bestillbebright

“Be still, and know that I am God.” – Psalm 46:10

“Let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.” – Matthew 5:16

What is #beSTILLbebright?

I started this “movement” back in 2012-ish when I had first started blogging in an effort to encourage others to share little tid-bits of their personal walk. My hope was to create an easily accessible place on the internets (the hashtag on instagram: #beSTILLbeBRIGHT) where people could go to see all the faith-related posts I’ve published and then hopefully encourage others to post and add to the hashtag as well.

In coming up with the hashtag, I was inspired by the two bible verses above – one encouraging believers to let their lights shine and the other encouraging them to be still before the Lord. I think both of these practices/disciplines go hand in hand and are an integral part of walking with the Lord on a daily basis. And as such, I wanted to start something on instagram to promote and encourage you and me to share the little, still moments through which our individual fires are fueled to ultimately shine bright for Christ.

Links and Resources

(still updating this list and I need to proofread eventually too – this is just a bunch of stuff I spit out reql quick…)

Bibles and Things

ESV Journaling Bible (the one I use with wide margins)

NIV Life Application Bible – This is the one that has the explanations in large footnotes at the bottom of the page. This bible is jam-packed with all kinds of helpful information and also has maps for your reference. I love reading all the notes that accompany the scripture as well as the introductions for each book as a whole (giving information on who, what, where, when why etc.)

Bible highlighters – I discovered these a few years ago and have fallen in love. I hate when pens or highlighters bleed through the thin pages in my bible so these (when used lightly) are the perfect solution and I haven’t experienced any bleed through. You could also use colored pencils!

Moody Commentary – ok so #confessions…this is just one of the first ones I found on Amazon. I looked around a little, BUT I probably should have done more research. Patience is hard for me…but it’s been great for me so far and has been an awesome resource to keep my scripture reading rich and exciting (might be a bit of a stretch, but i truly truly enjoy learning all the backstory and such)

Books I’ve read and Loved

The Reason for God by Tim Keller // little bit like a textbook but SO GREAT if you’re struggling with some of the big concepts and why’s of christianity

Follow Me by David Platt // I actually mentioned this book and wrote a little bit about it in this blog post, but gosh y’all I could write SO MUCH MORE!

Blue Like Jazz by Donald Miller // read this one twice and love it and it’s great for people who aren’t christians too – it’s a great perspective

Scary Close by Donald Miller

Prodigal God by Tim Keller

Counterfeit Gods by Tim Keller

Prayer by Tim Keller

Not a Fan by Kyle Idleman

Cold Tangerines by Shauna Niequist

Books on my NEED-TO-READ List

Bittersweet by Shauna Niequist (sitting next to my bed, literally)

Jesus the King by Tim Keller

Online Resources and Blogs

She Reads Truth blog

DesiringGod.Org (John Piper’s website and it’s SO rich full of content)

Redeemer Presbyterian (Tim Keller’s church and has all his sermons)

Gospel Coalition

Devotionals and Studies I own and suggest

A 12-Month guide to Better Prayer (multiple authors including Spurgeon, Matthew Henry and the like)

Jesus Calling Devotional by Sarah Young – This is a great every day devotional to keep either by your bed or in your center console in your care (or your purse! – wherever is best for your lifestyle!)

Savor by Shauna Niequist

 

FAQ

I went through some of your emails and compiled a list of some of the most frequent questions! I only went back about 6 months, but if there’s something you’d like to know that isn’t listed here (I’m answering them as I can), please add it in the comments section below!

How often do you have a quiet time? (also, see this blog post and VIDEO here!)

For me, that’s like asking me how often I brush my teeth. My immediate answer is of course every single day. But you know there are some days where you drink your coffee or OJ and then somehow get distracted and leave your house (heaven forbid) without brushing your teeth. But for the most part, I have at least a 10 minute quiet time of some sort every single day and even sometimes before I go to bed at night too. And if I’m totally honest, I try and have little bits of quiet time throughout my day as well – you know, kind of like those ladies who bring floss and/or a tooth brush with them everywhere. I continue to weave my ‘quiet time’ with the Lord into my entire day. This looks like random prayers, occasional bible-verse-reading breaks and praying before meals. But none of this is in a legalistic sense, I do it all because I need this time like I need water. Period the end.

What do you do during your quiet time?

This is kind of a hard question to answer because my quiet time could look radically different from one day to another or from one week or even year to the next. Every time is different but I would say that most of the time I am alone, my phone is off or on do not disturb and it’s quiet. I try to always have some sort of scripture involved – whether it be via my iPhone (if I’m traveling or something) and usually spend some time journaling.

And of course, I spend a lot of my time simply praying. And you know what? I totally get distracted sometimes when I try and pray in my head. I still try and do it, but it’s really hard not to start wandering into la-la land. So this is why I really enjoy journaling; it helps me to stay focused and intentional with my time.

So I’ll usually start my time with a quick prayer and then jot down a few things on my heart, bringing them before the Lord. Typically, I’m studying some book or doing some sort of personal study that I’m (leisurely – if I’m honest) going through. I’ll read a chapter or a few verses and meditate on it. If it applies to what I’m experiencing at the moment, that’s great but usually it doesn’t. Regardless, I’ll read scripture during this time because I know that I NEED it :) even if I don’t want to. I’ll try and read something.

How do you study the bible?

Well I usually choose a book and dedicate my reading time to getting through it. I don’t really have any rhyme or reason to which order or how I choose the books I’m reading – I just kind of pick one and stick to it. And it usually takes me a VERY long time to get through a book – I typically break it down verse by verse and try and learn as much as I can. And this time studying the word is ALWAYS fruitful – the word never ceases to come alive time and time again.

What resources do you use to help you in your study?

Where do you go to church in Dallas?

Park Cities Presbyterian Church (PCPC) and then I go to The Porch on Tuesday’s when I don’t have PCPC bible study :)

How long do you spend reading your bible each day or week?

What are some of your favorite podcasts to listen to?

What books in the bible would you suggest for a new believer?

When did you become a Christian?