So Much Static!

John 10:27

I could no longer hear the strains of my favorite Christian radio station clearly. This happens every time I drive the three and a half hours from our home in Hibbing, Minnesota to my parents’ home just south of St. Paul. I know there must be other stations along the route I take, but I don’t have the time to stop and find them, and I don’t have the ability to search for them while I am driving. The static eventually takes over the voices until I grow despondent and turn off the radio completely. There are times I find myself feeling this same way in my daily life. I wake up, read Scripture and praise the LORD for another day. I thank Him for the circumstances and challenges of that day, for his presence, and for all He provides to enrich me and equip me to glorify Him, and then I step into the day expecting Him to follow me wherever I go. I try to catch myself doing this and turn back to seek his guidance, but quite often I “journey” on expecting to pick Him up again at some point along my way. The longer the day, the less clearly I am able to hear Him, and just like my drive between Hibbing and the Twin Cities, I have a frantic feeling in my gut that I don’t have the time to stop what I am doing and tune into Him again. The feeling is even more despondent than I feel when I cannot listen to the music I want to hear, and I will admit I do fall into the trap of turning Him off and going it alone. Oh! Are those bad days. I end up lost and lose so much more to recover my bearings and find my way back on the right road. This reminds me of the fly. One time I was watching a slow motion clip of a bullet being shot, and in the middle of this clip an unfortunate fly found itself in the pathway of the bullet. The force of the bullet threw it into a spin. I believe my natural instinct in the same situation would be to flail and try to right myself, but this fly did something that has always stuck with me as extraordinary. The fly was thrown into a spin and showed signs of distress, then it suddenly stopped everything. God has equipped the body of a fly so that when it is in trouble, if it stops struggling, its body automatically rights itself. That is what this fly did. It stopped struggling to right itself, completely relaxed, and suddenly its body was righted and the fly was able to go on its way. Do you see where I am going with this little side story? The world is always telling us to tune into it. “Tune in to our music. Tune in to our television and movies. Tune in to our advertisements, our public addresses, our arguments, our chatter. If you don’t tune in to us, at least tune in to yourself. You’re fabulous, you’re worth it, you are in control. Make your own destiny; it’s yours for the making. You have the right to be happy in all things; have it your way.” There is so much static noise going on around us all the time! It can be overwhelming trying to keep tuned in to Jesus Christ when we are trying to follow Him; so, when we are off course expecting Him to follow us, we really find ourselves somersaulting out of control. Jesus said in the book of John, “My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me.” Today I’m going to stop and wait on the LORD in this verse, Colossians 2:6-8 “So then, just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live in him, rooted and built up in him, strengthened in the faith as you were taught, and overflowing with thankfulness. See to it that no one takes you captive through hollow and deceptive philosophy, which depends on human tradition and the basic principles of this world rather than on Christ.” A little further in Colossians a line stands out for me, and it could be a result of listening to Christ Jesus, living in Him built up in the strength of faith and overflowing with thankfulness – Colossians 3:15 says “Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace.”

HOLY LORD, you are my inner balance. You are the station I want to stay tuned in to. Give me the wisdom and the power to remain focused on You, living in You, rooted and built up in You, strengthened in the faith I was taught, and overflowing with thankfulness. When the deceiver talks and hunts me like a wolf through the static noise of this world, bring me back into your peace. Thank you, LORD. I love You so much. Amen.

Lorinda Freeman

Lorinda has a passion and desire to teach children about the love of God. She is a homeschooling mom of four and together as a family they work within their church with the children’s programs making sure the hearts of all the children are being taught God’s love for them. Lorinda and her husband, Chris, make their home in Hibbing, Minnesota after Lorinda had endured extensive travel growing up as a Navy “brat”. 1 Thessalonians 2:6-13, “We are not looking for praise from men, not from you or anyone else. As apostles of Christ we could have been a burden to you, but we were gentle among you, like a mother caring for her little children. We loved you so much that we were delighted to share with you not only the gospel of God but our lives as well, because you had become so dear to us. Surely you remember, brothers, our toil and hardship; we worked night and day in order not to be a burden to anyone while we preached the gospel of God to you. You are witnesses, and so is God, of how holy, righteous and blameless we were among you who believed. For you know that we dealt with each of you as a father deals with his own children, encouraging, comforting and urging you to live lives worthy of God, who calls you into his kingdom and glory.

