Women's Ministry

I once was asked by my nephew if I thought I would be the same person if I wasn’t a Christian.  I didn’t even have to think about that question.  I absolutely knew that I would not even come close to being the same person.  I didn’t have a clue who I would be or what my life would look like if I didn’t know Jesus and have him in my life, and I wouldn’t want to know.  Everything good in my life was because of Jesus.  

Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come! 

2 Cor. 5:17

I had a pretty rough childhood, and even though we weren’t avid churchgoers, I always felt Jesus’ presence, especially when home life was scary.  I sometimes would hide from my dad on weekends to escape his wrath, and I always felt someone was there with me.   

At the age of thirteen I accepted Jesus as my Savior.  That was when I knew the Lord was the comfort I had always felt.  

My life was still in an uproar.  My circumstances didn’t change when I came to know the Lord, but I had peace knowing that I had a heavenly Father.  I knew that whatever happened to me, I was not alone, nor was I unloved.

Be strong and courageous.  Do not be afraid or terrified because of them, for the LORD your God goes with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you.  Hebrews 13:5

I got married at the age of sixteen.  I thought life had finally become normal.  I was elated knowing that someone loved me and I loved him.  I was happy.  Life was like a fairytale. We never argued.  Life was the way I had only dreamed it could be.  After less than three years of marriage, my husband came in one day and told me he was engaged to a lady that worked for him.  My utopia crumbled.   Still, even in my despair, I felt the presence of the Lord and knew everything would work out.  

I moved back to Plainview and tried to begin a fresh new life.  It wasn’t long before I met Bobby.  He was going through a similar situation.  His wife left him and we understood each other’s pain.  We got married and have been together for 45 years.  There have been lots of ups and downs, but we are a cord of three strands.  God is at the center of our lives, and He has seen us through the good times and the bad.

In September 2018, I found out I had breast cancer.   It was really strange when I was given that diagnosis.  I wasn’t scared.  I thought something was wrong with me for not being afraid.  I was certain I would be okay.  I didn’t know what the future would hold, but I knew Who held my future. 

“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.”  Jeremiah 29:11

I don’t think I have ever been as close to the Lord as during that time.  I had a couple of friends who had breast cancer and were going through treatments at the same time I was.  They have both passed away, both with peace, knowing who held their future as well.  

Jesus has held true to his promise that he would never leave me or forsake me.

We want to thank Naomi Jones for sharing this post.

When life’s journey involves a scorching desert or thorny briar, it is not human to celebrate the trial. It is not natural to be pleased with pain – that’s a psychological disorder, actually. Yet James begins and ends with an exhortation to endure with joy and patience when facing trials of many kinds (James 1:3-4 and 5:11). Why? Trials test faith producing endurance, steadfastness, and perseverance. Those lead to maturity, completeness, humility, a crown of life. 

The original Greek words for this perseverance goes beyond surviving pathetically, whining until being scooped out of the briar patch unscathed. “Hypmeno” in both noun and verb form implies bearing trials, having fortitude, enduring patiently, suffering, abiding. The “meno” part, abiding, elicits the idea of staying, dwelling, resting. In my mind, this would occur in pleasant places, in tranquil alcoves with a brook peacefully trickling by – not the concept of remaining under trial! Not through a test of faith! Yet the endurance is a result of faithfully facing trials. Interestingly, the Greek word for testing, “Dokimion,” implies trustworthiness. A testing of metal or a gem ensures its authenticity and quality. A testing of one’s faith reveals its trustworthiness. 

Through adversity, a trustworthiness of faith abides. 

My life’s journey has included sanctuaries of tranquility where God’s words, planted in my heart, produced the character of Christ. Running in my lane, where God has called me, has also led me through a dust storm so intense that the light seemed blocked out, so thick that if, given over to my flesh, my faith could have suffocated. Yet God’s word was a lamp to my feet and a light to my path (Psalm 119:105).  

With scripture as my “forward and rear guard” (Isaiah 52:12), my faith grows with a testimony of God’s trustworthiness through any terrain – peaceful or scorchingly barren. Caring for my mother-in-law through her battle with colon cancer involved a maturing of faith, humility, and surrender.

This season involved faith with works. Works of service, of driving to doctor’s appointments, of changing colostomy bags, of being faithfully present. Faith to pray for healing, knowing that God’s healing might not look like I so desired. Faith that God’s ways were better than my desires. Faith that – though I never received a word that it would happen this way – that God could remove the protruding mass and restore Momma’s physical strength. Faith to pray for physical healing – though the peace remained in knowing that spiritual, eternal healing triumphs over the finite, physical restoration. Faith that, though not caused by Him, God would and will use this horrific disease for His good and His glory. Faith to release her from the physical fight. Faith in clinging to the hope of eternal life in Christ. 

This season involved humility. Humility in asking for help. Humility in receiving meals rather than delivering them. Humility in shampooing carpets. Humility, praying in the Spirit when I didn’t know what to pray or how to pray. Humility in asking my children’s and husband’s forgiveness after outbursts of anger in response to an accusation. 

This season involved surrender. Surrender of anger, of unforgiveness. Surrender of control. Surrender of pride knowing that there was absolutely nothing I could do to will the mass to shrink – no amount of sleepless nights; no amount of money; no amount of prayer. Surrender to eternal healing rather than extended temporal time here. 

Walking through this sand-blasting season tested my faith, tested my tongue, tested my willingness to surrender my will to God’s sovereign will. With my belief anchored in the wisdom and love and truth of God, time and again, His word, hidden in my heart, reminded me of His steadfast love and goodness. Some days, my flesh would rather have remained immature without enduring loss; yet, in the same way that a child who doesn’t grow and mature is not healthy, a believer who doesn’t grow and mature through trials is not spiritually healthy, either. The Word hidden in my heart in seasons of tranquility sustains and guides my journey. Let us make the most of every opportunity to walk in the light, in truth, in wisdom, in joy as we endure trials of many kinds. Let us give thanks to the Lord, for He is good! His love endures forever. (Psalm 136)

We want to thank Mary Coleman for sharing this post.

“Don’t stop Beliving……” Any time I hear the word Journey, this song always pops into my head – not the whole song – just the hook.  It’s so catchy! 

When I think about all the various journeys in the Bible, I feel like the people would have been humming the same tune. Take Abraham for example:  God told him to leave all his possessions behind and GO, only to go to the place He would show him. Abraham was not given the exact destination.   He and his family just had to believe God would provide. Along this journey, he and Sarah were also on another journey to parenthood. Sarah longed for a baby until she reached such an elderly age, and at one point even lost all hope. But God told her, “Don’t stop believing!” This would ultimately give them Isaac. Abraham would then set out on a journey up Mount Moriah to sacrifice that one son who was promised to him, totally distraught and uncertain of what might lie ahead. Again, God told him “Don’t stop believing!” 

A New Testament example would be Peter. He’s a journey all his own! At one point he is fishing with his brother, a journey to provide for his family. They were disappointed in their gatherings and were ready to give up, but Jesus appeared, again saying “Don’t stop believing!  Cast your nets to the other side and be filled!”

On The Road to Emmaus, Jesus was there, in the midst of two men who loved him dearly. They had given up, they had “stopped believing.”  Jesus didn’t reveal Himself at first. He so tenderly let them talk. He allowed them to share what was on their hearts and minds, to expose their disappointments in what they had believed all along to be true. Once they reached their destination, sitting down for a meal, Jesus blessed the meal and disappeared. This was a physical manifestation to encourage us to never stop believing. It is true! 

There are so many different types of Journeys, Physical Journeys. Location related Journeys, Psychological Journey, Emotional Journey, Spiritual Journey, Journey towards Maturity…….the list could go on and on. 

My personal family has had many journeys of parenthood, financial freedom, sabbatical, and transitional in regards to career, none of which we could have gotten through if we ever stopped believing. God had to be the center. He had to be the first! Today, I was helping my kids with a devotional and at the bottom it said “and lastly, go to the Lord in prayer.” While I understood the concept of what this particular book was trying to address, it was a teachable moment to show our boys, we go to God First! If He is the leader of our Journey and we never stop believing and following his direction, we will finish each journey with the ability to look behind us and see His guiding hands of love and protection through it all.

We want to thank Ashton Riddle for sharing this post.

Journey – An Act of Traveling From One Place to Another…..

Throughout our lives people and relationships come and go. Some relationships last a lifetime, others, only a season or two.

With each season, as relationships change, we too are changed. Our hearts, minds and emotions are affected. We can either be positively affected and our hearts rejoice or negatively affected and our hearts become hard and closed off.

How we deal with these changes will be a witness to others of where we are in our relationship with Jesus.

On our journey we have one constant. If Jesus is Savior and Lord of your life, then that relationship never ends! It will always be changing, but it will be because we’re growing and maturing as we move into a deeper more intimate relationship with Him.

So in this journey, as we travel from one relationship to another, as people move in and out of our lives, do they see Jesus?

I know for myself it’s been a real challenge! The way God wired me, once I open my heart to someone, I am all in. I’m completely committed and will fight with everything I have in me to protect and nurture that relationship. I love and care deeply. So when a season comes to an end, a part of me dies with the changes that take place.

I’m still learning that in my walk with Jesus and others, I must love and care with a surrendered heart and open hands! I’m called by Jesus to love no matter what, for as long as He asks me to do so.

We must come to a place in our relationships that we get used to different. God is very creative and He needs our obedience to Him so He can move through us and draw others to Himself.

So as you travel from one place in your life journey to another, remember, time spent with Jesus and nurturing that relationship will spill over into the lives of the people He brings into our lives, whether it’s for a lifetime or simply a season. Be moldable, teachable, surrendered, soft hearted and obedient and abide in His love.

“Love one another as I have loved you…” John 13:34

“I pray for them. I do not pray for the world but for those whom You have given Me, for they are Yours. “  John 17:9

Jesus’ whole ministry was immersed in the relationships He had. Some were only for a season, others for a lifetime. First with His Father in Heaven, then with His parents, Joseph and Mary. Next were all of the disciples and the others who followed Him. However, the example I treasure in my heart, comes from His prayer in the garden just before He was arrested. He saw me and He saw us from the beginning. He prayed for us to have a relationship with Him. Though only for a season, while He walked the Earth, they will last a lifetime in Heaven.

Matthew 6:9-13 (NIV)

“This then, is how you should pray: 

Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name, your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us today our daily bread. And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one.”

We would like to thank Janie Keller for sharing this post.

“For God so loved the world…” John 3:16

What could inspire you more than the words of this passage? God loved us so very much that He gave His one and only Son for ME!  Could I give up my child for anyone?  For God? 

Oh wait, I don’t have any children. Well, biological children. As you can imagine, wanting kids and not having them was very hard for me. But, over the years, inspired by God’s love, I have since adopted many children, that may not be mine by blood, but are mine in my heart.

“The Lord your God is with you, He is mighty to save. He will take great delight in you, He will quiet you with His love, He will rejoice over you with singing.”  Zephaniah 3:17

In my season of desperately wanting children of my own, I was not finding inspiration in God’s love. I was sad, angry, and wondering what I had done so wrong that God didn’t want me to have children? I know now that then, I needed to believe and receive God’s love for me, by faith. I wish I would have read this scripture in Zephaniah and sat in His presence until I understood and accepted His will, until He quieted me with His love. I did finally do just that, but it took me a few years. Well, a lot of years. 😉

“My command is this; Love each other as I have loved you.”  John 15:12

After many years of hard-fought battles, that is what I decided to do. Love others as God has loved me. But I couldn’t do it on my own, I needed God to inspire me. When I married my husband Dewitt, that marriage brought his three children into my life. I worked hard on my relationship with them with God’s help. I grew to love them as if they were my own and let me tell you about my two granddaughters! They call me Granbe and love me like I’m related by blood…and I love them right back!

“And so, we know and rely on the love God has for us. God is love. Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in him.  In this way love is made complete among us so that we will have confidence on the day of judgment, because in the world we are like Him…  We love because He first love us.”  1 John 4:16–19

God wants us to accept His love and then let Him love others through us. He gives us many examples of His love in His word, all you have to do is look for them. How many times was He present for the children of Israel, even when they turned their back on Him? How many times has He loved me, even when I turned my back on Him and felt so unlovable? He loves us so much, so let’s be inspired by His love and choose to love others!

“Delight yourself in the Lord, and He will give you the desires of your heart.”  Psalm 37:4

He has given me a lot of my heart’s desires. Do you know how many children that Dewitt and I have “adopted” into our heart and lives?  We love on many “kids” young and old, black, white, or brown.  I have one son that I asked his mom if I could be his mom when she is not around and she said yes.  I love him and his wife and their kids as my very own. This is only one of many examples. 

How can I do this if not for the inspiration that God gives me to love? I have been told by many that maybe if I had biological children, I couldn’t love you and your children so much.  I want to encourage you to read Psalm 139…it tells us how much He loves us and how He knows all about us.  He knew us before we were even born.  I love the old song, “Jesus loves me this I know, for the bible tells me so.”  But sometimes I like to turn that around and say, “Jesus knows me, this I love.”  He knows me and loves me anyway.  

So, why not be inspired by God’s love and choose to love those around you? 

We would like to thank Debbie Crosby for sharing this post.

Psalm 145 is a song of God’s majesty and love…

The Lord is gracious and full of compassion, slow to anger and great in mercy. The Lord is good to all, and tender mercies are over all His works. All Your works shall praise You O Lord, and Your saints shall bless you. They shall speak of the glory of your kingdom and talk of your power. Psalms 145:8-11

Inspired by God’s love, people have done the most unimaginable things like forgive the unforgivable, love the unlovable, embrace the rejected, and even lay their own life down for another. His ways are not our ways and love is always at the center of why we can show compassion instead of anger. 

God’s love was spoken over our family through a man who we believe prophesied over us. He told me to write down a vision for our family. He gave us this scripture…

Write a vision, and make it plain, so he may run who reads it. For still the vision awaits its appointed time, Though it takes time, wait for it, because it will surely come. It won’t delay. Habakkuk 2:2-3

My husband Robert and I wrote down on a canvas that we desired to have a home large enough to care for foster children. During my college years I learned that many children did not have a place to stay where they felt safe. Sometimes their parents were suffering hardships that led to substance abuse, neglect and verbal, physical, and sexual abuse. 

