Pursuing Lent

(photo:unsplash)

 Lent, the time when religious people come out of the woodwork and give up things.  Apparently the act of great sacrifice, doing without things like coffee, wine, bread, meat, shopping…and on and on.  Lent, I believe, could be so much more than that.  We could be in pursuit instead of promoting self. Here is my Lenten creed…

For Lent I will be in pursuit.  I don’t want to give up I want to give in. I want to give in wholly to who I am at the foot of the Cross. I want to give in to His desires, His will, His way.

I want to die to myself so I can live a life that is pleasing to God. That honors Him. That says yes to community, to loving well, to serving, to teaching, to mentoring.  A life that says yes to abundant grace and mistakes and tears and joy. 

(photo:chrystanferrell)

This Lent I will celebrate each day by opening the word, by giving up my time for His glory. I will celebrate the journey to the Cross by giving up my will, to honor His.  I will celebrate the life and death, by dying to my selfish desires to instead desire time in prayer and repentance. 

This Lent may we all by more willing to give up our lives for the glory of his, than we are to give up a food, a beverage, or an activity. This Lenten season may we look for the face of grace instead of the “obligation” of living without.

Forty days with the God of grace at the helm of this ship sounds better than anything else I could pursue today. Let the creator guide the created.

You are beautifully made by the creator of the universe who died for the sins that you refuse to let go of.  Let that sink in a minute, then lay down your life and follow HARD after him.  May this be the Lent season where we give up what He is truly asking for, our hearts.

Isaiah 44:22
"I have blotted out your transgressions like a cloud and your sins like a mist; return to me, for I have redeemed you"

Much Love,

Chrystan

The Dream Thief

(Unsplash:Steve Halama)

Dreams.
Goals.
Passions.

Do these things we dream of, do these gifts we long to share, these goals we've set and these things we chase after have a shelf life? If not what's stopping us?

For days I've sat at my desk staring at my dream guide and my purpose sheet trying to put into words what's in my heart.  Writing them down seemed impossible and I couldn't figure out why, until today. It all boils down to fear.  Fear. What an ugly word.  I've boiled my fear down to two main things:

Failure
I'm afraid I'm not good enough to bring it all to fruition.  I'm afraid I will let those in my corner down or those out of my corner will be proved right. I'm afraid I really can't do it.

You
I'm afraid you think I'm too old. I'm afraid you will think I just like the next new thing. I'm afraid that you think I'm crazy. I'm afraid that you think I think I'm pretty awesome. I'm afraid you won't be safe with my dream. I'm afraid I won't live up to your standards. I'm afraid I don't fit your mold. I'm afraid when I chase these dreams I will let you down. I'm afraid I'm not enough.

Today I wrote them all down. All of the outlandish things that God has laid on my heart, maybe even since I was a little girl.  All these dreams that I may fail at all these goals that you may say I could never achieve. The things I may be too old for or not good enough for, those things...I wrote it all down.

You see, I was afraid to write them down because I didn't think I was enough. But I realized today that I'm right, I am not enough and that right there will set you FREE.  These things God is calling me to, I can't do them...
I can't make them happen
I can't work hard enough
I can't be all the things necessary to make them happen

That's the beauty of these crazy dreams God gave me.  I'm not enough, but he is.  I am dreaming dreams that make me so uncomfortable. They call me out on the waters where there is no life boat in a storm that I cannot tame, this year these dreams of mine are so big and so bold only God could make them happen.  Those dreams, those are the best ones to have. I am learning if we are not stepping out in such bold ways that we are scared, with knees knocking so much so that we have to lean on him to stand up, then girls we aren't dreaming with the knowledge that our God is mighty. Our God is Uncontainable. Our God makes blind men see and raises the dead. He made mountains and moved them around to create the earth.  He is mighty! Sweet sister he is big enough to accomplish whatever he is calling you to without you, but he loves you so much he invites you to do it with him. Stop limiting him and start dreaming with him.

Whatever it is, it's not bigger than the God calling you to it. But you must invite him into your life.  You must.  You cannot go forward without him, he must be a part of this plan. So today, I wrote them all down and I prayed. I prayed that I would honor him with these dreams. I prayed that I would not go before him. I prayed that I would be diligent in my ways to seek the kingdom with these gifts.

