Finding Purpose in the Waiting w/ Ruth Chou Simons

Discover the path to authentic joy and the rest that comes from an unwavering hope in Christ with our esteemed guest, Ruth Chou Simons. Her insights from her book "Now and Not Yet" guide us through finding contentment in our current chapter of life, even as we yearn for the 'good life' that seems perpetually beyond our grasp. Ruth's wisdom urges us to consider the peace that comes from trusting in God's plan, challenging us to shift our focus from the ceaseless pursuit of temporary fixes to the eternal solace of a relationship with Him.

In a world saturated with social media highlight reels, Ruth addresses the undercurrents of comparison and the digital age's impact on our sense of fulfillment. She equips us with practical tools for self-assessment and realigning our perception of God with His true character. This conversation is an anchor for mothers navigating the stormy seas of parenting and individuals seeking deeper roots in their spiritual journey, reminding us that growth often happens in unseen moments.

Wrapping up with a treasure trove of resources, Ruth reveals her favorite Bible study tools that have enriched her faith walk. For those seeking solace amidst life's challenges, Ruth's latest book shines as a beacon of hope, prompting us to perceive God's presence in the here and now. Join us for an episode that not only refreshes your soul but also reorients your heart towards the steadfast love and promises of Christ.

Ruth's Book & Favorites!
Book: Now and Not Yet
Website: ruthchousimons.com
Bible: ESV Single Column Journaling Bible
New Testament ESV Scripture Journal
Dwell App

Transcript

Ellen Krause: 0:04

At the Coffee and Bible Time podcast. Our goal is to help you delight in God's Word and thrive in Christian living. Each week, we talk to subject matter experts who broaden your biblical understanding, encourage you in hard times and provide life-building tips to enhance your Christian walk. We are so glad you have joined us. Welcome back to the Coffee and Bible Time podcast. I'm your host, Ellen.

Ellen Krause: 0:32

Feeling trapped in life and in a specific situation, especially when it's not a desired place, can be overwhelming, and many people struggle with worries that cause extreme anxiety, preventing the discovery of joy in our current situations, which is what God wants for us to have joy in all situations and walks of life. Well, today we are blessed to be joined by Ruth Chou Simons, author of the newly released book Now and Not Yet: Pressing In when You're Waiting, Wanting, and Restless for More. And Ruth is here to encourage us to see our current situations as God sees them and align our perspective with his. Failing to address feelings of entrapment may lead to a perpetuated cycle of discontentment that prevents us from reaching our full potential. So join us and take a break from the cycle of worry, find joy in this moment and learn about how a fulfilling life can begin with a simple shift in mindset.

Ellen Krause: 1:45

Ruth Chou Simons is a Wall Street Journal bestselling and award-winning author of several books and Bible studies, including Grace Laced, Beholding and Becoming, When Strivings Cease and Truth Filled. She is an artist, entrepreneur, podcaster and speaker, using each of these platforms to sow the Word of God into people's hearts. Through social media and her online shop at gracelaced. com, Ruth shares her journey of God's grace, intersecting daily life with word and art. Ruth and her husband, Troy, are grateful parents to six boys. Their greatest adventure. Please welcome Ruth.

Ruth Chou Simons: 2:31

I'm so glad to be here. Thanks for having me.

Ellen Krause: 2:35

I am so excited to have you on our show and let me just start by saying the reason is because I first became familiar with your work when our mom's group did your Bible study, Truth Filled and it resonated with us so much and one of my friends actually wanted me to share with you that she has your art tattooed on her arm in memory of her grandpa. Really, oh my goodness, she said, it meant so much to her and her grandpa was just a very cherished figure in her life.

Ruth Chou Simons: 3:10

Oh, that's so neat. Well, tell her to post that picture and tag me so I can see it.

Ellen Krause: 3:16

Yes, yes, yes, I absolutely will. So thank you for joining us. You know this topic. I love how you described in the book by saying it's this tension created by the gap between what we want our circumstances to be versus how they really are. So I thought we would just start out by can you share with us this biblical background for why we feel like the good life always seems to be running ahead of us or just around the corner?

