You might have noticed a few design changes around here. I’ve kept the same layout for two and a half years, because I’m not inclined to fix stuff that isn’t broken. (I’m also not able to keep a reasonable blood pressure while fighting HTML.) But things started to deteriorate. It was time to make the Wordpress upgrade and a few other changes, as continually patching things and fighting spam took too much time. Please let me know of any problems, noting which browser you’re using. Then, I’ll tell Valerie, because really, I just blog. She’s the one that makes it appear.

A woman confided to me at a New York dinner party, “Honestly, who has time to cook anymore? My daughter will probably grow up wondering what a kitchen is used for.” The lament had the predictable blend of weariness and braggadocio, unremarkable except for this woman’s post at the helm of one of the nation’s major homemaking magazines. (link)

There are many family life ideals I’ve had to sacrifice on the altar of practicality, but regularly eating dinner together as a family is one we’ve managed to hold onto. We have a houseful (and a handful), and it’d be easy to justify regular on-the-go eating or a’ la carte grazing. It’s not that eating together is next to godliness. There is nothing about sitting down together at the dinner table that makes one family more spiritual than the next. However, I think there are certain rituals that make it easier to keep connections with one another and do the things required of us—namely, to raise children who know God and what He requires of us. Eating together is one of those things that make parenting easier in the long run.

When Greg was gone 12-14 hours a day for many years, he’d be up by 4 or 5 a.m. so that he could get his work done by dinnertime. Even with heavy work weeks, we usually sat down at 5:30 for dinner. Part of that, admittedly, is that I was DONE with the day by 5:30 p.m. and in real need of reinforcements. (I think the “done” feeling moves up an hour every time we add a baby.) The other part is that we just enjoy it.

In the early years, I think it’s more about establishing habits, manners, and pleasant children than it is about having meaningful, deep conversations. The fun part comes later, and we’re just moving into that stage ourselves. When they’re little, you’re teaching them how to be the kind of people that others enjoy being around, so that when they grow up, they don’t play the victim. If you are snubbed a party invitation, your time is better spent figuring out why than complaining about it and bemoaning other people’s cliques. It’s what I always say, anyway.

I saw this list of 10 questions from a father’s perspective (here’s the link) to ask your children if you need some fodder. A few are appropriate for dinner and some aren’t, depending on the number of people around the table:

• How are your devotions?
• What is God teaching you?
• In your own words, what is the gospel?
• Is there a specific sin you’re aware of that you need my help defeating?
• Are you more aware of my encouragement or my criticism?
• What’s daddy most passionate about?
• Do I act the same at church as I do when I’m at home?
• Are you aware of my love for you?
• Is there any way I’ve sinned against you that I’ve not repented of?
• Do you have any observations for me?
• How am I doing as a dad?
• How have Sunday’s sermons impacted you?
• Does my relationship with mom make you excited to be married?
• (On top of these things, with my older kids, I’m always inquiring about their relationship with their friends and making sure God and his gospel are the center of those relationship. And I look for every opportunity to praise their mother and increase their appreciation and love for her.)

Now, I began my writing 20 minutes ago for the express purpose of sharing a Jambalaya recipe with you, but I got carried away. The reason I wanted to share it is because I love recipes that only use one dish. This makes cooking more practical and probable if cleanup is a breeze. Now, we dirty two pots because I make a Kid Version and an Adult Version. Greg and I like it hot and spicy. This is a rule I rarely break (making kiddie food), but I transgress the law when I must turn up the heat. You just gotta do it sometimes.

Jambalaya
(This is Dave’s recipe, but I included my notes as well.)

3 TBSP vegetable oil
2 cups yellow onions - diced
1 cup green bell pepper - diced
1/2 cup celery – diced [Amy: I use celery seed]
4-5 cloves garlic - chopped
2 tsp cayenne pepper
S&P to taste
1lb smoked sausage
1lb diced chicken
4-5 bay leaves
2- 14.5 oz cans diced tomato (can be flavored)
3 cups of uncooked rice
6 cups chicken stock [Amy: I use water and bullion.]
2 cans Goya pigeon peas [Amy: 1 peas, 1 black bean]
Chopped green onions to taste

I usually start by browning the chicken in the same pot I’m going to cook everything in. [Amy: I use cooked, cubed boneless chicken in my freezer. You can find so many uses for it!] I season the chicken with S&P and Emeril’s essence or you can season it with paprika, garlic, S&P, and a dash of cayenne. The Chicken does not have to be cooked through just browned. Remove the chicken and add onion-season with S&P and the cayenne. [Amy: I don’t remove it, as it still works and the baby is crying…]

