Keep On with Abigail Wallace
By Abigail Wallace
Biblical truth, strong grace, real life. Join your joy-stalking, meek geek host and grow stronger and softer as together we learn to fight for joy and embrace God’s always kind, sometimes uncomfortable grace. Keep on.
Keep On with Abigail WallaceDec 21, 2021
00:00
17:26
God’s Love Delays
Abigail grapples with James 5:11 and John 11:5-6, two texts that talk about God’s purpose in our suffering and why sometimes he makes us wait. Here’s the podcast link for John Piper’s message on John 11:1-6, including that definition of love: www.desiringgod.org/messages/even-when-it-hurts
Nov 14, 202313:04
🍂 3 Lessons From the Autumn Leaves
Leaves have no breath of life. They are passive props. We are the imago Dei. They have no choice but to reflect the sun’s rays. We are called to praise the Son’s name. They have no speech and still the leaves teach. In this “extra-delicious” Wisconsin autumn, I am learning.
Oct 30, 202304:49
Easy to Please, Hard to Satisfy: 7 Ways You Can Please God Today
You can please God.
It is not too hard. God has shown us how.
In this episode, Abigail explains how a new boss is causing her to give thanks for her one Lord.
“He has shown you, O man, what is good. What does the lord require of you? To do justly, to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God.” (Micah 6:8, ESV)
If all this talk about pleasing God makes you eager to defend the doctrine of justification, you may want to check out this clarifying article from Kevin DeYoung: www.thegospelcoalition.org/blogs/kevin-deyoung/yes-you-can-please-your-father/?amp
It is not too hard. God has shown us how.
In this episode, Abigail explains how a new boss is causing her to give thanks for her one Lord.
“He has shown you, O man, what is good. What does the lord require of you? To do justly, to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God.” (Micah 6:8, ESV)
If all this talk about pleasing God makes you eager to defend the doctrine of justification, you may want to check out this clarifying article from Kevin DeYoung: www.thegospelcoalition.org/blogs/kevin-deyoung/yes-you-can-please-your-father/?amp
Oct 02, 202306:23
A Real Nail Biter: 4 Unexpected Lessons on Breaking Bad Habits
Do you have a bad habit you have not been able to break? I do—or did? Over the years, I tried. Oh, how I tried. I tried and tried and tried. I tried all “5 Hacks to Stop Biting” but even the last one, the one that finally worked for the hacker, did not work for me. It’s embarrassing to admit, but even the thought of ingesting beastly bacteria from my fingers wasn’t enough. Neither the chemical-tasting polish, nor the more natural jalapeño, were bitter enough to break me of my bad habit. I’d pucker and bite right on. Carrying a nail clipper in my pocket wherever I went didn’t work either. It wasn’t enough.
Nothing worked. Neither did strengthening polish and a manicure deter me. The peeling polish only pushed me to “groom” my nails more. The book by the anonymous Stubbs Nomore taught me a thing or two about my bad habit, but it did not rid me of it. The aversive pairing of a snapped rubber band on my tender wrist didn’t work either. It had worked for Stubbs, but for me, it wasn’t enough.
But something happened. In this episode, I share the unexpected way that I kicked a bad habit. Be encouraged, friend. Bad habits are breakable and good habits are makeable.
Nothing worked. Neither did strengthening polish and a manicure deter me. The peeling polish only pushed me to “groom” my nails more. The book by the anonymous Stubbs Nomore taught me a thing or two about my bad habit, but it did not rid me of it. The aversive pairing of a snapped rubber band on my tender wrist didn’t work either. It had worked for Stubbs, but for me, it wasn’t enough.
But something happened. In this episode, I share the unexpected way that I kicked a bad habit. Be encouraged, friend. Bad habits are breakable and good habits are makeable.
Sep 10, 202314:34
Days Like These & How to Pick Mercy
Mama said there would be days like these. God said there would be mercy to match. In this episode Abigail describes a day she almost gave away, and how she defied herself, applied the truth and found new mercies fresh for the picking. As you listen, you will be encouraged to shift your focus from your troubles to the the promise that God’s mercies are new every morning (Lamentations 3:22), waiting to be picked.
Aug 31, 202306:09
WORK TO REST: 4 Truths For Your Soul’s Best Rest, with my friend Kirstin T.
The other Pastor’s Daughter, my friend Kirstin Tatagiri, ( @kirstencreates on IG), joins me in this BOTH AND series on biblical paradoxes. Join us as we explore how we strive to enter God’s rest, in the words of Hebrews 4:11. We examine the 4 biblical pathways we discovered that help us experience the most satisfying soul-rest.
Apr 10, 202320:24
To Those In Pain: A Spacious Place Awaits
Episodes with music are only available on Spotify.
