living with passion

What It Really Means to Bear My Brother’s Burdens

September 28, 2015 by Edie Wadsworth 21 Comments

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I like bringing people food.

I’m sure that surprises no one. I like to cook and I like to be helpful so cooking for people when they need a little encouragement is exactly my jam. It’s my preferred way of “bearing of my brother’s burden.”

I know how very much it blesses me when someone does it for me.

I read these somewhat paraphrased words from Bonhoeffer this morning and it reminded me of the underside of bearing my brother’s burdens, the side that’s less sexy and less fun and less creative—the side of burden bearing that no else can see or give me credit for.

“The Christian, however, must bear the burden of a brother. He must suffer and endure the brother. It is only when he is a burden that another person is really a brother and not merely an object to be manipulated. The burden of men was so heavy for God Himself that He had to endure the Cross. God verily bore the burden of men in the body of Jesus Christ. But He bore them as a mother carries her child, as a shepherd enfolds the lost lamb that has been found. God took men upon Himself and they weighted Him to the ground, but God remained with them and they with God.

In bearing with men God maintained fellowship with them. It was the law of Christ that was fulfilled in the Cross. While it is true that only the sufferings of Christ are the means of atonement, he shares with his disciples the fruits of his passion, so that the Christian must now also bear the sins of others. But he would certainly break down under this burden, but for the support of him who bore the sins of all.

The passion of Christ strengthens him to overcome the sins of others by FORGIVING them. Christ bears our burdens, so ought we to bear the burdens of our fellow men, which is quite literally his sin. And the only way to bear that sin is by forgiving it in the power of the cross of Christ in which I now share.

Forgiveness is the Christlike suffering which is now my duty to bear for my brother.”

I’ve been thinking about it all morning.

Bearing my brother’s burdens means quite literally bearing his ultimate burden, which is his sin. It’s not so easy to do that and it’s not so easy to show others that that’s what I’ve done. Not nearly as evident as when I bake someone a pie or make them some soup.

When Christ forgives us, He is giving us life’s greatest blessing and bearing our greatest burden, showing us what it really means to be our brother’s keeper. We take on the burden of our brother’s sin by forgiving him and we do so by the same Power and by the same Name that we have been forgiven.

I think I’ll be pondering that one for a long time to come.

And I’ll still make soup.

Have you ever read Bonhoeffer? This is paraphrased from his book Life Together.

Happy Monday, lovies!

What Inspires Me {Others & Baptism & Dying to Self}

September 3, 2015 by Edie Wadsworth 29 Comments

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We made a whirlwind trip to Bowling Green, Kentucky this past Sunday to see my niece and nephew get baptized. I don’t know about you but baptisms are my favorite. The tears, the joy, the name and life of Christ being imparted to another precious life. It was the kind of day you hold in your heart and cherish forever. Those kiddos are some kind of wonderful and so is their momma and so is their pastor and his wife. Awesome day all around. My sister, Gina, drove us because well, I’m sure she didn’t think it would be a very good idea to end up in Memphis. I’m older but she’s everything else. At least I know my place. #bless

We got back home and had two busy days of volleyball, dance, homework, and packing and my girls left yesterday for a 3 day camping/field trip with their school. On the way to drop them off, we had an extended version of the talk we have everyday before I drop them off to school.

“Don’t worry about yourselves. Worry about others. Don’t fret over where you’re going to sleep or who you’re going to sit with or who you’re going to ride with. Fret about her, who she’s going to sit with, who she’s going to ride with. Is she okay? Does she need a friend? If you take care of her, your needs will be met without you even noticing.”

They get so tired of hearing me I’m sure. What they may not know is that I’m preaching to myself. I was at an outing and walked into the building by myself the other day and my first thought was, “Will there be anybody here I know? Who will I talk to? WHO WILL I SIT WITH?”

And then my words snuck into the back door of my brain and I remembered all the talks I give my girls about focusing on others. It’s so easy to say and not very easy at all to do. But guess what I ALWAYS find? When you take care of her, everything else will be okay. When you focus on her and when you listen to her and when you make sure she has what she needs, your needs will be met without you even noticing.

