My Time Living in an RV

This is a personal column I wrote shortly after moving back to Scottsbluff in January of 2022. I recently found it in my files. It’s a reminder of a time in my life when I learned how to better rely on God for all of my needs.

One of the most beautiful things to witness in this life is watching God work amongst our mistakes and failures, somehow bringing about His good and positive purpose.

Around two and a half years ago I experienced the biggest failure of my life–my marriage exploded. My now ex-husband had been keeping a life altering secret from me and it blew up in both of our faces. As the police took him away, I watched the life I had been building come crashing down around me.

I started having panic attacks. I no longer trusted my own judgment or intuition. After all, if I could overlook something so big in someone so close to me, how could I really think I knew anything about anyone? I began fearing that every new person I met may have terrible, dangerous secrets.

I had been working three jobs but I could no longer keep up with the world around me. I had no idea what to do with my life anymore, or if I even wanted to try doing anything. I had once been known as easygoing and hard to shake but now I felt like I was made of sharp edges—every little set back or criticism smashed against my new automatic instinct to “bite-back”. All I knew was I needed to start fresh somewhere new where I could have the time to relax and process everything.

So, on May 10th, 2020, I moved into an RV with my mom and my two giant dogs, and we left.

I didn’t realize it then, but God wasn’t taking me to a new life, He was simply giving me time away in order to heal and to strengthen my relationship with Him before I came back.

We lived in the RV for about two years. My mom took jobs as a traveling nurse and I worked as a freelance writer. I got to write a bunch of podcast episodes about fairy tales for a show called “Tales'' on Spotify. And I was able to continue writing blogs for Hope Radio’s website, kcmifm.com.

We saw some amazing things like the beaches of South Padre Island in Texas; the lush greenery surrounding the back country roads of the Smoky Mountains in Tennessee; and Lookout Mountain (where we could see seven states from one spot) in Georgia. We also had once in a lifetime experiences like attending a concert at the Grand Ole Opry in Nashville; walking through the Van Gogh Experience Exhibit in Milwaukee; and taking a trip to Disney World in Orlando with my friend and her four kids.

But the best thing about this part of our lives was we were free to be sent wherever God wanted us to go, whenever He wanted us to go. This meant we had to live by faith every step of the way. We waited for Him to open and close doors to direct our paths. He made it clear He was by our side the entire time.

We started out in San Antonio, Texas, because my sister was having her first baby, my niece, Nicole. We stuck around in Brownsville, Texas, to be close to them for the first six months of Nicole’s life. Then a quick trip to Chicago allowed us to attend the funeral of my uncle, Jeremy, and give support to his wife and kids. Next, we made our way to Knoxville, Tennessee, just in time to hold my step-grandfather’s hand as he passed away, and to keep my grandmother company for a few months afterwards. A bit of time was spent back here in Scottsbluff, when my uncle, Mark, passed away. I was also able to return to Scottsbluff two other times to be a bridesmaid in a couple different weddings. We had one family Christmas at South Padre Island and another in Washington DC. And finally, we went further north to Whitewater, Wisconsin to help a friend and her kids as her marriage went through a rough spot.

Now, my sister is preparing to give birth to her second child and this marks the end of our RV journeys. My mom will be moving in with my sister and brother-in-law to help with their kids, and I have decided to settle back in to life in Western Nebraska.

Sometimes when people go through major trauma they let it negatively affect the rest of their lives. I didn’t want that to be my story. I knew I needed to find a way to learn from my experience so I could heal and grow as a person.

Romans 8:28 (NIV) says, “And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.”

With God’s help there is always a way to glean some good from the negative. I used my free time on this journey to pray for God’s guidance and wisdom. I analyzed and worked through my emotions. I listened to sermons, I studied the Bible, and I did book studies over video chat with my friends from home: Myndi Doremus, Emily Hernandez, and Emily Havens. Little by little, God healed my wounds.

My time in the RV was a time of healing granted and guided by God and it was invaluable.

This series of blog posts titled, “Holding on to Reason”, is named after Amanda’s favorite C.S. Lewis quote: “Faith is the art of holding on to things your reason has once accepted, in spite of your changing moods.”

Click here for more things written by Amanda Hovseth.

Exploring Sabbath Rest

I was recently challenged by a friend to consider the benefits of deciding to set aside a Sabbath rest day for myself once every week. And the idea has got my mind whirring.

My friend proposes that having a day where I force myself to rest will help my mental health and physical health and will help eliminate the constant feeling of drowning in “to-do’s”. On the one hand, the idea of having a day where I’m required to do nothing but rest and enjoy life, sounds amazing. But, on the other hand, the idea that I’ll feel less rushed by setting aside time to not work on my “to-do’s”, sounds counterintuitive.

