Finding a stronger faith through hardship is something that my guest Author Horace Williams, Jr knows so well. I am really excited to share his new book, Furnace of Affliction: How God Uses Our Pain and Suffering for His Purpose. Horace writes to encourage, inspire, and challenge you to a deeper more genuine faith.

You can get a brand-new copy of his just-released book here.

You can read more about Horace’s amazing testimony here, where he also shares about his award-winning first book, Unleash the Power of Prayer in Your Life.

Finding a Stronger Faith May Hurt for a Season

The post Finding a Stronger Faith May Hurt for a Season appeared first on Seeking God with Jaime Wiebel.

Take Back Your Time Review

This week I am excited to share with you the new book Take Back Your Time by Morgan Tyree. In her newest book, she is teaching strategies on how to identify priorities, decrease stress, and increase productivity. Who’s in?

I was so excited to get this book, which I was given as a free copy to review and one to giveaway (Yay, Us!) from Blog About Blogger Network for my honest review.

I was excited for probably the same reasons you would be when you look at the content focus of this book. Take Back Your Time feels so freeing to me. Even before I opened up a single page, I was in.

If you are anything like me and I would even say a majority of people — time never feels on our side. There is one thing we can’t control and that is how many hours in a day. We all have the same 24 hours 7 days a week.

We have, however, become a society that thrives on “busy” as a badge of honor to emphasize the fact that we are spending those same 24 hours well. But is that really the case?

What to do Instead of Complete “Busyness?”

There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under the heavens Ecclesiates 3:1

I have to be honest, I don’t like being “busy”. It feels unproductive, chaotic, and disorderly to me and to say that “I am busy,” doesn’t feel honoring to my time. Is there a better solution? I am so glad that you asked. With the guidance of Morgan from morganizewithme.com, she challenges us to look at the “busy badge” in a new way.

Let’s look at some of the synonmyns for busy: unavailable, buried, hustling, overloaded, swamped, occupied. These are not the kind of words I want to use when describing how I feel or how I am spending my time. I want to be able to say that my life is full — full of value, purpose, and meaning. – Morrgan Tyree page 56, Take Back Your Time

If that is the case, keep your busy, right?

I want to know that God is giving me 24 hours every day to make a difference, to tell people about Him, to be of good witness to my friends and my family, and to use to treasure that time and use it well. I want to know that my time was not just filled with busy but was filled with purpose.

We are not left without guidance in that area as well. Morgan has a system that is easily consumable and doable. Both things I like so that I don’t feel like even organizing my time is taking too much time.

I Need a Plan to Take Back My Time!

Morgan’s book is not just another self-help book, what I really loved about it was that her faith-based mindset could line up with my view on time.

So what about a plan? I need a plan. I am not going to divulge her complete plan or the details to set it up, I’ll leave that to her book, but here is where I am starting. Like I said it lines up with my faith-based views on life and it is going to help me get off that hamster wheel of overwhelm.

Morgan suggests listing your purposes in life and then listing your priorities under each purpose.

I am going to start with three major purposes to Take Back My Time.

Now, I have a few more but I am just going to start there to get the ideas flowing.

Home – (management and maintenance) I want my home to be filled with peace and centered on Christ. I want it to be a safe place for my kids to grow and learn to navigate life

Work – (writing, blogging, client work) I want Christ to be a the heart of everything I do so that my work can point others to Him.

Relationships (family and friends) I want my relationships to be genuine and encouraging.

Under each of those, I have priorities to Take Back My Time.

Home – Maintaining a home that my kids want to come home to, where they are loved no matter the circumstance. Occasional housework (I am the worst – but putting this on the priority list)

Work – Finish work before kids arrive home so that I can spend quality and quantity time with them.

-Work on blogging work in a timely manner, create a block schedule for my time that I am most productive and stick to it.

-Glorify God by sharing the hope that He has given me through groups, social media, and my website.

-Work for clients in a way that is encouraging to them being productive with their time and resources.

Relationships – Find ways to cultivate authentic relationships in real life.

– Be respectful of my husband and love Him the way that Christ has taught me to love others.

– Be supportive to/with my husband in raising our children and helping them make life choices that glorify God.

Take Back My Time

As I am examining my time, I need to check and see that the things I think, do, and say, line up with my purposes and my priorities so that I am spending my time in a way that makes my time not busy, but full – full of meaning, purpose, and value.

Taking back your time can be a major life shift if your someone that bends to busyness. If you are someone that thrives and builds their time having every last minute spent, then this may not be for you. I can imagine that if you are reading this, you wanted to know How to Take Back Your Time. I would imagine your feel captured by not finding enough time to serve yourself and others well. You probably feel very stretched even beyond what it feels like you can bear.

Say, NO MORE!

Let, Take Back Your Time, help you reclaim your precious time, declutter your life, mind, and soul by getting your whole life organized.

Be ready to reclaim control over your time today. I recommend that you check out this book today.

There is so much great stuff in this book. Tips on How to Manage Your Schedule, How to Prioritize Your Schedule, How to Become Productive with Your Time, and How to Make Sure Your Time is not just spent being busy but that your days are left with you feeling full – full of value, purpose, and meaning.

I am ready to Take Back My Time, Are You In? Yes, AND I am ready to grab my chance to win a copy by heading over to your Facebook Page.
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Take Back Your Time GIVEAWAY!

We could do this together because this week we are giving one reader a chance to win a copy of Morgan’s Tyree’s Book Take Back Your Time, courtesy of the Blog About Blogger Network. To enter, follow this link to my Facebook Page AND leave a comment on the facebook post on “the one area in your life you are ready to take back”.

You In? Yes, Take Me To Your Facebook Page and while you’re there, I would love for you to like and follow my page (not required, just appreciated)

Giveaway will run 11/12/2019-11/19/2019. Winner will be announced on my Facebook page and notified via PM. This giveaway is in no way associated with Facebook or it’s affiliates. Open to those living in the US and that are 18 years and older.

Here is a bit about the Author – Morgan Tyree

Morgan Tyree is a professional organizer (chaos calmer), writer (list lover), and fitness instructor (exercise enthusiast). She is generally energetic and motivated, but also (very) realistic. Her life tends to be full and fun, and somewhat messy too. She believes in prioritizing and measuring progress one day at a time, while also “keeping it simple.” 

Morgan has a BS degree in business administration with an emphasis in small business and entrepreneurship from the University of Oregon. She has worked in the fields of marketing, management, and human resources. You can find Morgan blogging weekly on her site Morganize with Me and contributes monthly to the popular blog I’m an Organizing Junkie . She and her husband, David, have three children and live in Colorado.

To find out more about or to connect with Morgan, you can visit her website!

The post Take Back Your Time Review & Giveaway appeared first on Seeking God with Jaime Wiebel.

Overcomer in Theaters this Weekend

I am really looking forward to seeing Overcomer in theaters this weekend. Starring one of my absolute favorite Bible Study ladies – Priscilla Shirer. This film also features Alex Kendrick whose production team has been putting out amazing movies for years such as COURAGEOUS, FIREPROOF, FACING THE GIANTS and #1 at the Box Office — The WAR ROOM.