I heard this at a talk one time and it burned itself into my brain—and I paraphrase, “There are two types of people – those who walk into a room and say: ‘Here I am!’ and those who walk into a room and say: ‘There you are.’”

Here’s the thing. In our Baptism, Jesus walks into our lives and destroys the darkness. He puts His very name on us, He puts His life in us, we are now HIS. We are buried with him into death and raised to walk in newness of life. We are people of the light, we are marked as Ones who have been redeemed. And now we can bring this hope to the world. There you are is finally possible.

If you’ve been down in the dumps or if you’ve lost the spring in your step or if you’ve lost your creativity and inspiration or if you’re just too darn focused on yourself (aren’t we all?), start walking into every situation with the thought on your heart, “There you are,” and you will be AMAZED at what happens. When you step into her life with interest and light and love, beautiful things will begin to unfold, both in her heart and in yours.

This is what it means to pick up our cross and die.

And this is the baptismal life we have in Christ—trusting in His forgiveness when we fail to love her as we love ourselves and new mercies and new chances every morning.

What Inspires Me, Part 3 {Seeing}

August 20, 2015 by Edie Wadsworth Leave a Comment

I’ve been talking about what inspires us lately! Click to read Part 1 and Part 2.

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What You’re Seeing

We have had the distinct privilege of having a toddler in our lives off and on this summer.

The first thing I want to say about that is #BABYFEET and the second thing I have to say about this is when he reaches for me and says “holdme, holdme, holdme”, my heart burst into a million tiny pieces.

I highly recommend that you find a toddler to hang around with because it’s just the best ever.

One thing that toddlers have a great capacity for is repetition. Even if you just drove the golf cart past the lawnmower, resulting in high pitched screams of “MAWN-MOWER, MAWN-MOWER, MAWN-MOWER!!!!!”, there’s is a 100% chance that when you drive past it 2 minutes from now, it will be as if you are driving past it for the first time. Repeat that process ten times and the enthusiasm for driving past the lawn mower does not wane.

It’s been SO good for my teenage girls to see because when a toddler delights in something with SO MUCH FERVOR, it’s hard not to enjoy it with them. And it begins to eat away at the cynicism with which you see the world.

One thing that I don’t like about we adults and about the teenage years is that snarkiness just creeps in. It takes so much to impress us or wow us or cause us to feel delight.

We take everything for granted. We’ve lost the ability to see the everyday miracles.

Let’s continue this discussion on how we SEE the world on Periscope today around 8:30 eastern time. It’s like live podcasting basically and it’s so much fun!

You’ll find me @lifeingrace there.

If you miss the live stream, just find the archives at katch.me/lifeingrace.

See you there!

What Inspires Us & Why It Matters, Part 1

August 13, 2015 by Edie Wadsworth 23 Comments

Apparently, I have a lot to say on this subject, so I’m breaking into parts as we explore what inspires us and why we should pay attention. Today, I give you taste.

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I went for a run this morning which always turns out to be the exact time of day that inspiration hits. Because why would my brain want to cooperate with me when I’m ACTUALLY sitting down to write. It never does. But when I’m sweaty and running without pen or paper in sight? ALL THE GOOD IDEAS fall from heaven like manna.

But I guess when you think about what inspiration actually means, it makes sense.

Inspiration means to breathe in. (I love Jeff Goins post on this topic!)

Which means that inspiration is not a matter of whether you are breathing in but WHAT you are breathing in. And if you’re like me, much of your daily life is so crowded with to-do lists that it can be hard to breathe in anything but stress and hurry and social media blurbs. When I quiet all that or when I’m running so I’m that I’m focused on actually breathing, my mind is in receptive mode and I can’t even contain all the creative energy that comes bubbling to the surface.

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This summer has been so good for me in that way. I’ve been taking in way more than I’ve been producing, traveling a lot and learning a lot, meeting new people and soaking in long days with my own. We all need seasons like that. It makes me ready for a season of nesting and creating, a season where I want to be aware of all the tangible ways I’m being inspired and share the overflow with whoever is near.

Since this week alone, I’ve orange beets, cucumbers, South Carolina peaches, eggplant, arugula, blueberries, zucchini, corn, and Grainger County tomatoes, just to name a few, I thought we’d start with being inspired by taste.

