Becoming Steadfast with Jesus with Lauren Mitchell (Mark 5:1-10)

In this episode we welcome author Lauren Mitchell to the show to help us study through a new miracle in the book of Mark. Together we'll learn:

• What's up with all those pigs?
• Why journaling our prayers matters.
• The value of circling back to Jesus each evening. 

Lauren brings some great tips and lots of fun to the show!

Links:

Find Lauren's  book on Amazon: Steadfast Through Psalms

Lauren's Instagram: @laurenmitchellwrites

Find her blog on Lauren's website: www.laurenmitchellwrites.com

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For more resources visit www.whitneyakin.com
Find my book, Overlooked, on Amazon, B&N, and Christianbook.com
Find me on Instagram @whitneyakin

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***Join the Hanging On Every Word Bible Study Group on Facebook HERE!

Transcript

Whitney Akin (00:01.336)
Well, welcome back to Hanging on Every Word. And this week, I'm so excited to introduce you to our next guest and my personal friend, Lauren Mitchell. Welcome to the show, Lauren. I'm so happy to have you.

Lauren Mitchell (00:11.905)
Thank you, I'm so excited to be here to talk to you.

Whitney Akin (00:15.158)
Yes, it's like talking to a friend because it is talking to a friend. Lauren is an author and teacher who spends most of her time chasing her three children, which I can relate to, and then the rest of it chasing the heart of God. She has a passion for prayer and sharing her own struggles to help others learn about God's steadfast love for us. She desires for her writing and speaking to make others yearn for a closer walk with God. And Lauren just recently released a book called Steadfast Through Psalms, which

Lauren Mitchell (00:18.42)
Yeah.

Whitney Akin (00:43.552)
It's a beautiful book and I don't just mean the cover because that is beautiful too, but the content and the concept of it. Lauren's book guides readers through the Psalms and she has prayers and devotions for morning and evening. And I have to say this because I'm very humble that I got to endorse the book and I was very honored to do that. And so as I read an early copy of it, I was just really encouraged by how practical and

how much I looked forward to reading the evening devotion and then the next one. And so Lauren, what has it been like walking this road of releasing steadfast through Psalms? And what do you kind of hope readers will gain from this resource?

Lauren Mitchell (01:25.854)
Okay, if had to pick one word about what it's been like, I would use the word overwhelming. Because, and I can mean that in like a good way and a hard way. It's just, it's a lot of, it's a lot of emotions. It's a lot of spiritual things and spiritual feelings. And it's a lot of like letting God really see my heart and like what I really want for the book.

Like I did a post yesterday that literally is from my own book. Somebody asked me, what are you doing for your devotions right now? When I spoke last week and I was like, I'm actually reading my book because I wrote the words, but they're so like, I'm still learning them. Like I wrote it cause I know it's what I'm struggling for. So I still need to read them again. I don't even know if that makes sense to anybody. Maybe that makes sense to you cause you wrote a book.

But it's not things that like I have down and I'm doing this great. It's like what I'm still struggling for. So it was great and it was really overwhelming in the best of ways.

Whitney Akin (02:34.67)
you

Yeah, I totally relate to that. I remember rereading my own book after it released because by the time your book releases, it's been written for a while and it's like you forget what you put in and I had to reread it because I needed to remind myself of some of the principles and really walk it out as I released it. So that I totally relate to that. Absolutely.

Lauren Mitchell (02:44.539)
Yes!

Lauren Mitchell (02:56.5)
Yes, and like the principles like what I read the other day and like reposted from the book was about counting things that don't count because my book just released it is very tempting to like judge the success by like what sales are which I don't even know yet. So I can't even judge it by that and I'm already thinking about it and I don't want to be thinking about that. So yes, and trying to count the things that count which is like to me the times with individual women and like

the building of what I know is real. So, and you asked what I hope women get from the book. So the answer to that is I just hope that women can understand how accessible God is and that prayer is not like, there's not a patent formula and you have to do it this way. You just start practicing it and it opens conversation with God and then you learn how to do it better and you just get better at hearing him and talking to him because you do it.

Whitney Akin (03:56.526)
Good. Yeah, I love that word accessible. That's the tagline for the podcast accessible Bible study for the average Christian. it's this idea that it doesn't have to be complicated, right? After the Lord. That's good.

Lauren Mitchell (03:57.242)
Hmm

Lauren Mitchell (04:07.33)
Yes.

