It is a Choice!

At Rise & Shine Women’s Retreat guest speaker Lysa TerKeurst spoke on being “Prayer-full”. She shared I Thessalonians 5:16-18 with us, “Be joyful always; pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.”

Lysa shared that joy is not a feeling, it is a mindset…a shift in our thinking. She said, “sometimes our circumstances feel anything but joyful”, but we can choose to be joyful and thankful despite our feelings, despite our circumstances. Lysa said, “Feelings are indicators, not dictators.” So true!

Lysa went on to say that we need to “ask God for our daily portion.” Keep asking, keep believing, keep our eyes and hearts on Him daily. Praying continually shows our daily dependence on Him.

In my breakout group (a small group setting) at Rise & Shine we spent some time digging into Lysa’s message just a bit more. We talked about what being in the center of God’s will meant to us. Of course, being joyful, praying continually and being thankful came up again. One woman pointed out that you can’t really have one without the other…you need all three, they all go hand in hand. When you’re thankful you’ll be joyful, when you’re prayerful you’ll be thankful, when you’re joyful you’ll be prayerful…you get the idea!

I Thessalonians 5:18 does say “for this” (all three of those things mentioned before) “is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.” To be in God’s will, we must be joyful, prayerful and thankful. Wow!

As I’ve pondered this more, I realized I had a great example of this growing up. I was brought up by my mom who, by God’s grace, is an extremely grateful woman. Despite some very tough, life-altering circumstances, she chose to see the joy in life. Life didn’t turn out just the way she thought it would, circumstances beyond her control left her a divorced woman and a single mom who was often scraping for money to provide for us. Yet, she constantly pointed out to me (and still does) how God was with us…was blessing us…was providing for us…was showing His love for us. She gave Him such thanks in front of me that I grew up seeing God clearly in those ordinary, everyday moments. Her faith was strong and totally intact despite circumstances. She wasn't necessarily thankful for her difficult circumstances, but she was thankful even in her circumstances! She prayed about everything, she saw how God answered her prayers and was quick to point it out to me as well. Her prayerfulness made her thankful, her thankfulness made her joyful. What an example!

I try to model this for my two young boys as well. It sounds easy doesn’t it? When we’re sitting in a Christian women’s conference being built up, encouraged, refreshed and renewed, it sounds so simple.

Of course we should be joyful always!
Of course we should pray continually (why wouldn’t we?!!?).
Of course we should be thankful in all circumstances.
Of course this is God’s will for us.

It makes total sense! BUT, when we get home, that’s the real test! When things don’t go our way…there are bills to be paid…kids fussing…dinner burning…frizzy hair…telemarketers…rising blood pressure…life can get messy. It’s easy to lose sight of all that joy and thankfulness we felt while sitting at that conference. Or maybe our circumstances are much bigger…like a sick loved one, divorce papers delivered, past mistakes coming back to haunt us…the list could go on and on. No matter what the circumstance, do we choose EVEN THEN by God’s grace within us to be joyful, prayerful and thankful?!

As we pray continually we will see how God gives us just what we need (not necessary everything that we want, but all that we need), then we will be thankful. When we live with a thankful heart, choosing to see past the circumstances to see the blessings in life, then we will live joyfully…always. When we are joyful and thankful we will prayerfully praise God and will pray even more because we will be keenly aware of how faithful He is to answer. They go hand in hand.

November is “Thankful Month” on facebook. Each day I am posting what I am thankful for that day. Honestly, I am so thankful for all that God has done that I find it hard to say just one thing. It has been a great reminder for me! As I think of the things that I am thankful for, I find myself full of joy and then I find myself praising God for it! I have a lot to be thankful for and I believe all of us do…if we only choose to be aware! Thankfulness is not a one month event, it is an every day, moment by moment, forever life changing choice!

