“Pleasant words are like a honeycomb, sweet to the soul and healing to the bones” (Prov. 16:24).

May God give me a word, not a sugar-coated word, but a word that is sweet to our souls and healing to our bones. -MAT

A sermon note written on my heart more than 20 years ago, etched in the margin beside Exodus 20:8 in my Bible, says this: “Sabbath—to cease in order to quiet the heart.”

God’s plan is good; it protects us while on our Journey to heaven, our home sweet home. God’s cycle of life, his order of work and rest is one of those things that, through all of creation, we have resisted. In the Old Testament, God provided his way for rest: six days work and one day rest, six years plant-ing and one year to let the crops rest, forty nine years of business as usual and the fiftieth year to forgive all debt.

In reality, the Old Testament Sabbath is much more detailed than this, but for our purposes we can focus on the fact that it was God’s loving provision for his people. Obeying God in this would bring blessing. Going one’s own way and avoiding the Sabbath would bring devastation. The Sabbath was a shadow or a picture of what would be fulfilled in the birth, death, resurrection, ascension, and coming return of Jesus Christ. He is our true Sabbath rest. (See Heb. 4.)

The Journey, now in its seventh year, is stepping out in obedience to God to rest from the work in order to rest in the Word. In ceasing the work of put-

ting on two Journey events this year, we are focusing on connecting women to Jesus Christ in new ways. This mag-azine, Between the Lines, will reach a wide audience and, we believe, bring rest, sweetness to the soul, and heal-ing to the bones for the Journey com-munity and beyond.

While the Journey team will be meet-ing monthly to go deeper in the Word and prayer, we also will be taking the “Journey on the Road” to help others kick off their ministries for women. We did not seek this out; rather, we placed our willingness before the Lord and He has opened doors for us to go. We will provide details for you as these “on the road” opportunities unfold.

It is our prayer that 2011 will bring depth and blessing to all of us. Savor this issue, and the truth of God’s Word in and between each line. Please pass it on. Enjoy resting in the Word and reaping the blessings of obedience to God’s rhythm.

The idea of the Sabbath—a quieting of the heart—is sweet to my soul and healing to my bones. I pray that it is sweet and healing to you too. We are glad you are on this Journey with us, headed for home. God bless you!

Resting in Him,Mary Ann

Dear Reader,

Between the Lines is a magazine of the Journey, a ministry of Christ Church Fairview Heights, IL. © 2011, Christ Church. mychristchurch.com Designed by Justin Aymer

Between the Lines • Spring 2011 • Volume 1, Issue 1

Table of ContentsAre You Weary? Journey to a Place of Rest 4 Leaning on the Windowsill of Heaven 6Collage: Journeying 8Meditations on Heading Home 10A Map for the Journey 12I Know that I Know that I Know 13Testimony: Building the Relationship of a Lifetime 15

This Issue’s Theme: The Journey

Verse of the Season:“Thy word is a lamp unto my feet and a light unto my path” (Psalm 119:105).

Mary Ann Turner is the leader of the Journey Team at Christ Church. A former elementary school teacher, she is the wife of Mark, mother of two grown children, and grandmother to one precious little boy. She enjoys encouraging women to grow in their Christian faith.

Lindsay Tallman is a freelance writer whose work has appeared in Nature, Biotech, and Commerce magazines. A wife and mother of three, Lindsay enjoys reading, traveling, and playing with her quirky children. She and her family live in O’Fallon, Illinois and worship at Christ Church.

Heather Asunskis is an attorney and member of the Journey Team at Christ Church. A native of Caseyville, Illinois, she cur-rently lives in Swansea with her husband and two daughters. She regularly attends Christ Church with her mom and girls.

Emily Climaco, Ph.D., is a member of the Journey Team and the vol-unteer editor of Between the Lines. She is the wife of Phil and mom of Caroline, and she enjoys reading, writing, bargain-shopping, and watching TV.

Meet the Contributors

REDUCE – get the digital version via e-mail at mychristchurch.com/thejourneyREUSE – pass along this issue to a friend when you’re finishedRECYCLE – toss in a Paper Retriever bin at Christ Church

ARE YOU WEARY? Journey to a Place of Rest by Lindsay Tallman

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“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest” (Matt. 11:28)

I love that verse. The reason I love it so much is because, as a mother of young children, I can relate so well to the weary and burden he’s talking about. Can’t you just picture a mother with one child on her hip, a laundry basket on the other, several other little ones trailing behind arguing over something, a phone ringing in the background, dinner burning on the stove, and her almost irresistible urge to lie down and take a nap right in the middle of it all? Christ has so much to offer weary women. Jesus came to the world not only to save us from our sins, but also to ease our burdens, give us rest, and give us the power to live an abundant life. What incredible news!

