Love at the Lake

In the eleven years that my husband and I have been married we have attended three separate marriage retreats. Not because we were on the brink of divorce, but because we believe our marriage is worth the investment. This past weekend we along with 33 other couples from our church came together and spent time learning, growing, and investing in our marriages.

Every time we leave a marriage retreat we walk away grateful, encouraged, and stronger.

I hope to encourage you today to make an effort to invest in your marriage. If you want an amazing retreat check out Weekend to Remember hosted by Family Life or ask your church if they offer marriage retreats. It does not matter your age or how many years you have been married. We can always learn something new.

When we invest and build strong marriages, we invest in the family and the church. I have three children and one of the best gifts I can offer to them is to love their Daddy.  I hope you seek out a way to invest in your marriage too. For the sake of your family, the legacy you will leave, and the kingdom of God.

God can redeem and restore the broken. God can transform and reignite your marriage if you open your hearts to Him.  If you have a spouse that will not participate pray daily that God will work a miracle in them.  I can’t imagine how difficult that would be, but I know many women who can testify that after years of prayers their spouse became open to receiving help and God worked a miracle in their marriage. I am praying that for you today.

Don't Abandon Love

It’s that time of year again when pink and red start to flood every store. Valentine’s Day candy, cards, gifts, and galore deck the shelf's with reminders to express your love to one another. 

I start to think about my own husband and our early years. We met in college and one smile from across the quad could take my breath away. I thought about him often, doodled love notes in class, and dreamed of our life together. It was a fun and beautiful season of life together. I wouldn’t exchange it for anything. However, I wouldn’t want to stay in that season forever.  As you know, the longer you live together, experience life together, and grow together, centered on Christ, the deeper your love for each other grows. 

2004~~(Eleven Years Later)~~2015

I do, however, see the benefits of looking back and remembering how you fell in love.  Days when life becomes hectic, crazy, stressful, and overwhelming, it’s nice to think about and be reminded. To take a few minutes to rekindle love that can often get pushed aside.

Let’s take this a little deeper.

Revelation 2:4-5 says, “But I have this against you, that you have abandoned the love you had at first. Remember therefore from where you have fallen, repent, and do the works you did at first.”

Sometimes in our walks with Jesus we have our salvation experience where we first meet Jesus. We fall head over heels in love with him. We commit to surrender and give our whole lives over to him. We mean well, but sadly, as soon as life starts charging us, we shrink away and forget our love.

So what can you and I do to rekindle our love for the Lord? First let’s remind ourselves of what God did for us.

Galatians 4:4 says, “God sent forth his Son, born of woman, born under the law, to redeem those who were under the law, so that we might receive adoption as sons. And because you are sons, God has sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, crying, “Abba! Father!” So you are no longer a slave, but a son, and if a son then an heir through God.” 

We were once slaves to sin and the law. We were in a yoke of slavery that led to death. But guess what! “For freedom Christ has set us free; stand firm therefore, and do not submit again to a yoke of slavery.” Galatians 5:1

“For through the Spirit, by faith, we ourselves eagerly wait for the hope of righteousness. For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision counts for anything, but only faith working through love. You were running well. Who hindered you from obeying the truth?” Galatians 5:6-7

“For you were called to freedom, brothers. Only do not use your freedom as an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another. For the whole law is fulfilled in one word: “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” Galatians 5:13-14

When I am reminded of what life was like before a Savior I am brought to my knees in gratitude. His power is made perfect in our weakness! What we could never accomplish He accomplished. He satisfied our sin debt forever. And it is with great love, honor, and joy, we have the privilege to live this life full of love for one another. Jesus died, and gave his life, on the cross. Because of that we are a new creation! Gal. 6:15! That right there rekindles my love for Jesus.  Don’t let this world lead you away from the cross.  What Jesus conquered for us let know one take away from you!!

Non-Negotiable

33 Whoever seeks to preserve his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life will keep it. Luke 17:33 (ESV)

I love to work. I believe God designed us to work and do it to his glory. However, I am also a Mother and I have the honor and privilege to be a Mother for a very short season of life. I have decided I will "go to work" later and focus on my work as a Mother today. Being a stay at home wife and mom has become something people look down on. It has become something that sends the signal that you sit at home and do nothing. Any stay at home mom can tell you that is not true.   