Sauté onions until translucent, add bell pepper and celery. Sauté for another 2-3 minutes add garlic and bay leaves. Add sausage and sauté until sausage has browned add reserved chicken, canned tomatoes, and rice. Let cook for 2-3 minutes in order for the rice to absorb flavor. Now is as good time to check the flavor - you can add more seasoning if you feel it needs it. Pour in chicken stock and pigeon peas, bring to a boil, give it a good stir, reduce heat to simmer and cover. Simmer 30-40 minutes or until all liquid is gone – there is no need to stir. After liquid is gone stir jambalaya add green onions and let rest 4-5 minutes covered. Serve! You can add shrimp to this recipe but I would wait until the end even if the shrimp are already cooked as shrimp tend to get tough if you overcook them.

Amy here again: Now to do the kiddie version, half everything, using just the chicken, sausage, rice, chicken stock, and black beans.

And just to share some link love, here are two sites you might want to visit. Tammy’s Recipes is worth a stop just to look at the pictures. And finally, you might be interested in The Family Meal Table DVD if you need some renewed vigor on the subject.

I do believe I got carried away here. I must need some cheesecake, which is legal when you’re T-minus 5 weeks.

We installed new internet filters this weekend, and my website was blocked. Why? Due to violence and hate. I wonder which post that one was.

I will probably not have one of those New York City deaths, the kind where you die but nobody notices until a funny smell begins radiating from your apartment. For one thing, I don’t live in New York City. For another, too many people rely on me for their every need for me to go a blessed minute unnoticed.

In case you’ve lost count (it’s OK), my children are preborn, 1, 3, 5, 7, and 9. Nobody—and I mean, nobody—can remember to feed the dog or brush their teeth without me. OK, well, I feel certain that they’d be capable of finding a sock, combing their hair, and calculating a math problem if I weren’t here, but I also know that they’d act like they couldn’t do it before they actually did it. The world will spin without me. I’ve already come to terms with this because I am 31, not 21.

Sometimes—just for the 30 minutes it’d take to soak in a bath undisturbed—I’d like to change my name. So when I hear footsteps on the stairs and the sweet call of, “Mom?” I could just as sweetly ignore it. Because it’s not my name. For the moment, I am Anne with an “e” and the owner of matching socks. My hair is not in a pink ponytail.

But I know my name and I know that there is no going back. There is no way for me to be other than what I am. I am a lot of things: crazy, tired, happy, and disoriented. But never alone. I prefer it that way.

My friends like me because I can be counted upon for an honest assessment. I’m straight-forward. It’s also the reason they hate me. The passing of time and the offering of many apologies has tempered my frankness but I still slip now and again. Sometimes, I try to use what psychologists refer to as the “sandwich approach.” That’s when you say something nice, then say what you really want to say, and then say something nice again. I don’t always remember to, though.

My husband is a peacemaker, but he understands that I like my tonics straight up. So several years ago when I got the worst haircut of my life (and haven’t cut it since), I did what every wife does after she gets a haircut. I put my hands on my hips, paused for a dramatic effect, and said, “So? What do you think?” My husband did what no husband in his right mind would do. He answered, “It’ll grow.”

The Bible is kind of like that too– honest–but more judicial and perfect in its observations. When you hold it up, it is a mirror to your soul and it doesn’t lie. There’s no airbrushing of sin and you’re not allowed to think something is—as my seven-year-old says—“goodish, baddish.” God is good and sin is bad. The Bible isn’t PC and it doesn’t mince words, “For all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God.” (Romans 3:23) Or, “Haughty eyes and a proud heart, the lamp of the wicked, are sin!” (Proverbs 21:4)

We just finished reading II Chronicles and discussed the pattern of the kings last night. The good kings obeyed God, and God blessed them. The bad kings were wise in their own eyes. God sent warnings in His mercy and then war, disease, and trouble when they didn’t repent. There’s much more treasure there, but that’s the big picture.

And so, I don’t think it’s a shallow, thoughtless prayer from the one who prays simply, “Lord, we love you. Help us to obey.” It’s how my children pray and how I ought to, too. It’s good to be straight-forward every now and then.

It seems like there are a lot of “I’ve had a traumatic birth” stories floating around. I don’t know if it’s because I’m a magnet for the stories now that I can empathize or if it’s because mainstream American birth culture is one in serious need of repair. It’s probably both.