So why are so many of us exhausted? A lot of us seem to be living anything but a restful and abundant life. In our modern society of you can do it all, you can be it all, and you can have it all, we’ve taken our focus off of our Savior and let the world pull us in a hundred

different directions. Instead of casting our burdens at his feet, we’ve got a bag full of guilt, worry, and disappointment we’re lugging around.

One major barrier that keeps us from living in the promise of an abundant and restful life is distraction. Whenever I ask one of my friends how things are going, I almost always get the same answer, “Busy.” And it’s no wonder: between work, home, family, friends, community, and ministry, there’s a lot to be done. So what are we to do? Thank-fully, Jesus understands the pressures of this world better than we ever could because he has walked among us and lived the perfect life we could never live. So we must hear his words to, “Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls” (Matt. 11:29). The problem with being too busy is that it takes our focus off of Jesus and the life or “yoke” he is offering us and puts it on every other little thing happening around us.

Jesus clearly illustrates this problem in Luke’s account of Mary and Martha. Je-sus and his disciples arrived in Bethany where it says Martha opened her home

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to them. But Martha’s gift of hospitality is often overlooked in sermons or Bible studies because of what happens once the visitors arrive. Martha, “had a sister called Mary, who sat at the Lord’s feet listening to what he said. But Martha was distracted by all the preparations that had to be made. She came to him and asked, ‘Lord, don’t you care that my sister has left me to do the work by myself? Tell her to help me!’ The Lord answered, ‘Martha, Martha, you are worried and upset about many things, but only one thing is needed. Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her’” (Luke 10:39-42). Jesus wasn’t saying that Martha’s hard work wasn’t important or appreciated, but it wasn’t the most important thing right at that moment. In her efforts to serve him, she was missing out on an opportunity to sit at his feet and learn from him! As his children, we too can be so dis-tracted by “important” things that we miss out on the most important thing of all. Jesus said, “But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well” (Matt. 6:33). Everything in this world will compete for our top priority if we do not place God first in our lives. This means we must be intentional in all of our decision-making and the way we spend our time. We all have certain responsibilities and obligations that are a part of living in this world, but what would your life look like if you let God examine your daily to-do list?

If you’re overwhelmed by the amount of work you are doing, pray for God’s guidance as you examine your duties and priorities. Ask him to reveal what he would have you do and what you need to let go of in order to choose what is better. Asking the Lord to change your

heart can be painful. There may be un-derlying reasons that we feel the need to be so busy. Often times, being busy makes us feel important and needed. We take on more responsibility than we can handle because we want to avoid guilt, please others, or believe that if we don’t do it then no one will. Some of us use our Type-A personalities as an excuse for our need to be constantly doing something. The problem with let-ting distraction become a way of life is that it keeps us from being present with our families, friends, and the people who need us most. Most importantly, it keeps us from the abundant life of rest and peace that Jesus offers us as we spend time with him and learn from him.

I’m not suggesting we drop everything and run to the hills (although I’ll admit there are times when I wish for a se-cret room in my house where I could go take a nap). But I am suggesting that Jesus didn’t come to make your life just a little bit better. He came to give you a whole new way of living! Jesus said, “For my yoke is easy and my burden is light” (Matt. 11:30). If you are looking for a place to rest your weary soul, he is waiting with arms wide open to re-ceive you and offer you his peace.

Recommended Reading for Weary Travelers:

Breathe: Creating Space for God in a Hectic Life by Keri Wyatt Kent

Having a Mary Heart in a Martha World by Joanna Weaver

Kyria digizine, Jan.-Feb. 2011 issue: “Simplicity.” Access at www.kyria.com.

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“Every morning, lean awhile on the windowsill of heaven and gaze upon the Lord; then, with that vision in your heart, turn strong and meet the day.”