In order to sort out my thoughts on this, I think it’s important to first get informed; so, let’s take a deeper look at the Sabbath.

Why did God create the Sabbath in the first place?

The Sabbath is an example of, and a remembrance of what God did after He created our existence.

Genesis 2:2–3 (ESV) says, “And on the seventh day God finished his work that he had done, and he rested on the seventh day from all his work that he had done. So God blessed the seventh day and made it holy, because on it God rested from all his work that he had done in creation.”

It can be logically deduced that if it is good for God to rest, then it is good for us–His creation which was created in His image–to rest as well.

Then we see later on in the Bible that God put resting on the 7th day into His Laws for the Israelites.

Exodus 20:8–11 (ESV) says, “Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy. Six days you shall labor, and do all your work, but the seventh day is a Sabbath to the LORD your God. On it you shall not do any work, you, or your son, or your daughter, your male servant, or your female servant, or your livestock, or the sojourner who is within your gates. For in six days the LORD made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that is in them, and rested on the seventh day. Therefore the LORD blessed the Sabbath day and made it holy.”

Deuteronomy 5:12-15 (ESV) says, “‘Observe the Sabbath day, to keep it holy, as the Lord your God commanded you. Six days you shall labor and do all your work, but the seventh day is a Sabbath to the Lord your God. On it you shall not do any work, you or your son or your daughter or your male servant or your female servant, or your ox or your donkey or any of your livestock, or the sojourner who is within your gates, that your male servant and your female servant may rest as well as you. You shall remember that you were a slave in the land of Egypt, and the Lord your God brought you out from there with a mighty hand and an outstretched arm. Therefore, the Lord your God commanded you to keep the Sabbath day.’”

We also see in Isaiah that when people follow the Law about the Sabbath, they are blessed by doing so.

Isaiah 56:2 (NIV) says, “Blessed is the man who does this, and the son of man who holds it fast, who keeps the Sabbath, not profaning it, and keeps his hand from doing any evil.”

Crossway.org says, “The Sabbath is a covenant sign that represents a lifestyle of devotion to the Lord, for it requires the practical reorganization of every week around him (Ex. 31:12–17; Ezek. 20:18–20). True observance of the Sabbath entails not just refraining from work but also refraining from doing any evil.”

So, resting on the Sabbath gives us time to reflect on our decisions and that allows us more time to train our minds away from choosing evil. And of course, a life lived away from evil will be a blessed one.

When Jesus walked the earth He enlightened us even more about the Sabbath and its intention.

A couple of His major confrontations with the Jewish religious leaders were about the Sabbath.

The events in Mark 2:23-28, took place on the Sabbath. Jesus and His disciples were walking through a grainfield and the disciples began picking heads of grain and eating them because they were hungry. Of course, the Pharisees confronted them about this. Here was Jesus’ reply:

Mark 2:27-28 (NIV): “The Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath. So the Son of Man is Lord even of the Sabbath.”

Then in Mark 3:1-6 Jesus heals a man’s shriveled hand on the Sabbath and this angers the Pharisees so much that they begin to plot to kill Jesus. But, before Jesus had healed the man’s hand he had asked them the following:

Mark 3:5 (NIV): “Jesus asked them, ‘Which is lawful on the Sabbath: to do good or to do evil, to save life or to kill?’ But they remained silent.”

GotQuestions.org says, “The Sabbath was intended to help people, not burden them. In contrast with the grueling daily work as slaves in Egypt, the Israelites were commanded to take a full day of rest each week under the Mosaic Law. Pharisaical law had morphed the Sabbath into a burden, adding restrictions beyond what God’s law said…The Sabbath was not intended to burden people but to ease their burden. For someone to forbid acts of mercy and goodness on God’s day of rest is contrary to all that is right.”

Jesus stated that the Sabbath was made for the people and not the people for the Sabbath. His focus was on the heart behind the Law, not the letter of the Law. The Pharisees were focusing on the Letter of the Law and they were so worried about breaking the Sabbath that they even went so far as to add on extra regulations to the Law in the hopes that it would keep them far away from breaking the actual Law; but, with time, they started to treat the extra regulations as actual Law. And Jesus said all of that was wrong–their entire perspective as to the purpose of the Sabbath had been skewed and they weren’t using it as it was intended to be used.

But, is the Sabbath meant only to give us rest and to help us avoid evil? Or is there more to it?