This movie hits the target of Seeking God website focusing on the issue of IDENTITY.

The Kendrick Brothers have always produced high-quality films that move and inspire people to do the next best thing in their life and walk with Christ.

I always walk away from their movies wanting to make changes in my Christian walk. The other thing that I have loved about their recent releases on movies are the resources that they provide and this movie is no exception.

Just an FYI – I have not yet seen this movie. It releases today, August 23. I have received a small compensation for writing this post — movie tickets. Total Win-Win. I get to promote great products and enjoy them. I am writing this promotion based on the information I have and this information is strictly for educational purposes.

What Defines Who You Are

John Harrison is the basketball coach of a state winning basketball team.  Hard changes are made and John’s life is full of uncertainty.

Everyone in town questions their future. Players and families move to look for new work.

In one quick turn of events, this town and this coach’s dreams come to a crashing halt. John’s life flips upside down when his only option is to take a position as the cross country team coach,

Coach Harrison has put his worth on his basketball team. When his frustration of these new changes come, he has to come face to face with his identity. Now, left answering one question we all must answer. What defines who you are?

Trailer of Overcomer in Theaters Now!

Overcomer in Theaters this weekend, August 23, 2019.

WHY IDENTITY?

“The movie OVERCOMER is about identity, an issue that everyone deals with. Everyone needs to answer the questions: ‘Who is God?’, and ‘Who am I?’, and the Scriptures deal with both of those things. When a person discovers who they are in Christ, it opens up an understanding of how they can live that out in a daily basis in what they do in their relationships with others.” — Stephen Kendrick

“I hope moviegoers will realize their salvation is about much more than just having a ticket to eternity. They were actually given a brand-new identity. Which means, they have access to spiritual blessings, they have an inheritance, they have all this stuff that’s available to them, this side of eternity. And when you realize that, that means the decisions you make, the relationships you have, the trajectory you choose, the ambitions that you hold, all of that stuff will reflect, and be indicative of your brand-new IDENTITY. That changes and transforms the way you live.” — Priscilla Shirer

“As people are walking out of the theater, we hope that they begin to ask questions about where their IDENTITY is found, because too often we find it in our circumstances, in our titles, in what other people are saying about us, in our jobs, in our positions or awards. Those things can be taken away.” — Stephen Kendrick

WHAT IS AN OVERCOMER?

“OVERCOMER in many regards, is a discovery of who we are in Christ, who gets to determine our identity and what we have to overcome to embrace the life God has for us.” — Alex Kendrick

“Overcoming is about powering through and realizing that on the other side of it you are stronger and more courageous than when you started.” — Shari Rigby

“Being an overcomer means you keep your head up and you know that you’re going to get through it; you figure out a way to get through it, you keep your faith strong, you get through it, and you just thank God.” — Aryn Wright-Thompson

“Being an overcomer means there is pain, discomfort, inconvenience, life’s tough, and yet you have joy and peace and all the stuff that you can only have if there is an anchor in your soul.” — Priscilla Shirer

Get Social – Check Out Overcomer The Movie On the Web

Website – https://www.overcomermovie.com

FB – https://www.facebook.com/OvercomerMovie/

Twitter – @overcomermovie  https://twitter.com/OvercomerMovie?ref_src=twsrc%5Egoogle%7Ctwcamp%5Eserp%7Ctwgr%5Eauthor

Instagram – @overcomermovie  https://www.instagram.com/overcomermovie/?hl=e

ABOUT KENDRICK BROTHERS PRODUCTIONS

Kendrick Brothers Productions is the company of brothers Alex, Stephen and Shannon Kendrick. It exists to honor God and share the truth and love of Jesus Christ through movies, books, curriculum, and speaking. By blending engaging stories with doctrinal integrity, the Kendricks seek to encourage and inspire audiences worldwide. They have resources that positively impact their lives and strengthen their faith, families, and personal relationships.

2018 marks the 15th anniversary of the release of FLYWHEEL, the Kendrick Brothers’ first feature film. Produced with a shockingly modest budget of only $20,000 and intended for Albany, Georgia residents where the brothers served on staff at Sherwood Baptist Church, FLYWHEEL went on to sell over a million copies in DVD format.

“We’re just amazed at what the Lord’s done with it.” — Alex Kendrick

2018 also marks the production of the Kendricks’ 6th film, OVERCOMER. Between those two milestones, the Kendricks’ first film and the production of their latest film, the Kendrick Brothers’ body of work has been credited with creating a subcategory known as faith-based films.

With more than $150 million in box office receipts across five films and millions more in DVD and on-demand sales worldwide, the Kendrick Brothers are recognized as leading the genre.

Overcomer in Theaters August 23

The post Overcomer in Theaters This Week appeared first on Seeking God with Jaime Wiebel.

My grandma always inspires me. Today, I am sharing her testimony. The testimony of a mother’s heartache turned to peace through Jesus.

I grew up in the upstairs apartment of my Grandma and Grandpa. I loved being there. They were so very special to me.

My grandpa could be found regularly reading his Bible and outside honking his horn as he waited impatiently to get us to church on time.

To be honest, I never considered my grandma’s faith. She always seemed like the support crew to my grandfather. She was always at church. Always serving in many capacities. Always supporting whatever my grandpa was leading.

But their testimonies reveal a very different picture.

As I have learned over the years, she was the catalyst to their faith.  My grandpa shares in his testimony how my grandma “nagged him into heaven.” She says in spite of her nagging God did what He does and turned my grandpa’s heart toward Him.

I have had the privilege to sit with her so many times and pour over scriptures. She is my mentor and greatest friend. I often say that she is a walking concordance because if I need to know where something is in the Bible, a quick phone call and a bit of deliberation and I will be pointed in the right direction.

Yesterday, I had the honor of sitting down with her to type out her testimony. Dashes and all. She read it allowed as I typed. We both sat in tears, as we usually do because we are constantly moved by the glory that God brings to dark…
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Get to Know Our Story: A Mother’s Testimony – From Heartache to Peace 

My grandma grew up during the Great Depression. Times were hard and beyond my understanding. I remember the stories of her picking up cabbage off the railroad tracks so they would have a bit of food to eat. I remember her stories of how people were kind to them and helped them with things. But nothing moves me more than how God preserved her to show His light through her for generation after generation.

She was my confidant during one of the most difficult times in my life. The time when my husband and I lost our twins. In a few moments, when you read her testimony, you will see how her grief was my saving grace.

So last night, I called my grandma and asked her if I could share her testimony. Although hesitant at first, after encouraging her about how much her own testimony could bless others she quickly agreed.

Friends, if you have a testimony. Don’t keep it inside of you. Many times we may think our story isn’t exciting enough or it is too personal. But it is the hope that Jesus has given you that is so important.

I think that as you read this you will be encouraged, as I always am, about how a gracious God can turn a heart of stone into flesh. He can take our brokenness and turn it into peace.  He can comfort those places in our hearts that were made only for Him.

