From His Heart

[Judy Harder]

Are You Giving Your Best?

Anyone who knows me knows I love Rocky Balboa, the Italian Stallion.  I think one of the reasons I love the Rocky character so much is because he was a fighter with limited ability but tons of heart.  He fought with all that he had, and then some.   

When the unheralded Rocky Balboa first fought Apollo Creed, no one took the fight seriously.  It was supposed to be a cake walk for Apollo, the skilled, polished, undisputed champion of the world.  But the cake walk turned into a 15-round battle for survival that Apollo barely won by a split decision.  As a result of the fight, both men ended up in the same hospital, battered and bruised.  In one special hospital scene, Rocky wheels himself into Apollo's room and asks him this penetrating question, "Apollo, did you give me your best?"  Going the distance with the champ only meant something to Rocky if he knew Apollo had truly given his best.   

GOD'S BEEF WITH HIS PEOPLE

In the book of Malachi, God was very displeased with His people.  Do you know why?  It was because they were not giving their best.  They were coming before the Lord with their scraps and the leftovers of their lives.  They were offering mangy, crippled, flee-infested lambs as offerings and keeping the good lambs for themselves.  They were giving far, far less than their best.  Hear what God thinks of less than your best, leftover worship:

"When you give blind animals as sacrifices, isn't that wrong? And isn't it wrong to offer animals that are crippled and diseased? Try giving gifts like that to your governor, and see how pleased he is!" says the Lord of Heaven's Armies.  "Go ahead, beg God to be merciful to you! But when you bring that kind of offering, why should He show you any favor at all?" asks the Lord of Heaven's Armies.  —Malachi 1:8-9, NLT

ARE YOU GUILTY OF THE SAME?

Be honest.  What are you giving to God—the best of your time, talent and treasure, or something far less?  Jesus said, "Seek FIRST His kingdom and His righteousness; and all these things [food, clothing, and the necessities of life] will be added to you" (Matthew 6:33).  Are you really seeking Him first?  Or are you putting your job, your money, your recreation, your family, your friends, your TV shows, and even your Facebook page ahead of Him?

To the people of Malachi's day who were giving God the mangy, crippled lambs, He reminded them that He was a great King who should be feared, revered and respected to the highest degree (Malachi 1:14).  To the people of our day giving God the scraps of their lives, God says, "I see what you are doing.  I see into your heart and know you are giving Me your leftovers.  You desperately need to get a fresh glimpse of who I am before it is too late."         

Take some time today to read Isaiah 41 and let your mind consider the unfathomable greatness of God.  He spoke the world into existence!  Universes drip from His fingertips!  What an awesome privilege we have to know Him, worship Him, and call upon His name.  Let us never offer to God anything less than our very best, for He alone is worthy.

Love,

[Judy Harder]

From His Heart
     
Breaker 1-9 for a Radio Check

But the goal of our instruction is love from a pure heart and a good conscience and a sincere faith.
1 Timothy 1:5

Do you remember the CB Radio craze?  I was in junior high when it hit.  It was the poor man's version of Facebook or a chat room.  It seems pretty lame today, but back then my friends and I thought it was so awesome.  CB Radios were selling off the shelves.

To talk on the CB Radio, you had to know the lingo and have a "handle" – your CB Radio name.  I remember racking my brain trying to come up with something cool.  (I liked "Bandit," but Burt Reynolds had already taken it!)

As you tried to generate conversation with a fellow CBer, a good opener was always, "Breaker 1-9 [assuming you were on channel 19] for a radio check; come in radio check."  You were asking for someone to tell you if you were coming in loud and clear.

BREAKER, BREAKER

In the Christian life, one of the things that is often overlooked but very important to do is a "radio check" with God.  "Heavenly Father, am I coming in loud and clear?  How is my signal, my connection, my walk with you?"

David asked for a radio check in Psalm 139:23-24 when he prayed, "Search me, O God, and know my heart; try me and know my anxious thoughts; and see if there be any hurtful way in me, and lead me in the everlasting way." 

When was the last time you did a "radio check" with God?

MY NEWEST REVELATION

Yesterday, as I was studying for a sermon on 1 Corinthians 13, God revealed this truth to my heart: The acid test of spiritual maturity is a growing love for God and people.  If your love is not growing for God and people, you are not growing in your Christian life.