Today I pray that whatever it is that seems so huge that God is calling you to do that you will ask him to lead the way.  Whatever it is. Maybe it's going back to school, maybe its seminary, maybe it's a total career change, maybe it's staying home and homeschooling. Whatever that BIG scary thing is, I pray you will seek God with it.  That you will do it with him.  I am praying that you are brave enough to step out and do really big uncomfortable things for the glory of God.  I pray that for myself.

He made us, he pursues us, he longs to give us the desires of our hearts, you dear girl are FEARFULLY & WONDERFULLY made in his loving image. He can and will do immeasurably more than you can ever imagine.

Go with God this year.  Write those dreams down and chase after them with a HOLY passion! I'm right here with you, shaking in my cowgirl boots!

Much Love,
Chrystan

PS- Want more on CALLING?  Join us over at Imperfectly Brave this year as we study CALLING!  Register for this free program HERE.

God Heal Our Land: A Hashtag For the People

I am a hashtag girl, love them!  I can't sit here and explain the hashtag but I can say they are a way to make something "trend", to be follow-able online.  So, a hashtag (I use #boymom multiple times a week) goes with a picture you post or tweet or a status update and it follows you forever.  Yes, folks, forever it becomes a part of your online thumbprint FOREVER (she says in a Sandlot type tone)  This week our country saw yet another mass shooting.  The same familiar things played out, the same type of media coverage came onto our screens, we've seen the evacuation again, the police chase and the hunt to take these shooters down.  We have basically had a shooting for everyday this year, that's sad fact.  Our President and many others have stated in interviews, in tweets and posts "Our thoughts and prayers are with the victims and their families during this time". #godisntfixingthis Is the latest hashtag to blow up the Internet today.  The back lash of this was this headline:

How very bold of Daily News to post this as a front pager today.  Then came the online quarrel and cruelness back and forth; Christians and Non-believers hashtag about this post and the #godisntfixingthis and it gets uglier and uglier.  I heard 3 believers that are hosts of the Today show this morning covering the story of this hashtag and Daily News cover. With each statement my heart ached for them.  They were nervous to speak on it, fumbling through their words, trying to tip toe through standing up for their faith.

Let me say in boldness and truth my God's agenda is not your agenda.  He has every right to let us sit in our sin.  You want him to fix a country that has turned their back completely on him?  You want him to lay his hand of peace and love and protect us when we lash out in hatred toward each other. When we bathe ourselves in sin with porn at our finger tips, pastors on infidelity websites all while feeding our egos by obsessing over how many shares and likes our selfie gets.  Lord, forgive us, Lord forgive me.  Christians we are luke warm. Non-believers you are headed down a scary road.  Instead of fighting you and defending my powerful God, let me tell you what prayer has done in my life.

We just built a house. We just moved in to our dream home, that we saved and sacrificed for.  Not just a few months after we moved in, my husband lost his job.  Out of nowhere for no just reason my husband was let go of a good, steady, well paying job for a company that he had been a leader in for 10 years.  Financial security, gone.  And everything stood still and for a moment I felt panic creeping in.  I did what I know to do. I met with God.  I went to the end of my farmhouse table and sat and I cried out (literally, ugly cry) to my God. I warded off panic and fear with prayer.  For over 2 months nothing, no job.  For  almost 3 months we prayed. Our friends prayed. Our family prayed. Our church prayed.  I prayed for my husband to find worth outside of the strong provider gene he has. I prayed peace over us, that no matter what we would find refuge in God.  I never doubted that God would provide for us, never once, God's got this we said over and over to friends who didn't understand why we weren't panicking.  For these months I saw God molding my husband, drawing him into the word and walking closely with him.  I cry now typing it out, because it was beautiful.  Today, this morning GOD FIXED THIS.  My husband walked out of my house at 6:30am to start his new job.  I praise God for his provision of a job, and actually a better paying job!  But I want you to know I praise God because during this time of trouble he provided a calm in our home, he made this time sweet, he brought us nearer to him in many ways. Our marriage is stronger and our walk with God is so very sweet.
Today I cry out to God in prayer for my country, for this world.