From my email:

I am expecting our 3rd child sometime in the next month and a half. (Due date is Nov. 17th) and am wondering what books you would recommend as a believing woman that have been an encouragement as you prepare for labor/delivery. I had a traumatic (but medically unnecessary C-Section) with my first child, a V-Bac with my second (with a doula attending and a doctor who believes that birth is a natural process, not a medical event) and now I am delivering with a group of midwives.

I have been praying lots and seeking the Lord’s peace as I try to prepare for this birth. All of the books I’ve been told to read are so hokey…”believe in your power as a woman” etc. One would think there would be shelves full of books from believing woman on labor and delivery as it is truly one of the most spiritual experiences, in terms of complete surrender to the One Who Is, that there is. Any suggestions? I know you are due soon, too!!

I know that as soon as I get on some Natural Childbirth bandwagon, I’ll see that the wheels are headed right into the C-section room. It’s just the way things go for me. If you want to be ready, though, reading Natural Childbirth literature is the best way to educate yourself for birth. Skip Baby magazine’s 10 Top Labor Tips– because think about it– drug and formula companies pay their bills.

In hindsight now, I’ve learned that the complications from each of my five deliveries were iatrogenic, meaning physician-induced, and that it’s really my choice whether set myself up for them again. Medicine is a means of God’s common grace, and so, there is a good place for it in birth, and yet, its overuse is a misuse.

That said, I believe the best book I’ve read so far on the subject is Dr. Sears’ The Birth Book. It is the book I wish I’d read ten years ago. Since it is popular, I mistakenly assumed it was fluffy and mainstream. It describes God’s natural design wonderfully, yet without an arrogant overtone of “hospitals are evil,” which is what you find in many natural-type books. Many books written by midwives, as well, take particular risks I wouldn’t necessarily take myself (think: breech).

Now, The Birth Book isn’t the thing I need for this birth (Dr. Grantly Dick-Read’s original work, Childbirth Without Fear, is), but it will be what I recommend from now on. I’m open to other suggestions, however, as I obviously haven’t read every book on the subject. Leave some link love in the comment boxes if you want!

This trimester, I’ve read Natural Childbirth the Bradley Way, Spiritual Midwifery, Childbirth Without Fear, Lord of the Birth, Christ Centered Childbirth, The Birth Book, and Heart and Hands. The weakness of the Christian literature is that they’re somewhat medically lightweight. This might be preferable to some women, however, as it’s a lot to digest if you’re not “into” the subject. I can’t say that I’ve read any particular Christian work that stands out to me, though.

November 8th is the day I can look forward to being nausea-free. It is also my due date. Thinking about all of you, too!

Last night’s Atlas 5 launched on schedule carrying a military communications satellite. The children and I had a great view from our balcony, but as usual, Greg’s view is better.

So after all these years, I thought up this brilliant joke, “So Greg, do you ever say to anyone at work, ‘Hey, this isn’t rocket science?’” Um, not really.

I can usually make a good joke at least once a day, but I’m having an off week.

I want to be there for my kids. I’m not sure where “there” is, but you know, I want to do the right thing. Most moms do.

A lot of people tell me that the reason they don’t have ten zillion kiddos like me (but who’s counting?) is because they’re afraid they can’t be there for all of them. In fact, a stranger told me so again this week. It happens to me a lot—these out-of-the-blue stranger confessions—I think, because I look very approachable in the grocery store. I’m not sure what it is. Maybe it’s because they see that I hide the chocolate under all the produce in my cart. They nod their heads and say, “Yeah, lady, me too.”

Anyway. There’s something to be said about being there for your children. I feel good about my being here for my children right now, but it’s mostly because I can hardly move. Being nine months along makes it easy to be here than anywhere else.

But seriously, when you strip away all the psychobabble and other junk, kids just want you to be around. To look at them. To play Uno with them. To hug them when they walk by in the kitchen.

Peggy Noonan, author a book called Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness tells of a conversation with her brother-in-law in which she asked him what the best thing was about his mother when he was growing up.

“And, immediately he said, ‘That she was there.’

‘No’, he said, ‘actually there. In the kitchen. For twenty years she stood in the kitchen stirring the gravy. Every day I came home from school, she was there. When I came home with a broken arm or blood coming out of my lip, she was at the door. That’s the big change. Kids have no one home now. I don’t mean one-parent families, I mean two parents and both are out. And we’ll never go back to the old way again, ever.’”