I have learned over time that I have a gift to serve, and I have compassion and mercy for this population. However, it has not always been easy to love the parents who had let their own children down. It was hard to forgive someone who repeatedly disappointed their child by not working their plan from the state to get them back.  Often, they would choose substances and partners over their children due to such strong addictions. 

When reading the scriptures we hear time after time, love your enemy, forgive, and show them mercy. This became a reality for me when I started to see biological parents as people who are good and deserving of love and outreach. I started fighting for not just the child but for their biological family to break the strongholds and be released into complete healing. 

I was able to speak of the glory and kingdom and God’s unconditional love for them and show the power of what he had done in my own life. 

Biological parents changed their perceptions of me and my family when they saw that we were for them. We loved them and genuinely wanted them to have their children back. We were able to show happiness and joy when the day came to reunite their family. Our foster children were able to see a good example of what it looked like when everyone was working as a team towards the same goal to reunify them back with their family. 

Fostering children allowed us to see and love people the way our heavenly father does. He never promised us it would be easy, and we certainly have had many days where we were mentally and emotionally exhausted, however, the end result was always a sense of reward and accomplishment. Our children were able to see what it looked like to love a stranger and show them grace the way God does. Our children became a light when they would share their parents and their rooms with kids who were scared and confused.

I cannot think of a better way to experience the love of God than being with hurting people in their hardest times. I am very humbled in the way we have been able to change a family and even contribute to changes within our own communities. I feel change is rooted in love…not just in the emotion, but in the doing. 

“Most people need Love and acceptance a lot more than they need advice”. 

“I used to want to fix people but now I just want to be with them.” – Bob Goff

We want to thank Katie Ssejjemba for sharing this post.

I cannot remember a time I did not know Jesus’ love for me. I knew when I left this earth I would go to heaven. But somehow, I missed the” For God so loved the world that He Gave” in John 3:16. I had separated Jesus, Who loved and saved me, from God the Father, Who I thought judged me and sometimes didn’t even like me. With this flawed thinking, I grew up very insecure and with low self-esteem. I was a people pleaser, wanting everyone to like me, and if they didn’t, I thought something must be wrong with me. I needed others to validate me and give me worth. This was a very dangerous position to be in. If someone spoke negative and condemning words and even curses over me, I took that in as truth, and it became self-destructive. 

One Sunday I heard our pastor say, “If you had been the only person here on earth, our Heavenly Father would still have sent His beloved son Jesus to suffer and die just for you. That’s how much he loves you!” (1 John 4:9, John 16:27) I heard this truth and hope sprang up in me! I wanted to know more about my Father’s love. I wanted a relationship with Him. I started reading the Bible and meditating on His love and what it was saying to me about who God said I was. The more our relationship grew, the more He revealed His love for me. This verse became my favorite verse…

“For I know the plans I have for you, says the Lord, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” Jeremiah 29:11

In the Bible you will find love to be the supreme and dominant attribute of God. I began to pray to see myself and others through my Fathers eyes. As the door to my heart opened to receive His amazing love, it began to overflow onto everyone who came into my life. I learned that you cannot give to others what you do not have yourself.

God taught me more about loving others through my relationship with my mother. My mother was a kind and godly woman who loved well. But in our relationship, there was something missing. It was almost as if there was a wall between us that kept her love from reaching me. Romans 8:28 says “And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love Him and have been called according to His purpose.”  I was given the blessing of being the caregiver for my mom when dementia robbed her of being able to care for herself. As the dementia progressed so did our relationship and our love grew for each other. Mother was slowly leaving us and needing more care. She would have accidents with her bowels and become so angry and embarrassed that she wouldn’t let anyone near her, except me. As I was driving to the home where she lived to help her, a song came on the radio,’ Worshiping with the Angels’. I wondered what that would be like and how wonderful it would be to be able to do that! After arriving and cleaning Mother up, I was clipping her toenails and that song popped into my mind. Tears began to flow when I heard the Holy Spirit say, “THIS IS WORSHIPING WITH THE ANGELS!” And then Mother began to sing “This is the day the Lord has made, let us rejoice and be glad in it.”

When we love and serve others, we are worshiping the Lord with the Angels!  

“And the king will answer them. Truly I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brothers, you did it to me.” Matthew 25:40

We cannot learn or make ourselves have Agape love. It only comes from our Heavenly Father, through His Son Jesus, to us and flows from us to others! 

“Whoever believes in me, as Scripture has said, rivers of living water will flow from within them.” John 7:38

Amen! Let it be so!!! 

We want to thank Elaine Norrell for sharing this post.

As I look back into my childhood, I have many wonderful memories. My grandmother, Agnes Obenhaus, was an amazing cook. And she shared her wisdom and experience of cooking with my mom.

One of our favorite things that she made was homemade German noodles. She made them every year for the holidays as far back as I can remember. She has been gone for many years now, but her noodles live on. My parents have carried on this tradition ever since. All of the family loves them and would be very disappointed if they were to not be present for our holiday meal!

This year my daughter wanted to learn to make them, so we spent the afternoon making the dough, rolling it out, cutting the noodles and hanging them to dry. We had four generations together making homemade German noodles to share with the family on Thanksgiving.

2/3 cup flour 
1 egg
1 T water 
1/2 t salt 
1 t oil

Make a well of flour. Barely mix egg, water, salt and oil. Add to flour and mix with hands until it forms a ball. Knead for 10 min. Let stand covered 1 hour. Pinch off and run thru 2 or 3 times to make thin. Then use slice attachment and hang to dry. 

We want to thank Rhonda Bain for sharing this post.

Christmas in the Dietrich home was and is still a time when family comes together, to cook or bake, put up Christmas decor and make memories. 

Starting right after Thanksgiving, Christmas decor would always go up in our home. My mom, sister and I enjoyed and putting out all the the Christmas Nativities. At night we would turn on Rudolph and all 5 of us would put up the Christmas tree together. Everyone had their special ornaments that only they could put on the tree. 

The advent book would be set out and ready for December 1st when we would start reading the Christmas story. The memory of reading the Christmas story throughout December is a tradition that I now do in our home. The memories spent reading about the birth of Christ are some I will never forget. 

And then there was the baking.  My grandmother would always bring Jello Christmas cookie dough(recipe below) to the house where she would let us cut them out with her metal cookie cutters and decorate them how we wanted. Martha Washington were/are our staple Christmas candy(recipe below.) Martha Washingtons are definitely a recipe that are fun to do with the family. Dipping tons of chocolate balls leads tons of laughter and messes, which lead to great memories. We would always make enough Martha Washington to share with our little grandpa, he was little in stature but big in heart. 

One of the earliest traditions I remember as a child was the matching Christmas dresses. These weren’t just any Christmas dresses, mom handmade them. One year she even made one for herself. This tradition has continued though my daughters and nieces. Last year my mom worked so hard and made 4 matching Christmas dresses for our little girls. They were so excited to all be matching and were even calling each other sisters instead of cousins. 

Christmas Eve was busy with preparations of getting ready for the Nativity at church. My favorite part of Christmas Eve at church was the candle lighting and singing of Silent Night. Today, Cole and I still find so much joy and peace at going to church on Christmas Eve. 

Christmas morning started early at our home with the smell of sausage balls(recipe below) baking and hot coco in a Christmas mug. Our stockings would always be filled with nuts, candy and some odd piece of fruit. Family would come over for a delicious lunch followed by great fellowship. 

I have so many great memories from Christmas growing up. I am now a mom of 4 precious kiddos and enjoy making our own family memories and traditions. Some are the same as when I was young and some are different but the focus is till the same. Christmas time is when we remember that our Father sent the savior down to earth as a baby who would live a perfect life and then sacrifice it for all of us. A sacrifice made so humbly so we could all live eternally with our Father.

Jello Cut out cookies 

1/2 cup of margarine 

1/2 crisco 

1 cup of sugar

1 3oz. pkg of jello any flavor 

3 eggs

3 cups of flour

1 tsp. of baking powder

1/2 tsp. Salt 

Cream shortening and margarine with sugar and jello until light and fluffy. Add eggs, 1 at a time and beat throughly. Add sifted dry ingredients and mix well. Chill for several hours. Roll about 1/3 of the dough at a time on flour surface about 1/4 inch thick. Cut with cookie cutters. Bake on un-greased cookie sheet at 375 degrees for about 8-10 minutes or until lightly browned. 

Martha Washingtons

2 lbs of powered sugar

1 can of eagle brand

1 stick of margarine 

1 cup of coconut(Optional) 

Mix together and add 2 cups of pecans

Make into balls and refrigerate for 30 minutes. While they are refrigerating heat up candy chocolates. Dip the balls and put back into the refrigerator for 30 minutes. Store in air tight container.   

Sausage Balls 

1lb of breakfast sausage

1lb of cheese 

2 cups of bisquick

Mix well together. Roll into small balls. Bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes.

We want to thank JoBeth Dietrich and Bethany Williams for sharing this post.  

In our busy everyday schedules and in our effort to make Christmas special, we can sometimes forget what Christmas is truly all about. “Keeping Jesus” as the main focus of Christmas was what moved me to start some Christmas traditions for my young family. Some of the traditions were passed on from my parents and grandparents. Like observing Advent…this is the expectant waiting and preparation for both the celebration of the birth of Christ and the return of Christ. It begins four Sundays before Christmas. You light a candle at the beginning of each week, there is a devotion every day centered around the coming of Jesus. One year we made a tree skirt that told the story of Jesus birth, we also baked a birthday cake for Jesus on Christmas day.

The Christmas cookie making started when our children were very young and still at home. Of course we had to use my grandmother and Tante’s (aunt in German) Christmas cookie recipe. It wasn’t just the wonderful taste of the cookies but the anticipation of going to my grandparents and playing with my cousins, the feeling of love and family. We have carried this tradition on with our children, grandchildren, and great grandchildren.  We still try to pick a day around Thanksgiving when most of our family is here to make our cookies. Some come home Thanksgiving just for the cookie making. Those who can’t be here have started their own tradition in their homes or wherever they may be, sometimes carting homemade cookie dough all over the state of Texas just to continue the tradition.  

Christmas is the season of love, joy, giving, and family. Traditions are a way of combining all of those into one beautiful package.  I can’t explain the feelings of blessing and joy watching my family laughing, sometimes throwing flour and smearing icing on each other or just enjoying being together. Seeing the children’s eyes wide with wonder and imagination. Decorating their cookies, licking their icing sticks (we do send their own cookies home with them – ha ha) and getting icing all over their faces. Those special times of being gathered together for one tradition also may lead to other traditions. The grandkids (Stewart & Elaine’s) after making Christmas cookies would put on a play for the adults to end a wonderful day of fun, food, and family. 

These are some of our most treasured memories. If we’re having a bad day all we have to do is look at some pictures of our cookie baking days and the children’s plays, then remember how blessed we are. 

We want to thank Elaine Norrell and Torrie Gilleland for sharing this post.

My husband Heath and I have been married for 10 years now, and when we were just dating back in 2011 I was the full time assistant manager at maurices. I worked there for 4 years, and during that time one of the requirements was to offer the option of signing up for the credit card to every single one of our customers. And if you know me very well, you know I love to SHOP, and being immersed in an environment of new clothes all the time did not help my self-control in regards to my card swiping abilities. We were encouraged to wear current clothes there to be a walking mannequin to the customers (makes sense, right?) My manager at the time talked me into getting the credit card (my first one ever) and from an innocent place, I truly thought I could use it and pay it off on paydays. Full disclosure – did I ask my husband if he thought that credit card was a good idea? NOPE. I want to encourage you here: our husbands often provide wisdom when our brains want to act impulsively (the opposite of self-control, I might add). More on that later though. 

We have been learning this year in 2 Peter chapter 1 that God has given us the ability to share in his divine nature (verse 4) but keep reading! The rest of the passage says we are able to escape the world’s corruption caused by human desires through these precious promises. 

Don’t you think human (aka fleshly) desires are the biggest cause for us to deliberately choose to not have self-control and just live on impulse? Human desires like keeping up with the Jones’, upholding an image we really don’t have or that we think we need, thinking we constantly need to have all the brand new stuff, when in reality we need to be content with what we have. 

I mean think about it; when we actually slow down, take a deep breath, and give ourselves time to truly assess something, we typically end up making a better choice simply because we are allowing not only our own minds to process, but we are allowing the Holy Spirit to speak to us regarding the situation. And like verse 6 says in our scripture, we are to supplement our knowledge with self-control and our self-control with patient endurance (aka perseverance). I don’t think that was said in that order on accident. 

So more on my story; I got a credit card without talking with my husband first. Before getting it, I honestly already shopped way too much and I thought a credit card would somehow help our paycheck to paycheck finances we were living with (and boy was I wrong.) 

Growing up, I shopped until I dropped with family members and friends, and often. It was all I had ever known, and I never really knew it was supposed to be or could be different. And I’ve learned now that there’s a better way. 

As a woman, shopping is one of those things that I *think* will make me feel better, and it might for a moment, but in the end I usually just get mad that I impulsively bought something that I may or may not have needed, spent money we could have used somewhere else or saved, and then end up frustrated that I feel like I have to hide it from my husband because of that, instead of remembering that my joy comes from Christ alone. Doesn’t that sound exhausting?

Most times when it feels like we are lacking self-control, we are simply not dwelling in God’s precious promises and his divine nature. We’ve allowed those human desires to take root and let the enemy convince us that our ways are better. 

Often times, having self-control can seem impossible, whether you’re a woman who struggles with impulse buying and shopping behind your husband’s back, or if you struggle with over eating or turning to other things for comfort in moments of distress or overwhelm. 

In whatever area you struggle with self-control in, God is asking you to let Christ rule as King in your heart. We can have self-control because God is in control.

If I can tell you anything about my past experience today, it’s that I wish I had been more vulnerable to share my struggles with other women in our church. I was ashamed and I allowed the enemy to convince me that no other Godly woman I knew could possibly be struggling in this area like I was. I just needed to suck it up and deal with it on my own. That is a big fat lie my friends, and no matter what your struggle is regarding self-control, there is someone out there who can help you, pray for you, and provide practical resources to allow you to work through whatever it is. 

Upon my confession to my husband about the debt I had developed with my credit card, I realized I needed to truly surrender to what the Bible says about wives being submissive to their husbands. I learned that true self-control comes from a surrendered heart, and that I honestly needed to surrender to the obedience of Christ so that I could experience the fullness of God’s promises (which, like our scripture says, is our own ability to live in God’s divine nature because it’s our own). 

