Love God. Embrace Truth. Enjoy Life.

Love God. Embrace Truth. Enjoy Life.

Posted on by Michele Morin

When Ginger Harrington and her family moved from North Carolina to California, she wasn’t worried about packing or adjusting to a new home base. Rather, she was worried about surviving! Medical testing had revealed that she had Graves’ disease, a hyperthyroid autoimmune disease and suddenly, all the roller coaster symptoms of anxiety and a body stuck in high gear began to make sense. Packing a supply of her new little pills along with her three young children and all their belongings into a moving van, she and her husband did what military families always do–except that this time, Ginger’s moving mojo was drowned in a flood of adrenaline. Sleepless by night and depleted by day, she was forced to reach deeply into the truth she knew but could not feel:

“When you pass through the waters, I will be with you;
And through the rivers, they shall not overflow you.
When you walk through the fire, you shall not be burned,
Nor shall the flame scorch you.
For I am the Lord your God. . .” Isaiah 43:2, 3

Ginger’s journal became a spiritual climbing wall, a record of hand holds by which she pulled forward into the next grueling day:

 “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.” (Philippians 4:13)
“Don’t fret or worry.” (Philippians 4:6)

Holy in the Moment: Simple Ways to Love God and Enjoy Your Life, part memoir and part manifesto, is Ginger’s record of God’s faithfulness and a gift to readers in search of homely wisdom for living in sync with the promises of God. Fear and weakness forced Ginger to open her heart to the strength that comes only through prayer and to make one holy choice:

“Not every moment is good, but [she would] believe God is good in every moment.”

Truth that Transforms the Hard Moments

Far from stale “religion,” holiness is both practical and relevant to the life of a believer, for it is rooted in relationship with a holy God and grows in direct proportion to our willingness to be transformed in mind, will, and emotion. God’s invitation into holiness is a path away from a “disorderly and unkempt life” and toward a “life that is as beautiful on the inside as the outside.” For Ginger (and for all of us whose feet are walking broken paths), these are life-saving words, and anchor our hearts in the truth that God loves us as we are–not as we wish we were.

A Habit of Prayer in the Moment

Whether dealing with anxiety over major life adjustments or simply bad habits that have produced a hurried soul, redirection begins with the good choice to rest in God and to adopt a moment-by-moment trust. Prayer becomes the affirmation of total dependence upon God, especially as it becomes instinctive to “pray now rather than later.” (Loc 928)

Praying in the moment looks like grace flowing into everyday life:

  • Write a prayer directly into a social media thread;
  • Record your prayer in an email or text message and then hit “send”;
  • Send private, emergency messages to the God who is always listening;
  • View the fleeting thought about a person or a situation as a call to prayer.

In his classic work Practicing the Presence of God, Brother Lawrence refers to this mindfulness and ongoing dialogue as “continual conversation” with God.

Trust, Lean, Acknowledge

Holy living in the moment translates the familiar wisdom of Proverbs 3:5,6 from theoretical to the intensely practical in three action-oriented steps:

  1. Trust God with all your heart:  Trust and love live in direct proportion to one another.
  2. Lean not on your own understanding: “Our own understanding steers crooked with the bias of self.” (Loc 1020) Resigning from our position as adviser to God and depending on His leading is a huge sign that we are depending on Him and not ourselves.
  3. In all your ways acknowledge Him: “To acknowledge God is a form of prayer,” and all our ways would include thoughts, feelings, responses, and decisions.  As we embrace God’s way of doing and being, we discover that His promise of straight paths stands in direct contrast to our own broken and bent way of living.

Shimmering Glimpses of Wisdom

Oswald Chambers was known for teaching that prayer is all about relationship rather than answers:

“The purpose of prayer is to get a hold of God.”

As I progressed through Holy in the Moment, I found myself pausing and pondering over shimmering glimpses of wisdom that stand alone in their gracious beckoning toward truth:

“Aim for consistency but walk in grace.”

“You can choose the thoughts you will receive and the ones you will reject.”

“The faith way is to think,”I know my work is taxing, but Christ is my strength.”

“Far more than a doctrine to follow, holiness is a life to enjoy.”

“It’s important to understand that joy is not the absence of pain in circumstances, but rather the presence of God in the midst of them.”

Everyday choices build a life. Mundane moments of loving our kids, cherishing our husbands, and supporting our friends in ten thousand different ways over the course of a lifetime well-lived change us from the inside out. “Loving God whole-heartedly is choosing the life we were made for,” and one day, we discover that God is doing His work through us, and we shine with a glory that is not our own.

This book was provided by the author in exchange for my review.  I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

I  am a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com. If you should decide to purchase Holy in the Moment: Simple Ways to Love God and Enjoy Your Life simply click on the title here, and you’ll be taken directly to Amazon. If you decide to buy, I’ll make a small commission at no extra cost to you.

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Every blessing,

 

 

Published by Michele Morin

Michele Morin is a Bible teacher, writer, reader, and gardener committed to the truth that women can become confident Christ-followers and students of God's Word. She has been married to an unreasonably patient husband for thirty-plus years, and together they have four sons, four daughters-in-love, and six adorable grandchildren. Michele loves hot tea and well-crafted sentences, poems that stop her in her tracks, and days at the ocean with the whole family. She laments biblical illiteracy and advocates for the prudent use of “little minutes.” She blogs at Living Our Days, and you can connect with her on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter.

64 thoughts on “Love God. Embrace Truth. Enjoy Life.”

  3. I like that not every moment is good but God is in every moment! So true. It is not easy. On hard days I pray out Jer 29:11 and make it personal to me. Plans to prosper and not to harm me. Plans to give me a hope and a future. I don’t know where I would be without my faith! #ablogginggoodtime

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    1. That verse is part of my reading this week in Jeremiah, and I love that it comes in a context of exile. God says that his plan is not thwarted by geography or by anything that comes into our days.