Invisible Mom

I’ve been wanting for years to get a new cute apron (I am crazy like that). I like looking cute while cooking and doing some housework. Why? I don’t know really, maybe because a lot of things I do around the house are not always recognized or seen because they are done daily and we all just go with the flow. I enjoy cooking and cleaning (for the most part). I truly enjoy serving my family and surprising them, but if we are honest with ourselves, once in a while, we moms always wonder if we do enough or if anyone even notices how hard we’re working to keep our loved ones taken care of. After all, the dishes don’t get washed on their own, nor does laundry miraculously clean itself and put itself back in the closet. This Valentine’s Day, I finally did get my new cute apron and I LOVE it! I loved it so much I didn’t take it off going outside to take trash out.  Somehow this apron made me more visible around the house. One night as I was preparing dinner my husband jokingly said, “uh-oh, things just got real. Mama got her apron on”. We laughed and joked and laughed a bit more. I love this thing!

I was actually reminded of another “invisible” hard working mom who loved her apron just as much as I do mine, probably. Susanna Wesley, mother of the famous man of God, sir John Wesley. Susanna had lots of children, 19 altogether (10 of which died in infancy). They lost a home twice due to fire, and they struggled financially, but through all of the struggles Susanna kept her eyes on the Lord. She had set aside an hour or two a day for prayer and to study the Word. With that many children around one can only imagine that silence was not a common thing! So, Susanna came up with the clever plan; she had taught her kids that whenever they see their mom with the apron over her head it meant she was having her time with the Lord and they needed to be quiet. I was also blessed to learn that this mom was intentional about teaching her children the Word of God. She made a point to memorize verses from the Bible with her kids.  Later on (since church back then didn’t have a fancy children’s ministry that our kids today are blessed to have), she would come from the church with the kids and then go over the sermon again with them, explaining what the preacher was talking about. Her “house church” after the church became so popular that even neighbors started asking to come over and listen. One woman’s obedience had a ripple effect on many generations.

As I was pondering on the idea of the “invisible moms” in the Bible, I couldn’t help but think of Daniel’s mother. We know nothing about her, other than what we see in Daniel. Daniel was kidnapped away from his home town and taken to a completely different environment at the age of fourteen or fifteen. All he had with him was the wisdom his mama instilled in him. As I studied the book of Daniel I couldn’t help but think, did she ever learn that her boy chose God even when it meant death to him? Did she know that the prayers and passages of Torah she taught him were used in the lion’s den? Did she know that just like at home, Daniel still at his old age prayed three times a day? Did she ever find out that God was so pleased by her boy? I don’t know if she ever did. We don’t even know her name. But we can see her faith, her God, her prayers planted in her boy’s heart and what a massive harvest they brought forth. I am certain she never stopped praying and believing God for her boy, Daniel; a mom without a name, Daniel’s mom, the invisible mom. One woman’s obedience had a ripple effect of many generations .

Recently a friend was sharing with me a story that captured my heart. You see, my friend Tee always wanted to be a mom, but she wasn’t able to conceive. She shared with me how one day she prayed on the porch and surrendered to God hurts and heartbreaks after so many failed adoptions. She surrendered to God her circumstances. She said that the overwhelming peace came over her that night, she was no longer worried. The same day another woman who was pregnant but unable to keep her child felt God’s leading to choose Tee’s family to become the new parents to her baby boy. What a beautiful story of pure love. One woman’s obedience to give it up to God leads to another woman’s obedience to entrust her child into my friend’s hands and heart. Obedience is not an easy choice, but it has a ripple effect and spreads through generations. Today my friend is not only a wonderful mom to 2 young adults, but she is a thrilled grandma to two adorable baby girls that rock Mimi’s world!

Whatever your circumstances are today, maybe you are overwhelmed with the little ones and you don’t feel like you’re doing enough, praying enough, hugging enough…..we are our own worst critics, ya know. Don’t give up! Keep pressing forward! Keep growing! Keep planting the seeds of faith! Keep planting prayers! Don’t give up mama!!!!!

In Genesis 16:13 we are introduced to God as Jehovah El Roi which means “the God who sees”. Interesting, if you read the entire chapter, you would learn that He was revealed to Hagar, a woman who truly knew the meaning of being invisible and despised by her husband and her surroundings. There in the desert she was broken, lonely and scared and God extended His hand to her. He is the God who sees! He sees your hard work, He sees your faith, He sees your tears, prayers, fears, exhaustion, yawns. He sees your obedience. You are just one mom, but you will send the ripple effect through the following generations and there will be a harvest! You’re not invisible to Him, Jehovah El Roi sees you. You are loved!

Lenna Rivera

Lenna was born and raised in Volgograd , Russia. She grew up in the family that did not know Christ and at the age of ten she and her brother found a Gospel preaching church and became first generation of Christ followers in their family . At the age of eighteen Lenna felt a strong calling for missions and the Lord opened doors for her to become a missionary to the country of Georgia. Today Lenna and her husband, Zach, reside in Nebraska,. They have 2 sons together. Lenna enjoys cooking, spending time with the family and a good harty in-depth Bible study. Her husband leads worship at their local church. Lenna enjoys writing about the things God reveals to her through the reading of the Word.

