Women's Ministry

Have you ever felt in your life that you were truly content? Living the life you had always dreamed of, strived for, and prayed over. THE life. That was me. Or so I thought.

In July of 2020, when the rest of the world was panicking and scrambling in the middle of the pandemic, I remember being so grateful for the time to slow down and for the life that was mine. After a long battle with infertility, I had just given birth to our second child, our family of four was HEALTHY, we had spent more time together than normal, my part time job was providing just the right balance of work, adult interaction (if you know, you know 😉), and time at home with my babies…I was living the life of true contentment.

Fast forward a few weeks, my husband and I were sitting in a Sunday morning church service, and I remember very vividly, a vision being brought forth to my mind and placed on my heart. Picture this with me. A place of “beauty” that is different than women have ever experienced before. A place where young girls and the wisest of women could walk through the doors, feeling embraced by other women, loved on, and empowered. A place where young ladies could be taught the lesson of basic skincare, but also where and WHO their true beauty comes from. Where the hunt for the perfect cosmetic item turns into the most beautiful conversation of a true Proverbs 31 woman and what that looks like in today’s society. (Proverbs 31:25 She is clothed with strength and dignity, and she laughs without fear of the future.”)  Where finding the perfect skincare regimen can be customized just for you all while feeling the presence of Jesus in a world that is definitely lacking. Can you see it? I sure could! The idea seemed so beautiful and appealing, but I was content, remember?

 The vision kept being brought forth to the forefront of my mind, on repeat. I’d wake up in the middle of several sleepless nights with this vision in mind, think of it daily when my mind should’ve been focused on what was physically in front of me, and so on and so forth. It was made VERY clear that God was speaking and trying to get me to listen! After a few weeks of battling to shove the vision to the back of my mind, I finally spoke it aloud to my husband, who quickly responded with something like, “Beckah, I believe it’s time to jump.” Although, somewhat excited for what could become a reality, I was honestly secretly hoping he’d talk it down.  Quite the opposite was occurring, and after much prayer, we both came to the realization that God was making a way for me to open my own business.

We continued to pray over what this might look like. “God, I am willing. But show me YOUR heart. Help me to draw boundaries to protect my time for my family, help me to find the right kind of help that glorifies YOUR goal of this business. Help the wrong doors to close, and the right doors to open. Help me to guide this business to be done YOUR way and to glorify YOU above all else.”  You get the gist, right?

Fast forward to the Fall of 2021. We had bought a building and were in the midst of pushing to finish a remodel to prepare to open, were trying to bring in the best inventory, attempting to get the business side of things rolling, and honestly, I was STRUGGLING. I remember the thirtieth, yes THIRTIETH, cosmetic line that had declined my attempt to pick up their line, and the days the remodeling bills came in and were significantly higher than expected due to the post-pandemic shipping crisis. And since we’ve opened there have been several days wondering “Why did I do this?!” And just today, I was feeling the Mom guilt of bringing my daughter to work with me instead of on a fun Spring Break trip. But…. through it all, even on the worst days, I have seen more of God’s goodness, provision and GROWTH than I would have ever received by living in my own personal contentment.

In those early days of struggle, I had friends rally around me and my family and pray “peace and open doors” over my business, for the “pieces of Betty Faye to align through divine intervention.” Claiming that “fear and uncertainties be demolished through the authority of Jesus”. Friends declaring that “God’s plan for Betty Faye will not be stopped” and praying a spirit of hope over me. I was being transformed by God’s plan. My fears of “what if I can’t” were being replaced with “I’ll show you the way.” My argument of “I’m already tired” was encouraged by “I will be your rest and your strength.” My thoughts of “I don’t know what I am doing” were trumped by “I will advise you and watch over you. Psalms 32:8” —GROWTH occurred for me when I quit with the pushback and allowed God’s plan to manifest in my life over my idea of what my life should look like. His Growth>my contentment. My life, my business, God use it to further your Kingdom. Then, now & always. My story, YOUR glory.

We want to thank Beckah Hunt for sharing this post.

“You saw me before I was born.  Every day of my life was recorded in Your book.  Every moment was laid out before a single day had passed.”  Psalm 139:16

Have you ever thought about how your life has fallen into place, or how it would have been so different with the change of just one decision or another?  I have thought a lot about that over the years.  As an adopted child often does, I had wondered often about my birth parents, what they were like, what the circumstances were behind my adoption, and things like that.  I wasn’t unhappy or mistreated in my adopted family – I just wondered… but by adoptive mother never wanted to discuss it, which only added to my curiosity.

When I had my own children, and the internet came along, I began to go into some of the sites where people were searching for their birth families.  I had very little information to share, so I did what I could, and then forgot about it.  One day at work, I got a phone call from a lady who worked in Austin, who said she had seen my request come across one of the websites.  She said she was unable to give me any specific information, but that my birth mother had already passed away, she had 3 other children who lived in Texas, and I should not smoke, since my maternal grandfather had had lung cancer.

I figured that would be the end of what I would ever know, so I closed the book on that area of my life in my mind.

A couple of years later, I got an email from someone who said that if I gave her my birth certificate number, she felt she could get me information about my birth mother.  I did so, and later, she sent me the name of my birth mother’s sister, along with her address.

I wrote the lady a letter, explaining what I could, and I said that if she didn’t want to talk about this, I understood.  I included my phone number, and she called back!  We talked for a long time, and then she sent me a letter and pictures of my birth mom and the man she thought was my birth father.  The story behind my birth family was very different than the house I grew up in.  Two of my birth brothers had been in prison for drugs or alcohol, and my younger birth sister had lost her children because of her own drug abuse.  My birth mom had been in an abusive relationship, and she had given up 2 or 3 other children for adoption, besides keeping the three she raised. 

What struck me was how my life would have been so very different had my birth mom opted to keep me.  The world I grew up in was safe, predictable, and loving.  My birth family seemed to have had many trials.  It just amazes me to think about that, and I ask, “Why did God choose for me to grow up in a different environment?”  Maybe He knew I couldn’t have survived.  All I know is – He has a plan.

Think about your own life.  Think about all the decisions we make, both big and small:  who we will marry, when to have children, where to live, what job to take.  Even the little decisions we make every day about where we will go and what we will do during our day impacts so many other people!  It boggles my mind! 

Of all the decisions, one we absolutely must make is to place our lives in His hands – no matter if our past decisions have been good or bad, or if we have had our lives determined by circumstances out of our control, “God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to His purpose for them.”  (Romans 8:28).  We all have a story that will bring Him glory if we give it to Him.

We want to thank Sheri Warren for sharing this post.

When you look back at the chapters of your life, do you want to read the book again or slam the cover and never open it?  When I look back on my story, the beginning is rosy, the middle gets rough, and the climax is devastating. However, the ending, or rather the continuation, of my story is full of joy, faith, and hope.

Like most people I know, I grew up going to church, and I worked at the youth camp in Floydada for several summers. I loved all the social interaction, but as things do, life changed. I was abused by someone who was supposed to love me. Suddenly the bright bubbly girl I was, was gone! I was no longer outgoing, I began to dress and act differently, because dolling up would gain the kind of attention I did not want. I acted out a lot, did not do well in school, and God became an afterthought.

While in college, I began to come out of my shell, meeting new kinds of people, but I also found new ways to cope with what had happened to me. I quickly found out if you are the girl with the drugs, everyone wants to be your friend, so that’s what I became. The funny pothead that just wants to have a good time, all while making horrible decisions. Eventually, I had to move back home because of these decisions. I got clean and began to take care of myself, and that’s when I met my husband.

Chris and I fell in love fast and were not ready for the road ahead of us. Long story short, by our third year of marriage we were facing a wife with a drug addiction, infidelity, and the death of our first son. I told you the climax was devastating.

Here comes the good part: after all the hurting comes His perfect healing. Our son’s death brought me back to God, we began going to church and sought out a Christian marriage counselor and really worked on the trauma we both had in our lives. Soon life got a little brighter, and then we found out we were pregnant with our second son Connor, who is funny and bright and loves Jesus! I am still a work in progress, but I know my Father loves me, and what happened to me does not define how I see myself anymore or how God sees me. God made me funny, kind, tender hearted, and someone took that from me, but God gave it all back to me when I surrendered and put my faith in Him!

Psalm 139 : 14 – I praise You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made!

We want to thank Randi Cason for sharing this post.

I love God’s timing.  The irony of me being asked to write about “Her Story, His Glory” in the month of April is not lost on me.  You see, my real story began in April 2014.  That’s when, after hitting rock bottom, I discovered God’s true grace and mercy.

I have shared in previous blogs that in April 2014 I had to admit the worst thing I have ever done.  At least, in my eyes, it’s the worst.  I had to admit to my husband, daughters, family, and friends that I was a fraud.  I claimed to be a good person, but in reality I was living a lie.  I had engaged in adultery.  All while I was going to church and serving God.  Luke 8:17 says, “For there is nothing hidden that will not be disclosed, and nothing concealed that will not be known or brought out into the open.”  When my sin was brought out into the open, I lost everything.  But God…like He always does, brought grace and mercy into my life.  And for the first time, I finally understood and accepted it fully.

I had accepted Christ as my Savior at the age of 13.  Shortly after that I discovered Romans 8:28:  “And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love Him and are called according to His purpose.”  It became my favorite verse.  I just didn’t totally believe it for me.   I did my best to live a life that reflected His saving my life – I was active in my church, went to all the church retreats I could, taught Sunday school and Vacation Bible school, etc.  But the enemy kept his attacks coming.  Somewhere in my mind, I thought if those attacks kept coming something was wrong with me.  I thought apparently I was doing something wrong, and maybe, just maybe, God only loved me sometimes.  Oh the lies I believed.  At some point in my life I just gave up.  I fell into a life of sin.  I looked for validation through social media and I believed if people “liked” a post, or I had tons of “friends,” then I was really valuable.  Again, oh the lies I believed.  But God…

After I told Don what I had done, he was devastated.  He packed my bags and took me to my mother.  He! Was! Done!  Our daughters came home  to be with Don.  Our youngest daughter came to my mother’s to share her anger, grief, loss, and did I mention her anger?  She rightfully blasted me.  Our oldest daughter waited.  She is a licensed therapist and knew she needed to process her thoughts before seeing me.  That delay probably saved my life because I had decided that I didn’t deserve to live.  But God….His grace and mercy showed up in a huge way. When Becky did come to see me, she brought the children’s book “Love You Forever.”  At the end of the book it says, “I love you forever.  I like you for always.  As long as I’m living my mother you’ll be.”  That began a healing process in my heart.  And less than 24 hours after Don had kicked me out, he came and gathered up my stuff and brought me home.  God had given him a heart of forgiveness.  He said he thought of me as a wounded soldier on a battlefield, and you never leave the wounded behind.  As we worked on healing our marriage, we did a lot of talking. He shared how broken he was that first night and how he thought he was going to die that night.  When he shared this with me I was dumbfounded.  How could someone who was hurt so bad still come back for me?  Romans 5:8 says, “But God demonstrates His own love for us in this:While we were still sinners Christ died for us.”  He came back for us and continues to do that daily. 

In the past 10 years, I have grown more than I ever have in my life.  I have finally learned that although those attacks continue to come, I am not fighting alone.  I have a Father in heaven who watches over me, a Brother in Jesus who fights with me, and a Spirit who tells me daily that I am worthy of all this love.  Genesis 50:20:  “You intended to harm me, But God intended it for good to accomplish what is now being done.”

We want to thank Hope Warren for sharing this post.

In our household, sports account for a large amount of our time spent together as a family. If we are not outside shooting hoops, throwing a football, or kicking a soccer ball, we are at the YMCA, or taking our boys to their favorite gym for practice. Marek, our oldest son, and I spend a good portion of our date nights going to basketball lessons and then to his favorite restaurant for dinner. Marek is an athlete at heart and spends most of his time working to become the best competitor he can be. In the fall of 2023, Marek broke his femur at 10 years old, in his first football game of the season. You can imagine the roller coaster of emotions that our family felt.

For a mother, seeing your child in pain is one of the most agonizing experiences. The initial shock and fear can easily give way to a flood of negative thoughts—doubt, guilt, and despair. Questions like “Could I have prevented this?” or “Why did this happen to my child?” torment your mind. Yet, amidst the chaos of emotions, there lies an opportunity for growth and strength. If I have learned anything through this experience, it is the fact that the way we choose to respond to adversity not only impacts us, but also those around us.

I was determined after Marek’s injury for there to be purpose in our pain. This recovery is long, and it is not over yet, so I remind Marek often that because we choose to worship the one true God and trust in Him, He promises to work everything together for our good. In the early weeks, there were days and nights I found myself giving Marek pep talks about God’s faithfulness and reminding him that there is purpose in our pain. “You can do hard things” has always been a phrase I have used with the boys. I would later find myself texting friends with questions such as, “There is a purpose in this, right?” or “This will get better, right?” It is unbearable as a mother to watch your child cry practice after practice because they are in a wheelchair, watching their teammates participate in the one activity that they love more than anything. On the other side, it is the most profound experience as a mother to watch your child continually show up for his team day after day, encouraging them and cheering them on, knowing he could have quit when his season ended. We had a choice: we could be a victim of our circumstances, or we could choose joy and believe that God is bigger than any trial in this life.

The older I get, the more I look back at painful moments in my life and think, “God is so faithful, and I see now how He used that situation for good.” A few weeks ago, during Life Group, my prayer request was that Marek would finally be released to do the things he loves most. I shared how this had impacted him emotionally and how I just wanted him to get his wish, to be released for a few months before he must undergo surgery again. It was not until I shared this that a friend expressed how inspiring it had been to watch our journey from a distance and see how positive and resilient we had been. She then stated, “maybe the lesson isn’t for Marek, maybe it is for someone else.”  My mind was blown. In that moment I realized the power behind overcoming negative thoughts. God can use the way we manage life’s most difficult moments to draw others closer to Him. Life is hard and messy, and in those moments it can be so easy to want to quit or go straight to negativity, but God is good, and if we choose to focus on gratitude and perseverance during times of difficulty, that translates into helping others believe they can do the same because nothing is impossible with God. 

One scripture that resonates deeply in such moments, a scripture I have hidden deep in my heart, is James 1:2-3: “When troubles of any kind come your way, consider it an opportunity for great joy. For you know that when your faith is tested, your endurance has a chance to grow.”

We want to thank Cassie Mogg for sharing this post.

When I was first asked to write about overcoming negative thoughts, my initial thought was, “I have no business writing about this!” I had negative thoughts about writing about negative thoughts! And then my next thought was, “I appreciate authentic people who are willing to talk about things they struggle with.” The Holy Spirit moves when we’re vulnerable.

I’ve walked through some dark seasons of negative thoughts in my life. As I was processing through those, I realized that almost every negative thought I’ve entertained is rooted in a lie about my identity, instead of the actual problem. It was because I didn’t believe I was worthy or good enough. The root was always my identity.

When my identity is found in anything other than Christ, negative thoughts ensue.

If my identity is found in my husband or my children or my job instead of Jesus, when issues arise, I believe I’m not a good enough wife or mom or employee. When my identity is found in my ability to protect myself, and situations arise where I feel attacked, I tell myself I’m not strong enough. When my identity is found in a person, and that person does me wrong, I tell myself surely, surely, surely, it’s me. It’s something I did wrong.

How do I know that it’s an attack on my identity? Because my negative thoughts are overwhelmingly about me not being good enough. You can fill in your blank. Our inner beliefs can become twisted by pain, disapproval, or other people’s words.

Our brains can trick us into unhealthy patterns of thinking. A thought becomes a seed. Then it becomes a lie I believe. That lie then becomes my first response to situations, and it turns into a habitual, instinctive negative thought pattern. Isn’t it so interesting that our first response to situations is usually negative and often unrealistic? Faulty perceptions will lead to faulty beliefs. On the other hand, true perceptions will lead to true beliefs. Our faulty perceptions automatically change as we fix our thoughts on the Truth—Jesus (Hebrews 3:1).

Your “root” may look different than mine. I think the most important piece of overcoming negative thoughts is figuring out where you’re leaving the door open for the enemy to sneak in. The enemy attacks the moment we take our identity off of Jesus and put it anywhere else.