Romans 14:5–6 says, “One person esteems one day as better than another, while another esteems all days alike. Each one should be fully convinced in his own mind. The one who observes the day, observes it in honor of the Lord. The one who eats, eats in honor of the Lord, since he gives thanks to God, while the one who abstains, abstains in honor of the Lord and gives thanks to God.”

This section in Romans could obviously be applied to views about the Sabbath. According to Paul, “the week” think some days are more important than others; while “the strong” think every day is the same; and both views are permissible. Each person must follow his own conscience. What is remarkable is that the Sabbath is no longer a binding commitment for Paul but a matter of one’s personal conviction. Unlike the other nine commandments in Ex. 20:1–17, the Sabbath commandment seems to have been part of the “ceremonial laws” of the Mosaic covenant, like the dietary laws and the laws about sacrifices, all of which are no longer binding on new covenant believers (Gal. 4:10; Col. 2:16–17). However, it is still wise to take regular times of rest from work, and regular times of worship are commanded for Christians (Heb. 10:24–25; Acts 20:7).

Whether one observes a special day, or eats all foods, or abstains from some foods, the important thing is to honor the Lord and to give thanks to God.

We see from other things in the Bible that a primary theme which God is trying to teach us throughout the Bible is that He wants us to learn to be dependent on Him. For example, there is the year of Jubilee–where they are required to rely on God’s provision for an entire year. And when God sent manna to the Israelites and told them to only gather enough for one single day at a time. God was trying to teach them to have faith that He will provide.

“God was trying to teach them to have faith that He will provide.”

If we work our tails off 24/7 then we are prone to start believing that our hard work is the only thing which gets us through life. But that is a narrow perspective. No matter how much we work and provide for ourselves, there will always be things we need for survival which are out of our reach and can only be provided by God– like the air we breathe and the rain which waters our plants and brings us fresh water. Working all of the time doesn’t get rid of our dependance on God, it only skews our perception of reality and erases our ability to realize we are dependent on Him. Taking a Sabbath rest, forces us–and allows us–the opportunity to reflect on everything God does for us. It is a time set aside to rest in faith that God is good, that He loves us, and that He will provide.

Okay, but how exactly do you rest? How do I know what is restful?  

Eryn Lynum, author of “The Nature of Rest: What the Bible and Creation Teach Us about Sabbath Living”, has some great advice on this matter. While being interviewed by Focus on the Family, she said, “What rest does is it opens up this space for truth to root down in our souls. When we are: go go go hustle hustle we don't have time to truly process what the Lord is doing inside of us…When we rest, our minds operate to their fullest potential as God meant them to. When we rest, we grow in truth because His truth goes forth and does not return void. Like Isaiah 55 says, God’s word brings forth life in our souls. And we grow in love because we are able to have these new connections with our family.”

She goes on to advise that even if you can’t find a whole day to set aside on the regular, try to find a block of four hours a week and start there. But, if you’re anything like me, your next question is…how? How do I rest? What do I do and what don’t I do? Eryn has some great advice for that as well.

She said, “Write two lists. First, write a list of everything that’s heavy, everything during your week that is stressful. That might be text messages, notifications, emails…write a list of those things that are heavy and that’s what you want to step away from during that time of rest. And then write a second list of those things that fill you up, things that delight you. It’s those things you think of during the week and say, ‘Oh, I’d really like to do that,’ but you don’t make time for it. It might be creating, painting, music, walking outside, gardening–people ask me, isn’t gardening work? Do on Sabbath what delights your soul. Maybe throughout the week you work with a computer, and you might want to go outside and do some creating. Do what delights your soul. Make a list of those things and start enjoying them.”

Honestly, after this research, it’d be kind of weird for me to be resistant to taking a Sabbath rest, because all of this sounds great.

Do I want to have time to bask in hobbies that make me feel happy and accomplished? Yes.

Do I want to have time to let God’s truth sink deep roots into my soul? Yes.

Do I want to have time to meditate on all of the ways God has provided for me and build my faith in the fact that He will continue to do so? Yes.

I’m pretty sure this means you can “sign me up” for Sabbath rest.

This series of blog posts titled, “Holding on to Reason”, is named after Amanda’s favorite C.S. Lewis quote: “Faith is the art of holding on to things your reason has once accepted, in spite of your changing moods.”

Click here for more things written by Amanda Hovseth.

Waiting on God

Waiting on God. What does that even mean? Do we ever wait for anything or anyone anymore? It seems that the modern Christian just bulls his or her way forward without much thought to it. Why?

One reason might be that we have been convinced the “Great Commission” far exceeds any other commands by Christ. We must go and make disciples no matter the cost, right? And therein lies the error of our ways. We tend ourselves towards busy instead of waiting in prayer. I believe King David understood this better than all because his Psalms talk of waiting. Patiently waiting. Intently waiting. Silently waiting. But waiting for God none the less. Why?