Are our eyes open to all God is doing around us? Are we thankful for all the little, “everyday” life stuff that He provides? Do we recognize our blessings despite our feelings? Do we see the joy in this life, in our relationship with Him despite our circumstances? Do we choose to look to Him continually…asking for our provision every day, every moment? Do we say thank you, Lord?

I am thankful for Lysa TerKeurst’s message that has caused me to focus on these Truths. I am thankful God continues to work on these things in my heart. I am thankful that I can choose to be joyful always, pray continually and to be thankful in all circumstances…because this truly is God’s will for me, and you too if you are a believer!!

Always be full of joy in the Lord. I say it again - rejoice! …the Lord is near. Don’t worry about anything; instead pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus…Fix your thoughts on what is true, and honorable, and right, and pure, and lovely, and admirable. Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise. Phil 4:4-8
 
What are you thankful for today? 

Rise & Shine 2010 ~ God is Faithful to Answer!!

The Rise & Shine team with Lysa TerKeurst and her assistant Holly Good.

Me, Jill, Lysa, Holly, Judy and Leanne

It’s been a week since Rise & Shine Women’s Retreat and I’m still basking in God’s greatness. I still feel overwhelmed by it all! Not sure that I have adequate words to do it justice. And I know I don’t have adequate words to express the praise in my heart for all that God did there that day! I don’t think I can wrap up the day in a neat little blog post fit with a shiny red bow.  :)   So instead I want to take the time to praise, honor and glorify God for the way He showed up and revealed Himself to our planning team and me personally that day!

Pray, pray, pray and pray some more. That’s what we felt led to do. That’s what we did! And, boy oh boy, was God ever faithful to answer!!

The call to pray more, and more specifically, was heard loud and clear by our planning team this year. I shared a bit about our specific prayers in an earlier blog post, you can read it here.

I knew God would answer our prayers for Rise & Shine, but what amazed me is the way praying for these women blessed ME, the pray-er (and others who prayed as well).

“What a wondrous thing it is when God changes us! says Cheri Fuller. “As the Lord Jesus Christ becomes the focus of our lives, the eyes of hearts are opened, and we see more clearly His faithfulness and His loving-kindness…As we walk with Him, talk with Him, and behold Him daily in our lives, transformation comes. We are drawn closer to Him the more we come into His presence to intercede for others - and in His presence is fullness of joy.”

I agree! I have been changed as I’ve prayed for these dear women, and not only that, I have seen His faithfulness displayed clearly as I’ve heard and read the comments women have made about the ways these specific prayers have blessed them. It’s obvious that God guided our hands (just as we asked Him to) to assign their names to the fruit of the Spirit…and guided our prayers to effect them greatly. God revealed Himself in BIG ways…and I am blown away by His GREATNESS! I am blown away with how FAITHFUL He is to answer our prayers! I am blown away with what a PERSONAL, LOVING Father He is to each of us!! He knows each of us personally and knew right where our names needed to fall on that list…including my own!

I realize that we will probably never know on this side of Heaven about all of the seeds that were planted at Rise & Shine. I believe God was at work in mighty big ways! And I don’t need to see all of it to believe it. However, I did ask God to show us some very obvious answers to our prayers (like He did with the fruit of the Spirit prayers) so that we would know He heard, He answered, that He is faithful…and so that we could give Him all the glory. He did! He is faithful to answer!

We asked God to draw women by His Spirit to Rise & Shine…not a particular number of women, just every woman that needed to be there. There were women there from every part of the state of Iowa and also women from Wisconsin, Illinois, Minnesota, one from Indiana (my mom!) and one from Nebraska who specifically told me that she felt drawn to attend Rise & Shine! :)  It’s not about numbers, but it’s about having the opportunity to minister to women. God is faithful to answer!

We prayed that when women walked through those front doors that morning that two things would be felt strongly there His love and His Holy Spirit. Although we wanted the retreat to be full of depth, we also wanted the women to feel loved on by providing fun things like flavored coffees and cappuccinos, homemade cinnamon rolls, comfy seats, chocolate and pretty decor. I am in awe of God’s goodness as I’ve heard women say that they felt pampered by all the details, were blown away by the love they felt there and how the Holy Spirit was felt so strongly that it couldn’t be denied. Thank you, Lord! You are so faithful to answer!