The Lord Giveth

Every spring and fall the leaders of my church gather us, “the members” from around the world. We meet at our meeting houses and in our homes for what is known as General Conference. This is a time when the leaders of our church speak about whatever they feel we need to hear and it is broadcast. I know that every spring and autumn I am going to hear exactly what the Lord wants me to know. He lays it heavy upon my heart and my mind.

We normally hear about how we, the members, can strengthen our faith through wholesome family activities, reading our scriptures every day, participating in our meetings and conducting daily family prayer. We also hear a lot about our relationship with Christ. And those are all great lessons for us to learn, but this past conference I heard a statement that rocked me to my core. It has changed how I thought about my future and my past. It has changed how I speak with my Lord; my God. It has changed everything: I heard…

“Having a fear of the future is denying faith in God’s plan. It is denying Faith that the Lord will provide for us.”

I have been fearful for so long. I have been afraid of not having enough money to pay my bills, so I don’t pay my tithing (I play catch up… a lot). I have been afraid that taking a job that could be better for our family because of the fear that when something sounds too good to be true, it normally is. I have been afraid to get rid of baby clothes, and extra books, and clutter that fills my home, because I never know when I may need it. I have been afraid to say no to people for fear that they may never say yes when I ask. I have just been afraid (that’s the simple truth).  But those simple words that were spoken during conference has changed how I look at things. I have read the Scriptures and I know the stories that are contained within those passages.  In the very first book of the Bible we learn of Abraham and the great faith he had in God. He knew he must follow God’s plan. He was willing to sacrifice his son (and we all know how the story ended), at the last second, just before Abraham sacrificed his beloved son, Heavenly Father provided a lamb to be sacrificed in Isaac’s place.  He provided for Abraham. In Exodus, we hear about Moses and his people wandering in the desert with no food and no water, and the Lord our God provided again and again for them, His people.  In Psalms, we hear songs of God’s providence. So I ask you, if we know these stories, and we have studied them, why can we not apply them to our lives? Why are Moses, or Abraham and their people so much more special than we are? Doesn’t Heavenly Father have a plan for each one of us, just as he had for them? The answer isn’t hard; it is simple, of course He does. He has a plan for each one of us. 

In our lives it has become so hard for us to have faith in God and his plan for us. Our days are filled with distractions, white noise, that keep us from developing our faith. These distractions help to fill our heart and minds with doubt. Distractions that are a part of our daily lives; kids and neighbors, activities and just things (things that pop up and distract us). Some of our distractions like our precious children are good distractions, but other distractions take us away from living what we truly and deeply believe. They distract us from our Faith. When we are distracted we begin to savor and crave the things of man before savoring the things of GOD. And next thing we know, we are filled with fear. Fear of what is, of what could be and what isn’t.  This fear isn’t of God. When we notice we are fearful, we are distracted and we are not having faith in our God and that he will provide for all for us. We need to stop what we are doing so that we can redirect our time and energy. We must immerse ourselves in gospel truths and surround ourselves with goodness and gratitude; lifting all blessings in prayers of gratitude.  Having faith that the Lord will provide all needful things for us is something that is scary for us all, but again, this is the fear sneaking back in.  My mother always tells me to “let go and let God”.  These words cannot be any truer.

Sisters, it is my sincerest prayer that your hearts are calmed by these words and that your fears are hushed.  My heart is filled with so much joy to be able to share with you my epiphany. I know that these words were laid upon my heart and mind with great purpose. I know that as we all search the Scriptures truths about God’s plan for each of us will be revealed. I want to testify to you all that Our Father in Heaven is a gracious, loving Father that wants us to be happy and have a life filled with everything that is needful. Our Father provided a sacrifice of his only begotten Son, Jesus Christ, so that we could return to live with him in Heaven. It is all part of His plan. We just need to let go of our fears and have faith that He will provide us with all things.  I leave this testimony with you in the name of the Son, Jesus Christ, Amen!

Alethea Gaukel

Alethea, Ally for short, has three wonderful children, whom she homeschools, and a fine husband, Chuck. Ally grew up in northern California before making here home in rural northwest Missouri. She loves helping others by being a friend, inspiring them to take action in their own lives financially, spiritually and in health. She loves the Lord and wants to share His message. Her family supports Children’s Mercy Hospital in Kansas City, Missouri as well as ReStart, an interfaith shelter system to help families and grown foster children find places to live. James 1:8, “If any of you lack wisdom, let him as of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him.” (KJV)

Further study for you:

Jeremiah 31:12 Therefore they shall come and sing in the height of Zion, and shall flow together to the goodness of the LORD, for wheat, and for wine, and for oil, and for the young of the flock and of the herd: and their soul shall be as a watered garden; and they shall not sorrow any more at all.

