Social Ferment

 I learned a new term today, "the age of ferment."

Social ferment refers to a state of collective agitation and transformation within a society, often driven by motivated individuals seeking social, cultural, or political reform. This concept is closely related to the idea of social movements, which are characterized by collective action and the emergence of grievances that lead to organized efforts for change.

One thing I know is we are definitely living in an age of social ferment, but guess what God's Word doesn't change.

Politically, our nation is about as divided as it can get. Every day, we see and hear the unrest in our nation. When JD Vance came to Athens this week, protesters waved signs with Old Testament verses (trust me, you don't want to start that because there are plenty of verses to blow your ideology up).

Sadly, this mentality, of whatever I believe is true is truth, has spilled over into society and into the church (which should never have happened). These days, there are churches where I can’t help but wonder where their messages are coming from, because it surely isn’t from God. Their messages center around better living and forget the need for repentance.

So, my friend, what are we to do?

1. Be sure of your salvation (1 John 5:11-12). There is a lot of teaching out there that presents itself as Christian, but it is not in accordance with God's Word.

2. Stay grounded in the Bible, and when I say that, I mean study the Word, don't pick and choose verses to fit your beliefs (2 Timothy 2:15).

3. "Be indebted to no one, except to one another in love." (Romans 13:8) I believe that as a society, we’ve lost sight of the true meaning of this and have adopted a more worldly interpretation. As Alice used to say, “Go into the ditch and help your neighbor, but don’t stay there.”

4. Pray. Take your political and social ideology before the throne, and if it isn't lining up with God's Word, the Holy Spirit will tell you. (1 Thessalonians 5:16-18)

Friend, none of us is perfect, but if we are Christians, we are called to live out a Christ-centered worldview. The old saying holds true: before you act, ask yourself, "What would Jesus do?"

Thoughts

      So many thoughts flood my mind this morning. Thoughts of narratives, exegesis of scripture, loss, and pain. Now, how do all of these connect together? 

     I have no clue. 

     Here is what I know: 

          -People do not comment on writing that exegetes a scripture. Even though this is something dear to my heart and lacking in the church today.

          -People do want to hear your story - narratives. I Google-searched "why people want to hear your story," and there are over 2 million articles on the subject. 

          -I am in a season of life consumed with suffering (that at this point seems trivial in light of God's big plan). People don't want to hear about suffering - it can be depressing. Yet, how are others going to know that God specially meets us in the midst of our suffering?

     So, all these thoughts are rambling through my brain when Matt calls. A colleague of his committed suicide. A prominent figure in Atlanta, a very moral person. Her company must have shared in detail about her taking her own life. It is sad stuff.

     I have known several people who have committed suicide, and my heart is always sad that they just had no hope that things would get better. Thankfully, to the Christian, God's Word gives us the foundation of our hope - Jesus Christ.

     Perhaps Elizabeth Elliot says it best:

          "There have been some hard times in my life, of course, as there have been in yours, and I cannot say to you, that I know exactly what you are going through. But I can say I know the One who does. And I've come to see that through the deepest sufferings that God has shown me the deepest lessons. And if we'll trust Him for it, we can come through with unshakeable assurance that He is in charge. He has a loving purpose. And He can transform something terrible into something wonderful. Suffering is never for nothing."

     So, dear friend, you may think I share too much, you may get tired of scripture references that point you to God, but how are you going to know where to go "when your Jordan gets deep" unless someone tells you?

Let the little children come

     We are the grandparents of two of the most handsome little boys on planet earth. One happens to be autistic and non-verbal. He has the best parents he could possibly have, who consistently put his needs first. It is not always easy, but they are shining examples.

    However, one thing that fell by the wayside was church attendance. You see, it is hard to leave a child who can't talk in the care of people you don't know. Our grandson is now four. He goes to a wonderful special ed pre-school and has had excellent OT and Speech Therapists, but still doesn't talk.

   This past Sunday, his dad decided they would come to church. We attend a small church, and there isn’t really a nursery for four-year-olds. I was ready to sit at the back and try to keep him with us during the service.