God commands us to take our thoughts captive (2 Corinthians 10:5). It’s not a suggestion. He commands us to do this because He knew that we would allow negative circumstances and worldly views to cloud our thinking. And because He loves us so much, He gives us tools and instructions in his Word that He wants us to use. When we trust the Lord, and allow his truths to fill our thoughts, He will transform our minds (Romans 12:2).

If my identity is rooted in Christ, Holy Spirit truth will ensue.

The Father loves us so much He made a way for us to overcome. The Bible says, “This is how God showed his love among us; He sent his one and only son into the world that we might live through him. This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins” (1 John 4:9-10). He sent His son to take it all away. He sent His son to remind us that WE ARE WORTH IT. It’s all because of mercy we’re able to overcome. We can’t earn “good enough.”

When we figure out that something is a lie, we need to replace that lie with the truth of God’s word. The truth combats lies. The truth combats negative thoughts. The truth sets us free (John 8:31-32)!

I encourage you to fall in love with the Word, prayer, and worship. Spiritual disciplines are like balm to the wounds in our souls. Truthfully, negative thoughts don’t go away forever. The same ones sometimes still come up. New ones will come up too. We are human. Crucify them every day. Don’t pretend to have it altogether. Scripture tells us that by Jesus’ blood and by being vulnerable, HE overcomes for us.

“They conquered him by the blood of the lamb and by the word of their testimony… “ Revelation 12:11

We want to thank JuLea Bouma for sharing this post.

I love what the Lord has shown me about overcoming negative thoughts. It is all so clear now.

First of all, we are the only of God’s creation that have been given “free choice.” Sounds easy, doesn’t it? I believe that we can choose how we feel about every situation. I love to say this when I am asked, “How are you?” My reply is, “I have been great ever since I found out I have a choice.”

It is an issue of the soul: the mind, will, and emotion. The soul is the pivot point where we choose life or death. How are we going to feel and react? The Bible tells us, “As a man thinks in his heart, so is he” (Prov. 23:7). How we think about ourselves and our situation makes all the difference.

3 John 1:2 says, “Dear friend, I pray that all may go well with you and that you may be in good health, just as it is well with your soul.”

So, with these two scriptures in mind, where do negative thoughts come from? We know that they don’t come from Father God. He would never talk to us and say the negative things that come into our heads. The enemy (devil) can only dangle bait in hopes that we will “bite the bait” and develop those thoughts.

2 Corinthians 10:5 says, “We tear down arguments and every arrogant obstacle that is raised up against the knowledge of God, and we take every thought captive to make it obey Christ.” If it was impossible to do that, Paul would not have told us to do it.

We overcome negative thoughts by recognizing where they came from and taking them captive. James 4:7 tells us, “So submit to God. But resist the devil, and he will flee from you.” Resist him and keep our thoughts on Jesus, and these negative thoughts will fly through and out of our minds. We have the choice and the ability to capture them; judge them as to their origin; and either dwell on them and develop them, often times to their worst-case scenario, or choose instead to think on the blessings and the attributes of Papa.

I love the words of that old hymn.

Turn your eyes upon Jesus.

Look full in His wonderful face,

And the things of earth will grow strangely dim

In the light of His Glory and Grace.

We want to thank Di Ziegler for sharing this post.

Today I had a conversation with a “friend.” I invited her into my house and started having a very familiar conversation. I told her about a situation that I was dealing with at work. She told me that someone would do a better job at my position than me. Then I started talking to her about writing my blog, and she said that no one would probably read it because what did I have to offer? After all, other women had it all together, not me. I don’t have a perfect house, a perfect family, or a perfect life. Later, I told her about my boys and what they were doing with their lives. She told me that I had made lots of mistakes as a mother, and she couldn’t believe that my boys had turned out so great. She also told me that I was fat, wrinkled, and gray headed. How could my husband still be in love with me? I looked her square in the eye and believed every word she was telling me. After all, we have had these conversations many times over the years.

That’s a friend?

You might be asking yourself, what kind of friend would say that? How dare she say all of that about you? Did you slap her? Why did you stay there and take it?

The problem is that I invited this friend into my life years ago and continue to invite her over all the time. My friend’s name is ME.

Have you ever had those kinds of conversations with yourself? Has there ever been a time when you look in the mirror and talk down to yourself by saying, “Wow, you’ve added a few pounds lately!” or “Gosh, that meal you cooked for your family could’ve been much better if…” or “Why does ____________ seem to have it all together, and I can’t even get to work on time?” I think, as women, we are all guilty of this at one time or another. We have got to STOP doing this to ourselves!

Instead of talking down to yourself, try to build yourself up by speaking life over yourself (Proverbs 18:21). As a woman, you are always building others up. Do yourself a favor and build YOU up! You deserve to be loved by yourself! Look in that mirror and say to yourself, “I am enough just the way God made me!” or “I am great at what I do.” You might even say, “I am beautiful!” Consider listing all of your strengths – trust me, you have many, many strengths. Be bold and brag a little on yourself! Then the hard part: BELIEVE WHAT YOU TOLD YOURSELF!

What the Bible says about You:

Maybe there is a reason you continue to talk down to yourself. You might have been criticized by a parent, a spouse, or a friend your entire life. Don’t believe those lies anymore. God made you just the way you are for a reason. The Bible clearly states,

You are perfect just the way you are: Psalms 139: 1,16, “I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made.” “Your eyes saw my unformed body; all the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be.”

God put you in the job you are in and has BIG plans for you: Jeremiah 29:11, “‘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.’”

God says you are precious: Proverbs 31:10-11, 28, “She is worth far more than rubies. Her husband has full confidence in her and lacks nothing of value.” “Her children arise and call her blessed; her husband also, and he praises her.”

We have all heard the saying that a friend loves at all times. Women are the greatest friends. We are there for each other. Our friends listen to us when we are sad and build us up when we need encouragement. Why, then, don’t we do that for ourselves? Be a better friend to yourself!

Next time you catch yourself talking down to yourself, kick “your friend” to the curb, speak life over yourself, meditate on God’s word, and BELIEVE the TRUTH about who God says you are! You, my dear woman, are a blessing and a gift to those around you!

We want to thank Vickie Young for sharing this post.

Anyone who eats at a Mexican food restaurant with me, knows what I order every time. Cheese enchiladas with queso as the topping. It’s my go-to, all time favorite meal, but it didn’t used to be. It was created by a messed up ordered that I didn’t send back. Though it wasn’t something I would have ever ordered, it was so much better than anything I could’ve asked for. 

When it has come to my prayer life and asking God for what I want, I used to rely heavily on this verse and would believe that God would give me every desire of my heart…

Mathew 7:7 

Keep on asking, and you will receive what you ask for. Keep on seeking, and you will find. Keep on knocking, and the door will be opened to you.

The only problem was, my desires were not always aligned with God’s best for me. 

I think often, we pray and believe that God will answer our prayers, but we have an exact way in which we want to receive what God has for us, but the beauty of what God has for us, is it’s not always what we ordered, but even better. 

Sometimes, we reflect and think well the trials I’m going through really aren’t what I wanted. Or, why didn’t I receive this financial blessing even though I’ve worked incredibly hard and believed in God’s provision for me? When I think these thoughts, I can have the tendency to stray away from praying and believing. Have you ever felt that way before? The thought of “well if God isn’t going to give me what I ordered then I’m just going to stop going there”. 

Then I reflect on the prayer life of Jesus when he walked this earth as a human being. He continuously turned to God in prayer. He did not ask to be stuck in the wilderness, who would ask for that? He didn’t ask for Judas to betray him, no one wants to ever feel betrayed. He didn’t ask to be beaten on a cross and killed for our sake, but what a beautiful outcome it had for us all. He believed God had the very best outcome and we should as well. 

So as we pray, believe and receive, let’s take what God’s best is for us, even if it’s not what we ordered.

We want to thank Sarah Perry for sharing this post.

​I’ve always been a sucker for a white Christmas. EVERY year, I pray for snow on Christmas. Two years ago was not an exception to this rule. I had been praying for months before for there to be snow on Christmas. And I really believed it was going to happen that year! It hadn’t in a while and I just felt like it was about time! Well December 25^th came and went, no snow. I was disappointed for sure, but I just kind of went passed it and didn’t think about it much again. But a few days later, sometime around New Years, I can’t remember the exact day, we were having Christmas with my side of the family. With so many in-laws in the family, we rarely have our Christmas ON Christmas Day. Towards the end of the day we started realizing that a storm was coming and we might want to think about heading home. Well, the normal 45 minute drive from Lubbock to our house took us about two hours that night due to what was basically a blizzard! And even though that drive was extremely stressful to my husband, we woke up the next day to the most beautiful snow-covered ground! And it was then that I remembered my prayer. And I also realized that it had been answered SPECIFICALLY for me! And I say specifically for me because it hadn’t snowed on December 25^th, but it snowed on the exact day that WE had OUR Christmas. How amazing! I found myself incredibly grateful and amazed that God had answered my prayer, and in such a way that I knew He was responding to me. And what was even more amazing to me was that God was willing to answer such a small, seemingly trivial prayer. It made me even more in awe of our God knowing that He cared about my very small request that year.

Mark 11:24 CSB “Therefore I tell you, everything you pray and ask for – believe that you have received it and it will be yours.” 

1 Peter 5:6-7 CSB “Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God, so that he may exalt you at the proper time, casting all your cares on him, because he cares for you.” 

Psalms 139:16 CSB “Your eyes saw me when I was formless; all my days were written in your book and planned before a single one of them began.” 

God is faithful to remind us that He cares about every little detail of our lives. He knows us intricately. He knows the big things that make us unique. And He knows the little things that only our closest confidants would know, or maybe nobody would know. He knows what is important to us, and what we need, every minute of every day. He knew I needed a white Christmas. 

Now I know in our fast-paced lives it is sometimes easy to get complacent in our prayers, or at least I know it is for me. But when I think back to times like this story I have shared with you, or other times in my life when God has proven Himself faithful to me, I am humbled and reminded that my prayers should be fervent, bold, and constant. 

1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 CSB “Rejoice always, pray constantly, give thanks in everything; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.”

For a long time I struggled with this verse because I couldn’t understand how to pray constantly. That seemed impossible to me. But then the Lord taught me that prayer doesn’t have to be absolute quiet behind a closed closet door with your face to the ground. While it can be that, prayer can also look like being at the grocery store and lifting up the woman behind in you line to the Lord. Prayer is living a life surrendered to the Holy Spirit. So when the Holy Spirit hints to me that I have gotten complacent in my prayers, a simple prayer of repentance, and surrendering to Him again is all it takes to get my life and my prayers back in line with Him. And when we are surrendered to Him, we can rest in His love and the fact that He CARES about every detail of us, even the little things like wanting snow at Christmas!

So I will ask you this question: what have you been praying for lately? Or what is something so big, or small, that maybe you’ve been afraid to pray it? I implore you to be BOLD in your prayers! When a heart is submitted to the Holy Spirit, then we are praying in alignment with the Spirit. And it’s at this point that we can trust our prayers to God. And because God is trustworthy, then we can still trust Him even if the outcome of a prayer doesn’t look like what we thought. We can trust that He has the BEST for us, and only He can see the beginning and end! So let go of all hesitation! I will say it again, pray BOLD prayers! Pray for that thing you’ve put on the back burner. Pray for the friend that hasn’t found Jesus. Pray for the marriage you know is struggling. Pray for the child that has wondered from truth. Pray for the broken relationship. Pray for the job. Pray for the pregnancy. Pray for the financial situation that seems helpless. Pray for the healing. Pray. Pray. Pray! 

Our God is a big God, and He wants our thoughts and prayers, no matter how big or small!

We want to thank Joanna Capps for sharing this post.

We have to admit to ourselves that this principle sounds very simple.  In theory, it is.  We so often think about something that has been pressing on our hearts and minds and we say to ourselves – “I am really going to start praying and believing for this thing (however great or small it may be).”  We tend to think that’s all there is to it and in our human mind we want the receiving part to come quickly!  I can recall a few times in my life where it all worked out just that simply. 

However, I recall more times in my life when I was frustrated with these three “easy” steps because it wasn’t working out as I thought it should. In our spiritual journey these frustrating times often come with the temptation to place blame on God, the people around us, or even ourselves, and give up on whatever it is we are praying and believing for.  But, in these moments Jesus is inviting us to take a deeper look at what these three steps truly require, and as always, there are wonderful promises found in the Word for our obedience.  

Words can become so familiar to our daily use that sometimes changing them up a bit can give us a new and refreshed perspective.  

What if instead of saying…

Pray, Believe, Receive

we change them to 

Discuss, Understand, Accept

Discuss

Instead of simply taking our requests to the Father, we should lay our desires at His feet and then hear what He has to say about them.  To hear, we must take time to be quiet and listen, searching the Word to see what He says about the matter.

Isaiah 55:8

My thoughts are nothing like your thoughts, says the Lord.  And My ways are far beyond anything you can imagine.  For just as the heavens are higher than the earth, so my ways are higher than your ways and my thoughts are higher than your thoughts.  

Understand

As we are listening for His voice and searching the Word we can pray for spiritual understanding, asking Him for strength to lay down our worldly views and selfish desires bringing them into alignment with His will for us.  Open our eyes to what He has planned for us.  

Matthew 13;12

To those who listen to my teaching, more understanding will be given, and they will have an abundance of knowledge.  

Philippians 4:9

Keep putting into practice all you learned and received form me- everything you heard from me and saw me doing.  Then the God of peace will be with you.  

Accept

God’s plan for us is so much greater than we can imagine.  Even though at times it’s also much harder than we imagined.  Accept what He has shown you in your time of discussion and understanding.  When we obey and are open to the Holy Spirit’s leading, we become free to accept all He has created us for.   

Ephesians 3:20

God is able to do exceedingly, abundantly, and above all, you could ever ask, imagine, or think.  According to His power at work in you.

We want to thank Jill Winders for sharing this post.

The decision to adopt was one we had spent years praying on. God put it on both our hearts but we felt we would both know when the time was right. So about 5 years into marriage we really both felt the nudge that it was time to start the process.  

Lucas had it on his heart that we would adopt from Asia. 

With trial and error we found an agency that aligned with our values and really supported families on both sides-adoptive and birth parents. 

At this point we were 2 years into the process. 

The timeline we thought would happen is that we would go through all the required training and homestudy steps and THEN would be eligible to match with a child. 

So we were enjoying life, on a snowboard trip when to our surprise, we got an email. The email was the agency letting us know they had a failed match with a child and family. But this child, she felt, would be well fitted in our family. She wanted to check with us first before the child was put back in the waiting child list. 

I quickly opened the document. Saw her picture, read every line of her file. Learned about her medical history, her family, her background, read her social worker reports, learning about her big personality. 

I was doing all I could to not let myself commit, right then, she was the one! Lucas reminded me we need to seek God. We need to pray on this to make sure we both are hearing for our next steps. This child deserved to go with the family God had for her and we needed to make sure we were thinking through this. 

We prayed, read and re read her file. We consulted Doctors with her medical conditions, family, close friends, and our neighbors who had great insight. 

After a few weeks of thoughtful prayer we felt peace that she was our child, and let our agency know. 

We began preparing our hearts. We walked in faith, trusting God with our family and with our child. 

The process from us saying yes to picking our little one up was 1 year

 (About 3 years total).

During that year was an opportunity for our thoughts to second guess, question, fear. Lucas has a gift for steadfastness and trust but I wrestled with doubt and anxious thoughts. 

I remember one night I was having trouble sleeping. I was afraid things wouldn’t work out and we wouldn’t be able to bring our little one home. 

I felt God saying:…. imagine your life with her. Let your brain imagine what it will be like with her in your house. I have given you a promise … let yourself see what that promise is. 

So I did. I saw her at our kitchen table. Playing with Lucas. Running through the house. Laughing. 

I was afraid to let myself dream for fear it might not happen. For fear I might not actually be able to trust God with this. 

God has shown his faithfulness in our life, time after time, what would make this time different? 

We had prayed, felt God’s direction, heard his promise, and now I needed to trust he would provide. 

Almost a year to the date we said yes, we were on our way to Taiwan. We met our beautiful Stevie. Yes the fears and the anxious thoughts came, but the peace and faithfulness that God showed us covered us. He completed our family. He provided his promise. He brought Stevie home. He covered us in the process of adjusting at home. Home adjustment was difficult for all 3 of us but God was so faithful to provide us with friends, family, and his grace to cover us in healing and molding our new family. 