Jeremiah 31:35 Thus saith the LORD, which giveth the sun for a light by day, and the ordinances of the moon and of the stars for a light by night, which divideth the sea when the waves thereof roar; The LORD of hosts is his name:

Psalm 9:9 The LORD also will be a refuge for the oppressed, a refuge in times of

 

 

 

The Stuff Movies Are Made Of

“Don’t compare your love story to those you watch in movies.  They’re written by scriptwriters, yours is written by God.”  I have seen similar quotes like this before, but today for some reason I stopped and had aha moment (you know, when the light bulb just turns on and you say “ohhhhh!”).  I realize that not all of us have the kind of marriage that we think of from the Bible; Abraham and Sarah, Aquila and Pricilla, Adam and Eve, David and Bathsheba, etc… (even these couples were not without strife).  My point is that ever one of us (who are married) has times where we wish we weren’t in the season with our spouse that we are.  That is normal. That’s not bad.  That means we have something to work on and we can fix it with help.

Friends, especially us ladies, this is what we do.  We watch this awesome, sappy, head –over-heals love story (the notebook, sleepless in Seattle, you’ve got mail, letters to Juliet…) and think “I wish my husband was that romantic,” or “I wish that I would find a man like that”.  This movie was written to make you think that.  It’s made to make you think that there is this one person out there that will come in with his perfect hair and cavalier smile, with perfect white teeth who will completely sweep you off your feet.  It doesn’t always happen that way.  There is always a different story for everyone.

We don’t all have this amazing love story to tell.  Some of us married our spouses because of a pregnancy before marriage.  Some of us married that man that came after who was thought to be the “one”.  And then some of us waited until we felt that God had put two hearts together, and then married each other (none of those marriages are perfect).

The movies are a fantasy made to draw you in and dream more, bigger.  I am not saying that watching a good chick flick is wrong (trust me, I love a good romantic comedy), but I am saying that if what we take away from watching one of those beautifully written movies is a dream of a better man or marriage or story for one’s own life then we missed the mark on what God is saying. Only you can change your circumstance.

So here comes some pretty harsh truth that even I didn’t get until today (see, even though I teach, I still need to learn as well).  James 4:1-8 (you may want to read this slowly to take it in deeper) says that we need to submit ourselves to God.  If we call ourselves Christians then this is a simple act of obedience.  Why keep on running and dreaming of things that were not created by God?  We are human, yes, but we made a choice to be a human who follows hard after God, and with that choice comes more decisions to not release our hopes and dreams into the movies we watch.  “But he gives us more grace. This is why Scripture says: ‘God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.’”  Release your hopes and dreams into the One who we know will take care of them and when the time is right, release those back with blessings.

Now is where we, all together, make a choice to encourage each other in living life as God has designed it for each of us.  Make a choice to not seek out the greener grass; that grass does not exist, but search for what God is calling you to do with the grass you are standing in now.  Make a choice to make the life you have been given, designed by God, the very best life you can make it.  Correct the wrong choices, and choose then to be humble.

So, I am doing this too because there are many times where I have thought, after watching said romantics, that my life was below average; that I was lacking in the romantic area; that I needed something more.  I have a life that was designed perfectly for me.  I have a good life.  So do you. We have to make the choice to make the life we are given honoring and pleasing.  It’s your choice.

Lord, I just need to be reminded that I have an awesome life that was created by You and is pleasing to You.  Help my eyes and mind not to wonder from Your amazing plan for me in this world that sinks.  Thank You for always loving me, even when I loose my humility to this world. In Your name.

Tara DeMaris

Tara, graduate of Crown College, is the mother to four beautiful children. Together, Tara and her husband, David, and their family make their home in Northwest Missouri. Tara is passionate about reaching the hearts of women and young ladies. She loves to write and teach God’s Word. God put a desire in Tara’s heart over six years ago to start a ministry that reached women. Today Tara has founded Titus II Woman Ministries and God is showing her miracles and his hand at work every day.

 

It Is Well

I hope this article finds you doing well, but if not, I have something to share with you.

I have recently been reminded of a song (actually, a hymn) written by Mr. Horation Spafford. Just the name might have some of you knowing where I’m going, but let’s go there just the same.

Mr. Spafford, an attorney, had just lost an incredible amount of money through his investments in real estate, from the big Chicago fire, in 1871. At this same time, he lost his only son, age 4, to scarlet fever. It’s easy to see the reason that Mr. Spafford had incredible amounts of grief and heaviness in his heart.