I want to encourage you today to be honest with yourself. Maybe you need to admit there’s an area of your life where you need God’s help in applying and practicing self-control. My advice to you is to share that with someone you trust and then surrender it to the Lord in prayer together. We have the King of Kings on our side and the opportunity to allow Him to rule in our hearts. Remember, self-control comes from a surrendered heart, and we can have self-control because God is in control. 

We would like to thank Paige Keller for sharing this post.

The definition of control in the dictionary is “to exercise restraint or direction over.”  Some synonyms are “dominate” and “command”.  That seems to mean that self-control would be how we exercise restraint over ourselves.  

At first glance, it looks like self-control is me taking the bull by the horns and using my willpower to do the right things and stop doing the wrong things.  I found out I can do that – with some things. 

Outward signs of self-control are the easiest to achieve.  However, self-control is more than just “being good”.  Even when I was lost, I could “be good” in front of people like my mom or my grandmother, or people at church.     

How many of you know that we can hold it together on the outside, at church or in public, when there is still a lot of out-of-control stuff happening behind closed doors or in our hearts and minds?  Trying to present a nice front for other people is not going to work for long.  

Self-control is my will yielding to His will by His power.

After Kelly and I were married, I really struggled with controlling my tongue.  If we had an argument, I would say we should get a divorce.  I never meant it, and I KNEW this was not God’s will, but words seemingly just rolled out of my mouth.  I know that I hurt him many times when all that was going on.  Here I was, a pastor’s wife, and I was yielding to my hormones and my sharp tongue!  I felt miserable and guilty almost all the time, and I stayed under condemnation because I didn’t seem to know how to stop this cycle. It was all about yielding – to the evil words, to bad temper, to feelings. 

God has the answer for us.

Self-control is my will, my hormones, my feelings, and my temper yielding to His will by His power.  

The book of Romans has so much to say about the issue of control.   

Romans 6:12-13 says, “Do not let sin control the way you live.  Do not give in to sinful desires.  Do not let any part of your body become an instrument of evil to serve sin.”   

That’s good!  That’s what I want to do!  How?   

13b goes on, “Instead, give yourselves completely to God, for you were dead, but now you have a new life.  So, use your whole body as an instrument to do what is right for the glory of God.” 

Instead of giving in, or yielding, to my smart mouth, I must give my mouth completely to God!  And that’s going to take some discipline on my part. 

It takes practice to be able to continually yield any part of our bodies to the Holy Spirit instead of yielding to our old nature.  And that practice is called discipline.  When discipline is required for something, I’ve learned that the enemy comes in with his lies to tell us things like: 

• This is just the way you are. 
• You’ve already made too many mistakes. 
• You will never be able to stop this. 

The enemy says these same lies, whatever it is that you are trying to overcome.  

Condemnation is another tool of the enemy to keep us from turning to God and from yielding to the Holy Spirit.  Even a person who is saved can be living under condemnation when they have not received the truth about the gift of grace.  Each time I failed, I developed a worse and worse opinion of myself.  I thought that I would eventually drive my husband away, and I didn’t know what to do about it.  He always forgave me, but I feared that I had done irreparable damage to our marriage.  Something had to stop the cycle! 

I had been so focused on what I was doing wrong that I could not overcome it!  When we spend so much of our time thinking about the sins we have committed and worrying about how to make ourselves stop doing them, we are dominated by our sinful nature.  We are not living in the freedom from sin that we have in Christ. 

Letting go of condemnation and receiving forgiveness is a big part of yielding to the Holy Spirit.  It removes our focus from our sins and places our focus on who we are in Christ.  Then we can yield to the Spirit and not to our fears or condemnation. 

The key to self-control is yielding everything I understand about my mind, my will, my emotions, and every part of me to everything I understand about God by power of the Holy Spirit.  Self-control is living in the freedom of Christ!

We want to thank Sheri Warren for sharing this post.

In worship yesterday, there were two lines in two different songs that moved me to tears. I just couldn’t stop crying. I’ve been thinking about those lines ever since…

“I need you more than the air that I breathe.”

“You’re never gonna let me down.”

My tears weren’t sad tears or happy tears. They were overwhelmed-by-the-goodness-of-God tears. 

It’s good for us to be reminded that we need Him. Desperately. It’s the most vulnerable place to be to need Someone more than something that keeps our lungs filled to stay alive. But here in this season, I really do need Him more than the air I breathe. I don’t want to just stay alive…I want to live. 

I’ve been thinking a lot about this verse. It was a prayer that Jeremiah prayed. 

“I know, Lord, that our lives are not our own. We are not able to plan our own course.” Jeremiah 10:23

Our lives are not our own. When we chose Him, we chose to lay it all down. Our plans. Our dreams. Our rights. Our everything. We don’t like to think much about this truth. When the Apostle Paul says, “To live is Christ, to die is gain”, it’s much easier to skim past that verse than to count the cost of living it out. 

The theme for this month in our women’s ministry is self-control and what I’ve come to realize is that I don’t struggle with self-control when I’m fully aware that my life is not my own. If my life isn’t my own, there’s nothing for me to control. But when I start losing sight of this truth, when I start taking the helm of my life, I begin to spin out of control. 

“You keep her in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on you, because she trusts in you.” Isaiah 26:3

I have always loved this verse. I memorized it this way…with her and she instead of him and he. God woke me up with this verse a couple of weeks ago, so I decided to dig a little deeper into its meaning. The Hebrew word for mind in this verse could also be translated as mindset or frame of mind. This word also means pottery formed by the potter. We could paraphrase the verse this way…

You keep her in perfect peace who’s settled that she is the clay, and You are the potter, because she trusts You. 

Self-control isn’t about taking control; it’s about releasing it. But not to just anyone…to Someone. The Someone that is “never gonna let us down.” He’s the potter. We’re the clay. He’s the peace-giver. We’re the peace-receiver. 

If this isn’t a truth that we meditate on daily, we’ll drift from the awareness of it. I know this all too well. When my mom died, I didn’t think there would ever be a day that would go by that I wouldn’t think of her. But after 33 years of being without her, there are many days that, sadly, I don’t remember her at all. 

Several months ago, my Dad and stepmom gave me a bag they found with some of my mom’s needlework projects. When I picked this one up, I couldn’t help but run my finger over each colorful stitch, knowing she had touched the thread too.

What was she thinking about each time her needle plunged up and down through the fabric? Surely, she was thinking of me and my sister as she stitched each word. As I ran my finger over them, it connected me to her in a way I haven’t felt connected to her in years. 

So, early this morning, I decided to go outside and plant my bare feet in the grass. His creation. I wanted to touch something He had touched. To feel connected to Him. 

There was no trace of the sun on the horizon and there were still stars in the sky over our quiet corner of the country. The dew was cold and refreshing under my feet and the only sound I could hear was the whir of the well motor in the field across the road and then there it was…the awareness.

The awareness that He is big, and I am small, and yet, He’s near. 

The awareness that He is in control, and I am not, and yet, I’m free. 

The awareness that He is the potter, and I am the clay, and yet, I’m at peace. 

He gave me life and breathed His breath into my lungs, and I am most aware in this moment that my life is not my own, and yet, I’m truly living.

We would like to thank Amber Curry for sharing this post.

Do you feel like you are in control of your life or are things controlling you? Most of us deal with some sort of “vise” that seems to take control of us if we aren’t careful. It could be that you have lost control by spending too much, eating too much, drinking too much, scrolling social media too much, exercising too much, and even watching too much tv. But did you know that God has given us everything we need to have self-control?

All year, we have focused on the following verses:

2 Peter 1:5-9 For this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge; and to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control, perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness; and to godliness, mutual affection; and to mutual affection, love. For if you possess these qualities in increasing measure, they will keep you from being ineffective and unproductive in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. But whoever does not have them is nearsighted and blind, forgetting that they have been cleansed from their past sins.

Notice, since God has made His power available to us and has given us everything we need for a life of holiness, that means we can have self-control as Christians. It’s not an impossible task.

We also see from this passage that self-control is part of a chain of qualities that we should have in our lives and should grow in. That’s what Peter means when he speaks of possessing those “qualities in increasing measure.” We should take heart in realizing that all of us experience this process of growth. None of us have finally arrived. We’re all on the same journey together as we grow in these qualities, including self-control!

Exercise is not a sin. Scrolling social media is not a sin. Shopping is not a sin. However, anything that controls us can cause us to stumble. I don’t believe God wants to shame us or make us feel guilty about doing any of these things. However, when we put all those things BEFORE God, then we aren’t growing in our relationship TO HIM!

When we become a follower of Christ, that doesn’t take away everything that controls us. But the Bible reminds us that the world no longer controls us, but He who lives in us leads and guides us. 

Ephesians 4:22-24 “in reference to your former way of life, you are to rid yourselves of the old self, which is being corrupted in accordance with the lusts of deceit, and that you are to be renewed in the spirit of your minds, and to put on the new self, which in the likeness of God has been created in righteousness and holiness of the truth.

 I want to give you practical ways to help you when you want to gain control over these areas:

These suggestions are not exhaustive, but here are a few practical ideas for exercising godly self-control, as seen in Scripture:

Step 1. Renew your mind through God’s Word. “Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect” (Romans 12:2).

Step 2. Pray for the Holy Spirit’s help. “I do not cease to give thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers, that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and of revelation in the knowledge of him…and what is the immeasurable greatness of his power toward us who believe” (Ephesians 1:16,17-19).

Step 3. Confess your habits to God and others. “But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us from all sin” (1 John 1:7).  Look to Scripture or people in your life who lived a life of self-control. Ask yourself: what made them different? What kinds of habits did they include in their lives? 

Step 4. Identify and remove your triggers. “…put off your old self, which belongs to your former manner of life and is corrupt through deceitful desires, and to be renewed in the spirit of your minds, and to put on the new self, created after the likeness of God in true righteousness and holiness” (Ephesians 4:22-24).

Step 5: Develop a plan: Develop an action plan to help you overcome those areas where you need to have self-control. Be as specific as possible. Use apps when necessary. Find people who will hold you accountable. Look for people who are going to be tough and who you know will help you stick to your action plan.

Step 6. Remember the gospel when you fail. “Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need” (Hebrews 4:16).

Praise God for the magnification of his grace in our weakness, as we pursue the important exercise of self-control, which is highly glorifying to him and the wonder of his eternal gospel! 

When you realize that you aren’t giving control of your life to Christ, it can lead to a path of destruction. You will spend time seeking after worldly desires instead of Godly desires.

But when you surrender your life to Christ, you will begin to see the fruit of the Holy Spirit in all areas of your life. And just like the verse in Peter that we’ve been studying all year, His (Christ’s) divine power has given us everything we need for a godly life through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness.

We want to thank Vickie Young for sharing this post.

Kindness by the very definition is the quality of being friendly, generous, and considerate. That word quality has always stuck out to me. When we imagine anything of materialistic possession, we tend to lean to the cliche of “Quality vs Quantity.” The quality of our kindness is equally important to the quantity of people we come into contact with on a daily basis. Being friendly seems easy enough but when someone is not being friendly toward us, it takes that extra nudge from the Holy Spirit to say, “today I will not give in to flesh and continue to walk in kindness.” Generosity is so much more than purchasing that morning coffee for the car behind you. Being considerate of others places us in line with obedience to the Lord calling us to be selfless.

I love reading my bible in The Message translation. It always hits in just a different way. Romans 12: 9-10 says “Love from the center of who you are; don’t fake it. Run for dear life from evil; hold on for dear life to good. Be good friends who love deeply; practice playing second fiddle.” Whew, that’s so good! Love from the center of who you are! Out of the abundance of your heart, soul, depths of it all, pour out your love to others. God says “run” from evil and hold on for dear life to what is good. 

In our home, we recently had this very issue come up. Around spring break, we knew God was calling us to pull our boys out of public school and place them on a homeschool curriculum. There were many things lacking in the district they were in, and peace needed to be restored in our home. They had so many questions. “Mom, what do we do if we see our old friends? What if the bullies come up to us in the store?” “How do I answer if my teachers ask me what’s wrong and why we left?” My answer was the same with each question, “Baby Love, you just be kind. Do not respond with hateful comments. Kind words and kind responses. The Bible says a kind answer will turn away wrath, so just be nice.” 

As they now get up and get ready for the day, they say this scripture over themselves, “I choose to put on (shirt) compassion, (pants) kindness, (socks) humility, (shoes) gentleness, and (hair) patience.” Colossians 3:12. This is their daily confession. As we prepare for another day, starting it this way just sets the tone for who they come into contact with. 

The bible calls all believers brothers and sisters in Christ, and in John 13:34 Jesus gives the commandment to love each other just as He had loved those surrounding Him. In this chapter, first, Jesus washes the feet of the disciples. Then He talks about His betrayal, and in the verse where he is telling us to love just as He did, He also gives a glimpse in how one of His beloved followers will deny Him.

Ouch! That one hurts!! Jesus is sitting there telling us to love our brothers and sisters so deeply with the same love as He gave to us, knowing there will be days where we may say or do something we regret. Maybe just like in Peter’s case, we will say those things or do those actions more than one time in the same day. However, there’s always grace in the kindness we show to others. There’s always mercy in the forgiveness of our hearts when we show that kindness and it isn’t received with its proper intention. Each day is a challenge. God knew it would be. But by choosing to cover ourselves in the most beautiful attributes He gave us and beginning our days with, “Today, I will Love like Jesus,” those days won’t be perfect, but each one will be better than the day before. Every interaction we have is another opportunity to show the love of the Father. In actions, in words, in reaction, in silence. It’s all in the choice to be kind.

We want to thank Ashton Riddle for sharing this post.

The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, KINDNESS, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self control. Galatians 5:34-35

Brotherly kindness. That brings so many things to my mind. Some are big, some are small, but all touch someone’s life.  

The example of brotherly kindness that came to my mind first was the story of the Good Samaritan found in Luke 10:25-37. When the expert of the law asked Jesus “what must I do to inherit eternal life?”, Jesus asked him what was written in the law. The answer was, “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind’, and, ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’”  That’s when Jesus shared the parable of the Samaritan helping the injured man on the road. Three people came upon the beaten man who was half dead-a Priest, a Levite, and a Samaritan.  It was the Samaritan who showed true brotherly kindness to the man. He took care of him and paid for a place for him to heal. The Samaritan loved this stranger with all his heart, all his soul, all his strength, and all his mind. To me, this is a huge example of brotherly kindness.