Jesus made it crystal clear that the most important commandments are (1) loving God with all you are, and (2) loving people as you love yourself.  If I am to grow as a Christian, the proof of spiritual growth is not how much I know, it is how much I care.  It is not how often I go to church ... or how many Bible studies I am involved in ... or how many people consider me a strong Christian ... or how many verses I have memorized.  The real proof is how much my heart is growing with love.  Paul said that love is the goal of our instruction.

If you will do a "radio check" with God, He will question back to you:

"Do you love Me more today?
Are you growing in your love and appreciation for Me?
Do you love what I love ... people for whom I died?"

ARE YOU REALLY GROWING? 

If love is truly the acid test of spiritual maturity (and it no doubt is), how are you doing with this thing called love?

If you are really growing in your love for the Lord, your life will show it in obedience to His commands.  Jesus said, "He who has My commandments and keeps them, he it is who loves Me" (John 14:21).

If you are really growing in your love for others, your life will show it in the way you treat people, in the way you pray for people.  Christians who are really growing are praying daily for unsaved family, friends, neighbors and associates.  They have a burden for lost people who are one heartbeat from an eternal hell.

Will you do a "radio check" today?  Ask God to show you where you are with Him.  Ask Him to change you, to grow you, to help understand His love for you better ... so that you can love Him back – "We love, because He first loved us" (1 John 4:19).  And ask Him to give you a heart for people, especially lost people who desperately need to know about a Savior who can forgive all their sins and change their lives if they will just surrender to Him.

Love,



Jeff Schreve
Pastor

[Judy Harder]

Too Stressed to be Blessed This Christmas?

Martha, Martha, you are worried and bothered about so many things; but only a few things are necessary, really only one...
Luke 10:41-42

Do you feel a big rush at Christmas time?  Do you have so much to do, and so little time to get it all done?  Many have shopping to do ... and parties to attend ... and pageants to participate in ... and trips to take to visit relatives ... and food to prepare ... and work to finish up ... and more and more to get done before the Big Day.  Sometimes the Christmas rush can steal your joy and peace, and you secretly long for it to be over.

WHAT'S ON YOUR "TO DO" LIST?

Martha of Bethany was a dear lady who loved Jesus, yet she got all worried and bothered in her service for the Lord.  She was cooking a meatloaf dinner for Jesus, and she wanted it to be just perfect.  "I'm fixing meatloaf for the Master," she said.  At first the emphasis was on her guest, the Lord Jesus, but slowly her emphasis shifted to the meal.

She lost her joy and peace because she got all focused on her meatloaf rather than her Master.

She was mad as a hornet that her sister, Mary, had left the kitchen to sit at the Lord's feet and listen to His word... and she told Jesus to reprimand Mary and get her back to work.  Surprisingly, Jesus gently reprimanded Martha.  He told her that Mary was in the right, and she was in the wrong.

What was Martha's problem?  Her priorities were not His priorities.  Her "to do" list had lots of things on there that Jesus did not think were very important.  She was worried and bothered because her plate was so full of stuff ... stuff that God never authorized.  Could that be true of you?

CHRISTMAS INVENTORY

The key to a joyous Christmas is to make sure you stop and look at your "to do" list.  Is your list crammed full of what you think is important, or what He thinks is important?  Are you worried and bothered about things that really don't matter that much?  Are you focused on the meatloaf, or the Master?  Is the main thing still the main thing for you?

Despite what the world says, Jesus really is the reason for the season.  Take time every day to get alone with Him.  Sit at His feet in quietness and adoration.  Read His Word and talk to Him from your heart.  Play some praise music and sing those words of worship back to Him.  He inhabits the praises of His people.

You will be amazed at how your stress level will melt away to perfect peace as you keep Christ first and foremost in your Christmas.  Remember, He is the Prince of Peace.  If you are not experiencing peace right now, it is because the Prince is not reigning in your heart.  Follow Mary's lead and yield to Him today.  You will be so glad that you did.

Love,



Jeff Schreve
Pastor

[Judy Harder]

Has The Grinch Stolen Your Christmas?

And the angel said to them, "Do not be afraid; for behold, I bring you good news of a great joy which shall be for all the people; for today in the city of David there has been born for you a Savior, who is Christ the Lord."
Luke 2:10-11

Without a doubt, Christmas is to be a time of GREAT JOY.  On that first Christmas night, the angel announced to the shepherds "good news of a great joy."  The Savior has come!!  WOW!!  Those shepherds were so excited.  That announcement changed their lives forever.  They were filled with joy and wonder and praise.

