 always faithful, always loving. He is always with us. He'll never leave us, nor forsake us. And right now, this day, Wednesday, he's with you. Welcome to Hope Today, I'm Tom Hollis and I'm here with Amy Schaefer. And we've got a wonderful Wednesday and we've got a great guest coming up. You sounded like a cheerleader. I'm like, I'm ready, go team. Today, it's actually team Amy because our special guest, her name is Amy Beckley. And she is with us to talk about her new book, This Homeward Ake. Now listen, if you know the scripture, as the deer pants for the water, so my soul longeth after thee. So we're gonna talk about these words today like longing and aching and desiring and being in awe and wonder of God. I think it's a great time of year, Tom, to just stop, you know, stop the world, stop the spinning and just focus on Jesus. I love the title, The Homeward Ake. I mean, there's a thing, there's something that's within each of us that just we're longing for something. We're longing and have this ache for a real home. I'm really looking forward to the conversation. Yeah, I know. Yeah, we also have a couple of things we're gonna have in just a little bit. As you notice, Sydney hasn't been with us lately. We're a longtime watcher of Hope Today. Sydney has been with us for many years. She is moving into a new project. So exciting. Yeah, The Glory Hour. It's a podcast, it's gonna be on YouTube exclusively and we're gonna have a promo about that and about how you can watch that. And also this is Worship Wednesday and we are going to have a great song with Gene Watson coming up as well when we will worship the Lord. So it's gonna be a great day. I'm gonna miss Sydney here. Oh, I know, I already miss her. I mean, we've been in this rhythm of weekly sitting together and talking and I can just picture her going pew, pew, pew. And you know, glory, glory. So it just makes sense that she is that younger generation, she's pioneering something cool and something new. And we support her and it's exciting. It's gonna be great. They've already taped a couple of them. Today's the launch of the first one. But they're great, you know? And of course, with Sydney and her infectious enthusiasm, it's gonna be great. We really need confetti right now. Yay, it's the Glory Hour. There we go. Thank you. They are such good listeners. You know, as followers of Jesus, our goal is to live and to serve Christ during the course of our lives. And our ultimate reward to one day, wow, spend eternity with Jesus in heaven. Amy Beckley is our next guest and she's written a book called This Homeward Ake. She joins us now to offer encouragement on how to live with purpose that impacts eternity. Amy, welcome to Hope Today. Thank you so much. It's a pleasure to be here. Tell us about, just first of all, even this title, those are two like not commonly used words, a homeward and an ache. Can you expound on that? Yes, this homeward ache, in this homeward ache, I'm talking about something that the author C.S. Lewis called the inconsolable longing. And so the homeward part is about longing for the home that we're destined for, the home that God has promised us as we prepare to live with him in full, the time when we'll dwell with him forever. And the ache is talking about a quality of longing that I think can sometimes stop us in our tracks that I try to write about from different phases in my own life, but it's a kind of longing that it pierces, it's been called like a stab of joy by Lewis, but that is also so sweet, I think. There's like a quality of sweetness to it that makes you want to keep it around in a strange way. So I guess putting those things together. I couldn't help when I was reading your book, I could almost picture you sitting down at a restaurant with C.S. Lewis and just talk, cause he had such a way with words and you have such a beautiful way with words in this book, what is the backstory? Like, why did you decide to write on this particular topic? I wanted to write on this topic because at that point in my life, which was about 10, 12 years ago, I started thinking back and remembering times in my life where I had encountered that longing. And then after my husband and I moved to Colorado about 13 years ago, we started coming into communities of other Christians who knew this longing. And I was glad to find them, but I think it was really when those communities started to ask, well, what are we supposed to do with this longing? Are we just supposed to feel it and then go back to our regular lives and just have it be a periodic interruption or is there something more that maybe it's supposed to help us lead into? And that was kind of when a desire, I think, started to rise for revisiting the longing on one hand in my own life, but also to maybe share a story that might encourage other people to consider how this ache could fill out and enrich our lives. Amy, I'm really interested in this longing and how does it manifest? For someone who maybe hasn't put a name to it like that, they're watching, how, what kind of things in their own heart should they be looking for that are kind of glimpses of this longing? There. Oh, I don't wanna speak for everybody. And so this is kind of why I've written the book in terms of personal stories. But I start