    In stepped my friend, Paula, who took him. Our son got up and checked on him a couple of times, and all was well. However, it was after church when Paula told us that Boomer came over to her and put his little hands on her face. He then put his check next to hers and said, Happy - Happy."

   My dear friend, this was truly a miracle from God for our little boy. I've spent the last 24 hours trying to comprehend what happened and can only find one word: Jesus.

    I know from working in the church nursery for years that there is not a more thankless job in God's Kingdom. Yet, it is there that we can be used to bring families to church, used to "wash the feet" of weary parents, and used to teach God's love to little children.

    Guess what, it didn't stop there. After church, I asked Boomer if he wanted to go get a hamburger or pizza. That sweet boy looked at me and said, "Pizza." So, you can bet we got pizza.

    I love it when God works in powerful ways, and to this grandma, this was truly something big!

  

    

Unexpected Assurances

 This week I have been blessed with an unexpected week off work due to weather conditions. While I did use the week to work on my edema issues, I also wasted so much time.

What you might ask did I do with my allotted time? Unfortunately, I spent the majority of my time trying to guess how my life is going to play out!

You see the last five months of illness have not been kind to me. So, I'm curious what God has planned.

Today, God reminded me He has it all under control.

I read John 9:4, "We must quickly carry out the tasks assigned us by the one who sent us. The night is coming, and then no one can work."

Matthew 6:34 states, “Give your entire attention to what God is doing right now, and don’t get worked up about what may or may not happen tomorrow. God will help you deal with whatever hard things come up when the time comes." (Message Bible)

You see God has a plan and all my efforts are only guessing! But the epiphany came when I realized I am secure in whatever God has for me to do!

My friend, Lynn Reinstra's book Sacred Refuge states that, "Sacred refuge, then, is that place where God dwells with us, his people, and invites us to dwell deeply with him." (p. 13-14)

My future is in God's hands, but what a privilege that I can rest secure in His arms.

His Love Endures

 In Tricia Lott Williford's book, This Book is for You, she suggests making a list of your life's headlines. So, I did and soon I realized life is a road full of miracles!

I was born October 24, 1959 to teenage parents.
                             His love endures forever.

At three I learned the 23rd Psalm only instead of I shall not want, I said I ain't a gonna do it.
                            His love endures forever.

At seven my Granddaddy died of a massive heart attack.
                            His love endures forever.

My Great Grandma Whitfield died two days after my birthday.

                            His love endures forever.

At 13 my Daddy left my mom for a truck stop waitress.
                            His love endures forever.

At 14 my mom was diagnosed with cancer.
                            His love endures forever.

At 17 I graduated high school.
                            His love endures forever.

At 18 my mom died.
                            His love endures forever.

At 21 I graduated college.
                            His love endures forever.

At 21 I got m first teaching job in Springer, Oklahoma.
                            Hiss love endures forever.

At 23 I met Dan at Southwest Baptist Church in Ardmore, Oklahoma.
                            His love endures forever.

Our first kiss was at my Dad's house.
                            His love endures forever.

At 24 I married Dan at Southwest Baptist Church.
                            His love endures forever.

At 25 my grandmother, Mymomma, died, and my world changed.
                            His love endures forever.

At 25 we had Drew after a long difficult labor.
                            His love endures forever.

At 28 we moved to Gunnison, Colorado and met life long friends.
                            His love endures forever.

At 29 Drew was burned by a cup of coffee.

                            His love endures forever.

At 30 Matt was born.
                            His love endures forever.

At 31 we moved to Pennsylvania. (Norris was saved)
                            His love endures forever.

At 32 we moved to Madison, Georgia. Matt turned two the day we moved!
                            His love endures forever.

At 34 we moved to Macon, I started work at Central Fellowship Christian School and again we found life-long friends.

                            His love endures forever.

At 36 Gabe was born in Macon, Georgia.

                            His love endures forever.

At 37 we moved to Jackson, Georgia. I found friends closer than a brother!