“Isaiah 26:3 You will keep in perfect peace those whose minds are steadfast, because they trust in you”

Looking back now Stevie is 100% our child. God cared for her in her life circumstances and God brought us a blessing. We prayed, believed, and received. 

We want to thank Lori Johnson for sharing this post.

I remember reading or hearing the story once about a girl who was away at school.  In the wintertime, she needed a coat. So, she called her father and told him that she really needed a new coat, and her father told her that it would be in the mail to her the next day. She thanked him and went about her business. A few days went by, and someone asked her if she needed to go get a new coat, since it was getting colder. She said, “No thank you, I have a coat.” She had not yet laid eyes on the coat, but she still said that she had a coat, because she believed her father who had said he would get the coat in the mail the day after she spoke with him. When the coat finally arrived, she was not surprised, but she now had in hand what she had been expecting since she first talked to her father about it.

To me, this is a wonderful illustration of pray, believe, and receive. In Mark 11:22-24, Jesus speaks about prayer when He says, “Have faith in God. I tell you the truth, you can say to this mountain, ‘May you be lifted up and thrown into the sea,’ and it will happen. But you must really believe it will happen and have no doubt in your heart. I tell you, you can pray for anything, and if you believe that you’ve received it, it will be yours.”

What can I pray about and really BELIEVE that I have what I am asking for?  I think we put more limits on that than our Father does.  When I was a little girl, about 4^th grade, I wanted a dog so badly! It seemed impossible that I would ever get one, because my dad was allergic to dogs.  However, one night I prayed with all my heart for a puppy. I was in my room, not praying in front of my dad or mom, just to God. The next day, my dad brought home a puppy that would be a part of our family until I was in college. I so clearly remember that puppy as an answer to prayer!  God really was listening to MY prayers!

I am not saying that our heavenly Father will answer every whim that comes into our minds, but I believe that He is interested in the desires of our hearts. When I began to pray about getting married, someone suggested that I make a list of qualities that I really desired to have in a husband. I did that, and God answered my prayers – even though I didn’t see all the qualities I had prayed about in Kelly Warren at first – God saw them! I believed my Father gives the best gifts, and I received His answer.

Through the years, I have not been afraid to ask God for things that are on my heart. Sometimes, after I have prayed about something, God moves the desire for that thing to the back burner. Sometimes, He shows me something better, and sometimes, He beautifully answers my prayer above and beyond what I would have imagined. I’ve never been disappointed in God or His answers to my prayers. The key is to have that trust in Him as a good Father who loves me, and to believe that He knows how to meet my deepest desires better than I do.

Pray about everything! Believe that He is listening!  Receive His answer, even if it looks different than you had imagined. 

We want to thank Sheri Warren for sharing this post.

“Now may the Lord of peace himself give you peace at all times in every way. The Lord be with you all.” 

2 Thessalonians 3:16

It’s Christmas 2022 (but celebrated January 2023), and we finally have all the family together at the farm with Larry’s mom and sister, our three kids and their spouses, eight grandkids, and four dogs. It was crazy, loud, and a wonderful chaos!

Peace? Not happening—if you look at peace as being a state of tranquility or quietness, as it says in Webster’s Dictionary. 

The meaning of the Hebrew word for peace, shalom, is much richer than just being “quiet and calm or absence of noise.” Biblical peace is represented by safety, well-being, completeness, and wholeness. 

Shalom brings rest, reconciliation, and restoration.

And that is what kind of peace we strive for in our home: a place where everyone is safe, they feel loved, and they can find rest and feel the love of Christ!

In fact, that’s what I feel when my crazy family is laughing, talking, eating, and watching football while the kids are wrestling or throwing balls around, and the dogs are barking. I’m at peace. Shalom!

I am whole, complete, and at rest. 

My family gives me shalom, a wholeness and completeness that comes from love—a deep love that cannot be wiped away by the craziness of the moment! All I can say is thank you, Jesus. This is my circus, and these are my monkeys!

Philippians 4:7 says, “And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”

You see, Larry and I made a stand many years ago concerning our home and family. We declared, “But as for me and my household, we will serve the LORD” (Joshua 24:15b).

The Lord fills our hearts with love and his peace. And by bringing Christ into our home, it brings the Prince of Peace into our home. By making him the center of our home, we get shalom among the chaos.

You see biblical peace is not something we can create on our own; it is a fruit of the Spirit. God is the source of peace. And peace within our home is our choice when we invite God into our hearts and into our homes. 

So, choose today whom you will serve, and let the peace of Christ reign in your home!

We want to thank Bambi Lutrick for sharing this post.

**During the month of January, we will be reposting some of the top posts from 2023. We hope these will encourage you and connect to your heart. Stay tuned for all new posts coming in February 2024!

I grew up in the church going to Sunday school classes and later attending as an adult, and I had always heard the word God’s Grace but I never really understood what God’s Grace was until my late twenties. Before you read much further I want to define what God’s Grace is because I had heard the words so many times in church but never quite understood them. God’s Grace is… His ability to give us something we don’t deserve, it’s His undeserved favor. It’s those times we sin and don’t deserve His Grace but because Jesus died on the cross, Grace is freely given to anyone who has accepted Jesus as their Lord. One instance when I received the grace of God in my life was when I was not making the best choices in the way I was living my life, or the situations I put myself in. James 4:4 says, So whoever wants to be the friend of the world becomes the enemy of God. I was choosing to live my life the way the world influenced me and things of the world are an enemy of God. In those circumstances, I could have received death or hurt because that’s what I deserved for living my life in a sinful way but I received God’s Grace time and time again. God kept me protected, that was His Grace. This was happening even before I fully understood God’s Grace. So I encourage you if this is the first time you’re grasping what God’s Grace is, pray and ask God to reveal to you the times you have received His Grace over your life.

God’s Grace was freely given to me when I accepted Jesus into my heart so I was still receiving it as a young adult, but in my later twenties I actually experienced it as it was happening. I believed this happened because in my late twenties I began to really seek a relationship with the Lord, understand what the Holy Spirit is and started building a Godly community. When my oldest son was in pre-k, I experienced God’s Grace through him. Let me say that again, God’s Grace was deposited on my son and he was the vessel God used so that I could receive and experience Grace for my actions. One morning as we were rushing out of the house to get to school/work I totally lost my self-control, because we were going to be late, and I yelled at my son. I knew better, it wasn’t my sons fault but he was the closest person I could blame. Can anyone relate to loosing self-control and taking it out on someone else? Well in that moment I knew I had messed up. So when we finally got in the car and we were on the way to school, I apologized for my actions and asked for forgiveness from my 4 year old. He looked back at me with a smile and said, “I forgive you mom.” In that moment I knew that was God’s Grace. I didn’t deserve to be forgiven for my actions but God used my son to show how easy it is to receive His grace. I didn’t have to beg or plead with my son to forgive me, he quickly forgave me, smiled and we enjoyed the rest of our ride to school. That’s the same way God gives us Grace.

James 4:6 says God resists(or refuses) the proud. But He gives grace to the humble.

If I would not have humbled myself that day in the car, not only would the rest of my day be ruined but I would have never experienced God’s Grace through my son. Being honest when something is our fault, being kind to an enemy, saying, “I’m sorry” first, tithing are all ways we can choose humility. If we choose to be proud then God will resist us according to James 4:6. Other translations say He opposes the proud. I don’t want God to oppose or resist me, I want to fully experience God and His Grace. I want to be experiencing it when it’s happening and not like my young adult years when I was still receiving God’s Grace but not appreciating it. So today let choose to humble ourselves in our sins so we can fully Experience God’s Grace.

We want to thank Bethany Williams for sharing this post.

**During the month of January, we will be reposting some of the top posts from 2023. We hope these will encourage you and connect to your heart. Stay tuned for all new posts coming in February 2024!

“Wait on the Lord, be of good courage, and he shall strengthen your heart. Wait, I say upon the Lord.” 

Psalm 27:14 

I remember it like it was only yesterday. It was 2001 off the coast of Greece.  Dressed in a formal aqua gown, I was watching the moon reflect upon the ocean. There is just something so magical about watching the moonlight dance upon the water. It was if the Lord had made this evening just for me. It was like a dream. I felt like a princess that was being blessed by her King. 

As I was thanking the Lord for this incredible season of my life, I’ll never forget the thoughts I pondered in my heart that beautiful evening. “It feels like I should have a husband sharing in this beautiful moment, yet I am alone with you Lord, and I’m ok with it.” 

 He gently spoke to my heart and said, “What if it was you and I always?”  

I  was not expecting such a question from the Lord-In fact, I was a bit shocked. A life of singleness? What would that even look like? I mean, I was ok then, but what about the future? How long would “always” be?  In that moment I honestly believed God was giving me the opportunity to say “yes” to His plan and “no” to mine.  

 Instantaneously the Lord spoke to my thoughts! “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways. As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts.” Isaiah 55:8-9 

When that word came, peace flooded my heart. I knew if this was his plan for me, it would be better than any plan I could have had for myself. I made up my mind at once that I would surrender this part of my life to Him.  “I will remain single if that is your plan… because your ways are higher,” I told the Lord. “It will be you and I for a while,” He said. It was such a sweet, intimate moment with my Lord. His words were so very clear, as if he was standing right next to me. As Jesus called His disciples on the sea of Galilee to follow him, here I was, on the Aegean Sea, being invited to follow Him into a season of waiting and into the unknown. 

The years came and they went. I went from that young “20’s girl” on the ship to a “late 30’s woman” feeling as if life had passed her by. People eventually stopped asking me if I ever wanted to get married. The struggle was real. I was challenged every year that passed to accept being single for the unforeseeable future. However, every year was not always a struggle. God filled many of those years with wonderful opportunities to serve others, travel to far off places, and fall more in love with Him. Those years were not wasted years and I will always treasure them. 

Sadly, at times, I thought I knew better than the Lord and paid the consequences for my disobedience. When I lost hope, he restored it by bringing me back to the truth. Here are a few scriptures I would cling to in those years… 

Uphold me according to your word and do not let me be ashamed of my hope.” Psalm 119:116 

“They shall not be ashamed who wait for me” Isaiah 49:23  

“In quietness and confidence shall be your strength.” Isaiah 30:15 

“My soul waits silently for God alone, for my expectation come from Him.” Psalm 62:5 

Susanna Spurgeon said it best when she wrote… “I wait for the Lord, blessed master, I thank you for my waiting times. They are times of love and favor. They draw me nearer, closer, more urgently to your feet. Your delays are not your denials. When you seem slow to answer prayer, it is but to make me more eager for mercy, or to teach me to ask with greater confidence, that you may gather up your blessings to bestow them exceedingly, abundantly above all that we ask or think. “ 

 Amy Carmichael, a single missionary to India said, “If you refuse to be hurried and pressed, if you stay your soul on God, nothing can keep you from that clearness of spirit which is life and peace.” 

22 years have come and gone since that special evening on the sea. I have now been happily married to a wonderful man for the last 5 years and mother of one little girl and a boy on the way! If I had chosen to give in to the lies when the wait seemed longer than I had expected, I don’t know where I’d be today. If I didn’t have all those years of singleness, I don’t know who I’d be today. God’s ways are higher, even when it doesn’t make sense. You can fully trust what he’s asking of you. 

 Whether you are single for a season or for life, God has the absolute best path for you. We are not all promised wedding bells, and that is ok! God has called you to something much better than you could have ever think, asked or dreamed (Ephesians 3:20). My sisters, If the wait has been longer than you expected, trust that God’s got a plan. Walking in step with Him brings greater fulfillment more than anything else.  Beloved, whatever it is you may be waiting on, you will always regret rushing in, but you will never ever regret waiting on the Lord.  

“The Lord knows the way through the wilderness, – all I have to do is follow and to put my hand in his hand, and He holds me.”- Corrie Ten Boom 

We want to thank Julie Posey for sharing this post.

Does your family have a favorite holiday tradition? Do you look at Christmas lights while sipping hot chocolate or apple cider? Have you sung Christmas carols or attended a Christmas Eve candlelight service? Are there things in your family that you just can’t let the holidays slip by without doing?

For as long as I can remember, my parents made Christmas feel so special. Instead of leaving our gifts under the tree, there was always a scavenger hunt. We had to look for what we were receiving. And still to this day, they have carried on this tradition with the younger generations. I never gave much thought to this as a child, and maybe not even as an adult, but as I began to have children of my own, the parallel to the birth of Jesus is beautiful. When the angels appeared to the shepherds, they didn’t bring the messiah to them. The magnitude of heavenly hosts gave the shepherds a mission, “go into Bethlehem and see what God has done.” Then the hunt was on. Some versions say they ran! One version says “they leapt with excitement.” Another version shows them telling others and gathering them to spread the news. All of this just paints a picture of a gift given to the world, the hunt to seek his majesty, and the joy of something new with the promise of a Father. 

Can you smell your grandmother’s cooking if you close your eyes really tight? I can! A tradition I hold so tightly to in my heart is of my great grandmother making chocolate chip cookies. She’d pull up a stool that was just my size and guide my hands through the whole process. To this day, when I have my own children helping bake these cookies, I can hear her voice in my ear “a little of this, give a few more stirs, now let’s add some of that.” I can still smell her sweet perfume. My hands just begin to move and I know what to do. This was a transition I don’t know I was ever truly ready for…to go from a world with her in it at every holiday, to a world without her in it. My heart aches at times, but with His gentle hands, God picks up those pieces and allows me to go into that place again. Many people I know share a similar ache during the Holiday season. I believe Mary even had such a moment, as the Bible says she “pondered these things in her heart”. She knew He was coming for a purpose, but for that moment, she held Him in her arms.

When The Light of the World was sent to Earth, it was during a time and in a region where light as we know it today wasn’t available. There were no streetlights to guide the shepherds to the King. There were no lights on houses to brighten the evening path. I always think of this when we are driving through the beautifully lit neighborhoods. No two houses are the same, and I’m blown away at the creativity that goes into many displays. However, I often find myself stopping and taking just an extra minute or two when we approach a nativity scene. My way was lit to get there. I had guiding lights my entire life. I’ve known Jesus to be my Lord and Savior from a very early age, but what did the person standing next to me have to endure? What was their journey to Bethlehem? What light is shining from my own house to make sure a stranger also stops in their tracks to take a minute? To recognize a Father in Heaven who loves them so much, He would send this precious gift to us.

I pray I can encourage you all in this season. As your children giggle with glee of the gifts and games. For those who are having to find new traditions because old ones have faded away. When you are out in the hustle and bustle of the crowds. Enjoy the peace, find the light, shine for others to know His love on Earth.

We want to thank Ashton Riddle for sharing this post.

Have you ever been taken back to a moment in your past by smelling or tasting something? Maybe it was seeing someone or something, hearing a song or hymn that took you back with all the feelings and emotions that were felt at the memory.

On our last trip to the mountains on a rainy day Stewart and I decided to watch an old movie ‘Tammy and the Bachelor’. It was popular during the time Stewart and I were dating. As soon as the music came on with Debbie Reynolds, singing “Tammy, Tammy, Tammy‘s in love”, all those emotions, and all of those feelings came flooding back into my memory, and I was transported back into that time and feelings of my first love.

In Genesis 1 God tells us we are fearfully and wonderfully made. James 1:17 “ Every good gift, and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change.” I believe He gave us this gift of responding to sights and sounds, taste and feel as a  trigger to literally take us back to our first love(Jesus)! But like most of God’s gifts, it comes with a choice. We can use it to build a relationship with Him that builds our faith, Or we can use it selfishly for our own good, the world’s way.

Galatians 4:4-5 “ But when the set time, had fully come, God sent his son, born of a woman, born under the law, to redeem those under the law, that we might receive adoption to sonship.”

Luke 2:17 “ Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart.”

There were probably many times, places, sights and sounds that took Mary back to Jesus birth and to who He truly was ( The Son of God), Also His reason for coming. We cannot fully celebrate Christmas without remembering the cross and Jesus resurrection.