the book, for example, with a story of a meadow that I encountered when I was about nine or 10 years old. I was on a walk with my family and we had just walked up the hill behind our house. And I think it was the first time we had gone that way. And we ended up on the crest of the hill and we were just looking across to the other hill and there was a meadow there. And I still don't know what it was exactly about that site. Maybe it was the way that the sunlight cut across it or just the atmosphere around it. But I felt a measure of peace. And I felt like I was encountering beauty in a way that I hadn't before. And it was really a moment where I just wanted to be enfolded in that site and I could have just stayed there forever. And there are different words that people use, I think in places or chyrus moments to describe moments like that. But I, in general, I think I would describe it as moments where we encounter beauty or we encounter joy even in the midst of grief. And that there's a quality of peace to it and a refuge in that moment that makes us want to stay in it. And so for some people, it might be encountering a beautiful site. For some people, it's being brought to tears by a song or wanting to stand still for a long time and listen to the sound of the sea. But I think there are a lot of ways that we can encounter it in our daily lives. You know, Amy, last Saturday, you just reminded me I was sitting in the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra at Heinz Hall and I was listening to a program called Violins of Hope where they had eight violins from the Holocaust that they were playing in this beautiful symphony. And I can't describe exactly how I felt in that, you know, two hour program, but you have explained it, that longing and that ache and that peace. What would you say to somebody if they just sort of feel flat-lined? Like they're not feeling anything. They're not aching for anything. They're not longing for anything. You know, and how we are really pilgrims here. Yeah. Well, I think there is a, there's the reality that scripture tells us that we are strangers and exiles on the earth, that this is not meant to be our permanent home and that we're all feeling the reverberations of the fall. But if you're not feeling anything right now and you feel flat-lined, I think a key thing to remember about this longing is that it's not something that we generate within ourselves. It's not an emotional response that we have to try to maintain or conjure and something that I keep circling back around to in the book and also in the conversations that I've been having about it, is that these are really, I think, moments of grace that are given to us as we see how our two realities, the temporal and the eternal collide. So when those moments happen, it's good to embrace them, but because they're not generated by us, because they're gifts, I think really given from the Father of Lights, you can let them come find you when they do, if they do. I mean, I don't know that this is something that is a universal mode of stepping stones home for everybody, but this was a story that I wanted to share for those people who particularly feel this feeling intensely or this yearning intensely and don't know what to do with it. How do we occupy here on Earth, why we long for homework? Our lives from day to day. I think in some measure, changing our perspective, I think the yearning changes our perspective to be more aware of reality and I think once the truth and the wonder and almost the enchantment of that soaks in, I think there's no way that it doesn't permeate every corner of your life. And that's kind of the story that I was trying to tell with part two of this book, which is an essay collection. I was trying to just look at the different areas of my own life that have been affected by it, less of a prescriptive mode of writing there and more just of a description of what's been going on as I've encountered that beauty and joy and wonder soaking into every area like parenting and writing and everything. And so, yeah, I think it's the overall paradigm shift that changes everything. Amy, I do love this conversation because I felt that at times, just that place so that like something opening up. What are some surprising places where you've caught glimpses of home and glimpses of God's glory? Yeah, one of the moments that I mentioned in the book is just in daily encounters of beauty and that kind of came on the tail of a breakdown, I guess. I could say that happened in about 2016 for me and it was God teaching me to pay attention to the daily moments of beauty that signaled His presence. But I think another surprising moment was when I was going through a period of sickness and the doctors didn't know what was going on, but it was probably in the worst moment of pain and of not knowing what was going to happen that a moment of joy met me, which was surprising for me. And I think recently actually in conversations about the book, one surprising place has been in the faces of people that I've been able to talk with, like the hosts of interviews who share their own stories. Like you just did, Amy, of the violins that you were listening to. There's something that comes across the faces of people as they're describing