If you are hurt, feel broken, or incomplete by what this life has to offer then I want to introduce to Jesus through the words of my grandmother.

Just share your story!

But in your hearts revere Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect. 1 Peter 3:15

Before you get started, I want to encourage you with one more thing. A testimony is someone’s story. Your testimony is your story. It doesn’t have to be perfect. It just has to point to Jesus. I loved how my grandma didn’t care if it was perfect. I love how she wanted it preserved in her own voice and style, and I just love how she felt compelled to share.

A Mother’s Testimony: Heartache to Peace

The year was 1951 – Dec 16^th   a tiny precious baby girl was born to my husband and I. Twenty seven and a half hours later she slipped away from us. That left an impact on my life that I can not talk about sometimes to this day –  the period that followed was the darkest of my life – because of my guilt and the feeling that God was punishing me by taking my baby it almost drove me over the brink – such depression I wondered why I was even alive – the first six weeks after her death I did not eat or sleep – at my checkup my doctor told me to go to work – that eventually the work would wear me out instead of my nerves and he was right that did help some.

Sometime after that, I asked George to go to church with me – I just had to find peace somewhere! What followed was nine years of doing everything I could to be good – trying hard to do what was right but always failing. The pastor would say be perfect even as I am perfect – me be perfect – what a laugh – I couldn’t even be good enough for me let alone a holy perfect God.

In 1953 I had Lori – what a sweet baby – so pretty – just like a doll – was I happy? Sometimes – did I have peace? No! In 1954 I had Lylie and Linda who was stillborn – another sweet little girl and even though we only got to keep one of the twins it was a happy time – I had so much any woman would have been completely happy wouldn’t she?

March 17 my husband was injured at work – very bad!

I was due to deliver another baby and it was a very stressful time not knowing if my husband would lose his arm or not – but on the 18^th sure enough, I started labor – oh no not now! I need to be with George but baby was not going to wait – I delivered about 6:41 pm a beautiful 10 lb 5 oz baby boy!

So I had my hands full – Lori was 2 years 5 months – Lylie was 1 year 5 months – a new baby and a husband that couldn’t do much with his arm in a cast up to his shoulder. Three babies – a good husband – a nice home – a very busy life – everything to make you happy right? But I was always wanting something and never finding it!

Four years later another baby girl – stillborn – more pain.

By this time we had gone to another church. We had a very good Sunday School teacher. He always taught the lesson and now I know but I didn’t know then he would always weave the gospel into his lessons – one time I heard all afternoon taste and see that the Lord is good – echoing in my head and another time it was like being like a baby and learning to start all over – learn to live all over again – what does it all mean? I am a pretty miserable person – one morning I was home alone all morning – where were my children – I don’t know!

Everything I had ever done began to pass before my eyes – and with many tears, I began to tell God what I sinner I was and he impressed on my heart that Jesus had died for me not for everyone else but me. I asked him to be my savior and take away my sins and make me clean – did he? He said he would and he did! I have felt his presence with me since that day – that was the most important day of my life.

Life does have meaning – life is in Christ and he is in me –

I have eternal life because I have him – everything settled in place for me. In the years since I have had doubts – I have been unfaithful I have failed him many times but he has been with me through it all – patient loving and gently drawing me to the place where he wants me to be.

I know that I do not have to do anything to make him love me he just does – I don’t know why – but I am just so thankful that he does and

I love him.

September 10, 1992

Thanks for joining me on this journey as we read A Mother’s Testimony: Heartache to Peace

You, too, may be feeling a bit hopeless but be assured that we can have hope and assurance in Jesus.  We don’t have to feel alone. We don’t have to keep searching for everything else in life to fill us up.

If you would like to talk more about how you can move from heartache to peace, I would love to talk to you. If you feel that there are empty places in your heart that just can’t seem to be filled by anything else, I would like to talk to you about my best friend, Jesus, who has been there with me through it all.

I would love to hear from you in the comments.

Maybe a snippet of your testimony. You can read parts of mine here.

Also, if you are looking to write your own testimony but don’t know where to begin, check out this document that you can print from the CS Lewis Institute, which is a really great resource and can get you started.

Writing your testimony makes it easier to share. Writing out your thoughts beforehand helps you clarify the parts of your story you want to preserve. Not that you have to memorize it, it just helps you be prepared to give an answer for the hope that you have in you. (1 Peter 3:15) It is also a great exercise in remembering God’s faithfulness (John 1:17)

If you have a testimony to share, I would love to hear it. I would love to read it. You can email me at yoursewtrendy@gmail.com Subject: Testimony. They always truly bless my heart.

I love making new connections! Want to connect on Pinterest? Join Me Here.

Want to encourage others — Pin Images by using the Purple Share Buttons!

I’m also new to Linkedin and would love to connect there. Just go here to my profile page and I will follow back!

Thank you for joining me, stick around for Sitting Among Friends Blog Party.

Linkup with Sitting Among Friends Blog Party

**Note** Inlinkz has updated their website. This requires you to resign into your account. This is a one time sign in and verification and can be used on all Inlinkz parties!

Please help us support each other. Find a couple of friends to like, comment and share their amazing posts.  

Blog Parties are such a great place to meet people and build connections around the web. This is one reason, I love this party. It would be a blessing to visit another friend in the linkup and enjoy their posts.

I would love to sit down face-to-face with you but since we can’t do that I love to meet you here. I love to hear your stories and see your work.

This is a Christian based website and so is the material that I promote here. Please remember that when linking up. I do reserve the right to remove posts. 

You can add up to three of your favorite or new posts. 

*Please be sure to visit other blogs to comment and share*

I would appreciate you linking back to Seeking God or #SittingAmongFriends somewhere on your page. (You can also use the SAF picture with a link)

Tag Me with Twitter Shares and I will RT them. 

Join us at our Sitting Among Friends Pinterest Board by following my profile and then requesting an invite.

A Mother’s Testimony: Heartache to Peace

A mother’s testimony: heartache to peace

The post A Mother’s Testimony: Heartache To Peace appeared first on Seeking God with Jaime Wiebel.

— On Board

As I was driving home from my son’s school, I saw a lady with one of those “— on board” signs.

I’ve always thought they were funny. When my sister lived in Australia she bought me one that said “Baby On Board” and it had a picture of a momma Kangaroo and her joey. So cute.

So I got a little closer because I wanted to see who was “On Board”. Only her “On Board” sign did not say “Baby” or “Cubs Fan”. It wasn’t followed by anything cute or funny.

Her’s was a derogatory word and it was referring to her. I’m sure you can fill in the blank to who was “On Board”

I wonder what occurs in a woman’s (or man for that matter) life to bring them to the point that they think of themselves in a way that is self-degrading. Or even worse to allow someone else to think about them or refer to them in that way.

I realize that some people find derogatory words to be a joke or find humor in them.

Personally, I think that deep down, those insults really hurt and are a cover-up. I realize that some people have built up a thick wall around themselves to protect their hearts from further hurt. But there is room for healing. There is a soul healer.