I LOVE CHRISTMAS everything about it! The sights the sounds, and the gifts!. For God so loved the world, He Gave! At Christmas time I have been given a lot of the gift  of being transported back in time. I can see a Christmas tree and remember our Christmas trees at home when I was still a small child. In my mind they were huge and beautiful, packed with wonderful gifts under the tree. In reality, though, looking back at the pictures from that time-they were scrawny trees with very little presents under them. Everyone was happy and carefree, sharing lots of food, fun and laughter. That part is mostly true. I hear a Christmas Carol, like O Holy Night and remember our children’s Christmas program on Christmas Eve. Back then everything seemed to revolve around Jesus and His coming to this earth to set us free. I have just recently started, asking the Lord to give me eyes to see the sights and sounds and gifts of Christmas through a Child’s eyes! I want to feel that expectation of something wonderful happening, no matter what is going on around me. I want to be able to experience every moment of joy that Christmas holds.To see every Christmas tree as something beautiful and wonderful of God’s creation. To hear a Christmas Carol, and be moved into praise and worship to our glorious King. To feel or smell, something wonderful, and be thankful to our Lord for His goodness. When I see a beautifully wrapped gift. I want to remember God’s incredibly beautiful gift of Jesus.

It has been said “ Life is God’s gift to you. The way you live your life is your gift to those who come after. Make it a fantastic one.”  Merry Christmas and a Happy and Full Life! 

We want to thank Elaine Norrell for sharing this post.

Christmas is my absolute favorite time of the year. I love everything that comes along with it…the decorations, the twinkly lights, the Christmas music, the hustle and bustle of Christmas shopping, the baking, the family gathering….you name it, I love it!

I remember as a young girl being so excited for the gifts of Christmas. I didn’t grow up getting gifts throughout the year. The only time I got toys was for my birthday or for Christmas. I remember when the Sears catalog came in the mail and I would sit for hours, circling the things that I wanted Santa to bring. I remember one Christmas in particular that I wanted a certain baby doll that I saw in a toy store in the mall. Every time we went to the mall, I would go in that toy store and look up in that glass cabinet when that doll was displayed. Sometimes I got up the courage to ask a store clerk if I could hold him. I longed for that doll for months! Low and behold, Christmas morning came and that doll was under the Christmas tree! I named him Todd and that doll went with me everywhere, until I outgrew him.

The decorations of Christmas bring me so much joy! I begin decorating my house on November 1. It takes me several days to get everything put up just the way I want it. The wreath on the door, the Christmas trees, the mantel lights, the table set just right…all of this makes my house so beautiful, until I get tired of the clutter. The strand of Christmas lights on the tree burn out. The candles are all melted down to the nub. All that’s left is the clean up.

The cooking brings me joy! I love to bake sweet treats to take to my neighbors or make casseroles to put in my freezer so that I don’t have to cook when my kids and grandkids come home for the holidays. I love the way my house smells when things are baking, until I have to clean up the mess.

I love Christmas, until it’s over. Then you have to deal with the clean-up, the returns, the extra weight you’ve put on, the “un-decorating”….Then what is left?

That’s where the good news comes in!

Jesus is the REASON for the SEASON. I know that is cliche, but it is the truth. When we focus on HIM throughout the season, the sights, sounds and gifts of Christmas can stay with us all year long! Jesus – a baby who came to earth as flesh to walk with us. Jesus – telling us how to spend eternity with him. Jesus – a man who hung on the cross to take away all our sins. Jesus – calling us to Him. Jesus – the greatest gift of all!

Unlike the doll we received as a Christmas gift, we will never outgrow Jesus. Unlike the decorations, Jesus’ light will never dim or fade. Unlike the sweet treats that make our bodies weary and achy, Jesus will always be a delight for our hearts!

Spend time enjoying the things you love at Christmas – the sights, sounds and gifts of Christmas. Just don’t forget the most important sight, sound and gift of Jesus!

We want to thank Vickie Young for sharing this post!

I adore the Christmas season! It’s all I can do to wait to put up all things Christmas! I actually start celebrating in my heart as soon as the first hint of fall appears. I’d celebrate all year.

The first chance I get, and any time I’m alone, I love to listen to Christmas music. Silent Night, The First Noel, Joy to the World, they all take me back to the Christmas story while I bake cookies and pies.

I love the sights, sounds and gifts of Christmas that is enveloped in the Christmas story. But before we dive in, go back with me to the book of Isaiah, where God showed His love in the promise of the Messiah.

“Look, the Virgin will conceive a child! She will give birth to a son and will call Him Immanuel, God with us!” Isaiah 7:14

“For a child is born to us, a son is given to us. The government will rest on His shoulders. And He will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. His government and its peace will never end.” Isaiah 9:6-7

Even though the promise of the Messiah had been foretold, Israel continued to rebel and God completely stopped speaking to the prophets. During this time the Jews experienced very few peaceful years.

As we move forward, we find Joseph and his fiancé Mary. God sent the angel Gabriel to Mary and tells her she’s been chosen by God to give birth to Jesus. What a sight that must have been! Can you imagine what she must have felt? Just for a few seconds try to put yourself in her place. Joseph and Mary had not consummated their marriage and she’s expecting a child. Through God’s intervening actions He sent an angel to Joseph revealing to him to accept Mary as his wife. I can’t even begin to understand what it felt like to get this kind of news. The promise of the Messiah revealed in Isaiah is coming to fruition right before their eyes!

During this time, a census was ordered requiring Joseph to return to his hometown of Bethlehem. Today, for us, a 90 mile trip is a breeze, but for Joseph and Mary, it was a different journey. Think about it, walking 90 miles over difficult terrain.

As they arrive in Bethlehem, the streets are crowded and noisy from all of the extra people who are also coming to be counted in the census. Remember, Joseph has family living here and makes his way through the crowds to his family’s home. In Joseph’s time and culture, the houses in that day were two levels. The upper portion of the house was the living quarters for the family. The lower portion of the house or Inn was used as a stable to keep the animals in at night and when it was cold. The Nativity that we are all used to seeing isn’t accurate. When we read there’s no room in the Inn, it meant there was no room for them in the upper portion of the house. So, they went to the lower portion of the house- Inn- to stay with the animals.

It is here that the Savior of the World is born! 400 years of silence is broken in the cry of Immanuel, God with us. Oh, how their hearts must have been full of so much joy! Can you feel the love of God as He lays in the manger?

In the meantime, God placed a beautiful star in the sky to guide those seeking Jesus to the place they were staying. The Maji followed the star, the shepherds were guided to Jesus. God made a way for all to know! An angel is proclaiming the Good News while a miraculous sight of 10,000 angels are shouting His praises.

The gifts of the Magi would illuminate the different aspects of Jesus’ identity:

• Gold- valuable kingship on Earth
• Frankincense- the Deity of Jesus, fragrant
• Myrrh- anointing or embalming oil, foreshadow of His death

These gifts would portray the love and grace that He would bring.

So, enjoy all of the sights, sounds and gifts of Christmas, However, remember it’s because of God’s love, His promise and the hope and life that came to us in Bethlehem when Jesus, Immanuel, God with Us, was born! Celebrate Jesus!

We want to thank Janie Keller for sharing this post!

But godliness with contentment is great gain. (1 Timothy 6:6)

This verse has been rolling around in my head for a while now. We talked about godliness for an entire month in March of last year, and it seems as if “the quality of being like God” would be enough. And yet, Paul tells us that it is godliness WITH contentment that is great gain. 

So what is contentment exactly? How does it relate to gratitude? What is it’s great gain?

The Greek word used for contentment in 1 Timothy 6:6 means “a mind contented with its lot.” 

Our English dictionaries have it down to mean “a state of happiness and satisfaction.”

If we keep reading into verses 7 and 8, we get a little more about contentment.

Here, Paul tells us, “7 For we brought nothing into the world, and we can take nothing out. 8 If we have food and clothing, we will be content with these.” 

In verse 8, the word for content is slightly different – it carries with it the connotation of not only being satisfied, but of being enough. It has a connotation of sufficiency. But what I loved most about this word, was some of the other places that it was used in scripture. 

For example, in John 14:8, this word is used when Philip says to Jesus, “show us the Father, and that’s enough for us.”

Or in Hebrews 13:5, where we are told “Keep your life free from the love of money. Be satisfied with what you have, for he himself has said, I will never leave you or abandon you.”

What is it that we each have, that is enough? Jesus.

Each and every one of us, who have made the choice to give our lives to Christ, have Him. We have His Spirit, ever present with us. And that, is the secret to being content, no matter what else we do, or do not, have.

In Philippians chapter 4, Paul is expressing gratitude to the church at Phillipi over their support of him. It is after expressing this gratitude to the people of Philippi that Paul writes this:

Philippians 4: 10-13

“11 I don’t say this out of need, for I have learned to be content in whatever circumstances I find myself. 12 I know how to make do with little, and I know how to make do with a lot. In any and all circumstances I have learned the secret of being content—whether well fed or hungry, whether in abundance or in need. 13 I am able to do all things through him who strengthens me.”

Paul tells us again – I have learned to be content – and how has he learned this? Because he knows that all he does – he does through Jesus. He knows that whether in abundance or in poverty – he will have what he needs – IN JESUS.

And Paul lived no easy life – he survived multiple shipwrecks, was persecuted for preaching the gospel, and was eventually martyred for the faith. When he says that in all circumstances, the secret to being content is Jesus, we can believe him.

In our house, we read biographies of christian missionaries. While some of these heroes have paid the ultimate cost for their faith, by giving their life, what I am constantly amazed by, is the way that each and every one of these men and women laid down their lives daily, in pursuit of the Lord, and seeing others come to know Him. 

I have never known what it is to go hungry, to not know where my next meal was coming from. I’ve never known what it was like to go to sleep, not knowing if I or my family would be killed in the night, attacked for our faith. And yet I see a pattern among these christian heroes – they each chose to leave a life of ease, and endure the most horrific of circumstances, simply so that they could spread the love and message of Jesus to those that had never heard it. 

And what do we see in their journals? Gratitude. Contentment. They find contentment in all of their circumstances, because they know that no matter what – they have all they need in Jesus. They were satisfied – grateful – simply being able to walk with Christ, and carry the gospel to those who needed it – no matter what circumstance it put them in.

Gratitude brings contentment. And contentment brings gratitude. It’s a cycle that builds upon itself, taking us to a place where we too, can learn to “give thanks in all circumstances.” (1 Thessalonians 5:18)

Now as the holidays approach, I want to challenge us. There are plenty of opportunities to let discontent rest in our hearts. Discontent over what we have. Over the state of our families or relationships. Discontent over our homes, and even our bodies and our abilities.

But instead, let’s choose gratitude. Let’s choose to be content.

Contentment brings peace. 

Contentment brings joy. 

Content brings us closer to Christ.

Godliness with contentment, is indeed, great gain.

We want to thank Brooke Kellum for sharing this post.

It was one of those days. It had been a rough night, my kids were fighting every few minutes, and nothing about the day seemed to be going right. I knew I should be thankful. After all, it was “just a bad day, not a bad life” but I was still having trouble getting my heart right. As I was praying, the Lord brought this song to my mind. 

 I will enter His gates with Thanksgiving in my heart 

I will enter His courts with praise 

I will say this is the day that the Lord has made 

I will rejoice for He has made me glad. 

 I don’t think I had heard it for many years, but there it was. God is always so faithful to bring reminders to us when we need them the most, and I REALLY needed the reminder that day. Truth be told, I had been struggling for about a week with letting my worries and day to day issues live at the forefront of my mind instead of my blessings.  It was in the middle of my bad attitude that the Lord reminded me, through this song, that my circumstances and emotions do not get to dictate whether I have a heart of thanksgiving. The fact that “this is the day that the Lord has made” is enough to warrant thankfulness. 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 says, “Be joyful always; pray continually; give thanks in allcircumstances, for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.” 

Some synonyms of thankfulness are gratitude, appreciation, and gratefulness. He is worthy of our gratitude/appreciation/gratefulness because he is God. We need no reason other than he is the creator and we are the creation, but he is a good God who loves us so much that he also gave us Jesus. No matter how my day is going, no matter what situation I am in, I can choose a heart of thankfulness because of the freedom I have in Jesus. Even in our sin, he became the sacrifice and took our punishment for us so we could live in freedom on Earth and in heaven with him someday. If that is not something to be thankful for, I don’t know what is!  

Having a heart of thanksgiving may not change our situation, but it will change our mindset. Saying “I choose to be thankful” will shift our focus to the Lord instead of the problem and bring about peace even in the middle of a trying day. Isaiah 26:3 says, “You keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on you, because he trusts in you.” If we can be intentional about having a thankful heart on the good days, it will come a lot easier to us on the bad days. 

Cultivating a heart of thanksgiving may not come easy at first, and that is okay. Sometimes, especially in the middle of our trials, all we can really start with is “thank you, God.” In my experience, as I get into the habit of saying “thank you, God” instead of only complaining to God, specific blessings from the Lord come to my mind much faster. I can then say “thank you God for the blessing of…” because we know if it is good, it is from the Lord. James 1:16-17 says, “Do not be deceived, my beloved brothers. Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights.” 

God is so good to us, friends. He loves us and wants us to live a life full of joy and peace no matter our circumstances. Let’s remember to thank him today. “I will give thanks to the Lord with my whole heart; I will recount all of your wonderful deeds.” Psalm 9:1 

We would like to thank Courtney Harper for sharing this post.

When my grandkids were younger and they came to visit, after they left their handprints would be all over my glass front door and patio door! (BTW I’m a clean freak) But God showed me something from these precious handprints and fingerprints…. They were a blessing! So I would leave them for a few days just so I could remember how much they bless my life and how much I love them💕💕

Have you ever had a situation that allowed you to look at it as either a blessing or curse? 

As I prepared to write this blog I began to pray, read other blogs and even listen to podcasts. But my thoughts were racing in every direction. Finally, I sat down and had a talk with The Lord and during that time the hymn, “Count Your Blessings” by Johnson Oatman, Jr. came to my mind. Needless to say, it’s been a long, long time since I have heard or thought about that hymn.

God began to reveal to me that a heart of thanksgiving grows from us counting our blessings in all circumstances.

A thankful heart can change your entire perspective and outlook on life. One of the best ways to experience the power of thanksgiving is through prayer and counting your blessings. Even when the going gets tough (or your glass doors are covered with handprints) you can experience blessings. When we offer a prayer of thanks to God, our focus shifts from our problems to our blessings. And that’s the beauty of faith – we can experience gratitude and give thanks despite the circumstances and storms that surround us.

So here’s the question…

How do we learn to have a heart of thanksgiving? 

Count your blessings!! 

Like the hymn says:

“When upon life’s billows you are tempest-tossed,

When you are discouraged, thinking all is lost,

Count your many blessings, name them one by one,

And it will surprise you what the Lord has done.”

So when I count my blessings and see what God has done in my life…I have a heart of thanksgiving.

I want to share a few of my blessings :

#10 Sunrises and sunsets at the farm. 

There’s just something majestic about seeing a sunrise from your front porch with coffee in hand. And walking my fur baby, Nala in the evening and watching the sun race down and light up the sky… Thank you Jesus!

#9 Our farm! 

Larry farms land that his great grandfather homesteaded in the late 1800’s. Lots of blood, sweat and tears have gone into The Lutrick Farms. And with the drought that has affected us the last 3 years, we still look at our farm and life as a blessing from The Lord! Thank you, Jesus, for always meeting our needs.

#8 My health. 

As I get older, I count it a blessing that I feel good and have no major health issues. I may be a little slower getting up from the floor while playing with my grandbabies BUT I get up! Thank you, Jesus!

#7 A good cup of coffee! 

I’m kinda a coffee snob; I like my flavored coffee … just black!! It’s a simple blessing but one of my favorite things is to wake up and have my coffee. I even love a good cup of coffee after dinner! Right now, I’m loving my Pumpkin Spice, Dark Chocolate Hazelnut and Wild Blueberry …just to name a few!

#6 My front porch!

 It’s one of my favorite places to hang out unless it’s extremely hot or windy! Sitting on the porch you can see as far as the eye can see- It’s full of wildflowers, butterflies, hummingbirds (sometimes), and in the evening you can see stars, moon, planets and even the Lubbock lights. Country living at its best!

#5 My life group. 

Our Life Group is full of loving people, caring people, funniest story tellers, best cooks, prayer warriors and they all have a heart for The Lord! I’m blessed by each member. 

 “A friend loves at all times” Proverbs 17:17

#4 My Church. 