The easiest way to go back to “the old way” is to never leave it. Just be there and stay.

I wrote my last post on a whim—very quickly and off-the-cuff. I didn’t ponder the content because I thought it rather benign. Really, who could argue that parents should “be there” for their children? We know that there are people who argue that quality matters, not quantity, but the people who read here have a ton of common sense. They already know better than that.

Still, some discussion arose, and I hope others will feel free to chime in.

Do you think our children notice and appreciate the fact that we are “always there” if they are at home with us all day? The example you referred to fits nicely with a son or daughter who is coming home from school, but what about the ones who don’t leave their homes much?

Young children aren’t always the most thankful creatures. Thankfulness is oftentimes something people cultivate in hindsight. But parents still should give children what they need, even if they aren’t capable of realizing they need it–just like we give them green veggies, multiplication facts, and regular bedtimes.

For many years, I walked around waiting for someone to notice my sacrifice and hoped for some grand acknowledgment on Mother’s Day. (I admit it.) One day I realized that my obedience is better than feeling appreciated. And this is the secret of the Christian’s life–everything is an offering for Christ. What we do for little ones, we do for Christ.

…how does one go about “being there” in a sense, when she might not actually be allowed to continue to “be there” as her children grow, mature, become young men and women of God?

This point was raised by a mom fighting cancer.

This is the shortcoming of writing whimsically–saying something without saying everything. But I’m afraid I missed the main thing. While it is important to be there for our children, it is not the most important thing. Teaching them to love and obey God is. We are not promised tomorrow, but God is the only One able to say, “I will never leave you or forsake you.” When we teach our children well, we give them all that they need for the moment that will come when they have to walk without us.

Michaele, I pray that your remission from cancer is not a “might be” but a sure thing.

What if you can’t be “there” because you have to work to keep the ship afloat? Does that make you less of a Christian, less of a woman, less of a mother, less of a PW [Amy: PW stands for “pastor’s wife”]?

I think your “does that make me less” sentiment comes from a general carelessness with our words. I recently heard someone say that it was sin for women to work outside the home, not qualifying the circumstances or age of the woman. This surprised me a bit, as I immediately thought of how much my Christian girlfriends love those female labor and delivery nurses, obstetricians, and midwives.

I’ve also noticed that, some would say, it’s OK to volunteer outside the home (especially doing ministry), but it’s not OK to “pick up a shift” for money outside of the home. This position is inconsistent and intellectually dishonest. The distinction isn’t in Scripture; we are commanded to keep our homes. To hold a consistent position, you’d have to say that both are sin.

When Jesus healed the blind man on the Sabbath, this was an outrage. In this way, however, we see that God is more interested in our keeping the spirit of His Words and not the letter only. This is how it is possible for a woman to stay at home 24/7 and still sin (in her smugness) while it is possible for a woman to work outside the home, doing so unto the Lord and thereby glorifying God.

Scripture teaches us that women with small children (especially speaking, since the command is given to “younger women”) ought to “keep” their homes. (Titus 2:3-5) The responsibility for their upbringing belongs to families, not institutions. This is one reason we bought 54 acres and hope our children build their homes nearby. Raising children is hard on a woman during her childbearing years, and I don’t want my daughters to do it alone. I’m doing it, and it’s not ideal. We need one another.

I almost said that the Bible is “pro-home” and we ought to be too. But really, the Bible is “pro-Jesus” and we shouldn’t lose sight that God’s glory is the point, not keeping a nice little home for its own sake. We ought to spur one another think outside the box, develop communities of support, and bear with one another as we seek to apply a Biblical worldview to the situations we find ourselves in.

I’m not comfortable saying that women working outside the home is always sin, though, it ought not to be so normal. (One day I will tell the story of how we made it on $318 a week for years without going into debt or accepting government aid.) I am comfortable with agreeing with Scripture that women ought to use their energy in keeping their homes.

I didn’t get a chance to weigh in on the subject of having time for “so many children.” I hope to do that next time. ….In the meantime, T-minus 3 1/2 weeks! Yeah, baby!

After I wrote about “being there” for your children, several people wondered how a woman does that when there are “5, 6, 7 of them all needing something. I mean this question with all due respect.” Answer: She gives away the dog.

Oh! You wanted a different answer. OK. I’m not making this up. My life is too ironic to have to stretch the truth. So my oldest comes to me out of the blue while my comment box is going hog wild on the subject and says, “I want to be the oldest of 12 children.” I coughed and sputtered at my son since I’m half-dead from carrying this sixth and can’t imagine being only halfway there right now. (You think I’m kidding, but I think it really will be the end of me if I vomit anymore.) But really, they love it. They love their brothers and sisters and don’t want it any other way.