We asked the Lord to draw women into a closer relationship with Him at Rise & Shine. In the first morning session, our fabulous guest speaker, Lysa TerKeurst, shared her very powerful life testimony. Lysa clearly pointed women toward God. At the end of this time she asked women who had never entered into a personal relationship with Jesus Christ to do so. Each time a woman raised her hand to let Lysa know they had made a new commitment she acknowledged them by saying, “To God be the praise.” I sat at my table with my head down listening to her say, “To God be the praise” over and over and over…31 times she said it. Tears flowed from my eyes as I realized that each, “To God be the praise” represented a brand new life for one precious sister. Later, Lysa told us that she didn’t even say, “To God be the praise” for every woman who raised her hand. This blew us away! How overwhelming! Truly to God be the praise!! God is faithful to answer!

Lysa TerKeurst’s second talk was titled "Prayer-full"! When we first started planning this event and felt the call to pray, pray, pray, we didn’t know Lysa would be speaking on being “Prayer-full,” a talk based on I Thessalonians 5:16-18. Nope, we found this out just a couple of weeks before the retreat. As a few of us met to pray a few days before the retreat, I read the entire chapter of I Thessalonians 5 aloud. Imagine our delight as we realized the chapter surrounding Lysa’s talk mentioned EVERY ONE of the fruit of the Spirit. It boggles my mind to think of how God prepared us and all of the women who attended Rise & Shine through prayer for this Spirit-led message from Lysa TerKeurst. How cool is that?  We didn’t know what Lysa would speak about. Lysa didn’t know what we were praying about. He knew!! He is faithful to answer our prayers as we are obedient in the asking! (P.S. I want to share more about Lysa’s “Prayer-full” talk in another post soon. Lysa spoke Truth straight to our hearts! The Lord is really blessing Lysa and her ministry as she conintues to obey and follow His lead.  Fabulous!).

At the end of the day we asked the women to write a letter to themselves expressing what they had learned at Rise & Shine. We then asked them to seal up those letters, address them to themselves and bring them to the front. They left their letters there and picked up “a letter from God” (a few sentences taken from scripture…along with the scripture reference) to take back to their seat with them. We will mail the letter they wrote to themselves back to them sometime in the days to come. It’s going to be so cool to hear how the Lord uses their own words to remind them of His faithfulness! It has already been so neat to hear from women that the “letter from God” they picked up was just the “right one” for them. This was true for me personally as well! God is faithful to answer!

We prayed that God would be in every part of Rise & Shine…and He revealed Himself in every detail! I was amazed by the way He was seen and heard in the words of Lysa TerKeurst as she shared with us 3 times, the worship team, the smooth transitions of the sound and production people (and all the working equipment), the special music providers, the prayer room, the mouth-watering lunches from Scratch Bakery (you ain’t never had a cupcake ‘til ya had one from there!!), the wonderful volunteers who gave of their time, the beautiful décor, the “breakout reflections” time. Yes, His glory was revealed through every detail…big and small; through the talents and time given to honor Him! When we do the work He asks of us, He is faithful to answer!

On Monday, after the retreat, Lysa TerKeurst shared on her blog a story that she shared with us at Rise & Shine Women’s Retreat (and mentioned meeting some of us crazy women who live amongst cattle and fields and 45 miles from Wal-Mart! hee hee) Her post was titled, “Our Job is Obedience. God’s Job is Results.” Oh, how true! Oh, how appropriate! As we’ve been obedient to follow God’s promptings in our hearts, He has been faithful to answer! Thank you, Lord, for working through so many people to make Rise & Shine happen. The results are Yours and we are thankful!! To God be the glory!!