I know I have thought terrible things about myself — and by the grace of God, I was rescued from my own self-degrading thoughts.

You are Beautiful

I am here today to give you this message. You are more than your circumstances and your past failures. Other people don’t get to decide who you are and they don’t get to place words on you that mark your value.

YOU ARE BEAUTIFUL!

Right before leaving my son at school we were listening to the radio. The song on the station was “Beautiful” by Mercy Me.
Part of the chorus of the song says:
You’re beautiful
You’re beautiful
You were made for so much more than all of this
You’re beautiful
You are treasured, You are sacred, You are His
You’re beautiful

I was just singing this song to my kids. I pray they will believe all of God’s truths about them and not the world’s version of them.

But now, this is what the Lord says—

he who created you, Jacob, he who formed you, Israel: “Do not fear, for I have redeemed you; I have summoned you by name; you are mine. When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and when you pass through the rivers, they will not sweep over you. When you walk through the fire, you will not be burned; the flames will not set you ablaze. For I am the Lord your God, the Holy One of Israel, your Savior; I give Egypt for your ransom, Cush a and Seba in your stead. Since you are precious and honored in my sight, and because I love you, I will give people in exchange for you, nations in exchange for your life. Isaiah 43:1-4

Dear Friends, You Are Beautiful

Dear Friends, The One who created you has a clear message.

He calls you by name. You are His.

You are not who the world says you are and you are not what your circumstances say you are.

He calls you precious and honored and he gave so much because He Loves YOU.

In fact, He sent His only Son, Jesus, to die on the cross for YOU. To rescue YOU. He did that all for YOU.

Why? He tells you here in Isaiah because YOU are precious to Him and He Loves YOU.

Your job is to respond to this call. Accept the gift that he offers you in Jesus.

The choice is yours. Choose what the world calls you or choose your identity in the fact that your Creator calls you by name. By your actual name.

Beautiful one, God, who knit you together in your mother's womb, knew you intimately before the foundations of the earth and knows all about you and loves you just the same.
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You are beautiful because He created a Beautiful You.

I love making new connections! Want to connect on Pinterest? Join Me Here.

Want to encourage others — Pin Images by using the Purple Share Buttons!

I’m also new to Linkedin and would love to connect there. Just go here to my profile page and I will follow back!

Thank you for joining me, stick around for Sitting Among Friends Blog Party.

Linkup with Sitting Among Friends Blog Party

**Note** Inlinkz has updated their website. This requires you to resign into your account. This is a one time sign in and verification and can be used on all Inlinkz parties!

Please help us support each other. Find a couple of friends to like, comment and share their amazing posts.  

Blog Parties are such a great place to meet people and build connections around the web. This is one reason, I love this party. It would be a blessing to visit another friend in the linkup and enjoy their posts.

I would love to sit down face-to-face with you but since we can’t do that I love to meet you here. I love to hear your stories and see your work.

This is a Christian based website and so is the material that I promote here. Please remember that when linking up. I do reserve the right to remove posts. 

You can add up to three of your favorite or new posts. 

*Please be sure to visit other blogs to comment and share*

I would appreciate you linking back to Seeking God or #SittingAmongFriends somewhere on your page. (You can also use the SAF picture with a link)

Tag Me with Twitter Shares and I will RT them. 

Join us at our Sitting Among Friends Pinterest Board by following my profile and then requesting an invite.

The post You Are Beautiful appeared first on Seeking God with Jaime Wiebel.

Being a mom is the hardest thing that I have ever had to do. My life seemed to turn upside down in ways that I could have never imagined for the good and the undeniably not so pretty. Children have been a gift beyond compare. A gift I truly treasure.

I used to think I was patient, laid back and had some self-control until my kiddos came along and allowed me to see the errors of my thinking.

Being mom is a responsibility that no one could ever have had enough words and explanations to clearly make me understand. It is not until they are in your arms and the reality of them being there does it begin to settle in.

A few years back, I even wondered if I would ever get the hang of this mothering thing. It seems every time I figure something out a new age and stage throws me for a loop.

I have felt the heartbreak of losing children and not quite sure how I was going to recover from the devastation. A heartbreak, no one could ever prepare you for.

Being a mother has made me question so many things about my world that I could have never imagined.

I also never knew that it was physically possible for my heart to grow in love and care for another human being the way it did when I had children.

The Amazement of Motherhood

I believe God always amazes us, as mothers, to show His great love and plans for us through our children. We get to see how a Father loves His children in ways that seem unimaginable.

For instance, I may say to my children, this is classic and I never thought I would say this.

Are you ready? How many times have I had to say this? Please tell me I am not the only one who says this!

Then I hear a gentle voice whisper to my heart, how many times have I had to tell you? And I am reminded of the grace I have been shown daily.

The Gift of Children – Women of the Bible

There are three women in the Bible who were shown God’s grace through their roles as mothers. I love how God’s gift of children is displayed through each story in an unexpected way.

We see that having children is nothing shy of a miracle, it is beyond what we could have imagined and it is a gift and blessing beyond our understanding.

For a woman to not bear children in Bible times was very significant. She would have been looked down upon and there would have been much shame that she would have felt because children were a blessing to the family.

I am not sure that times have changed that much and there are certainly women who struggle with these same issues. I pray their stories bless your heart.

Sarah

Sarah, the wife of Abraham, at the ripe age of 91, had her son Isaac. I can’t imagine, but let’s imagine the patience and endurance of faith that had to accompany this kind of trial. (Genesis 17 and 18) Even Sarah laughed at the notion of bearing a son at her worn-out age.

So God…  gave her (them) a gift beyond what she could see and understand.

Hannah

Hannah, the wife of Elkanah, desperate to have children but the Lord had closed her womb. That is a tough verse to read, especially if you are in a place where you are struggling to become a parent or never have been.

Hannah cried out to the Lord, she promised to give her child back to the Lord for His service. If only she could bear a son her heart could become full and her shame could be put to rest. (1 Samuel 1)

The sacrifice she was making. Can you imagine the day she left him at the temple? The gift she was given was the gift she returned to the Lord.

So God… gave her (them) a gift beyond what she could see and understand.

Elizabeth

Elizabeth, with of Zechariah, was well advanced in years and was unable to conceive. God had a special plan for her son. He would point the way to Jesus.

Zechariah was a priest and while burning incense in the temple and offering up the prayers of the people was granted a personal request of him and his wife. An angel appeared to him and his news was followed by a stack of questions. The news, his wife was going to have a son. (Luke 1)

So God… gave her (them) a gift beyond what she could see and understand.

With God

With God, all things are possible. At the place where our abilities to see and understand end is where God waits for us to be still and allow Him to do His work.

Children are a blessing. Children are a gift of beyond compare from the Creator of the World. They are image bearers of God Himself.
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They are precious to Him and they are an opportunity for God to help us see ourselves as His children. Children give us an opportunity to understand God’s grace and mercy that is poured out on us in the pursuit to make us more like Him.