First of all, we will never know things better than God. We are completely unable to perceive the scope of the dynamics in which God commands His ways and measures our steps. We are fortunate to see the truth of this if we will read the Book of Job and see God’s way with Job. Job was righteous, but not righteous enough to question or instruct God. In addition, our time frame never seems to match up with God’s. Quite frankly, we think God is too slow! Admit it. We get just a little bit of knowledge on a matter and off we run. You might say, “No we don’t!” but I bet you answered too quickly. We must learn to slow down. Why?

God might tell us to wait because our timing may not be correct. Our thoughts and plans might call for immediate decisive action on our part. We tell ourselves, “Is God not able to get with the program?” So we do what almost the entire population of the world does, we blunder ahead and force our way through. We all know someone who is blundering their way through life, and we shake our heads thinking, “If only they would listen to God.” But isn’t that me and you also?  (Another reason not to judge.) I cannot possibly guess the many options that are going to cross my path. Yet inwardly I feel I must make a decision now and run with it. It will be up to God to pick up the pieces because this challenge will not wait! Even for us believers, that is how we think and how we live our lives. Why?

It is not in our nature to rely on anyone. Our trust levels are low, especially for the unseen God. We cannot touch, smell, taste, or see Him. So how can we expect to place our faith in Him? But in His perfect righteousness He requires this of us. To wait is to show faith. To show faith is to please God. And to please God is to place us in the center of His will and the safety of His arms!

In conclusion, when we pray we are not to give God a list of our instructions or wants for they will never be answered. We are to quiet our spirits, rest the worries of our minds, and patiently place our will in His hands. In this kind of trust and faith we will find perfect peace.

What say you?

This series of blog posts titled, “Pondering Hope”, are written by Craig Stevens. If you are interested in reading more from him you can find his blog at ponderinghope.com.

Be Careful What You Wish...Pray? For - Will God Twist My Words to Harm Me?

Click here to listen to an audio recording of this article.

We all know the saying, “Be careful what you wish for.” And we all know some version of this tragic tale: a downtrodden character comes across a genie in a bottle and is granted three wishes. It seems like a dream come true, all of their problems can now be solved–as long as they word their wishes carefully. Genies are bitter captives and, if they can find leeway in the wording of the wish, they will twist dreams into nightmares.

A humorous example of this is the longstanding joke where a man wishes for “a million bucks” and instead of receiving a million dollars, he ends up with a million male deer. A more devastating example is a young woman who wishes “to be attractive to men”, so the genie turns her into a freshly fried sizzling slice of bacon.

“I was scared of asking God for what I wanted because I was worried I would ask him wrong.”

While these stories can be used to impart valuable lessons, they can also have some unintended negative side effects.

For me, I subconsciously grew the tendency to treat praying to God like I was requesting a wish from a genie. I was scared of asking God for what I wanted because I was worried I would ask him wrong and he would "bamboozle" me. 

That's when I noticed I wasn't thinking of God in terms of how the Bible described Him. Here are a few verses which describe God and the relationship He desires with us:



Matthew 7:7-11 (ESV) says, “Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, and the one who seeks finds, and to the one who knocks it will be opened. Or which one of you, if his son asks him for bread, will give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a serpent? If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask him!”

Romans 8:28 (NIV) says, “And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.”

Romans 8:31-39 (NLT) says, “What shall we say about such wonderful things as these? If God is for us, who can ever be against us? Since he did not spare even his own Son but gave him up for us all, won’t he also give us everything else? Who dares accuse us whom God has chosen for his own? No one—for God himself has given us right standing with himself. Who then will condemn us? No one—for Christ Jesus died for us and was raised to life for us, and he is sitting in the place of honor at God’s right hand, pleading for us. Can anything ever separate us from Christ’s love? Does it mean he no longer loves us if we have trouble or calamity, or are persecuted, or hungry, or destitute, or in danger, or threatened with death? (As the Scriptures say, ‘For your sake we are killed every day; we are being slaughtered like sheep.’) No, despite all these things, overwhelming victory is ours through Christ, who loved us.And I am convinced that nothing can ever separate us from God’s love. Neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither our fears for today nor our worries about tomorrow—not even the powers of hell can separate us from God’s love. No power in the sky above or in the earth below—indeed, nothing in all creation will ever be able to separate us from the love of God that is revealed in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

We don't have to be careful with God. He isn't out to “get us” or trick us like genies or monkey paws or any other mythical "wish granters". God loves us and the Bible makes it clear that all He wants is for us to come to Him in honesty and sincerity so He can have a true and meaningful relationship with us, like a loving parent with His child.