And it’s not like my older ones don’t make the connection. They know that we decline invitations, go home early, and miss out on stuff because we have babies and toddlers that need naps and other such tending. They don’t care. They’re used to giving up for the sake of one another. And that’s a good thing to learn in a country built on consumerism. It also makes you a pleasant person to be around because you know how to think of other people before yourself.

Greg’s side of the family had a mini-reunion at his sister’s wedding last weekend. Greg’s dad is the second of nine children, all of whom are walking with God. Many people tell me, “You just wait. When they grow up, they go their own way and there’s nothing you can do about it.” But I hold onto the fact that these nine out of nine all love God and have served Him as pastors, missionaries, and elders in the Church. In fact, the oldest, Greg’s uncle who turned 75 last weekend, sat me down and said, “I’m glad you’re having a large family. It’s the best. I wouldn’t go back and change a thing. [They grew up poor during the Depression.] I can’t tell you what it means to see young families who love God having children.”

In that moment, I forgot about how very awful I feel. How tired I am. How inadequate I’ve been. Some of you take my jesting lightly, but I really have been vomiting, tired, and/or practically useless to my family these past months. We will see the other side soon, and it will all be worth it.

So, really, how does a woman with several little ones “do” it? I talk to my girls while I brush their hair instead of listening to talk radio. I take my son grocery shopping and split a sub between us at the deli instead of going alone. I fill up their cups so that they are free to pour themselves into one another: my olders reading to the babies, my athletic nine-year-old content with a wild toddler as an afternoon playmate, my five-year-old singing the alphabet to the three-year-old. I give as much as I can and then trust God for the rest.

I’m not sure how it all happened, but my kids hate math. This morning, my oldest asked if there were any fields in science where you don’t have to know math. He wants to study a science, just so long as there’s no math involved. “No deal,” I told him. Please don’t tell him otherwise. He orders his subjects like this: My First Worst Subject = Math, My Second Worst Subject = Spelling, and so on. The lower tier of Worst Subjects has changed around somewhat, but never math. It’s always first.

Then there was my second oldest and her math tragedies this morning. We’re doing place value. (Groan with me but send chocolate.) I actually have a useless college degree in this, supposedly so I can teach this stuff correctly. Whatever. There is no class on how to handle the pre-pre-adolescent girl and her tears.

After repeating Greg’s mantra that “Math is like baseball, and there is no crying in baseball,” I plunged in for the second day of Place Value Torture. It wasn’t long until the confusion and crying began. And then it hit me: I need to begin again. Let’s start at the very beginning, the very first place to start… So we did.

Think about it. Whenever you go to a crowded place and are separated from your party, what are you supposed to do? Go back. Go back to the place where you were together before. Wait there. Don’t wander around aimlessly, looking for someone somewhere somehow. Go back to what you know for sure.

My children aren’t the only ones agonizing over their assigned work. I am too. I know what I have to do. I have assignments, and like my children, I don’t always do them without the proverbial crying. Besides getting ready for a baby and juggling my regular responsibilities, I’m also switching health care providers now at the very end, scrambling with unforeseen circumstances, and trying to come up with a plausible story on why the dog might be missing. [OK, the dog part is just a fantasy.] It is what I have to do, even if I don’t want to do it.

But the place to begin the work is always at the beginning. Where is that? That is here– that this task, this work before me was given by God, and He will enable to do it. He is good. I belong to Him, so all that He gives me is from His mercy. The “how”, the “why”, the “what for” is for later. Settle once and for all Who you belong to and Who you are working for.

The rest comes after that.

By Greg Scott

Introduction
Amy and I try to integrate our theology into our everyday life. Really, it is critical that all Christians do that - theology disconnected from life is dead and life disconnected from theology is pointless. What I hope to do here is to lay a theological foundation for the Christian’s pursuit of simplicity. Perhaps this will give more insight into who we are and where we are headed and why we are doing what we do. Hopefully it will serve as a guidepost for our pursuit as we continue down this road as a family and as a part of the family of God.