This episode was recorded after a week of intense, unexplained pain. The constant ache made it hard to think, hard to write, and hard to smile, plus it kept me awake. Just to sit—to sit—made me wince.
My margins for movement were razor-thin. I learned that hurt constricts, that pain makes life feel tight.
Then, in the throes, I read about a spacious place.
“I will be glad and rejoice in your love, for you saw my affliction and knew the anguish of my soul. You have not handed me over to the enemy but have set my feet in a spacious place.”
Psalm 31:7-8, NIV
In this episode, Abigail explores the meaning of a “spacious place.”
Then she offers a biblical answer to us who wonder, “How do we get there?”
If pain is making your world feel narrow and small, take ♥️. A spacious place awaits.
👉 To view the whole transcript check out: www.abigailwallace.com/to-those-in-pain-there-is-a-spacious-place/
My margins for movement were razor-thin. I learned that hurt constricts, that pain makes life feel tight.
Then, in the throes, I read about a spacious place.
“I will be glad and rejoice in your love, for you saw my affliction and knew the anguish of my soul. You have not handed me over to the enemy but have set my feet in a spacious place.”
Psalm 31:7-8, NIV
In this episode, Abigail explores the meaning of a “spacious place.”
Then she offers a biblical answer to us who wonder, “How do we get there?”
If pain is making your world feel narrow and small, take ♥️. A spacious place awaits.
👉 To view the whole transcript check out: www.abigailwallace.com/to-those-in-pain-there-is-a-spacious-place/
Jul 17, 202208:22
NOT MINE TO HOLD: On Portions, Lots, & Letting Go
In this episode Abigail explores how to turn triggers into joy! )Seriously.) This May everything triggers me. Because this spring more of my long-term, sweet parenting dreams have been dashed. Which means every graduation picture, academic award, and smiling family is a trigger. God’s good gifts to others are not guaranteed to me. They’re not my portion.
But what is a “portion” anyway?
In the Bible the term was sometimes translated “inheritance,” as in the allotment of land God gave to Israel when they entered the Promised Land. All the tribes received a physical space, land to call their own—all except one.
In Deuteronomy 10:9, we read about the priestly tribe whose portion was not land, but the LORD. “Therefore Levi has no portion or inheritance with his brothers. The Lord is his inheritance, as the Lord your God said to him.”
The Bible has a lot to say about the Lord who is our portion.
The Lord is my chosen portion and my cup; you hold my lot. Psalm 16:5
You are my portion, Lord; I have promised to obey your words. Psalm 119:57
I cry to you, Lord; I say, “You are my refuge, my portion in the land of the living.” Psalm 142:5
My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever. Psalm 73:26
“The Lord is my portion,” says my soul, “therefore I will hope in him.” Lamentations 3:24
🔗 to post with show notes, links, and the 🐝 C.S. Lewis quote: www.abigailwallace.com/not-mine-to-hold-lots-portions-the-gift-of-letting-go/
But what is a “portion” anyway?
In the Bible the term was sometimes translated “inheritance,” as in the allotment of land God gave to Israel when they entered the Promised Land. All the tribes received a physical space, land to call their own—all except one.
In Deuteronomy 10:9, we read about the priestly tribe whose portion was not land, but the LORD. “Therefore Levi has no portion or inheritance with his brothers. The Lord is his inheritance, as the Lord your God said to him.”
The Bible has a lot to say about the Lord who is our portion.
The Lord is my chosen portion and my cup; you hold my lot. Psalm 16:5
You are my portion, Lord; I have promised to obey your words. Psalm 119:57
I cry to you, Lord; I say, “You are my refuge, my portion in the land of the living.” Psalm 142:5
My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever. Psalm 73:26
“The Lord is my portion,” says my soul, “therefore I will hope in him.” Lamentations 3:24
🔗 to post with show notes, links, and the 🐝 C.S. Lewis quote: www.abigailwallace.com/not-mine-to-hold-lots-portions-the-gift-of-letting-go/
May 29, 202212:40
DON’T BUY THE LIE: Your Suffering Does NOT Mean You Are Unloved
In this Easter weekend episode, Abigail reflects on one of Satan‘s top lies for the suffering saint. She takes us on a tour of Psalm 22 from which Jesus quoted as he hung dying on the cross. She explores the silence of God and why we need to keep talking through it then offers 3 life-giving truths if you are hearing the silence of God. Kevin DeYoung says, “Pain is when it seems like God stops talking to you. The problem is when you stop talking to God.” So cry out and lament. When Jesus felt forsaken by God in the darkness on the cross he did. He didn’t buy Satan’s lie. He kept talking to God. To read the post or find that quote: www.abigailwallace.com/dont-buy-the-lie-suffering-equals-unloving/
Apr 16, 202210:06
April 16, 2022
Apr 16, 202200:33
COUNT IT RIGHT: LOSS AS GAIN
How can score off our losses and get stronger in our pain? How can we possibly count it all joy when we face trials of all kinds? How in the world, right? Well, there is a way. Paul shows it to us in Philippians chapter 3. It’s all about learning to count right, about learning to make “fructifying” 😃 and “helpful associations” and train ourselves to reframe the pain. In this episode, Abigail uses examples from the world of exercise to show us how our souls can grow strong in our pain and loss.