Ruth Chou Simons: 3:54

Yeah, I think most of us, if we're honest, would say we're not quite where we want to be in so many areas of our lives. Right, a lot of times we could even be grateful for our right now circumstances. We could say, hey, I love being a mom, I love the work that I do, but there's some part of our lives where we're going. Hey, I'm not quite where I want to be. I'm not far enough along with my spiritual life, I'm not staying on top of my Bible reading, or I'm not skilled enough. I want to take more courses and be better. Or, gosh, I wish I was a mom who had just a little more patience or not so easily ruffled up in my everyday circumstances.

Ruth Chou Simons: 4:36

And I think sometimes we don't realize how much we're pining for what we think is the good life just ahead of our current circumstances.

Ruth Chou Simons: 4:45

We think, okay, today if I just run a little faster, a little harder, if I get a little bit better at everything, I won't have to be here anymore, I don't have to struggle with the things that I'm struggling with.

Ruth Chou Simons: 4:56

And I think about how, as Christ followers, god could have easily allowed us to, instantly when we came to know Jesus, suddenly be without any of the troubles that we feel and suddenly be amazingly fruitful and patient and kind and bear the fruit of the Spirit and be wise and disciplined all those things, but the not yet of our. Even in the redemption story, god has given us this tension, this in-between place where he is doing a work in our lives and we're not instantly at our arrival point yet. Even though our right now is absolutely where God wants us to be, it may not always feel the way we want it to feel, and so this book and this message is really for anyone who's right now whether it's the mundane or a really hard trial or just kind of not being as far as long as he or she wants to be. This right now is for anyone who's right now is not totally what they want.

Ellen Krause: 6:00

And it's definitely something that all of us can relate to in one way or another. We all have some aspect that we're struggling with. Well, you talk about this as restlessness, and you say that restlessness coincides with forgetfulness of where our true rest comes from, with forgetfulness of where our true rest comes from. So tell us about what's the danger of trying to substitute God's?

Ruth Chou Simons: 6:35

true rest with something else. Yeah, I think we are so quick to want to get away from the discomfort of anything. Right, if you feel any ache or pain, you're immediately trying to take an ibuprofen. You're trying to hurry through and not deal with what is ailing you. And so restlessness is one of those things where you're like, hey, at least for me, I'm quick to go, what can I do right now to solve this problem so I don't feel restless anymore? And that usually leads me to I mean, on a shallow level, sometimes it leads me to going shopping or watching movies or scrolling social media or just trying to like numb myself out or just quickly saying, hey, I don't want to do this anymore, I'm going to start a new hobby, I'm going to try a new thing or I'm going to reinvent myself. We don't say those things out loud, but I'm just being really honest and saying we have a tendency to want to just like completely change everything. So I don't feel restless anymore.

Ruth Chou Simons: 7:31

But I look at what even St Augustine said. He really said our hearts will be restless until we find our rest in thee, and he's talking about God. And in that famous quote, is this ultimate concept that we see in scripture that we are meant to be satisfied in God. We are meant to find our hope and our worth and our belonging All the things that we feel restless for are all things that are meant to be found in Christ. And yet we just are so forgetful and we tend to go. Well, you know, Jesus is just helping me somehow get to where I want to go, but where I really am trying to go is to feel like I have purpose in life. I want people to like me, I want to be successful, I want to reach my goals, I want to look better, be better, all the things that kind of shallow to say. But we somehow live in a world where we're just trying to get to the point where we feel really good about ourselves and what we're doing on this earth, and Jesus isn't here just to help us along to get there. He actually wants to be the very treasure and the very home and the very source of all that longing that we have.

Ruth Chou Simons: 8:47

And so I think the risk here is that we might substitute and think that somehow that restlessness is meant to take us to a treasure. That's not Jesus, and we might end up racing and chasing and spinning our wheels trying to get to that treasure, thinking that satisfaction is going to be there when really we will miss it all. We'll completely miss it if we don't find our rest in Christ first. It doesn't mean that those dreams aren't meant for you to pursue. It doesn't mean that you don't have skills to leverage on behalf of the kingdom. It doesn't mean that you don't have skills to leverage on behalf of the kingdom. It doesn't mean that you don't go pursue great things, but those great things will never take the place of finding your worth and satisfaction in Christ. And so we have to start there with identifying that restlessness that's happening in our lives and asking ourselves what is it pointing to? What is that restlessness actually pointing to? And are you getting your needs met in Jesus first, or are you hoping that changing your circumstance will fix that restlessness?