Unless we take the time to relate everything we do to our God, the creator of this universe, the One who gives meaning to all things, the One from whom and through whom and to whom are all things, we are doomed to live hopelessly superficial lives. I want to propose that the very nature and character of God calls all of His people to pursue simplicity in their time here on this earth. I doubt that we will all arrive at the same answer to the question, “What does the simple life look like?” There is not a uniform model for so diverse an organism as the Body of Christ (Usually we cause more harm than good when we think we know how to do ____________ God’s way). Nevertheless, I do believe there is a unifying principle of simplicity and we can find it when we consider the nature of our God. Not surprisingly, this concept of simplicity differs greatly from that promoted by contemporary society.

Living in a material world
Our early 21st century American culture often belittles the notion of simplicity and of living a simple life. The overt derision of simplicity, such as the caricature of the simple-minded corn pone farmer who is out of touch with reality and missing a few front teeth to boot, is easy to spot. This kind of mockery is far less dangerous than the subversive perversion of simplicity promoted by our enemy and aped by our society. Most people today seek simplicity in discrete bits and pieces that are disconnected from any overarching purpose or unifying principle. This results in a corruption of true simplicity and produces a lifestyle that is anything but simple. The danger for someone trying to follow Christ is that, like a fish who does not know it is wet, we do not realize how much this prevailing environment affects our thinking.

Analyzing the passions and pursuits championed by the worship leaders of pop culture—the mass media—reveals this fundamental perversion of simplicity. The message that bombards us is that we need more and that we deserve more, and if we just add this or that one more thing, it will simplify our lives so that we are free to do other, more important activities. The best part is that all of that can be ours with three easy payments of $39.95. What could be more simple? Unfortunately, all this kind of “simplicity” produces is more complexity and it is contrary to the foundation for simplicity found in the nature and character of God.

My first reaction is to embrace simple living (as opposed to that described above) as a virtue because our Godless culture rejects it. Most of what our very shallow culture rejects is something we should readily cherish. Though this may be a good reason, it cannot be a sufficient reason for any serious Christian. Sure, this kind of negative injunction is given to the Christian in John’s first letter, “love not the world, neither the things in the world,” but there is more to John’s statement than just rejecting out of hand everything the world embraces without a prior commitment to a unifying purpose.

There are movements toward simplicity of life these days by those who seek to reduce their “carbon footprint” on the earth, or out of a desire to reduce “food miles”, or for various other socio-political concerns (social justice, redistribution of wealth, etc). While there may be some valid concerns and some noble pursuits here, all of these remain superficial reasons to pursue simplicity. They are not reason enough to embrace simplicity for a Christian.

The Christian must be guided by a more substantial and all-encompassing reason for doing everything he does. Thus, the greatest motive for pursuing simplicity is not doing good to others, not being good stewards of God’s creation, or avoiding the bad of the world. The greatest motive is embracing the purpose for which God made us and reflecting the image in which He made us.

Understanding God’s nature
From time to time, I have the opportunity to teach a systematic theology class. If you have ever read a theology book or studied the character of God then you know that the theologian or teacher invariably covers the attributes of God. Most theology books place God’s attributes into two broad categories: the communicable and incommunicable attributes. God’s communicable attributes are those that we humans, by virtue of being created in the image of God, share in and experience to a certain extent. These attributes include such things as love, justice, wrath, jealousy, etc. The incommunicable attributes are those things that we do not share in and cannot experientially comprehend because they are unique to the Creator. This includes things such as omnipotence, omniscience, eternality in the sense that He always was, etc.

One of the attributes of God most theologians relegate to the incommunicable category is the simplicity of God. I have found that is often hard for people to grasp the fact that God is simple. Usually when I introduce this topic in one of my classes, I receive quizzical expressions, expressions that betray the thought, “Did he really just say that God was simple?”, as if I have insulted Him by saying he was the proverbial farmer with straw hat, pitchfork, and grass stalk sticking out of his mouth. Others are thinking, “Surely he can’t mean God is simple. I can’t understand him, he is far more that I ever will comprehend, how can he be simple?”

It is proper to wonder how the infinite, eternal, omnipotent, omniscient, and even incomprehensible God can also be simple. On the surface, incomprehensibility and simplicity appear to stand in opposition to each other. However, let’s stop to think about what the simplicity of God really means and I think we will begin to see the theological reason that should be the unifying principle behind our pursuit of simplicity.

Defining God’s simplicity
The fact that God is simple means that God is not composed of parts. God is all that He is all of the time. There is not a part of Him that is loving and a part of Him that is just and a part of Him that is vengeful and a part of Him that is patient. God’s nature is one and his attributes cannot be separated.