Yes, and I love that. Because he's so accessible. Like, that's what I want people to understand. And we forget that so much. Me, I forget that.

Whitney Akin (04:20.246)
Yeah, me too. Well, we're going to get back to the book a little bit later. We're to circle back. But first, Lauren has graciously agreed to talk with us through our seventh miracle in the book of Mark. And my Bible is called Jesus heals a man with a demon, which actually might be an understatement as we're going to see when we start reading. And so it's found in Mark chapter five, it's verses one through 20. And so like we do on the podcast, I'm just going to read those verses to you.

It starts with, came to the other side of the sea to the country of the Grasenese. I don't know. Is that how you say that, Lauren? Okay. And when Jesus had stepped out of the boat immediately there met him out of the tombs, a man with an unclean spirit. He lived among the tombs and no one could bind him anymore, not even with a chain for he had often been bound with shackles and chains, but he wrenched the chains apart and he broke the shackles and pieces. No one had the strength to subdue him.

Lauren Mitchell (04:53.731)
probably maybe second.

Whitney Akin (05:14.816)
night and day among the tombs and on the mountains, he was always crying out and cutting himself with stones. And when he saw Jesus from afar, he ran and fell down before him. And crying out with a loud voice, he said, what have you to do with me, Jesus, son of the most high God? I adjure you by God, do not torment me. For he was saying to him, come out of the men, you unclean spirit. And Jesus asked him, what is your name? He replied, my name is Legion, for we are many. And he begged him earnestly not to send them out of the country.

Now a great herd of pigs was feeding there on the hillside and they begged him saying, send us to the pigs, let us enter them. So he gave them permission and the unclean spirits came out and entered the pigs and the herd numbering about 2,000 rushed down the steep bank into the sea and drowned in the sea. The herdsmen fled and told it in the city and in the country and people came to see what it was that had happened and they came to Jesus and saw the demon possessed man, the one who had the legion sitting there clothed and in his right mind and they were afraid.

And those who had seen it described to them what had happened to the demon possessed man and to the pigs. And they began to beg Jesus to depart from their region. As he was getting into the boat, the man who had been blessed with demons begged him that he might. Sorry, let me start that again. As he was getting into the boat, the man who had been possessed with demons begged him that he might be with him. And he did not permit him, but said to him, go home to your friends and tell them how much the Lord has done for you and how he has had mercy on you.

and he went away and began to proclaim in the Decapolis how much Jesus had done for him and everyone marveled. Okay, so we'll get into it. This is kind of, I think, one of those off the wall stories. Like, I kind of think it sticks with us when we read it because it's a little creepy, it's a little bit strange, it's a little bit confusing. We have this man who's kind of straight out of a horror movie, if you really think about it. He screams for Jesus, he's got this superhuman strength that he can

break chains, he runs around the tombs and lives in the mountains, he cuts himself. It's really a disturbing picture when you kind of think about this man he's describing. What is surprising then about his initial encounter with Jesus?

Lauren Mitchell (07:17.64)
Mm-hmm.

Lauren Mitchell (07:24.054)
I think it's surprising that he runs straight to Jesus. Like, he knew that he was the reason Jesus was there. Like, I don't know what all was happening in the spirit world around this. But I think it's so, like, because he was hanging out in the tombs, and obviously, and it says that as soon as Jesus got out of the boat, the man was right there. So Jesus didn't have to go looking for him. It was like a divine appointment. Like, it's surprising to me that he was drawn to Jesus.

And he was right there.

Whitney Akin (07:56.696)
Yeah. And then why does the demon, I mean, it kind of says, but why does the demon call himself Legion?

Lauren Mitchell (08:04.361)
I read my favorite commentary about this and it says, and I knew Legion was like a reference to a group of Roman soldiers, but it said that that means that like a Legion in that definition was like 6,000. So like knowing that he had like multiple demons, like he's saying call me Legion because I'm many, 6,000. I can't imagine. I don't know how they all fit. don't know.

Like, it just, it blows my mind in so many different categories that I can't, I can't imagine this poor man.

Whitney Akin (08:43.5)
I know, and it says that the herd of pigs was 2,000.

Lauren Mitchell (08:47.302)
Yes, and I was telling my family, yeah, and they had to go into 2,000 pigs. I was telling my family that. They were like, 2,000 pigs? That's a ton of pigs. Like after I read it the other day, because you know, that's our dinner conversation, is demons and pigs. Yes. They made me look it back up. They were like, are you sure it was 2,000 pigs and not 200? I was like, I'm telling you. So.