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  4. There were various things that spoke to me in this. One of them . . I never have written out a prayer, I may do that today. Thank you Michele.

    Liked by 1 person

  5. ‘Holiness-a life to enjoy’. Why does that sound too good to be right? Thank you for this refreshing review and reminder that a life of loving God and enjoying His love is the essence of a truly holy life, i.e. precisely what we were created for!

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    1. Your comment reminded me of the intensely positive stance Ginger brought to her book, even though she was writing about some pretty challenging times. And she’s responsible for the creation of that lovely graphic with the great message.
      So good to hear from you! Thanks for reading!

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  6. Michele, thank you for a beautiful and thorough review. I love the way you shared a lot of content that was meaningful to you. This kind of detail really helps readers have a solid look at the book. I appreciate the meaningful gift of your time and heart in reviewing my debut book. What a holy moment to share this special time with friends on the journey!

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    1. It’s always such a privilege to stand with an author as they release their book into the world. I’m thankful that you feel as if the book has been faithfully represented here.

      And I love the readers who find their way to my writing home! Always such good comments and thoughtful insights!

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  7. Love the inspiration with the practical application of leaning on God and praying in the moment: “Prayer becomes the affirmation of total dependence upon God, especially as it becomes instinctive to ‘pray now rather than later.”” Adding another book to my to-read pile. Thank you, Michele, for your thoughts!

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    1. Ginger’s emphasis on moments really resonated for me. So in the case of praying NOW, I want to seize that moment’s prayer before I forget and move on.
      Glad you enjoyed the review, Crystal. I’m sure you’ll appreciate the book.

      Liked by 1 person

  10. Michele,
    This sounds like a wonderful book. I love how she echoes Oswald Chambers in that prayer is all about relationship and not about answers. I was also challenged to cultivate prayer in the moment – something to do now rather than put off until later. I have read and quoted Philippians 4:13 so many times, but how often do I truly live it? Good thought provoking post!
    Blessings,
    Bev xx

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    1. I want to be more intentional about that as well, and so often when I write a blog post about a book, I’m really taking notes and making resolutions myself about changes I need to make. It’s so easy to say in the moment, “I’ll pray for you,” when we can just as quickly do it–right then and there!

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  11. Thank you so much for sharing such a beautiful review. Holy in the Moment sounds like a book that would speak deep into my soul. Happy Friday and thanks for linking up with The Blended Blog!

    Shelly | The Queen in Between

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Thanks for your kind words, and I’m so thankful that you were able to benefit from this little slice of Ginger’s redemptive and inspiring story.
      Happy Weekend to you!

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  14. This sounds a wonderful book. We certainly need to lean into God & life change & challenge gives us greater opportunity to do that, growing in relationship with him. Thank you for sharing such an encouraging review. I’ll certainly be adding this book to my list.

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  15. I enjoyed reading your thoughts on this book! I especially love your description of Ginger’s journal as “a spiritual climbing wall, a record of hand holds by which she pulled forward into the next grueling day.” What a great picture of what such a record can become.

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  17. “The faith way is to think, ‘I know my work is taxing, but Christ is my strength.’” This reminds me of o former professor who used to advocate a “positive faith attitude” – not just “looking on the bright side” but deliberately seeking the good in what God allows. That does not come naturally to me, but thanks for this reminder.

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    1. There’s certainly a vast chasm between the power of positive thinking and the impact that faith has on our mindset. I don’t know how anyone with normal set backs and disappointments could ever hang on to optimism alone, never mind if they are exposed to some of the huge challenges life sends our way. But then, I’m not a natural optimist either.

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  19. Ginger’s book is one on my “to read” list. I have always loved her writing and am sure her book will provide an insight into prayer that is just what the reader needs. I adhere to the idea of holy in the moment. There are times we need to call upon God in a quick second and the idea of emergency prayer fits into this. I also say breath prayers, three to five word phrases as declarations, calling upon the Lord, or in praise and thanksgiving. Thank you for digging into Ginger’s book and providing this picture of what it is all about.

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  21. I love that our sweet blogging sister, Ginger has written this book. I look forward to adding it to my summer porch reading list. I can already tell I’m gonna like it. 🙂 Thanks for sharing your review, Michele. ((Hug))

    Liked by 1 person

  23. Beautiful post, Michele. Love all the applications and quotes. And this…“Not every moment is good, but [she would] believe God is good in every moment.” Amen and Amen! Visiting from Recharge Wednesday.

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  24. Spiritual climbing wall! What a metaphor. I used to climb and it was such a trust issue to the person spotting me from under. Except in life we are trusting God! #encouragingwordwednesday

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    1. Oh, that’s a rich picture from your climbing experience that I could not have come up with since I’m no climber — at least not physically.
      Thanks for adding your good insight here!

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  25. Oh my goodness, I think I need to read this book! I often get anxious about things and so many of the quotes in this post, and from the Bible, resonated with me. It also reminded me of something one of my spiritual mentors, Alice, shared with me years ago when I talked about short prayers in the moment. I was worried God might not be as pleased with them as with longer periods of prayer. Alice said to me “No April, these are ‘arrow prayers’ and they are very effective because they keep you connected with God all through the day.”

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    1. I have heard the term arrow prayers as well, and it’s so descriptive. It reminds me of the phrase from Psalm 91 about the “arrow that flies by day” which we need not fear. I suppose our own “arrows” will keep us from fear and from danger.

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      1. Awww, Thank you, such a great pleasure. Since my Instagram ID is different than here. So I went ahead and followed you. Looking forward to reading more post from you. 🙂

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