This is where people often get God wrong. They will set up false dichotomies, say between God’s love and His justice. God is a God of love, they say, He wouldn’t visit eternal punishment on His creation. Well maybe on a few who are really bad, like Hitler or Stalin, but certainly not on everyone else. The fact that God is love cannot square with the fact that He is just. Consequently, there are such things as process theology, which states that the God of the First Covenant is not the same God manifested in the New Covenant. Most people have heard the assertion that the God of Abraham and Moses was a vengeful God but Jesus is all about love and peace.

Passive simplicity
However, consider John 3:16, “For God so loved the world that He gave His only-begotten Son…” This is surely a clear expression of the attribute of God we call love. God so loved that He gave. But for what did He give His Son? He gave Him to die, because His justice demands payment of the wages of sin. Thus in this most loving act of God, sending His Son, we also see His justice satisfied, His wrath poured out, and His wisdom demonstrated. And so, God “is both just and the justifier of those who have faith in Jesus” (Romans 3:26). Whatever God does is an unchanging and full expression of all of His attributes. This is the traditional understanding of the simplicity of God—His essence and attributes are one—He is all that He is all the time. For the sake of this argument, I’ll call this the passive simplicity of God.

Active simplicity
Remember that theologians usually relegate God’s simplicity to the incommunicable attribute category. Yet, there is an aspect of His simplicity that is communicable—call it the active simplicity of God. It follows that the simplicity of God’s being logically extends to simplicity in his activity. Because God is all that He is all the time, because all of His nature and attributes are at work all the time in everything that He does, because God is simple, He is about only one thing: His own glory. As John Piper says, modifying the first question of the old Westminster Catechism and turning it toward God, “What is the chief end of God? To glorify Himself and to enjoy Himself forever.” That is the essence of simplicity in action.

Not only that, but whatever God does, He does in the community of the Godhead. His simplicity in action, His singular pursuit of His own glory, is seen in the cooperation of the three persons of the trinity in everything that God does. The Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit operate together to accomplish God’s good purposes for God’s own good pleasure. We see this in creation—the Son, the Word, with God in the beginning (John 1:1), the Spirit brooding over the face of the deep (Genesis 1:2), and the divine counsel setting everything in order, “Let Us create man in our image”(Genesis 1:26). We see this in baptism—“in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.” We see this in the process of sanctification—the Father disciplining us for our good (Hebrews 12:10), the Son who is our sanctification (1 Corinthians 1:30), and the Holy Spirit producing fruit in our lives (Galatians 5:22). The triune Godhead is not divided seeking multiple pursuits with multiple agendas—but acts together in unity of purpose and simplicity of nature.

So what?
So what does all this mean for us as we all try to live our lives as a reflection of the One who made us and saved us? What does this have to do with our pursuit of the simple life and God’s call to simplicity for the believer?

Reflecting on both the passive and active aspects of God’s simplicity is the key to understanding the pursuit of simplicity in our earthly lives. Think about it: How much of what we do is composed of parts? How many complex and diverse and divided motives drive the things we do? How much of what we do divides our families into segments and prevents us from acting in community? How many of the good things that we do divide our churches into parts and keep us from being a functioning Body as God intended? How often do we ask the question, “How does this fit in with glorifying God in my life?”

The typical Evangelical lifestyle is anything but simple and does not at all reflect the simplicity of character and purpose that our God exhibits. God is simple; therefore, we too should pursue simplicity, so that we may fulfill our one purpose, “to glorify God and to enjoy Him forever.” All things should be done with this in mind. We will find that if we reflect on the actions and attributes of God we will hear more clearly God’s call to simplicity in the life of the believer. I hope that we will answer His call, not for any superficial reasons, but out of a sincere desire to be like our God and to reflect His glory by living out the pursuit of glorifying Him in all things.

Fall is my favorite time of year. I love the haystacks… the tree colors… the crisp, biting air. It is time for sipping apple cider slowly, pulling on turtlenecks, and sniffing the sweet scent of cinnamon on the stove.

The things I enjoy are only in my imagination, though, because I’ve never lived anywhere but Florida during this time of year. I am a native. The picture below is what we did yesterday with our sweltering heat. Next year, Lord willing, we’ll have our first real fall at our new farm and we’ll see how it lives up to my imagination. I will grow pumpkins, just because.