At Christmas time, are you filled with joy and wonder and praise?  Or has the devil, the original Grinch, the thief who comes only to steal and kill and destroy, stolen those things from you?  If so, there is still time to get it back!

Think about the angel's announcement, "There has been born for you a Savior, who is Christ the Lord."  What does that really mean for you and me?

1.  The Savior has come to save you from a dark past.  So many people are suffering with intense guilt over bad things they have done in the past.  The devil beats them to death with shame and guilt.  But be beaten no longer!  All the terrible, horrible things you have done are no match for the Savior's blood that He shed for you on the cross.  The moment you confess those sins to God and repent of them, you are forgiven!!  Remember what the Savior said to Peter, "What God has cleansed, no longer consider unholy" (Acts 10:15).

2.  The Savior has come to save you from an empty present.  Many people are surviving and not really living.  Jesus came at Christmas not to fill your empty stocking, but to fill your empty life!  He has a purpose and a plan for you.  Come to Him.  Surrender to Him.  Let Him lead you.  He wants to bring you joy and peace, regardless of your circumstances.  He wants to use your life to make a difference in others, a difference that will last for all eternity.  It makes life worth living to know that everyday is an exciting adventure with the Lord, an opportunity to touch another person with the love and joy of Jesus.

3.  The Savior has come to save you from a hopeless future.  Everyone without God is without hope.  No one comes to the Father without the Savior, Jesus Christ.  But now He has come, and we can really know Him personally, and we can be assured of His presence and provision while we live ... and His heaven when we die.  Paul said, "Things which eye has not seen and ear has not heard, and which have not entered the heart of man, all that God has prepared for those who love Him" (1 Cor. 2:9).  WOW!  What a future is in store for the child of God!

My friend, do not let the devil steal from you and your Christmas time any longer!  The Savior has come, and He has come for you!  Receive the good news and rejoice in the truth!

Love,



Jeff Schreve
Pastor

[Judy Harder]

His Name is Jesus

"And she will bear a Son; and you shall call His name Jesus, for it is He who will save His people from their sins."
Matthew 1:21

About 12 years ago, I was privileged to take a seminary I-Term (one week intensive class) with author, speaker, and beloved professor, Dr. Calvin Miller.  Dr. Miller is a super guy, full of joy and excitement for the Lord.  I learned a lot from him that week.

One of my favorite Calvin Miller quotes deals with the false god of the politically correct today, appropriately dubbed "the great mush god."  Miller writes:

We've all gotten to like this soft new god—this god that welcomes everybody, this god who comes in bubble-wrap and has no sharp edges to sort of needle or offend anybody, the god we can all take together. He has no heritage and of course we will never learn to pray in the name of Jesus if we serve this god. This is the great 'mush god.' He has been known to appear to millionaires on the golf course, politicians at ribbon cutting ceremonies and clergymen speaking the invocation on National Television. The great 'mush god' has no theology, he's got 'cream of wheat' divinity, he has no particular credo. Because this god is not a jealous god, you can invoke this god to start any venture.  He is the god of the Rotary, a god of the optimists; he is the protector of the buddy system.  The 'mush god' is a serviceable god whose laws are not chiseled on stone but are written in sand—amenable to amendment, qualification or erasure. This god will make any agreement you wish and declare all alliances holy.  I know of no other way to stand against such a little soft 'g' god but to get in touch with the God spelt with a big "G." 

MAKE NO MISTAKE

The big "G" God has a name, Jesus.  We sing about Him at Christmas as "sweet little Jesus boy," lying in a manger ... but that is not the full story.  That sweet little baby in Bethlehem is the mighty God of the universe.  His name, Jesus, means Yahweh saves.  Jesus is the Son of God and God the Son.  He is the Creator, Sustainer, and One and Only Savior.  Every knee will bow one day before Jesus.  God the Father will make certain of that.

As you worship the Lord this Christmas, remember that He is not mushy.  He is "full of grace and truth."  He has grace to forgive us of our sins ... and commandments for us to live by and keep.  He calls us to "come out from among them and be separate."   

The time is now to take a stand and shine for Jesus Christ, "for there is no other name under heaven that has been given among men, by which we must be saved" (Acts 4:12).  The time is now to lay aside all that entangles us and walk in the light with Jesus.  He is worthy.  He is good.  He is God.

"Happy Birthday, King Jesus.  It is an unfathomable privilege to know you as my personal Savior, Lord and friend!"