Ellen Krause: 9:56

Something so important to think about, and you mentioned in the book that this even goes all the way back to Eve, right Eve believing that God is holding out on something you know that's better. How about, in our current society today, these feelings of restlessness? How do you think social media and all of the current challenges that we're facing in that are impacting this restlessness as well?

Ruth Chou Simons: 10:31

You know, everything is happening so fast that we have such a microwave kind of instant society that it kind of feels like there's a quick fix for everything, doesn't it?

Ruth Chou Simons: 10:41

It feels like if you don't like having wrinkles, you can immediately go plop those lines up and you don't have to deal with the signs of aging.

Ruth Chou Simons: 10:49

If you don't feel like you know how to parent your child, there's probably a course that could help get you there in five easy steps.

Ruth Chou Simons: 10:58

There's always a quick way to not struggle with things, and I think a lot of times the fact that we, on our devices, can immediately live vicariously through somebody else's life is also like this kind of fake, false sense of instant arrival that somehow somebody else is not restless and they are living their best lives and you can just somehow pick up your phone and vicariously live through somebody else's wonderful life and miss your own altogether. And so I think we do need to pay attention to how much we're consuming. We do need to pay attention to what's informing us, because we are being discipled by what we are tuning into day by day through our devices, through the media that we're consuming, that is shaping our minds and what we're thinking, and my most restless and discontent times. My most agitated and unable to settle in and rest kind of seasons are ones where I'm spending more time believing the lie that somebody else got there easier and faster and I've missed it somehow, rather than stewarding what God's given me to take care of today.

Ellen Krause: 13:09

Yes, and I know we're going to talk about this later, but I think, as a mom, that really because during that heavy parenting season I would say you're giving up but you're focusing so much on helping your kids that you do have less time for yourself and start to have those feelings.

Ellen Krause: 13:31

We're in this state that we're describing here, of now and not yet, and you suggest that there are some hard steps that we need to take, or it sounds hard, but what is the first step of actually like addressing this so that we can be more present in today?

Ruth Chou Simons: 13:53

Yeah. Well, I always think that we have to name what is really difficult and what we don't like about our right now, and I know that it is right and true and acceptable to do so, saying hey, I feel panicked, I'm scared, I don't like being chased by Saul. I don't know what's going to happen. Lord, is this going to work out for me? You see, the psalmist acknowledging how his circumstances feel impossible, are difficult, that he is weary and discouraged and he's distressed and depressed. He acknowledges all those things. That's the very first step, because if you don't acknowledge that and you just numb out and you watch Netflix all day and think that somehow you could just ride it out by not addressing how you feel about your right now, you're probably not going to make very much progress in the day to day.

Ellen Krause: 15:02

It's interesting because I just this morning I was reading about David and this devotional that I'm doing, that's talking about music and the Bible, and there's a verse that describes all of David's qualities and the very last one was and the spirit was within him, and just that really reminds me of kind of what you're talking about here. When I was going through your chapter I did the self-assessment that you talk about, that you talk about, and it was so helpful to actually just sort of lay it all out there, Like you. Like you kind of just described right and I guess the by tackling it you have to actually address it, and I found that by writing it out and walking through all four questions that you have of the assessment, by the time I got done I had so much peace. So tell us a little bit about the assessment and how you came up with that to help people.

Ruth Chou Simons: 16:09

Yeah, there's several assessments in the book, actually chapter by chapter, because there's ways to look at our restlessness, there's ways to look at where we're struggling with the lack of growth or fruitfulness. There are several assessing questions all throughout the book. And then there's this extra tool at the end, but I don't think it's necessarily even a formula that I've kind of discovered and come upon something incredible. It's more just that, no matter how we look at it, you have to start with being really honest with the Lord about what you don't love about your right now circumstances, what you're really longing for, and then you also always have to look at what it is that your discomfort or your unhappiness. What is it really pointing to? Because there's always a thread that is pointing to some version of what is it saying about where you're at and what is actually going on beneath the surface. But part of the self-assessing is always coming back to what do you actually believe about God, what is it that's happening in your mind about who God is, what he's doing in your life? And there's several tools in the back of the book one for flipping the script of your hard circumstances and one for assessing your right now circumstances. Either way, it's really. One is kind of focusing more on like kind of getting to the bottom of what's really going on in your life and reminding yourself and helping yourself see clearly what's going on in your right now circumstances and kind of properly assessing where you're headed and how you can get there.