Whitney Akin (08:55.362)
lot of

Whitney Akin (09:00.669)
my god.

Yeah.

Whitney Akin (09:10.486)
Yeah, I was surprised by that number too. I mean, I've read this before, but never really thought about the that that vast number that we're talking about.

Lauren Mitchell (09:18.617)
Yes, it's a lot of pigs.

Whitney Akin (09:20.64)
It's a lot of things. So one of the things I find really fascinating about this passage is the repetition of one word and it comes three different ways. And it's that word begged. And I did some digging. It's the same Greek word each time. And I'll try to say it, but I think it's pronounced para kalejo and it means to like pray or beseech or beg or desire or entreat. So we see this happening from three different people in this account. And the first group to beg in the account is are the demons.

and they beg Jesus not to make them depart from the country or that he would let them go into the pigs. So I guess my question is twofold. Why did they not want to leave the country and why did they ask to go into the pigs?

Lauren Mitchell (10:05.082)
This is a really good question and I don't know that I have a really good answer, but I did think about it deeply. But I was like, I don't know why they didn't want to leave the country unless they had like hopes of somehow like coming back. Like that it was for a time that since Jesus was there, they couldn't be there. And the pigs, I just don't know. like tried and like I tried to make it like philosophical on my end. I was like, is it because

Whitney Akin (10:09.11)
you

Lauren Mitchell (10:34.701)
The are like, that's not kosher. Like, so they wanted to go into the pigs. Like, I have no idea why. Just speculation on why they would ask to go into the pigs. Other than like, it could have just been the coincidence of they wanted to inhabit something and the pigs were there. And so they were just like, okay. And it's much better than what Jesus could have done to them in all of his authority. That they were like,

don't focus on us. Like, not right now. Just send us into the pigs. So yeah.

Whitney Akin (11:11.149)
Yeah, I agree. I this is probably the point that is the most confusing about the passage is just like, why did they not want to leave and why the pigs? I agree. I mean, I read some commentary on it because initially I'm like, I don't know. I cannot answer that question off the top of my head. And I think kind of what you're saying goes along with what I read, just this idea that to leave the country,

Lauren Mitchell (11:22.256)
Yeah.

Whitney Akin (11:37.642)
may have been an idea that they would be banished forever to hell or the outer regions or whatever and not allowed to roam the earth. And that it would be better to possess something than nothing and be like you said, Jesus, Jesus could have done away with them altogether. So it would be better to just have lesser than human, even if it was an animal, than to be banished forever into torture and all that. I think what we see here is that there

Lauren Mitchell (12:03.106)
Yes.

Whitney Akin (12:07.534)
clearly recognizing Jesus's ability to do whatever he wants with them. And so they're begging him for their small little favor to go into those pigs.

Lauren Mitchell (12:18.453)
Yes, and it speaks of Jesus' power there too. Like we said, it was potentially 6,000 of them, one Jesus. And they were like, please, please! But like, they recognize Jesus for who he is so much.

Whitney Akin (12:36.174)
Yeah, that's really good. The next group to beg Jesus is the townspeople. So when they hear about the miracle and they realize that a whole bunch of pigs just drowned and then they see the demon possessed man sitting there and he's in his right mind. It's just all too much for them and they beg Jesus to leave. And I know some of it is that they're upset that they've lost obviously a lot of money and 2000 pigs have been a lot of money. But it's also this idea that they're seeing this man.

healed and they seem to be more disturbed by a healed man than the demon possessed man. And that's really interesting to me. So why do you think the townspeople begged Jesus to leave?

Lauren Mitchell (13:16.289)
think because they couldn't explain it. Like, I feel like it made them feel afraid because, and I think the two are like linked. First they were like, okay, that's like so much profit. Our lives are gonna change because of all these pigs and I don't have any idea what this, who this man is. We can't explain how he did this. So instead of wanting to know about him, I think the two things paired together made them be like, we can't explain him.

And something worse might happen to us if he stays here. And really like the idea that they're, that 2000 pigs is a lot of money and was total money back then. just made, that part made me think of me because I don't like things I can't explain and I don't like uncomfortableness. It made me think of like we had some storms a couple of weekends ago and we lost power for like, I don't know, 30 hours. It wasn't even that, but I mean, it wasn't that long.

