Study His Word!!!

“Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a worker who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly handles the word of truth.”

‭‭2 Timothy‬ ‭2:15‬ ‭NIV‬

We were so moved this morning by Gods's Word that challenges us to make His word part of who we are.  Oswald Chambers says to "struggle until you can express yourself with His truth."  Don't give up understanding so that when you do God can then use that expression in your life to encourage someone else. 

Tim and I had quite a journey over being "pressed " this summer. We will never be the same.  Going through the winepress of God, although crushing , brings gorgeous, sweet wine. Press on in His Word.  

Provoking your own mind to think about the truth of God and positioning your belief after great study brings such beautiful truth to our lives and the lives around us. 

We challenged each other to a reading of the Word through the end of this year... maybe you might join us?  Before you lay your head down each night  read His Word and pray for God to reveal it's truth as you lay quietly......let it bring light and life to your soul and fall asleep in His arms. 

 

  

Leave the world, glad that you lived!

I read a quote from Tozer this morning that said of a man living a selfish life.... "when he dies, he leaves nothing to make the world glad he lived."

We talked about 2017 and how we want to bring in the new year LIVING  LIKE WE ARE DYING. The truth is about our lives, none of us have a guarantee of tomorrow, not the young or the old. When I look into the eyes of people around me  I want to them to remember my love and heart for them.  That my living was for Christ and that my greatest desire  for them was to know Him and love Him. I want them to be glad I lived.

We have been set free from the law of sin and death , set free to choose.  Choose to a live a life FOR others and FOR a greater good or to squander it all FOR ourselves.   When you know you are free to do what you will, and you will to be a servant you are walking the way of Christ.

Blessed is the man who follows Him.

Eph. 5:17 "Therefore do not be foolish, but understanding what the will of the Lord is." 

 

Desire of our Hearts

“Yes, Lord, walking in the way of your laws, we wait for you; your name and renown are the desire of our hearts.”

‭‭Isaiah‬ ‭26:8‬ ‭NIV‬‬

"To know Him and make Him Known!"  I've heard this line since I was a youngster in youth group .  It becomes a cliche part of our prayers and the mission of our lives that we share with others however - do we really desire to know Him?

If so, the evidence of growth and maturity  in our faith will be present. We will become people who do not waiver in what we believe, people who stand strong during trial knowing God works all things for good and we will always love ... no matter what.  No matter who hurts us, betrays us, comes against us - we WILL love.  

If you want Him to be known by the people around you then just simply LOVE.  Don't overthink this!!!  

Knowing Him takes desire and passion. It takes intentional time set aside to study Him and breathe Him in to become one with Him.  You can't possible make Him known if you don't know Him yourself!

God - plant a real desire for us all to know you, pursuit you and love you.  

 

Our High Priest Shepherds Us!

The beautiful picture of a priest in the Old Testament was the way he postured himself toward attending to the fears and sorrows of God's people.  They saw the people as they really were, needy but loved, frail but protected, prone to wander but kept. The priest served God's people by reminding them what they were made for, to worship God.

The priest offered knowledge about God and deeply longed for the people to see salvation.  Our God as our High Priest has tended directly to our spiritual needs.

Hebrews 4:14-16 "Therefore, since we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens - Jesus the Son of God - let us hold fast to the confession.  For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but One who has been tested in every way as we are, yet without sin.  Therefore let us approach the throne of grace with boldness, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us at the proper time."

I am so grateful for a High Priest who knows every little thing about me and loves me and who knows I'm frail and broken and protects me.  I know that He remains the same, even in my wandering.....

I love that He shepherds me.

 

Soles in Motion

I had the pleasure of speaking to the ladies of The Woods Church last night at their annual Ladies Christmas Dinner.  What an amazing group of women!!!   I was taken back by the number of ladies from young to old, the laughter and the genuine friendships in the room.  So beautiful.

The theme for the night was Soles in Motion.  When you pray, Move your feet.

The reason I was invited was because a few of the ladies came across my blog back in the summer about my obsession with my feet and where they would be and the condition of my heart during a pretty substantial transition in our lives.  

I shared through my experience that it is very possible God won't give you all the details to your next assignment until you move your feet, until you put your feet where He tells you to put them.