Greg emailed me his comment to add to the others, but I moved it up here. I didn’t want it to get lost. In his defense, he wrote this quickly and wasn’t expecting me to make it a post. And um, the title is mine… ~Amy

If you’re looking for a one size fits all answer to the question, “What does the simple life look like,” I think you will be disappointed with what I say here, just as you were in the article below. God has given us very few checklists for how to live the Christian life. Sure, there’s The Big 10, there are the “one anothers” in the New Testament, there are the “I say to you” commands of Jesus in the Sermon on the Mount. But when you get down to it, the Bible is not the “how to” manual we often want it to be or make it out to be.

I don’t think this was some oversight by God; it was done with a purpose. Unfortunately, because of our tendency to substitute all kinds of things in the place of God, we would rather create our checklists for the right way to do ______ God’s way because it is easier and more comfortable. Having been saved by grace, we try to live by works. But the purpose behind what we were given was not to make us feel good about ourselves because we are doing all the right things, it was given to help us realize our desperate condition and our continual need for the grace of God in everyday life. It was given to drive us to our knees and to deepen our relationship with our God as we work out our salvation with fear and trembling.

There are so many ideas out there, ways of life, God’s way to do this or that, strong statements of what is or what is not proper for a Christian to do. (This is not to say, “It’s all good. Live how you want. Don’t judge.”) But you will go crazy trying to be and do all of those things, and your life will be anything but simple. Fact is, I don’t think most of those ideas pass the test when it comes to what is or what is not THE Biblical way to live. I am not saying they are not good ideas, or that one will not benefit from them, or that we shouldn’t do them. But, I see it like this: if what we put forth is truly the Biblical way to live then it must by nature be applicable to all people and at all times; it must be universal. Let me see if a couple of examples help explain what I mean…

If I said that Biblical living means you have to bake your own bread from wheat you grew in your field and ground yourself, you have to make your own clothes, you have to homeschool your kids, and you can never do anything to prevent conception, then what does this mean for the couple in Germany where homeschooling is illegal? What does this mean for the mother in Africa who has to work all day in the field to feed her children? What about the couple living under China’s “one child only” law?

I have heard the argument that having your kids involved in organized sports is wrong. Now I agree that for someone who believes that organized sports are wrong it probably would be wrong to have their kids in sports. However, as for me and my house, we play baseball. In fact, right now baseball is a means to pursuing simplicity in our family life. I take all the kids out of the house once or twice a week, and Amy gets a much needed break. While Amy is recharging, I’m hanging out in the stands with other parents and the kids are getting completely worn out. Perfect. Baseball fits with the larger, overarching goal of glorifying God in our family and our larger community and therefore it is a part of our living simply. If it ceases to be so, then it must go.

I think Janet summed it up well when she said she is seeking to glorify God in dish washing, reading aloud to the kids, or in keeping house. The point is not the specifics that she is doing but the purpose behind it. God’s chief end is to glorify Himself and ours should be to glorify Him and everything else must be subordinate. The point of the article was not to present the model for the simple life, but to present a theology of simplicity rooted in the nature of God. God is all that He is all the time and everything He does is for one ultimate purpose. We should pursue the same thing in our lives and I think we will move closer to what simple living looks like for us, for our families, for our churches.

I grew up in the 80’s. We had a Beta recorder because my dad thought it was better than a VCR, and like most things, we were always caught a day late and a dollar short. Jelly shoes? Check. Michael Jackson’s Thriller memorized? Check. The only problem is that I had to wait for jelly shoes to come to our neighborhood Little General store before I could afford them with my car wash money. I was never cool enough for the mall. I wanted to fit in, to belong, to own stuff that wasn’t duct taped together, to get to Wally World before it closed for the season.

I’ve already likened my life to a TBS version of a Chevy Chase movie, so I’ll try to conjure a new reference. The problem with thinking up new stuff is that my brain is broken too, along with my very nine-month self. In case you missed it the one-teeny-time I mentioned it, I’m on my last leg.

If that wasn’t bad enough, my toddler broke my trendy –code for “expensive”– glasses this morning, so now I can’t see either. (I’m sure I probably don’t need to SEE for labor day, but it’s like a security blanket. I can’t do this without my glasses.) If that wasn’t bad enough, my seven-year-old tried to fix them before the dirty deed was exposed. The glasses were sitting on a Bible on the table, so you know, I figured they were in the safe zone. We need more candy and hazardous things to distract the little ones.

Now that I have enough money to be just a little bit cool, though, I don’t care. That feels good. I have an extra pair of glasses, but they are not cool. Like Rich Mullins wrote, “The stuff of earth competes for the allegiance I owe only to the Giver of all good things.” Moving on from the eighth grade lunchroom? That’s freedom.