                            His love endures forever.

At 41 I was the first teacher at Mary Buttrill Day School.

                            His love endures forever.

At 43 I started work at Piedmont Academy.

                            His love endures forever.

At 44 Drew graduated high school and started college at Berry.

                            His love endures forever.

At 45 I started work at North Mulberry Elementary School.

                            His love endures forever.

At 49 Matt graduated from High School.

                            His love endures forever

At 49 we filed for bankruptcy. My heart was broken.

                            His love endures forever.

At 50 my grandmother's ring was stolen from our house.

                            His love endures forever.

At 50 we bought our first house together.

                            His love endures forever.

At 52 Grandma Hestad passed away and the next week Dad moved in with us to start cancer treatments.

                            His love endures forever.

At 55 our first grandbaby, Remington Belle, is born.

                            His love endures forever.

At 55 Gabe graduates from High School.

                            His love endures forever.

At 56 Linda passed away. Even though she came into my life in a traumatic way I loved her dearly.

                            His love endures forever.

At 57 Grandpa Hestad passed away. We found out Grandpa had a financial secret.

                            His love endures forever.

At 57 Royal Rose Hestad was born.

                            His love endures forever.

At 58 Rex Atlas Hestad is born.

                            His love endures forever.

At 60 I'm diagnosed with congestive heart failure.

                 -I lost hearing in one ear.

                 -I retired from public school.

                 -I trusted an unknown future to an all-knowing God

                - I started teaching at Gordon and Piedmont during a pandemic. 

                            His love endures forever.

At 61 Matthew Boomer Hestad is born.

                            His love endures forever.

At 61 started back teaching full-time at Piedmont.

                            His love endures forever.

At 62 Boomer is diagnosed as autistic.

                            His love endures forever.

At 64 I was diagnosed with strep and seven days later can't walk - not once but twice.

                            His love endures forever.

At 65 I start a long recovery back to health.

                            His love endures forever.

Let Me Tell You About My Jesus

 After 10 weeks of illness, I'm tired. It started with strep throat, moved to a hospital stay, sepsis, gout, and weeks of recovery, only to do it again. Saturday (November 30th) was a very low day, I hurt and felt defeated. 

That's when God started moving.

Whitney sent me a blog post by Ann Voskamp.

Voskamp wrote:

"We want clarity —God just wants us to come closer.

We want to know the roadmap through the future —God just wants us to know real intimate relationship with Him right now.

We want to know what’s going to happen —God just wants us to not let anything that happens to ever stop us from going to Him."

And friend, that was me! I wanted to know why!

I got up Sunday morning and even though in pain, I went to church. Why? Because I firmly believe that God gives special grace when His children meet together.

God did not fail to dispense the grace I needed. Pastor Rob was preaching out of Hebrews 11 and reminded us that in those hard times when all we have is faith God will supply the grace needed.

Now if these two incidents had been all God had to say to me that would have been more than enough, but He wasn't done.

Jackie Hill Perry on November 20th posted, "Don't waste this trial." She stated, "Trials have a purpose: sanctification. So don't waste the opportunity to grow just because the growth is uncomfortable. God is working so let Him."

Now, my friend, I don't have to tell you that I have absolutely no clue what God is doing-none. However, I know God and I know that all of this is working for my good, and for now, that is what I will rest in!

In God's Timing

 How many times in life have you heard or will hear the phrase "In God's timing"? I've probably heard and said it hundreds of times, but yesterday when the preacher's wife said it - well it hit a little differently.

You see I've tried hard for two years to lose weight. I've tried HCG shots and a restricted diet, semiglutide shots, Weight Watchers, Noom, and Faster Way. So far nothing has just dropped the weight.

In April my boss decided I needed a change of scenery and moved me down several grade levels that will require walking and energy. I'm old!

Summer rolled in, my favorite time of the year! I could get back in the pool and exercise. Visions of a renewed teacher for those 4th graders danced in my head. Then three weeks into summer I pulled, tweaked, and angered (no one really knows) my IT band in my already painful legs.