My blessings are overflowing from the people in my church. I’m blessed to serve others, pray for others, be loved by others, hear God’s word and get the best hugs at my church!! 

HCF- Love Jesus- Love People!

#3 My grandkids and family!

I’ve written about it before, in a past blog “This is my circus and these are my monkeys” and I wouldn’t have it any other way!!  8 out of my 9 grandchildren live close by and I see them as much as possible and can watch them grow up.  My three kids love Jesus and have been blessed with wonderful spouses. And most of my extended family live nearby, so we get to see each other often!  I’m truly blessed with a wonderful family.

#2 My husband. Larry is my best friend, he loves Jesus, he works hard, he’s a gentle giant with the grandkids, and loves me unconditionally even when I have crazy ideas. I count Larry as one of my best blessings because God put two imperfect people together, drew us closer to Him and now through the power and authority of Jesus Christ- our lives are transformed and His forever. I love doing life with Grumpy!

#1 My Jesus!

God rescued me and transformed my heart, mind and actions. He has become my “go to” person when I have any questions, struggles, fears, prayer needs or just need to bounce off my crazy ideas. He truly is my friend, my rescuer, my healer, my Lord and Savior. 

So as I count my blessings and see what the Lord has done in me and for me my only response is a heart of thanksgiving. I read that Satan is defeated when we have a thankful heart because thankfulness during difficulty is a sacrifice pleasing to God. So when the going gets tough… count your blessings and build a heart of thanksgiving.

Be thankful in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you who belong to Christ Jesus. – 

1 Thessalonians 5:18

Guy Penrod (Gaither Vocal Band) singing Count Your Blessings!

We want to thank Bambi Lutrick for sharing this post.

1 Thessalonians 5:16-18. “Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.”

It took me a long time to understand that this verse was saying IN all circumstances, not FOR all circumstances.  

Five years ago I found out I had breast cancer.  Though I wasn’t thankful for the cancer, I had many things to be thankful for.  I was so very thankful that it was me and not some other member of my family.  I had the fact that it was found quickly and was treatable with surgery and radiation.  God gave me total peace in the situation and I was thankful that I could feel His presence throughout the whole ordeal. 

I had two dear friends who were going through breast cancer during the time I was.  One of those friends and I made the trip to Lubbock every day to have radiation together.  This was a special time of fellowship and drawing strength from each other.  Her cancer was aggressive and after lots of chemotherapy, she eventually passed away.  I never heard her complain, even when the cancer broke her back.  My other friend with cancer also passed away after much suffering.  Sometimes I feel guilty that I was allowed to live and they weren’t.  However, sometimes I am jealous because they fought the good fight and won the race.  They kept the faith and received the prize.  I’m so thankful for both of these sweet friends and all the special memories I have of them.  They were both an inspiration to many.

According to Psalm 69, Thanksgiving is a sacrifice on the altars of our hearts. At times, we won’t feel thankful, but it is in those moments that grateful hearts will become the most pleasing sacrifices to the Lord.

This past week, my sweet 39 year old cousin died of cancer.  It was such a sad time, but even in those times of mourning as the family and friends gathered around each other to offer comfort, there were so many sweet memories of Brandi that we could all be so thankful for.  And we could be thankful that God lent her to us for 39 years.  Sometimes thanksgiving is a sacrifice, but in all circumstances there is something to be thankful for. Brandi touched so many lives and even more so as she was faithful to the end.

A heart of thanksgiving will give us strength in seasons of sorrow and pain.  And thanksgiving grows stronger the more it is practiced. 

It’s easy to be thankful when everything seems to be going well.  The sacrifice comes when we make a conscious effort to be thankful.

Colossians 3:17  “And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.”

When you begin to count your blessings, you find that there are so very many things to be thankful for.

We want to thank Naomi Jones for sharing this post.

“I come to Your altar, O Lord, singing a song of thanksgiving and telling of all your wonders.”  Psalm 26:6b-7

When I was growing up, my mom and dad put a lot of emphasis on good manners:  saying, “Please” and “Thank you,” “Yes ma’am,” “No ma’am,” and such things as these.  Because of that, I’m very conscious of the need to be thankful, not just at Thanksgiving time, but year-round.  These days, though, it’s not just good manners that has me feeling thankful.  The older I get, the more I find that I am counting my blessings, and there are so many!  Do you mind if I share a few with you?

I’m thankful that there was a woman and a man back in 1960 who wanted a baby, but had not been successful, so they worked it out to adopt a baby girl.  I count that as a big, big blessing.

I’m thankful that my mother decided she needed to raise us in church (yes, “us” – she had a baby boy after she got me), so we were “dragged” to St. Matthew Methodist Church every Sunday, V.B.S., youth camp, you name it!

I’m so thankful for the gospel!  Thankful that there is a God who wants us to know Him!  Thankful that he reached me after I rebelled.  I count that blessing every day.

I’m grateful for my wonderful husband, who has put up with me for all these 37 years.  Beyond grateful for two beautiful babies who arrived after two miscarriages.  

As I count my blessings, I’m overwhelmed with gratitude for all the godly friends I have known over the years, in several different churches.  There are many friends who have gone on to heaven, but that’s another blessing counted, because there they will be when it’s my turn.  

I’m grateful and thankful to have worked for the past 25 years at the same school where I student taught and where my children went to school.  I love my school family with all my heart, including those who have since moved to other schools or have graduated to heaven.

Grandchildren – all 4, our hometown of Plainview, life and health, our church, the blessings just go on and on!

How about you?  As you have read my list, what blessings popped into your head?  

The news media likes for us to concentrate on all the ills and troubles round about us.  However, I’ve noticed that the more I count my blessings, the less the troubles of the world impact me.  

In this season of Thanksgiving, I pray that you are overwhelmed with gratitude for what God has done in the past, what He is doing now, and what He will do in the future.  

         “For all that You’ve done I will thank You, for all that You’re going to do,

         For all that You’ve promised and all that You are, and all that You’ve carried me through,

         Jesus, I thank You!”

Happy Thanksgiving!

We want to thank Sheri Warren for sharing this post.

I had a friend text me today just to check in on me.  She knows I have been growing (yes, growing, not going) through a season right now. It was a simple text, just saying she was thinking about me and my family and wanted to see how we were doing. At this point in my life, I have several friends that text me and that I text just to have a quick check in with them. This was not always the case for me, and it was something I prayed for often only a few years ago. 

Making friends as an adult can be so difficult. Most of us want someone with similar interests, but someone who will also introduce us to new things. If a person is married or has kids, it’s easier if their friends are married and/or have kids. Location is definitely a plus too.

A few years ago, I had a lot of people I referred to as “work friends,” meaning, we were friends because we worked at the same location, spent many hours together, and because of that we had some similar interests. Those “work friends” were important, but not the kind of friends that text me to just check in on me. 

A few years back I was going through some “growing pains” and realized I didn’t have close friends to lean on. No one texting me to check in on me. I felt alone. My husband was always willing to listen, but I needed a female’s perspective. I wanted friends. Not just one, but a group. Ecclesiastes 4:9-10 says, “Two people are better off than one, for they can help each other succeed. If one person falls, the other can reach out and help. But someone who falls alone is in real trouble.” Verse 12, “A person standing alone can be attacked and defeated, but two can stand back-to-back and conquer. Three are even better, for a triple-braided cord is not easily broken.”

This is what I wanted for times when I was being attacked by the enemy. I no longer wanted to feel broken or defeated. The enemy knows that we are most vulnerable when we are alone. He tries all kinds of tactics to separate us, make us feel alone or unwanted. The feeling I had of “being too much” or that sharing my problems would be a burden to others, were lies from the enemy.  So, I began praying about having friends I felt comfortable being vulnerable around. Friends who would want to celebrate my birthday with me. Friends who would text me just to check in on me. Friends raising their kids in a similar way, whom my kids would enjoy playing with. 

Not only did I pray, but my husband and I decided we needed to invest our time in making friends as well. This meant inviting people to our home for a meal, meeting at the park, and joining a life group. Trying to make adult friends truly felt like dating again. Seeing if the family was a ‘good fit’. God answered my prayers with a quiver full of friends to call on and to celebrate. God doesn’t want us to be alone in our battles. He wants us to link arms, fight together, and sometimes cry together. This takes prayer, time investment, and vulnerability. It’s worth every bit though.

We want to thank Chelsea Criswell for sharing this post.

What does friendship look like?

Identifying the beauty and joy in friendships can come with ease, but putting in the effort to maintain and steward our friendships takes intentionality and effort.

We are created for community. God created us not to be isolated beings, but rather people who live life together. The primary way that we as Christians live in community is by belonging to the church. 

²⁴And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds, ²⁵ not giving up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching. Hebrews 10:24-25

When we are in close relationships with other believers, we have people to pray for us, support us, encourage us, and serve alongside us, and in return we have people that we can pray for and minister to. If you are new to the church, come early to the gatherings and stay late, engaging in conversations. Jump into a life group. Meaningful relationships can take time to develop but keep trying.

A demonstration of a great friendship and love for their friend was the four men going to see Jesus’ teaching, but the crowd was so large, they had to carry their paralyzed friend’s mat to the roof, where they dug a hole and lowered their friend right in front of Jesus. Jesus healed the man, and he jumped up and walked off. (Mark 2: 1-12)

What an extraordinary measure of friendship.  

It doesn’t always take such a grandiose gesture. It can be sending a card or a knowing smile or hand squeeze. The older I get, the more grateful I am for God’s most treasured gift of friendship. I’m so thankful for the genuine women in my life whom I never have to question. They just show up in every way. This is one of my most treasured gifts.

We want to thank Julie Duke for sharing this post.

When I was asked to write this blog, the very first thing that popped into my mind was the old hymn, “What a Friend we have in Jesus.”  And of course, He is the very bestest friend we will ever have.  But the second thought was, “What kind of friends do I have, or better yet what kind of friend am I?”  

I have recently read a devotional series on Job.  He had some good friends that came to him when he was at his lowest. (Job 2:11-13)  These friends were not next door neighbors; they traveled great distances to be with him.  And when they arrived, they didn’t try to cheer him up, or straighten up the house, or bring a casserole, or…all things I’ve done for a friend going through a difficult time.  No, these friends sat with him in silence for several days.  They tore their clothes and wept with him.  This teaches a great lesson of what friendship is like.  Friendship takes patience.   

At my worst moment in life, I, too, had four really good friends who came to me, sat with me, let me talk and cry, and cried with me.  The afternoon I told Don about committing adultery, Don took me and my belongings to my mother and left me there.  I’m not sure how my friends found out.  Yes they were disappointed in what I had done, but they continued to love me.  Yes, they had questions, but they didn’t condemn me with those questions.  We live in a small town, and in a small town, everyone knows everything about everyone’s business.  And most people like to share their opinions on that business.  But these friends stayed beside me after Don brought me back home, and in the days, weeks, months, and even years following continued to show their love and support and to help Don and I to heal, grow stronger in our faith and marriage.  Proverbs 17:17 says, “A friend loves at all times, and a brother is born for adversity.”  My friend’s example in a very difficult time has been a huge lesson for me.  I don’t have to be the fixer for a friend in need, I just have to be a friend!

My little granddaughter is…well, she’s my granddaughter so you know what I’m going to say-she’s perfect.  But actually she’s not.  You see, Livi doesn’t have toes on her left foot.  And she only has 2 toenails on her right foot.  When Mary (my daughter) was pregnant with Livi, part of the amniotic sack flaked off in a string and wrapped around her toes.  She has nubs on her left foot.  (Toes are like fingers-she has the knuckles closest to her foot like the knuckles on a hand but that is all).  When she was born, we were so worried she might not be able to walk, or she would be in pain, but we were wrong.  She walks, runs, jumps, kicks, and dances like every other kid.  But I wonder about what kind of friends she will have growing up.  Kids can be curious and cruel at the same time.  When she has shoes on you can’t tell a difference.  But what will happen when she takes her shoes off?  How will the kids treat her?  We, her family, treat her like any other kid; it’s not an issue.  But will her friends treat her differently?   don’t have the answers to these questions, but I know who does.  Proverbs 3:5-6 says, “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge him and he will make your paths straight.”  

What about us?  Do we stay by our friends when things look different from what we expect?  Do we sit with our friends in their times of distress and tear our clothes and weep with them? Do we hide our flaws in our “shoes”?  Do I?  These are questions we need to think about regarding the friends we keep.  I read a quote one time (I don’t remember who said it) “A friend is one of the best things you can be and the greatest thing you can have.”  

We want to thank Hope Warren for sharing this post.

“Why do we have to wait so long to get on the plane?”, Elliott asked impatiently…again. We were headed home from our recent vacation and had been placed in the last boarding group because of some last-minute flight changes. On all our other flights on this trip we had been placed in earlier groups, so an expectation had been formed in my son’s heart. We should be on that plane already.

And isn’t this the difficulty with waiting? Managing the expectations that have been formed in our hearts? 

“I should be married already. ALL of my friends are married.”

“I should be making more money than this. I’ve given everything to this company.”

“I shouldn’t be sick. I eat well and exercise.”

“I should be pregnant by now. We’ve been trying for years.”

“We’ve been married for so long…I don’t think he will ever change.”

“I’m so sick of being heart-broken over this. I’ve prayed all the prayers I can pray.”

That last one is mine. It was my own confession a few weeks ago. I’ve been waiting for God to heal my broken heart and up until recently, I felt like I should be over it. I had cried all the tears I wanted to cry over this. 

But God. Despite my obstinance, He wasn’t through collecting my tears. During a recent church service learning about the ministry of Jesus to heal the broken hearted, I could no longer contain my tears. God still had some healing to do. He was still mending and though I had tried to convince myself otherwise, I was still hurting. 

During my single years when I grew impatient, waiting for God to give me my husband-to-be, He instead gave me this Word to stand on. 

“But those who wait on the Lord


Shall renew their strength;


They shall mount up with wings like eagles,


They shall run and not be weary,


They shall walk and not faint.”

Isaiah 40:31

Did you catch that? Those who wait on the Lord…

Not…

“Those who wait on a husband…a child…a job…an answered prayer…”

No. Those that wait on Him.

Waiting on Him renews our strength and enables us to endure the hard seasons of waiting without weariness and without unsteadiness. If we aren’t waiting on Him, our focus will only be on our prayer being answered and if that season of waiting is a long one, maybe years or decades, we will certainly grow weary and unsteady. What we need more than our prayers being answered, is to be in communion with the one who answers our prayers. 

I learned in that season and was gently reminded in this season that when we wait on the answer to our prayers only, when the answer comes, we only get the answer. But when we wait on Him and the answer comes, we get the answer and the answer-giver. Some of the most meaningful times I’ve had with Jesus were during seasons of waiting because I was waiting on Him. And with Him. And it’s what I’m doing now as I wait for Him to mend my broken heart. 

“What if my answer never comes?”, you ask. It might not, but if you’re waiting for Him, you’ll have Him no matter what. And He’s all you really need.

We want to thank Amber Curry for sharing this post.

If you aren’t in a season of waiting, you will be or you recently were. All of us go through them. 

Maybe you’re waiting for your husband. Waiting for a dream. Waiting for a child. Waiting for healing. Waiting for a move. Waiting for a promotion. Waiting for a friend.

We can all think of something we’d like to see God do on our behalf—a hope, a desire, a longing. And in that space between our prayer and his answer, we find ourselves waiting. 

For some your wait is short, and for others it can make your heart feel sick with hope long deferred. 

But our hope is never lost because his love is never deferred. The Bible tells us that hope does not disappoint because we have God’s love in our hearts through the Holy Spirit (Romans 5:8).  

If you feel disappointed and hopeless, if your heart feels sick with longing, can I encourage you today to open your hands and receive the love of our Father? 

When we receive it, God’s immeasurable, unfathomable, unconditional love becomes the comfort and security we hold on to in our seasons of waiting. 

My husband and I spent nine years waiting to hold our first child. Nine years of longing for what we did not yet have. Nine years of praying for and believing what we had not yet seen come to pass. Nine years of hoping. 

One of the greatest battles I faced was recognizing that I’d connected God’s love for me with what he was doing. Or in this case, not doing. To wait for years and years, to get another no over and over again, to watch those around me receiving what I wanted (and admittedly, they didn’t always) felt very unloving. 