Rise & Shine was a lot of work, but it’s such a privilege to have a “front row seat” to bask in God’s glory…to see direct answers to our prayers, how God blessed women and every part of the day!

I’m now praying that each seed that was planted at Rise & Shine, whether it be a new commitment or a deepened revelation of who He is, will be watered and come to full fruition in the lives of the women who attended.  I pray that all of us will remember that "rising" up to who God created us to be and "shining" His light with our life is more than a one day event!  And I know God definately is faithful to answer!!

Is God asking you to be obedient in a certain area in your life right now? What is God prompting you to do? What BIG thing are you praying for right now? God is faithful to answer when our requests are pleasing to Him and we come to Him in faith believing!! Go to Him and keep going to Him again and again…leaving the results in His hands!

And we are confident that he hears us whenever we ask for anything that pleases him. And since we know he hears us when we make our requests, we also know that he will give us what we ask for. I John 5:14-15

A few more personal notes (I just can't stop!!):


I loved the personal connections that I made with other women and the connections I saw others making! This was an answer to prayer. He is faithful to answer!


I loved how God prepared me as a breakout facilitator…I didn’t know how to prepare, but EVERY subject that came up during that time was something He had been working on in my heart in the days prior. WOW! He revealed Himself to me personally in that way as well! He is faithful to answer!


As we gathered in the prayer room to pray on Saturday morning, one of the gals from the prayer team said something like, “Before this day is over, this is going to be Holy Ground! They’re going to want to take their shoes off when they walk in here.” I thought, “Wow!” and said a quiet prayer in my mind that those words would be true. At the end of the day, a new friend of mine said to me, having NO IDEA what was said earlier that day, “Earlier when I walked in here (the prayer room) the Holy Spirit was so strong that it about knocked me off my feet. I felt like I needed to take off my shoes. This is Holy Ground!” Wow, wow, wow! God, you are so good!! You are faithful to answer!


Sorry this is soooo long, but I have so much to say…so much more I could share, but I have to stop somewhere. More to come soon. 

Thank you, LORD, for the way you work and move in our very ordinary, very real lives!  I am amazed and blessed to be part of something so beyond me!!  Thank you for hearing us and being faithful to answer our prayers!!

So Much To Say...

I can hardly believe it's Wednesday already...and I haven't even posted anything about Rise & Shine!!  I have so much to say, but I'm still feeling a bit overwhelmed by it all.  I'm still basking in God's Faithfulness!!  I will share more soon.  I have a lot to say, just not the time or words to express it all yet.  :)

For now, I will give you some other sources to read...

This is what I wrote on the Rise & Shine blog.
This is what our guest speaker, Lysa TerKeurst, wrote about her time at Rise & Shine!  A great post!!
Teske Drake who brought a fabulous group from Mommies with Hope to Rise & Shine..shared her top 10 of the weekend.  Love!

More to come...stay tuned! :)

Goodness Gracious!

Rise & Shine Women’s Retreat is only 8 days from today!! As we’ve prepared for the retreat the call to pray over the beautiful women who will attend has become increasingly apparent this year. We prayed for them earnestly last year as well, but this year we felt God impress upon our hearts to pray for each of them specifically BY NAME.

We wanted to pray specific scripture truth over each of them…and felt directed to Galatians 5:22-25, the Fruit of the Spirit.

But the Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives: LOVE, JOY, PEACE, PATIENCE, KINDNESS, GOODNESS, FAITHFULNESS, GENTLENESS and SELF-CONTROL. There is no law against these things! Those who belong to Christ Jesus have nailed the passions and desires of their sinful nature to his cross and crucified them there. Since we are living by the Spirit, let us follow the Spirit’s leading in every part of our lives. Galatians 5:22-25

As registrations have come in, we’ve prayed for God to guide our hands to assign the names to a specific “fruit” that will be especially meaningful to that woman. Although we don’t know many of these women personally, we know God does and He knows just what each of them need. We’ve prayed that all of the fruit of the Spirit will be displayed in and through them. Then, that God will work on this one particular fruit in a very special way in their lives at this time.