So, Lord, what is going on. 

Then yesterday as Lynn prayed for me, I understood that God is working on me, and my timetable is not necessarily His.

Scripture confirms that all of our time is in God's control.

• Psalm 27:14 "Wait for the Lord; be strong, and let your heart take courage; wait for the Lord!"
• Isaiah 40:31 "But they who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles; they shall run and not be weary; they shall walk and not faint."
• Galatians 6:9 "And let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up."
• Proverbs 3:5-6 "Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths."

So, what does God have planned, only He knows, but I'm looking.

Songs that speak

 🎶On the road to Salvation I stick out my thumb and He gives me a ride...🎶Lyrics by the late great Rich Mullins; however, yesterday I couldn't shake off that there was so much more to the lyrics than poetic license.

Scripture teaches we were saved, we are being saved, and one day we will be saved. (Some of you just spit out your coffee.)

Ephesians 2:8 states, "For it is by grace you have been saved through faith, and this not from yourselves; it is the gift of God..." Or theological term we've been justified.

1 Corinthians 1:18 tells us, "For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God." (sanctified)

Romans 13:11 states that one day we will be glorified, "And do this, understanding the occasion. The hour has come for you to wake up from your slumber, for our salvation is nearer now than when we first believed."

Salvation, then, has three aspects:

• Past: We have been saved from the penalty of sin. We have been justified.
• Present: We are being saved from the power of sin. We are being sanctified.
• Future: We will be saved from the presence of sin. We will be glorified.

 However, I still need an answer for the reason I'm so moved by the words of the song. Perhaps a look at the word hitchhiker may help. 

A hitchhiker sticking out his thumb symbolizes his willingness to except help and a readiness for the next stage of the journey. The very act of hitchhiking implies trust in the unknown.

Mullins's use of the phrase gives us pause to reflect on the journey, the journey to glorification when we will no longer battle the effects of sin. In other words, to embrace the ride. 

Friend, I'm so thankful that on this road of salvation God is willing to walk with me. 

Reflecting

 Looking back over this week I feel nothing but blessed. Even though it has been a hard pain week. The blessings have just overflowed.

Would I like to live my life pain free? Yes. Would I like to put in all this effort and see weight loss? Yes. 

But you know what - God has bigger plans! 

Gotquestions.org says, "Blessed speaks of our inner state of well-being, the prosperity of our souls in Christ. Blessedness comes from unhindered fellowship with God the Father through our Lord Jesus. To be blessed is to experience the full impact of God’s presence in our lives now and for all eternity."

The website goes on to say, "The Bible measures blessedness differently from how people of the world measure it: “Blessed is the one who perseveres under trial because, having stood the test, that person will receive the crown of life that the Lord has promised to those who love him” (James 1:12). To those who rest in God, He grants an inner state of joy that is unaffected by external trials."

Oh my friend, I pray today you feel His blessings on you!

Once

 Once there was a girl who was alone in the world.

She cried out to God to teach her how to trust Him.

He answered!

For 46 years God took her in and out of many trials. Always leading and providing a way. Some roads were rocky and dangerous, while others were smoother sailing. 

The girl learned to trust. She believed when others didn't. She just learned to believe he could and would walk with her.

Then one day the Lord said, "Do you trust me?" 

The girl's answered, "Yes."

The girl had a task before her that seemed impossible. Her body was wracked with pain, she was old. So, but she opened her Bible and God spoke to her.

He reminded her out of 1 Corinthians 1:27, "But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong."

Out of Isaiah 55:8-9, "“For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, declares the Lord. As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts higher than yours."

Out of Isaiah 41:10, "So do not fear I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand."

In 2 Timothy 4:17, "But the Lord stood with me and gave me strength."

From Psalms 3:3, But you, O Lord, are a shield to me, my glory, and the lifter of my head."

Every day He gave a clear sign. So, on the day of the task the girl got up and once again prayed for help. And once again He answered in scripture, "I sought the LORD, and he answered me; he delivered me from all my fears." (Psalm 34:4)

Once there was a girl and that girl was me!