[Judy Harder]

The Simple Secret to a Great New Year

But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness; and all these things shall be added to you.  Matthew 6:33

I have never been good at being a handyman.  Things that are a piece of cake to a handyman are like climbing Mt. Everest to me.

One time Debbie asked me to put in a doggie door.  She said, "You can do it, Jeff.  The box says, "Simple installation."  "Simple is good," I responded as I opened the box with gusto.

The very first instruction was to get out my electric drill.  That is when I knew their definition of "simple" and mine were quite different.  With "simple" instructions, I would have been told to get out my hammer. Now that is simple!  (Note: the doggie door installation was so NOT simple that I had to call my friend Gene over to help me before I completely lost my salvation.)

DO YOU LIKE SIMPLE?

If you like simple, you are going to love my simple secret to a great new year.  First, get out your electric drill (just kidding).

The simple secret is this: To experience a great 2012, just do what Jesus said, "Seek first His kingdom and His righteousness; and all these things [the things you and I worry about] shall be added to you" (Matthew 6:33).  If you will seek Him first, He promises to meet all your needs.

WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO SEEK HIM FIRST? 

1.  It means that you spend time with Him at the first of each day, praying and reading His Word, asking Him for direction, guidance, help and insight ... confessing your sins when you blow it, and seeking His grace to help in your time of need.

2.  It means you put His agenda above your agenda.  You pray, "Not my will, but Thine be done" (Luke 22:42).  You live your life to please Jesus, not to please yourself.

3.  It means you obey Him and do what He says in the power He supplies.  You don't let your fleshly desires control you; you let Jesus control you.

4.  It means you invest your time, talent and resources in the kingdom of God, not the kingdom of self.

5.  It means you recognize that He is everything, and in Christ "are hidden all treasures of wisdom and knowledge"( Colossians 2:3).  The true treasures of life—love, joy, peace, fulfillment, true success—are only found in Jesus ... so you spend your time seeking Him.

SIMPLE STARTS NOW! 

Don't wait for the ball to drop in Times Square before seeking first the kingdom of God.  Start now!  Put Jesus first every day you are blessed to live ... and He will bless your life abundantly in return.

One of my favorite Scriptures says, "For those who honor Me, I will honor" (1 Samuel 2:30).  If you want God to honor you, honor Him in all you do.  The best is yet to be ... and the ball is in your court.

Love,



Jeff Schreve

[Judy Harder]

Spiritual Amnesia

They quickly forgot His works.  Psalm 106:13

How good is your memory?  The older I get, the worse mine becomes.  Things that used to stick to my mind like glue, now easily float away like dandelion petals in the wind.  UGH!  A man in my church once told me, "I don't have Alzheimer's ... but I do have Sometimer's."  Sadly, I can relate.

While many of us may have trouble remembering things like people's names and what we were supposed to pick up at the grocery store, it is important that we don't forget what great things the Lord has done for us.  It is imperative that we don't allow ourselves to contract the faithless disease known as Spiritual Amnesia.

FORGETTING THE RED SEA MIRACLE?

When God delivered His Old Testament people from Pharaoh and his armies by parting the Red Sea, that was, without question, a magnificent, stupendous, over-the-top, unforgettable miracle.  The people were in awe of God's power and sang His praises BIG TIME (see Exodus 15).  Amazingly, their praises lasted only a short time, however.

Within three days, God's wilderness wandering people ran out of water, and they began to grumble and gripe about it.  The Bible says, "They quickly forgot His works."  Are you kidding me?

How could they possibly forget the parting of the Red Sea, the greatest of Old Testament miracles?  How could they forget that God was in their midst?  How could they forget that He would see them through?

How do you and I forget the very same things!  Ouch.

YOU NEED TO JOURNAL

What is the way to prevent Spiritual Amnesia from taking root in your life?  Journaling!  As we begin a brand new year, let me encourage you to begin the discipline of journaling.  Write down God's miracles and God's answers to your prayers.  Write down the date of the problem and the date of the answer ... and review often how God has met your needs.  Don't forget His works.  Record the details and rejoice in what God has done.

Many live life silently singing to the Lord that Janet Jackson song, "What have you done for me lately?"  Don't let that be true of you.  Remember what He has done.  Remember His impeccable track record.  And remember the words of Paul when he spoke of the Lord's works, "Who delivered us from so great a peril of death, and will deliver us, He on whom we have set our hope.  And He will yet deliver us ..." (2 Corinthians 1:10).

The One who has delivered will yet deliver.  So keep trusting Him and keep reviewing His awesome work to date in your life.  Listen, if He can part the Red Sea, He can provide water in the wilderness ... and He can handle your problems too.