To ease our minds even more, God promises that even if we don’t know how to pray, or what to pray for, or we mess up our prayers, the Holy Spirit will help us and speak for us. So, even if God wanted to take advantage of a linguistic misstep (which He doesn’t), He would never get the chance because the Holy Spirit wouldn’t let us make such a tragic mistake.

Romans 8:26-27(NIV) says, “In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us through wordless groans. And he who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for God’s people in accordance with the will of God.”

Prayer is an amazing privilege, gifted to us through the sacrifice of Christ on the cross. Since Jesus got rid of the sin barrier between us and God, we can now approach God’s throne with the confidence of one of His children whom He loves.

As Timothy Keller said, “The only person who dares wake up a King at 3am to ask for a glass of water, is a child. We have that kind of access to God.”

“The only person who dares wake up a King at 3am to ask for a glass of water, is a child. We have that kind of access to God.”
— Timothy Keller

God doesn’t want us to be afraid to talk openly to Him. He may not always answer our prayers in the way we hoped or envisioned, but that’s only because He is all-knowing. He has proven His love for us over and over again, so we can trust that His answers to our prayers won’t be spiteful or vindictive. God isn’t a “wish granter”, He listens to our requests and then responds in whichever way is best for us, even if it isn’t what we asked for or thought was best for ourselves.

This series of blog posts titled, “Holding on to Reason”, is named after Amanda’s favorite C.S. Lewis quote: “Faith is the art of holding on to things your reason has once accepted, in spite of your changing moods.”

Click here for more things written by Amanda Hovseth.

God's Lawyers

2 Corinthians 3: 4-6 (ESV) “Such is the confidence that we have through Christ toward God. Not that we are sufficient in ourselves to claim anything as coming from us, but our sufficiency is from God, who has made us sufficient to be ministers of a new covenant, not of the letter but of the Spirit. For the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life.”

I read a communication from a local church to our community that stated, “If you drink and smoke then your Jesus is not our Jesus.” I was actually stunned by this. It kind of reeks of condemnation, don’t you think?  Jesus was quite specific about this kind of judgment in His Sermon on the Mount:

Matthew 7: 1-3 (ESV) “Judge not, that you be not judged. For with the judgment you pronounce you will be judged, and with the measure you use it will be measured to you. Why do you see the speck that is in your brother’s eye, but do not notice the log that is in your own eye?”

This is something that almost all of us are guilty of. Somehow we can clearly see our brother’s and sister’s faults all the while completely overlooking our own. What drives us to do this? Is it because we like to use the letter of the law instead of the Spirit when referring to others? Or is it because it is in our DNA to judge?

When we judge, when we condemn, when we throw stones, there is nothing Christian about any of these actions. It is the nature of the devil and the world to act that way. But the Spirit is the direct gift of the Father to those who would love Christ. And it is that love for Christ that should compel us to have compassion towards each other, not condemnation.

We are not God’s lawyers! Actually we are not smart enough or righteous enough to qualify for the job. What God does require of us is to love, to be gentle, and to be kind to one another. We are to be at peace with each other and to be understanding. To console instead of criticize. The way of Christ was to come that we might have forgiveness and a new and vibrant life through the Spirit. That is how we should treat each other.

Any judgment halts the growth of the Church. It separates us instead of binding us together. When you look at each other, look with the loving eyes of Christ and you will walk in freedom and in harmony.

Amen?

This series of blog posts titled, “Pondering Hope”, are written by Craig Stevens. If you are interested in reading more from him you can find his blog at ponderinghope.com.

A Buffet Table of Beliefs

People like to treat religion like a buffet table. They place all the belief systems out there and then go through picking and choosing the bits they want to be true.

But religious beliefs aren’t supposed to be like that. We don't get to choose reality. We have no control over it. We are finite beings with zero power to influence much of anything in our world, let alone reality as a whole. Instead of thinking we get to decide what reality is, we are meant to search and study the world around us to discover what is true. We don’t get to simply choose what we want to be true.

“We don’t get to choose reality...Let’s be honest with ourselves, we can’t even keep our own hearts beating. The audacity required to think our opinions should mean anything is insane.”
— Amanda Hovseth

Most people I know decide what they believe on an emotional whim. They like to pretend they are knowledgeable on the subject because they prayed a few times, or listened to a bit of a sermon, or visited eastern countries and like to meditate. They are only comfortable with touching the surface level things which make them feel good and happy. They aren't willing to actually put the work in to sort through the lies and discover the truth. That kind of work is too uncomfortable and the truth about reality isn’t always pretty, and it doesn’t always make us feel good. So, people would rather just close their eyes and continue pretending to be gods of their own lives. But, really, let's be honest with ourselves, we can't even keep our own hearts beating. The audacity required to think our opinions should mean anything is insane.

