Holding You and No Other In My Heart

"I love my life to count

And to know I've made an impact somehow

But Lord, I want you more

And I want to work and achieve

To enjoy the comfort it brings to me

But still, I want you more

Lord, I want you more 

(Chorus)

At the end of the day

It'll be your face I see

When I've finished running my race

I will be falling at your feet

Singing You've been worth it all

You are worth it all. - Song: Lord I Love You More by Eliza King 

 

A dance drama where I played the role of the first translators in a language.

When we got married in the elegant pillared sanctuary in Holland, MI fourteen years ago, I said the words, "holding you and no other in my heart 'til death do us part." It's the part of the vows that I could NOT utter in the pre-wedding, rushing out of the church sobbing, my sister and maid of honor in hot pursuit.  What is it about those words?  The hymn that says, "prone to wonder Lord I feel it, prone to leave the God I love" also gets me teary every time.  Saying those words to my hopeful, tenderhearted groom held so much weight!  Was I doubting my love for him?  My devotion? My longing to walk with him until "death do us part?" No.  It's as someone said to me before I got engaged when I was confused and questioning, "Christy, you will always grieve something. Your singlehood and the freedom that has given you, or the possibility of being married and having a family."  It's like we choose our grief.  I tell my little third culture kids, "We say "goodbye" a lot, yes, but we also say "hello" a lot!"  It was more than that though, fear gripped me that I may not be able to be faithful to those words, knowing how distracted, undisciplined, and recklessly spontaneous I can be. What if, before God and his body I committed to doing what I wanted to, but would fail to do? 

All week, multiple times daily I have listened to this song , "Lord, I Love You More" as it acknowledges the joy being known, loving a family, having a home, and having an impact in the world and then declares that it doesn't matter as much as Jesus.   I was part of the generation that sang "Seize the Day"  and Jim Elliot's poem sung by Twila Paris' "He is No Fool" and Steven Green's "The Mission"  that was called to go to the world and make a difference!  I came to Africa because I wanted my life to count, and then I read the lyrics of "Lord, I love you more", "I want to make an impact somehow, but Lord I want you more," and I ask myself "Is that true?"  If marriage is a reflection of the follower's relationship with the Rabbi and the statement "holding you and no other in my heart" is true of me, then the mission, the seizing of this day, cannot be foremost or it will replace the Love (and Author) of my life.  I listen to this song, and pray desperately that he will replace any love for anything or anyone that is greater than himself.  Especially ministry,  impact, and relevance, idols that vie for my attention.  

Because someday I WILL fall at his feet, with you, and I want to declare that it was ALL done with my eyes fixed, my wandering heart stayed and sealed declaring, "He's been worth it all,  I have held him and no other in my heart."

Holiday Orange Hat Closing Program

 

 

Focus Mode

One great reason to set my phone aside is all the possible distractions it can bring. Sometimes I think, “let me just handle this urgent request, then I’ll focus”. Messages, bank transfers, even games and puzzles could be just a tap away. Sometimes as a director (or even as a father) my role can feel a bit like a doctor—like I should always be on call. But the reality is I can “switch off” and be unreachable so I can focus and pray. I even have a quarterly practice of slipping away for a whole work day to pray, switching off from the world to focus on God. Thank God for an organization that values time spent in prayer! But how do I do that if I am using a Bible app on my phone?

I’m grateful that most phones now include a feature called “focus mode”. Both iPhones and Android have them. Older phones had two separate features “Do not disturb” and “Focus mode” and I had to put them both on as needed. My newest phone combines them in a feature called “Modes and routines”.

Focus mode in an Android phone

“Do not disturb” completely silences the phone. It won’t even vibrate or show pop up notifications. Later I can look through missed calls and messages to catch up on anything that was urgent. Since I often forget to put my phone’s ringer back on, I use an Android app called Simple Silent timer that puts it back on after a given time frame, or I use the timer of the “Do not disturb” feature.

“Focus mode” switches off any apps I don’t need to study the Word of God. It doesn’t switch off the phone and messaging app, unless it turns on the “Do not disturb” feature. Every other app appears gray and won’t open until focus mode is switched off. The concept is simple but profoundly helpful. It's like not having the rest of my phone, just the Bible library.