Love,

[Judy Harder]

How To Give The Moment That Can Change A Life
Jan 16, 2012 Kristen Strong

I read her post, the one where she says writing cards changes lives. Is that dramatic, I wonder? To think a card could really do that?

I recall an earlier time, a time when my thought life sped downhill like a runaway train. I looked at friends who seemingly handled everything infinitely better and wondered why I couldn't measure up as daughter, wife, mama. When the time came for a few of these friends and I to take a trip together, I thought about sitting out. Sure, I needed the rest a girlfriend's weekend would provide. But with this cyclone of insecurity spinning fast, I didn't think my confidence could take another hit.

I confessed my fears through tears to Jen, a true blue confidante. I don't remember one thing she said to me on the phone that day, but I know what she wrote me in a card soon after:

"I want to encourage you to read and memorize a powerful life verse: 2 Corinthians 10:5. Then I want you to do it through the power of the Holy Spirit. Our struggles with whispers from the Accuser are very similar, for me they can stretch into every area of my life. If I do not filter my thoughts through God's word and take my thoughts captive to the obedience of Christ, I become quite paralyzed. When I am faithful in this discipline, I see everything much more clearly and I see my value not overly or underly, but reality."

Not only did she encourage through I've-been-there support, but she pointed me to the Void Filler, Cyclone Calmer, and Perspective Giver. With my eyes on Jesus, I see my reality with accuracy. And this message is life changing.

I attended that girlfriend's weekend and had a gloriously good time.

Sure, I can receive and write this kind of encouragement via emails, facebook messages, or blog posts. And those things are beautiful. But I've re-read that taped-up card and other encouraging, special-to-me cards over and over. There's something about holding life giving words in my hands that moves them into my heart. And if God chose the written word as a means for communicating His love to us, there is power in writing words beyond what we even imagine.

A changed life starts with a defining moment. I wonder how God can use me to be that defining moment to a special person in my circle of influence?

So I return the favor and take a moment to give words wings by sending my Jen a moment of real encouragement in a card. I won't stress about making the words deep or profound. It's not how I write, but that I took the time to write in the first place.

It's not dramatic to believe writing cards changes lives. It's cathartic to know God uses us to change lives. He uses us to bring moments to life, to give life through encouragement.

Can you recall a moment when someone sent you life giving words through a card? Do you keep them and re-read them like I do? Did one in particular change your life like Jen's card did for me?

If you have written a blog post about who you sent a card to, why card writing matters, or whatever is on your heart about the topic, please link it below! If you have written a review in part of (in)spired deals, you can also link up your review post here. Also, we will be drawing the names of  FIVE winners from the link-ups to receive a card organizer and a card pack of your choice!

Kristen Strong, Chasing Blue Skies


A Harvest of What is Yet to Come
Jan 16, 2012 Katie Davis


photo by Kim Nunn

At the age of 18, Katie Davis traveled to Uganda for the first time for a three-week short-term mission trip her senior year. She immediately fell in love with the children and people she met. She determined she would do whatever she had to do to get back to the country that had captured her heart.

After graduation, Katie chose to leave her family, friends, boyfriend, college dreams, and the traditional American path, to teach Kindergarten to 138 wide-eyed children who lived in an orphanage. She began chronicling her journey on her blog, Kisses from Katie. In 2008 she became a mother to three orphaned girls. Later that year she established Amazima Ministries, a non-profit organization devoted to caring for orphaned and vulnerable children and the poor through education sponsorship, feeding programs, vocational initiatives, medical care, and spiritual discipleship.



In October 2011, Katie wrote her first book, Kisses from Katie: A Story of Relentless Love and Redemption, released by Howard Books, a division of Simon & Schuster. Now a mother of 13 daughters and resident of Uganda, Katie inspires us to put our faith to action every day, saying yes to whatever needs Jesus puts before us.


***

One of my very favorite things about gazing out at my backyard is our sunflowers. Seeds brought from dry Karamoja and planted in the fertile Jinja soil grow at least ten feet tall and radiant, heads lifted to the sun.

Much to my dismay though, the time we get to enjoy the flowers' bloom always seems brief in comparison to the time we have been waiting – days of pulling seeds from the dead heads and drying them in the sun before carefully pushing them back into the soft red dirt of Uganda. Weeks of waiting and finally some tiny green shoots. Then weeks more of watching as the shoots become thick stalks and climb into the sky. Then follows weeks of wonder as small buds open into something glorious and beautiful.