Isaiah 12:2: 

Surely God is my salvation;

    I will trust and not be afraid.

The Lord, the Lord himself, is my strength and my defense[a];
    he has become my salvation.”

He speaks

 Literally two weeks ago, I went to our church's women's retreat. I remember leaving after the first session and foolishly saying to God, "I'm not sure this is useful my life's been pretty calm lately."

I remember when I said it I immediately said, "Please don't send any trials my way."

Oh how God must have laughed.

Now friend hear me good, me changing grade levels is insignificant in the scope of life. Many people are facing far greater hurdles - sick spouses and sick children. So for me to whine about this just feels wrong. 

But back to my conference, that first night Christina Fox mentioned that when we are surprised by "unwanted visitors" they take us hostage. Friend, since March 28th I've been a picture of a hostage. 

So what changed? I cried out to God. During our retreat Fox shared how it is not wrong for us to "express our feelings to God." To be honest with Him. To set my mind on who He is and to recount His faithfulness in the past. 

While this is not a problem for me many may struggle. This is why I try to be transparent in my writing, most of us really are a hot mess! However, if you need deeper understanding on how to face the "unwanted visitors" in life, then I strongly recommend Fox's book A Heart Set Free. It will definitely help you structure your prayer life similar to the Psalms.

Peace?

 Guilt - real or imaginary is a horrible burden. Apparently, if the last three weeks are any indication I'm suffering from imaginary guilt (according to Dan's diagnosis).

Let me explain, I'm one of those people who if you lose your cool or type out that belligerent email, I immediately question what I did to make you act that way. Even though logically, I know it is your problem.

So while you're sleeping like a baby, I'm wide awake wondering why you did what you did and replaying the conversations leading up to this disruption of my peace. 

In other words my peace is disturbed. 

And that's when I turn to Jesus (and Dan). I pray. I talk things out with my husband, who tries to understand this crazy quirk about me. Also, I immerse myself in God's Word.

Philippians 4:6-7 says, "“Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with 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.” 

So even though I pray, leave it with God, and then a few hours later I take it back up. 

Romans 8:6 says, “The mind governed by the flesh is death, but the mind governed by the Spirit is life and peace.” 

So then, as in all things, it comes down to do I believe God will do what He says. It is always, in my life at least, - do I trust God. 

Jerry Bridges, author of Trusting God wrote, "Don't believe everything you think. You cannot be trusted to tell yourself the truth. Stay in The Word."

He further points out, "Trust is not a passive state of mind. It is a vigorous act of the soul by which we choose to lay hold on the promises of God and cling to them despite the adversity that at times seeks to overwhelms us."

The psalmist knew this and in Psalm 85:8 says, “The mind governed by the flesh is death, but the mind governed by the Spirit is life and peace.” 

Oh Lord, help me be governed by the Spirit in all I do or say.

Lamenting

 Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. 1 Peter 5:8

We've all heard this verse but what the heck does it mean? I mentioned this morning that I off think of Frank Perretti's examples in one of his books where the demons sit on the roofs and dip their fingers in and stir the pot. They disrupt peace and trigger our minds. 

Petretti's books are fiction or are they.

How else do I explain things. I am prone to over think. If you send a hateful email, I take it to heart. I stress over it. If you send a colleague a nasty email, I stress why you would do that. 

So for the third or fourth weekend in a row I'm stressed over - emails and work. I'm suppose to be learning about Jesus, yet, I'm busy over thinking. 

However, right before Peter tells you the devil wants to devour you. He says, "Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God so that at the proper time he may exalt you, casting all your anxieties on him, because he cares for you. "(vs. 6-7)

Could God be giving me a personal view of lamenting: crying out to Him for help and trusting that help is on the way?

Turn to God-

I cry aloud to God,
aloud to God, and he will hear me.
In the day of my trouble I seek the Lord (Psalm 77:1)

Tell God what's wrong-

God, I feel torn in my spirit. I feel like I have caused stress to others. My spirit is at unrest. I forsee confrontation.