If you are struggling, like these moms, because you are not able to have children, I hope you are blessed by their stories. Remember you are not alone because God is faithful to write your story as well.

If you have children, I hope you can see how God used these women to help us realize that children are truly a blessing, gift, and miracle delivered from His own hands.

Personal Reflections:

What is the one thing that your children bring out in you that you wish you could stuff away?

What is the thing your children bring out in you that you know is a blessing from above?

If you are struggling as these moms did, what is one thing these women could teach you about God? About yourself?

If you are struggling in having children, what is a piece of advice that you have for ladies with children?

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The post Children are a Gift Beyond Compare appeared first on Seeking God with Jaime Wiebel.

The battle for marriage and the covenant for marriage is rapidly being attacked. I thank God for being at the center of my Christian marriage because, without Him, I would have probably succumbed to the fate of so many marriages today.

When I was growing up, I went to church regularly. I accepted Christ as a preteen and had great intentions of living for Him. I remember sitting in a gathering at church camp and committing to saving myself for my future husband. Being a preteen, this seemed easy. Why wouldn’t I want to do what God wanted me to?

I heard many times “God’s rules.” The do’s and don’ts of Christian Marriage.

Marriage is for one man and one woman. Don’t live together. Don’t have premarital sex. Because God commands it.

While all of that is true, as a young girl, I began to fall into many traps. Traps that seemed impossible to be rescued from. I had broken the rules and I was beyond all the do’s and don’ts and thought I was too far away from God. Too far gone for my sins to be forgiven and completely stuck in the stronghold of sin.

Strongholds of Sin

These strongholds and feelings of being trapped in my sin continued on into my late-twenties. Growing up in the ’80s and ’90s, I believed what women were being told and shown on TV and in society. What’s good for Ross is good for Rachel, right? With no repercussions. No feelings of loss or connection. No remorse or regrets.

I knew God’s story. I knew I was saved. But I also falsely believed it ended with that. That getting the golden ticket to Heaven was all I needed. I thought I could live the way I wanted to live giving in to my desires. I had become so entrenched in the world’s definition of womanhood and the freedom to be who I wanted to be that there was no sight of being God’s child anywhere in my life.

So life continued on and while I continued to feel stuck, I didn’t think there was an escape. Holding my golden ticket in one hand, and my right for independence from anyone in the other.

I had been hurt, shamed and humiliated more times than I wanted to admit.

Join me for the rest of this post as part of a fantastic marriage series. Head over to Experience His Freedom with Angel Penn. 

Join me here to read how God’s Grace can Pour Out Like Rain!

I love making new connections! Want to connect on Pinterest? Join Me Here.

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I’m also new to Linkedin and would love to connect there. Just go here to my profile page and I will follow back!

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Please help us support each other. Find a couple friend to like, comment and share their amazing posts. 

Blog Parties are such a great place to meet people and build connections around the web. This is one reason, I love this party. It would be a blessing to visit another friend in the linkup and enjoy their posts.

I would love to sit down face-to-face with you but since we can’t do that I love to meet you here. I love to hear your stories and see your work.

This is a Christian based website and so is the material that I promote here. Please remember that when linking up. I do reserve the right to remove posts. 

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We may go through life uncertain about many things. Uncertain if we are going to land that job we recently applied for.

Uncertain that our parenting skills will not fail our children. Even uncertain if we are going to come out of the latest health crisis we are facing.

Whatever your current uncertainty is, there is one thing that we can be certain of. That is our salvation in Christ. We can be certain to Seek God with hope and assurance.

The story In Acts 17, has to be one of my favorites because it addresses our frailty as humans to want something greater than what we can see.

The Greeks created gods to explain what they could not understand. They grasped at everything and when they were not certain what it was or how to fix it, they created a new god for it.
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They had it right in looking to the Heavens, but so far off by seeking everything but the True God.

Bottom line was they were looking for hope. They were looking for assurance in this life and they looked in everything they could think of.

In fact, they even left that open for a possibility, the unknown. They had resorted to every god they could think of to fix something but still were left feeling broken.

In Acts 17, Paul visits Athens. What he notices is their city of full of idols. There is one particular altar, however, that is dedicated, “To An Unknown God”. Paul addresses the people who seem to be seeking everything, even the unknown.

Are We Different Today?

Not much is different than today. People are constantly seeking unknown gods. Seeking fulfillment in nearly everything except the source of life.

We try to find it everywhere. In riches, fame, work, hobbies, activities, even family and friends.

Yet, somehow, we are left empty. Seeking more.

There was a time in my life when I lived in complete rebellion against God. I sought fulfillment in everything this world had to offer. When one thing didn’t satisfy me, I moved onto another.

But every time, I came up feeling less and less satisfied. I had worshipped what this world had to offer. I looked for gods to be made out of a career, lifestyle, and even pleasure.

When those things could no longer fulfill my needs, I found myself in the bottom of a pit with only one way out.

Looking Back to Jesus.

Are Christians Exempt?

As Christian people, we can find ourselves doing much of the same things.  We are guilty of filling our time gaps with all of these things in pursuit of this one thing.

Maybe it’s not as blatant as worshipping the ways of the world. Maybe is it something we so often do; create our own God to worship.

Maybe it’s the God who only loves or the God of only grace. We create gods out of attending worship service or following the legalistic rules we have created.

Yet, no matter how hard we try and make our own god, the one that may be more palatable to us or to the world, we feel empty.

This purpose, this fulfillment that just can’t seem to be met no matter how hard we try.

In this Seeking God Series, we are going to take in God’s Word. My purpose is this one thing. This thing we seem to be missing. This thing we are in hot pursuit of, only to be left empty-handed.

His name is Jesus.

We are going to be learning and living and breathing Him in. We will be seeking His heart so we can find our identity in Him and not in the unknown.

Getting to know God so we can know who we are in Him will be our great reward.

How are we going to do this? Great Question!

God has left us all He wants us to know about Him, about us, in the pages of Scripture. If we are in Christ, He has given us the Holy Spirit to lead us, guide us, convict us, and teach us.

There is one way to know God. We have to dive into His Word! We are going to do just that.

One concept at a time.

Learning and holding tight to scripture to get us through all of our life’s circumstances.

We are going to hide His Word deep in our hearts so when times of uncertainty flow from our lives, we can bathe in the certainty of God’s Word.

We are going to be able to breathe out the truth when we are filled with the unknown and with lies that seem bigger than we are.

5 Ways to Seek God with Hope and Assurance

As believers in Christ, we want to know God personally, intimately, and deeply and the great news is… we can!

     Combat the Lies of the enemy

If your anything like me, you want something tangible you can hold onto. Sometimes, our faith feels alone. Even when we have God, He may feel at a distant or silent. I want to seek God with hope and assurance.

Often times that is the lie of the enemy. Telling us God is not here for us or that He leaves us for another more important assignment.

How long must I struggle with anguish in my soul, with sorrow in my heart every day? How long will my enemy have the upper hand? Psalm 13:2 (NLT)

Let’s not give the enemy the upper hand. Let’s combat him with the Word just as Christ did!