And I remember towards the end of that, before the power came on, thinking to myself, I have prayed an awful lot for the power to come back on more than I've prayed for like revival or maybe confessed sin. Like what I'm focused on was like, it wasn't that important that we saved the ice cream, you know? Like my head, that was like.

Whitney Akin (14:36.522)
Right.

Lauren Mitchell (14:40.373)
what was most important because I didn't understand why the power should be off. I might, I mean even in that I might have missed something that Jesus wanted me to do with that time because I was so focused on the inconvenience.

Whitney Akin (14:55.01)
Yeah, yeah. It makes me think of, I don't know why, but it makes me think of Mount Sinai when God was meeting with Moses and there's the cloud and the fire and it's the scene, you know, and it's intimidating and the people beg Moses to go meet with God. They don't want to have anything to do with it. They want to sit down and it's this idea kind of like when we experience God's power that is unexplainable.

Lauren Mitchell (15:12.561)
and

Whitney Akin (15:19.746)
that the human, we think the human reaction is going to be, yes, more of you, Jesus, but oftentimes it's no, I'm terrified and I want less of you. And I think that that's just kind of, we think, well, we wouldn't do that, you know, but here we see that that's just human nature to kind of shy away from the supernatural and what we can't explain or control. And so I think that's a kind of a warning and a lesson for us to lean in even when it's unexplainable with Jesus.

Lauren Mitchell (15:49.404)
It makes me think of like the word fear, like you're talking about with the Israelites. That wasn't the kind of fear God wants us to have of him. He wants us to be in awe of him. That embodiment of fear, not the terrified, don't want to be near you. And the more we learn about God's character, the more we can be realized that we should be in awe. So it makes me feel bad for these people because what they couldn't explain, they were like, let's get it away from us instead of let's explore this.

Whitney Akin (16:04.385)
Absolutely.

Whitney Akin (16:19.146)
Yeah, yeah, which kind of leads us to the final person to beg Jesus. And that is the newly healed once demon possessed man, which certainly he can't explain what's just happened to him. But he begged Jesus to actually go with Jesus on his journey. And interestingly, in the account, this is the only request that Jesus denies. He answers the townspeople and the demons request, but he denies this man.

So why would Jesus fulfill the demons and the townspeople's requests but deny the cleansed man when he begged to follow Jesus?

Lauren Mitchell (16:55.13)
I it had, let's see, I wrote it down well. I put that telling the other people no didn't actually matter. It didn't change anything of Jesus' plan. So when they're like, can we go on the pegs? He's like, sure, doesn't really matter. And the people were like, can you go? He was gonna go, I think, anyway. So it.

Whitney Akin (16:58.401)
We're in

Lauren Mitchell (17:19.172)
It didn't affect his plans, but the man coming with him did affect Jesus' plans because he had kind of an assignment. So I think that it was Jesus' kindness also, like, because he says, go and tell your friends. Like, I don't know who was left in his life. That could have been his parents. It could have been his spouse or his children, like people who loved him. And in Jesus saying, no, go back to them, be restored to them.

that is Jesus' kindness for them and then tell them about me because I love them too. Like that was part of his plan. So Jesus said no because he needed him to go back. Like there was a reason which is encouraging to me because it means that when Jesus tells me no, it's for a good reason. Even if I don't understand it, because it seems like wouldn't it be better for the man to be right beside Jesus and to go with him? But

I can equate that in my life to be like, and I read about it yesterday when I was writing down the answers to these questions. I was like, God, how many times have you said no to me when my reaction instead of like, this must be because it's something important, I'm like, I want to pout and be like, but why? Why wouldn't you let me have this? Yes. So it was convicting on my part that like the no was part of an assignment and giving that man a purpose.

Like, the no was what did that? And in my commentary, what I researched was that there is evidence that this man in that area, which we can't say the G, Ganesh, or whatever that was, that there was a church started there because of this man's going back. So not just his friends and family, but like he got to start a church there, the first one. And that being part of his assignment, like,

Whitney Akin (18:56.43)
Yeah.

Lauren Mitchell (19:11.737)
When he gets to heaven, he gets to be near Jesus and be with Jesus, but his purpose was fulfilled. So that was the reason for the no.