Sometime after this, he decided that he and his family needed a break, a time of rest and refreshing. So he sent his wife and four daughters on a ship, to meet them soon in England, after he finished up some business.

That never happened.

The ship, Ville du Havre, collided with an iron sailing vessel and sunk into ocean. Only forty-seven survivors made it out of that horrendous night. One of them was his wife, who sent him a cable, “Saved Alone.”  All of his remaining children, daughters, were now also, gone.

Does life ever feel like that to you? Life won’t stop putting pressure and grief into your “To Do” basket? Or a family that you know seems to be dealing with grief, only to find out that there is more seemingly bad news?

But what’s so amazing and wonderful in the midst of all this grief, is that Mr. Spaffords story is not over.  He boards a ship to meet up with his wife, who barely survived. And while he’s on the ship, the captain comes to him and tells him that they are sailing over the site where the Ville du Havre went down. Knowing this, Spafford found it hard to sleep and declared, “It is well; the will of God be done.” 

I want that spirit! That spirit who doesn’t look at the situations of my life to determine my attitude, but trusts that God sees all the stints and seasons that come and go in my life, and knows and trusts Him as Lord over it all. Even if I’m in the midst of turbulent times, I can say, “It is well; the will of God be done.”

I know that it is possible, I have seen many people in my life press through with that same attitude and spirit as Mr. Spafford. Many times when I watch their life, I am so inspired and encouraged in my own life. And I want to be that person for someone else, maybe more.

We never know who will read the story of our life, either through watching us, or maybe someday reading our story, but no matter what, if we can embrace the attitude of Christ, “not my will, but your will be done,” it will be an inspiring story for sure.

Here’s to pressing in ladies, to leaning in to Christ for the strength.

God, I need You. I need You when life is good, and I need You when life is hard. I pray that no matter what comes my way, that my life, spirit, and mouth will declare that, “it is well with my soul.” Thank you for your abundant, consistent, never-failing faithfulness to me. Thank you, that you will never leave me or forsake me. Forgive me for my sins, I ask. I receive this gift, and I lean in to you today, right now. In Jesus’ name, amen.

Karissa Nelson

Karissa has one of the most beautiful voices you will ever hear, but on top of that talent and gift God has given her, she is a mother to three beautiful children and a helpmate to her husband, Shane. Together they raise their family and minister in Milton-Freewater, Oregon where Karissa grew up. Her passion for worship and family surround her daily. Isaiah 30:15, “This is what the Sovereign Lord, the Holy One of Israel, says: ‘Is repentance and rest in your salvation, in quietness and trust is your strength'” (NIV).

Rumors!

The latest social media craze has caused a lot of confusion and stress. I mean, how can we look at the same thing and yet have two different answers? Although, I did find it entertaining and wanted to know what other people saw in the dress, it made me think of  Proverbs 21:2, “ Every man’s way is right in his own eyes, but the LORD weighs the heart” ( NASB).  I look at the dress and I’m convinced I see the truth and I tell others “my version of truth”, yet another person looks at the same dress and they see a whole other “truth” and they go tell others about it. And this is how the gossips are born! We talk to someone and make an assumption of our own truth (based on our feelings) and spread our perception. We don’t even realize that our assumption is far from reality.  You know how they say, “there are two sides to each story”, I say “there are three:  yours, theirs and the truth”.  We are not unaware how fast rumors spread and how deeply they hurt, I am sure we’ve all been victims of it.

Did you know rumor spreading is allowed in the Bible? As I studied  recently I stumbled upon an interesting verse  in 1 Thessalonians 1:8 “For the word of the Lord has sounded forth from you, not only in Macedonia and Achaia, but also in every place your faith toward God has gone forth, so that we have no need to say anything.”  In the original Greek the phrase “has gone forth” means : the reports, THE RUMORS, the precepts, to be made known, to declare, TO SPREAD, to proclaim , emitted as from the heart or the mouth . (Strong’s G1831)

Do you see what I see? The believers in Thessalonica were spreading rumors all over the place, but not just rumors that hurt, devastate, and were based on personal perception, they spread FAITH RUMORS. The Scripture states clearly “the WORD OF THE LORD has sounded forth from you”. Their rumors were based on one solid truth, no doubts or guessing about the Word.  You can’t look at white and see black in the Word. Their faith was based on Christ and His Word and they couldn’t keep their mouths shut.  They could nott keep this secret to themselves. They shared it with many people; in every place they went to, their faith was in them and they were sharing it away! Now, this is what I call a massive rumor spread! They spread the Word of God so much that Paul, Silas and Timothy had nothing else to say! They pretty much made Paul speechless! I love it! The believers in this passage emptied themselves out sharing the Gospel! Holy rumors! This is a divine transmission of the message from mouth to mouth. Here is the part that really tugged my heart: their faith rumors were not merely words, it was their lifestyle, their daily choices. People listened to them because they saw consistency of their theology and their reality.  People saw that their message was contagious, because it was real, it was life changing, it was heart shaping, a soul transforming message of life through Christ Jesus.  In            1 Thessalonians 2:8 Paul says “we were well-pleased to impart to you not only the gospel of God but also our own lives, because you had become very dear to us.”. Do you see this?  Gospel sharing + sharing our own lives = effective evangelism. I heard the other on television someone saying “ if your life makes sense to unbelievers, you’re doing it wrong”.