I have been a working mom outside of the home where I taught at a public school. I have been a full time stay at home mom with toddlers, and I have been a mom that stayed at home and worked in and out of the home as a photographer.  All have their unique advantages and dis-advantages. What is right for you? What is right for me? I believe that's between you, Christ and your husband. Only Jesus can lead you to the answer that is right for you.

Currently, in this season of life, I believe I am suppose to stay at home. There are so many things I believe God desires from me that I cannot do while working full time away from the home or in and out of the home. But to leave a job and do something new is scary. With my husbands blessing I am taking a leap of faith. I am trusting God and excited to follow him in yet another season. I don't know what that will bring, but I know obedience to God= Life. Abundant Life. And when we walk where God tells us to walk and we keep Jesus Christ as our focus we will experience his love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self control. Obedience to Jesus is NEVER negotiable. 

Maybe you are in a different season of life than me and are struggling with another kind of decision. Just remember, Jesus is our focus and all decisions need to be in obedience to the word of God.

Praying as you seek to obey Jesus in every area of your life.

Entitlement

If you live in America, watch the news or read the paper the word “entitlement” is a common word in our society. As a parent of young children I hear a lot about kids believing they are entitled to have anything they want; a new car, cell phone, spending money, etc. The list is endless.  In fact, a whole generation is being referred to as the “Entitlement Generation”.

en-ti-tle-ment

the belief that one is inherently deserving of privileges or special treatment. 

I got to thinking about myself and the human race and wondered if we sometimes struggle with entitlement when it comes to God. Do we believe that we are deserving of certain privileges?  Certain blessings? Even life itself? If we do a certain thing, God better come through? Are we a bit entitled too?

I think as believers we all agree that every breath we take is a gift from our Creator. Every moment on this earth is in his hands. We are not in control of our health or our length of days. Even Isaac in Genesis 27: 2 says, “I do not know the day of my death”.   Then, in James we are reminded of the brevity of life.

Come now, you who say, “Today or tomorrow we will go into such and such a town and spend a year there and trade and make a profit”—  yet you do not know what tomorrow will bring. What is your life? For you are a mist that appears for a little time and then vanishes.  Instead you ought to say, “If the Lord wills, we will live and do this or that.” James 4:13-15

I think if we are not mindful of the giver of life, humble, and grateful for every single breath we take, we risk living life as if it’s our own. We become the gods and we worship self. We do what we want to do because we think we deserve it. Life is not a privilege, it is a gift from God.

“For as I passed along and observed the objects of your worship, I found also an altar with this inscription, ‘To the unknown god.’ What therefore you worship as unknown, this I proclaim to you. The God who made the world and everything in it, being Lord of heaven and earth, does not live in temples made by man, nor is he served by human hands, as though he needed anything, since he himself gives to all mankind life and breath and everything.  And he made from one man every nation of mankind to live on all the face of the earth, having determined allotted periods and the boundaries of their dwelling place, that they should seek God, and perhaps feel their way toward him and find him. Yet he is actually not far from each one of us, for

“‘In him we live and move and have our being’;

as even some of your own poets have said,

“‘For we are indeed his offspring.’~ Acts 17:23-28 (ESV)

We are not entitled to life. 

We are not guaranteed one single breath. 

Each day is a gift. Every breath you take is an act of grace and love from our God. 

Treasure today! Don't waste your gift. It may not be available for you to open tomorrow. We have to keep our minds focused on Jesus. He is our life. I pray that we never take for granted the gift of life. And since we do not know how long our life will last, we humbly and gratefully thank God for each day, and do our best to live for his glory and honor.

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

Dig Deep

If then you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth. For you have died and your life is hidden with Christ in God. When Christ who is your life appears, then you also will appear with him in glory. Colossians 3:1-4

One of the purposes for starting this blog was to provide myself with accountability. Accountability to stay in God’s word consistently.  I love the word of God, I love studying his word, but I found myself in the busyness of life getting distracted and in need of some extra accountability. 