Let me tell you, it has been such a blessing to pray for these dear, dear women. What is amazing to me is that while praying for them, my faith has been increased. As I’ve prayed for them to be blessed, I, myself, have been blessed, shaped and changed. Prayer is powerful because God is powerful!

That being said, I have a confession to make...I was kind of surprised when my name fell under “goodness”. At first, I though, “Goodness gracious, my name fell under goodness! Really, God? Goodness? I mean, I know I need some love, joy and peace…but goodness? I’m good, right?!” I know, I know, how arrogant of me, right?! I’m just being honest here.

Within a few moments I realized the error of my ways. I knew we had been praying for each name to get assigned to just the “right” fruit and I knew that included my own. I said, “I’m sorry, Lord. I know there must be a reason my name fell under goodness. Please show me.”

I realized I probably needed a better understanding of the word “goodness”. I sat down with the definition of goodness, “what is beneficial, being good; moral excellence or virtue; integrity, uprightness.” I looked up “moral excellence”, “virtue”, “integrity”, and “uprightness” for further clarification. Then, I looked up these scripture references…

I long to obey your commandments! Renew my life with your goodness. Psalm 119:40


Surely your goodness and unfailing love will pursue me all the days of my life, and I will live in the house of the LORD forever. Psalm 23:6

For the light within you produces only what is good and right and true. Eph 5:9

Do not withhold good from those who deserve it when it’s in your power to help them. Prov 3:27

Don’t let evil conquer you, but conquer evil by doing good. Rom 12:21

I started asking myself some questions, Do I long to obey His commandments? Do I only say and do what is beneficial? His goodness and unfailing love are pursuing me, am I really aware? Does the light within me produce only what is good, right and true? Do I help others when it’s within my power, or am I too busy to even notice sometimes? Do I conquer evil by doing good? Is my life marked by His goodness…moral excellence, virtue, integrity, His righteousness? It became clear. I said, “Oh, LORD, I do desperately need your goodness to fill my heart and life! I need more of You and less of me.”

In the past few weeks it seems everything I’ve read or heard has to do with “God’s goodness” and the need I have for it. His goodness and unfailing love are definitely pursuing me…and I’ve noticed. From an e-mail devotional titled, “Do You Hate Sin?” to a chapter titled, “Speak the Truth” in a parenting book I’m reading, have shown me even more clearly the need I have for God’s goodness…what is good, right and true.

Goodness gracious, God! You are soooo good!! You know how to meet us right where we are!

What about you? Is your life marked by the goodness of God? Can others see Him in you, just by the things you do and say? Do you speak the truth in love? Do you long to obey His commandments which means hating sin? Do the things that offend Him, offend you? Do you help others when you can and conquer (which means overcome) evil by doing good? If we have made a commitment to love, honor and serve Jesus, then our lives should be marked by the Fruit of the Spirit...His Spirit living in and working through us.

Each of the fruit of the Spirit are important, but I know “goodness” is where my name was suppose to fall on that list…and just what the Lord wanted to work on in my heart and life at this moment in time. I pray that each of the women who will attend Rise & Shine on October 30th will find the “fruit” that has been prayed over them to be just as revealing and relevant as I have.

Goodness gracious, God! You are so good! Thank you for knowing each of us so personally! Thank you for being a loving Father who wants to grow us, stretch us and love on us every chance you get! Thank you for pursuing us with Your goodness and unfailing love. Thank you for revealing to me the need for more of Your goodness in my life. Reveal to me other areas that need work. I pray you will reveal areas that You would like to work on in the lives of those who are reading this as well. Thank you for loving us just the way we are, but also loving us enough not to let us stay there. Thank you for filling me and my Christian sisters with Your Holy Spirit…and reminding us to follow the Spirit’s leading in every part of our lives.