I said all this, to say this: we need to get better at rumor spreading, but we need to be doing it right!  We need to be so full of the Word and God’s presence that we too may cry out like the prophet Jeremiah, “But then His message becomes like a fire locked up inside of me, burning in my heart and soul. I grow weary of trying to hold it in; I cannot contain it.” (Jeremiah 20:9; NET Bible). This is the only rumor the Bible approves of so let’s get good at it.  Let’s make a difference sharing not only our faith, but our very lives. Let’s be consistent with our lives, let’s lead others to the true hope and life they can have through Christ.   May the courage and power of the Holy Spirit be upon us. May the Lord cause us to increase and overflow with love for one another, and may He make our hearts blameless in holiness before our God and Father at the coming of our Lord Jesus with all the saints. Amen.  (1 Thessalonians 3:12-13)

(A special thanks to Tonya LeGrande  for the design of the cover picture.)

Lenna Rivera

 

Who’s Plans?

Do you ever feel as if things just aren’t going the way you had planned?  What about the plans you have made taking a complicated turn of events before they are accomplished?

Last year, my son received an arcade style basketball set for his birthday.  I attempted to put that thing together once and it had so many pieces and the instructions were so vague.  I gave up!   However, this weekend the boys worked hard to get their room cleaned and so I decided we would try it again.  I identified each piece, accounted for every tool, and read the instructions.  Then we prayed.  My two older sons and I circled around those pieces and prayed that we could accomplish the task at hand.

I set out to attach piece A to piece B and so on.  There were times when I would have to start over, or reconfigure.  Or just take a break.  At one time, my oldest son, Ben, told me that I should probably give up and let Daddy do it, but I just responded, “Challenge accepted”.

In more time than I would even care to admit, the monstrosity was completely assembled.  I felt really accomplished and my boys are impressed.  This reminded me of a portion of Proverbs 16, “Commit to the Lord whatever you do, and he will establish your plans.”

 A lot of time in life we are faced with things that do not go according to our plans; they don’t happen the way we want them to happen or we feel that we have taken the scenic route to get to our destination.  But this verse is our promise. If we commit those things to the Lord, he will establish our plans.

If you do a word study from the original text, you will find that “establish” means to arrange.  God is already making the arrangements for the plans we commit to Him! Be encouraged today, things may not be going your way, but just know that God is making arrangements for plans! And according to Jeremiah 29:11, those plans are good!  ^“For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.”

Lord, You have numbered our days and made them good.  All things good come from You and we are blessed. Help us to always remember that You are good and extend grace to us even when we cannot see it.  Let us feel You always near. In Your Name, Amen.

Tiffany Heth

Tiffany is the mother to three amazing boys, all God’s miracle to their family, and she cherishes every moment given her to be with them. John, Tiffany’s husband, and their family make their home in Iowa, where they minister to a congregation of fellow believers. Tiffany is not only a breast-feeding, cloth-diapering mother and a pastor’s wife, but she takes great joy in nourishing her family with the wild game that they have been fortunate enough to harvest. “How great is the Father’s love for us that we shall be called children of God, for that is what we are!” 1 John 3:1

 

 

 

When Life isn’t Perfect

All of my life I dreamed about being a mother.  Sure I had a plan to become an elementary school teacher and spend my days surrounded by kids, but in my heart of hearts, all I ever wanted to be was a mom. I credit my parents for providing such great examples, but I also just knew that I would be THE BEST MOM EVER! And if you were anything like me, you had every little detail planned out. I wanted to marry young and have kids early, just like my parents. Two boys and two girls was the perfect ratio. Everything was going to be just perfect.

Oh, but real life isn’t perfect, is it?  I did not marry as young as I wanted and I did not have children as early as I wanted.  And the ratio? What ratio? Dear God, this isn’t what I asked You for. This isn’t what I dreamed of when I was a little girl. What happened to my plan? That’s just it. It was MY plan, and believe me, I did enough to interfere with my own plan.