With the discovery of this anonymous quote over 30 years ago, my prayer life began. Every morning sitting in the same chair with my Bible and a journal—praying, reading the Word, making notes—I kept on consistently, intentionally, day after day. God kept teaching me, meeting me in that chair every morning. The more I made this daily choice, the more I wanted of Je-sus. Now, I know I can’t live without quiet time with him. Surely, I can ex-ist without Jesus but with him and in relationship with him, I truly live! (John

10:10). The Bible says, “Draw near to God and he will draw near to you” (James 4:8). Take a moment to jot down your response to this prom-ise. Nothing this world offers can enrich our lives in the same way that prayer combined with the Word of God can. As we drink it in, his Word is hidden in our hearts. As a believer—one who has confessed and repented of her sin and surrendered to God’s saving grace through the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ alone—the promised Holy Spirit dwells within her. The Spirit will bring to mind what we have learned in those quiet times (John 14:26-27). What a comfort! We can know and rec-

Thoughts on Experiencing Intimacy through Prayerby Mary Ann Turner

Leaning on theWindowsill of Heaven

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ognize God’s voice and receive that comfort when we are in need of his love, his guidance, his strength, and his peace. In John 10, Jesus calls himself “the good shepherd.” What does this image mean to you?

If we want to recognize God’s voice, we must know his Word. As we do this we will begin to walk through this life with peace, even in the midst of the darkest storms. When we experi-ence hard times in life, as we press in closer to the Lord in prayer, our pri-vate prayer becomes a powerful public life. In Phil. 4:4-7, Paul encourages believers to take everything to God in prayer. What is to be gained from this? Think of a time when you ex-perienced God’s peace and record the feeling here.

As we read the prayers of Paul and others in the Bible, we find examples of how to pray with power. One of my favorites is Eph. 3:14-21. This can be anyone’s prayer. We can pray it for our-selves and for others. Which part of Paul’s prayer in Eph. 3:14-21 is most relevant to your current life circum-stances?

These treasures are yours and mine to have, to hold, to live by. We can walk through life with power and peace. There are many powerful prayers in the Bible: see Psalm 5:1-3, Rom. 15:5, Rom. 15:13, Col. 1:9-12, 1 Thess. 5:23-24, 2 Thess. 2:16-17. These examples include prayers for the good of others. Is there a particular friend or family member for whom you feel called to intercede in prayer today?

The gentle and sweet times of prayer, combined with the times we wrestle and do battle in prayer for the deep

trials of life, offer us a true picture of Jesus Christ. Our prayer lives can be a picture of Christ—both pain and joy meshed in the shape of a cross, the saving cross of Jesus Christ. I prom-ise you that if we endeavor to covenant with God, to meet him daily—not in a rigid, legalistic sense but in an inti-mate sense—we will grow in wisdom and in the power of the Spirit. We will have peace in our lives. Jesus Christ is our example. Taking a good look into the four gospels we see that Jesus got up early in the morning, went to lonely places, and prayed (Mark 1:35, Luke 5:16).

I would like to encourage you to choose a place—a chair, even a cor-ner in a closet, or, for a mom of young children, it might even be a Bible left open in the laundry room! Be creative! I keep my materials in a basket: a Bible and a journal for keeping a record of what God is teaching me. I also keep some index cards nearby so that I can jot down verses and keep them by the sink, in the car, or on the bathroom mir-ror. I keep a list of the prayer requests that I am praying for. Often, I tuck a slip of paper with a name on it in my silverware drawer. Each time I pull open the drawer and see the name, I am reminded to pray. As we walk through our day we can carry this at-titude of prayer with us. We can turn our thoughts into prayers throughout the rest of the day. In 1 Thess. 5:16-18, Paul advises Christians to pray continually. Pause a moment to read the passage and describe what this might look like in your everyday life.

We are free to come to Jesus as we

continued on page 14

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“A desolate feeling comes home to my heart, to think I am alone,” a homesick Emily Dickinson wrote to her brother Austin. In college I was similarly haunt-ed by homesickness, compounded by the question of God’s will. I knew that God had a purpose, but, although I wanted to do God’s will, I didn’t know how to ascertain it. So I got stuck, ut-terly frozen, unable to make decisions. And I was sure that I was all alone in my problem. Things didn’t look good.

One day I was talking to an acquain-tance, and we got on the subject of God’s will. What she said made good sense and has stuck with me: “God doesn’t give you a map for life with the entire route already highlighted; he gives you directions for the next baby-step. When you set out to please him every day, you can look back later and realize you’re on his path.” I can’t re-member this girl’s name, but she made a huge impact on me simply by speak-ing the truth in love.