Whitney Akin (19:20.376)
Yeah, that's so good. And in a little detail, again, I never caught until I slowed down on this passage was that it says, he began to proclaim in the Decapolis about Jesus. And I'm like, what is that? So I look it up. And it was this group of 10 ancient Greek cities kind of all right together. And like you're saying, he impacted this region with the gospel. And so that no, I love that that no was really his assignment. And I think for me,

For me, sometimes it's not just my no, but it's me looking at their yeses that really gets to me. When we're seeing this story, we see two yeses and a no, but the no is really the one that furthers the kingdom. And I think that's an encouragement to take with us from this passage.

Lauren Mitchell (19:53.675)
Lauren Mitchell (20:04.196)
It is. like how you said that the no is the one that furthers the kingdom. I love that.

Whitney Akin (20:09.26)
Yeah, yeah. So this season we've been learning about how these miracles really teach us more about Jesus and specifically his identity, his authority, and his kingdom. And so we've kind of already talked about it a little bit, but what do you think this miracle, if we could kind of identify in a nutshell, what does this miracle tell us about Jesus?

Lauren Mitchell (20:31.115)
good question. Okay, what does this miracle tell us about Jesus?

Whitney Akin (20:35.32)
Talk about his authority over the demons and I think that's a big takeaway.

Lauren Mitchell (20:39.477)
That is a huge takeaway. I love that they recognized immediately who he was and that I think that's part of why they came. Like, because they were like, he's gonna find us. We may as well just be there when he gets off the boat. It's not like we can hide. So just that 6,000 of them, to me, were terrified of him in the right way that they should be afraid of God and not us be afraid of God.

the difference in that. I love that authority of Jesus and how he wore that authority lightly. And even with the demons, he was like, okay, go into the pigs because their time is coming, but it wasn't yet. And it almost seems even like a mercy to them. And if that isn't a picture of who Jesus is, I don't know what is and that makes me tear up. that just like, we have no like...

Like what happened before, Jesus got in the boat and went across. Jesus was coming for this man. That's why they went across the water and the disciples didn't know it, but Jesus did. The idea that Jesus comes for us, every single one of us. I love that about the story. Jesus came for this man and wasn't intimidated by the 6,000 demons. So he's not intimidated by my sinfulness and he will get close to me anyway.

Whitney Akin (21:57.357)
Yeah.

Lauren Mitchell (22:03.391)
And I love that. Yeah.

Whitney Akin (22:03.53)
That's so good. I love that. It just shows the heart of Jesus in a random kind of weird story. we see the beautiful heart of Jesus. Absolutely. Thank you for pulling that out for us because that's really beautiful. Well, I want to switch gears a little bit. I want to talk to you about just your personal story.

Lauren Mitchell (22:12.285)
Yes! Really weird story.

Whitney Akin (22:28.236)
made you fall in love with God's Word and how did you grow that love and learning over time in your walk?

Lauren Mitchell (22:34.977)
I think I was I was trying to think about this question because you know, you gave me the question so I'm like This was my cheat sheet and I was I immediately when somebody asks me like did you have a mentor like what made you want to pursue God's Word and I feel and I've even told her this in person I feel like Beth Moore what's like my person who led me to Jesus like

She is the first person I ever did a Bible study with and it was totally random. I had never really studied my Bible. I mean, I'd been in youth group, but I'd never done a Bible study before, like as an adult woman. And I was barely an adult woman. But a friend invited me to do a math more and I just fell in love with how much she loved Jesus and how she knew Jesus and wanted to communicate the Bible to women. And I like...

It evolved over time to where I was like, wanna do that. But like first it was just, couldn't get enough of what I thought was her, but it was really Jesus. And like whenever I studied the word, it was the same thing. So I know it wasn't her, but I admire her obedience to walk the walk that she has with God, to inspire other people to want to know Jesus. So I fell in love with Bible study because I connected with her and I had.

I've asked God for a person, like a mentor person several times in my life and his answer has been no, which is that ties into our story really today. But I know at this point that I think I would have made that an idol. And that's why the answer was no, because I so wanted it. I would have looked more to that person than Jesus. And he has dealt so personally with me and met those needs that I know it was a better.

a better answer than yes. Even though I can say that the times I was asking him when I wanted it to be yes, it was a better answer.

Whitney Akin (24:39.32)
Yeah, yeah, that's beautiful. This podcast, kind of the goal of the podcast is to help readers, I mean listeners, hopefully they're not reading, but they could be reading. I'm gonna come out and out. The goal of this podcast is really to help listeners become consistent and confident Bible readers. And so I like to ask my guests just kind of for practical advice on persevering in Bible study and spending time with Jesus because

Lauren Mitchell (24:48.189)
Yeah

Whitney Akin (25:06.582)
It can be hard for the long haul. And so if you could give just any kind of practical advice on Bible study or prayer tips for our listeners, what would that be?