Here’s the truth. Equating God’s love with my circumstances is a manipulation of who he is. I had to recognize repentantly that I was angry because God wasn’t doing what I wanted. If he loves me so much, why wouldn’t he do this for me? The flip side of that? I was withholding my love because God wasn’t doing what I wanted. Ouch!

You know why I call that manipulation? Because it makes love conditional. If God loves me, he will do this for me. If he does this for me, then I will love him.

Once I recognized that God’s love is unconditional, the power of this truth transformed my life. It still transforms me even now. And it’s a good thing, my friend. I’m so grateful God’s love isn’t based on my performance. At the time, I wanted it to be because it felt like control. If only I could do something, he’d love me enough to answer my prayer. Today I’m so thankful he answered my prayer in spite of any works on my part. He loves me no matter what. And I love him whether he’s answering my prayers today—or not. 

He loves you too. Like really loves you. Do you know that? If not, ask God to show you how much he loves you today.

We want to thank Laura Brandenburg for sharing this post.

2 Corinthians 5:7 says, “For we live by faith, not by sight.” For as long as I can remember, this has been my favorite verse. I got saved when I was in third grade, so I practically grew up in the church. When I was a young girl, if I got up in church to say a verse, this is the one I would pick. 

The definition of faith is complete trust or confidence in someone or something. And the definition of trust is a firm belief in the reliability, truth, ability, or strength of someone or something. I really believe as young children we have lots of faith because it is so easy to believe even when we do not see something. 

As I got older, I always went to church on and off. But since coming to Harvest, I can honestly say my faith has grown so much. God has showed me his goodness and faithfulness all those years when I didn’t feel as close to him. Also, I feel like my faith has increased through other people’s testimonies and what God has done in their life. I have seen people overcome many hard circumstances like having cancer or losing a loved one, and I’ve also seen God bless a family with a child after years of waiting. I believe my faith has increased so much through these testimonies of God’s goodness and faithfulness. Sometimes we don’t see something come to pass for many years, and then it happens! 

I would always pray for my family and their salvation, and God has been faithful in showing me, even though it took a while. I remember when my older brother invited me to church. While I was in the service, God reminded me of my prayers for my family, and I was immediately filled with joy. I also have multiple people in my family and friends as well who have been to church and have now given their life to God. 

So, we “walk by faith and not by sight” (2 Corinthians 5:7). I remember coming to Harvest and asking God, “Why is this my favorite verse?” I felt like I always said it was because it was short and easy to remember. But I told him I really want to know what the true meaning of this verse is. Honestly, I didn’t think about it too much after I asked him that, and then I got asked to write this blog, and wow! So many things came to mind that God has done to show himself faithful in my life. My faith has increased so much and continues to grow. You have to have faith. Trust God. Believe it is done. 

Most people want to see it to believe it. We have to accept what is, let go of what was, and have faith in what will be. Faith does not make things easy. It makes them possible!

So we have to ask ourselves: Are we walking by faith or by sight? 

We want to thank Candi Nunez for sharing this post.

Have you ever felt like God has given you a dream in your heart or a vision for your life? A specific word or promise to you? Then—as time passed, and you did not see it come to reality—have you also felt like you lost hope or even doubted what you heard him say? I know I have felt that way. 

Back in 2018, my husband and I felt moved by God to grow our family. We spent time praying about it with each other and with our close friends. As we continued to pray about it, we gained confidence that it was a promise from God to give us more children—not to adopt but to have more children of our own. 

So, we stepped out in faith, and in 2019, I went in to have a surgery so that we could start to enlarge our family. Then we waited and trusted God. However things did not look like what we expected. That first year came with a heartbreaking miscarriage, and then the next year came with some medical diagnoses and still no baby. There were times of feeling hopeless where I doubted that we had heard God right. It is easy to be led by emotions and rely on only what our eyes can see. 

Hebrews 11:1-3 says, “Now faith is the assurance of what we hope for and the certainty of what we do not see. This is why the ancients were commended. By faith we understand that the universe was formed at God’s command, so that what is seen was not made out of what was visible” (NIV).

I can remember many times personally where it was hard to walk in faith and believe what God had spoken to us, especially when everything around me in this natural world was suggesting it might never happen. But God is so good to not leave us feeling hopeless and in despair! He is always speaking and reaching out to us. 

When we go through our hard times of our faith being tested, it is important to bring peace and calmness to our heart by reading God’s word and surrounding ourselves with godly friends. Looking back at that time in my life, God especially increased my faith in two ways: by using 1) His word and 2) His people. 

Quite often while I was reading my bible, a verse for that day, a scripture, or a story would jump out and encourage me that God is faithful and true. I have a good friend who would randomly text what God put on her heart, and little did she know, some days I really needed to hear those words. Another time I was scrolling through Instagram, and God used the words of Christian author Lysa Turkeurst to speak to me. The words “Remember not yet doesn’t mean not ever” stayed in my heart for a long time. You see God was always speaking to me. All those things increased my faith and gave me the hope to live in a way where I had faith to believe God’s words, not the circumstances. 

One day unexpectedly, a little over two years later, I found myself pregnant with our son, and he was so worth the wait! 

So, if you find yourself in this place of waiting on something to come to pass that God has spoken to you, I pray my story will encourage you to stand firm and have faith to believe him even when you cannot see. I also pray that he will give you his words and the friends you need to build your faith! I leave you with a few scriptures that encouraged me during that time, and I hope they may do the same for you.

Numbers 23:19: “God is not a human that he should lie; not a human being that he should change his mind. Does he speak, and then not act? Does he promise and not fulfill it?” (NIV).

Proverbs 3:5-6: “Trust in and rely confidently on the Lord with all your heart and do not rely on your own insight or understanding” (AMP).

Philippians 4:5-7: “Do not be anxious or worried about anything, but in every circumstance and situation by prayer and petition and thanksgiving, continue to make your specific requests known to God. And the peace of God, that peace which reassures the heart, that peace which transcends all understanding, that peace which stands guard over your hearts and your mind in Christ Jesus is yours” (AMP).

We want to thank Brenda Martinez for sharing this post.

Every spiritual gifts test I’ve ever taken, my strength has been faith. But in the last 11 years of marriage and nearly 8 years of motherhood, I can definitely think of several instances where I was in need of a little more faith. And if I’ve learned anything over the years, it’s that faith is a choice, not a feeling. 

I’ve got to be honest; there are definitely days when I’m just not feeling it. When the sink is full. My four kids are fighting. I overslept and didn’t get to have my quiet time. When the goldfish crumbs just got smashed into the rug I just vacuumed. When a best friend decides they no longer want to be my best friend. When the husband and I just seem to keep bickering. When the scale goes up. When the bank account just isn’t staying full enough. When you’re not invited. 

Even the apostles asked the Lord to increase their faith. (Luke 17:5) 

Whoa! It’s encouraging to know that even those who literally walked beside Jesus and witnessed His miracles in the flesh needed more faith. 

On good days and bad, we are called to increase in faith. But how do we do that? 

We draw closer to Him who remains faithful. (2 Timothy 2:13) We serve a God who is constant. Even when we feel all out of faith, He is faithful. 

Maybe you’re in the middle of grief or deep sorrow. Maybe you’re in the trenches of motherhood with little ones and you’re trying your hardest not to wish the little years away. Maybe you or a family member just received a devastating diagnosis. 

Even in times of deep sorrow, we can have hope. God is with us even when everything seems to be falling apart! He is not bound by time or circumstances. 

His grace is sufficient for you, for His power is made perfect in our weakness. (2 Corinthians 12:9) When we embrace our weakness, God gets all the glory because others can see His power within us.

God promises to be with us, and our God is both a promise maker and a promise keeper. Take heart today that you’re off the hook; all you have to do is ask for more faith just like the apostles did. 

We want to thank Paige Keller for sharing this post.

I don’t ever remember a time in my life when I didn’t believe in Jesus, when I didn’t believe he died for me, or when I didn’t trust Him with my heart. I was probably less than a month old the first time I attended Sunday School, and growing up, I was blessed to hear Bible stories that taught me about having faith in God. I was ten years old when I gave my life to Christ, and His love has brought me through many years.

Even though I have been a believer basically my entire life, there have been a few times when my faith has been questioned. When a prayer wasn’t answered the way I prayed, I let doubt set in. When sin became greater than my faith, I found myself doubting my walk with Christ. When healing didn’t take place, could I honestly say I still believed? When finances weren’t working, when crops were hailed out, when… (you can fill in the blank). There have been times in my life when my faith wasn’t as strong as it should’ve been. 

Can I be very vulnerable with you for a second? Even recently, I was beginning to question lots of things. As hard as this is to write, I want to be honest. I was asking lots of questions such as: Why does God let bad things happen to good people? Why do church leaders let us down? If God is really real, why is our world looking the way it looks? 

Oh, in my heart, I still trusted God, and I knew what I knew from my years of walking with Him. But I was letting doubt creep in.

So what did I do to get my faith back up and running? I prayed. I asked God to give me glimpses of His goodness. I asked God to reveal to me the times of His faithfulness and love toward me. I read His Word. Romans 10:17 says, “Faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ.” A large part of your faith comes from learning, believing, listening, and acting out the words in the Bible. The deeper you dive into the word of God, the deeper your faith will grow.

Then I started saying these things out loud:

I believe in Jesus.

I am a child of God.

I believe that God has a purpose and a plan for my life.

I know that He is good, and He is for me.

And guess what? My faith returned. 

I know, without a doubt, that my God loves you, has a purpose for your life, and wants what is good for you too. Begin to speak truth out loud into your heart. Spend time in His word. Meditate on His goodness. Your faith might start off in the littlest of ways, but it will grow as you spend more and more time with God. Matthew 17:20 says, “I assure you that if you have faith the size of a mustard seed, you could say to this mountain, ‘Go from here to there,’ and it will go. There will be nothing that you can’t do.’” 

I haven’t moved any mountains lately, but my faith is stronger, and I know yours can be too.

We want to thank Vickie Young for sharing this post.

In September, a year will have passed since my mom went to her heavenly home. Not everyone knows the circumstances that went on behind the scenes. My mom lived a long and fulfilling life. However, it was her last year of life that would bring many challenges. Those challenges would bring me to my knees with a heart that searched for God.

The last year was filled with physical pain for my mom. Weak and brittle bones, her spine collapsing on itself, pinched nerves, and a diagnosis of Parkinson’s Disease. That physical pain eventually led to mental pain and heartache, not only for her but for me as well.

Many prayers were said for us. As time passed, it seemed as if those prayers were going unanswered. As pain increased and earthly help seemed nonexistent, I began to question why a good God was not responding to cries for help. As her problems began to mount up, it became overwhelming. Through this, I learned something. It’s the Lord’s will, not ours. Sometimes God uses the darkness to lead us to the light, death to bring new life. Through deep disappointments and lots of anxiety, anger, and heartache, all I could do was hold onto Jesus and allow Him to hold me.

Micah 7:7 says, “But as for me, I watch in hope for the Lord, I wait for God my Savior; my God will hear me.” 

During this time God began to reveal where all those prayers went. Instead of God changing His plans for my wants, He began changing my wants for His plans.Everyone wants to be on the mountaintop, but it’s in the valley where faith grows. He showed me how deep disappointment and heartache can turn into a deep relationship with Him. He began to reveal how worry can turn into confidence, sadness into joy, anger into peace, and bad into good.

Jeremiah 29:11-13 says, “‘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. Then you will call on 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.’”  

Through afflictions you come to know Jesus more intimately. That relationship is more valuable than anything you can find here on Earth. It takes faith. God can take disappointments and turn it into a heartfelt satisfaction.

As you stare death in the face, you begin to see the big picture. You get to see that our comfort on this Earth is not what it’s all about. It’s about a relationship with the living God. What seemed like a year in hell was really a year of God preparing my heart and placing the appropriate people into my life at the exact time that they were needed. God is never early, and He is never late. God is always right on time.

My mom was ready to go. However, I wasn’t ready to let go. Unfortunately, we allow life to get hard because we try to do it in our own strength. When we are holding on to the end of the rope is when we start searching for hope and the promises Jesus has given us. Let me tell you, don’t wait until you are at the end of your rope to start searching. He wants to give all of that to you on your good days as well. While you’re on that mountaintop, savor every moment with Him. When you store up hope, goodness, and promises on your good days is when you have something to fall back on during your bad days.

Next time disappointments or trials come knocking at your door, remember that God is sovereign and has a purpose for each of our lives. This is a broken world, but He can use all of our afflictions. All Jesus wants is a personal relationship with you. He wants to be the problem solver and burden carrier. Until we are ready to relinquish control, He will sit back and wait. Don’t wait until you are paralyzed and can’t do anything. God is ready to teach us everything we need for the season we are in. All He is asking for is an open heart and mind with the willingness to put aside our agenda and lean into Him.

We want to thank Kathy Jones for sharing this post.

One of the most freeing things I can think that God has granted us since the beginning of time is freedom of CHOICE. We first see this in the Garden of Eden, and though the right choice wasn’t made, and many more wrong choices follow that first wrong decision, freedom to choose was granted to us all because of His love for us. Though many wrong choices may have been made, so have many great choices, but for all the freedom we have of choice, we also have consequences. 

Consequence can sometimes seem like such a harsh word. I know growing up, I would equate my wrong doings with the consequences I would receive for them. It made me question the goodness of God when it came to freedom of choice because “why would a good God set me up for failure by allowing my flesh to make bad decisions?” Because God wants us to be free people. He wants us to fully receive all the blessings he has for us and the gifting He has given us. He has life and prosperity for us. 

“See, today I have set before you life and prosperity, death and adversity. For I am commanding you today to love the Lord your God, to walk in his ways, and to keep his commands, statutes, and ordinances, so that you may live and multiply, and the Lord your God may bless you in the land you are entering to possess.”

Deuteronomy 30:15-16 CSB

Consequence was not meant to be a shameful word. It wasn’t meant to replace what condemnation is. Because what freedom of choice leads to is the freedom of the Lord’s blessings and promises. The freedom to have the consequences of choosing His path for your life. So, when you freely choose to do the work set for you even when it seems mundane, you freely receive the consequence of blessing. And when you freely choose to walk in peace in a  nonpeaceful situation, you receive the consequence of abundant life and peace. Or, when you make a bad decision and steer in the wrong direction, you freely receive the consequence of His direction, a direction given from a loving God who always leads you to prosperity and life. 

God has goodness for you in the freedom of choice. He has goodness for you in his forgiveness as well. We trust in God because His freedom is the sweetest and his prosperity is the greatest. Choose to let his freedom reign. 

We want to thank Sarah Perry for sharing this post.

Everything I’ve learned about walking in freedom, I learned from my mom. I would like to share an excerpt from her journal, and I believe it will bring you as much freedom as it did me. Here’s the woman that was set free from her infirmity…she was made whole.

Unclean Woman

There was this certain woman in the bible, which had suffered for many years with an issue of blood. She had seen many physicians, spent all she had, and wouldn’t get better but rather grew worse.  When she heard of Jesus, she came and weaved through the crowd to reach him. She believed and said, If I may only touch his garment, I shall be made whole (Mark 5:25-27).

Straightway the issue of her blood stopped, and she was healed. (v. 29). Jesus felt virtue had gone out of him. He turned and asked, “Who touched my clothes?” And his disciples said to him, “Master you see all the crowd and you ask who has touched you?” (v. 30-31). Do we come to church just to be the crowd? Or do we come to church focused on our needs to be met by Jesus like this certain woman?  

The woman, fearing and trembling, knowing that she had been healed, came and fell down before Him and told him everything that had gone on for 12 years (confessed openly of her uncleanness). And He said unto her, “Daughter, thy faith hath made thee whole; go in peace and be whole of thy uncleanness.” (v. 33-34)

According to the Old Testament (the Mosaic Law), anyone who would touch a woman during her menstruation would be unclean until the evening. According to GRACE any unclean man or woman will be made whole through Jesus our Lord and Savior.  If we come before Him through the crowd (in public), looking for whatever needs we have, HE is faithful and just to supply our needs.

Let’s do as this woman, who was not held by her sickness, to go by faith to meet Jesus where He was and had faith that if she would only touch the hem of His garment, she would be healed.

– Linda Helen Bernal

What is your need today?