And then so soon, they bend their heads and begin to die. Something in me is so sad as I watch the flowers seemingly loose their splendor. But my 13 daughters are nothing but excited. They rush to the backyard and hack the stalks down, pulling off the flowers that are today bigger than their faces. I cringe. I look at the bare garden and feel loss, but they feel only eager anticipation. Because they remember: next time, there will be more.

Always, the shoots spring up and reach for the sky. Always they bloom beautiful and then always they bow, bending low to the earth and waiting for my children to run wide-eyed in wonder to the harvest. And always, we plant the seeds and next time there is a bigger harvest, more flowers. Many more. My daughters remember beauty from ashes.



I see beauty in the outcome and sadness in the death, but my girls know beauty in the process.

This is what my loving Father taught me every day of the last year, this beauty in the process. That while a healed and whole family is a marvelous thing to behold, the process that got us there is where He was most glorified and where He drew us to Himself. That a wound all healed and covered with smooth new skin is not nearly as wonderful as the relationship that was built while I bandaged that wound everyday for 8 months and cried tears and laughed stories of my Savior. That dreams die and plans change and seasons end, but He is not done yet. He sees the seeds that come with all the endings and He is faithful to turn them into harvest, into beauty.

Sometimes we look out at our lives and it seems the garden is empty – plans dead as withered leaves, dreams laid waste. Could we rejoice in the season of waiting, believing that God who brought Jesus out of the black tomb and brings green shoots out of hard earth will bring new life out of all dark seasons too? Could we know that beauty is in this whole process, the waiting part too, not just the end result?

This year, I have beheld exquisite flowers, glorious outcomes that could have only been designed by God himself. I have watched Him make family out of strangers. I have watched Him sell a book that I never intended to write. I have watched my little girl walk with her foot flat on the ground for the first time in all five years of her life. I have watched alcoholics become moms who work hard to provide for their families. I have watched my 16 year old walk through processing the abuse in her past and learn to jump rope and have her childhood finally restored to her after nearly 4 years of living in a family. I have watched God answer prayers that I hadn't even spoken yet.

As I gaze in wonder, I remember how He brought us out of the dark and the hard.



I remember how He protected us from the pounding rain and the scorching sun, baby green shoots clinging to Him for dear life. I remember that as we reached high to the Son, He came down and pulled us closer. We turn our heads up in awe and we know what is around the corner, but we look expectantly to the bowing and the bending and the death of all we had planned because we know – in Him, there will always be more. Glorious hope.

By Katie Davis, Kisses from Katie






Kisses from Katie is a story of relentless love and redemption by a would-be college student who moved to Uganda instead. Katie is "writing with the hope that as you cry and laugh with my family you will be encouraged that God still uses flawed human beings to change the world."

Learn more about Katie's story. Watch her book trailer below {click here if you can't see it}


To stay in touch with all God is doing in Katie's life, visit: www.kissesfromkatie.blogspot.com


Is Wisdom On Your Shopping List?
Jan 16, 2012  danisejurado




I love that God uses the simplest areas of my life to teach me some of the most life changing lessons.

Shopping for groceries and household items is just a part of my usual weekly schedule.  I normally don't think much of it.  I always viewed it as routine, nothing special.

I tend to be an organizer and list maker by nature.   Sometimes I make trips to different stores for favorite items or better prices.  This of course means that I make separate lists for the variety of stores I go to.

One morning while I was reading the Bible I came across this scripture.  It's a verse I've read many times before, but this time a specific word seemed to jump off the page at me.  As if God were saying to me, "Pay attention I have something special to show you."

Isaiah 33:6

He will be the sure foundation for your time, a rich STORE

of salvation and wisdom and knowledge,

the fear of the Lord is the key to this treasure.



"STORE" Now, there's a word I'm very familiar with.

I read the verse again... "He will be the sure foundation for your time, a rich store of salvation and wisdom and knowledge..." 

I pondered that word, a word  I have used so many times in such a casual and uneventful manner.

Was God telling me that He had a store?

No sooner did that question cross my mind when I felt I knew the answer.  He does...  God has a store!  He has a wonderful and very rich store filled with beautiful treasures like wisdom and knowledge.  He gently encouraged me to take the time and do some daily shopping in His store for my family's needs.

God's store has an unlimited supply of  priceless treasures that are only available from Him and they satisfy the needs of my household far beyond the simple items once found on my lists.