God speaks in Job 36:4 and says, “Where were you when I laid the foundations of the earth? Tell me, then, if you know so much.”

https://tr.ee/pxgCnk

Don't slack on seeking out the answers to these big important questions:

  • Why are we here?

  • Where did we come from?'

  • Is God real?

  • What does God want from me?

Do the research. Believe me or not, I've spent most of my life doing this research and I've barely scratched the surface of the information God has provided us with.

While I could spend the rest of my life studying and still have way more to learn, the work I’ve done isn’t useless. Because of the evidence for God and the Bible which I’ve already learned about, my faith isn't wobbly. My faith can’t be changed by every little setback in life; it is grounded in fact and supported by evidence. Just as my favorite quote–which is by C.S. Lewis–says, “Faith is the art of holding on to things your reason has once accepted, in spite of your changing moods.”

And, because of this, when life gets hard—instead of getting angry with God and turning on Him—I turn to Him for help through those struggles. Without fail, He always steps in to help and to comfort me. And these personal interactions He’s had with me have only strengthened my faith even further. I don’t ever want to try facing life without God by my side.

God is calling out to you. He has provided the evidence needed for you to get to know Him. 

Romans 1:20 (ESV) says,“For his invisible attributes, namely, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world, in the things that have been made. So they are without excuse.”

Don't let our culture's habits of surface research and gut reaction decisions hold you back from answering life’s big questions and from discovering reality. When we discover reality, we can then know better how to properly exist within it.

Some people refer to the search for reality as the Metaphysical Search. You can click on these photos to link to more information specifically on Metaphysics —->

Furthermore, if you really think about it, an all-powerful creator wouldn’t need to care about His creation at all. There would be nothing we could do about it if God decided to just get rid of us all.

And yet, God does care about us. He wants a relationship with us and because of that He was willing to go so far as to choose to give us free-will, because free-will gives us the capability of choosing to have that relationship with Him, and relationships which are chosen freely by both parties are the ones which are truly great. God gave us free-will even though He knew we would choose to abandon Him and try to go our own way. He also knew that the result of us having free-will would be that Jesus would have to sacrifice Himself on the cross in order to make a relationship possible between Him and us.

1 John 4:10 (NIV) says, “This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins.”

The reality of God’s love for us is mind-blowing, and it is precisely this proven love of God for us that has caused me to dedicate my life to Him. Not only because He loves me, but because He clearly loves everyone I care about even more than I ever could. It can be terrifying watching someone you care about face struggles which are out of your control, or having to let them go off into the world without you. Knowing I can trust God to be with them and that He loves them is the only thing that eases my mind.

To sum things up, not only is there loads of scientific, mathematical, and historical evidence out there supporting God’s existence, He has also reached into my life personally to prove Himself. He didn't have to do any of that, but He did, and I am eternally grateful to Him for it. I never want to try existing without Him by my side and I don’t ever plan to.

Last year I collected a bunch of information about the evidence I have mentioned here and put it all together on a page on this website. There is stuff to read, listen to, and watch which begin to answer the big questions about our reality and Christianity. Some of the questions include: What is the Bible? Why believe God exists? Does the Bible align with history and archeology? Why believe the Bible over other religions? Did Jesus rise from the dead? And so much more. The stuff there barely scratches the surface of the evidence God has provided us, but it's a good place to start. Here’s a link to the website: kcmifm.com/bibleinfo.

This series of blog posts titled, “Holding on to Reason”, is named after Amanda’s favorite C.S. Lewis quote: “Faith is the art of holding on to things your reason has once accepted, in spite of your changing moods.”

Click here for more things written by Amanda Hovseth.



The Catacombs

John 1: 6-13 (NASB) “There came a man sent from God, whose name was John. He came as a witness, to testify about the Light, so that all might believe through him. He was not the Light but he came to testify about the Light. There was the true Light which, coming into the world, enlightens every man. He was in the world, and the world was made through Him, and the world did not know Him. He came to His own, and those who were His own did not receive Him. But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, even to those who believe in His name, who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God.”

If this was the only Scripture we ever had, it would be enough to enlighten and enrich us all! Christ came as a light to light our way to God the Father. We did not know Him and those who guessed at who He might be refused Him. But to the few who received Him with gladness, He gave them the right to become children of God. How marvelous!