There is nothing more important than seeking Christ. The bible says “you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will hear you.  You will seek me and find me, when you seek me with all your heart.  I will be found by you, declares the Lord…” Jeremiah 29-12-14 (ESV)

Have you ever heard someone say “Let’s dig into the word of God” or “let’s dig deeper”? I love that mental picture of digging into God’s holy word. The study of God’s word is what makes our roots grow deeper and deeper. The deeper our roots, the firmer we stand in the Lord. If we don’t toil and dig our roots remain shallow. We must be established in the word of God so that the elementary principles of the world do not sway us. We have to put on our overalls, grab our shovels, and start digging into God's word. We will sweat and our backs will ache, but oh, the reward will be so great!

“Therefore as you have received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in Him, having been firmly rooted and now being built up in Him and established in your faith, just as you were instructed, and overflowing with gratitude. See to it that no one takes you captive through philosophy and empty deception, according to the tradition of men, according to the elementary principles of the world, rather than according to Christ.” Colossians 2:6-8(ESV)

We focus too much on what’s above the ground. God desires for us to put to death what is earthly IN us. (Colossians 3:5) We have to dig. We can’t stay on top, above ground, surface level. We have to look past today and into eternity and start observing our roots. If we want our fruit to be nutritious and plentiful we have to stretch our roots. And God’s word is what makes that happen.

Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God. Colossians 3:16 (ESV)

I want to bear fruit, but more importantly I want the private relationship between me and my Lord to be first and foremost the most important thing in my life. When that relationship is priority, and I seek to know him more and more each day, everything else in my life that I love and adore will reap the harvest of my root work. I dig deeper, and deeper, I drink, and grow. Marriage problems, Parenting problems, life problems start to fade and his word jumps off the page and into my heart. Let’s commit to abide in God’s word.

He is like a tree planted by water, that sends out its roots by the stream, and does not fear when heat comes, for its leaves remain green, and is not anxious in the year of drought, for it does not cease to bear fruit.” Jeremiah 17:8(ESV)

“That He would grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with power through His Spirit in the inner man, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; and that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth.” Ephesians 3:16-18 (ESV)

"But our citizenship is in heaven, and from it we await a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, who will transform our lowly body to be like his glorious body, by the power that enables him even to subject all things to himself. Therefore, my brothers, whom I love and long for, my joy and crown, stand firm thus in the Lord, my beloved." Philippians 3:20-4:1(ESV)

Wanderer Come Home

“Keep your life free from love of money, and be content with what you have, for he has said, “I will never leave you nor forsake you.” Hebrews 13:5

“But godliness with contentment is great gain, for we brought nothing into the world, and we cannot take anything out of the world. But if we have food and clothing, with these we will be content. But those who desire to be rich fall into temptation, into a snare, into many senseless and harmful desires that plunge people into ruin and destruction. For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evils. It is through this craving that some have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many pangs.” 1 Timothy 6:6-10

“Some have wandered away from the faith”

Have you unintentionally “wandered away from the faith”? In today’s society it is so easy for us to wander away. There are temptations coming at us from all sides. The desire for more is at every turn. I am afraid if we are not intentional about contentment we will miss out on one of God’s greatest blessings. 

If we want to experience true contentment and joy, we must evaluate our lives. We need to take a deep look at our motives and actions behind everything we do. We must consider are we living for God or for ourselves. We say we have surrendered our lives to the Lord, but do our actions reflect our words. This takes some quiet time of honest reflection.

Confession. Every day we need to recognize and confess our lack of contentment. We need to honestly apologize for our lack of contentment and ask God to gives us strength to rely on him for true joy. 

1 Timothy 4:7-8 says to “discipline yourself for the purpose of godliness; for bodily discipline is only of little profit, but godliness is profitable for all things, since it holds promise for the present life and also for the life to come.”

Then, Paul in Philippians 4:11-13 says “Not that I am speaking of being in need, for I have learned in whatever situation I am to be content.  I know how to be brought low, and I know how to abound. In any and every circumstance, I have learned the secret of facing plenty and hunger, abundance and need.  I can do all things through him who strengthens me.”

So how do we practically “discipline” ourselves and “learn” contentment?

First and foremost, we must rely on God to give us strength. We cannot learn contentment on our own strength. In meeting with God each day we open up ourselves to hear from him. To be led and taught by a God who promises to meet with you. By keeping Christ as the center of our lives, we are laying a foundation for contentment to grow. 