P.S. If you’re attending Rise & Shine Women’s Retreat please visit the prayer room to find out what “Fruit” has been prayed over YOU specifically by name. We’ll have cards with the “Fruit“, the definition, and scripture references to go along with it. We believe it will be just one of so many blessings in store for you that day!!

If you have not accepted Jesus Christ as your Savior, you can choose to do so today. I would love to talk to you about it rachel.beran@yahoo.com

Just Listen to Me!

“Listen to Mommy!” I said to my 3½ year old son, Andrew…AGAIN. Andrew had a rough day; things just didn’t go his way, he was testing the waters (testing me) and I didn’t like it. We had a little heart to heart talk, several times throughout the day. I heard myself saying things like…

“Andrew, if you would just listen to me things would go a lot better for both of us.”

“Andrew, please just listen to me. Mommy doesn’t like getting after you, but it’s my job to teach you right from wrong.”

“Andrew, why aren’t you listening? Who’s the boss, me or you?”

That night as I tucked my little blondie into bed, his piercing blue eyes staring into mine, I said, “Andrew, I love you so much, that’s why I want to teach you right. I want us to enjoy each other and have good days together. Please listen to me. Let’s have a better day tomorrow, okay?!” He said, “Alright, Mommy. I love you too.” Which was followed by a big hug and kiss that simply melted my heart.

Just look at this cheesy, mischievous grin!

The next day was much better. Andrew listened (for the most part) and our home was peaceful. 

I dislike correcting my son, it doesn’t make me feel good. At the same time, I know I must correct him when he doesn’t listen. It is my job to teach him and if I don’t do it, he will never grow to be the man God created him to be. God gave me (and my husband as well) this authority and responsibility. The growing process can be hard, but it is necessary. Because I love him, I will teach him right from wrong.

It hit me hard…this must be how God feels about me! Sometimes I’m outright defiant. I want to do it my own way. Things don’t go so well, and then I wonder why.

It’s as if he’s saying to me, “Why don’t you listen? Things would go a lot better for both of us if you would just listen. Please just listen, I don’t like correcting you, but because I love you I want to teach you my ways so that you can grow. Who’s the boss, me or you?!” YIKES!

“My child, don’t make light of the Lord’s discipline,
and don’t give up when he corrects you.

For the Lord disciplines those he loves…”
Hebrews 12:5-6

Who’s the authority…who’s in charge? Our loving Father corrects us, the growing process can be difficult, but it must take place if we ever want to grow to full maturity. We do things our own way, and then wonder why things aren’t going so well for us. He says, “Follow me!”

How about you? Do you feel convicted in any areas in your life? Is your loving Father correcting you? Will you listen and learn? His way is the best way! Is He gently and lovingly correcting you. He’s saying, “Just listen to me.” He’s helping you grow into the person He designed you to be.

It is a new day. Repent of (turn away from) your sin (whatever it is) now! Be forgiven by your loving Father…and go forward! His mercies are new EVERY morning!

Oh, and if we keep on listening, there will be much better days ahead!  :)

“The faithful love of the LORD never ends!
His mercies never cease.
Great is his faithfulness;
his mercies begin afresh each morning.”

Lamentations 3:22-23

Everyday Moments

Lately I have been praying to see God, to be used by God, to be aware of His presence in those ordinary, everyday moments of my life.

In Sunday school this week, I shared the story of baby Moses with my kindergarten girls. As I shared, I thought of all the ordinary moments that led to some very extraordinary events in God’s big plan.  You probably know the story...

A mother, trying to save her baby takes a basket lined with tar down to the river. She put him in the basket and into the water believing and trusting that God would protect and preserve her baby’s life somehow (but not knowing how!). I believe Moses’ mother must have prayed for guidance on what to do. Otherwise, what would possess you to do this?