We want to thank Jerika Longoria for sharing this excerpt from her mom.

The enemy likes to flaunt our past mistakes often in an effort to make us feel unworthy of God’s love. It used to be an effective method to grip my soul in fear of God’s wrath and judgement, knowing I could never measure up. But God.

One of the first times I felt the Lord wooing my spirit was in the early days of high school. I believed in him, but mostly I believed the lies that he was a vengeful and scary God that I had to walk on pins and needles to obey. I never could. As I pleaded with this far-off being out of fear, he distinctly told me to read Joshua 1:9. “Haven’t I commanded you: be strong and courageous? Do not be afraid or discouraged, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.” That was confusing, but I clung to that scripture through college, hoping that it was true, that I could trust him just as he asked the Israelites to trust him. But no matter how many steps forward in trying to obey I would take, I would fall again in my efforts to people please and maintain a state of perfectionism. I believed the lie that I wasn’t, and would never, be good enough for God’s best so I needed to take matters into my own hands since my life was going to remain in this perpetual cycle of bondage. But God.

In his wonderful patience, God placed Spirit filled women along my course that waited in obedience until I was at my lowest and finally would allow him to come near. They led me to the feet of Jesus, and He healed all my broken pieces and showed me the many lies I had believed about myself and him. All the chains the enemy had been so faithfully piling on my limbs, the Lord stripped away. As I sat writing out my testimony one day, I looked back and saw all the ways he had drastically changed my life. I was amazed and realized I am no longer a slave to fear!

You, daughter of the King, were created to live in His freedom. 2 Corinthians 3:17 says, “Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom.” When you allow Holy Spirit to move in your spirit, you find freedom. You have freedom to celebrate. You have freedom to grieve. You have freedom to dance. You have freedom to rest. You have freedom to do whatever he is calling you to do. Sometimes that is uncomfortable, but it is always worth the step of faith. When he whispers to you, “Trust me, daughter,” you can look back at your testimony and see his faithfulness. When the enemy circles back around in difficult seasons, you can declare the Lord’s faithfulness.“For you, Lord, have delivered me from death, my eyes from tears, my feet from stumbling, that I may walk before the Lord in the land of the living.”

Psalms 116:8-9. 

The Lord is with you, he is for you, and you are no longer a slave to fear.

We want to thank Christian Greer for sharing this post.

I had a crazy childhood. Not in the way most would think, but even so, it felt crazy.  My sister and I were conjoined twins. Crazy right?! We were born connected. We were separated when we were 1 and had surgeries throughout our early childhood as a result. 

Looking back, I learned to see where the enemy took things that God meant for blessings in our situation and fed me lies. God gave me a sister to walk through those crazy unrelatable circumstances. He BLESSED me with a friend and sibling to walk through those times with; to have someone to relate and talk with.  However, the enemy snuck in and fed lies to make us feel uniquely alone in those moments.

I remember a situation in school when I was in track. I was not good at all at running (because of, you know, the conjoined twin thing), like not even clearing the second curve of the track while everyone else was finished, getting the pitiful “you’ve got this” clap! As I was sucking air back in my lungs, my coach so graciously offered me the manager position because I would be “good at it”. (FYI this coach was amazing and had a lot of compassion).  That story makes me laugh but it is such a kind, merciful story. God placed a community around my sister and I to be a blessing, a cushion, to have understanding and grace for us. 

BUT. The enemy took those stories and fed lies. People would tell us things like: “You are a miracle.” The enemy’s lie: “Wow, you shouldn’t even be here.” People would say: “Oh my, your poor parents.”  The enemy’s lie: “Wow, what a burden you must be.” 

Fast forward to growing up, I struggled with doubt and unbelief. Of course, I did. I was living off lies about who God was and what He said about me. The truth was that God was a merciful God who wanted to be glorified in our crazy situation, to provide us blessings for His glory, but I was seeing God through the lens of what the enemy was saying about God, and Me!  This made life feel heavy, like a burden, like I was walking through mud. It affected relationships, my desire to overachieve to prove myself, my worth. Walking through life through the lens of the enemy was heavy. 

God slowly began to work on me, helping me through His word, friends, through my husband. Constant reminders of truth, of who GOD is and who HE says I am. I got to a point where I laid it all out to God, praying, “Show me who YOU are. Heal my unbelief. Heal my critical heart, my performance heart.”  I laid all false beliefs, all beliefs from what man had taught me, and went to the Source. I began reading Gods word (the Bible) diligently. God so faithfully showed me exactly who He is, who HIS character is. And what He says about ME. The Freedom that has come through understanding God through HIS word has been undeniable. 

I get this picture of walking through mud, but with rose colored glasses, not knowing why things feel heavy, not knowing you’re in the mud. And when we take the glasses off, we can realize the mud, the lies we are viewing life through, and start walking on the road with God, in the truth of what God says, through His Word. 

We must KNOW God to walk with God. We need to understand HIS truth to hold it up to the enemy’s schemes, to the lies we are believing. 

James 1:25 says, “But whoever looks intently into the perfect law that gives freedom and continues in it—not forgetting what they have heard, but doing it—they will be blessed in what they do.”

Galatians 5:1 says: “It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery.”

If you are feeling the heaviness or burden of life, look to the truth. God has given us his Word through the Bible. It is alive and living. When I began studying God’s word diligently, my understanding of who God is and who He says I am changed. It has allowed me to walk in the freedom of Christ. I encourage you to use the community God has surrounded you with but ultimately, we must know the truth of what God says as our standard to walk in freedom.

We want to thank Lori Johnson for sharing this post.

James 1:2-3 TPT “My fellow believers, when it seems as though you are facing nothing but difficulties, see it as an invaluable opportunity to experience the greatest joy that you can! For you know that when your faith is tested it stirs up power within you to endure all things.”

The Joy of the Lord – what an amazing gift! And that’s just what it is: a gift. In January of this year I had my daughter, Stevie Joy. We gave her the middle name Joy because we felt like joy would completely describe her personality and her life. Stevie means “crowned one” and we spoke over her that she would live a life crowned with joy! I have been on a rollercoaster ride with joy in my life, and I wanted to definitively proclaim that Stevie would not have to battle for joy like I did. She would live it! 

In April of 2016, my dad died suddenly. My whole family was shaken, as he was definitely the rock and spiritual leader of the family. He was a mighty man of God that lived a life proclaiming the gospel always. While others in my family dealt with their pain by going to the Lord, I struggled with this. I ran from the Lord for a while, because getting quiet with God was painful. It just brought up the hurt I was going through, and feelings of abandonment and anger. Even though I knew the truth of His word, and that only by drawing close to Him would I be able to heal from this experience, I pushed Him away for a while. I chose to cope by other means of distractions that would keep me from addressing my pain. I entered into some patterns of sin that were distracting from the real pain I was feeling. But these actions also caused me to feel shame because I knew a better way! Therefore, drawing close to God became even harder because I felt dirty and unworthy of His love, grace, and the healing that He was offering me. 

In 2018, my mom invited me to go on a Walk to Emmaus with her. I agreed, but hesitantly. I knew this would be a weekend where I would encounter God in the way I needed but wasn’t quite ready for. That weekend, there was a man on the leadership team that allowed me to talk with him as if I was talking with my dad. I was able to share with him some of the painful parts of everything I had been feeling and thinking since my dad had passed. I spent time weeping, and pouring out my emotions of anger, abandonment, hurt, and pain. Being able to verbalize those feelings allowed me to hand them over to God and begin to receive healing for them. I received love, grace, forgiveness, and healing that weekend from the Lord. God was and always is tender-hearted towards us, and I felt that that weekend. After recognizing my feelings, and repenting for my sin, I could receive healing. The Lord also spoke to me that weekend that it was time for Him to restore my joy. The day my dad died I remember saying the words “I don’t think I’ll ever be able to feel happy again.” But God reminded me that joy is a gift, and one that we can choose to receive and walk in, even if our circumstances are not joyful. So that weekend I chose to let God restore my joy that the enemy had stolen. 

Now of course I still had hard days even after that weekend. But God was and is faithful to continue to restore my joy! Joy is a gift! And it’s a gift that we can choose to live in, even when going through something that is not joyful. Choosing joy is possible through the power of the Holy Spirit, and us allowing Him to have free reign in every aspect of our lives. When we have His eyes, ears, and heart, then we can view every circumstance through the lens of supernatural joy. My prayer for you would be that no matter what you’re going through, you could lean into the Lord and choose to partake in His gift of Joy! 

We want to thank Joanna Capps for sharing this post.

Galatians 5:22 (NLT) But the Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. There is no law against these things.   

The fruits of the Spirit are a package deal – it is not like a beautifully displayed fruit tray where you pick your favorite and leave the rest. Can we express love without the rest of the fruits? Can we really be gentle if we don’t maintain self-control? Can we show kindness if we have no patience or peace? How can we live in the joy of the Lord if the other fruits are absent? If we find ourselves lacking in one of the fruits…chances are we are deficient in them all. For the sake of desiring our lives to flourish as a healthy orchard, let’s look at the fruits of the Spirit as a whole package. 

My mother-in-law loved fruit trees and had a yard filled with several kinds, but her favorite were her peach trees. She took great care to make sure they had all they needed to produce the best peaches. She watered, fertilized, pruned, and picked the ripe peaches at just the right time. It was a full-time job to keep the trees healthy and producing. At times the task was just too much for her alone and she had to ask for help. Her family and friends reaped the benefits every year as she shared the delicious fruit. Not only did she share her fresh peaches but she would make pies and cobblers to freeze, can the peaches, dehydrate the peaches, and store them with care to last her family until time for the next harvest.  

In contrast to the trees of my mother-in-law, let’s think of three other situations we have all seen with fruit trees….

• A fruit tree that fails to produce any fruit at all.
• A tree that produces fruit but it doesn’t make it to the ripened stage. 
• A tree that produces good fruit but it’s fruit rots on the branches.  

This is the truth with our spiritual fruit as well.  

• We can be Christians and not produce fruit.
• We may be producing some fruit but it isn’t making it to the ripened stage. 
• The fruit is there but we are not sharing it with others – therefore it rots and isn’t beneficial for the Kingdom.  

If we want our lives to produce healthy and beneficial fruit, we have to put in the work. We must be willing to tend to our hearts in order for the fruits of the Spirit to grow and ripen and be useful for the Kingdom. 

• Watering our hearts with prayer can strengthen the roots of our faith to get the nutrients we need to produce the fruits of the Spirit.  
• Applying God’s Word to our lives as fertilizer is the added boost of promises and assurances we can rely on when the storms of life come.  
• Allowing the Holy Spirit to prune away the things that can cause us to stumble will leave room for healthy fruit to flourish. 
• Asking for help! There will be times that this walk is too much for us to bear alone. Look for healthy Christians that are producing fruit like you would like to see in your own life and ask them for help.  
• Sharing our fruit with those around us is the key to building the Kingdom of God. IT IS FOR THIS VERY PURPOSE WE WERE CREATED!

We want to thank Jill Winders for sharing this post.

“The Lord is my strength and shield. I trust him with all my heart. He helps me, and my heart is filled with joy. I burst out in songs of thanksgiving.” Psalms 28:7

The source of joy is the Lord. The Bible tells us in Philippians 4:4 “Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice.” An important way to rejoice in the Lord and take delight in Him is to spend time with Him. When I spend time reading the Bible, praying and listening to God I am more focused on Him, and reminded of His love and faithfulness. Time in God’s presence allows Him to speak to us, encourage us, and pour His joy into us. I have learned this time with God is so important for me and sets the tone for my day. I notice my joy is affected when I have neglected to spend time with God. One of my favorite verses is Deuteronomy 31:6 that states “Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified, for the Lord your God goes with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you.” This verse brings me great joy and peace. How can we not have joy knowing that God is always with us and never leaves us? 

I know that I have more joy when I have a heart filled with gratitude. Being grateful makes you joyful. When I intentionally recognize and appreciate God and His blessings, I can’t help but be filled with joy. It’s important to notice and appreciate the small, simple, things that we might take for granted. It’s not the possessions or circumstances that bring joy but praising God that leads to joy. When we look for God and His blessings we will find him. Sometimes having gratitude is a struggle for me and I have to intentionally change my thoughts to focus on the positive instead of the negative. I am reminded of these verses in 1 Thessalonians 5:16-17 that state “Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.” I have learned that gratefulness changes my perspective and leads to joy.

When our focus is on God and his goodness we are bound to have joy.

We want to thank Bailey Adams for sharing this post.

You did it: you changed wild lament into whirling dance;

You ripped off my black mourning band and decked me with wildflowers.

I’m about to burst with song; I can’t keep quiet about you.

God, my God, I can’t thank you enough. 

Psalm 30:11-12

Life rarely turns out the way we dream it would, but that doesn’t mean it has to affect our joy. We may have been dealt, what we perceive, as an unfair hand. We may struggle in our marriage, maybe our relationship with our children isn’t what we dreamed it would be or we’re not satisfied in our work. Are there health issues that you struggle with? How can we have joy in the midst of life’s struggles and sufferings?

In 2005, after several  trips to the Emergency Room with debilitating headaches, I was diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis. Going on 18 years, the headaches continue. I have headaches more days than not. I made a choice the day my doctor diagnosed me to remain joyful and even celebrate this path. I continue to remember that nothing takes God by surprise. I was and still am right in the center of His perfect will! So, is there a secret to having joy in the midst of our struggles?

Hebrews 12:2 starts out by saying, “We look away from the natural realm and we focus our attention and expectation onto Jesus who birthed faith within us and who leads us forward into faith’s perfection”.

We will never achieve joy or peace if we keep our eyes on the world, our situation, our suffering. We must focus our attention and expectation onto Jesus. We must let go of every wound that has pierced us and the sin we so easily fall into. (Hebrews 12:1) We can’t let unforgiveness, bitterness, or resentment keep us from being joyful.

Continuing on in Hebrews 12:2, “He was willing to die a shameful death on the cross because of the joy He knew would be His afterwards.” We can be willing, as Jesus was, to have joy in our suffering.

“Everyone that rejoices in their suffering are doing it for the sake of the Gospel and are bringing their souls closer to Jesus.” 2 Timothy 2:10

If our identity is anchored in Christ then our suffering will drive us deeper into our source of joy.

        -unknown

In her book, Defiant Joy, Stasi Eldridge states, “Suffering is an essential part of all our lives. And it is when we are in the midst of it that God reminds us that the absence of suffering is not our good. And knowing His presence in the pain is the sweetest gift of all.”

Ladies, whatever you are going through today, make it a priority to keep your eyes on Jesus and not your situation. Forgive, let go, praise and dance like nobody is watching!

We want to thank Kerri Harper for sharing this post.

My name is Hope. Having a name like that creates a lot of variations.  Some of the nicknames I have had in my lifetime are: Hopie, Hope the Dope (you have to say it all together, really fast), Hoppy Toad, and Hopeful to name a few. But the name that seeped into me and became a lie I believed was Hopeless. Not only did it become a password I used from time to time for different sites, it became a definition for how I viewed my worth.  

I used to say that my mother named me Hope because she “hoped I would turn out better.” Saying that in jest doesn’t make it true or any less painful to speak over myself. But the truth is I am not hopeless, I am full of  hope. Hebrews 10:23 says, “Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for He who promised is faithful.” After confessing adultery to Don and my family I thought all hope was lost. Completely lost. I was ready to throw in the towel. Really throw in the towel. But God…He was faithful.  Through a loving God, respecting husband, a family that loves, prays for, and forgives, and a wonderful Christian counselor who has spent many hours helping me to see the light, I am no longer hopeless. Healing wasn’t easy by any means. But with healing came a newfound hope and that brought joy, real joy, into my life and my heart.  