Ruth Chou Simons: 17:48

But also the flipping the script is the other side, where you're proactively saying I might have some false narratives here, I might be actually saying the wrong story about my right now circumstance, and I can substitute this now with what God says.

Ruth Chou Simons: 18:04

And God is making promises about his faithfulness, his character, his sovereignty. I can see in scripture that God takes care of things that I can't do because I'm limited, I have no ability to fix this problem, but God can. So I'm going to repeat that story instead of the false one. And so basically, when we do the self-assessment, the answer isn't that somehow in deep within ourselves we're going to have some brilliant thing that, as we're assessing, we're going to be like, wow, ruth, you are so brilliant. As I ask myself questions, I have the answer no. The self-assessing is always going to point to where do you need God? Then? How can we see by assessing? How can I see that I am missing something in my understanding about God, understanding of the gospel. How am I maybe putting my hope in my circumstances, or fixing my circumstances, rather than trusting God? And therefore I will now preach truth to myself and flip the script on the story I'm telling myself about what is happening in this unwanted circumstance.

Ellen Krause: 19:13

Absolutely and truly. I think people will find those so incredibly helpful, because it's one thing to read a book, but when you actually take the time to invest in, you know asking yourself things and forcing yourself to maybe journal about it or write it down, you really become, I think, more engaged and a participant in the process. Ruth, you have talked about how we can cultivate the hidden places of our lives just as much as the public places. Why do you think this is so important? Why do you think this is so important?

Ruth Chou Simons: 19:57

You know I love, I paint flowers, I love gardens and I spend a lot of time thinking about big, beautiful blooms. But you know that every garden, you can't go around sticking store-bought flowers in the ground and call it a garden. Right, it's only a garden. It's only going to bloom when it has deep roots. And for me, I notice all the time that I just want the season where things are all a bloom. But the seasons where it's hidden and the roots are growing but nobody can tell that it's growing, there's a lot of pruning or weed pulling and there's a lot of cultivation of the soil. That's not the flashy, pretty stuff, that's not the stuff that we enjoy. We don't love the seasons where it feels like there's not a whole lot of public applause, there's not a lot of acknowledgement that something amazing is happening, because that's the nature of roots growing it's beneath the surface, you don't see it.

Ruth Chou Simons: 20:55

But I have found this to be true in my own life, and I don't just say this, I really think it's. The reason why, 10 years in, I still feel like God has me growing is that everything I produce publicly really has to come out of the overflow of a life well-lived. And so I think we underestimate how much the hidden season and the hidden life actually is the fruitful life, because so much of what we are seeing all the time in social media, in celebrities, in all the access we have to public figures and public work, is that we just are so tempted to produce and produce and make sure that everything looks good on the outside and we're all. I don't want to say we, as in you and me, we're like clamoring for this, but I think we live in a culture that's clamoring for notoriety, it's clamoring for public approval.

Ruth Chou Simons: 21:58

Obscurity is like a bad word. This idea that you would ever do something or use your giftings to serve three people when you could serve 300 or 3,000 seems crazy. But that's exactly what makes sense in God's economy. God says use what I've given you to be faithful exactly where you are, start where you are, even if it doesn't look like it's the masses. And so I look at the life of Hannah, I look at the life of Joseph. I see so many stories in scripture where God so employed that he so used the people that he chose to use in that exact season, in that exact place, even when it was out of the public eye, even when they weren't getting approval and applause from others. And in Joseph's life, even when he was hidden like physically hidden in a dungeon, and God was still at work, god still had a plan. He was still writing a story that Joseph was very actively a part of of us.

Ellen Krause: 23:21

You know, every person that's listening to this podcast, god is doing a work in and through you. Just as Ruth said, during those times where you need to be cultivated and pruned and it doesn't feel like you're accomplishing anything, and I feel like in social media, yeah, you only see the end result, the beautiful flower, but you don't see the behind the scenes of people's lives and all that goes into it. Well, ruth, let's talk a little bit more about motherhood, because you have six kids. I have three, you know. There's times during those parenting years when it can feel like all the life is sucked out of you except for pouring into them.

