Take the next step:
Letting go of hurt and resentment
How can forgiveness bring freedom? Take our online lesson.
Are you suffering in a turbulent home? Talk to a us.

Take the next step:
Letting go of hurt and resentment
How can forgiveness bring freedom? Take our online lesson.
Are you suffering in a turbulent home? Talk to a us.

Take a look at your life. How would you describe it?

Contented? Rushed? Exciting? Stressful? Moving forward? Holding back? For many of us it’s all of the above at times. If stress dominates your life, you could be looking to move passed those situations. It’s hard to cope with stress when you can’t put the past behind you. In the Bible, it says that Jesus came to make all things new. What would your life look like if you could start over with a clean slate?

Are you ready to choose a different path?

Jesus came, and died, and rose again to wipe the slate clean. He was scourged, tormented, and finally nailed on the cross for humankind’s sins – this was all part of God’s plan to bring you and I back into relationship with him. God wants to be a part of your life … in fact, not just a part of your life, but wants you to live in full fellowship with Him. Is this the life for you?

God loves you and created you to know Him personally. He longs for you to have the kind of full life you were always meant to have. So why do people not experience this kind of life? People are lost and separated from God, so we cannot know Him personally or experience His love. Because of our sins, we justly deserve judgement. But God provided his Son, Jesus Christ, as the only provision for our sin. He died in our place, then he rose from the dead.

We must individually trust Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord; then we can know God personally, receive forgiveness for our sins, and experience His love: “As many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God” (John 1:12)

We trust God through faith. You can trust Christ right now by faith through prayer! (Prayer is just talking with God.) God knows your heart and is not so concerned with your words as He is with the attitude of your heart. The following is a suggested prayer:

Lord Jesus, I need you. Thank You for dying on the cross for my sins. I open the door of my life and receive You as my Savior and Lord. Thank You for forgiving my sins and giving me eternal life. Take control of the throne of my life. Make me the kind of person You want me to be.

Does this prayer express the desire of your heart?

Take the next step:
Choosing to be content
Take a lesson: Finding contentment
The path to peace

  There are a lot more ways you can use your story to help people discover Jesus. My Story is an incredible video-based program that walks you through the process of creating your unique story. Order your copy today!

What does “stillness” actually look like? See how it can fit into your life.

“Be still, and know that I am God.” (Psalm 46:10)

Imagine the scene: a well-dressed businesswoman rushes to the conference table, arriving five minutes after the meeting’s scheduled opening. Papers scatter as she places them before her, beads of perspiration coat her brow and we hear one side of a frantic cell phone conversation.

Another woman, equally important in the company hierarchy, drops her child at day care, turns her phone to vibrate and five minutes before the scheduled opening seats herself at the conference table where her colleagues gather for planning. They relax in her confident appearance of leadership.

Both women carry heavy loads of responsibilities. Both have families and full schedules. Both know that the hours ahead may present nearly insurmountable difficulties. Without examining the reasons behind each woman’s preparation, or lack of same, perhaps there is a spiritual lesson to be learned.

Which woman do I most resemble when I meet with God each day? Do I dash into His presence wearing an attitude of, “Here I am, God, let’s get on with it.” Does my mind appear as scattered as a haystack? Or do I take a deep breath, close my “closet” door on all the whirling responsibilities of my life, sink into a chair and simply be still before Him?

God awaits and welcomes us no matter our appearance or attitude, but how much more precious to us would be the time if we prepared more thoroughly. In the 17th Century, Catharina von Schlegel wrote these words:

Be still, my soul; thy God doth undertake
To guide the future as He has the past.
Thy hope, thy confidence, let nothing shake;
All now mysterious shall be bright at last.
Be still, my soul; the waves and winds still know
His voice who ruled them while He dwelt below.

 As we get closer and closer to the busyness of Christmas, take time to be still with God.

Dear God, Remind me to come to you.  Remind me to put my rushing aside, to set down the good things I am doing and just come and be with You. Thank you for being the greatest gift of all.  Amen.

 Question: When is it hardest for you to be still?