Your hashtag doesn't make me doubt God. Your headline doesn't make me hate you.  Your Internet hatred of my sweet Savior only draws me closer to him.  Your attack on prayer only makes me pray harder.  Because scripture tells me I should be fervent in prayer and that if I pray, if I remain humble and turn from these wicked ways that he will heal our land.  God Bless America Land that I love...let us get back to the roots this country was built and away from hashtags that tare away at that.
#godhealourland #godhealyourpeople #godforgiveus

Much Love,
Chrystan

What A Pastor's Wife Wants You to Know

If you are a church goer then it is likely you have a Pastor. If you have a Pastor then it is likely that sitting in the front pew of your church (or close) is a Pastor's wife.  She's probably smiling. She's probably looking all put together and calm.  You may look at her and think she is a picture of perfection.  The ladies of your church may put her just under the pedestal that they place her husband on each week, which is scary for her because it's a long frightening fall down off of a pedestal that high.  Because guess what, she is a human person.  A human person with all the feels, with the anxieties of expectations not met, with the fear of letting someone down in her humanness, walking around with the weight of the expectation that goes with her title, she is a real girl with a big calling.  Can you walk with me into this for a little while?  Are you loving on your Pastor's wife? Have you gotten to know her?  Have you placed her on a high pedestal of unattainable expectations?  Let's chat.

Think about getting to church events. You mommas with babies, isn't it the HARDEST feat ever to get your kids up, fed, dressed decently, PLUS getting yourself ready and all out the door in time for church. I mean, exhausting just typing about it right?  Imagine doing that by yourself every single Sunday morning. Along with Christmas Eve, Christmas Day and Easter and all the church events in between.  When your husband is called to Pastor, you are called to support. When your husband is at deacons meetings, hospital visits, weddings, funerals, church services, evening service, business meetings, southern baptist convention, pastoral leadership meetings and all the things in between that leaves you running the home.  Imagine doing all that and breezing into the doors on Sunday morning looking perfectly put together like a pastor's wife should.  Then jumping into the role of greeter, counselor and even sometimes mediator.  Imagine all the pressure to attain perfection in this, as the people all watch you waiting for you to slip up.

So, can we just love on these women girls. Can we give them safe places?  So many Pastors' wives are told to live lonely lives, because people are not safe for them.  Because the women in the church expect perfection from their pastors wife and will not give them safe places to be real, and let me just say, how un-biblical is that.  How can we expect perfection for our members in ministry?  That's not biblical at all!  No one is perfect! No one can have it all together all the time. We need ugly cries and real hugs.  We all have hard days, and weaknesses and imperfections of course.  Guess what, our Pastor and his wife are not exempt from that. They are chasing after grace just as we are.  They are called to lead but not to perfection.  They are called to serve but will not always do it perfectly.  Have you hugged your Pastor's wife lately? She needs a real, honest hug. One that she can sink into and breathe out the weight of perfection laid on her by the world, by the church. It's harder than you think.

Ruth Graham is maybe not a well known name in your house.  Maybe you don't know anything about this woman, but she was mighty.  I don't know her personally, but I've heard she was amazing.  I don't know her inner self, but I've heard of her great heart in a life lived serving alongside her husband in ministry. It's funny to say serving alongside, because really she was an extremely important player in the Billy Graham ministry but she was completely behind the scenes.  In order for a Pastor to serve and have a family it seems common that the Pastor's wife takes on a huge support role.  Billy Graham's ministry called him out of their home with 5 children for many days, many months and many years.  Ruth lived out her ministry role by running their household and supporting her husbands call to Pastor.  Lives, so many lives, have been changed because of the role that she filled. It was a hard, lonely, long role at times.  But she served in mighty ways.

Decision Magazine wrote these things about Ruth Bell-Graham:

Ruth’s rock-solid support of Billy’s ministry and her ability to manage their household on her own earned the respect of his Team. “There would have been no Billy Graham as we know him today had it not been for Ruth,” said Billy’s longtime assistant, T.W. Wilson. '

“What I missed!” he wrote in “Just As I Am,” his autobiography, “And what Ruth missed by not having me to help her. Whenever I did get home, I got a crash course in the agony and ecstasy of parenting. If Ruth had not been convinced that God had called her to fulfill that side of our partnership and had not resorted constantly to God’s Word for instruction and to His grace for strength, I don’t see how she could have survived.”