This advice has helped me through many decisions, but it is easier to han-dle in theory than in practice. When I’m trying to make a decision, I can’t help but follow every “what if” path imag-inable. I want to know the most prob-able end result for every possible op-tion. And then I want to be able to leap through time to the outcome to confirm that the decision is right. Unfortunately, I don’t have a time machine. Rather, every significant decision made by faith takes God’s time to prove its worth. For someone as impatient as I am, this process is maddening. From mundane, everyday life to living by the Holy Spirit, everything is a process. On this side of heaven we grow increas-ingly Christ-like but remain imperfect. God will perfect us only when Jesus Christ returns (Phil. 1:6). Ugh—more process!

Christians must rely on the Holy Spirit to transform irritations, like wrestling the hands of the clock, into useful homesickness—a longing for our na-

destination

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tive heaven. On a youth group outing several years ago, the youth minister carelessly threw his trash into a lake. When one of the kids called him on it, he shrugged, reasoning, “This earth isn’t my home.” I give him points for dramatic flair. But surely we pilgrims can do better than that. When a child of God mourns wrongs against others, even strangers, that’s a purer manifes-tation of homesickness—an acknowl-edgement that this earth is our tempo-rary, broken home; that we anticipate seeing God dry their tears.

For many years my mom worked in a nursing home, caring for people whose relatives had sold off their worldly pos-sessions. Some of them could not reconcile the facility they lived in with the concept of “home.” They would sit in the hallway and call to anyone who passed, “I want to go home. I’m ready to go home now.” Similarly, how can we reconcile the trials, sadness, and evil of this world with the idea of home? While we live, we dwell in the space between “This Is My Father’s World” and “This World Is Not My Home”—the land of time, process, patience, and working things out. In short, it’s a journey. The minor irritations and larger pain of everyday life are symptoms of a uniquely Christian ill: yearning for our permanent heavenly home.

In February 2007, Jen Rodgers and her husband, Blake, of Swansea found their third and fourth children on an international adoption web site. In November of the same year, the couple traveled to Addis Ababa, Ethiopia to bring home the new ad-ditions to the family: a 22-month old brother and 5-year old sister pair! Jen documented the family’s adop-tion experience on her blog, “Learn-ing Patience.” Here, she eloquently describes the feelings of relief, ex-citement, and fulfillment of finally reaching their destination: Home. “Returning home – that’s the whole reason we took this trip. So many trips that we take are because we want to experience what is some-where else. This trip, while wonder-ful in the seeing and doing and ex-periencing, was a homecoming from the very beginning. It was these seconds of finally feeling all of my children pressing into me at once and laughing with them and taking them all in – this is why we went to Ethiopia.”

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The life of a Christian, like any journey, begins with one step. There’s no sim-ple formula, and it sometimes feels like taking one step forward and two steps back. Because we are human and God is perfect, salvation is not something to be earned like a scout badge. Rather, it’s a gift. God sits expectantly, like a parent on Christmas morning, waiting for you to open the gift.

Walking with God is not about going through carefully choreographed steps. What a tedious journey that would be! It’s not about the lockstep demands of religion. No, walking with God is about putting one foot in front of the other in a relationship with the One who knows you best.

You might wonder, how can I initiate a relationship with God? The good news is that God already took the first step by lavishing you with certain gifts. God gave you life, and he knew about you long before he created you. God gave his son Jesus to be one of us and give his life so that you might have access to God. God gave you his Word, the Bible, full of promises for you.

The Psalms writer said, “By your words, God, I can see where I’m go-ing; they throw a beam of light on my dark path” (Psalm 119:105). The path you walk is well-lit when you rely on the light of God’s word. While it’s true that a relationship—a true friendship—is not choreographed, there are some initial steps you can take to begin the

A MAP FOR THE JOURNEY

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What do you know for sure, beyond a shadow of a doubt? Members of the Journey Team share what they’ve learned through their Chris-tian journey.

“I know that God is always with me, guiding me. Even when I don’t feel him there, he is carrying me.”-Theresa Cavalierwife, jewelry maker, member of Christ Church

“I know that truth matters, and that there is no other way to God than through Jesus Christ. Jesus is the way, the truth, and the life and no one comes to the Father except through him.”-Maggie Wakemanchild of God whose identity is in Christ

“It’s not about how much you know; it’s about knowing Christ intimately.”-Mary Ann Turnerwife, mother, Asher’s Grammy, teacher

journey, to open the gift.