My new phone allows me to make “Focus mode” come on at specific times or when I open certain apps. At first I thought it would be useful to have this mode come on whenever I open my Bible app, but that turned out to be really inconvenient rather than helpful. I sometimes use my Bible app at work, and it surprised me when it shut down useful apps I was using to do my work. Now, I just use the timer to automatically put on “Focus mode” at the time when I usually have a quiet time. At other times, I can put on the focus mode for a set period of time, perhaps thirty minutes or an hour. Thank God for the peace when all the other apps turn grey and I’m alone with God and his Word.

If you need help, don’t hesitate to contact us; we don’t get overwhelmed with people reaching out to us. This is often tucked away in settings but can be set up as a quick access setting with just a single swipe and a and tap or two to turn it on. You may find directions online on how to put on Focus mode in iPhone—note the section on “Choose a customized…Home Screen page to switch to while the Focus is on to help limit distractions”—and a few versions of Android: Samsung, Redmi/Xiaomi, Oppo, and others, you may also consider Google’s instructions. Frankly, searching an AI engine with your model may give you the easiest directions, but if the AI hallucinates and gives directions that don’t work, ask for links to directions in places where you are stuck.

No app

Over the coming months I will share some of my favorite Bible apps. But first I want to share a non-app. This year my wife and my colleague John Sacson have inspired me to read through the Bible the “old fashioned” way. I have a physical study Bible that she bought for me about ten years ago. I decided to read through it in a year. I’m not going to quite make it through in a year, but I’m enjoying the overview. I just read the text, not the footnotes. I’ve chosen different colors for different themes related to the heart and I’m highlighting them: joy, mourning, wisdom, prayer, and the heart itself. I’ve had to let go of some of my desire for order so that I can just focus on the text and let God speak through his Word. So if I misplace my highlighters, I don’t force myself to go back to the chapters gone by.

 

My study Bible

I really enjoy having a physical book in my hands, or laid out on the rug in front of me. I can easily look forwards and backwards as I read. After learning many ways to study the Bible, I’m not actually studying it this year. I just read it out loud. I’ve never done that before and I find that I like it. The emotion comes out and I find I slow down and listen better. There are some parts that are a bit shocking and I find I am reading in a whisper because the Bible sometimes tells stories that are violent or even shameful to say out loud.

Printed Bibles in many Nigerian languages are fairly accessible, though some still can not afford Bibles, especially in languages that fewer people speak, as these tend to be a little more expensive to print. Please join me for thanking God for availability to so many of the sweet printed Word, and pray that printed Bibles will be available in all the languages that his people want them here.

How do you like to read your Bible? I’d love to hear from you. The more I hear from you all, I can make this less about me and more about God and how we meet him in his Word together!

I’ve heard some people completely switch off their phone or keep it in another room when they are praying. Before I read the Bible, I use my phone for Scripture memory flashcards, so I use a different approach. I have an automatic feature that puts my phone into a focus mode during my prayer time. I’ll share about that in my next post.

Dancing the Word

I gripped my chair on the front row of the event hall while Adam and Eve reveled in the glory of God and then hid from his thunderous steps.  When the Red Sea parted, I wanted to gather myself up and join them in their victory.  The experience of dancing the Word with the 35 dancers and actors that choreographed the 40 minute drama/musical and acted the life-changing story of the Gospel from Genesis to Jesus awakened a fervor to go and share and be part of the continuing story of Jesus calling humanity to back to Eden.  We are invited back to sweet fellowship and walking with our Creator! 

 

 This group of young people are not only gifted dancers, they invited me into there community and welcomed discipleship with humility and joy. "I have always wanted to follow Jesus," one of them shared, "but I have not known how until now."  Nigeria has a history of rich faith and spirituality.  Yet many artists are wondering what following Jesus looks like for them and not are not finding  a platform to minister in the gifting that pulsate with the rhythms around them.  This unique opportunity to savor the sweetness of Jesus together, get away from the city, sit with Him, and embody the Word was transformative for us all. 

 Please pray for these treasured souls as they discover what it looks like to follow Jesus in his Way while still making their way as artists.  