Our Pastor's have amazing, God honoring, exhausted, poured out women serving alongside them.  Helping them get up to the pulpit each Sunday.  Praying for them, lifting them up, and walking through the messy of ministry because lets face it they work directly with humans and we are messy. Let us love our Pastor by loving his wife like Jesus does, fiercely and with abundant grace.  Let's let them be real people doing real life things for we are all FEARFULLY and WONDERFULLY made in his BEAUTIFUL image.  Grace upon grace abounds... Go hug a Pastor's wife this week!

Much Love,
Chrystan

PS- More than 80% of Pastor's wives feel unsupported, burnt out and unappreciated by their Church. Here is a great little blog that tells you how you can support and care for your pastor's wife.
http://www.charismamag.com/life/women/23209-7-ways-to-support-your-pastor-s-wife
and also here is a 30 days of praying scripture for your pastor's wife:
https://www.reviveourhearts.com/articles/30-day-praying-for-your-pastors-wife/

A Treasure Map Through Suffering

“You don’t really know Jesus is all you need until Jesus is all you have.” - Tim Keller

I don’t understand suffering. It’s a concept I cannot wrap my brain around.  I am a human person and suffering is something that I get stuck walking through.  Easily I shake my fist at my sweet Lord.  I say “How could” “Why are you” “What about your goodness”  “What about your love” “Don’t my tears mean anything to you Lord?”  “What about her faith, don’t you see she is a good and faithful woman?”  “What about my faith?  Don’t you see I am praying over here, do you hear my prayers Lord?”  “You can answer them Father.  You can strike this down and make this well.  I don’t understand!”  

I don’t understand so I go to the word, The Bible, it’s the only thing I can do.

The Bible is not meant for beating on.  The Bible is not meant to be a step stool for us to stand on so we can look down on those around us. The Bible is not meant for what so many use it for, self-righteousness and hurt. For lashing out on, for judgment and agendas.  This sweet book, the Holy Bible, is meant as a guidebook for the lost.  Think of it as a map, a treasure map.  Right now there is suffering in this life. Right now today my family is hurting and confused and so am I.  So today, I go to The Holy Bible, and start back down the path for treasure. Let us run, not walk, to the treasure of the word of the Lord.

The Lord is a stronghold for the oppressed a stronghold in times of trouble. And those who know your name put their trust in you, for you, O Lord, have not forsaken those who seek you. Psalm 9: 9-10

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

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our affliction, so that we may be able to comfort those who are in any affliction, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God. For as we share abundantly in Christ’s sufferings, so through Christ we share abundantly in comfort too.  If we are afflicted, it is for your comfort and salvation; and if we are comforted, it is for your comfort, which you experience when you patiently endure the same sufferings that we suffer.  Our hope for you in unshaken, for we know that as you share in our sufferings, you will also share in our comfort. 2 Corinthians 1: 3-7

The verses go on an on.  Something to remember is we are not meant for here.  We were never meant to be out of communion with God.  We were supposed to be spending our days in a garden in the presence of the Lord, being in direct relationship with God and loving him with all our days.  This world is full of pain and suffering and hardness and death.  God is literally counting up till the day when we are reunited with him in Heaven and can get back to the plan. The plan of him, with us all our days.  He is anxiously awaiting our arrival into his courts. Until that day comes there will be bad days, sick babies, sin, pain and suffering. But we can look forward to the future of being with our good Father someday.  Until then I can meet him in prayer and in his word through the Holy Bible.  Until then, I will hunt for treasures stored up in Heaven.

Sister, if you are struggling today. If you don’t know the Lord or if you have shut him out of your life may I encourage you to lean into his word today? If you don’t know where to start I suggest Ephesians and Psalms those are some of my favorites.  Reach out to the believers around for your love and support.  We are here, struggling through the same life and have troubles as well. Let us band together in love and solidarity for the glory of God, the one who made us FEARFULLY and BEAUTIFULLY in his image of LOVE.

Much Love,

Chrystan

PS- I know there is so much more on this topic, we could go deeper and deeper. There's so much theology here and so many more words. Maybe someday we will study this topic together. Today these are the words God gave me, for someone out there that needs to here just this.