Mary had an unexpected and terrifying visit from an angel.  Once she got her head together enough to understand the announcement ( in the book of Luke - "...Mary... you have found favor with God. You will conceive and give birth to a son, and you are to call him Jesus.  He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High.") .... she asked one simple question... "How can this be?". Once the angel answered that question, Mary calmly trusted that if this was God's plan for her it must be the best plan.  This tells us something about her relationship with God, her faith was obviously deep enough for her to offer herself as a willing servant and MOVE HER FEET despite knowing all the details. Details like Jesus would be arrested, put to trial, beaten and crucified and ...oh yah,  that she would be present and experience the anguish of a Mother as her son dies a brutal death with the weight, the sin of the world on Him.

The true test of our FAITH and TRUST comes in our obedience... even when we don't quite understand and it's hard and maybe not even what we want.  Let us respond like Mary... "I am the Lord's servant, May your word to me be fulfilled."

We don't have to be who we have always been, or what people expect us to be.  We can embrace something different and new.  We can walk a new road and take insane risks.... turning the page into the next and the new.  God has a purpose and a plan for each one of us...

Scary as it might be, to step out into the great unknown..... wouldn't you rather live in a place where you are being empowered by an almighty God to do amazing things like a virgin birth, or walk on water like Peter, or step into the river and see the water pile up in a heap so you can pass right through like Joshua and the Isrealites?  Absolutely impossible without God.

Yes... I'm in.

Oh Lord - Instill in us a desire to hear your voice
Courage to listen
Bravery to obey
& all the Grit and Guts we need to move our feet!

 

Peace, Be Still!!!

“But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord. This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.” Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying, “Glory to God in the highest heaven, and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests.””

‭‭Luke‬ ‭2:10-14‬ ‭NIV‬‬

“May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.”

‭‭Romans‬ ‭15:13‬ ‭NIV‬

On Sunday night the 5 of us gathered around our table and shared in a moment of scripture, prayer and lighting of the advent PEACE candle.  Coming off a pretty crazy and chaotic week into another one you could tell by the silence around the table (not normal at our house) that the truth was settling in deep. We embraced the quiet and the weight of God's peace.  

mmmmmmm

We talked about how to experience that peace, real peace and how it takes our own effort and decision to be still and see God. To slow down even for a few minutes to recognize that everything we are doing is not that important in the scheme of life and that taking a drink of His peace and being still is definitely in order to set things right, especially this time of year.  Embrace the miracle of every moment.  

May the God of peace fill you today and may His peace reign in your heart and mind through out the week as we recall the ancient awaiting of the Messiah  and wait even still today for His coming again.

 

Kadin is 14!

As tradition has it in our home for birthdays, today we CELEBRATE Kadin's life!  Starting with yes... breakfast in bed.  Scrambled Eggs, toast and chocolate milk!  LOL

Psalm 139 " For you created my inmost being, you knit me together in my mother's womb... 
...We praise you Lord because Kadin was fearfully and wonderfully made!"

We took time this morning to tell Kadin all the things we love about him...

Things like...

Full of passion, you know it for sure when he gets "that voice"!
Loving and Kind
Family guy, proud of us
Loves hanging at home
Loves inviting people over
Rolls with Respect & Honor as a Wessel Man
Jams his tunes loud and proud (116)
Spits bars like no ones business!   ("You got the Keys to the Kingdom!")
Stands tall in his faith
Crazy sense of humor that has saved us from some dark moments
Cares about people who are hurting or embarrassed, sympathetic
Takes time to tell people how he is feeling
Sick basketball skills and a mad passion to be better and better... love watching you play!

Nicknames include but not limited to - K, KK, KDiddy, Diddy, Did, KMoney, Dr.K, KillerK,...

Kadin Wessel - we love you forever and always.  We are proud of you and we celebrate you and your day of birth!  We cannot imagine doing this life without you.  Thanks for being YOU.

 

Declare Truth!

"For the Word of God is living and active, sharper than any two edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart." Hebrews 4:12

The prophets were God's mouthpiece, bringing God's Word to the ears of a people who would be lost without it.  Same holds true today, we would be lost without His Word.

Deuteronomy 10 tells us to.."fear the Lord your God by walking in all His ways, to love Him, and to worship the Lord your God with all your heart and all your soul."

We talked about what it means to RESPOND to God's Word as it is being DECLARED.  We all agreed that when you hear the Word of God being spoken it can truly penetrate into your soul and the secret places of the heart that only God could reach.  It really is like a sword....

One of our favorite verses is written above our dining room table and we do our best to live by it as God has told us it is good and what is required of us....  Micah 6:8....

To Act Justly

Love Mercy

Walk Humbly with our God

Our prayer today is that we will DECLARE God's word confidently, and that we will RESPOND accordingly.