Our feelings don’t get to dictate the truth and reality of God’s Word. To know God is to love His commands and to love His Word and that is exactly where we are going to start.

Being uncertain is okay. We just don’t want to stay there.

If you are here, I know you are seeking. That’s awesome and completely excites me. I am so glad you’re here. Let’s Get started!

Ready to have something to hold onto?

Swords in the Air! (Hebrews 4:12)

Take a look at these verses and pray over them. Let God sink His Words into your heart and to a place where you will begin to have full assurance of Him.

You can start with the assurance of this verse.

     ASK. SEEK. KNOCK.

Matthew 7:7-8 (BSB) Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives; he who seeks finds; and to him who knocks, the door will be opened.

God says for everyone who asks receives, who seeks finds, and to him who knows He will open the door for you.
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One time, I had a guy online get really mad at me, well honestly, he was mad at God. He said, “I tried to find God and I couldn’t” He felt empty after his pursuit. Friends, let me assure you God is not trying to hide from us.

But He will be hesitant to reveal Himself to us when we don’t really want to find Him. He knows our heart and our motives.

He is not a genie that grants wishes and shows up when it is convenient for us. Honestly seek Him and you will find Him.

     RECEIVE. FIND. BE WELCOMED IN.

Every work which he began in the service of the house of God in law and in commandment, seeking his God, he did with all his heart and prospered. 2 Chronicles 31:21 (NASB)

We want to seek God wholeheartedly, just as Hezekiah did. Then we, too, will prosper in the will of God.

Why do we want to seek God? Why do we want to do His will wholeheartedly by faith?

The author of Hebrews tells us without faith it is impossible to please God. We want to please God because we love Him and there we will find our rewards, His blessings.

Hebrews 11:6 (NIV) And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him.

We will find God and we can rest in His hope when we are earnest seekers of His will, not just our own.

     Face to Face

I love this next verse. It always reminds me of the hope I have in Christ. To See Him face to face.

You have said, “Seek my face.” My heart says to you, “Your face, LORD, do I seek.” Psalm 27:8 (ESV)

The longing that I have for that glorious day wells up inside of me. It is a fresh spring that quenches my soul when my heart grows faint.

I can look forward to the day where my gaze is no longer on the clouds or a hope in the future but on my Father who will someday return in the clouds just as He left.

Our eyes will meet, just as all eyes will see Him in His glory, and I pray for this day when my knees will bow before my King.

     Don’t put off till tomorrow what needs to be done today

Finally, David, gave instructions to his son Solomon to serve God wholeheartedly and willfully.

I used to believe that spending time in God’s Word was a task. A to-do. Put it on the list and mark it off.

That didn’t excite me or keep me very dedicated. Especially because I am a procrastinator and my to-do can always wait until to-morrow.

Not my time with God.

Now, I realize this is a relationship I depend so deeply on. This verse reminds me of God’s Authority over my life and King over All.

It puts me in proper placement to Him. It also reminds me that He will be there when I seek Him. I love to know my unchangeable God.

“And you, my son Solomon, acknowledge the God of your father, and serve him with wholehearted devotion and with a willing mind, for the LORD searches every heart and understands every desire and every thought. If you seek him, he will be found by you; but if you forsake him, he will reject you forever. 1 Chronicles 28:9 (NIV)

We can use these verses as reminders to Seek God. We are reminded that when we do, we will surely find Him and the hope that He offers through His Son Jesus.

Seeking His ways gives us hope and assurance not only in this life but in our eternal life to come.

Knowing God’s Word is key to having this truth reign in our lives.

Do you have other ways or verses that you hold onto that help you seek God with hope and assurance?

Thank you for joining me, stick around for Sitting Among Friends Blog Party.

I love making new connections! Want to connect on Pinterest? Join Me Here.

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This linkup will go for two weeks. You can leave up to three posts. Please visit some other bloggers to show them some <3. And be sure to come back on Thursday to check out my link to my latest post at Experience His Freedom Blog as part of the 21 Days of Marriage Series. 

Blog Parties are such a great place to meet people and build connections around the web. This is one reason, I love this party. It would be a blessing to visit another friend in the linkup and enjoy their posts.

I would love to sit down face-to-face with you but since we can’t do that I love to meet you here. I love to hear your stories and see your work.

This is a Christian based website and so is the material that I promote here. Please remember that when linking up. I do reserve the right to remove posts. 

You can add up to three of your favorite or new posts. 

*Please be sure to visit other blogs to comment and share*

I would appreciate you linking back to Seeking God or #SittingAmongFriends somewhere on your page. (You can also use the SAF picture with a link)

Tag Me with Twitter Shares and I will RT them. 

Join us at our Sitting Among Friends Pinterest Board by following my profile and then requesting an invite.

Inlinkz Link Party

Seek God with Hope and Assurance

The post 5 Ways to Seek God with Hope and Assurance appeared first on Seeking God with Jaime Wiebel.

30 Days to Understanding the Bible By Max Anders

I am so excited to bring you a review on the book 30 Days to Understanding the Bible by Max Anders. Where you can unlock the Scriptures in 15 minutes a day.

Can I just say WOW! It has been one of my favorite books in a long time. I have to admit, I am a knowledge junkie. I don’t read a book unless it appears to be worth my time and by “worth my time”, I mean, I must gain some knowledge from it. If not, it goes to the stack on the nightstand. That stack is getting bigger all the time.

This book goes hand in hand with my other passion for studying God’s Word.

Full disclosure – I was given a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review. I only give my honest review because I think you’re worth it.

Memorization Strategies

When I was in college, I gave a speech on the brain and how to master memorization. Knowing that the brain can store up to seven bits of information at once, I gave tips and tricks to using different types of memorization processes and how to use them best.

For example, all throughout my speech, I repeated the line, “All dogs pee on trees.” Don’t ask me why. Obviously, it worked, I remember it to this day 20 years later.

Repetition is a great way to gain mastery of facts.

You can also use things like chunking. Where you learn chunks of information to make up a whole piece of information.

Another option may be using mnemonic devices. An example of that is EGBDF. Every Good Boy Does Fine. Some of you may have learned that as part of the musical scale. Something I learned in 1st grade and still remember.

Using devices to gain knowledge, and not for short term but to apply it to longer-term memory helps when it is in bits of 7 or less. Like phone numbers. These are often easy to remember because they are 7 digits long unless you chunk some of the numbers together like saying “56” instead of “5” “6” or learning chunks like the area code or first three digits separately.

Finally, using images or icons to represent a piece of information like keywords or phrases.

There are other methods, but since this author focused primarily on these, we will stop there and learn why this book is so valuable.

15 minutes a day?

This is a total sidenote and my biased opinion. The tagline of this book is Unlock the Scriptures in 15 minutes a day. I can not make that claim or verify that I have gained any significant treasures in reading this text at that rate. I actually, for the sake of this review, read through parts of the book quite quickly and felt a total loss.

