Increase my Faith

James 1:5 "If any of you lack wisdom, ask of God who gives liberally and without reproach..."

We had a really great and real conversation this morning about letting our guard down and conforming to this world. We live in a culture that will steal away your purity and simplicity and justify the consumerism over produced in hearts and our lives.  We pray - God give us wisdom in this battle. 

The days ahead may call for greater endurance and more robust faith than we've ever needed before.  Let's seek Him above all else and apply our heart to yield to His wisdom to overcome this world.  

Lord, increase our faith.  

 

God Sees You

"For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works,which God prepared in advance for us to do." 

 Ephesians 2:10

We heard a great message yesterday about seeing yourself  as God sees you. We all have critics, naysayers and people who just want to bring us down, but God says we are mighty warriors, redeemed, valuable, important, empowered, gifted, wanted, secure and chosen. 

Romans 8 says "...NOTHING can separate us from the love of Christ...."

We were reminded from Judges 6 that Gideon had a moment where he wasn't feeling it... he was listening to others and his own negative self talk and the angel of the Lord said... "The Lord is with you, mighty warrior!"  Nice.  God sees what we can't. 

Forge forward into the truth of who you are in Christ and stop looking back, you are not going that way!!

 

Where God is

Jer. 45:5

"Seek thou great things for thyself?"

Oswald Chambers challenged us this morning - 

Are you seeking great things for yourself?  If you have only come the length of asking God for things, you have not come to the a place of abandonment, you have become a Christian from your own standpoint. OUCH 

Instantly God can put his finger on our motives if we are not seeking to simply know Him , but rather for what He can do for us.  Don't be deceived, get quiet and still and ask God to search your heart and bring you to a place of complete surrender and desire to know Him. You will find God Only in that vulnerable place. 

"It hurts to feel life.  To pause. To stop and listen to your own breathing. But you have to lay yourself open to it all.  Because that's where God is. There is no life apart from God, because God is not apart from life.  If you turn away, if you run, you will miss both."  - Heather Harpham 

 

Sturdier than the Original

Gen 50 "You meant evil against me, but God meant it for good."

We read a story that Jen Hatmaker shared in her book "Of Mess and Moxey" about her dog shredding a very special heirloom blanket of her daughters that her mother in law knit for her. 

He tried to bury it in the backyard. 😩😮

She was so upset and took it to her mother in law and told her she didn't want another new blanket she just wanted this blanket.  Her mother in law (Jacki) washed the shredded yarn pile by hand, sorted out all the tangles and knots, and slowly, tenderly, over weeks and weeks, put the blanket back together, slightly different than before, but using all the same threads.  It was actually sturdier than the original. 

Sturdier than the original. 

The story of Joseph's life in Genesis 50 shows how God rewove the tattered shreds of his life together for good. The threads of hate, deceit, abandonment and injustice were refashioned into a beautiful story..... using all the same threads... sturdier than the original. 

In the face of despair, brokenness, pain or whatever you are going through ... we have this hope that as we come out of it we will be "sturdier than the original".

We can trust Him to reweave our lives. 

 

Back to School - 2017

Ephesians 5:14 "Arise from the dead!"

Today is a special day, it's a day I've thought of in my mind often that was in our future, way out there ... and now it's here, upon us this day.

All 3 in high school together. 

Freshman Kadin

Junior Livia

Senior Devin 

Ok, give me a sec.... gotta take a breath. 

Our summer was busy with moving and adjusting to change.  I'm telling you, these 3 can do hard things.  "From the mouths of babes" and "childlike faith"  has never been in more true form to me than now.  They have embraced our downsizing experience like bosses and have brought us all to the resolve of new place  + new pace = new perspective. 

So proud. 

This morning we are back at our familydevo  blog. We read a simple text as an example of what Jesus says to us about our life.  We have ideas, dreams and visions and then somewhere along the way we realize we have no power to make them happen or we spin out due to life circumstance and so we slow down until we stop... give up, give in. Then God says "Arise!"  Our choice is, will we?  Do we get up?!  We must!  Like the leper asking for healing and the lame wanting to walk ... he said "arise!" And THEN they were healed, THEN they walked!  We must take the initiative to overcome by getting up , by obeying and rising up and when we do a remarkable thing happens - He gives us life immediately.  

From death to life, we are overcomers because of His great love for us. Let's arise today and be overcomers!

 

He is Near

“Yet I am always with you; you hold me by my right hand. You guide me with your counsel, and afterward you will take me into glory.”

‭‭Psalm‬ ‭73:23-24‬ ‭NIV‬‬

In the midst of difficulties, loneliness and pain He is my support.  He is the light in my darkness. His beauty and radiance is all the lovelier in that darkness ....yes it's true.  

In my grief, in my dispair and in my failure - His touch is more tender , more real and more kind to me.  It is most welcome. 

Rejoice oh my soul.....for He is Near. 

He holds my hand. 

 

Vision = Provision

“Take delight in the Lord, and he will give you the desires of your heart.”

‭‭Psalm‬ ‭37:4‬ ‭NIV‬

In our journey this past year we've learned in real life what it means to wait on God and to understand His promise that He will be with us, as we step into the great unknown.  

Praying ferociously not for answers but to know Him and to trust Him.  Working hard at whatever work is out in front of us like it depends on us, knowing ultimately that we rest and rely only on His final work to bring about the good in all we do. 

Oswald Chambers said "Let God be as original with other people as He is with you."  Sometimes people can't see His hand moving in your life like you can, and that's ok because our faith doesn't ride on if others "can see it or feel it" , our faith rides on who God is and when God gives a vision he always makes provision.   Too many voices and opinions weighing in to your call can cause confusion and distraction. Seek the face of one, your God. 

Delight yourself in the Lord .... in all you do .... He sees you, He knows you and He will give you the desires of your heart.