those moments that helps me understand like, oh, this is not something that I'm bringing up out of the blue, there are a lot of kindred spirits out there who know it. What are some scriptural references, Bible stories that give us a picture of what you are expounding in your book? Yeah, I think the verse in Ecclesiastes 311 about God putting eternity into man's heart is a key verse. I loved the verse that you mentioned at the beginning of this interview about the deer panting for water and having that mirror and reflect our experience too of longing for him. And like I mentioned before, the strangers in exiles on the earth, just a number of times that that's reiterated in the New Testament as our reality, I think can be a deep comfort because it's an acknowledgement by God that he knows that we feel this longing and that we are yearning to be home with him and that we're yearning for his presence as well. I think all of that sums up his acknowledgement and obviously there are the passages at the end of Revelation and in Isaiah that give us a picture of the feast and the wholeness and the restoration and the healing that is to come. Amy, I know you're a reader of C.S. Lewis and sometimes what I think about, even seeing the cover of your book here, it kind of reminds me of Narnia a little bit, that whole discovery. I mean, has that kind of thing been an influence on you? Oh, absolutely. I talk about that partly. I think there's a whole chapter talking about how I, how encountering Narnia actually helped me to hone in on the longing because it became something that was so clearly separate from just wanting to be part of a fictional or fantasy world and trying to drive at the heart of what it was that I was longing for that helped me. And so Narnia, I love, I think maybe that was one of my first tastes into being allowed to imagine what being in the full presence of the Lord might be like. So I love those last chapters of, say, the last battle where we get a picture of what it might be like to go further up and further in and to run without getting tired and to feast without being hungry, you know, all of those things. I'm just so grateful to Lewis for those imaginings too. How important is the practice of wonder? Just being in awe, being in wonder and letting your mind and your heart just be creative and imagine. I think it's crucial in our world today. I think especially because we're living in a world where the pace is hurried, but also there are so many voices telling so many different stories to be able to encounter God's beauty and creation and also to be able to pay attention to the stories of others in a way that we're coming at them wondrously. I think we need margin to be able to hold that attitude of wonder. We need a certain amount of silence and stillness and ability to think. But I think that that's something that we need more than ever today. I heard an incredible quote the other day and this gentleman said that Christmas just expounds or exasperates whatever is happening in your life. So if things are going really good and it's a really sweet time and it's a really rich time, things just grow bigger and bigger as good and better. But also if you're in a season of grief and mourning or sorrow or heaven is knocking on your door, it also makes that time of mourning and sadness grow and expound. What would you say to the person that is just dealing in either of those extremes today? Mm-hmm. Wow. I think that's so true that when we come to a season like this that it exacerbates everything. I am grateful that I think the Lord has built seasons like this into our lives to help us to grasp what it is that he's done to acknowledge loss and to acknowledge sorrow and grief. I think that's what the season of Advent is for leading up to Christmas. And then also to embrace the discipline of celebration because we're not always good at that either. But to have that enrich our joy and to help us realize what it is that Christ has done. Because the reason why we're able to make it home at all is because he came. And I guess that's what Tolkien would have called the eukatastrophe like this sudden joyous turn in the middle of our story that nobody expected and that we don't have a right to but here is God coming into the midst of our story and redeeming us and plumbing our depths. And so he knows the depth of our grief and he has called us into a depth of joy that we can't even imagine yet. I think it's a good season to embrace all of those truths. Amen. Amy, give us one final thought. How do we find hope in longing? I keep looking to the Lord and to know that all of the signposts of joy come from him, I think is a key thing to grasp and to find comfort in. Because he is the one ultimately that has given us this longing so that we might be able to see who he wants to be for us and how deep his love for us. Amen. Thank you so much, Amy, for this beautiful work of art and these beautiful thoughts of the homeward ache. We appreciate you. Thank you for your beautiful presence and words. Oh, thank you so much for having me on. This was such a joy. Woo, I know. She even has a calming presence about her. Just like, can we just sit and talk? Can I tell you everything? I really resonate with this idea of longing. There's