Fiercely For You

There’s enough. Did you know there’s enough to go around?  There’s enough space, there’s enough topics to cover, there’s enough room for blogs and articles on news feeds. There’s enough speaking podiums and passionate stances to be shared.  There’s enough words for compliments.  There’s just enough for all.  We don’t have to compete for air time, Facebook reads, blog post views, who is the prettiest, who wore it best, who sung it better. I mean there’s just enough. 

I have a group of girls.  We champion for each other.  We each have different God calls that focus on different areas of life and you know what we do, we hoist each other up each ladder rung.  Sometimes one girl is shining in the light and sometimes none of us are. Sometimes one of us makes a HUGE break through and sometimes 2 of us do and 1 doesn’t.  I mean who stinkin’ cares.  The gospel is being shared, the love is being poured and Jesus wins. 

Ladies let us stop.  Can you just HALT this with me?  The girl next to you who is shining in her role on this earth, can you champion for her please?  Can you lift her up so high today? Cause you know what, she needs it because this world is harsh.

I am a boot girl.  I loves me some cowboy boots. Not just any cowboy boots but Old Corral CowboyBoots (yes maybe I am a boot snob, I’m working on it).  I love beautiful boots on my feet.  I save and hoard gift cards and gift money to buy a pair of boots.  I love my light brown lace style boots, it’s rare I see them on anyone else and I get compliments on them all the time.  Love them.  The other day I was at an event and someone else had the same boots on.  So instead of being snotty about it, as if I wear them better, I walked over and told her she was rocking those boots. We laughed about being boot twins and it was so fun.  Girls, ladies, women of the world we can celebrate each other today.  If a girl is rocking an outfit I could never wear, I want to be the first to go to her and say dang girl you look gorgeous today!  If I see someone shying back and looking less confident I want to go and give her a compliment, tell her she’s looking lovely, tell her she has a great smile.  Let us be only for each other all the time.  There is no time to sit back and be harsh.  There is no room for pushing and shoving and holding down each other. Let us be FIERCELY for each other!

Believe me, I’ve been mean, caddy, unkind, snobby and self-centered (I can maybe still be all those things in my head).  This is a newer me.  A me that has seen and felt the support of what real women do.  Real women champion each other.  Real women lift up not pull down.  Let us all be REAL women.  The kind of women that support each other in all the things, that will sit down so someone else can shine.  I am learning to shine the light outwardly instead of on myself. There is no perfection here, but I will seek this with my days. I will be FIERCELY for you!

Ephesians 4:31-32

Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away from you, along with all malice. Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another as God in Christ forgave you.

You are God’s girls, he looks on you with abundant love each day, let us do the same for others.  Treat yourself as if you BEAUTIFULLY, FEARFULLY and WONDERFULLY MADE in his image, because that is truth.

Much Love,

Chrystan

The Story of Ruth: Let's Hear if For the Boy (Redeemed Part 2)

Ya'll I am a sucker for 80's & 90's music.  Oh my gosh, I just love it so much. I mean they don't make it like that anymore (for the sake of sounding really old).  I mean old school Whitney, Janet, NKOTB you know who you are out there. You're about to go dust off your favorite mix tape and jam to the good stuff. Go on girl, I'm not gonna judge. Well, 1984 brought one of my fav's in, Let's Hear it For the Boy off the hit movie Footloose.  I mean if that doesn't get your toes tappin', you're dead!  So what does this have to do with the final installment of our Ruth study.  Start by reading Ruth chapter 4 if you haven't already.  We have journeyed with our two gals Ruth and Naomi to the end. We have seen them loose their family and make a scary, lonely trek to Bethlehem. Ruth began to provide for herself and her mother-in-law by working in the fields where she caught the eye of Boaz.  At the leading of Naomi, Ruth went to Boaz to present herself and her estate to be redeemed by either him or the other guy in line.  (see the chapter 3 post)  Now we are caught up!

Boaz literally comes to the rescue here in chapter 4, but not before he does the right thing.  In the first part of chapter 4 we read of Boaz going to the next man in line to be the kinsman redeemer for Ruth. To inherit her land with her along with it (ladies can you imagine loosing your husband and then being passed down the line till someone takes you. Whew, I'm glad we don't do that anymore!) Boaz probably could have gotten away with marrying Ruth and gaining her and Naomi's land.  It didn't seem like anyone much cared about these two ladies.  However, Boaz was a good man and he was led to do right by Ruth but also do right by the law.  So we see in the middle of the chapter a funny transaction of the land, the inheritance and the taking off of a shoe (part of the custom of the times, again glad we don't do this nowadays!).