Mar 28, 202207:60
Give Peace A Chance: Is “Anxious for Nothing” Possible?
In this episode, Abigail addresses a very daily, very real challenge that many of us face: ANXIETY. A natural worrier, Abigail takes us straight to Philippians 4 to unpack Paul’s anti-anxiety prescription before she describes its “cost” and effectiveness for bringing real contentment and peace.
Mar 07, 202213:49
The Best Friendship In The World
💛 Good friends are hard to find, but oh how much we need them. 🔪 Iron-sharpens-iron friends (Proverbs 27:17) and “sandpapery” friends who run our rough sides off are a massive means of God’s grace. 🪵 Friends like this form us. God gives me so many friends, I think, because I have so many rough sides. In this episode, I introduce you to some of my soul-shaping friends.
Feb 19, 202209:29
HYGGE, HEAVEN & SELF-DENIAL (With a splash of my enneagram.)
Here I make peace between what seem to be lifestyles at odds. Can HYGGE, that cozy, creature contentment coexist in the life of a Christ-follower called to deny herself? And, what about Paul’s words about “Their God is their stomach? Their mind is set on earthly things?” What? Is that hygge I hear? Or is it not? 🤔
Feb 05, 202211:18
He Will Complete It
We love the verse that says, “He who began a good work in you will be faithful to complete it.” The words are found in Philippians chapter 1, verse six. But what is the good work God promises to complete? Is the good work that God will complete my spouse being saved, my friend being healed, or my book being published? What does Philippians 1 verse 6 really mean?
Jan 20, 202212:14
Tolerance: The Wedding Gift It’s Taken Me 25 Years To Unpack
This episode was recorded on the eve of our 25th wedding anniversary. But it’s not just for married folk.
“You must take two bears to live with you—Bear and Forbear. That was Grandma Beth’s pithy wedding shower advice.
I won’t lie. I used to think forbearance was weak and acceptance meant beat. This last line in Amy Carmichael’s poem sounded like defeat: “In acceptance lieth peace.”
Tolerance is not weakness, or leaving your conviction at the door. Tolerance is the path to holiness. It is extending divine mercy to others.
“You must take two bears to live with you—Bear and Forbear. That was Grandma Beth’s pithy wedding shower advice.
I won’t lie. I used to think forbearance was weak and acceptance meant beat. This last line in Amy Carmichael’s poem sounded like defeat: “In acceptance lieth peace.”
Tolerance is not weakness, or leaving your conviction at the door. Tolerance is the path to holiness. It is extending divine mercy to others.
Jan 04, 202209:04
Love Comes Down, At 1 O’clock Christmas Morning
I crawled out of my warm bed to care for a sick pitiful child. The Son of God left the glories of heaven and the warmth of his Father’s side to care for his sin-sick pitiful children for our sake love came down.
Dec 25, 202104:03
Don’t Judge Me For My Troubles
In this episode, Abigail shares a freeing truth for those who suffer and those who wonder why others suffer as they do. What secret sin is God punishing? What did they do wrong to deserve this? In this episode, Abigail explains why she—and why we—sometimes judge this way. Then she unpacks a few verses at the end of Hebrews 11 to describe why cannot assume. “You reap what you sow,” is biblical. However, “sometimes what looks like a harvest is not a harvest.”
Dec 21, 202117:26
2 Things Great Lovers Do
Love is spelled T-I-M-E but that’s not the only way to spell love out. It’s also spelled I-N-I-T-I-A-T-E. We love because he first loved us. Great lovers initiate and risk rejection for the sake of love. I invite you to consider two ways the Greatest Lover shows us his ❤️ and what it might look like for us to love like this. Read full post at Abigailwallace.com
Dec 11, 202107:21
1621 Project: Give Thanks In All The Things
To be thankful in affliction is a work peculiar to the saint. Every bird can sing in spring, but few birds will sing in the dead of winter. At the first Thanksgiving in 1621, the Pilgrims showed us how to sing.
Nov 26, 202111:21
I Owe You An Apology
He has the heart to criticize who has the heart to help. And criticism tethered to a helpful heart is how the world is changed. Hear how two helpful hearts, and too many typos to count, inspired this podcast.
Nov 20, 202106:31