Ask Boldly-

Lord, I do not just ask for peace, I ask for you to resolve the conflict. To handle the situation. "Consider and answer me..." (Psalm 13)

Trust -

Your word says,

"But I have trusted in your steadfast love;

my heart shall rejoice in your salvation.

I will sing to the Lord,

because he has dealt bountifully with me. (Psalm 13:5-6, ESV)

Perhaps practicing lamenting restore a right spirit and renews our sight.

 Deaths ~ Births ~ Miracles

Social media is a strange creature, daily I'm reminded of the brevity of life as I read of someone's passing. I hurt with these friends and families that must say good-byes to their loved ones. 

Then interspersed between sadness, I see beautiful, precious new babies being born. Former students starting families and friends having grandchildren.

Now this would be enough to know that there's God, but no, this week we've seen miracles as well. A senior in a horrific wreck comes home in three days. A cancer patient who has not one but two brain surgeries in a week goes home. Nothing short of miracles.

And over all these events is God at work. 

In Bible we are studying the miracles of Jesus. Yesterday's miracle was raising Lazarus from the dead, but it was this verse that got me, "Then Jesus looked up and said, “Father, I thank you that you have heard me. I knew that you always hear me, but I said this for the benefit of the people standing here, that they may believe that you sent me.” (John 11:41-42)

"For the benefit of these people," and I looked around at my week full of deaths ~ births ~ and miracles, and wondered how anyone could doubt him when obviously he is still at work.

Lessons Learned

I've been gluten free for over a year. I'm do not have celiacs, so gluten won't kill me. However, with my Hosimoto's gluten is like a poison. Now I'm an intelligent woman and I get this! 

Unfortunately, Saturday I decided to throw caution to the wind. I ate bread! Well, it took about an hour for the inflammation to start accumulating and then just an overall feeling of yuck took over. So, why did I do it, because I could. I felt sad at all I've given up and still not seeing the results I want in my body; however, my choices weren't constructive at all.

It was a perfect example of how sin creeps into our lives. We start out thinking, "Oh, I'll just do this (insert sin) a little, and the next thing we know it has taken over. 

You see I knew not to eat the bread. I knew what it would do. But I started thinking, "Everybody else eats bread and they don't gain weight. Even though I knew it wouldn't be beneficial. 

I'm so glad that God's grace is new each and every day. Thankfully, that grace is in abundance and greater than all our sin!

 

What to leave behind

 Allistair Beggs said, "If you are in Christ, the promise of Abraham is yours."

 So what is the promise of Abraham?

"I will make of you a great nation, and I will bless you and make your name great, so that you will be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you, and him who dishonors you I will curse, and in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed." Genesis 12:1-3

Friend, I've been thinking a lot about what to leave behind. First, I want to leave a trail of Jesus's grace. I want others to see a life that didn't have a "worldly" standard of success, but was set apart from Day 1. 

Next, I want to leave a love of reading. As I read everything I asked my students to read I pray they absorb a love of words. I want words to speak to the heart of those I've loved. 

God told Abraham he would be a blessing. May that be so in my life!

A Day of Rest

 Several things have been going through my mind for the last few weeks - rest, grace, and the Sabbath. I haven't made a connection until today.

On Saturday, I saw a teacher blog post that had a PLU slide. It said, "How to survive your season of suffering." As if our job is a picture of suffering. How sad is that? That a presenter had to tell young teachers to remember to eat, drink water, and rest. Needless to say, this got me thinking.

Teaching today is a 24/7 job. Literally! I work roughly nine hours a day in the brick and mortar building. I come home, cook, wash dishes, and usually do another hour or two of work. Sunday, I usually spend three or four hours working. Matt calls it "Teachers subsidizing education." He isn't far from the truth, besides my unpaid time, I supplement my curriculum at my expense.

So as these thoughts pressed in I thought about rest. At church our guest speaker spoke on "Sabbath Rest." At this point Dan just stares at me and I said, "Ok God, I'm listening."