The second command was to “Love your neighbor as yourself”. If we stop to think about this, do we really do that, or even attempt that? In this day and time showing brotherly kindness has taken a backseat to self. With social media we feel the freedom to say or respond to things anyway we want to. We spew hatred, judgement, and our own agendas with words we would never say to that person’s face. We feel like we have a “right” to share what we think. Ephesians 4:32 says, “Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.” If we truly shared brotherly kindness with each other, there would not be so much division in our country, our state, our community or our families.  

So, how do we show brotherly kindness?  It doesn’t have to be as big as the story of the Good Samaritan.  It could be as simple as smiling at a stranger we pass in Walmart. It could be opening a door or holding a door open for someone. It could be slowing down to allow someone to enter your lane of traffic (and not yelling at them to speed up). It could be telling the customer service representative to have a blessed day, especially after they have dealt with a long line of customers. And the list could go on.

I personally like to show brotherly kindness with a smile. I like to smile. I like to see other people respond with a smile. It was so hard for me during Covid when everyone was required to wear a mask. I couldn’t see people’s smiles and they couldn’t see mine. I’m so glad those days are past. Your act of brotherly kindness might be a handshake, a word of comfort, serving someone a cup of coffee, rocking a baby in Kid City, etc. The list is endless. Find your gift of sharing brotherly kindness. John 4:32 says, “A new command I give you. Love one another.  As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this all men will know that you are my disciple, if you love one another.” Your act of brotherly kindness could change the world-one person at a time.

We want to thank Hope Warren for sharing this post.

It’s cool to be kind. Such a popular quote to put on a T-shirt. As a teacher and mom, I love this quote. Out of the striving to be “cool” I see amongst the kids, I think initiating kindness should always be the first step, but sometimes we fall short. Today I want to talk about how we implement kindness in our everyday life to express to those around us they are loved and chosen.

The first and most powerful way we implement kindness is through the words we speak.

“Gracious words are a honeycomb, sweet to the soul and healing to the bones.”
Proverbs 16:24 NIV

I know when I speak, words of kindness aren’t always coming out of my mouth. I feel frustration; people aren’t perfect, and neither am I, but the Bible tells us the importance of our words. This specific verse tells us our words bring healing to the bones. I want others to be healed. I want the kindness that flows out of my mouth to lead souls to Christ. I want the children who surround me to be led to the feet of Jesus every time I speak. I want them to know it’s “cool to be kind” based on the life changing words that come out of my mouth. I want the desire of gossip to flee in the name of Jesus and unity to be spoken over every circumstance I find myself in. We as women have a big role to play in implementing kindness in our families, our jobs, our community. Let’s start with our words.

Another way we implement kindness is through the way we act.

“Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience.”
Colossians 3:12

We are God’s chosen people set out to lead others to Christ. What a cool privilege we have! When I wake up and get dressed, not only do I want to clothe myself physically, but I want to clothe myself spiritually as well. I want to prepare myself in such a way that I am ready to face adversity with fruitfulness. I want to face negativity with positivity. I want to face an unkind world with kindness.

We are not only surrounded by brothers and sisters in Christ, but we are also surrounded by the lost. If one lost sheep can find their home in Jesus Christ through my kindness, then every bit of effort to watch my words and my actions will be worth it.

It’s cool to be kind!

We want to thank Sarah Perry for sharing this post.

Haven’t there been some great teachings on moral excellence this month? If you haven’t had chance, go back and listen online or read the blogs from this month, you will be encouraged. 

Choosing to have moral excellence is laying down my own agendas every day to my own moral standards and partaking in the divine nature we have been discussing about all year. 2 Peter 1:3 His divine power has given us everything we need for a godly life through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness. If I’m being honest, it can be hard, sometimes I let my standard of living be influenced by the world and not by the living scriptures. Sometimes there are even consequences to me choosing the worlds standards of living instead of God’s.

My husband and I lived the first five years of our marriage being swayed towards the world’s standard for how a husband and wife should live together.  Well, with the influence of the world came consequences. Two of them being that we were constantly bickering at each other, and we were not happy to be around each other. Around year 5 of marriage something changed though. We started church at Harvest and started to become partakers of His divine nature.

In the Bible story of Sodom and Gomorrah, Abraham pleaded with God to save his nephew Lot. The people from Sodom and Gomorrah were not living in moral excellence, but Lot was righteous, and God agreed to save him and his family (Genesis 18). At the end of chapter 19 when Lot and his family were trying to get out before the city was destroyed; something happens.

Genesis: 19:17 As soon as the angels had brought them out, one of them spoke. He said, “Run for your lives! Don’t look back! Don’t stop anywhere in the valley! Run to the mountains! If you don’t, you will be swept away!” 

The Angel of the Lord tells them not to look back or they will be swept away. In verse 25 & 26 you see a consequence of Lot’s wife not obeying what God commands of them. 

25 The Lord destroyed these cities and the whole valley. All the people who were living in the cities were wiped out. So were the plants in the land. 26 But Lot’s wife looked back. When she did, she became a pillar made out of salt.

Lot’s wife chose to look back. It doesn’t say what she’s looking back to. Maybe her friends, her home, or maybe just curious, but whatever it was, she chooses to not obey God’s commands and she received a consequence for that. 

So, when you choose to live a moral life, try not to look back at your past, choose to take up the divine nature of Jesus Christ because obeying His commands always come with blessing. Read His word, build a relationship with Him and choose to stay on that path. 

And when you do look back, make a mistake, or fall back into that unmoral habit, because we do, repent for it. Repent simply means turning around and getting back in line with what Jesus wants for your life. 

My husband and I can still go back to the place where we were in those early years, but we quickly repent. We want to get back on track with the moral standard God wants for our marriage because we have seen blessings and fruit from that choice. Choosing God’s standard in your morals is always the best course to take for living the life He has intended for you. It’s also the best path to take to receive the blessings he has for you. 

We want to thank Bethany Williams for sharing this post.

I grew up being a check list gal. If you told me the rules, I could 100% do what you asked. In Church, I was a box checker for character, a rule follower. On the same note, I associated sin and repentance with guilt and shame. 

The moment I had someone explain to me that with repentance, we simply turn from, change our mind about the sin, and align our thoughts, desires, and heart with God, life seemed to make more sense. This deeper understanding in turn helped me in my convictions and ease of repentance. 

I have had the same issue with Moral excellence as a Christian. When I think of those words, my brain floods with everything I’ve ever done wrong, how I am not a “good enough” Christian. But if you actually look up virtue, or moral excellence, one definition is: “the quality of doing what is right, and avoiding what is wrong”

It’s simple. God asks us to do what is right and avoid what is wrong…. 

In our theme verse for the year, God asks us to live in moral excellence so that we can escape the corruption in this world because of sinful desires.  2 Peter 1:9 says, “For whoever lacks these qualities is so nearsighted that he is blind, having forgotten that he was cleansed from his former sins.”

God calls us to do what is right. And he gives us the wisdom to discern. 

Do what is right. In how we speak to our children, our husbands, how we speak about people. In our work, in our hospitality. In what we watch on TV. What we share on Facebook. What we do in secret, and in the light. God asks us to do what is right, and avoid what isn’t. And when we misstep, he asks us to turn from, repent, and realign our mindset with God’s heart. 

We don’t have to stay stuck in guilt and shame. God has a fruitful joy filled life for us. 

God gives us a roadmap on how to get through life and experience his promises. That doesn’t mean hard times won’t happen, but he has graciously shared how we experience an abundant life because of HIM. When we choose what is wrong- it brings strife, conflict, exhaustion, frustration, and hardship. But if we choose to walk in what God has called us to, leaving our old ways behind daily, and always looking forward, striving for goodness and virtue… we can experience the life that God promised us.

My prayer for you is that you can shut out any guilt or shame of the past. REMEMBER you have been forgiven, and walk forward, striving for moral excellence so that you can experience the blessings of God, and be a blessing FROM God to others.

We want to thank Lori Johnson for sharing this post.

Let me tell you, you’re in GOOD company. 

Everyone has done this at one time or another. We all say things we regret and we’ve all “put our foot in our mouth”. 

The question is, what do we do after we’ve messed up and said the wrong thing?

First, we acknowledge it. The only way to change is to acknowledge where we’re at and move towards where we want to be. 

We also need to apologize and then move on. God forgives you, most people will understand and will forgive you and you must forgive yourself. 

One of my favorite verses I pray, most days is Psalm 141:3 “Set a guard over my mouth, Lord; keep watch over the door of my lips.” 

Submitting my mouth to the Lord has helped me “think before I speak.”

Being aware of your tendencies, submitting to God and asking him to help you, and apologizing when you’ve made a mistake will make you a better communicator all around.

We would like to thank Julie Snellgrove for answering this question.

I have heard the term “moral excellence” many times throughout my life, but I never truly understood what it meant. In my mind, excellence was equal to perfection. Perfectionism and people pleasing have been struggles of mine for as long as I can remember. Because perfection is unattainable, living life in this mind set led to many insecurities, fear, and self-doubt, which led me to believe I could not make a difference in the kingdom. Instead of being bold and speaking up at times when I should have, it was easier to be invisible. When people don’t notice you, they don’t see your failures. I couldn’t be perfect, so I didn’t want to be seen.

Thankfully, through maturing in my walk with Christ and through discipleship, I have been letting down my “shield of invisibility”. I had a choice to make and was ready to step into who he created me to be. I could choose to partake of his divine nature or continue the path of pridefulness and perfectionism. If moral excellence doesn’t mean I need to be perfect, what does it mean? I’m going to be vulnerable and admit that it took a lot of prayer and diving deeper into the definitions of perfectionism and moral excellence for this blog before I truly began to see the difference between the two.  

What I discovered is perfection is striving to be better than everyone else, but moral excellence is striving to be better than what one already is. Perfection puts the focus on worldly characteristics whereas moral excellence puts the focus on building Christ-like character. Webster defines moral excellence as “the quality of doing what is right and avoiding what is wrong”.  In other words, living a life of moral excellence means living with virtue and integrity.

As followers of Christ, we are called to increase in moral excellence so we will not be “ineffective and unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ” (2 Peter 1:8). I don’t know about you, but I have spent too many years as ineffective and unfruitful. I would much rather grow in knowledge and virtue and have a heart open and ready to be used by the Lord. So where do we learn how to practice moral excellence? 

First, through the example of Jesus-the only one who is, and ever will be, perfect! The first thing that comes to mind when I think of Jesus and moral excellence is Matthew 4:1-11 when Jesus is tempted in the wilderness. Even through hunger and exhaustion, Jesus resisted temptation (and used scripture to do so).

Second, through being diligent about spending time in prayer and in God’s word. Jesus was able to use scripture in response to Satan’s temptations because he knew the word in his heart. Through reading God’s word and hiding it in our heart, we will learn what Christ-like character looks like and how to respond like Jesus against the corruption of the world.

Across the nation, there seems to be more and more churches teaching “Progressive Christianity”. If you are unfamiliar, this movement seeks to re-define or re-interpret the Bible and the Christian faith. There is also a Christian deconstruction trend all over social media-which has ultimately led to many abandoning their faith. Instead of doing what is right and avoiding what is wrong, so many have chosen to adopt the practices of the world. Peter writes “be all the more diligent to confirm your calling and election, for if you practice these qualities you will never fall” (2 Peter 1:10). We must consistently study God’s word, spend time with the Lord in prayer, and choose to stand for biblical truth. Not to show the world how “perfect” we are, but to show them who Jesus is. 

We want to thank Courtney Harper for sharing this post.

You asked, and we answered! Over the next few weeks we will be sharing some of the questions that were submitted during our 2022 Harvest Women’s Retreat, and the answers from some of the women in our church.

When I let fear start to creep in:

For God has not given us a spirit of fear and timidity, but of power, love, and self-discipline. 2 Timothy 1:7

When I become overwhelmed, I remind my self of who He is:

He says, “Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth.” The Lord Almighty is with us; the God of Jacob is our fortress. Psalm 46:10-11 

When I doubt, I cry out:

… “I do believe; help me overcome my unbelief!” Mark 9:24 

When I need a reminder of His faithfulness:

“I lift up my eyes to the hills. From where does my help come? My help comes from the LORD, who made heaven and earth..” Psalm 121 

We want to thank Sandra Villa for answering this question.

The definition of moral excellence is doing what is right and avoiding what is wrong. 

After looking up this definition I thought to myself, “oh yes, I do that”. I have stood strongly to my convictions. Growing up, I chose to strive for moral excellence because I wanted to be a good example to my 3 younger siblings. I withstood the pressures of high school and college without doing the bad things. But then I caught myself wondering what about now and felt God leading me to dig deeper. 

Moral excellence is the pursuit of the moral will of God in every area of life. Not just the big things. Do I do this? Do I show moral excellence in all things? Do my small children who are always watching see moral excellence in me? I found a definition that mediocrity is undeserving of blame but unworthy of praise. I don’t want to be that. I want to be morally excellent. 

In order to be morally excellent we need to have the desire to please and glorify God. 1 Corinthians 10:31 states, “So whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God.” 

To glorify God means we value Him and honor Him in our actions. God is glorified when we obey Him and live the way He calls us to live. I want others to see God in me. 

The desire to please and glorify God isn’t to earn His love but instead is because we love Him. 1 John 2:5 says, “But those who obey God’s word truly show how completely they love him. That is how we know we are living in him.” 

God wants our willingness to do what he asks of us. He wants us to choose what is right and avoid what is wrong. God loves us and wants the best for us.  Making wise choices sows blessings now and for the future. “Be careful to obey all my commands, so that all will go well with you and your children after you, because you will be doing what is good and pleasing to the Lord your God.” Deuteronomy 12:28

Choosing moral excellence glorifies God, but it is also for our good. Let’s choose to glorify God in all things. 

We’d like to thank Bailey Adams for sharing this post.

You asked, and we answered! Over the next few weeks we will be sharing some of the questions that were submitted during our 2022 Harvest Women’s Retreat, and the answers from some of the women in our church.

There are probably many ways to introduce a non-believing spouse to attending church, but I feel the most effective way is through our life groups. The settings of our life groups are informal and a great place for fellowship and an introduction to people just like you and your spouse. Life groups and fellowship give a great opportunity to invite people to the church in a more comfortable atmosphere.