The mother leaves Moses’older sister, a young girl named Miriam, in charge of watching him from the reeds. Miriam didn’t know she would be used by God that day, she was simply obeying her mother’s wishes to watch her baby brother. But, when the time was right, God impressed upon her young heart, just the right thing to do and say…and without fear she stepped up to the challenge. She spoke up and made a request of the princess who found him.

Even the princess didn’t know that anything out of the ordinary would take place on that very ordinary day. She went about her normal activities…this time going to the river to take a bath. But, what happened next changed the course of history. I have no idea what the princess’ relationship was or was not with God, regardless He must have impressed something upon her heart, causing her to feel love for this baby as she opened the basket. You know she could have ordered her maidservants to deliver him to her father, the king, who ordered that all of the Israelite baby boys be put to death, she didn’t!

God was watching over baby Moses, his mother, his whole family…and an entire nation of people! As you probably know, Moses became a mighty man of God and he lead the Israelites out of slavery…and towards the Promised Land. God had a plan for Moses’ life and he used many others to get him there.

God still works like this today! Psalm 33:15 describes God’s watchful care, “He has made their hearts and closely watches everything they do.” He isn’t some distant, far off God. He is a personal, loving Father.

The other day I sent an e-mail to a dear friend who is going through a tough time. I told her that I would pray for her, added a scripture for some encouragement and closed the note. At the end, I wrote out the prayer that was in my mind and heart at that moment. I didn’t intend to, I just did. A few days later I saw my friend. She hugged me tightly and declared that my e-mail was just what she needed…especially the prayer at the end. She told me that she printed out the e-mail so she could look at it again and again. She even showed it to some of her friends and they were blessed. I thought, “Wow, what did I write?!” I had forgotten all about writing out the prayer at the end. I still don’t remember exactly what I wrote, but that’s okay. God knew just the words she needed at that moment!

One day this week I was in Mc Donald’s play place with my sons. There was another mom there who seemed lonely and I felt led to talk to her. I prayed in my mind for guidance and words. Before I knew it, she struck up a conversation. We talked…and I’ve been praying for her ever since. I think it’s just what she needed.

Yesterday evening, I sat down on the floor in my living room near where my boys were playing, to read a Christian book about parenting. As I read the book this question crossed my mind and heart, “What do my kids learn by watching me?” I was praying about this in my mind, telling God that I often feel like I fail in this area. Within a couple of minutes Andrew, my 3 year old, ran into the other room, grabbed his preschool devotional book and said, “Mommy, we need to read my devotions!” I asked, “What made you think about that right now?” He said, “That’s what you’re doing.” Wow, God, you are good!! Thank you for the reassurance that sometimes with your help I do “get it right.” That’s just what I needed to hear at that moment!

I am not telling you this to brag on myself!! I am telling you this to brag on God!! Many times I fail. It is by God’s grace that I “got it right” in these moments. I’m flawed and sinful; I get wrapped up in myself many days. Yet, it’s amazing to me how He can use me, a VERY ordinary woman, to speak His words to a broken heart, to live His message out loud in everyday moment…that is: when I’m obedient to His prompting.

“The remarkable thing is not that I sin, but that, in spite of my sin, I am capable of having fellowship with God and being used by Him for His purposes in the world.” Ibid., 102

God works in our very real lives…whether we’re working on some big ministry project or sharing encouragement with a friend via e-mail, facebook or on the phone. Planning a missionary trip to some far off country or simply (which is not so simple at all!!) being a missionary to those in our lives right where we are, every day (starting #1 with our family!!). God is THERE…in the big things and the small. He’s with us in the everyday moments of life. He is interested in EVERY detail of our days. That’s why he tells us to “pray about everything” in Phil 4:6! It’s amazing and humbling to watch Him work through us when we follow His lead.

How are you seeking Him daily? Do you believe He cares about every detail of your life? How are you being watchful of and prayerful about what He wants to do in, through and around you today?