When I was a teenager we didn’t have personal computers or 5G phones. We still read books and walked to school. Maybe a more innocent time, maybe not. But whatever the times may be, we need the presence of God with us. Back then it was a time for spiritual revolution. And that kind of revolution was against what little the Church was offering. People were looking for the deep meaning of their lives and the churches did not have the answer. It seems the same today!

We asked questions:

  • What is the meaning of life?

  • Why am I here?

  • Do I have a purpose?

Not really radical views or questions, but necessary ones for us all to ask. Maybe there are more distractions today. Maybe we are running at such a fast pace that we cannot mentally slow down enough to think. Look at how quickly answers to anything can be found on the internet. How to fly fish. How to can pickles. How to crochet a scarf. How to smoke a brisket. Anything and everything is immediately available. But what about God? Can God be instantly found at the touch of a finger to the computer?

That my friends is an answer that no one really understands. Obviously because God is so much bigger than the internet. He cannot be reduced to simplicity. Someone that complex is only found by personal searching of the heart. One of our great problems as human beings is looking for answers to come in a moment of time. But as to God, we must question and seek. And that process of seeking comes from a hungry heart that longs for more than what it has. That is what we did at the Catacombs in the early 70’s.

The Catacombs was a little oasis of thought just off the downtown square in Morristown, NJ. It was in a basement (hence the name catacombs). There were some of the stalest donuts and worst coffee you ever tasted available for all. But it was a place where those seeking something more and those who had found something more could meet. There was one and only one topic of conversation. Jesus Christ.

Honest questions were freely asked and honest answers were freely given. Nobody pretended to be an authority on God. No one faked being spiritual. And no one asked any dumb questions. We all wanted more than what the establishments of state and church were offering. Those asking wanted truth and those answering were hoping to help. The Catacombs was a beautiful place and time and I miss it.

“Every new century and every new generation should bring with it the question; Why am I here?”
— Craig Stevens

In today’s world, we need this honesty to return. The honesty of truly searching for ultimate truth and the ability to discover that truth. People need something more than a new I-phone or pair of Nike shoes. Those are just things which bring only temporary satisfaction to a hungry or hurting soul. Every new century and every new generation should bring with it the question; Why am I here?

Jesus came to earth to open our eyes and hearts to the answer to that question. That answer has remained the same throughout the history of mankind. God made each one of us in His image for the one purpose of having a wonderful and meaningful relationship with Him. We cannot blame anyone other than ourselves if we refuse that relationship. It’s not our parents fault. It’s not a church’s fault. And we cannot criticize the government over it. The desire to find God must come from within each of us individually. Again, the question should not be, Does God exist? But Why am I here? And the answer to that is the beginning to a beautiful new life.

Written in the Bible are the direct words of God, “Seek Me and you will find Me.” This is a promise from Him! Sadly, some of us do not care about this at all. We just want to take all we can grab while we are here. But that will never satisfy! You see, we were made in such a way that only the completion of a real relationship with God will ever truly please us. We are restless without Him. We are lonely without Him. We are doomed to wander empty streets looking for answers we cannot find.

We must turn and look to Jesus Christ, the Light for all mankind. There is only one answer and only one way to peace, Jesus Christ! Back in the day of the Catacombs, we who believed knew that beyond question. And we were able to be clear about how others could find freedom in Him. It just seems a little mundane today. Are we offering the vital and vibrant answers people need today? Or are we only trying to grow our group?

You who believe, turn all your attention on the Light, Jesus Christ! And you who are questioning, seek out Jesus Christ!

What say you?   

This series of blog posts titled, “Pondering Hope”, are written by Craig Stevens. If you are interested in reading more from him you can find his blog at ponderinghope.com.

Audiobook Appreciation Month at the Cross Reference Library

June is Audiobook Appreciation Month! A time dedicated to celebrating the growing impact and popularity of Audiobooks in the United States.

Audiobooks are a hot topic among readers. The debate on whether listening to audiobooks count as reading has left a huge divide in the book community.

But did you know that the history of audiobooks dates all the way back to 1877? When Thomas Edison invented the phonograph he wanted to be able to record books to make reading more accessible for the visually impaired. However, due to the phonograph's limited capacity, only being able to record around 4 minute audio clips, it wasn't until the rise of CDs that audiobooks really took off.

Despite their controversy, audiobooks have been proven to increase general literacy. In a study published in the journal of neuroscience, researchers found that listening to a story and reading a story stimulate similar parts of the brain, making the two equally beneficial. They can help improve comprehension and fluency skills, all while providing an introduction to the world of reading. The National Literacy Trust released a series of statistics stating that "in 2024, almost 2 in 5 (37.5%) of children and young people said that listening to audiobooks had sparked their interest in reading."