So our sweet Ruth becomes the wife of a good man. She is redeemed but so is our girl Naomi.  Naomi began with us a bitter woman, she even named herself Mara for all her pain and anguish.  We end the book of Ruth and Naomi has found great joy.  She has a family again, God has provided the desires of her heart through her love of Ruth and Ruth's love of her.  What a sweet story this is.  Cue the 80's theme music, all is right with the world, Boaz redeemed her and Ruth's name resides in the line of Jesus.  Don't skip over the genealogy stuff at the end guys, it is a bunch of boring names but it's an important bunch of names. This is the line of David, the lineage of our Savior.  So special!

So, we close the Book of Ruth with a great ending, redemption has happened and we are setting up for the coming of Christ.  It all points to OUR need for redemption OUR need for a Savior.  The first time I read the book of Ruth it blew me away, this time it blew me away again!  Go back and read books of the Bible you haven't read in a while, you will see them in a different light and learn new things each time I PROMISE!

I also promised an announcement to my friends and readers at the end of this study.  No i'm not pregnant and right now I'm saying praise the Lord for that, we have our hands full already! However, I am birthing a new baby of sorts.  God has led me to pursue more writing, more mentoring, more encouraging women and families.  So, there will be a new blog and new website where Family, Faith and Food will all come together around the table at Ferrell Farms.  Beautifully Made will be fused into a whole new site. More details to come, it is currently and actively under construction!  Follow me on social media to see all the new things as they come in!

For now, have a wonderful week following hard after God. My prayer for myself is Lord increase my Faith, feel free to join me in that adventure!  This week don't' forget you are a daughter to the King BEAUTIFULLY, FEARFULLY and WONDERFULLY MADE!  Redeemed in grace and love!

Much Love,
Chrystan
PS- Let's here it for the boy (I couldn't resist!):

The Story of Ruth: Redeemed Part 1

This weekend I celebrated my 5th anniversary.  Oh there is so much to say about this man that I have been blessed to call my husband.  Though I feel God chose him for me at just the right time in our lives, I got to choose to say yes or no when he proposed.  It was my choice, though there was clearly a right answer as I loved him and desired to spend my life with him, I still made the choice.  God knows what choices we are going to make, yet he gives us the right to make those choices.  With Adam I am thankful to have chosen him for my husband.  I am also thankful to have chosen to follow God and that we choose to follow him in our marriage.  As we continue to lean into the book of Ruth we see how Ruth's choices affect her and Naomi.

Ruth and Naomi have found themselves in a situation as we round the bases and head to third in our study of Ruth.  They are without men, they have traveled to a foreign land and they are basically alone in this journey. Just the two of them at first and now we see Boaz enters the scene.  Back in the early Biblical days women did not get to choose their husbands and if they were widowed it was likely they would be passed down to the next relative in line (see Leviticus).  In Ruth's case she chose to stay with her mother in-law in the passing of her husband, with no option of being re-married.  Ruth chose a life of hardship to do what she felt was right.  At the end of chapter two we see Boaz has become fond of Ruth and is taking good care of her.  He is giving her extra food and goods and providing for her in many ways.  She has turned his head with her work ethic and good character.  Ruth doesn't get to choose her man as women were not held in high esteem at this time, however, Ruth got to choose what her actions were going to look like. She changed her life by choosing to stay with Naomi, by choosing God and by being a woman of good character. Ruth could have chosen the easy way, gone back with Orpah and lived a regular life safe in Moab.  Instead she chose a path less traveled that has led her to the threshing room floor (read Ruth Chapter 3).