My favorite Bible apps

I love Bible apps! I have heard a lot of compelling sermons and read convincing reasons to set my phone aside each morning and go back to the technology of pen and paper. However, there are also good reasons to use a smart phone as I encounter God. I have been using a smart phone as my primary tool for engaging with God’s Word for the past few years, and along the way I’ve developed some favorite apps. Although they each have unique features, there are some common themes that make Bible apps helpful.

Bible apps are as portable as a pocket new Testament, but as powerful as a whole library. I find that I want to reference a specific Bible verse from time to time, and I can just pull out my Bible. In our office we read a chapter of the Bible every Wednesday and Thursday. With our growing organization there are not enough printed Bibles in the center table any more, but everyone has a Bible in their pocket. Sometimes I can’t quite remember a reference, but I can easily search for a reference on my phone.

A whole library in my pocket over the years

Many Bible apps synchronize to online storage. When I was growing up, I journaled a lot, with about eight full journals filled with my thoughts and ideas (and very few feelings or dreams if any recorded). As I transitioned to college I started journaling my prayers. When I moved to Nigeria, I continued prayer journaling intermittently for about six years, but slowly discovered that going back and forth “across the pond” with a growing set of journals could become quite cumbersome. I wanted to be able to go back through my journals, reviewing answered prayers and remembering Scriptures God had brought to my heart in previous seasons. But putting journals in carry on-luggage poses a risk of loss, not to mention the increasing cost of the weight. Online Bible apps provide a secure place to keep not only my journals, but my Bible memory flash cards, my notes and highlights, and my creative doodling. 

Bible apps’ audio and video features can also give them an edge over printed Bibles. A printed Bible can’t read to you, and a friend isn’t always available to do that. Whether it is listening to a chapter of the Bible or memorizing Scripture, I find the speaker on my phone opens up new possibilities for Bible apps. I’ll share about some of my favorite apps and their features one-by-one over the coming weeks. All the Bible Apps I use are free, sponsored by people who want to share the sweetness of God’s Word with others. However, one of the most important features for studying God’s word on the phone is not an app and it is not just for the Bible. It is a common feature that helps turn off the distractions. And there is an even lower tech way to focus on the Bible.

I’ll share about those in my next two posts. Can you join me in praying that many people in Nigeria and around the world will learn how to use their phone (and when not to use it) to study the Word? Also, as I share these features, can you prayerfully consider who might need to know about these? Perhaps even immigrant neighbors who you are not yet close to? Although my blogs focus on my own experience and Nigerian languages, these same apps are used around the world and are loaded with thousands of languages worldwide!

 

Why not include everyone?

Have you ever stopped to wonder if everyone in the room actually understands what is being said? In multilingual countries like Nigeria, we often use English as a default, assuming that because people aren't complaining, they must be following along. But this is a dangerous assumption. Back in April 2019, during research in a village between Jos and Abuja, a team member told an engaging Bible story in Hausa to a group of children. They seemed to understand, but only two or three actually answered her questions. However, when a young man retold the same story in their local language, Berom, the gathered children completely transformed. Suddenly, every single child was jumping up, waving their hands, and answering the questions perfectly. They didn't just hear the words; they finally understood them. (To learn more, read the original blog posts:They Just Looked At Me and Margin… gone)

 

Right now, parts of the Bible have been translated into 305 of the 495 living Nigerian languages, including 110 languages with at least the New Testament. See how God has been honored through hundreds of lives dedicated to this huge work! Although the New Testament has been translated into only 56% of Nigerian’s languages, due to these being high-population languages, more than 93% of the people in Nigeria have access to Scripture in their heritage tongue (see Figures). Praise God for this opportunity! Yet, in the vast majority of local churches, English or regional languages dominate. A study of twenty-eight local languages showed that in only three of them was the mother-tongue Scripture actually used regularly in church services. When we pray for the Word of God to take root, we must also pray for the barriers of "prestige" languages to fall. When the New Testament was written, the early apostles didn't preserve it in Aramaic—the native language of Jesus Himself. Instead, they wrote in common Greek because it was the everyday language that the rapidly expanding, diverse church actually understood. If the early Church prioritized the comprehension of the listeners over the language of its founder, why should we expect our brothers and sisters today to grow spiritually in a language they struggle to comprehend?