Full disclosure, I am not a speed reader. I read for detail and not to just finish a book. I spent one hour on memorizing 12 pages. But my heart was opened to the possibility of grasping Scriptures in a whole new way. I was able to memorize overarching themes of Scriptures that I have known for years but couldn’t quite put them together so seamlessly.

If you truly want to get the most out of this book, I would recommend you take the time you need on it. Don’t limit yourself to 15 minutes. Learning the Bible and memorizing the big picture is worth every minute of your time.

While studying the Scripture in Bible Studies with many people over the years, the number one thing I have heard people say is, “I just can’t remember how that goes.”

This book will change all that!

Do you think you can have a better understanding of the Bible in just 15 minutes a day? Let Author Max Anders break it down for you.
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Breakdown of 30 Days to Understanding the Bible.

30 Days to Understanding the Bible is broken down into 7 sections.

• The Story of the Old Testament
• The Story of the New Testament
• Ten Great Doctrines of the Bible
• How to Master the Bible so Well that the Bible Masters You.
• NanoSummary of the Bible
• Teaching Plan
• Bonus Chapters

A couple of the sections are self-explanatory. So, I will be brief. Teaching Plan. If you would like to use this for teaching a class or group, the details on how to best prepare are all laid out. You will feel confident with the guidance of these plans.

NanoSummary of the Bible. This is a 3000 word expose or super fly-by of the Bible covering the story in a nutshell or summarizing all that you have learned up to this point.

The bonus chapters are also brief studies of different topics from the Bible. They include such topics as the Parables of Jesus, Miracles in the Bible, Messianic Prophecies, Passover and the Last Supper, and The Resurrection of Jesus.

There is also a section of great encouragement and instruction on How to master the Bible so well that the Bible masters you.  In this section, you will be encouraged to go beyond reading the Bible. You will be encouraged to study the Bible, memorize the Bible, and meditate on the Bible. All things we are instructed to do in God’s Word but so often overlook. Max Anders draws out the benefits of doing this as Bible mastery so the Bible can master you.

Let the Memorization Unfold

In this last section, I am going to explain the benefits of taking your time with the first few sections, which happen to be the first 30 chapters of the book.

Before you begin the study of the Old Testament, you will walk through memorizing basic geographical locations of the Bible. It is amazing what a frame of reference you have for the stories when you are able to memorize just a few locations and landmarks. My frame of reference is completely changed now that I know these few basic things.

Now I can base my new knowledge on the new frame of references I memorized in the first section. I can better put the pieces of the Bible together.

2 weeks later and I can still name them all. By the way, there are 7 cities and 8 landmarks, but I combined two rivers so I could remember them all. This was totally accidental but just so happened to work.

The Old Testament is broken down into 9 sections. These are the overarching major themes of the Old Testament. From Creation to Kings to the Silence God has between His rebellious children in the end of Malachi.

As the story unfolds, you learn and memorize the era, the major figure of that era, the location, and the summary of the storyline.

For example. The era of creation is the first. The major figure is Adam and the location is Eden. After memorizing all 9 eras, figures, and locations, You begin to dissect the story a bit more leaning and memorizing more details about it and putting it all into a summary statement.

By the end of the 14 chapters, you have repeated all the information so many times, you could probably write the Bible story timeline in your sleep.

Have trouble memorizing?

For those that have trouble remembering if Abraham came before David and if the judges came before the exile or David, or was it the prophets?

If you have to continuously search your memory bank then this book is for you. If you think you can’t memorize the Bible, after reading this, you will prove yourself very wrong.

Now with my geographical frames of reference, I am ready to get into the New Testament and more of the same goodness.

The story continues to unfold with more geographical information, building on what we already learned and digging in deeper to the church, the epistles, and the gospel era.

Finally, we are taken on a journey through doctrines of the Bible. Each doctrine, such as the doctrine of angels and the doctrine of salvation and future things are dug into a bit deeper as you memorize the key points and scriptures that discuss such topics.

My Recommendation and Final Thoughts on 30 Days to Understanding the Bible

Overall, I would highly recommend this book to just about anyone. I have been studying the Bible for a really long time and I have gotten so much from this book. One of the biggest things I have is a proper reference of time, the people and locations of that time to pack in the knowledge that I already have.

Like I said, in studying with people over the years, the thing I hear the most is, “I just can’t remember that stuff.” That doesn’t have to be true.

We can learn and memorize something as gigantic as the Bible. With a little practice, we gain a fantastic frame of reference. Now we can put all of our detailed knowledge into this frame once we get a grasp of this big picture.

If you love to study the Bible or if you feel overwhelmed by the immense information in the Bible, then this book is for you!

Want to Find out More about 30 Days to Understanding the Bible?

Giveaway!

I have one copy of 30 Days to Understanding the Bible to giveaway to one reader. You must live in the United States, be 18 years or older and qualify under the additional disclosure by FLYBY promotions. Winner will be contacted January 28. 

For a chance to win, comment below. Make sure to enter your email when commenting or leave a way for me to contact you if we are not already connected on Social Media.

Do you have any memorization techniques you use to further memorize the Bible?

What is something that strikes you about this book that is different than most books you have studied or the methods you have used so far?

Do you feel like have a frame of reference for Bible stories? Do you feel like you’ll never have that in your grasp?

How likely are you to use a tool, such as 30 Days to Understanding the Bible, to begin the process of understanding God Word in a whole new way?

Want to join us for this week’s Sitting Among Friends Blog Party. You can hop over to last week’s post! 

“Disclosure (in accordance with the FTC’s 16 CFR, Part 255:  “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising”):  Many thanks to Propeller Consulting, LLC for providing this prize for the giveaway.  Choice of winners and opinions are 100% my own and NOT influenced by monetary compensation.  I did receive a sample of the product in exchange for this review and post. Only one entrant per mailing address, per giveaway.  If you have won a prize from our sponsor Propeller /FlyBy Promotions in the last 30 days on the same blog, you are not eligible to win.  Or if you have won the same prize on another blog, you are not eligible to win it again.  Winner is subject to eligibility verification.”

30 Days to Understanding the Bible

The post 30 Days to Understanding the Bible Review appeared first on Seeking God with Jaime Wiebel.

5 Bible Verses about the Bible

Many people have a lot of things to say about the Bible, but what does the Bible have to say about itself? Today we are going to look at 5 Bible verses written specifically about the Bible from the Bible.

Many people debate the validity of the Bible and question whether or not it is written for our time or whether or not it contains errors. Although that is a deeper discussion for another time, we can look closer at what the Bible has to say about itself and in the process maybe answer some of those questions.

While I don’t have any question, that the Bible is inerrant and 100% contemporary based on my experiences and study of God’s Word, I believe that God’s Word speaks well for itself.

The Bible speaks clearly of itself. It presents its own validity. It is the living and breathing Word of God.

I can attest to countless times that I have needed nothing more than a whisper from the pages of Scripture and God has given me exactly what I need.

For the word of God is alive and powerful. It is sharper than the sharpest two-edged sword, cutting between soul and spirit, between joint and marrow. It exposes our innermost thoughts and desires. Hebrews 4:12.

