Last November, I had the privilege of being tucked away in a cozy riverfront lodge in southwest Michigan for a Revive Our Hearts writers’ retreat. I was the lucky duck who had her own little cottage nestled between big trees just a few yards away from the lodge, and I spent the whole week dreamily swooning like I was Lucy in Narnia. It snowed, too. But even better than the waterfront view, the snow flurries, and the Introvert’s Dream Cottage was the gift of meeting and hearing from Lisa Whittle, one of the guest speakers at our retreat. Lisa is the real deal. She loves Jesus. She wants to help other women love Jesus and worship Him with their lives. I sat on one of the lodge couches speechless, nodding my head, thanking Jesus for giving Lisa the exact words I was needing to hear. This woman is not messing around. She’s pulling no punches, and she’s following the Holy Spirit’s leading, I thought. I poured over my notes multiple times, and the words from her sessions reverberated in my heart for days. I couldn’t wait to check out her podcast, Jesus Over Everything. So what’s one thing we’re loving right now? It’s Lisa Whittle’s podcast and brand-new book! I’m a big fan of Lisa’s short and practical devotional podcast episodes, and I also love her interviews with Jesus-loving guests, such as Phylicia Masonheimer, Jen Wilkin, Kim Cash Tate, Rachael Denhollander, and Ruth Chou Simons. Lisa is straightforward, Word-saturated, and truly a ton of fun. I’m pumped to get my hands on her new book, Jesus Over Everything:
We all want to live simpler lives and to put Jesus first—and we struggle with both. While we are busy strategizing new ways to streamline our calendars and clean out our closets of the clutter, what really needs attention is what will give us long-term clarity and peace—the priority order of Jesus over everything in our lives. In a culture that carries the confusion of overindulgence, endless options and influencer voices, the Jesus-first life clears our minds and hearts of noise so our souls can find true meaning and rest.
Jesus over everything. Everything! That’s what I want my life to look like. “The priority of Jesus brings order to the chaos of our lives.” That’s something Lisa said to our writers’ team at the retreat in the Lodge, and I can’t forget it. So simple, so true, so life-changing. Let’s put Jesus over everything, friends. (Now go hit play on one of her podcast episodes!) We love giving you resources and tools to help you grow in your relationship with Jesus—just like today’s Jesus Over Everything resources! But we’d also love your input: what tips, ideas, or resources would you like to see featured in the One Thing We’re Loving posts? Let us know in the comments! PS: You’ll see Lisa sometime soon in the next Revive Our Hearts Women of the Bible videocast on Rahab! *praise hands*