Figures: Bible translation in Nigeria by language (blue) and population (orange) 

This exclusion goes beyond the church pews; it is severely affecting our children's education. Historically, children in Nigeria have been punished or shamed for speaking their mother tongues at school, turning education into a stressful leap into the unknown. For years, a national policy supported teaching young children in their native languages first. The Obolo community took advantage of this and launched the Obolo Bilingual Education Programme. By teaching children in their mother tongue, Obolo, while gradually introducing English, the program achieved world-renowned success. Sadly, the Ministry of Education reversed this policy in late 2025, making English the sole language of instruction. Although the change was well-intentioned for better education, it could close the door for many Nigerian students. We must lift up these children in prayer, asking that they will not be locked out of learning the basic skills they need to thrive.

Language is also a matter of daily survival and human dignity. Imagine receiving a medical diagnosis or treatment instructions that you cannot understand. Crucial, lifesaving health booklets on waterborne diseases, malaria, and hygiene are available digitally in over a thousand languages, yet they rarely reach the rural clinics where they are desperately needed. Furthermore, in areas of Nigeria deeply scarred by terrorism and kidnapping, local-language trauma healing programs are proving to be powerful tools for restoration. When people hear the healing promises of God's Word wrapped in the very language they use to grieve, the depth of forgiveness and recovery is profound.

Please join us in bringing these matters before the Lord. Pray that denominational leaders will have the courage and creativity to introduce local-language Scriptures—including audio and video forms—into their weekly services. Pray for policy changes in our education system so children can once again learn freely in the languages they speak at home. And finally, pray that God will provide the volunteers to translate and distribute native-language health and trauma healing booklets to the most vulnerable. Let us work and pray together so that every tribe and tongue in Nigeria can know God deeply, learn freely, and live with the full dignity they deserve.

This blog is based on an academic advocacy paper presented at the Nasarawa State University on July 14, 2026. Please contact Zach if you would like to read the original paper.

God Watching

 I sat in my van heading out of our driveway, car stopped, bird poster on my lap that I had scrambled to retrieve and eagerly observed beaks, feather colors, and tails.  One little village weaver caught a bug right in front of my windshield as I clapped and smiled like a child seeing a magic trick for the first time.  I was mesmerized. 

I have always thought it was sweet, and a bit odd, watching people walk around with binoculars in hand trying to see evasive birds.  A bit of a waste of energy when so much of God’s creation you can get up close to, like a spider web, or treasure from a distance, like a red African sunset.  I don’t know what sparked it, but I decided we were going to study the birds around us in school.  I got mini posters printed for each child, and we made a wall graph in our classroom to chart what birds we’ve seen.  We went to the bird reserve at 6am and 7:30 two different days in the same week.  One day we sat outside eating our lunch under the mango trees, and a blue flycatcher landed on the branch above us.  Acacia said, “Mommy, see that bird!” How many lunches have we eaten under those trees, oblivious to the birds.  Now, we see them everywhere.  I drive down the road, and a bird fliess in front of me, and I want to know what kind it is, what it eats, where it lands.  My children call out from their desks, window seat, and come running in the house to tell me about the birds they saw. I hear a bird call outside and I rush to the window to see who that beautiful voice belongs too. 

"See the birds of the air, they do not sow nor reap nor store up in barns, but your heavenly father feeds them." (Matthew 6:26) Hmmm, yes indeed. Jesus pointed people to the birds too.  But not for the sake of bird watching, but of God watching. "Fix your eyes on things above, not on earthly things." (Hebrews 12:12)  Have you ever had the experience that you read a verse in the quiet hours of the morning, and your heart clings to it, and then, all day, it applies to everything? We are now noticing the birds because we have decided to fix our eyes on them.  We have decided to know their various characteristics and names.

There is a hamerkop nest is behind us in the tree to the left.

  God invites us to do that with him, and then...to see him everywhere.  At work in the big and little, our God wants us to focus our attention on him because that is where we will find hope in a dark world, life and victory when defeat feels inevitable, and joy in the ordinary.  

 Now I'm one of those sweet, odd people who reaches for my binoculars every other minute while I walk along outside.  I also pray I'm that kind of person when I see God at work, recognizing and delighting in him, longing to get a closer look at his beauty.