

Let’s be a blessing!

Now be blessed—

To repent
To reconcile
To be redeemed
To be used by God as He redeems this broken world

Do it while there is time.

I have more words for you, but I will be putting those prayerful words in a separate space here. I love you! Be blessed to be a blessing, friend!

If these words are worthy of sharing, I thank you for that. If you read every word, you are a blessing to me!