Did you know rest is mentioned between 390 and 520 times in the Bible depending on your translation?

  The Hebrew word "sabat" means "to rest or stop or cease from work." The fourth commandment tells us, "To "remember" the Sabbath day and "keep it holy." One day out of every seven, they were to rest from their labors and give the same day of rest to their servants and animals. This was not just a physical rest, but a cessation of laboring." (gotquestions.org)

 Hebrews 4:9-11 says, “There remains, then, a Sabbath-rest for the people of God; for anyone who enters God’s rest also rests from his own work, just as God did from his. Let us, therefore, make every effort to enter that rest, so that no one will fall by following their example of disobedience”

Like most people my age I grew up practicing a form of "rest," which for us was on Sunday. We didn't cook, clean, shop, or do laundry on Sunday. We went to church and relaxed. 

Now friend, I completely understand that there is no rest without Jesus. However, as I pondered these things I thought of all I have on my to do list, and then I pondered one day of no work, thinking about work, or reading about work. Could I even do it? Is it even possible to disconnect from work, something that is a huge part of who I am? Would it give me a new outlook on life and work? Would it make me a better teacher in the long run?

The Westminster Larger Catechism says, "...we are to prepare our hearts, and with such foresight, diligence, and moderation, to dispose and seasonably dispatch our worldly business, that we may be the more free and fit for the duties of that day.

Friend, I probably don't have an answer to this, but I do know that teaching in this time is the hardest profession around. And if we don't take time to prepare our hearts we will not be successful.

Arm yourself

 "Therefore, since Christ suffered in His body, arm yourselves with the same resolve, because anyone who has suffered in his body is done with sin." 1 Peter 4:1

Let's look at this verse a minute and I want you to look at the phrase "arm yourself with the same resolve." For some reason this really hit me hard.

Perhaps it is because I can't get over the unkindness and I don't care attitude I see in our world. Perhaps I'm just old, but as I read I thought well what was Jesus's resolve?

Christ's resolve was to do the Father's will, to humble himself in perfect obedience, and to die on a cross for our sins. 

He counted others more significant than Himself! He withstood the mocking, shame, and suffering for us. His goal was to please the Father. Do we share that resolve?

In Philippians 2:5, Paul challenged believers to present the Gospel from a united front by aligning their attitudes with Christ’s.

Is my attitude like Christ? Oh, friend, we all fall so short but like Paul, that doesn't mean we should stop pressing on.

I Speak Jesus

 It is get the morning praise music rolling in the morning. Right now I'm starting with "I Speak Jesus" and usually hit replay. Yesterday, the Spirit was so strong I cried as the sun rose literally during my ride.

Now if you know me you know I'm not a "work up emotion in order to worship" girl. But friends, the words! I'm old. I've done this teaching thing a long time. I've had accolades through the years. However, right now I want to speak Jesus!

"Your name is power
Your name is healing

Your name is life

Break every stronghold
Shine through the shadows
Burn like a fire"

There's just something about it. Philippians 2:10 says, "...so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth."

Matthew 10:27 says, "“What I tell you in the darkness, speak in the light; and what you hear whispered in your ear, proclaim upon the housetops."

Oh friend, what if we all "Considered" this Jesus and spoke Jesus where ever we went?

Hebrews 10:24

 

Yesterday, the preacher started preaching in Hebrews. This verse seemed to jump off the page. Did you know the word "consider" in this context is only used twice in the book of Hebrews, here and in chapter three, verse one? 

I had to stop and think, do I get up every morning and ask God to show me what I need to do for others?

John Piper said, "When you get up in the morning, Consider — think about, ponder, deliberate, meditate, mull over — other people, with this conscious goal: what can I do today so that they will be stirred up to love and to good deed?"

Piper went on to say, this should be the aim of our lives.

Friend, I used to think only certain people were gifted to be an encourager, but after reading Hebrews I think we all are called. It isn't a selective gift given to a few, it is a call on us all!

Lord, help me consider those you put in my path and spur them on!