Second, we must identify where we are placing our trust. If we are chained to this world instead of Christ contentment we will be robbed. What are you chained too? Is it financial success, worry, entertainment, comparison, busyness, status, fear, the next big thing, the next trip, self, desire for control, keeping up with the Jones’ mentality, fear of losing worldly status, self-preservation, pride, jealousy, bitterness? What is keeping you from letting go and giving your all to Jesus?  What causes you to lose sight of eternity? What keeps you from Jesus? Ask yourself the question if I let go of pursuing these things what would I do with my time? What would Christ lead me to do?

Contentment is available to you and me right now in this very moment. It is a mindset. It is a choice to choose. Stop comparing your life to others. You be you. Be who God created you to be. Discover your gifts, talents, shape and abilities and use them for Gods glory. Don’t be someone else. 

Start practicing gratitude. I once read that we should pick one object or thing in our house and thank God for it each day. For example, “Thank you God for this laundry machine. Wow! Without this machine I would have to do all this laundry by hand. Thank you for the enormous amount of time I am saving by having this machine. I realize people all over the world do not have a washing machine. Please be with the men and women who are washing their clothes by hand at this very moment. Strengthen their arms and backs as they scrub and wash. Give them comfort as they work. Help the weather be pleasant for them today as I’m certain they must hang their clothes to dry. Forgive me for being discontent with my mountain of laundry when there are people with so little.”

Wants versus Need Challenge.

 I recently made a commitment to strive for the next few months and maybe even longer to not buy anything for myself that I do not need. It’s a form of fasting for me to help me refocus on all that I have. I want to LEARN true contentment. I want God to meet all my needs. I want my eyes to be open to how often I allow material possessions to meet a need rather than God. 

Here are some questions I am asking myself before each purchase. Is this a need or a want? Do I already have something like this at home that will fulfill this purpose? What’s your motive for buying this today? If you don’t need it don’t buy it.

I am going to practice this for the next few months. Would you like to join me?  Let’s go to battle for contentment. I am excited to see how God is going to work through this challenge in my own life.  Let’s practice enjoying what we already have been so abundantly given. Not just material possessions, but relationships, health, nature, and more. You add to the list. What are you grateful for today.  Praying for you and me as we seek more of Him!

 “Now to him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us, 21 to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever. Amen.”  Ephesians 3:20-21

“But as for you, O man of God, flee these things. Pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, steadfastness, gentleness. Fight the good fight of the faith. Take hold of the eternal life to which you were called and about which you made the good confession in the presence of many witnesses.”1 Timothy 6:11-12

“As for the rich in this present age, charge them not to be haughty, nor to set their hopes on the uncertainty of riches, but on God, who richly provides us with everything to enjoy. They are to do good, to be rich in good works, to be generous and ready to share, thus storing up treasure for themselves as a good foundation for the future, so that they may take hold of that which is truly life."1 Timothy 6:17-19

“For the moment all discipline seems painful rather than pleasant, but later it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it. Therefore, lift your drooping hands and strengthen your weak knees, and make straight paths for your feet, so that what is lame may not be put out of joint but rather be healed.”  Hebrews 12: 11-14

It's Friday but Sunday's Coming!

I recently came across a growing form of worship called Bible Journaling or Illustrated Faith. Basically, it is artfully, doodling scripture in your bible. It was fascinating to me because I love Scripture, Art, and doodling.

 Not only is it peaceful and relaxing, but it gives my hands something to do while my heart meditates and prays. I have struggled in the past with sitting still to pray and meditate on scripture. But while I color and doodle my mind seems to focus more directly on the scripture before me. I can pray and think about all Christ has done for me without getting so distracted. It's even been a blessing for my children to take part in. I found the two designs below on Pinterest by a very talented artist and added them to my own bible.

Maybe this will be helpful to you too! I pray together we will dive into God's word, "cling to his testimonies," Psalm 119:30 and "treasure his word in our hearts." Psalm 119:11.

If doodling is not your thing be creative about other ways that might help you get quiet before the Lord. Many Blessings to you and Happy Weekend. I pray you enjoy some quality time with the Lord and your loved ones.