“I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well….All the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be.” (Psalm 139:14, 16)

“So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God.” (1 Corinthians 10:31)

How many hats have you worn in the past week? You may have picked up a “nurse’s cap” as you cared for an aging parent or a family member who’s ill. Many of us wear a “chef’s cap” as we attempt to provide nutritious meals for those we love. Some days “short-order cook” might be more accurate! Chauffeur, counselor, teacher, project manager, accountant, activity director – all are common roles within our homes.

We wear hats outside of our homes as well. You may also have a career, a ministry, a role within your neighborhood or community. Our lives are busy, our relationships complex, and with each change of hat we have a new set of expectations to fit the role. Soon we can find ourselves driven by the competing expectations of others. We find ourselves under stress.

How is a woman to wear so many hats? One secret is found when we each learn how God made us. We’re not all to be gourmet chefs; not all are gifted musicians; not all are able to coordinate events for dozens of women on a shoestring budget. God has given each of us talents and abilities to use in His service. He’s also given us areas where we can learn to depend on others for their expertise. God has not called me to be you, nor has He called you to walk in my shoes.

As we learn contentment in His plan for our lives, we may find courage to remove a few ill-fitting hats. We may also find a new freedom to invest ourselves more fully in areas of our own giftedness. This brings honor to God, as we align our activities with who He made us to be. It also benefits those around us.

Lord, You are the One who designed me. You know how I’m wired and have a good plan for my life. Help me to live in accordance with Your design. Guide me as I evaluate competing expectations and priorities today, and help me honor You with the choices I make. Amen.

Question: Do you find it hard to say no? How do you keep from getting overwhelmed?

“How precious are your thoughts concerning me …” Psalm 139:17

It had been anything but a “quiet” time. Although I had closed the door and opened my Bible, my attention skittered between meetings just attended, people needs for which I felt responsible, and future events crowding the calendar. A glance at the clock too soon revealed that it was time to leave my private chamber and tend to the day’s responsibilities. “So much for spiritual preparation” was my somewhat whiny comment to God.

Then came His voice speaking into my heart—as clearly as if He had been physically standing before me: “That okay, my daughter. I just wanted to sit here with you. I’ve enjoyed our time together.”

We delude ourselves into thinking that our quiet times are primarily for our own benefit. We are intellectually aware that God is always with us, that His eye is not only on the sparrow but on each of us. We claim a personal relationship with Him yet are slow to understand much of what that means.

How different would be our attitudes if we began to learn that we come into His presence to give Him joy.

God, I am so grateful for Your personal love for me. To think that You simply desire me to be inYour presence is overwhelming. I love You.

Reflection: Sit quietly and imagine the look on God’s face as you come into His presence. What words of welcome might He be saying to you?

One thing you could do: sleep in the backyard. Get a couple sleeping bags with your son or daughter, and say, “Well, let’s sleep outdoors tonight.” You will have conversation time you never dreamed of in the backyard.

Another thing is if you have a Jacuzzi this is great. I put popcorn in a big aluminum bowl, and we put it in the center with the jets on, and it would spin around, and we sat there as a family eating popcorn out of the bowl and just had times to talk, converse, everything.

Have you ever kidnapped your child at school? Show up just before the break, clear it with the teachers, and take your child right out of the class and go do something special that they like. And kidnap them from school, and even get permission to hold them out from one class for one hour. Step into your child’s world and do things that they like. That’s when the relationships are formed.

Do unusual things to build time with your children.

New to this series? Watch the introduction video here

Get more creative ideas for spending time with your child:

Creating Quality Time With Your Kids
Quality Time: A Family Issue

God doesn’t desire more of our time sometimes; he desires more of our attention all the time.

Ever feel frustrated because you hear messages about getting closer to God and you definitely desire this for yourself, but you are inundated with so much to do already that this only makes you feel guilty because you are too busy for God? I think we all feel this at one time or another.