During harvest time the owners of the fields would stay overnight to either work or guard their fields from thieves.  Boaz was this type of field owner, he was there guarding and working when Ruth came to the threshing floor to state her intentions.  This is not a sexual matter, it is easy in this day and time to say that Ruth was after Boaz here, but she wasn't.  Ruth was obeying and following the lead of a Godly woman to do what was the right next step. Ruth followed Naomi's instruction for indicating to Boaz that he could be her kinsman redeemer.  Laying at his feet showed Boaz that as a relative of Ruth's he could find someone to marry her or he could harry her himself.  (Boaz was a distant relative of Ruth's husband)  What an interesting thought, to lay at the feet of a distant relative to spur on the next relationship in your life, can you imagine! So, Boaz is flattered but in comes a curve ball. He informs Ruth; "I am not the next in line, but if this other guy is ok with it I'll have your hand in marriage. I will redeem you." (paraphrased for understanding).  We leave our girls Ruth and Naomi at the end of the chapter unsure of what will happen when Ruth is presented to this other relative.  Naomi is reassuring Ruth that Boaz will settle this matter quickly.

Where are we leaving you today?  Have you chosen the easy route?  Ruth's path has not been easy since she chose Naomi over returning with Orpah.  She's had to work hard and venture into the unknown, but she has displayed great character through this process.  I'm sure she had her doubts and days where she looked back towards Moab and longed for the path well traveled, but in the end she is blessed for her choice.  If you feel like the path you are on is not a good one you can choose to make a change!  I'm am telling you from experience the path less traveled is the best one to be on.  I do not believe a life well lived by God's standards is an easy one, but if you are following hard after God's leading you will be cared for by your Savior.  You will be poured into and loved on as Boaz has for Ruth.  He saw her choosing the right path, working hard and seeking good things and was led to provide for her out of what will we find out later is love.  God sees you girl, he wants you to lean into him so he can pour into you.  He's waiting for you to follow him whole-heartedly so he can redeem you in his love.  As in the case of our girl Ruth, choosing Him and seeking more of Him will change your life!

There's so much ahead of us as we close out Chapter 3 of Ruth and look towards Chapter 4!  I cannot wait to dive into the end of the book of Ruth with you this week!  We will also have a fun guest blog from my gal pal Leesa Mead author of Save a Skillet to close out this study, I cannot wait to hear from her, ya'll she's so good! Until then let's spend time this week praising God for his creation in us as FEARFULLY WONDERFULLY MADE girls in his image.

Much Love,
Chrystan

The Story of Ruth: God's Perfect Timing

Have you ever missed the bus, taken a wrong turn or had a flight cancelled?  Did you praise God for that event...hmmm...probably not.  This morning I went to the pharmacy to pick up my prescription. You see here at Ferrell Farms we don't live right in town, it's a little bit of a jaunt to get to the grocery store and the pharmacy.  So, when I go into town I am intentional with my errands. This morning I had 4 tasks; kids to daycare, Pharmacy, UPS and coffee.  When I arrived at the pharmacy the drive through window was still closed, 30 minutes after their opening time.  I called them as I sat there and the manager informed me they had a sub coming in, he wouldn't arrive for another hour.  Bummer.  Remember, jaunt and to do list. As I drove away I began to be frustrated, this was not part of the plan this morning. I need to get home, now I have to come back!  Then I had a sweet reminder of my study of the book of Ruth.  I was reminded of God's perfect timing and I smiled.

In Ruth chapter one we meet Ruth and her mother-in-law Naomi after great tragedy has struck their family.  Three women were left to fend for themselves.  Orpah, Ruth's sister-in-law, has left the picture.  Ruth has insisted Naomi let her stay by her side, no matter what.  Chapter one closes with a very BIG detail that we as readers can easily gloss over:

"So Naomi returned from Moab accompanied by Ruth the Moabite, her daughter-in-law, arriving in Bethlehem as the barley harvest was beginning."

God has brought these two women back just in time!  There were two harvest times, spring and fall. The women were returning during the spring barley harvest, which was a time of hope and plenty.  Bethlehem was a farming community and because it was the time of the harvest there was plenty of leftover grain in the fields.  This grain was left out for the poor of the community to collect (glean) which they then made into food.  Do you see how God is providing? Do you see here how his timing is so perfect!?  It get's better... (read Chapter 2 of Ruth)

In chapter two we meet a man, a good man name Boaz.  Ruth goes to glean in his field for her and Naomi.  She is such a hard worker she caught the eye of this great man.  Exhibiting admirable qualities in our lives is so important, we never know who is watching and who is taking notes.  Boaz saw these great qualities in our girl Ruth and he admired her from a far.  Because of the qualities of Ruth and because God is so good, Boaz found favor in her and began to give her a little extra throughout the remainder of the barley harvest.  Let's walk away from today with two great take homes:

1. God's timing is perfect and way better than ours!  Even though there was tragedy. Even though they had to leave Moab and journey into the unknown, God provided much more than these two ladies could have ever dreamed!  He continues to provide for them greatly, he remembers Ruth and finds favor with her.  You sweet girls are no different.  He remembers you.  Continue to seek him, follow hard after his ways and walk his path. There is blessing in that, I promise!

