During the month of March, I am forming a bouquet of blog posts using a variety of “roses” that will be formed with these petals from the basket : (1) a quotation, (2) a daily verse, (3) a devotional thought, (4) a book dealing with that day’s topic, and (5) an idea to put into practice!

Petal 1: “We were settling for a Christianity that revolves around catering to ourselves, when the central message of Christianity is actually about abandoning ourselves.” —David Platt, Radical

Petal 2: “Don’t look out only for your own interests, but take an interest in others, too. You must have the same attitude that Christ Jesus had.” (Philippians 2:4-5, NLT)

Petal 3: As my siblings and I have gotten older, and as my sisters’ children have grown, it becomes more difficult to find a time when everyone can get together; when we do, there is great excitement—and lots of talking. In fact, as I observed all the simultaneous chatter at the last gathering, I said to someone, “Wow—everyone is talking at once, but who’s doing the listening?” Yes, we had a good laugh out of it, but how often are we like that in our Christian walk? We are very focused on our wants and what is important to us; however, we are commanded in Philippians to “take an interest in others, too.” Listen to the needs of those around you, and ask Christ to shape in your heart the same selfless attitude that He had.

Petal 4: David Platt’s straight-to-the-heart-of-the-matter book, Radical: Taking Back Your Faith from the American Dream, is one of those rare, life-changing books that I truly think every believer should read!

Petal 5: Be intentional about being a listener today, and let what you hear reach your heart.