Ruth Chou Simons: 24:02

Oh boy, yes.

Ellen Krause: 24:04

What is your message for moms who maybe, if they filled out one of these assessments, would be like oh, I feel like, you know, I'm really missing out on other things that I want to be able to do in life. Missing out on other things that I want to be able to do in life.

Ruth Chou Simons: 24:17

Yeah. So first of all, I would say, if you're a young mama or just a mom in the thick of it, in the trenches, I want to acknowledge that you can be a very good mom who loves your children and yet still feel this ache to be like. Can I be on the other side of these difficult years of wow, I'm training, I'm teaching how to fold socks again and again. Oh, my goodness, why does my arm stick to the table Again? Did nobody wipe the table down Like it just feels mundane and it feels like you're in the carpool lane for most of your life. You're just driving your kids from one thing to another. I acknowledge and I want to say I see you, sister. I completely acknowledge and get it. We don't have to sugarcoat it. We don't have to pretend that this is easy. We don't have to pretend that it's easy when you're struggling to keep your body healthy. You barely get a shower in and sometimes you feel like you've missed out on even that robust time with the Lord that you used to feel like you had. So, first of all, it's okay that you feel that way. We remember, we want to acknowledge that that could be your right now season. But I think the thing that I was tempted to feel during that season was to think that this was somehow something that I just had to grind and get through that, on the other side of the little years or the parenting teen years that somehow then I would walk with the Lord in a robust manner, Then I would study my Bible, Then I would get myself healthy, Then I would have a good attitude, Then I would come alive and use my skills and my giftings. And I just want to say on a really practical level, ladies, what's worth doing unto the Lord, and what's worth doing on a grand scale is worth doing as a beginner, in a small way, or even doing poorly or badly. It's GK Chesterton that once said if it's a thing that's worth doing, it's worth doing badly. And he wasn't making an excuse for us to do things poorly.

Ruth Chou Simons: 26:22

The point was hey, mama, if you want to honor the Lord by, if you want to have a good time with him like, you want to understand his heart, you want to pray and you want to read your Bible. It doesn't have to look perfect to do it. Start with just a few minutes in the car while you're listening to audio book, or just praying and turning off that podcast or turning off your text messages and spend time with him, even if it's a few minutes. Because even if you can't do it perfectly, start now.

Ruth Chou Simons: 26:54

If you long to use your giftings and this was my story if you want to paint, if you love to write and paint, it doesn't mean that you should necessarily start a business or be published right in the season, but don't wait and don't think that it's a waste in the season. Start now and say how can I serve God and love others and just use even 15 minutes of my busy schedule to lean into the giftings he's given me. So just on a very practical level, I would say don't think that you have to wait the season out before you can see God use your skills, your heart, your longings, the things that you desire. It may not look the way you hope it will look and may not even be where he's going to take you in the future, but he is at work now and you can start today.

Ellen Krause: 27:45

Absolutely, and I think as a mom especially when they're very young and they can't give you the feedback that it can be frustrating at times. But I can tell you that as a mom of grown kids now, hearing them come back and say mom, I loved it when I used to come home from school and you had made me a snack. Oh, I love that.

Ruth Chou Simons: 28:13

It's not wasted right? It's not at all.

Ruth Chou Simons: 28:15

It's not Every moment it might feel like it, but it's not and I'll just throw in there that if you happen to be somebody who reads my books or has ever purchased something from my shop and seen my artwork, I want you to know that that comes out of the overflow of a season that most people didn't see much of. They didn't know the wrestlings I had with the Lord, and so it's not even wasted. What you're saying is absolutely true. It's like your hard-won seasons of discipling those kids and training them up. It will be fruitful.

Ruth Chou Simons: 28:53

Don't underestimate the fruit that they'll come back and tell you like. Actually, the fact that you made dinner mattered, the fact that you talked to me at night mattered those things matter. But also, sisters, how you're investing in your walk with the Lord, even now when nobody's watching. If you're not Instagramming your quiet time, it's not wasted. It's actually cultivating a life that will overflow to who knows what in days to come, and so I think it's just a really good reminder to not underestimate how fruitful it is to invest and sow seeds right now in your kids' lives, but also in your own life.