Lauren Mitchell (25:16.707)
Okay, I've got two and I talk about this so just a little bit in my book but I Promise and I have told high schoolers for a while and I've told all of them this and I've had them come back and be like It's totally true. I tried it what you said But when I give God like the first fruits of my time when I do that the first thing in the morning

I do pour coffee first because otherwise I may not be conscious enough to hear from God. But like right after getting my coffee, I sit down with my Bible every day. And when I do that, everything else works out. Even when I feel like the time has to be shorter or there isn't enough time, if I do that first, it is literally like God multiplies the other time of my day.

I even told my high schoolers, was like, I'm not lying to you. Somehow when I do my devotions first, my hair dries faster. Like, I don't know how God makes that possible, but I'm telling you that when we honor God with the first fruits of our time, especially when it seems like not logical, like it seems like this is not gonna work out and I don't have time to do this. If you will make it a habit, God will reveal so much of himself to you and he will multiply your time to get it in. He just will.

That's number one. And number two is in learning prayer. The thing, the one thing that I have done that I feel like has helped me learn prayer is writing my prayers because I get distracted. Like, and I think everyone does. Like you sit down to pray and you're like, did I put the clothes in the dryer and did I actually send lunch money? Did I pay that fee for a field trip? Do I have like, who am I picking up when? What did I forget? Like

And it doesn't matter how many times I try to make my mind refocus. I actually went to, used to be a public school teacher and I went to a continuing education once and they explained to us that when we used to write our spelling words, there was a reason for that because when you do that, your brain can't focus on anything else. And I was like, I was like, this is an epiphany. This is the key because when I write my prayers, I can't.

Lauren Mitchell (27:24.995)
focus on anything else and it has helped me so much be able to pray through all the things I need to pray through and for God to even lead me and for me to listen because my brain can only focus on my hand moving a pen. Now if I stop writing, I mean it's pregame, like my mind is going any way that it could. But while I focus and write, it amazingly helps me with the discipline of prayer and it's, I don't know how, but it's like exercise.

Like the more I write my prayers, it seems like the more I can focus on prayer even when I'm not writing. It's like it builds up my stamina or something. So those are my two pieces of advice and I think that may be all I've got.

Whitney Akin (28:00.854)
Yeah.

Whitney Akin (28:06.414)
I mean, those are so good. And that's one of the things your book inspired me to is writing my prayers. When I was reading the book, I was just like, I've got to start doing this. And it did, it made such a difference. And that's so cool to know the science behind that, how our brains working when we're doing that, makes a lot of sense because it does. mean, it is so hard to focus in prayer, no matter how hard I personally try, there is always something in my mind.

Lauren Mitchell (28:17.815)
Hmm.

Whitney Akin (28:35.438)
Such great advice. And I know that you believe in the power of prayer, because I've personally experienced how faithful you are to pray for people around you. like we talked about, prayers are really difficult spiritual practice. And I think that it's not just the to-do list, but all the things sitting right in front of us that can distract us from it. You know, it's so easy. Like I'll just be like in my quiet time and then I'm on my phone. I'm like, how did I get here? What steps did I take to be on my phone right now?

Lauren Mitchell (29:04.76)
Whatever, what happened?

Whitney Akin (29:05.974)
What happened? Yeah, I blacked out for a minute. So how does Steadfast Through Psalms, your book, help equip readers to grow in their prayer life?

Lauren Mitchell (29:14.391)
I think a big part is the bookends of the day idea because in the book there is there's it's sectioned with the morning and evening section which you already mentioned and I love that because I can pray and have a great quiet time with God in the morning and completely forget what he said to me by lunch or even like 1030 and it will have been like something pivotal like that I've been asking him and he's answered the

question and I'm so excited and if someone were to ask me at like one o'clock how are your devotions today I'd be like hang on I know this one like so the book sets you up to have a morning time with God and then swing back in the evening and it's not long in the evening but to touch base with God again and for me in this most recent discipline I'm doing my book I am noticing that I need that so much because