something in me at various times where I've just said, there's like a, sometimes it's really clearly the presence of the Lord and sometimes it's just a desire, a desire for something more. And that's great. And sometimes it's troubles and hardships. You're like, I want to get out. Yeah. Oh, I want to go home, you know? Well, the desperation. It's many faceted. Sometimes that desperation can, sometimes it's a peaceful time, but other times that desperation can really do that. Well, great conversation. We're going to now watch what Sydney's doing with the glory hour. Hey, Hope Today family. It's Sydney here with the glory hour where spirit meets culture. And this is all about where we are having culturally relevant conversations from a spiritual perspective. Today is the debut. So you want to make sure, go to YouTube, go to Cornerstone Intelligent Network's YouTube channel, look for the glory hour, first episode because full episodes are exclusively on YouTube. So I am super excited for you to join us. So pull up, grab a snack, grab you a little drink, you know, in a cup of tea, coffee, whatever you need. We're going to sit back, relax because we have a really power pack show coming up for you for episode one. So listen to this, people are canceling Hanukkah. You know, the world is preparing to celebrate the Jewish festival this week. And one city in America put the menorah lighting on hold and we're going to tell you where that's happening, where that's going on. Also we're going to talk about finding hope amid anti-Semitic attacks. You're going to hear about how a global fellowship of Christians in the heart of Jerusalem has been on the front line serving as an army of light during the Israel Hamas war. And let me tell y'all, it is amazing what God is doing in the midst of the darkness. Your spirit will be so stirred and so encouraged. Also what is making headlines has gone viral by a miracle in Gaza. It is supernatural, it is a sign, it is a wonder and it's a miracle. All that and so much more happening on the glory hour. So be sure to join us today on YouTube, 3 p.m. for the glory hour. Make sure you subscribe to Cornerstone on the Intelligent Network's YouTube page so you can always send the loop, always send the no so you can know what God is doing on the glory hour. I can't wait to see you there. I can't wait for the glory hour either. It's going to be great. It's something that you can tell from Sydney's heart Amy that she is just bubbling over with a desire to share these things. It's going to be a great thing. It's on our YouTube channel. Yeah, there's a lot of great stuff on our YouTube channel. You need to go there, you need to join. And speaking of Hanukkah, that is this Friday starts Hanukkah. It is also my anniversary, 28 years. Wow, congratulations, fucking Amy. But talking about longing and anniversaries and Hanukkah, I mean, we are, he is our bridegroom and we are the bride of Christ. And I mean, I remember those early days. I mean, I just, I'm actually wearing my engagement ring today, I would just lay there at night, Tom. And I would dream about one day being married to this man, you know, fast forward 28 years later, you know, the relationship just grows. So we pray in this season of Christmas, of Advent, of Friday Hanukkah beginning, that you long for a rich relationship with Jesus. It is the only thing that matters. It is the center. It is, it's going to keep you alive and it's gonna keep life and purpose in front of you always. It's so important because it's easy, Tom, in this time of year to get lost. Oh yeah, you get lost in so much. But that think of longing that Amy was talking about is so important. Maybe you felt that. Maybe you felt this desire, this longing, this thing that you didn't really know what to do with. Maybe you've been a Christian all your life and you still know that there's something else. Listen, we are made for another place. We are actually citizens of heaven and we're dwelling here on the earth for a while. But our real home, our real home is heaven. Maybe you've never made that your home. Maybe you've never made Jesus your Lord and Savior. If you haven't, then just call out to him today, say, Lord, I don't know what to do with this longing but I think you're the answer. He will rush and respond to that. Just say, you know, ask for forgiveness of your sins. We've all done that. We've all sinned and fallen short of the glory of God. But most of all, turn to God and say, God, come be my Lord and Savior and show me what that is. Well, it says that he has set eternity in our heart. So if you're longing for success, longing for a relationship, longing for love, longing for your career, longing for the next step, what you're longing for is maybe more of the presence of God in your life. So today's your day. Give us a call. We want to pray for you at 888-665-4483. And we also want to worship together. And we have a dear friend, Jean Watson, who is here to sing and to play the most beautiful Christmas, Silent Night. Tomorrow's Hope Today, uplifting others with positive faith-based family movies. Producers Alexandra Boylan and Andrea Polnasek, the Boylan sisters, share about their latest film and their desire to teach young people about Christ. Don't miss Tomorrow's Hope Today.