You could quickly argue that I was just reading what I wanted to hear or needed to make myself feel better. That by no means is the case. Although reading God’s Word is uplifting and encouraging, there are many times that I am convicted of my wrong thinking or doing. My soul is divided and my innermost thoughts, sometimes not very nice ones, are exposed and laid wide open for examination.

A Lamp for My Path

Your Word is a lamp to my feet and a light for my path. Psalm 119:105

I can often time find my way. North, South, East, and West, forget it. But when I need to get to a new place, I am able to navigate the streets and the land quite well. I use landmarks and physical features of the land to get where I am going. When I lived in Hawaii, I was easily able to navigate my way by following or looking toward the ocean or the mountains. I was confident in not getting lost because I paid close attention to my natural surroundings.

But life isn’t the same way. I am a mom of three busy kiddos. There are so many times where I mess up and fail and need good guidance. I need to be able to find my way and back from selfish desires and turning to the needs of those around me with a servant’s heart.

There are so many times in my life when I feel lost.

I feel like I am wandering around in a dark world and my navigation becomes skewed. So quickly, I can become inward focused and near-sighted in my circumstances. I can easily become consumed by the pressure of taking on one more task that is not in my playbook.

But then when I sit down with God’s Word, my perspective and reality don’t always line up. The story I tell myself and sometimes put on replay in my head is not always the truth that captures the moment.

God’s Word guides me back and illuminates my path. It helps me take the focus off of myself and what only lies in front of me. It lights my days with the truth that God seeks for me to indwell in my heart, mind, and soul.

My path becomes clear. My days become brighter. Not because they are without trials and troubles of their own but because I am walking in the light and my focus is clear.

I can see that my days are sprinkled with hope. Hope for the present and a future. I can see the heart of a Father who so desperately wants a relationship with His children and hurts when they want to let go. My path and purpose are clearly lit when I am in the presence of The Word.

The Word of the Lord Stands Forever

The grass withers and the flowers fade but the Word of the Lord stands forever. Isaiah 40:8

I love flowers. In fact, every year, I go to the store and buy seeds and new plants. All with good intentions. To make my yard look beautiful and my heart to feel happy from taking in the beauty that would surround me.

The problem is the only one with a green thumb in my house is my husband. In fact, my last gift few plant gifts sat by and withered away. One of them was even an air fern, which is really hard to kill. I was sad for its loss because it is so pretty.

I water them. Most of the time. When I think of it. Apparently, every couple of weeks isn’t often enough. especially in the summer when they are being scorched by the sun. My husband insists that he is not buying me anymore every time he has to water them. I can’t blame him but I truly love their beauty. I just remind him that the kids are still alive because I do remember to water and feed them.

The reality is that flowers and plants are temporary. Mine plants are just a bit more temporary than most. Maybe it’s because I don’t put my greatest love in things of this world and I can’t quite bring myself to remember the temporary.

So I put my hope and faith in something greater.

God wanted us to remember that seasons and time comes and goes. The beauty in something may only be there for a season. But there is something greater. Something that we can hold onto even as the seasons of our life seem to be fading away.

His Word is truth and reality that we can stand on. It is eternal, just as we are. God’s Word offers hope and confidence in something more than the temporary. It offers us the eternal life through Jesus and what He has done for us on the cross. A message that is timeless. A message that doesn’t and hasn’t faded with time and anything that we contribute to it. God’s Word will stand the test of time and will never fade no matter the season that this creation goes through.

Man Cannot Live on Bread Alone 

Jesus answered, “It is written: ‘Man does not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.’ ” Matthew 4:4

When I go to a buffet or have a meal over the holidays, I just want to eat the bread. Literally, I could have a whole meal of delicious rolls. Why? They are so delicious. Why can’t I have just that?

If I only engorged on warm and did I mention delicious roll, I would be missing so many nutrients that would be sufficient for my body to stay healthy. And at some point, I may look like a roll.

I love the story of the woman at the well. The disciples go away to get food as Jesus speaks to this woman. In the process of Him telling her everything he knew about her, He also declares that He is the Messiah her people had been waiting for.

When the disciples return they try to get Him to eat and He says I have food which you do not understand. Jesus feeding truth was satisfying Him more than any amount of food they could have brought Him. Likely some flatbread.

He knew that the only way would ever truly be satisfied in life was not dining on delicious warm rolls but dining on the truth that He has to offer us. So not we couldn’t physically or spiritually live on just the bread because we need the substance that is given us through His Word.

All Scripture is the Breath of God and Useful

All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work. 2 Timothy 3:16 (NIV)

As we were reading through Job tonight at the dinner table, my son shouts out, “Where is all this coming from?”

Confused I asked him, “Where is what coming from?”

“All these words. Who came up with all these words?”

Even at a young age, we wonder about the words poured out in the Bible.

There are so many of them. Where did the words come from? Who wrote them? Where did the people come from? How did they all come together? How did they know what to write?

The short answer is, there at least 40 authors of the Bible. It spans the writings of around 1400 years from people spread out over what we would call today, the Middle East, parts of Europe, and Northern Africa.

Those are great facts if you like details, like me, but the Bible is more powerful than mere facts. That God could orchestrate such a symphony is writing is beyond our comprehension. He could breathe life into the pages and words that each author poured onto their scrolls or writing pages this vast is a pure miracle.

The Bible isn’t just for our viewing pleasure, to collect dust on a shelf, or to hold us in any position of high esteem. The Bible, like Jesus, has a purpose. It is to teach us the words and way of the Lord. It is for rebuking the sins that enslave us. His Words are for correcting that sinful behavior and steering us toward righteousness.

We are not to end there. We are given all of those gifts from God so that we could be properly equipped to accomplish His good works and point people to Him and His Kingdom.

Where is this coming from? The very breath of God.

Men Spoke from God as They were Carried Along

Above all, you must understand that no prophecy of Scripture came about by the prophet’s own interpretation. For the prophecy never had its origin in the will of man, but men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit. 2 Peter 1:20-21 (NIV)

Seems possibly far-fetched? That the very breath of God breathed life into the words and pages of Scriptures.

Well, I don’t think so, but I also wholeheartedly believe in the miracles that are poured into those pages. But we don’t need to just take my word for it.

The writer of 2 Peter, Peter. One of the over 40 authors of the Bible. A disciple of Jesus and close confidant who would have been privy to more information than the average person.

Peter was also more privy to more information than most of the disciples and Jesus’s closest friends. He had the insiders scoop.  Jesus often took him aside and spoke only to Him.

He ascended the mountain and saw Jesus transfigured in His glory. Peter sat by the garden while Jesus prayed inside. He was the first to enter Jesus’ empty tomb.

You couldn’t get any closer to the Son of God than Peter probably did.

Yet

Peter himself writes no prophecy of Scripture came about by the prophet’s own interpretation.

He gives all credit to the Holy Spirit, who inspired the words that authors had the privilege of holding the pen for as they sketched God’s Word onto scrolls. God’s will put pen to parchment and the result was a Book that has become the eternal Word of God.

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