I said earlier I have had many nicknames in my life. There is one more to add to that list. A precious friend and her husband sometimes call me Joy.  Now, that is a name I can live with. Joy is defined as a feeling of great pleasure or happiness. The biblical definition says joy is more than a happy feeling. It’s a lasting emotion that comes from the choice to trust that God will fulfill His promises. John 16:33b says “In this world you will have trouble.  But take heart, I have overcome this world.” It doesn’t say we will never have problems or once we accept Christ our lives will be smooth sailing. No, it says we will have trouble. “Joy is not necessarily the absence of suffering, it is the presence of God,”-Sam Storms. When life seems to be working overtime to bring me down I hold on to the words of Psalms 30:5b “Weeping may last through the night, but joy comes with the morning.” And what is the best way to handle those problems? Choose Joy. Joy is something we choose in the midst of the storms, and in the middle of a celebration. Joy is what we search for. Joy is a prayer. Joy is strength. Happiness is a feeling, based on an emotion. But joy comes from knowing in your spirit the One who is in control and standing with you all the way. Galatians 5:22-23 says, “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, JOY, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law.” (Emphasis added). When we have joy, true God-given joy, in our hearts there is nothing that can stand against us. Romans 15:13 says, “May the God of hope (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.” (Emphasis added)

We want to thank Hope Warren for sharing this post.

For me it comes down to this..

Grace = humility, or at least it has to begin there.  In “Christianese” or what we could call church-talk, GRACE means unmerited favor. It absolutely is unmerited, but let’s really break that down.  Unmerited would mean undeserving or not worthy enough.

Ephesians 2:8 says “for by grace you were saved…”

So, we were granted salvation by grace? Many times we believe we were saved and definitely know it wasn’t deserved, but why? Why me? Why would He do that for me?

Our God is so big, so mighty, the beginning AND the end, the creator of our universe, all-powerful, all-knowing, just every BIG word you can think of…what use could He have for me?

He can make a huge impact with little ‘ole me. That’s where humility comes in. When I begin to understand that our God desires my participation and that He made ME to use me. ME? Then I am humbled and I begin to realize I can have an influence, I can do big things-God things-not for my benefit or my purpose, but for His. Our big God who “knitted me in the womb”, who created me “wonderfully” wants me to be a part of His revival in this world we live in. Little ‘ole me.

“For we are his workmanship, (after all) created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.” (Ephesians 2:10)

But not only that,

We are so loved by God that He made us bear His image (Genesis 1:26). We were created to live holy lives and tell others of His greatness. This is where being that woman of grace comes in.

Being a woman of grace can mean we are dedicated to obeying the commandments of our Father to the best of our ability and willing to use whatever wonderful spiritual gifts He has given us, even when we’re not feeling it!

“For from His fullness we have all received, grace upon grace” (John 1:16) or more plainly blessing after blessing. And why? Because He’s a good, good Father.

The gift of grace gives us the power to deal with the ups and downs of life when we increase how we know God and what He desires from us so we can separate His truth from human mistakes and be that loving, compassionate woman of grace.

“Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice. Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ, God forgave you.” (Ephesians 4:31-32)

Showing kindness speaks for itself, having compassion or empathy for others, and forgiving others the way He forgave us when on the cross… His greatest expression of grace! This was the whole gospel of Christ!

It costs nothing for us to forgive. God forgave everything that might keep others from Him. So why wouldn’t we do the same when it was so freely given to us?

To be able to be that woman who has that same humble grace for others that was granted to us and showing that same compassion He has for us, we have to see His perfect purpose for us but also see others with that same kindness, compassion and forgiveness that was granted to us all. With that same grace given to us, we can fulfill His perfect purpose.

We want to thank Sandra Villa for sharing this post.

Have you ever had one of those days where you feel like Superwoman? You marked off everything on your list. Maybe you worked ahead. You made every event in your calendar. You were even (mostly) on time. You cleared out the emails, made the meal, finished the project, folded the laundry (and put it away). No one was sick. Everyone was happy and went to bed on time.

What about the opposite? Have you had the day (or week or month or year) where nothing seems to be falling into place? You missed the meeting. You forgot the appointment. You said the words. You felt the hurt. You were late to the game. The kids wouldn’t stop fighting. Someone didn’t want to eat or sleep. Your to-do list was growing instead of shrinking, and you were so over-scheduled that you were running from one place to the next.

I’ve been thinking about what it means to be a woman of grace. If grace is defined as both unmerited favor and God’s empowerment, then it seems like Superwoman is our model woman of grace. And this other woman? Not so much, right?

But what if it’s both? Or neither? What if it’s about the condition of our heart in each of those moments? The Bible tell us that God gives grace to the humble (James 4:6), and in our weakness is when his power is made perfect (2 Corinthians 12:9).

In our everyday life, we’re going to be opposed. Between an enemy who’s on the prowl and the sin nature of our fallen world, we’re going to face troubles. Even Jesus said so (John 16:33).

Some days, we’re smashing down those obstacles left and right because we’ve got the power of God on our side. Other days, we’re hitting brick wall after brick wall because we’re trying to do it in our own strength.

What if, even on the worst days, we could stop and reset and humble ourselves and submit our hearts—and in that moment, receive all the grace that we need?

Guess what? We can!

The question for us, grace-filled women, is how we will respond to the opposition we face. When our day’s interrupted, when our heart’s disappointed, what will our response be?

Will we call upon the Lord and submit our hearts to him and say, “Help me; I need you”? Or will we tryto do it in our own strength and then later bury ourselves under our own blankets of comfort?

Do you know what’s great about grace? It’s unmerited. When we don’t get it right, there’s always another opportunity the next time. God’s not mad at us. He overwhelms us with love as he holds out his hand and says, “Do it with me this time.”

Every day, every moment, we get to choose to be women of grace. Let’s take His hand today.

We’d like to thank Laura Brandenburg for sharing this post.

Becoming a woman of grace is not complicated, but sometimes it isn’t easy.  It requires humility – realizing that without God we are completely lost, in this life and for eternity.

Let me tell you of one time when I was so humbled, and still God showed His grace in amazing ways. Back in 2010, I felt led to get my doctorate in education.  Circumstances prevented this until June of 2015.  The program was online most of the time, but for 2 weeks in June, I was to be on campus.  So, June of 2015, I was set to begin the program. 

Also in June of 2015, my mom went into the hospital with seizures.  She got worse and worse.  Mom died on June 19.  I moved into the dorm on June 21.  Kelly came home from Kenya June 22.  We had visitation on the 23^rd and her funeral on the 24^th.  Then I had 1 ½ more weeks to go at Tech. Even during this awful beginning, God’s grace was flooding my life and I didn’t even know it.  My cohort (a group of about 10 other students) was so supportive.  The teachers were wonderful.  I think that experience bound us together for our journey over the next 2 years. 

I was the first person in our cohort to defend my dissertation, and the first one in our cohort to graduate.  Completing this was the hardest thing, school-wise, that I ever did.  But God is faithful!  I was held and cared for the entire time – by GOD!  Truthfully, I had never considered myself “doctorate material” – whatever that is.  God showed me that HE IS doctorate material.  What do you need Him to be for you? 

From all the references we read in Scripture, grace is evidently both the motive and the means for everything God does for people on the earth.  Picture God reaching down to meet every need of His children.  As a woman of grace, I lean heavily upon the God who wants to meet my needs.  He is no stingy Father!  He’s always looking for a way to bless us.  Because of grace and by grace. What do you need God to reach down and do for you? 

The way that grace can reach me is when I humble myself and understand that I NEED His grace.  Recognizing that I need grace makes me a great candidate for it.  Humbling myself opens the door for God to pour grace into me.

Being a woman of grace requires confession and repentance. Along with confession to God, we are called to give and receive forgiveness from others.  Do you cringe at the thought of asking someone to forgive you?  Those closest to you offer a wonderful training ground for asking for forgiveness and giving forgiveness, even if no one asks for it.   

Being a woman of grace means seeing myself as God sees me.  Scripture after Scripture tells me who I am in Christ!  When I read these verses, yet I believe that they can’t possibly apply to me, for whatever reason, I’m lacking humility, because I’m refusing to accept God’s Word as true, despite my feelings. You really are a woman of grace, a daughter of the King of Kings!

Being a woman of grace means that I relinquish the need to “fix” everything.  When my mom was in the hospital and I was in this position of feeling like I needed to fix this, I begged God to tell me what to do to make it all ok.  He spoke to me one day and said, “This is not about you.  If your mom is ready to come home, she will come home.”  He was helping me to understand that my will was not the guiding force in this situation.  It gave me relief to just let God be in control, and to let my mom go.  When I have to “fix” everything, that’s pride.  If I think my way is the only way, there’s no humility there, and I resist His grace. 

As I am humble before God and receive His grace, I am in turn able to give that grace away to those around me.  Hoarding up the grace stops the flow.  I can only behave as a woman of grace to the degree that I receive that grace from Him.   Let’s fling the door of humility wide open!   Let’s live our lives as women who are both empowered by and who radiate grace. 

We’d like to thank Sheri Warren for sharing this post.

Staring out that window, I was moved to tears. The snow was falling gently, the sun glistening across it, and all four of my children were playing happily with each other, smiles plastered across their faces. Snow days weren’t always this way. They used to be chaos. When my kids were between the ages of one and five, they all needed help getting dressed. Then they only liked being outside for approximately 2.5 minutes before they were back in, taking off the same clothes I had just helped them put on. Then one would hit another with a snowball, and all the crying. Snow days weren’t always this peaceful.

But that day, it was. And as I stared out the window, tears rolling down my cheeks, I remembered all of the ways that we fought for this. Peace is opposed. And it is especially opposed in our homes. But that doesn’t mean it’s impossible to achieve. Biblically, peace often means taking action to bring something back into peace. Because of sin, our entire lives are now in opposition to the Lord and His plans—in opposition to the peace that He has for us. And while we can see peace come about in our lives, and in our homes, we must fight for it.

One of the names of God is Jehovah Shalom—the Lord is Peace (Judges 6:24). HE IS PEACE. And if we want peace in our homes, we must invite Him in. Invite His presence in. When my kids were little, I remember days where it just seemed like our entire lives were ruled by chaos. Nothing would go right, and all I could hear was fussing, whining, crying, and at times, yelling. In those moments, there was only one way that I knew to restore peace—invite the presence of Jesus through worship. As soon as I started the worship music, the difference was immediate—peace overtook the atmosphere of our home, and the whining, fussing, and crying would end. Jesus himself is peace—and He brings peace to our homes.

What I have learned since then is there is another important element to having peace in our homes. That element is us. As women, we have a special duty to set the atmosphere in our homes. The old phrase is true: “if momma ain’t happy, ain’t nobody happy.” But as Christian women, we have more hope than just in our happiness. We have our hope in Jesus. And despite our circumstances, we, as the women of our homes, have been given the authority in Him to set the tone. This means that we must let peace reign in our own hearts. If we aren’t at peace, we cannot bring our homes to peace.

In the midst of a passage on how to walk the Christian life, Paul tells us to “let the peace of Christ, to which you were also called in one body, rule your hearts” (Colossians 3:15). If we want peace in our homes, it has to start in our hearts. I’m not naturally a morning person, but I have been getting up earlier than my children for almost two years now. My only regret is that I didn’t start this practice sooner. When I rise in the mornings, I get my daily workout in without interruption, and then I have morning prayer time. One of the things that I pray every day is for the Kingdom of God to come in my life—His righteousness, His peace, and His joy. It took about a year, but one day, I looked up and realized that my home was much more peaceful than it had ever been. And it wasn’t because of a total lack of fighting, struggles, or general discord. It was because of the peace in my heart. I no longer felt overwhelmed when these ugly issues showed their heads. I was able to respond in peace and bring peace because I was at peace. Christ has established His peace in my heart, and therefore I am able to establish His peace in my home.

The world has no shortage of struggles for our homes. But Christ has no shortage of peace for our hearts. Fight for it. Fight for the peace in your home, and fight for the peace in your heart.

One day, you’ll get a snow day and realize it was all worth it.

We want to thank Brooke Kellum for sharing this post.

“And the effect of righteousness will be peace, and the result of righteousness, quietness and trust forever. My people will abide in a peaceful habitation, in secure dwellings, and in quiet resting places.” Isaiah 32:17-18

Having a peaceful home has been a priority for me for almost eight years. However, that was not the case in the beginning of my marriage or in the first few years of having children. In those days, my home was filled with unmet expectations, bitterness, and the opposite of peace—chaos. Throughout high school and college, I had made plans and had an idea of what I wanted the rest of my life to look like. I would go to nursing school, become an RN, and if I had kids, they would go to daycare until they were ready for school. Even after marriage, I continued with the plans that I had decided for my life. That is, until the Lord spoke to my husband and said that we were supposed to do something different as a family. 

In all honesty, the Lord had put this on my heart as well; I had just decided to ignore it. I felt like my dreams weren’t important and like all I had accomplished at school was for nothing. Our home and my heart were full of bitterness and resentment. It wasn’t until I finally decided to submit to the Lord and to my husband that things began to change. What I have come to realize in the years since then is that peace in the home begins with submission.

In my case, this looked like submitting to the order of the family that God had designed. It meant submitting to my husband as the head of our household and submitting to what God had chosen our family dynamic to look like. As I surrendered my old dreams and ideas to Jesus, he replaced them with new dreams and joy in being the keeper of my home. Through submission, I began to experience true peace in my marriage and my household. 

There are still some days that feel more chaotic than peaceful. I have noticed that those are the days I focus on my own plans for how my day is going to go. I wake up and forget to first start the day by submitting my mind, will, and emotions to the Lord. No matter what life brings our way, we can still experience his perfect peace. God’s Word says, “Many are the plans in the mind of a man, but it is the purpose of the Lord that will stand” (Proverbs 19:21).

We also need to remember that peace is a person. To experience peace in our home, we must invite peace (Jesus) in. Where peace resides, chaos is not welcome! Women (whether they work outside of the home or not) have the privilege of being the keeper of the home and therefore the ones who cultivate peace. Cultivating peace in our home is like tending a garden. We must be intentional with what we allow into our home and weed out the things that do not need to be there. May we be women who fight for peace in our homes, even if that first looks like surrendering our hearts to the Prince of Peace.

We want to thank Courtney Harper for sharing this post.

The dictionary defines peace this way: “freedom from disturbance; tranquility.”  But notice that definition does not tell you how to attain it and for sure not how to keep it once it is found.

Let me share with you what I have learned about peace.  If you have never had peace, you don’t know that you don’t have it.  I was fifty years old before I experienced it for the first time.  My life up to that point had been a rollercoaster of ups and downs and bad choices.  I had been a Christian for eighteen years and had experienced many aspects of the “fruit of the Spirit” (Galatians 5:22-23).  But the fruit of peace had been missing.

When I met Dan, and we began our relationship, we both were very wounded from past failed relationships.  But I soon realized that there was something different about this friendship that was turning into something very special.  We were experiencing peace for the first time ever.

Once we realized what it was, we began to guard it.  Peace became the foundation for our relationship.  Now, after thirty years, we have not found anything that is worth losing our peace.

When there is a disagreement, we both back off to our neutral corners, and instead of thinking how right we are, we look for what we did or said wrong.  Then we come back together in a spirit of repentance with apologies and asking for forgiveness.  The result is that our peace is still there.

However, what if you are “right,” and you can prove it?  That is the time that you can choose to come into agreement (Matthew 18:19-20) and totally defuse the whole situation.

When we are wrong, we usually know it.  If we are wrong, and the other person is willing to submit, it relieves the pressure and gives us the opportunity to re-think and ask ourselves, “How important is this?”  But when it’s all about winning or being “right,” even when we are wrong, we can never admit it.  If it’s about winning or being “right,” we have to defend our position, even when we know we are wrong.  If it’s about winning, remember…the one who apologizes first wins.

But it’s NOT about winning OR being right.  It’s about peace.

When you find peace, guard it with all your might.  Nothing is worth losing your peace—NOTHING!

When there is conflict, and the battle lines are drawn, both sides begin to defend their position.  So, let’s say you do a really good job, and you WIN!  What have you really won if your relationship is damaged?

I have learned that when there is an opportunity to enter into battle with your spouse, and the objective is to win at all cost, you will leave your spouse bloody and defeated.  Let me remind you this is the one that you vowed to “love, honor, and obey,” not to mention that you became “one flesh” with in God’s eyes.  Look at Mark 10:7-8: “For this reason a man will leave his parents and be wedded to his wife.  And the husband and wife will be joined as one flesh, and after that they no longer exist as two, but one flesh” (TPT).  Could we say that fighting with your spouse is like punching yourself in the face?  

Make a conscious decision to live in peace in all your relationships. Then guard that peace jealously.  Let me say it again…When you find peace, guard it with all your might.  Nothing is worth losing your peace—NOTHING!

We want to thank Di Zeigler for sharing this post.