Today, 40% of audiobooks are consumed through public libraries.

The Cross Reference Library has it’s own selection of audiobooks! Featuring authors like C.S. Lewis, Dave Ramsey, Beverly Lewis, and my personal favorites, our collection of audio dramas based on G.A. Henty’s works.

And don’t forget to check out our collection of your favorite Saturday morning programs from Hope Radio’s “Sonshine Station” such as Your Story Hour, Adventures in Odyssey, and The Pond. A perfect way to pass the time on your upcoming family road trip!

It's All a Matter of the Heart

Let’s open the Book of Truth and delve:

Psalm 53:2 (ESV) “God looks down from heaven on the children of man to see if there are any who understand, who seek after God.”

Deuteronomy 4:29 (ESV) “But from there you will seek the Lord your God and you will find Him, if you search after Him with all your heart and with all your soul.”

I don’t mean to always sound like a broken record, but God has a lot of servants. They are called angels. But His free will children are rare. They are those who have decided there is nothing that matters more than belonging to Him. They haven’t left this world yet, but they are anxious to be with Him for all eternity. And they want what He wants.

Remember Mary and Martha? Martha was busy about her serving. She even wanted Mary to get up and help her serve. What was Mary doing? She was sitting in front of our Lord drinking in all of His words. Jesus said she had chosen the better!

This might sound radical, but God does not need our help. What He wants is our loyalty and faithfulness. But we have fallen into the trap of thinking about our ministries instead of focusing entirely on our relationship with Christ. Yes, He might want us to do something for Him, but it is more likely for our benefit than His need.

“It’s all about the relationship, the work can come later!”
— Craig Stevens

We think, just keep our heads down and plow ahead. In so doing we miss out on something so wonderfully abundant and don’t comprehend the beauty we are missing. It’s all about the relationship, the work can come later! I know there are some church leaders who would be terribly appalled by this writing. They already are overburdened by all they must do for the church and need help. But there is a better way:

The Holy Spirit! He knows exactly what to do all the time and every time. If we would stop to listen for His whisper then we would begin to hear the will of God. Isn’t that what we really want anyway? But how do we get there?

Ask, seek, and knock by combing through His Scriptures. All the truth and answers are in there if we would only seek. Then let’s obey what we find. Let’s be His children and heirs to all His promises. Like Mary!

Amen?

This series of blog posts titled, “Pondering Hope”, are written by Craig Stevens. If you are interested in reading more from him you can find his blog at ponderinghope.com.

Kingdom of Love by Tracie Peterson | New to The Cross Reference Library

Kidnapping. . .Murder. . .Revenge.

In this collection of stories by Tracie Peterson set in Medieval England, three women face trials that will teach them about faith and love.

A Kingdom Divided
Raised in a home filled with violence, Arianne Pemberton experiences love and gentleness only after her arranged marriage to Richard, Duke of Gavenshire. But before she can feel confident both in Richard's love and in God's personal care for her, a mysterious enemy from Richard's Past over-powers the castle and takes Arianne hostage. Who is Tancred, and why is he set on revenge? What fuels the animosity between the two men? Exercising her new faith, Arianne risks her life to restore peace and unite a kingdom divided. 
 
Alas, My Love
England in the Middle Ages is far from a jolly place for an unprotected young woman. Yet the savagery of her stepbrother and the devious schemes of her stepsister have given golden-haired Helena Talbot little choice. She must find shelter elsewhere. Afforded protection by the magnanimous Duke of Gavenshire, Helena nonetheless lives under an assumed name, ever fearful her whereabouts will be revealed to her stepbrother. Only one dream transports her above her worries, the desire that one day she will be reunited with brave Tancred. Years have passed since they were together and now an ocean and a king's decree keep them apart. But are those obstacles stronger than a woman's prayer for love? 
 
If Only
The year is 1349, the place, England. As the bubonic shadow spreads across the land, Mary Beckett finds herself alone and desperate. Her father, a physician who has been accused of consorting with the devil, has been murdered. Even her own interest in medicine has brought cries of witchcraft. Mary's only hope is to journey north to the home of her godly grandmother, a woman her father once rejected. Doctors and pilgrims will cross her path, and, last but not least, Peter Donne, a knight on a mission from the king. Hundreds will beg her to heal them. Will Mary Beckett, a lonely pilgrim herself, find a way to help her people and herself? If only she could reach her grandmother's home, if only she could find her own way to God. . . .