Here’s how you put one foot in front of the other: by recognizing these truths. First, God loves you. In fact, God loves you so much that he sent his only son Jesus to this world, hoping that you’d believe in him and live forever with him (John 3:16). But, because God is per-fect and humans aren’t, you must rec-ognize that you can’t measure up to his perfection on your own (Romans 3:23). However, this isn’t to say that God sent Jesus just to point out our shortcom-ings—no, Jesus became one of us and gave up his life to make us right with God (Romans 3:24). When he died on the cross: that was for you.

All you have to do is believe this and accept God’s gift of eternal life. If it feels right so far, go ahead and do something that may seem weird. Say out loud, “I am a Christian.” When you believe in your heart and confirm it by saying aloud that things are right between you and God, you’ve taken the first step as a Christian (Romans 10:10). If this seems pretty easy, then you have a good amount of faith. If your first step is more hesitant, that’s perfectly fine too. While some people find it very easy to trust God’s great love for us, others struggle to do so (Romans 12:3).

This initial step may feel a bit mechani-cal, but know that each step of the Christian journey is different. Some steps feel like falling head-over-heels in love, while other steps are like climb-ing a steep, rocky incline. Whatever the terrain, as a Christian you bear the hope of God’s promise never to leave or disappoint his children (Hebrews 13:5). Bottom line: this is a journey you won’t regret.

I KNOW thatI KNOW thatI KNOW

In the next issue: Words to live by - the significance of words in the Christian life.

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are, in and with all honesty. We may talk with him about anything and every-thing. As we pay attention to the ways he communicates with us through the Word, we will find that it seems as if he shines his light on a passage of scripture to respond to our questions. And, through the moments of each day, as we tune in to the promptings of the Holy Spirit, we will be reminded of his truth. The gentle voice of God is always consistent with his Word. Over time, it becomes familiar—our hearts resonate with his loving voice. As we develop a personal and intimate rela-tionship with our Lord and Savior, our lives will be different, we will be differ-ent, and even our faces will shine with the love of Christ.

I am reminded of the very last sentence in the Gospel of John: “Jesus did many other things as well. If every one of them were written I suppose that even the whole world would not have room for all the books that would be written” (John 21:25). Our lives will be like that—not enough time to tell all that Jesus has done!

So let’s lean awhile every day on the windowsill of heaven, listening and learning as the Spirit impresses upon our hearts his words of truth. Within the all-encompassing love of Jesus Christ, we have life—we truly live! Take a few moments to write a let-ter to God—a prayer. Tell him what’s

on your heart, and ask him to reveal himself to you. Be encouraged that when you draw near to God, he will draw near to you.

continued from page 7Leaning on the Windowsill of Heaven

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As the mother of two daughters aged 3 and 5, I decided over a year ago that it was my responsibility—my most se-rious responsibility—to ensure that I raised my children to know Jesus inti-mately. My husband is not a Christian, and, although I always knew I believed in Jesus, I never knew why.

My first step was to get to know Jesus myself. I ended up at Christ United Methodist Church. My mother and I went sporadically to the Sunday servic-es, and one day we decided to attend this event called The Journey: Three Ordinary Women, One Extraordinary God. Hearing these ordinary women who had extraordinary relationships with God share their stories moved me.

What brought me the closest to Je-

sus, though, was enduring an incred-ibly difficult time that I never thought I could survive. My grandmother, who I was fiercely close to growing up, was suffering from Alzheimer’s. We were losing her, and it was such a difficult thing for our family. She had been on hospice for a while, and I was in her room with my mother and several other family members. I asked God silently for some comfort, and I was led to this passage:

“They will be his people, and God him-self will be with them and be their God. He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourn-ing or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away” (Rev. 21:3-4).

This amazing feeling of peace washed over me. I actually felt Jesus’ presence in that room and I knew that He was sit-ting on my grandmother’s bed, holding her hand. I have never felt such peace in my life. And although I miss my grandmother, I rejoice that she is with God, where there is no more mourning or crying or pain.

To not lose sight of such moments, I keep a “Gratitude Journal.” I look to that journal to remind me of times that I know Jesus has moved in my life. I credit Jesus alone for carrying me through the difficult time with my grandmother; I know that I could not have survived it without Him.

Building the Relationshipby Heather Asunskis

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