Ellen Krause: 29:35

Absolutely, absolutely. But also in your own life, absolutely, absolutely, ruth. What would you say to someone who maybe is going through a hard season but it's not ending you know, it's kind of this desert situation, like the Israelites. What would you say to encourage them?

Ruth Chou Simons: 29:54

Wouldn't it be so easy and convenient if we could all say, hey, all trials end in two months and then we're going to have the reward and the excitement that we all want and everything's going to work out great. Wouldn't it be so easy if Romans 8, 28, the promise that God will work all things together for good for those who love him and are called to his purposes, if that meant all our dreams would come true and all the things that are hard would end Well. What we see in God's word and the framework, the biblical framework that undergirds this entire message that I've worked through in the last two years, is that the not yet the ultimate, not yet we were made for is not just heaven as a place, but the eternal peace of knowing that God makes everything right in the end. And it doesn't mean that just because he makes things right in the end and there are no more tears in the end, that we have to wait until then to experience that peace. That peace is found in the person of Christ. And so even now, when your season is not a season and it's like, wow, this could be the rest of my life, that I have to potentially wrestle with these circumstances or the implications of a very painful loss, or I have to grieve and I'm just not going to get over quickly what's happened in my life. That's a true, that's a reality here. But the greater reality is that this life is not all that there is and that if you are in Christ, then you have your eyes set on a future hope that has already been started today.

Ruth Chou Simons: 31:31

That the future hope that we have, that Jesus makes all things right, that he wipes away every tear and that there is no brokenness or sin or betrayal or hurt or things gone wrong in heaven, that with him all things are made right, that when he says he will make all things new, that even starts right now, that starts with your heart, that starts with your frame of mind, that starts with the peace that seems impossible, that passes all understanding, that actually can start right now. And so my encouragement to anyone who's listening right now, that is in a circumstance or in a trial or just a heartache that really there's no end in sight, I would say remember that God has you in the very life that you're in on purpose, for a purpose You're not just waiting this out that God will, will redeem everything that you have been given. And so lean in and say, lord, I want you more than a change of circumstances. So change my heart when things are not going to be different and he will, he promises to do so.

Ellen Krause: 32:48

He absolutely does. That was so beautifully said, Ruth. Thank you for that, you know, as we start to wrap things up here, Ruth, why don't you just share with our listeners what they can expect in this beautiful Now and Not Yet, how they can use this as a tool to sort of learn more and be able to engage with this topic?

Ruth Chou Simons: 33:15

Yeah, this book is meant to be both probing internally for you like it's a personal journey, but it's also a really practical journey. My prayer is that you would walk through this book and by its last page, you would know where to begin. You would know how to start right where you are with what God's already given you. I've also included 11 liturgies, 11 prayers that when you're going through hard things, when you don't like what you're going through, sometimes it's hard to know how to pray and how to take your heart before the Lord. And I've written 11 liturgies that are good for when things feel impossible, for when you want something new and you're feeling restless, or when you just can't see the growth in your life and you want to be blooming but you're not yet. These are prayers that help you verbalize to the Lord and reset and reframe and basically realign your heart with the truth of God's word. And I invite you to borrow those 11 prayers and liturgies to pray when you don't know what to say. And I'm super excited also to.

Ruth Chou Simons: 34:26

I haven't really gotten to share much about this yet, but a Bible study that accompanies the book comes out later this summer and it's really one of my favorite Bible studies I've gotten to do. I'm so grateful that I get to explore six ways. God is more faithful than we know, because when we look at Scripture, there are much more than six. But I've just taken six of the wow moments where we can recognize hey, in this story that's been recorded for us in Scripture. Hey, in this story that's been recorded for us in scripture, god is showing us and the original recipients of this message that he is the faithful one, that he is literally more faithful than you even realize, and that faithfulness isn't on the other side of your circumstances. It's happening right now, and so I just invite you to join me in the book, but then later on, to join me in the Bible study as well, later this summer.

Ellen Krause: 35:24

Oh, that's so awesome Because as I was reading through, I was like, oh, this would be so great to do with a group of you know, like a Moms group, so that would just be so awesome. Well, Ruth, where can people find out more information about you in the book?