I would also like to add, there is no greater invitation than living a life of example to our spouses. Jesus is the greatest example of how we should approach an open invitation of salvation to people we love. Galatians 5 tells us about the fruits of the spirit that help us display Jesus in our homes and in our marriages. What does the heart of God look like? Patient? Kind? Gentle? Loving? I think these attributes help us draw our spouses into the open invitation of Jesus.

We would like to thank Crissy Urrutia for sharing this answer.

“ …and this is my prayer: that your love may abound more and more in knowledge and depth of insight, so that you may be able to discern what is best and may be pure and blameless for the day of Christ, filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ- to the glory and praise of God.” Phil. 1:9-11

In this prayer of Paul and in 2 Peter we are called, as children of the Heavenly Father, to pursue the moral excellence of God’s will. To become a reflection of Jesus. I don’t know about you, but this would scare me into not even trying if it stopped there. But we have been given all the promises of God, and His Spirit living within us, to help us accomplish the purpose for which He has called us.

  “ …and if someone takes your cloak, do not withhold your tunic as well.” Luke 6:29

My father had the reputation of following this principle. People would say of him “… if you ask Joe Bontke for the shirt off his back, he would also give you his coat, pants and shoes as well.” He gave whatever he had to help someone in need. Family, neighbors, and acquaintances were always borrowing money, farm equipment, whatever they needed and not returning it or bringing it back broken. I never saw my father angry or worried. My mother would be the one to be upset and angry, telling him he was being taken advantage of and that they were just using him. Dad would just say, “it’s going to be okay, it will all work out”.

I would love to say I take after my father, but truth is I am more like my mother. I did marry a man like my father. Stewart is a good example of the pursuit of moral excellence. He believes and lives, that whatever you do, do it with all your heart, as to the Lord and not to man. Colossians 3:23.

Moral excellence is not merely a matter of what is good over what is bad, but what excels and is best. Going that extra mile. Doing what is right even when no one is looking. It is wanting God‘s will in every area of our life. This includes values, attitudes, priorities, goals, or purposes, how we live and act in our homes, at the office, at church, in our community, one’s hobbies and entertainment.

People are watching us in how we speak, how we act and how we live our lives. The old saying that we might be the only Bible some people will ever read, is true.

A few years ago our son-in-law, Matt Gilleland, came to share with us how God had blessed him at his work that day. Matt was manager of a fertilizer chemical company here in Plainview. One of their trucks broke down around the Clarendon area. It was late in the afternoon and Matt was not able to find a mechanic willing to go check the truck to see if it could be fixed. He had about given up but had one more lead. This man also said no, but while visiting with Matt found that his family farm was next to my family farm. He told Matt of how good my father was to them and how they had been helped so many times. My father left a legacy for his family and his granddaughter’s husband received one of the blessings.

   “… do not be conformed to this world but be transformed by the renewing of the mind.” Rom.12:1-2

How do we have our mind renewed? We asked the Holy Spirit to fill us, give us faith, wisdom and understanding. We receive the truth of knowing how much we are loved by our Heavenly Father and who we are in Christ. We meditate and study His Word, and this grows our relationship with Him. This is a lifelong journey, not a short weekend trip.

I want to be a reflection of Jesus and leave a beautiful legacy for my family. I never want anyone to wonder if I’m a Christian, but to know without a doubt that I am! When I pass from this life, I want to hear these words from my Heavenly Father “WELL DONE DAUGHTER! WELCOME HOME.”

We would like to thank Elaine Norrell for sharing this post.

You asked, and we answered! Over the next few weeks we will be sharing some of the questions that were submitted during our 2022 Harvest Women’s Retreat, and the answers from some of the women in our church.

Check out this video to hear Laura Brandenburg answer this question:

“How do you stay faithful in the storm? I’m struggling to get pregnant and want to keep the faith, but I get discouraged.”

My prayers of late come from a place of brokenness, a place of earnest, a place of longing for the nearness of God.

In my study of diligence, I discovered that it means so much more than working hard. I’ve done that my entire life as I grew up in good ol’ West Texas. I know how to work hard. But lately, the hard work has felt more like running in a hamster wheel, sweaty, futile. From a place of requirement rather than from a place of the heart.

2 Peter 1:5 speaks of adding to our faith with “all diligence” the attributes of godliness that follow. I love the rich language of the word diligence. We are to seek God not merely with hard work, but with every effort, with diligence which is sincere and conscientious. Strongs concordance explains the Greek word as “earnest swiftness…we need to quickly and carefully and intensely prioritize God’s truth, adding His attributes to our faith.”

Earnest is “sincere and intense conviction;” it’s real and undeniable; it’s passionate and authentic.

Diligence is “careful and persistent work or effort” or “having or showing care and conscientiousness in one’s work or duties”

Therefore, we need to work with sincere and thorough care when it comes to increasing in the attributes of God. It’s an act of faith, not of works.

The conviction of this word and the prompting of the Spirit have been ruminating in my heart in this personal season of healing and restoration. I have known the nearness of God. I have walked with Him in faith. I have hurt. I have numbed out emotionally to keep from feeling pain-not with substances, but with work some days. With social media some days. With brainless games that help me “unwind” at the end of the day. But it doesn’t only numb the pain. It also numbs the joy. It robs delight. It robs me being fully present with my family, with my friends.

In a moment of quiet, while watering my garden, I prayed a prayer that is vulnerable because it reveals the state of my heart. “More than a move of location, I need a move of the Spirit. May I always seek Him first. May I have a passion about my calling again. May the jaded edges be refined and may hope reside in my heart again.” It’s not that I want to return to the same closeness that I’ve experienced with God in the past. It’s that I long for my heart to beat with His-like a transplant. My very existence depends on Him.

I shared this prayer with a dear friend. She replied, “that we would all pray that prayer with as much sincerity” as me, but honestly, that sincerity comes from a place of utter longing. When we are saved we rejoice because God through the sacrifice of Jesus has taken our utter depravity, our entire incapability of overcoming sin on our own, and He gifts us with, He graces us with, salvation. When we acknowledge our need, how much greater is the satiation of that need?

My initial internal response to her was the desire that no one would experience the pain that provoked such sincerity. And yet, we all already have experienced that pain-the pain of distance from God. Since the fall of mankind in the garden of Eden, we all have.

Diligence looks like hard work, but it’s not. It’s not hard because it is sincere, it’s careful, it’s conscientious. Adam and Eve worked before sin entered the world. Work is good, but it doesn’t have to be hard. May we all diligently pursue the heart of God.

We would like to thank Mary Coleman for sharing this post.

You asked, and we answered! Over the next few weeks we will be sharing some of the questions that were submitted during our 2022 Harvest Women’s Retreat, and the answers from some of the women in our church.

Check out this video to hear Bambi Lutrick answer this question: How do you surrender to your husband when you are struggling with his reasons for leading you in that direction? (Not ungodly leadership, but inconsistent leadership)

Growing up in the church, I regularly heard the word diligence, “be like the ‘dilig-ANT’ Dad would say”, or I’d read “…go to the ant you sluggard (lazy bones) observe her ways and be wise…no one has to tell them what to do…so wake up sleepyhead…”(Proverbs 6:6) Diligence meant working hard, doing what needs to be done and not being lazy! “See a need, fill a need” was a quote from the movie ‘ROBOTS’, that ran through my head constantly. I became very work oriented. If I wasn’t working hard, I wasn’t pleasing my parents, friends, employers, and more importantly God!

My family was a part of a ministry that taught families how to become Character Families. Achieving true success by applying the Character Qualities of Jesus Christ, to life. We taught scriptures, songs, and stories to help them understand each character quality and how to display it. The opposite of diligence is slothfulness – such a negative picture, in my mind, of what we looked like if we weren’t working hard and going, going, going! 

Diligence was defined as ‘Accepting each task as a special assignment from the Lord and using all my energies to do it quickly and skillfully.” Problem was, I lost sight of the ‘assignment from the Lord” part and just accepted every task given to me, and used all my energy to do it quickly and skillfully. I became a “yes woman” (and to be completely honest, I married a “yes man”). Looking back, I realize, that I am STILL very works based. If my kids are not DOING something productive, I tend to give them a job or get onto them asking, “what could you be doing to help?” Sometimes I’ve even seen my husband sitting on his phone, not doing anything productive (in my opinion) and feel resentment in my heart about all the things that need to be done and wonder why he isn’t helping! I had begun to get exhausted as I took on tasks, not wanting to say yes, but saying yes to please people anyway. 

I know there are many of you reading this that feel the same way. As a wife and mum of 5 who homeschools, has a baking business, and helps run a children’s ministry (insert here whatever it is you regularly do), it feels like the work is never done and that we don’t have time to be lazy! “I’ve got to get the kids to this, that or the other sport/school/church event! I’ve got to do this, that or the other thing for my coworker/family member/friend.” Let me encourage you to think about it from a different perspective: God has given me opportunities to be diligent and to do everything I do, with my whole heart, as if I’m doing it for the Lord— seeing every task and activity in life as an assignment specifically from Him and using ALL my energy to do it quickly and skillfully—FOR HIM. Finish the dishes AND wipe the counters-FOR HIM. Teach your children to put their toys and clothes away AND pick up the rubbish—FOR HIM. Demonstrate to them, by example, how to change their perspective.

I’m learning that no one else may ever notice OR care about the work we do as wives, mothers and employees… in some instances it’s even expected-that’s what you’re SUPPOSED to do. BUT GOD! God notices! God cares! God SEES us! If WE can see our day to day activities as individual assignments FROM GOD to grow our character and see Him as our ‘employer’, we don’t need to worry if others don’t recognize what we do for them, nor do we need to wonder whether we are appreciated or be concerned when we are overlooked or taken for granted. Instead, we can be motivated to fulfill the instruction of Ecclesiastes 9:10 “whatever your hand finds to do, do it with all your might…” 

Let’s change our perspective to the Lord’s. Let’s take on our daily tasks with the motivation of love and an attitude of joy, and see them as opportunities to serve and be a witness for the Lord. Let’s ask Jesus to be Lord over each aspect of our day, to help us see that ultimately it is He who we are serving, and that with a changed perspective we CAN be content and do every task as if Jesus Himself asked us to do it for Him! We CAN do ALL things through Him who gives us the strength and the empowering of the Holy Spirit to do it.

Am I doing this _____ as if I’m doing it for the Lord Himself and not merely for others? (Colossians 3:23) The DOING of the work is a given. It’s a constant; it doesn’t end. The HEART of the work, the ATTITUDE in which it is done, is the key. THIS is the part that God cares about…and that we should care about.

We would like to thank Bree Elam for sharing this post.

You asked, and we answered! Over the next few weeks we will be sharing some of the questions that were submitted during our 2022 Harvest Women’s Retreat, and the answers from some of the women in our church.

Friendships in general are intimidating 😊. You are choosing to share your life with someone else in hopes to be accepted, valued, and loved. 

My advice to you when approaching a new friendship is just this…choose to. 

Everything we do is a choice we make. We can stay isolated, alone, and on the outside looking in, or we can choose something different. 

Every choice is a risk and every risk is just that…risky. 

But I know this to be true: God has godly friends for you and for me and it’s worth the risk to seek out and initiate friendship with women who are godly. Not every friendship you initiate will “work out” but that’s ok. The ones that are supposed to, will. 

I have a 3 invite rule. If I’ve initiated connection with someone 3 times and they aren’t able to make it work and haven’t initiated connection back, then I move on. It’s not personal…I don’t get my feelings hurt over it, I assume God is directing my steps and He has other people He wants me to connect with. 

I think the main thing you need to remember about making friends is that it takes time and intention. 

Here’s a few ideas when initiating friendships. 

• Invite another mom to bring her kids over to let them play while the two of you visit. 

• Meet at a park and let the kids play while you visit or pray for your families. 

• Send random texts with funny memes or funny moments that you’ve had that day. 

• Meet up for coffee or lunch. 

• Invite a new friend to ride with you to Lubbock for a quick Sam’s pick-up. 

• Ask someone to help you make a meal for a new mom or someone who’s just had surgery or is going through a hard time. 

There are lots of ways to connect with new friends, just be brave and initiate. 

Friendships have changed my life and I absolutely LOVE having friends. 

Here are a few of my favorite verses on friendship. 

• Proverbs 17:17 “A friend loves at all times, and a brother is born for a time of adversity.”

• Probers 27:17 “As iron sharpens iron, so one person sharpens another.”

• 1 Thessalonians 5:11 “Therefore encourage one another and build each other up, just as in fact you are doing.”

• 1 Corinthians 15:33 Do not be misled: “Bad company corrupts good character.”

• Job 6:14 “Anyone who withholds kindness from a friend forsakes the fear of the Almighty.”

May I leave you with this…God has incredible friends for you! I believe in you and I’m cheering you on as you take the risks needed to initiate godly friendships.

We want to thank Julie Snellgrove for answering this question

I have a 3-year-old daughter who is full of life, FULL of questions, and watches just about everything I do. Anyone relate? 

The other day, I found myself pressing pause on the never-ending task list running through my brain to sit down and color with Charis for 10 minutes. She opened the coloring book to a spot where there were 2 blank coloring pages right next to each other – one for me and one for her – and began carefully coloring. Sometimes she likes to be silly and scribble all over the page, but most of the time, she’s pretty careful to color inside the lines because she has someone in mind that she wants to give her picture to when she’s finished. As we color, she asks me 50 questions about why I’m coloring the flowers purple and the girl’s shoes red, and any other “why” that crosses her mind. Then she says “Mommy, ask me why I’m coloring inside the lines.” I oblige, and she answers, “Because, ‘Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord and not for man. – Colossians 3:23.’” Wow! I celebrated that she’s applying God’s Word to her life in her own little 3-year-old way, encouraged her, and then heard her little voice echoing this scripture in my head the rest of the day.

Life and motherhood are full of opportunities for sanctification, aren’t they? There’s nothing that will spur you on toward Godliness like having your child understand, live out, and speak a biblical Truth that you still sometimes struggle with well into your walk with the Lord.

If I’m being honest, I’m easily distracted. Sometimes I lose sight of the greater picture in the middle of all the things I do daily that seem mundane, tedious, repetitive, unnoticed, and even meaningless. And when I allow my feelings to distract me from the bigger picture, I can easily fall into a pattern of working half-heartedly or even begrudgingly.

Sometimes, though, all it takes is a simple reminder from my preschooler for my heart to remember that I’m a partaker of God’s divine nature and have been given everything I need for life and godliness.