The Lord has blessed me with FOUR amazing boys. I love each and every one of them so much it makes me almost cry just to think about how I might put it into words.  I thank God for them every day, and I couldn’t imagine my life without them. Honestly, I would not change a thing and I didn’t really question God’s plan until about a year ago. I was pregnant with our fourth son and my husband and I made the decision that this was it. We were finished having children. Unfortunately, neither one of us was getting any younger, and four very active boys lead to a very busy and full life.  This decision was not easy because I so badly wanted a baby girl and I just couldn’t understand why God was not giving me a girl. I have always, and still do, feel like children are an act of trust on God’s part; as if He is believing in me to care for these beautiful and precious gifts and to teach them of His love.  I can sum it up by something my oldest son said to me one time. We were talking one day and I told him about a car accident I was in several years before he was born.  I totaled the car and should have been very badly injured or worse. God saved my life that day by allowing me to walk away from it with minor burns from the airbag. My son, Charlie, listened and then said that God saved me that day so that I could be his mom. Then he could learn about Jesus and go tell other people. Wow! If God could have a plan like that, why wasn’t a baby girl included? My heart went crazy wondering why God didn’t trust me with a baby girl. My brain knew better, but sometimes the two just don’t connect. The devil was hitting me hard and many tears were spilled. But God wasn’t done. He knew better. He always does.

Last July, we found out that we had a chance to gain custody of my husband’s daughter, whom I had never been able to meet. It almost seemed too good to be true! We had tried to get in contact with her many times before, but circumstances were not allowing it. I remembered praying for her while my husband and I were dating and remembering her often, hoping that one day she would be a part of our lives. God is so amazing! Less than 2 weeks later, she was living in our home. Permanently. God even worked everything out with no involvement of lawyers! Suddenly I was the mother of a beautiful, teenage daughter. It felt as if God was entrusting me with an even bigger gift than the baby I had begged Him for.  He gave me a teenager! Not just any teenager, but one that would have to learn an almost new way of life. We are all still learning and not every day turns out to be peaches and cream, but God knew what He was doing. I couldn’t love my daughter any more even if I had given birth to her myself. She has brought such a new light into our lives and I love the way that she challenges me to be a better person. Now, I look to Him for guidance and wisdom as I embrace His plan.

I want to encourage anyone who feels as if I did.  That maybe God wasn’t hearing you or that maybe you had done something so awful that He just couldn’t trust you. My teens and earlier twenties were filled with rebellion against God and my parents.  Somehow I let myself believe that I had screwed up my own life so bad that there was no way God was going to let me screw up a daughter too, but here is the truth; 1 John 1:9 says “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.”  I had confessed the sins of my earlier years so God was not holding them against me. He had forgiven them and cast them as far as the east is from the west (Psalm 103:12). There was no grudge or distrust on God’s part. Secondly, we all know Jeremiah 29:11. It’s one of my favorites. “’For I know the plans I have for you,’ declares the Lord, ‘plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.’” Amazing! He has plans for you and me! Plans for prosperity and hope! But what happens when His plan doesn’t match up with our plan? “’Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart. I will be found by you,’ declares the Lord” (Jeremiah 29:12-14a). He heard the cries of my heart every time and was there to offer peace in the midst of not understanding.  He hears you, too. If you look for Him you will find Him. If you talk to Him, He will hear you. He’s promised that. Lastly, Romans 8:28 says, “And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.” Keep hope, my friend. We may not understand His plan, but God is working things for the good for those who love Him. He can see our past, present, and future and He has a good and PERFECT plan for each and every one of us.

Becky Reid

Becky has a passion for teaching children. She has five beautiful blessings of her own and has been active in children’s ministry for over ten years. It brings her great joy to watch children grow and learn. Becky has hope that she will be able to finish her degree in Early Childhood Education in her near future, but in the mean time she will revel in the talent that God has given her for baking. Not only does baking create memories for those she bakes for, but it brings happiness to her heart. Becky and her family moved to Wyoming about three years ago to help her parents establish a church and they call it home today. While Isaiah 54 has been her go to Scripture she has found strength and comfort in Jeremiah 29:11 which says, “For I know the plans I have for,” declared the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.”

 

Challenge It!

For the next eight weeks (that’s like till the kids get out of school for summer!) I want to challenge you to take a just one scripture from the list below and memorize it (just 8 scriptures – so easy).  We at Titus II Woman are doing this along with you (me too and I am moving during this time).  It will not be easy every day, but the end result in a better understanding of God’s forgiveness is worth all the time and effort you exhort for this.  It’s all laid out for you. Use the printables or make your own cards to hang, carry, or post wherever you need them most.

We want to hear from you! Share with us the scripture you are working on each week so we can encourage you in this challenge and be encouraged ourselves (we may be doing the very same passages).  Every single word that we hide in our heart will bring about more righteousness for the kingdom of God, more understanding, more love, more encouragement – just more.