Proverbs 24: 3-4 tells us that it's "by wisdom a house is built... and through knowledge its rooms are filled with rare and beautiful treasures."

Building a home is so much more than cooking, cleaning, decorating and stocking the shelves with various necessities, it's remembering the most important shopping list of all.

It's a list that can only be written from the heart, by faith in a loving Father who desires to fill each room with rare and beautiful treasures.

I am so thankful that God took a routine part of my weekly schedule that I once viewed as unimportant and turned it into an amazing reminder that He wants to add a few items to my shopping list.

I don't think I will ever write another shopping list again without thinking about God's store and all the treasures He has made available to our family through His promises.

Are there a few things God wants to add to your shopping list?



Single In The New Year
Jan 16, 2012 Annie Downs




Historically, I haven't loved blogging about being single. I mean, I will. I'll do it. But only because I love you. And I know you single girls are out there, so it's only fair that you get a few posts for you every now again. And as you'll see deeper into this post, I want to talk about being single more in 2012 than I have ever before.

So as 2012 begins, I start another of my 31 years on this planet out of a relationship. [Is that the opposite of "in" a relationship? Or should I say (in) a relationship? Anyways....]

Hey single ladies, I want our 2012 to be different. Don't you? I mean, I'm NOT saying I want us to compromise and be different in a "give up hope and grab the next fella in your line of vision" kind of way. I'm just saying that I think we, collectively, could do some things differently and make an unique impact in our individual worlds.

Maybe I should just say, "hey y'all. I'm gonna have a different 2012. Wanna join me?" because maybe the other way sounds bossy?

Ok.

Hey y'all. I'm going to make the choice to have a different 2012.

1. I'm going to be grateful.

Every. day. Thanks to our beautiful friend Ann, we have all learned how to hone this skill. So I'm going to find one reason every day that I am grateful for my life place as a single Christian woman [Example: I got to stay up way late watching a movie last night and no one cared!]. I want to remind my soul, much like David does in Psalm 103, to bless the Lord.

2. I'm going to be generous.

With my time- because I have more of it than any wife or mom. With my money- because no one else lives off my dime. With my stories- because there are tons of girls in their 20s who worry about how to swim these waters and its unfair of me to withhold encouragement. Because dear girls in your 20s, you will survive this and if you'll let Him, God can really bless this single season.

3. I'm going to read from a book every night.

I know, some of you think that goal is ridiculously tiny. But with the amount of minutes I spend in front of a computer screen, my book-in-hand reading time has diminished greatly. So while I'm still the only body in my bed, I'm going to use some of those last moments each day to hold a book and read it.

4. I'm going to be brave.

I am not, mind you, going to jump out of a plane. But I will try to learn some new skills and talk to boys I don't already know and tell my pastor that I want to meet a nice guy in our church. I will do those things that scare me a little.

5. I'm going to cook.

It's easy to convince myself that eating out is just easier and that making meals for one is annoying. And it kind of is. But. I love cooking. So I'm going to do it.

In conclusion, here's what I'm going to do this year: ENJOY. As best I can, as much as I can, I'm going to enjoy who I am and where I am.

Wanna join me?

What are your thoughts on being single in 2012? Link up with us or leave a comment and let's hear your plans!

[Judy Harder]

Remembering The Day

They did not remember His power, the day when He redeemed them from the adversary.
Psalm 78:42

Certain days stand out in our memories.  Many people remember where they were and what they were doing when:

1.     JFK was assassinated.
2.     The OJ verdict came down.
3.     9-11 hit.

You know the day we are supposed to remember often?  The day of our redemption.  Do you remember that day ... the day "He delivered you from the domain of darkness, and transferred you to the kingdom of His beloved Son"? (Colossians 1:13).

MY DAY OF REDEMPTION

I often think of that day.  I was a 17-year-old high school senior.  I was a jock, in the popular group, and thought I was all that and a bag of chips.  I lived to play basketball, chase girls, and party on the weekends.  While I wasn't a "bad" kid or a criminal or an atheist, I was definitely lost.  I knew about God, I just didn't know Him or give Him much thought at all.

In January of my senior year, all that changed.  I began to date a really pretty girl at my school (Cypress Creek High in Houston, Texas) who just happened to be a Christian.  I wasn't quite sure what exactly a Christian was ... I just knew she was good-looking, and I wanted to go out with her.