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Inspired by Taste

First things first…..

I’m a foodie.

No, my name is not Izzy and no, I’ve have not always been a foodie. I grew up on Cocoa Puffs and Poptarts and hotdogs from Smoky Mountain Market, if you really want to know the truth. But over the years, I have become absolutely enamored with what it means to feed ourselves and to feed others well. The colors and textures and flavors of actual real food that God created for us are amazing.

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It has transformed how I look at making dinner because I realize that when the colors and flavors of what I’m making inspire me, I actually look forward to doing it and it doesn’t feel like (as much of) a chore. Also? I’m completely powerless when it comes to fresh eggs from a farm. As in, I am rendered nearly speechless and want to cook ALL THE QUICHES. Or at least a double batch of my favorite one.

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I know we all do it from time to time but it’s not very inspiring to order out from Sonic. But. When I’m in the middle of making a dinner using fresh, colorful ingredients with lots of herbs and spices, drinking my wine or kumbucha, with my favorite apron on and my favorite music playing, with my tea towel hanging over my should ready to wipe up the messes, there is NOTHING at all in this world like it.

Not to mention how much better it is for my actually body. I’ve said before, you don’t need to change the world, just make dinner. And I can’t tell you how much benefit I’ve seen for myself and my family just by committing to getting better at dinner.

If you’re not very experienced in the kitchen, try my shrimp boil or this summer vegetable soup to get you started. (We’ve been using Blue Apron and it has SO gotten me out of my rut!) Or try my advice on 5 Ways to Bring the Magic Back to Your Kitchen.

Also? Monster cookies inspire me SO VERY MUCH. Amen.

However you do it, make some food that inspires you and that feeds your people. (I have some tricks for getting dinner on the table, which you might find useful!)

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Everything in this world is a glimpse into the next and God doesn’t sell us short when it comes to taste. He’s the one who actually made us with a physical body that needs physical nourishment. I suppose it shouldn’t surprise us that when He wants to strengthen our faith and give us life and forgiveness, He feeds us. The God of the universe feeds us by choosing simple means like bread and wine to do it. He welcomes us to His table and we eat. We actually taste and see that the Lord is good.

This sacred food comes to us from outside ourselves and very literally inspires us with the living, breathing Word and body of God, without whom there is no life. Maybe food is simply the metaphor for which He is the ultimate reality. Our tasting has led us to Him, the giver of all good things, the Bread that endures forever.

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Up next: Inspired by Hearing

And tell me all about your tasty inspirations!

Define Your Style {A Dutch Boy Collaboration and Contest}

October 7, 2014 by Edie Wadsworth 57 Comments

I always assumed that when I got really good and grown up and got everything in my house just how I wanted it, I’d stop wanting to repaint and redecorrange my rooms. I should have known that no such day would ever come. My style continues to evolve and change and my love for creating a welcome and cozy environment for my family only gets stronger. [Read more…] about Define Your Style {A Dutch Boy Collaboration and Contest}

7 Ways I Simplified My Life {And Saved Money}

May 23, 2014 by Edie Wadsworth 34 Comments

Thanks to Dave Ramsey and his Endorsed Local Providers program for sponsoring this post and inspiring us!

The best things in life are nearest: Breath in your nostrils, light in your eyes, flowers at your feet, duties at your hand, the path of right just before you. Then do not grasp at the stars, but do life’s plain, common work as it comes, certain that daily duties and daily bread are the sweetest things in life. ~Robert Louis Stevenson

Sometimes I look back at how drastically our lives have changed from the way they were ten years ago.

Here’s the shortest way I can tell you what happened. We finished residency and both began working in medicine. We made great money but we had incredible debt. Our student loan payments alone were $2700 per month. Gulp. We bought a brand new house and two new cars. We joined the country club and bought the clothes to match. We took fancy trips and worshipped at the altar of hedonism. We thought we were doing what doctors were supposed to do. We did it like champs. We weren’t keeping up with the Jones’s. We were the Jones’s.