Some of you may need to carve some time out of your busy schedule for more specific time to be with God, but that isn’t necessarily the only answer to this question. Look at the following Scriptures:

“I have set the Lord always before me.” Psalm 16:8
“My eyes are ever on the Lord.” Psalm 25:15
“I will extol the Lord at all times; his praise will always be on my lips.” Psalm 34:1

Reading these words makes you wonder if these are the words of a monk who had nothing else to do but devote himself to God. Actually, they are the words of David, king of Israel, a great ruler and warrior. How did he manage to run a nation and keep his eyes on the Lord at all times? The only conclusion is that he did this while he did everything else. It’s a continual awareness of God that we are talking about here, not necessarily more time devoted to spiritual pursuits.

I once saw a sign that read: “Your god is what you pay attention to.” You see, I believe you can pay attention to God while you are doing everything else. It’s all about doing everything for God and seeing God in everything we do. It’s about bringing God into the boardroom, the exercise room, the living room, and the bedroom. Now of course he’s already in all these places but we’re talking about being aware of his being there at all times. That’s what it means to set the Lord always before us.

Worship is a frame of mind that always has God in the picture. We don’t need church, or Bible study, or devotions to remind us about the Lord if we’re already aware of him all the time.

These opportunities then become more precious to us because we can devote all our attention to that which we have been aware of all along.

Question: What distractions prevent you from paying attention to God?

Related:
Want To Beat Stress? 

Are you facing a challenging day today? Our mentors are here if you’d like someone to talk to.

“For those who are LED by the Spirit of God are the children of God” (Romans?8:14).

Think about your past week for just a moment. What has been leading you through your days?

•    Are you being led astray in your faith by the company you are keeping?

•    Are you being led by a rushing busyness that brings unrest to your heart and mind?

•    Are you being dragged by your emotions?

God calls us to be LED by the Spirit of God. But it’s not always an easy thing to wrap your mind around. Here is a tool, in the form of the acronym LED, to help you intentionally allow yourself to be LED by God’s Spirit today.

Romans 8:14 “For those who are LED by the Spirit of God are the children of God.”

1.    L- Look for His mercies

Lamentations 3:22-23 “Because of the LORD’s great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail.  They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness.”

EVERY MORNING God’s love and faithfulness are fresh to draw upon. His care is unlimited. His plan is not for us to be “consumed” by the circumstances and cares of our day. Turn your thoughts to His love and faithfulness before our feet hit the floor in the morning and as you drift off to sleep at night.

Psalm 92:2 “It is good to proclaim your unfailing love in the morning, your faithfulness in the evening”

Sandwich your day between declaring His love afresh over you in the morning and in the evening thanking Him for His faithful care.

2.    E- Encourage daily

Hebrews 3:13 “But encourage one another daily, as long as it is called Today, so that none of you may be hardened by sin’s deceitfulness.”

Take the time to get into God’s presence to allow His word to encourage your heart. Listen for His still, small voice as He nudges you to offer a word of encouragement to others as you go through your day.

All of us can be deceived by the lie, “You are all alone”. Especially at times of loss or crisis or difficult days. Our hearts can begin to harden and we need the daily encouragement of our Lord and of each other as we share the journey of life.

3.   D-Declare Thanksgiving

Psalm 50:23  “He who sacrifices thank offerings honors me, and he prepares the way so that I may show him the salvation of God.”

Thanksgiving is so much more than the trite “be thankful” or “have an attitude of gratitude”. These are good reminders to keep a thankful outlook yet thanksgiving is so much more.

It is a DOORWAY that actually opens the way for God to show His salvation, for God to amaze us and bring His plans and purposes to pass. It prepares the way for God to come into our lives and our circumstances. WOW!

Father God, today I want to be LED by Your Spirit in a fresh way. Show me Your mercies today as I look for them. Encourage my heart and show me who I can also encourage. And give me a fresh outlook of thanksgiving that I might open that door that prepares the way for Your deliverance in my life. Fill me with rejoicing and thanksgiving for all You are and for Your never-ending love and faithfulness to me. I love You Lord and I look to You to lead me this day. In the name of Jesus I pray,amen.

Questions: What has been leading you this past week? Are you being led astray in your faith by the company you are keeping? Are you being led by a rushing busyness that brings unrest to your heart and mind? Are you being dragged by your emotions?