O Lord, you have examined my heart and know everything about me…you know when I sit down or stand up. You know my thoughts…you see me when I travel and when I rest at home…everything I do…know what I’m going to say before I say it…you go before me and follow me. You place your hand of blessing on my head. Such knowledge is too wonderful for me, too great for me to understand. Psalm 139:1-6

Yes, it’s too great for us to really understand, but it’s TRUE! Thank you, Lord, for caring about every detail of our lives…knowing just what we and others need at every moment! Please help us to be more sensitive to Your promptings in these everyday moments of life, living to serve and honor You rather than focusing on ourselves. Thank you for loving us and working through us despite our failures and flaws. We love you, Lord! Amen.

Looking Too Far Ahead...

One of my earliest memories involves my teenage brother, a gravel road, a little red wagon, a big red dog and an irrational fear.

I’m not sure exactly how old I was. What I do know is we still lived on a gravel road out in the country, we moved to town a month before I turned 3 years old. I was young! My big brother, Josh, was taking me on a walk, pulling me in a little red wagon. We looked down the road a ways…where we were headed, there was what looked like a BIG BLACK CREATURE heading our way. My brother pointed it out to me, I was immediately scared to tears.

What could it be?! Josh wanted the two of us to go see, but I cried, “No!” He said, “Stay here…and I’ll go see what it is.” I was so scared! What if this vicious creature devoured my beloved brother. What if it came to eat me?! My little heart and mind was full of fear!

I watched at Josh walked…finally reaching the “creature”. To my surprise he started walking back my way WITH the creature at his side. Was he crazy?! As they approached the creature’s form started to take shape. My fear changed to delight…a BIG RED DOG!!

Note: I sure didn’t trust Josh much, did I? I should have trusted him more. He was trustworthy. It wasn’t at all what I thought!!

I hopped out of the wagon to meet my new friendly dog friend. He was obviously a young dog, full of spunk and energy. I remember him licking my face as I giggled. What a pleasant surprise!  I liked him so much and wanted to keep him. We fed him bologna (a nutritious meal for a dog, don’t ya think?!).

This 30 something old memory is very vivid. But, when I think of it, I am reminded that things aren’t always what they seem. Sometimes we look too far ahead in the future! Sometimes we project what we think might be, when we have no idea what really will be! We spend so much time looking ahead, worrying, trying to figure it all out.  Wanting to know how it will all play out. 

Jesus said, “So don’t worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will bring it’s own worries. Today’s trouble is enough for today.” Matthew 6:34

We don’t know what tomorrow will bring. What we do know is WHO has our future in His hands!

"For I now the plans I have for you,” says the LORD. “They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope.” Jeremiah 29:11

We don’t have to be consumed with irrational fears. We don’t have to have it all figured out. We just have to TRUST. Read what Jesus said just before he said, “Don’t worry about tomorrow.”

“Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and he will give you everything you need.” Matthew 6:33

Take it one day at a time! It’s okay to make our plans and have goals, but really it’s most important that we follow Him day by day, moment by moment. Looking too far ahead can be overwhelming. However, today we can seek Him and His righteousness above all else. We can find peace, hope and purpose in the daily routine of our lives. We have no idea what tomorrow holds, so why not live life to the fullest…obeying, trusting, loving, and serving today.

“We can make our plans, but the LORD determines our steps.”  Proverbs 16:9

I’m not saying we should just sit where we’re comfy looking ahead at the “big creature,” never getting out of the wagon. No, I’m saying, trust the puller of the wagon! Don’t look too far ahead, trust Him just for today, just for this moment…and you may be surprised what good thing comes out of it. It’s probably not going to turn out the way you thought! But, you can bet He has a plan and you can TRUST Him…one day at a time!

Lord, I will serve you just for today...not looking too far ahead, trying to figure it all out.  I know You have a plan for my life and that I can trust You and Your plan.  Thank you for loving me, giving me a future and a hope.  Give me the strength, wisdom and revelation to follow You closely each day because that's what this life is really all about.  Amen