Scripture References (NIV)

Choose 8 and start now if you like or wait till tomorrow.  The point is to start.  Let’s chat about it. Like the Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/titusIIwoman and we can be there for one another.

Exodus 34:9

1 Samuel 25:28

1 Kings 8:30; 8:36; 8:39; 8:50

2 Chronicles 7:14

Psalm 19:12; 25:11; 32:1-2; 79:9; 86:5; 103; 130:4-5

Jeremiah 31:34; 33:6-9

Daniel 9:9; 9:19

Hosea 14:2

Micah 7:18

Matthew 6:9-14; 8:21-22; 12:31

Mark 11:25

Luke 6:37-38; 7:47-50; 11:4; 17:3-4;

John 20:23

Acts 2:38; 10:43; 13:38-39

2 Corinthians 2:7; 2:10

Colossians 1:13-14; 3:13

Ephesians 1:7-10; 4:32

Hebrews 10:18

James 5:13-16

1 John 1:9

Tara DeMaris

Thank you for joining us this week and seeing what God has said about forgiveness.  Let me hear your stories of how this has helped you.  What did you walk through?  I am always looking for women to share their life journey with us. You can email us at titusiiwomanministry@gmail.com.

Live It!

Here we have come to Saturday.  Not normally a day you would sit and read a blog, but you are here with us and you are diving in.  We are taking everything from this past week and putting it together today. Here is our friend Matthew West  with his video.  You probably have it memorized by now.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n9J6xOT3Ldw)

Our God is a master.  He creates something from nothing; beauty from ashes; brand new from old.  He loves new beginnings.  Because we are in His image, we too can create new realities, fresh starts, and unique melodies.

Psalm 32: 1-2 says, “Blessed is he whose transgressions are forgiven, whose sins are covered.  Blessed is the man whose sin the Lord does not count against him and in whose spirit is no deceit.”    This is where we are now called to live our forgiveness.  There is no going back to the way it was.  The sin has been washed away and is no more.  You cannot go back to pick it up and live with it on your shoulder any longer.  It’s gone.  Further in chapter thirty-two we read, “Then I acknowledged my sin to you and did not cover up my iniquity.  I said, ‘I will confess my transgression to the Lord’-and you forgave the guilt of my sin.” He forgave the guilt of my sin! No, really. He did it already.  There is no reason to still be convening in it.  Get out!

Just as He has forgiven us from our sin because we acknowledged them to Him, we are now to let go of the sins that have been brought against us and forgive others.  Not just go through the motion of saying, “I forgive you”, but with sincerity of heart.

I have not always been a great person. (Those who know me and are reading this are nodding their head.)  While I was the acting worship leader of a beautiful congregation I had a great friend.  When I needed her she was there without question.  She lifted me up, praised my talents, helped with my children and loved me for me.  I wanted nothing more than to be as good as a friend to her as she was to me, so I overlooked and justified a huge problem area for many months.  I finally came to a place in my relationship with God, and with the elders of the church, where I couldn’t hide the fact that I was an enabler and not a real friend.  A true friend would have recognized the harm right away and, even in pain, would have said something.  Our friendship had gotten to the point that any words from me about the “problem” would have been disastrous.  I had to confess my wrongdoing to my pastor and take whatever steps necessary to help my friend.  It didn’t go well, but though I lost that friend because she felt betrayed by me, I know that she got the help she needed and God blessed her life with more life and long time dreams came true for her.  I wish I had not been the kind of friend I was in the beginning and been the person who was grounded in truth with her.

In the most intimate act of worship Jesus stepped forward to wash the feet of His disciples as we read in John 13.  Peter objects to Jesus kneeling before him to wash his dirty feet. (They were really dirty. No pavement then. Sandals for shoes. DIRT.)  How would you feel if you were in Peter’s position?  Yet Jesus insists and, through his actions, provides an emotionally charged illustration of genuine humility and love.

The washing of feet is a way to show that the sins and quarrels that had previously surrounded were now washed clean away; not be taken back.  Is there someone whose feet you need to wash?  Have you been carrying guilt of a transgression that you have committed or one that has been committed against you?  How can you wash the feet of another? Though you may not be physically near the person whom you need to do this with, you can do a spiritual cleaning of feet through prayer and I encourage you to take that step with Christ now.

Further Scriptures you will want to study: John 13; Psalm 19:12; Psalm 86:5; Jeremiah 33:6-9; Matthew 18:21-22; Colossians 3:13; Luke 7:47-50

Tara DeMaris

I have one more day of goodness for you.  Come tomorrow.  You will not regret it.  It won’t take much of your time.  A glance really and a decision.  See you tomorrow for the final day of Release It!