2. Good character and reputation go far.  Chapter one showed us Ruth was loyal. Chapter 2 showed us Ruth was hard working on top of being loving, kind, faithful and brave.  Ruth's life exhibited admirable qualities consistently and it was noticed.  It turned the head of a good man and played a part in how God moved and worked in her life.  Boaz is going to change Ruth's life and redeem her. The story gets pretty exciting!

Ruth's life was changed by God.  His timing was perfect, her qualities were more than admirable.  Let us all rejoice this week in God's perfect timing for our lives and thank him for always having our best interest in mind. His ways, not ours, are the very best!  I pray this week that each of us reflect on the qualities we are exhibiting and adjust accordingly.  Strangers, friends, boyfriends, husbands and our children are watching us to see what our character is.  Let it be said of us that we are loyal, hard working, loving, kind, faithful and brave....and don't forget FEARFULLY and WONDERFULLY MADE in our good God's image!

Much Love,
Chrystan
PS- Chapter 3 gets good...more coming soon!

This Is Amazing Grace: Remembering the Journey

I dated a really bad guy once.  A really bad guy.  He was abusive in a way that I'm not sure you will understand if you haven't experienced it before.  He was controlling and emotionally abusive through his control of my life.  He made me feel teeny tiny and unworthy of him.  I changed who I was for him, I gave up my beliefs and pushed my family aside to be with him.  Through all the warnings and red flags I couldn't see the forest for the trees.  I try not to say I regret things in life, as God uses those things to mold and shape us and bring us somewhere beautiful, but it's the closest thing I have to regret. (If you are in an abusive relationship please seek help today!)

Today I am typing from my front porch at Ferrell Farms.  I am about to celebrate 5 years of marriage to Farmer Adam and I am blown away by where God has brought me.  My college years were rough, the world won me over in my 20's.  Cohen's birth and raising him as a single momma saved my life.  The years that followed were filled with extreme highs and lows.  Dating an abusive man took a toll on me but after that I began to find a personal journey in my walk with God.  It became less of something my parents brought me up to do and more about a need and desire.  I had an ache I was trying to heal with a lot of things, an ache that only God had the medicine for.  When I met Adam the first time, we were no where near ready for each other, so a year later God tried again and we have been together ever since.  In this time the Lord has worked in our lives in the most incredible ways.  He has blessed us with two more boys, kept us together fighting against the world for our marriage and most importantly he has drawn us each so closely to him that we have become one unit.  I sit on this porch saying there is no way I could have ever dreamed this big for my life, my God he is so BIG!  (Ecclesiastes 3:11)

I am reminded this morning of one of my favorite Bible stories. One that I fell in love with when I fell back in love with God.  The story of Ruth in the Bible is incredible.  It is a love story, but not exactly the kind of love story you would think of.  This story has a special place in my heart, because it was the first time I fell in love with the words of the Bible.

In honor of my love story meeting it's 5th year anniversary this month and to celebrate a new chapter coming in my life, we are going to do a 2 week study together of the book of Ruth.  I am not a theologian, I barely know how to spell that word.  However, I believe that God is calling me to go deeper with you and for you to step in closer to him through his words revealed through this blog. This will be a great journey together and I am excited to share my love of this book in the Bible.  So join in on the fun and let's discover together how God worked in one woman's life so greatly he put her name in the lineage of Jesus!  A lowly widow of the wrong kind of people group ended up in the lineage of Jesus, I mean how big is our God!

Can't wait friends!  You can join in by subscribing to my blog or following me on social media for more posts which will lead to a BIG announcement at the end!  Eeek so excited!

This week as you step into all the hard places look forward into the eyes of your Savior! Step in knowing that God's plan is so great, that you are FEARFULLY, BEAUTIFULLY and WONDERFULLY MADE in his image!

Much Love,
Chrystan