On one of our early dates, we went to a Young Life meeting on a Tuesday night.  I hated it.  It was like church on Tuesday.  I felt like I had gotten roped into something I didn't want.  I told her point blank, "I'm not going to that again!"  And she said, "Then I'm not going out with you again."  I said, "Fine ... when is the next meeting?" (I really liked her!)

It was at the next meeting, on a Monday night, that I heard a former college football player, beer drinker, and skirt-chaser share his testimony.  He was my kind of guy, and God used his story to touch my heart.

After that meeting, all alone in my room, God showed me how much I needed Him.  He showed me how I was not ready to die ... and if I did die right then, I would go to hell.  I got down on my knees and asked Jesus, in repentance and faith, to save me.  And you know what?  HE DID! 

That Monday night in January of 1980, I passed out of death into life.  That night I was redeemed from the hand of the adversary and made a child of God.  That Monday night, my name was recorded in the Lamb's Book of Life, and Jesus, by His Spirit, came to live within me.

That night changed my whole life ... and I revisit that night often.  It was the night of my redemption.

WHAT ABOUT YOU?

Has there been a day for you?  Do you know for certain that you have been redeemed ... that Jesus by His Spirit lives in you?  If so, revisit that event often and praise Him for it.  Remember that day and stand in awe of His amazing grace that saved a wretch like you.  Remembering the day keeps the gratitude flowing in your heart.

If there is no day to remember because you have never been redeemed, do what I did and get on your knees and ask Jesus to save you and be real in you.  He will answer any honest, heart-felt cry for salvation.  He longs to save anyone who will turn to Him.  How do I know?  Because He did it for me ... and He promises in His Word: "Whoever will call upon the name of the Lord will be saved" (Romans 10:13).

Remember and rejoice!

Love,

[Judy Harder]

What to Do When You Fall

For You, Lord, are good, and ready to forgive, and abundant in lovingkindness for all who call upon You.
Psalm 86:5

Do you remember the old commercial by a medical alert company called LifeCall that had the tag line, "I've fallen, and I can't get up"?  LifeCall was promoting a small communication device that older people or disabled people could wear as a necklace.  This device would provide instant assistance for them in case of a fall.  The product gave the wearers confidence, even if they lived alone.  As long as they could hit the button, they could get help ... and get back on their feet.

HAVE YOU FALLEN? 

Lots of Christians I know have fallen into sin, and they are having trouble getting back up.  You see, when you and I fall, the devil is quick to move in and say, "Look at you!  And you have the audacity to call yourself a Christian?  What a hypocrite you are!  What a liar you are!  You'll never get back up ... so my advice to you is to stay down and just accept facts: you are a failure and a fraud."

Have you ever heard that familiar voice of the accuser?  Interestingly, when the devil speaks to us, he makes his voice sound like ours.  He tries to make us think his damning, hellish advice is coming from our own "correct" understanding of the circumstances.  Remember, he is a liar and the father of lies.  He will do anything to keep you down.

And when the devil says, "Give up," God says, "Get up!"  "For a righteous man falls seven times, and RISES AGAIN" (Proverbs 24:16).  No righteous man or woman is immune to falls.  But when you do fall, you must not stay down.

God gives every person a LifeCall necklace ... and He wants us to use it!  When you and I fall into sin – whether that fall is an unplanned slip (I slipped into this sin that knocked me off my feet), a careless trip (I let my guard down and the devil pounced on me with temptation), or a blatant dive (I knew it was wrong, but I did it anyway) – there is a way back up.  You must quickly hit the LifeCall button, and cry out to God in repentance and confession.

HE IS READY

One of the features of LifeCall was 24 hour coverage, 7 days a week.  So it is with God.  He is ready right now to forgive you and lavish you with His mercy and love.  Jesus didn't come to condemn us ... He came to save us.

Are you holding on to sin in your life?  Are you clinging to sexual sin or bitterness or pride or selfishness?  Sin is like cancer.  Unless you and I get it out of our lives through repentance and confession, we will stay down and diseased.  (Remember how the prodigal son LEFT the pigsty and went to his father and confessed his sin BEFORE he was restored?)  But, the moment we let go of our rotten sin and cry out to Him, He comes and gently, lovingly cleanses our heart and raises us up.

As you read this today, search your heart.  Be honest.  Have you fallen?  Do you feel as if you can't ever get up again?  Hit your LifeCall button.  Cry out to Jesus.  He loves you and is so ready to forgive and restore IF you are ready to leave your pigsty and come to Him.

Hallelujah, what a Savior!

Love,



Jeff Schreve