His divine power has given to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of Him who called us by glory and virtue, by which have been given to us exceedingly great and precious promises, that through these you may be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust. 

2 Peter 1:3-4

Diligence is part of God’s very nature and is foundational to my spiritual growth.

But also for this very reason, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue, to virtue knowledge, 6 to knowledge self-control, to self-control perseverance, to perseverance godliness, 7 to godliness brotherly kindness, and to brotherly kindness love. 8 For if these things are yours and abound, you will be neither barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. 2 Peter 1:5-8

When we work diligently, everyone in our life benefits. It brings peace to our own lives, serves those around us in a way that makes them feel the love of the Father, and brings Glory and Honor to God, the One who created us in His image and prepared for us good works to be done while we’re here on Earth (Ephesians 2:10).

When I remember this, I can work wholeheartedly in everything I do, as if I’m working for the Lord and not for man, because I really am working for the Lord and not for man.

When I’m diligent in disciplining my daughter, I’m working as God’s agent for her good and for His glory.

When I’m diligent to keep my home in order, I’m working for the Lord so that my home is a place where my family and others experience the peace of His presence.

When I work diligently in my job, I’m representing His excellence to my sphere of influence and drawing those around me to Jesus. 

Elisabeth Elliot, a missionary, author, speaker, and woman of incredible wisdom, summed it up this way:

This job has been given to me to do. Therefore, it is a gift. Therefore, it is a privilege. Therefore, it is an offering I may make to God. Therefore, it is to be done gladly, if it is done for Him. Here, not somewhere else, I may learn God’s way. In this job, not in some other, God looks for faithfulness.

So I want to encourage you today like Charis encouraged me: Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord and not for man.

Because you really are working for the Lord.

We would like to thank Catherine Dunn for sharing this post.

You asked, and we answered! Over the next few weeks we will be sharing some of the questions that were submitted during our 2022 Harvest Women’s Retreat, and the answers from some of the women in our church.

Just because we are older doesn’t mean it’s too late to use the gifts God has given us.  I’ve found that in different seasons of my life, I have been able to use different gifts.  Maybe you think you have wasted your gifts, when really, you have just been using gifts doing the things that you were called on to do at that point in your life.  For example, as a mom, I used the gifts of administration or service many times, organizing my children’s activities and providing for their needs.  Now that my kids are grown, I have the chance to apply those gifts to other areas of life, like church or volunteer work.  So, my gifts were not wasted when they were used in my family.  I believe that spiritual gifts are useful in all areas of our lives, not just at church.

Sometimes getting a little older gives me more time to practice using some gifts that I hadn’t explored before.  Being older brings with it lots of experiences that have (hopefully) developed some wisdom.  Because I have been through some things in life, I can offer encouragement and empathize with women who are just now experiencing them.  I have testimonies that I can share.  I have had a longer relationship with the Holy Spirit to understand some things that I did not understand earlier in life.

If you do not know what your gifts are, look at the things you are drawn to.  Do you love to give to people?  Do you enjoy organizing things?  Do you enjoy working with children or babies?  Do you thrive on Bible study or telling others about Jesus?  What you enjoy can give you a clue to your spiritual gifts.  Also, ask your best friend or your husband what they see that you are good at.  They can often recognize your giftedness when you have overlooked it.  

If you think you might have a gift but are not sure, why not just try it?  Step out of your comfort zone and take a chance – just once.  You might be surprised at the outcome.  Take a turn at serving in Kid City.  Offer to help by cooking or serve on the greeter team.  Offer to pray for people and write them an encouraging note.  If something grabs your interest, go for it!  You may think that your gift is not an important one, but EVERY gift is worth celebrating.  And it’s never too late to get started.

We would like to thank Sheri Warren for answering this question.

What comes to mind when you hear the word Diligence?

I think of the ant that works away during the summer…I felt like a joyful ant growing up. 

When I was 5 years old, my family would wake up and get dressed at 4:00am, and we’d drive to work the cotton fields.  I would run through the fields carrying jugs of water and placing them strategically under tall weeds to keep cool.  I would go back to grab the hoe and help my family work so we could help the beautiful West Texas cotton thrive without weeds hindering their growth.

My mother was a single mom, and I was her only child until I was a teenager. My grandmother lived with us, whom I lovingly called mom as well, and she practically raised me while my mother worked.  She had twelve children, and some lived with us.  

I sometimes think about how both of my mom’s worked hard all their lives. They were diligent women.

I didn’t get a chance to meet my father until I was older, although I did have eight wonderful uncles that taught me how to tell time, gave me lots of quarters to buy stuff, took me fishing and let me listen to Mr. Roboto by Styx, George Strait, and Neil Diamond – why?  Those apparently were some of my favorites!  My uncles also showed me how they worked hard at their jobs, and they loved softball.  There were so many other endearing memories that were made growing up in a big family.  These were diligent men in my life.

Maybe you wonder like I have – what does it mean to be a diligent person?

Diligent comes from the Latin diligere, which means ‘to value highly, take delight in,’ but in English it has always meant careful and hard-working.  If you’re a diligent worker, you don’t just bang away at your job; you earnestly try to do everything right.

The Bible defines diligence as: “the effort to do one’s part while keeping faith and reliance on God.  In other words, diligence and faith are two sides of the mystery.  One does not know how, despite one’s effort, it all works out; but diligence when combined with faith, assures spiritual success.”

I love to work! I love to be diligent in my work! I take delight in it. I love to display beauty and to exhort others. I love people and I love to let them know, without a doubt, that they are seen, valued, and loved! I’ve come to find out that although hard work is good and I’ve spent most of my life being diligent in most things, the most vital things to be diligent in, are the things that God wants for you and has for you.

I didn’t always have that.  I’ve had great examples of secular hard work.  I didn’t grow up in the church, but since the moment I gave my life to Jesus, I have never turned away.  I am diligent in my love for Jesus! Knowing that He would never fail me, leave me, or turn from me is what has sustained me. I’ve had many moments where I found myself learning about biblical diligence and truths that I had never seen modeled.  Ecclesiastes 3:1, says, “There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under the heavens…”

In 2018, God taught me to be diligent in my rest.  I’ve worked hard all my life and the game changer happened while attending Gateway’s Conference.  I had tears running down my face because Robert Morris’ story – being near death’s door—mirrored my story just the year before.  We were both healed, by the grace of God.  I remember hearing how God commands us – not requests, but commands us— to rest.  I now rest diligently.

It’s very important to find balance.  Sometimes you must pour more into your marriage, children, or work, but always— yes, always— find time to rest.  You are honoring God not only with your body, but with your heart, mind, and soul when you rest.

Ecclesiastes 3:11 says, “He has made everything beautiful in its time.  He has also set eternity in the human heart…”

Scripture is so important in our day to day lives and I’ve held onto Romans 12:9-11 during different seasons of my life.  It says, “Let love be without hypocrisy.  Abhor what is evil; cling to what is good.  Be devoted to one another in brotherly love; give preference to one another in honor, not lagging in diligence, fervent in spirit, serving the Lord; rejoicing in hope, persevering in tribulation, devoted to prayer, contributing to the needs of the saints, practicing hospitality.”

I’d like to leave you with this important truth…spend time with Jesus and ask Him what he wants you to be diligent in during this season of your life.  The Holy Spirit is faithful in hearing and guiding you. God is good, all the time! I pray that your heart becomes diligent – able to make better what has been found in your due season of faith and to take delight in it.  God can saturate you with joy in doing the hard things.

I hope, while you’ve read this that you’ve been able to grasp a bit about me, how I grew up and what my heart is. My encouragement for you is to live out what Matthew 22:37 says, “Love your God with all your heart, all your mind, and all your soul.”  

Grow and be diligent in new things.  Go from glory to glory.  Much love to you my sweet friends!

We would like to thank Mandy Villarreal for writing this post.

This month, we’ve been talking about Knowledge from 2 Peter 1:3-8.  

I’m going to get a little nerdy as we think about what hinders God’s divine knowledge. Philosophically speaking, there are four levels of knowledge:

1. What I know I know. 
2. What I know I don’t know. 
3. What I don’t know but think I know. 
4. What I don’t know I don’t know. 

Let’s toss out Number 4 because these are unknowable, right? If we don’t know we don’t know, then we don’t know. 😊

But what do we know? What do we not know? And what do we think we know, but don’t actually know? 

I can wallow in the 2 and 3 here. I can get frustrated by what I don’t know. And I can get stuck in a place where I think I know better. 

One of our twins struggled with eating from the very beginning. She started losing weight in the hospital, like all babies do, but she lost more than 10% in her first few days and that’s not normal, so we knew pretty early on that she wasn’t getting enough to eat. 

We knew there was a problem. And if you know me, I’m like let’s find a solution! 

Me and Google. We’re going to figure this thing out, right? 

There’s no peace in that, unfortunately.

And it leads to Number 3—where I think I know, but I don’t actually know. 

So I pushed and pushed and around seven weeks, Halle was finally diagnosed with a tongue tie. But she had some other issues as well, and so we had to wait to get it resolved. 

And I wish I could say I was patient. I wish I could say I just trusted that the doctor and other specialists working with her knew better, that they knew what they were doing. 

But the truth is, I just stewed for three more weeks, struggling through seven feedings a day—about seven hours of my day spent trying to will my sweet, colic-y baby into eating. And all the while thinking, if only they’d fix this tongue tie, she would be better. Nothing else we’re trying is working. 

I KNOW if they would just do the procedure, she’d be better. 

Then, we got Halle’s tongue tie fixed around 10 weeks. And it made a teeny tiny improvement in her eating, but not really in her weight gain. 

I thought I knew. But I didn’t actually know. 

James 4:6 says that God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble. 

Do you know what pride is? It’s when we think we know better. When we think we know everything, God opposes us. And He leaves us there until we figure out that we need to surrender to His knowledge and His sovereignty. 

“I don’t know, but you know” has become one of my almost daily prayers. 

If I focus on what I don’t know, I’m frustrated. If I focus on what I think I know, I’m fooled. But if I focus on Him, I am fulfilled. 

We only have to know the One who knows it all. 

We surrender what we don’t know, or what we think we know, and we humble ourselves before the One who knows. We press in to know Him more.

And so that’s what I did. And true to His word, God met me. And in his graciousness, he gave me a word of knowledge about Halle. Since then He’s given me two prophetic words about her. 

These are not medical diagnoses. They are insights into her heart and her soul and have directed the way that I pray for her and for me. 

Sometimes we have to surrender what we think we know in order to get God’s divine knowledge, in order to be reminded of who He is and what He has accomplished for us and what we can do through Him. 

What unknowns are you facing right now? 

Maybe you’re in the midst of a big decision, and you don’t know which path to take. 

Maybe you’ve got a child who is struggling in this season, and you don’t know how to help them. You would fix it if you could, but you just don’t know. 

Maybe you’re waiting on a promise. You’re waiting on a word God has given you. You don’t know when He’ll fulfill it. You don’t know why it hasn’t happened yet.

God knows. 

Wherever you find yourself, God already knows. He knows you intimately. He knows your situation intimately. He knows all your doubts and your fears and your anxiety. He even knows when you think you know better. 

So, we can just lay it all down and take refuge in this truth: We only have to know the One who knows it all. 

We would like to thank Laura Brandenburg for writing this post.

Philippians 1:9-11 I pray that your love will overflow more and more, and that you will keep on growing in knowledge and understanding.  For I want you to understand what really matters, so that you may live pure and blameless lives until the day of Christ’s return.  May you always be filled with the fruit of your salvation – the righteous character produced in your life by Jesus – for this will bring much glory and praise to God.  

Knowledge is the condition of knowing something through experience. Experience is the key – knowledge is easily confused with preparation.  

We can read, research, and learn about something all day long – but until we actually dive in and give it a try we will never have actual knowledge on a subject, whatever it may be.  

Think of a mom – pregnant for the first time: we read all the books, have all the apps, gather all the baby gear – this is preparation. Knowledge grows as you experience the baby’s behavior and must adapt, adjust, and truly learn how to care for the child moment to moment, day to day, year to year. 

Think of school/college/training – we go to class, read the textbooks, do the assignments, pass the tests – this is preparation. Knowledge grows in the real-time work experiences, dealing with people, unforeseen circumstances, working through disasters and victories.

The same is true of our walk with God. Daily we should be reading the Word, praying for guidance, seeking truth, guarding our hearts, listening to the Spirit…. this is preparation.  

When we have prepared and trials come, and we all know they do, we have the ultimate source of life to tap in to. The Word will be readily on our lips to speak over a situation. We will know where to turn for the guidelines and guidance we need. We will have the truths of God hidden in our minds and we will be able to apply His promises over whatever is before us. Our hearts will be prepared to handle the fiery darts the world shoots at us daily. We will be in tune with the Spirit and know how to listen and discern for the Lord’s will and direction.   

This spiritual preparation will allow us to walk through the fire and come out refined – this is how we grow in knowledge and understanding.  Just as Paul prayed in the scripture above, we realize that through Jesus we are able to live pure and blameless lives while waiting on Jesus to return.  We will experience a life filled with the fruits of our salvation and a righteous character will be evident in our lives.  In this knowledge is where we find that true and unexplainable peace spoken of in 

Philippians 4:6 In every situation with petition and thanksgiving, present your requests to God.  And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.  

This process of preparing to grow in knowledge that leads to peace has to be continuously repeated until we meet Jesus face to face and He is welcoming us home as good and faithful servants.  

We would like to thank Jill Winders for writing this post

Growing up I always felt “average”. My older sister, Monica, was super smart…valedictorian, smart and very talented in drama and one act play. I remember her always just knowing things and loving books and reading and oh the theatre, she would shine on the stage. Erin, my younger sister, was gifted in sports. As a freshman in high school, she made the varsity team in both volleyball and basketball. My family spent Erin’s high school career cheering her on in the gym.  

And I was just average. Nothing special, nothing to really cheer for or receive fame for…just average.

Soon after Brad and I got married, we took a group of teens from our youth group to a camp at Oral Robert’s University. While at this week long camp I had an experience I’d never had before, and to this day I’ve never experienced something like it again.  

I was in a small group lecture with a group of kids from our church, and in the middle of this man’s teaching he looked at me, had me stand up, and he said these words over me, “The Lord says you’re brilliant.” And then he proceeded to finish his teaching.  

I was shocked.