Like I know that I need guidance in the morning. I know that I need God to set up the day. I know I need him to give me the verses that my kids are gonna need through the day. And he so faithfully does that. Like he will give me a truth for me and I'll find that it isn't just for me. It's for somebody else in the day too that needs encouraged. But by the end of the day, the enemy has really gotten into my thoughts and entangled a lot of the things that I know are true. And so that reset button before I go to sleep is like,

It's like touching base with God again so that he can pour grace on my heart because I have failed some way during the day. I didn't walk perfectly when I was supposed to. I didn't heed all the instruction I was supposed to. And I personally, think females do this a lot, I can beat myself up about it. And that's not God's idea is for us to beat ourselves up about it at night. So I love the returning to him at night because it's a returning to grace that is freely given to me.

when I blew it, sometimes big and sometimes small ways. It reminds me who I am before I go to bed.

Whitney Akin (31:15.084)
Yeah, that's so good. And so true that by lunchtime, I already forgot this great thing God taught me. It's like, all of sudden it'll come up to me. like, how could I forget that? It's so true. I think that that I, as reading through your book, I think it was interesting how I began to kind of look forward to like, there's one tonight and then there's one in the morning. I think it's just, like you said, such a great way to round up.

that day and what God is just a reminder before bed of what God is doing and teaching and growing. I feel like if you are Bible study teacher or you love God's Word, you normally develop some favorites in the books of the Bible. And I'm assuming that Psalms may be one of your favorite books because you read book about it. So what do you love about the book of Psalms and why, if you were going to give your case for why listeners should start to study it or read it?

Lauren Mitchell (32:01.523)
It's

Whitney Akin (32:11.022)
What would that be?

Lauren Mitchell (32:12.113)
Okay, I love the book of Psalms, especially the ones by David. He's my favorite Bible character. But I think I love the book so much because as much as I love David, he could be really needy and crazy emotional. And I think all of us are like that, but some of us are more vocal about it, like me, I'm all out there. So he was like an open book with his emotions before God. And I mean, sometimes I read Psalms and I'll be like,

I don't know if I would have said that to God. And David felt free and he like got that he could say anything to God that God understood him and that even when he couldn't put words to it he even says like you understand my groaning God when I don't even know what to say. And I love I love the personal in that I love the idea that I'm not too needy for God that I can tell him exactly how I feel.

And the book of Psalms is good because it doesn't end with that. It lets me share my emotion just like David did with God. But then there's like a turn and it directs me back to who God is. So it's even better than when you can share your emotion with your best friend and get it all out and feel understood. You also get, okay, this is all true, but now go this direction with it. And here's how you can praise God inside of that. Or here's what God might be doing inside.

So I love that it's like with me in the let's pour our hearts out before God and be understood and then receive what we can do about it and what it means and what our response should be.

Whitney Akin (33:50.306)
Yeah, absolutely. David is like so real. And if you're going through anxiety or depression or worry, mean, David is like a best friend who just gets it as you read his stuff. Yeah, it's so good. So I really want listeners to be able to find your book because I think that it's a great resource for them. As we're talking about being consistent, confident Bible readers, I think this is a tool that they can use to do that. So will you?

Tell us where we can find you and your resources.

Lauren Mitchell (34:24.208)
Yes, I have a website and I write a blog pretty much every Friday, which is kind of like David Like I just put it out there most of the time. It's not eloquent. It's how I'm feeling. so I have a blog and it's at my website, which is just Lauren Mitchell writes calm You can subscribe to the blog and it's the home for resources that I have So you can find it there if you want to skip the blog you can find my book on Amazon books a million Christian book calm

pretty much anywhere online that you look for books. You can go straight to David C. Cook, who's my publisher. They have a website too where you can find it also. And if you know me personally, you can even ask me for a copy because I have some.

Whitney Akin (35:06.018)
There you go. That's right. Maybe she can sign it for you too, if you know her personally. Well, that is wonderful. And I really encourage listeners to go and look up this resource. So thank you, Lauren, for being on the show and for being willing to talk through miracles and Mark with us. This has been fun and I knew it would be and super encouraging as well. So thank you so much for being on the show.

Lauren Mitchell (35:09.326)
Yes.

Lauren Mitchell (35:30.444)
Absolutely, it's encouraging to my heart too and next time maybe we'll do it in person over a cup of coffee. Yeah.

Whitney Akin (35:34.894)
Oh, that would be even better. Well, listeners, I hope this episode blessed you and I can't wait to study together again. Okay, I'm