Then due to some due to some circumstances with our kids, we decided that I should come home for a time. Oh, you don’t even know. It was one of the hardest years of my life. The income loss was just the beginning of the squeeze. I slowed down enough to look around and see what was crumbling behind the perfect facade. Here’s what I saw. I saw a woman who had come to believe that she deserved anything she wanted. I saw a woman who had lost touch with the reality of most of the world. I saw a woman whose worth was tied up in status and wealth. I saw a woman I didn’t know any more and I didn’t like her very much either.

So, I set out to reinvent myself. Which meant a slow stripping away of everything I had come to believe was important.

Here are a few ways I changed my life to step off the terrible treadmill called the rat race of life.

1. I stay home more.

Since I left my practice 7 years ago, I’ve found that the hardest thing about being a work at home or stay at home mom is the staying at home part. But guess what? I’m way more productive and spend way less money when I stay home. I try to stay home 3 full days a week and that means saying no to things I would enjoy doing. It means taking my work seriously and doing it even when I’d rather be shopping or lunching.

2. I cook (most) of my own food.

Now, listen. This was not easy. I realized early on that 5:00 is not a good time to start thinking about dinner. I had no clue how to feed a family of six regularly without losing my ever loving mind. But, the only way to get more comfortable in the kitchen is by getting in the kitchen. When I first started learning to really cook, I watched the Food Network and read lots of cook books. You will learn to love it by doing it and getting better at it. Fifteen years later, one of my favorite things to do in this world is put on some good music, pour a glass of wine and chop up some ingredients for dinner. You’ll save plenty of money and eat much healthier. (You’ll stay home more, too!)

3. I grow my own garden.

Just tonight, I went out to my little garden and clipped some swiss chard and some mint to go in our salad. I canNOT tell you the joy of growing at least some of your food. It feels like you’re somehow cheating the system. And in our temperate climate, we can have something growing in there for most of the year. It’s good for the soul. It’s good for the body. And it’s good for the wallet. This year, I used the square foot gardening method and I’m loving it!

4. I pursue things that are fulfilling.

I firmly believe that one of the reasons we spend to0 much is because we’re not fulfilled in our everyday lives. We’re not following our passions. We’re not living for others. We do the same thing day in and day out and fail to see the magic of ordinary life. I started reading like there was no tomorrow. I started pursuing my life long love of writing, it changed so many things for me. I wasn’t preoccupied with stuff anymore. I started using my gifts in ways that helped others. It changed everything about my life and most certainly my bank account.

5. We didn’t give ourselves a raise.

This month we reached a milestone. We paid off the mortgage on our farm!!!! It felt so surreal when I sent in the last check. This 40 acres with a cabin and barn now belongs to us. And guess how we were able to afford that while putting a bunch of kids through school on one income? When Stevie got a raise at work ten years ago, we never let that money become part of our regular budget. He set up a different account and eventually used that money to buy and improve this piece of land. We never got used to having the extra money so it didn’t feel like we were missing anything. I wouldn’t have had the foresight or the discipline to do that but I’m so glad that he did.

6. I see that it’s often more blessed to create than to purchase.

I started pursuing a more creative life. I learned to knit, sew, stitch, and craft. I homeschooled my girls and made every last handicraft under the sun. So many things that I would see that I wanted, I would try to find a way to make it way cheaper than I could buy it. I fell in love with thrifting and antique shopping and came to prefer items with a story.

7. I took Dave Ramsey’s Financial Peace course and saved $5,000 fast.

I read his books, took his course, and saved $5,000 in 6 months. I decided against upgrading my car and drove the (paid-for) beast for 11 years. I didn’t realize how much we were overspending on insurance before we talked with our ELP . We got help with our taxes so that my creative business wouldn’t be a liability for us and we maximized the amount we were saving for retirement. I would not consider myself a frugal person, but I’ve learned that these principles are as much about joy and peace in your life as they are about money.

Dave’s Endorsed Local Provider program is such a huge help because we can use the professionals Dave recommends.

The truest thing you can say about money is—

All the best things in life are free!

I look around at our lives and see that almost all the things we enjoy and love about our lives are things you can’t buy. And, what’s the most important reason to find ways to save some money? In order to be generous! Steve and I want to be able to help our kids, our church, and our community. We want to continue to sponsor children in poverty and we hope to keep learning ways to live generously with the world around us.

What are some ways your family has made lifestyle changes in order to simplify your life and save money?