Number one, I had never had someone call me out.

Number two, I had never felt brilliant a day in my life. I had always just felt average.

All this year we are looking at 2 Peter 1:1-10 with the intention that as women of God we would embrace His Divine Nature. In 2 Peter, the Apostle Peter is writing to Christians and he’s telling them, “Hey church, don’t forget, by truly understanding or KNOWING Jesus, you can be a part of or partake in HIS DIVINE NATURE.”

Friends…that is GOOD NEWS. 

In a moment, of me really having knowledge or knowing the truth about who Jesus is and who I am because of Jesus, I went from average to brilliant. When we understand the gospel and the exchange that took place when Jesus died on the cross, it changes our perspective of ourselves, and we begin to see ourselves through God’s lenses. We gain knowledge about the truth of what God says about us and the truth about His power and promises that work within us.  

Being brilliant has nothing to do with me. Being brilliant has nothing to do with the knowledge I’ve received or learned in a classroom. It has nothing to do with what our society thinks is important and puts value on. Being brilliant has to do with God’s Divine Nature.

I still have many days where I feel average and not brilliant. When I lean into the knowledge of who Jesus is and who He is in me, my perspective changes and I’m able to understand and know the truth.  

Friends…if we want to be women who embrace knowledge, women who walk in God’s Divine Nature, we must allow His truth to be planted deep in our hearts.  

An average person like me can gain so much knowledge just by believing what the Bible says!

I hope you’ll stay on this journey with me and continue to allow God to transform your thinking about yourself and ultimately your thinking about Jesus. When we embrace God’s word and allow it to be truth to us, we are letting knowledge be made complete in us. Because of this, we understand more clearly who Jesus is. That’s what I want, to KNOW Jesus more and more…I know that’s what you want, too. 

We would like to thank Julie Snellgrove for writing this post

Growing up it seems as if I always knew who God was. I was raised in a church setting and had my salvation by the age of six years old. I had a family who was highly involved in church and I studied his word through many church programs. I knew The Lord, I knew his word, but it wasn’t until adulthood I fully captured the true meaning and depth behind his word. 

Two things that come to mind when I think of KNOWING His word is first, knowing his words are always written out of a heart of LOVE. Our Heavenly Father always has the best intentions for us, no matter how we receive verses or biblical truth. The second thing is that his Word is always TRUE. That means when God’s word says things about you and how you were made in his image, it’s true. I want to explain more in depth on these concepts. 

First of all God’s words are LOVE. Growing up, I didn’t always look at scripture as loving. There’s one verse, in particular that stood out to me. “Numbers 23:32 You may be sure, your sin will always find you out.” That was a little terrifying for me my entire childhood and teenage years. I felt as if there was God lurking in the shadows ready to pounce on me as soon as I messed up. This turned a loving God, who wanted the best for me, into a God who was ready to call me out on my sins, not up to his heavenly realm. I was wrong, though. Every bit of scripture, every testimony in the Bible, every proverb and psalm written, every piece of the Bible, was written with the intentions of love, to guide us in a life filled with abundance and joy and all the fruits of the spirit. That’s when KNOWING God’s words are written out of LOVE that we get to have that entire perspective change.

The second thing that stood out to me is KNOWING God’s word is always true. Even when you don’t feel like you are made in his image. Even when you don’t think you fit the criteria of “Child of God”. Even when you don’t feel like you are forgiven, or accepted, or redeemed. His words reign true until the end of time. I have heard this said before, “if one thing in the Bible isn’t true, that invalidates the entire Bible and God is not a liar.” So on days where I felt less than virtuous or less than called, I remind myself that I KNOW God’s words are always TRUE, no matter what situation I face or what my emotions may tell me.

Knowing God in this way and his words in this way, has changed my life. It has lead me to a deeper, lasting relationship with him. It overflows into my marriage, the way I parent, the way I work, and the relationships I have with others. I want that for you, and I know God wants that for you too. I pray you know God’s words are LOVE and TRUE. 

We would like to thank Sarah Perry for writing this post

You want me to talk about solitude? Yikes is what comes to mind for me. I have been one that panics when I am alone.  I was with my family until I got married.  I got married and suddenly the husband is in the picture. Because of many reasons, one being I was very lonely even though I was living with my husband, we divorced.  I moved in with a friend and lived a year, but then I got an ultimatum to move.  I knew I needed to move, but I totally feared being alone. I wasn’t afraid of what could happen to me, but being a people person, it was hard for me to wrap my mind around this concept. I had never been alone, I thought, so how could I move into a place BY MYSELF!  

I was in church, but I didn’t rely on the Lord as much as I could have because I didn’t know that I could.  I didn’t even think about asking God to hang out with me.  Solitude to me seemed miserable.  What do you do when you are alone and lonely?  You find people to be around, and may I say, I didn’t always find the best ones to hang out with.  Eventually I quit going to church, so I found friends “in low places” as Garth Brooks said.  Not all of them were bad, but they weren’t in church where I needed to be.  I should have been seeking after the Lord instead of the wrong people.

I think of the story of Joseph and I relate to him in some ways.  In Genesis chapter 37 is where his story begins.  He has a dream about being “over” his brothers, and tells them about it…I would have told, too.  They take him away from all that he knows and are going to kill him.  And you know the rest of the story; he is taken to a far away place and is put in jail.  He is ALONE, and knows no one. I would have been so afraid.  This is where I didn’t relate; he talked to the Lord a lot.  And he did become great because of his relationship with God.  His times of solitude with the Lord is what got Him through. This is what I should have tried in my times of loneliness.  

And what about Job? Boy did he go through the fire. He was alone even though his friends came around. He might as well have been alone with how they treated him, but he stayed true to the Lord and spent much time of solitude with God and asked God hard questions. Job prevailed because God was right there beside him in his loneliness.  

Here I am today, retired with Dewitt, so we aren’t alone much. I have learned how to be alone and not be lonely. In December of 2010, when I started coming to Harvest, I truly began to learn how to spend time alone with Jesus. I had been in churches for most of my life, but I didn’t hear the good news of having a personal relationship with Him. I was afraid to be alone with Jesus because I thought He knew too much about me and didn’t want to spend time with me. Crazy! I would read the word, but not really hear it and apply it to me.  

“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.” Matthew 11:28

This scripture is so special to me because I was weary of not wanting to be alone and running from Jesus, the only one I really needed to hang out with.

I cherish my times of solitude now. I read the word and talk to Jesus.  And I ask Him hard questions like Job and don’t feel like I am going to be struck down. I like my alone time so much that I stay in one part of the house while Dewitt is on the other. Sometimes I will text him or call him to ask something of him just because I am enjoying my time alone, and he does the same.  We do sit and talk to each other a lot, but sometimes it is just good to be alone with Jesus.

Here I am in my “golden years” and I am finally content with being me and spending quality time with Jesus.

We’d like to thank Debbie Crosby for writing this post

Solitude. The very word used to cause me to catch my breath. I have a big family and quiet moments were rare. But when they did happen, I became filled with fear, shame, or both from traumas that occurred to me as a small child. The trauma manifested into fear in every area of my life and made everything difficult, including relationships. I cried through my entire first semester of college any time I was alone! It was truly crippling and prevented me from living life in the abundance that the Lord wants for His children.

All of that changed around 2014-2015. Some wonderful women tuned into the Holy Spirit mentored me, spoke life and peace to my soul, and eventually my walls began to crumble. The Holy Spirit removed chains and broke generational curses off that I had no idea was hindering me in so many ways. In their place, Jesus brought redemption and a confidence in Him that I had never experienced. He brought me out of a season that had been filled with sadness and impatience, to one filled with hope and expectancy. All of this was accomplished in solitude with Him. When I finally let go and surrendered all of myself to Him, He became my refuge and His spirit ministered to my soul in those moments of abiding with him. He refreshed me and gave me new perspective and purpose for my life.

One day as I sat in my little home with my cat in my lap and my dog laying on the floor by my feet, He told me this season wouldn’t last forever and it wouldn’t always be this easy to find a peaceful moment alone. I thought great! I’ve been waiting for that! But He whispered again to enjoy this moment. Enjoy this season right where you are and this time we have together. Matthew 6:33 states to “seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.” He was asking me to dive deep into this love relationship and commune with Him. 

In every season of life, He beckons us to draw near and sit at His feet. I have found now that I have a family those rare quiet moments seem impossible to find some days. Proverbs 8:34-35 has become my mission. “Blessed is the man who listens to me, watching daily at my gates, waiting at the posts of my doors. For whoever finds me finds life, and obtains favor from the Lord;”

The Lord is always watching and waiting for you and I. I hope we all will find time to answer His gentle nudge and come running to His gates with anticipation for His presence to meet us. I hope we will choose to let the Holy Spirit minister to our hearts today in whatever season we are in currently. It is not always easy in our culture, but it is what we all so desperately need.

We would like to thank Christian Greer for writing this post

As I write about solitude, I just want to be clear. I’m not talking about the worlds view or maybe your own. Which is defined as the state or quality of being alone; loneliness, isolation, seclusion. I’m talking about intentional, specific alone times of solitude between you and Jesus in prayer; where you are real, letting your guard down and can share your deepest concerns with him. Where you are strengthened and refreshed from where ever you find yourself in life. You see God gave us this gift of solitude to not feel lonely or shut everyone out, but to have a way out to get out of ourselves and the world around us and step into his divine nature and be with him.

I believe God does things on purpose, I believe that he intentionally moves and allow things in our lives to bring us closer to him and into living a life of solitude with him. He has all the answers for the everything in life we face. I know this is where he was leading me over the past few months.

September of this past year I gave birth to my son. I had a wonderful pregnancy despite some health problems I had to work through. Shortly after giving birth to him, this chain of events started that would take me to an unexpected place in my life for several months. 

Four days after giving birth to him I developed this horrible, rare, post-partum rash, and it stopped me from caring for my baby in a way that I never expected. Then, at two months old, he caught a sinus infection and from there on it seemed like he couldn’t get well. The next month he caught the flu and couldn’t seem to recover. He had continued congestion and breathing problems and was put on numerous medications and breathing treatments. I was so tired, exhausted and full of worry. I was still dealing with my own rash and my sweet baby just couldn’t catch a break. Then in January, after catching the flu, he caught RSV and was put in the hospital, and that was when it all came crashing down for me.

Have you felt like that? Have you ever felt the weight of the stuff in your life piling up on you? Like life just doesn’t give you time to stop and breath. I did; I felt like a woman at the end of her rope. I had not been in a constant place of solitude with Jesus. I had been allowing my circumstances and busyness of my life to keep me from my intentional prayer life with Jesus. 

 This is what the Lord showed me early one morning in the hospital and what I’ve been learning from this season of my life about how to get to a place of solitude.

1. Be still – Be still enough where you can hear the Lord  

Psalm 46:10 Be still and know (recognize, understand) that I am God. I will be exalted among the nations! I will be exalted in the earth. 

2. Repent – come back into agreement with what he says about your situation and for not allowing him to speak the answer.

3. Rest – Live in peace and trust God for your circumstance.

Isaiah 30:15 This is what the Sovereign LORD, the Holy One of Israel, says: “Only in returning to me and resting in me will you be saved. In quietness and confidence is your strength. But you would have none of it. You said, ‘No, we will get our help from Egypt. They will give us swift horses for riding into battle.’ But the only swiftness you are going to see is the swiftness of your enemies chasing you!

Even after my son’s hospitalization, he continued to get sick for two more months afterward. You know, sometimes our circumstances don’t change, but God can teach us how to walk through the storms with him and be deeply connected in him. So, I hope friends that you will choose Jesus and allow him to save you through whatever you face. I know he is for you, like he is for me, and may you be encouraged to find your place of solitude with the Lord. 

We would like to thank Brenda Martinez for writing this post

What do you think when you hear the word “solitude”?  I see a vision of myself sitting by a pond with a fishing pole.  And I truly am alone, because there aren’t any fish in the picture.  How about you?  Do you picture a desert island?  A cabin in the woods?  Chances are, no matter what you picture, you envision yourself alone.  

            Solitude can be defined as the state of being alone or withdrawn from society; a lonely life; or loneliness. Sometimes we use solitude in unhealthy ways.  One of these is being alone with our own thoughts. Solitude is not just for being alone when you are in a season of hurt or depression.  When I was a teenage girl, I spent a lot of time in solitude.  I would put on my James Taylor record – “You’ve Got a Friend,” or Carly Simon – “You’re so Vain.” Or whatever my emotions called for at the time.  I was truly in touch with my feelings and my emotions, I thought.  I was lonely, and there was a void in my heart that I needed to fill, but I didn’t know how.  Have you ever felt that void?

Oftentimes when we are alone, we are accompanied by our own thoughts.  Sometimes it is easy for me to fall into over-thinking every conversation, every interaction that I have had during the day.  I wonder if I said anything offensive to anyone if I am doing everything I can at work or with my grandkids.  I wonder … and I worry.  That type of overthinking and self-searching is NOT productive!  It can lead to depression.  That is not what God is looking for in solitude for you and me.

Another misappropriation of solitude is when we keep listening to scripts from the past.  When you are alone, do you hear the voice of a parent, teacher, or other person from your past berating you for something or giving you the “shoulds” and “shouldn’ts” from your day or your current situation?  Some people mistake this script for the voice of God, but that’s also not how He operates in your time with Him.  

Closely related to these old voices is the voice of the accuser tempting, trying to keep a person overburdened and pushed down.  Scripture has evidence of people who were alone listening to the voice of the enemy and falling for his tricks.  Eve listening to the voice of the serpent.  David listening to his lust when he saw Bathsheba.  Judas listening to the enemy and turning Jesus over to the Jews.  How can we defeat this liar and expose him?  To fight the devil when we are alone, we need to study the Word and learn how it applies to our lives.

(If you’re hearing ANYTHING in your alone time that is contrary to the Word, it is NOT His voice!)

God has specific purposes for us in calling us to a time of solitude with Him.  The first is rest:  Jesus said in Mark 6:31-32 – “Come with me privately to a solitary place and let us rest for a while.”  Solitude brings us to a place alone WITH JESUS.  It is a restful, peaceful place.  

Jesus and his apostles didn’t even have time to eat. 

We lead hectic lives today!  Do you ever get to the place where everything seems like one more chore?  Even the things that you love?  I do.  Jesus knows all about these feelings.  We need rest, and the way to find that is in a time of solitude with Jesus.  Remember Him saying, “Come to Me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest…  Let Me teach you, because I am humble and gentle at heart, and you will find rest for your souls.”  Matthew 11:28-29?

