Rooted

I’ve come to realize that we will walk through seasons of life that knock the wind out of us. But we are faithful and we keep going. We keep seeking God, we stay in His word and we pray until we can breathe again. But I think there’s something we often miss. I know I did over the course of this year. Mark 1:35 “Before daybreak the next morning, Jesus got up and went out to an isolated place to pray.” Isolated. We understand this to mean away from others, alone, remote. On typical days this is finding that quiet place in our home with a comfy blanket and cup…

Are you distracted from God because of worry?! Philippians 4 verses 6, 7, and 8 are my go to scripture when the “worries” start flooding in my mind and I get distracted from God.  Paul writes so clearly God’s promise for peace: “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 will understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus.” Pray to Him, Praise Him, receive Peace from Him. We all struggle from the “worries” at times but we can be…

“Be strong and courageous, and do the work. Don’t be afraid or discouraged, for the Lord God, my God, is with you. He will not fail or forsake you. He will see to it that all the work related to the Temple of the Lord is finished correctly.” 1 Chronicles 28:20 It’s Monday and a new work week! We must face the things we fear and walk by faith with the Lord. David’s words to his son Solomon were wise and encouraging. Sometimes the hardest and most fearful task is just starting the big job in front of us. Don’t focus on the fear – instead get to work on…

One thing I love about the book of Luke is that it contains stories of Jesus that are not in any other of the gospels. One of those stories is when Jesus visited Martha and her sister Mary. Do you ever think about who you identify with the most? Are you more like Mary or Martha?  Martha believed who Jesus was and had growing faith.  She also had a strong desire to do everything right! (yep, that is me!). Mary was content just spending time with Jesus – she didn’t care about all of the activities needed to prepare for dinner. Martha welcomed Jesus with open arms into her home. …

Did Martha get caught up in the details? YES Did she busy herself instead of sitting with Jesus and spending time with him? YES Martha gets a bad rap for her type A personality but her story also fills me with joy! WHY? John 11:27, “‘Yes Lord, she told him, I have always believed you are the Messiah, the Son of God, one who came into the world from God.” Martha believed who Jesus was. Despite her flaws she was a woman of faith. Jesus was never harsh with Martha. He never yelled at her or rejected her. Jesus loved Martha! This is what I love the most about Martha’s…

As I started to unpack the story of Rahab my eyes were opened to what it really means to walk by faith! God worked big time through Rahab the prostitute, a person in society we would tend to reject!  Jesus hung out with people no one else wanted to associate with and while hanging out with them – He loved them!! So many times in life we pass by people, work with people or see people at church that don’t fit our mold and we refuse to associate…are we passing by a person God is about to use? Are we acting like we are too good to even speak to…

Seventeen year old Max Nelson is the youngest person on the US Nordic Skiing team. His story caught my attention because not only is Max the youngest; he’s also legally blind. Can you imagine skiing as fast as you can down the side of a mountain AND being legally blind? Max relies on his Dad to guide him via a radio that he wears. As he makes his way down the mountain he listens to the voice telling him which way to turn. He only has seconds to react. All the way down. That is an incredible amount of TRUST! Jeanne Guyon’s letter 59 in her book Intimacy with Christ,…

I have prayed and given much thought on how to unpack one of Guyon’s letters from the book “Intimacy with Christ.”  I felt you needed to read the whole letter and I leave you with my final thoughts. “The death of self is not accomplished quickly. For a time, it is a living death. Spiritual life is represented in Ezekiel’s vision of the dry bones. First the bones were joined, then they were covered with muscle, then flesh appeared, and finally the Spirit of the Lord brought them to life.  As you begin to grow toward God you will find many obstacles in your path. As you yield to God…

The first time I heard the story of the Samaritan Woman, I was inspired by her experience with Jesus and how her life changed. The picture we envision of her leads to a painful past filled with disappointment, sadness, and loss of hope, causing a life full of low self esteem. It was so low, in fact, that she hid from everyone. She was judged and hated by every woman in the village. She in turn felt extremely unloved and became very lonely. She looked for love and acceptance in all the wrong places. Everything changed when she came face to face with Jesus. Jesus showed her something that nobody…