Ruth Chou Simons: 35:41

Yeah, please look me up at ruthchousimons. com, and that's R-U-T-H-C-H-O-U-S-I-M-O-N-S, and I'm on Instagram by the same name and I try to do daily encouragements there and a little slice of my life behind the scenes as well. And if you are somebody who needs reminders of God's word in beautiful form and products or artwork, you can find my work at gracelaced. com.

Ellen Krause: 36:08

Oh, your artwork is so beautiful. I absolutely love it, oh, my goodness. Okay, Ruth, before we go, I want to ask you some of our favorite Bible study tool questions. What Bible is your go-to Bible and what translation is it?

Ruth Chou Simons: 36:23

You know I am currently using, and have been for a while, the English standard version, the ESV, and I loved it so much that I actually partnered with my friends at Crossway who publishes that translation. And I don't know if you know this, but I actually did the cover of a ESV journaling Bible. So there's a Be Transformed Bible with my artwork on it and so it has the margins on the side where you can journal if you are somebody who loves to journal artistically or just to jot notes down, and so I love that Bible I also. I mean, it's more than a shameless plug. I got to just tell you I really do love the ESV journaling, scripture journaling Bibles, meaning you can have each book of the Bible in a journaling paperback, and so they have the entire Old Testament and New Testament in the illuminated Bible set. But I also have a Ruth Chou Simons version in the New Testament and we're coming out with the Old Testament next year.

Ruth Chou Simons: 37:21

But it just helps you really focus on each book and you stop feeling so cumbersome Like I've got to get through this entire Bible. But really go, okay, I'm going to study Philippians right now. Okay, I'm going to really study this book and one at a time and really take the time to journal and ask the questions and think through what you're processing as you work through it. I think one of the most beautiful things about a journaling Bible is that 10 years from now, you can go back and say this is where I was. It chronicles a journey, and so if you're a recovering perfectionist like me, just remember. The goal is not to have a work of your art. It's that God's work of art and his masterpiece of the scripture is for us to engage with, and we can see our growth journey when we journal.

Ellen Krause: 38:13

Love it, love it. Yes, I saw those on your website too and I've used those little individual books of the Bible and they are. They're so great because it feels like you can tackle one of those.

Ruth Chou Simons: 38:25

Yes.

Ellen Krause: 38:25

Yes, do you have any favorite journaling supplies that you like to use to enhance your Bible study experience?

Ruth Chou Simons: 38:33

You know I will honestly confess that I'm not super good at journaling right now because the time like the time it takes. But what I really love is and I feel bad sharing this when I don't actually know the brand of it but the highlighters that are not. They're dry highlighters and I love a good dry highlighter and I'm somebody who likes to write on my Bible and like to just jot notes down the side. I'm not good at painting on them. You know how sometimes people do the beautiful art journaling. I'm not good about that at all, but I've always tried to keep handy just some basic supplies on me. But when I am traveling I do like to tuck a little traveler set of watercolors, because you never know when the inspiration kicks in. So hopefully everybody can get a little set.

Ellen Krause: 39:26

Yeah, yeah, okay, I love those little sets. All right, awesome. Lastly, what is your favorite app or website for Bible study tools?

Ruth Chou Simons: 39:40

You know I probably sound like a broken record, but I do listen to the audio Bible through the ESV app, and so you can choose. So I've used several. I really like Dwell as well. Dwell is an app, as well that I've used Occasionally. Well, I'll check in with YouVersion, but I've kind of been on an ESV because they have different reading plans. But I'll tell you the honest truth is because my friend, Kristen Getty, actually reads. She's one of the voices you can choose. So I mean she's got this Irish voice and I can listen to her read. So she's on there. Jackie Hill Perry's on there. There's multiple voices, but also it's just helpful to be able to read the text while you're listening to it. On the Dwell app I've used that before as well you can actually choose music to go with it, so that's really fun as well.

Ellen Krause: 40:33

Yes, oh, great tips. Okay, thank you so much, R uth, and congratulations on your new book.

Ellen Krause: 40:41

I just know people are going to feel so encouraged to press through the realities that we're in right now and just believe that God is work right where you are. So thank you so much, ruth, for sharing with us. Thanks so much for having me. Thank you so much, ruth, for sharing with us. Thanks so much for having me and for our listeners. Be sure and check out Ruth's book N ow and Not Yet. We will have the link in our show notes.