Another benefit of solitude is strength.  When we have been through a rough season, or a bad day, our strength is sapped.  We feel spiritually, mentally, and physically weakened.  Isaiah 30:15 says, “This is what the Sovereign Lord says: ‘Only in returning to me and resting in me will you be saved.  In quietness and confidence is your strength.  But you would have none of it.’”  Does He think that of you and me?  In times when we feel weak, we’ve given all we can give and we feel spent, we can be restored IF we will wait in solitude, in quiet with Him.  

What was Jesus doing during these times of solitude?  He wasn’t being all introspective or wondering how everyone felt about Him.  He SURE wasn’t listening to the voice of the accuser.  He was basking in the presence of His Father, enjoying fellowship with the Holy Spirit, and regaining physical and spiritual strength.  Jesus did what he did by power and presence of the Holy Spirit in His life.  He loved all His family and friends, but He gained strength from His alone time with His Father.

What are some things that get in the way of us having productive, restorative solitude?

Finding time alone. When Kelly and I were first married, we had a friend who lived in our same apartment complex.  He was a single guy, and every night when I got home from work, he was there!  He would stay for supper, and he would stay and stay until Kelly finally said we needed to have some time by ourselves.  We were newlyweds!  We were very protective of our alone time!  What is crowding in on your alone-time with Him?  Sometimes you have to get assertive and just enforce your time in the Father’s presence.  

Feeling comfortable alone:  I will admit that it is hard for me to be in a quiet house.  I usually want to have the TV or music on always.  I seem to favor distraction and escape.  Early in the morning, though, I love the quiet.  If total silence troubles you, try instrumental “soaking” music.  It fills the silence, but it doesn’t interfere with the voice of God speaking.  

Expectation:  In I Kings 19, Elijah was feeling down.  He needed the presence of the Lord.  He was looking for something BIG!  God told him to stand by the mouth of the cave.  The Lord was not in the wind, the earthquake, or the fire. “And after the fire came a gentle whisper.”  I Kings 19:11-12   

When you meet with Jesus, what are you expecting?  Some days will be full of goosebumps and feelings.  Other days will be a quiet, peaceful assurance that you are His.  I challenge you this week to find some time to have solitude with Jesus each day.  See what a difference it makes for you!

We would like to thank Sheri Warren for writing this post

When you hear the word solitude what does that mean to you? According to the Oxford dictionary it means the state or situation of being alone. It could also mean being lonely or in an uninhabited place. Biblically, solitude is the state of being alone and is often considered one of the traditional spiritual disciplines. How do you define your solitude? Your answer to that question may depend on the voices you are allowing yourself to listen to. Those voices could include the world, your own mind or God.

I don’t know about you, but I’ve found myself in all three of those situations. Depending on which voice I’m listening to at the time will define my solitude. It’s basically the battle between being alone and being lonely. There’s a difference. Being alone is where you are physically by yourself. Being lonely is an emotional state where you are feeling alone or disconnected from others even when they are right next to you. Solitude, done rightly, can be energizing, insightful and empowering.

Jesus found great importance in solitude. His solitude was being alone. We find in Mark 1:35 where Jesus got up early in the morning and went to a solitary place to pray. He could have prayed anywhere. However, He made solitude a priority. It was a time where He could be in a quiet environment and the only voice He was hearing was that of the Father. Luke 6:12-13 describes when Jesus went out to a mountainside to pray and spent the evening praying to God. In this instance, Jesus was looking for perspective. He was looking for guidance on which of His disciples He should designate as apostles. These men would be the ones responsible for sharing the gospel after Jesus’ death and resurrection. Such an important and critical decision to make.

Look at your five closest friends. Those five friends will be the ones who have the greatest influence in your life. Who are they? How are they influencing you? Jesus was choosing twelve, not five. It was crucial that He chose wisely. He went away, into solitude, for guidance on who was meant to be a part of His inner circle.

We see so many examples in the Bible of how Jesus made solitude a priority. If He did, shouldn’t we? Matthew 6:6 says, “But when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen. Then your Father who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.”  The greatest rewards are given to people who seek and spend time alone with the Father. His rewards are long lasting, fulfilling and eternal. When we seek recognition and rewards from the world, we find those rewards fade with time and then we are searching for the next reward to fill us.

Our world is big. Despite its size, it’s easy to find ourselves in the state of loneliness. However, our God is even bigger, and He is calling us into solitude with Him. Whatever your trials, tribulations, daily decisions or mountains are, God is waiting to meet with you. He is ready to guide, inspire, comfort, protect and give you peace. Most of all, He wants a deep, loving and personal relationship with you that is best built during times of being alone with Him.

When we allow the busyness of life to take over, we are giving the world permission to beat on us and bring us down. It makes us feel weak and defeated. Through slowing down and finding solitude, God brings us strength, help and empowerment. Psalm 121:1-2 reminds us that our help comes from the Lord. Nehemiah 8:10 tells us the joy of the Lord is our strength. Where is your strength and help coming from? In solitude you will find all these benefits and so much more. 

We would like to thank Kathy Jones for writing this post

Who can write about perseverance and not include a sports analogy. Certainly not scripture:  Philippians 3:12-14, Hebrews12:1-3, 2 Timothy4:7…a google search of “Bible race verse” pulls a plethora of other verses referring to races and endurance and hope. Seek them out. Be encouraged by their words. 

For my non-sports minded friend, rest assured. I will move on from sports after a couple paragraphs though. From my limited running experience, I’ve learned how crucial it is to run my race, to stay in my lane. In events, crossing into another lane results in disqualification. In life, a comparison trap brings a lie of disqualification. Briana Villarreal wrote well about persevering against lies (May 12). 

I grasp, I understand perseverance in sports. I do. I get it. You push your body to the limit and keep going. You nourish and replenish and rebuild and you try again. It’s a process of stretching and growing and discipline. It’s not fun. It’s not easy, but the rewards are great. In our society those physical rewards are celebrated. 

In great trials that are physically observable perseverance is acknowledged, supported, encouraged, celebrated. Praise God for the support given in my own season of caregiving for a dear family member through her illness and Heavenly victory. Praise God for the hope we have in Christ. (Isaiah 40:30-31) It wasn’t easy and many days I grew weary and many days my church family encouraged me to persevere. And this perseverance wasn’t easy. It was a season of stretching and growing and discipline. Yet in that season, I agree with what Pastor Brad said Sunday, May 8, “I don’t want to go through that again, but I wouldn’t change it for anything.” Persevering in this season was accompanied with pain, but there was also nourishing, replenishing, and rebuilding. Relationships developed deep tap roots. Faith grew. Forgiveness bore and continues to bear fruit in keeping with repentance. (Matthew 3:8)

These are visible examples of perseverance. But what about persevering through spiritual and mental battles that are not seen? In the same way, they are not easy, but the rewards of perseverance are great. 

Please, please! Walk these trials out in the light with other believers. You are not alone! You are not a burden! My kids are messy, but I still love them. Life is messy, but I still love you. There is beauty and growth and development in coming to the Father who cleans up the mess for us and with us. I love to write, but my drafts are messy with cutting and rewriting and rearranging. There’s beauty in a final draft though I’m sure it could be rewritten again and again. There is beauty in revising and editing life too. We are works in progress, not bound, final copies. 

That doesn’t mean we sit idle, content to have so many words misspelled that we are incoherent. No, we engage the mess and focus on one aspect at a time. Not twenty or even two. (This isn’t about spelling-it’s about what God is calling you to right now-remember also to avoid comparison lest judgement and lies enter the scene.) We are not the author. We are the page. We may have allowed lies onto our page, but God, through Jesus’s finished work on the cross and the power of the Holy Spirit, wants to rewrite our stories into one of righteousness and peace and joy (Romans 15:17). 

We don’t work for our righteousness either though. We need to abide with God. Not trying to do anything for myself when I had a fractured ankle was one of the most challenging and humbling experiences in my life. Abide in God’s love as you seek to know Him

As we persevere, we need to know the author and perfecter of our faith (Hebrews 12:2). In Spanish, there are two words translated as “to know”: conocer and saber. Saber is to know facts; whereas conocer is to know people, to meet, to become familiar with. Ephesians 3:19 uses conocer, to be familiar with God’s love-not saber-to know about God’s love. As you persevere in God’s calling and in His promises, my prayer is that you would first and foremost know Jesus. And as you consider His endurance to the cross, “that you will not grow weary and lose heart.” Hebrews 12:3 

 Further, my prayer is this:

“…that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the Lord’s holy people, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.”

Ephesians 3:17-19 (emphasis added)

PS. Most of the scriptures included in this blog were memorized in part or whole through years of study and life. Embrace where you are at and move forward with the next step that you are called to. Persevere where you are. It’s not easy, but the rewards are great.

We would like to thank Mary Coleman for writing this post

As women, we’re good at accomplishing 4,923 tasks in a day. We know how to persevere, right? 

I thought perseverance was this mentality to just keep going, keep hustling, keep working. Maybe it’s a West Texan thing, but it’s easy to get that mindset. I’ll just pull up my bootstraps and get this done.

I’ll feed one more baby. I’ll wash one more dish. I’ll fold one more onesie. I’ll make one more meal.

I’ll put one foot in front of the other, and I’ll just keep going.

That might be worldly perseverance, but it’s not biblical perseverance. 

In our theme verse for this year, Peter tells us that we’ve been given God’s divine nature—and out of that divine nature, we should be increasing in several qualities, one of which is perseverance (2 Peter 1:3-8). 

So what is Biblical perseverance? I believe perseverance takes both patience AND persistence. It can’t just be persistence. And patience isn’t something we muster up with our own strong will or our West Texas moxie.

Patience is a fruit we bear when we spend time with Jesus, when we ask the Holy Spirit to fill up our empty tanks, when we let our Father prune us so that we are branches that can be effective and fruitful.

So we receive patience from the Holy Spirit, but persistence is what we do—our action.

God’s divine nature is IN US. This means that the divine power to persevere is IN US. 

So how do we do this? 

We have to believe the truth of God’s word. We believe that God’s nature is in us. We receive this truth. 

We have to be filled with the Spirit. If we’re not full of the Spirit, then we’re just hustling in our own strength, and it’s not going to get us very far. It might feel like we’re persevering, but our tank isn’t going to make it for the long haul. 

We receive God’s patience when we receive the Holy Spirit, when we welcome him in our life, when we’re connected as the branches to the vine, and then this FRUIT deposits in us.

And when we’re full of patience, we can begin to persist, to endure, to take action again and again and again. 

What are our actions? What are we actually doing? We’re praying! We’re asking, seeking, knocking. What do you want? What do you need today? Have you asked for it? 

Did you give up asking somewhere along the way, when it got hard and God wasn’t moving? Maybe you need to keep asking, keep knocking on that door. If your desire is in line with God’s word, then He will do it. 

We can’t do these things out of order. You can persist ‘til you’re blue in the face, but if you don’t agree with God’s word, and if you’re not full of the Holy Spirit, your prayers aren’t going to have any power—and, worse, you’re going to burn out. You’ll give up praying in the gap, that period we have to endure between when God says He will do it and when He does it. 

Friends, don’t get stuck in the gap. Let’s be women who persevere!

We would like to thank Laura Brandenburg for writing this post

When asked to write a short blog on this month’s focus, perseverance, I almost wanted to say, “No, thank you.” I didn’t believe that I had really persevered through anything. I felt as though I had let the enemy knock me down and stayed down too many times to even be able to write enough about perseverance. But I reached out to a couple of ladies that pointed out many areas in my life, most I didn’t remember, where I persevered through adversity and stress. 

As children, we are full of dreams and the freedom to believe that we can accomplish those dreams. We don’t have crippling fears. We don’t worry about disappointing anyone. But somewhere throughout life, as we grow and enter adulthood, we pick up lies about who we are and what we can do; A burden that God never wanted us to carry.

We carry fear for so long, it becomes “normal”, a constant presence to which we become numb and blind. It can become so heavy a burden that we isolate ourselves and don’t meet with our sisters in Christ. We may even want to stay in bed and give up on our day… every day, afraid to reach out and let someone know that we’re struggling.

But Jesus, and the vulnerability of our sisters, gives us strength and courage. Reminders on who we are and what we have lived through push us, renewing the fire and dreams within, giving us strength to persevere and pursue once more the joy and peace God promises. 1 Corinthians says, “Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things”. Jesus’ overwhelming love catapults us past lies and gives us courage to persevere through anything life throws at us. His love overcomes all fear and doubt.

Vulnerability moment: Lies have held me back my whole life. I found myself deep in depression, unwilling to get out of bed. And it was caused by fear. I believed the lie that I wasn’t good enough to maintain friendships. The fear of allowing others to see me in my mess overwhelmed me, because what if I’m too much and they decide my friendship isn’t worth the mess. What if I fall short of their hopes or expectations? What if I lash out in pain and hurt them?

God didn’t create us to live in isolation. We can’t allow fear to keep us from reaching out to our mentors and friends. Hebrews 12:1 says, “Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us.” Did you know when you speak, out loud to your sisters in Christ, about the fears and struggles you face, the fight is less daunting? Admitting to our “great cloud of witnesses” the sin we must overcome allows us to lay down the weight we’ve been carrying, and run, with endurance, our race. That is perseverance.

In 2018, I came back from living away from my parents, the church and Jesus. I wasn’t actively running away, but I was a flower that was stuck in dry soil. I was afraid to reach out and make friends because I had been hurt and felt that I had nothing to offer. After a few months of being home, in church and loved on by my parents, God gave me the courage to reach out to a woman I admired. I was terrified to open up and be vulnerable. What if I was too messy? She shared with me that “too messy” is a lie. What if I hadn’t persevered and asked her to meet me for lunch? I would have gone many more months, possibly years stuck where I was. She poured into me, and I am forever grateful for her friendship.

What would happen if we remembered that we don’t need to “have it all together”? What if we laid down the heavy burden of fear? What could be possible if we persevered through the mess and stress? We would find women just like us, reaching for Jesus and bringing heaven to earth. Romans 12:12 encourages us by stating, “Rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer.” Let’s rejoice for the hope He gives us, persevere through trials, and fear, and call out to Jesus and our sisters in Christ. Let’s persevere and run this race!

We would like to thank Briana Villarreal for writing this post