Category Archives: Blogs

04
May

“Drop the mic moments” are the moments that we have done well, we killed it, we are done. We have said what we needed to say, dropped the mic and walked off the stage.

In this season of my life, with children that are 8, 6, and twin 4 year olds, these moments don’t happen as often as they used to. Especially as a mother, these moments are fleeting. I don’t like it, but I’m a yeller. When I lose my mind, I do it loudly. I pray everyday that I will handle all of these precious littles and the situations that arise with calmness and intentionality. But after the 6th time that I have told you to brush your teeth, something breaks. (I mean we do this twice a day, every day. This routine can’t surprise you, can it?)

If I can reach the end of my day and dinner’s cooked, the kitchen is cleaned, homework is done, laundry is done and put away, devotionals have been read, the kids are in bed, and I haven’t yelled…Drop the mic! With a smirk on my face I exit stage. Then one of my precious littles get up, for the fourth time, and I break.

This had to be the feeling God had so many times in the Bible. For instance, in the creation story in Genesis 1. God created the world and everything that it holds. He created the garden of Eden, it was perfect and Adam and Eve not only KNEW God but had a perfect relationship with him. Drop the mic! Then Adam and Eve ate the apple, and introduce sin into the world!

In Exodus, God sends Moses to Egypt and delivers the Israelites from bondage. True freedom and all they had prayed for…they were truly free. They can now worship their God and are heading towards the promise land. Drop the Mic! While God is meeting with Moses, after only 40 days, the Israelites start worshiping false idols!

God has to be thinking, “People, I give you perfection and freedom!! Why can’t you stay close to me?”

Just like Adam, Eve, and the Israelites, we often let God down. He offers us everything and our human nature steals away the perfection that he is offering us. Still he patiently waits. God is there in our “drop the mic” moments cheering us on, and he is in our valley’s holding our broken hearts.

Jeremiah 3:22 tells us, “Return, O faithless sons, I will heal your faithlessness.” “behold, we come to you; For You are the LORD our God.” God is waiting for us to turn to him, so we can again be close to Him. In the end, when we enter heaven and see our King, we want to hear, “Well done, good and faithful servant” (Mathew 25:23.) That is our true “drop the mic” moment!

Be Bold, Be Brave, Be Blessed,

Whitney

Living in the adrenaline rush of the Holy Spirit seems to be a trend in my life lately.  Don’t get me wrong, this is absolutely wonderful and something I have prayed for years about.  I have always wanted to live a life that was so dependent on the Spirit that it seemed He never stopped moving in my life.  This was a bold prayer, and I knew it every time I prayed it.  I prayed for this because I wanted my faith to abound from experiencing Him so personally there would never be a doubt in my mind that God is real, God is here, and God is good.  Well friends, for over the last year He has very clearly made it known to me that He in fact heard my prayers.  He has pushed me out of my comfort zone, in ways that felt more like I was being pushed off a cliff.  He has challenged what I believe at my core to shake away anything that might hinder me from experiencing and understanding the fullness of the Gospel, stripping away any pride or legalism hiding in my heart.  He has asked things of me and my family that make the story of Peter being called out to walk on water extremely relatable.  Things that make you ask at the end of the day more often than not, “What on earth just happened, is happening, or could happen?

Daily life has become an adventure, and I love it.  However, it has also revealed significant weaknesses in me that make all of these things and all of this personal and spiritual growth very hard.  I am finding that my tendency to feel overwhelmed is a major factor that distracts me from keeping my eyes on what Jesus is asking me to do, and I begin to sink in the water I have been called out upon.  When I think of all the things God is doing in my life and asking of me my first thought is, “YES! Let’s do this!”  My second thought immediately following is, “Wait, what? Does He know who He is talking to? He talks to a lot of people 24/7, maybe he just thought he was talking to someone who is more qualified.  Someone who doesn’t have two tiny humans to teach how to be people.  Someone who is much more intelligent.  Someone who is older and has the wisdom that comes with years of life and experiences.”  This sounds silly as I write this, but this is the process my mind goes through almost every time He begins to move in my heart or in my life.

In the midst of a crazy day just a few weeks ago, God revealed something wonderful and amazing, yet potentially challenging (again). I was reading my Bible and came across Romans 9:17.  “For this very purpose I have RAISED YOU UP that I might show my power in you, and that my name might be proclaimed in all the earth.” (emphasis mine) In that one single moment, it was as if God reached down and chiseled again on my heart, molding it to look a little more like His (this usually happens daily, and is mostly painful, in all honesty).  I was reminded that my very weaknesses are exactly why God has asked this of me.  We are exactly where God has placed us, and he longs to show up and do big things because honestly, people are going to know it just had to be God because of the vessels he chooses to use as instruments (2 Timothy 2:21).  I love the instance in the book of Acts when God tells one of His followers that Paul was one of His chosen instruments (Acts 9:15), even though literally a day or two before he was the one murdering believers, simply because they claimed to know Jesus.  This is the God we serve.  This is His plan for us.  To use us despite our sinful flesh and unfaithful hearts, so that HIS NAME might be proclaimed in all the earth.  That people may know Him.  Let’s be those broken vessels for His glory.

Stand firm in the faith,

Rachel

A few weeks ago I had the opportunity to help with our school-aged kids at church.  The theme for the month was self-control.  The Bible story, the illustrations, the activities, and the Bible verse all reinforced the same Biblical truth.  Proverbs 25:28, “A man without self-control is like a city broken into and left without walls.”  I really thought that was a great verse for the kids.  All the media they engage in for hours, the tantrums they throw when they don’t like what their parents say, the fights they get into with their siblings because they can’t control their temper.  In an effort to help them apply this lesson I asked the kids if they had any examples of when they needed to have more self-control.  You could hear crickets.  I gave some vague examples of when certain drivers have road rage and when my toddler had temper tantrums.  But, while I stopped and listened to one boy tell of times when his parents had lost their temper while driving,  I wracked my brain for a personal example of when I had lost self control lately. Crickets.  I couldn’t think of a single time that I had struggled with my behavior related to self-control (this was before the girl scout cookies arrived in my house).  So, we moved to the next activity.

The next morning was supposed to be a relaxed Monday for me.  I didn’t need to be anywhere all day.  So, my son was eating his pancakes and I was still in my pajamas around 7:45, when I realized I needed to drop something off at the office before 8.  My peaceful state of mind evaporated.  I threw on jeans and a hat (not a baseball cap by the way it was a fleece puppy dog hat that I wear in the winter) put my son’s pancakes on the kitchen counter and rushed to the office and dropped off what I needed to.  Thinking my stressful task of the day was over we returned home to discover that I probably should have crated the dog.  Despite the fact the pancakes had been placed in the center of the counter the dog had managed to finish them off (enter screaming toddler).  Not only that, the paper towel they were on was in a gazillion shreds around the house.  I was so mad.  This dog!!!   To get my point across to the dog (he’s still a puppy) I screamed “BAD DOG!!” several times.  I was not exactly following the puppy training handbook.  In a rage I tossed him outside and proceeded to clean up the mess.  At this point I found a puddle of tee tee that must have come from our older dog who was totally freaked out by my screaming.  My anger burned!!!  This relaxing morning had been a total loss.  After a new pancake had been served, shreds of paper picked up, and the urine mopped I let the dog back in.  Immediately my son began screaming at the undeserving puppy “bad dog!”  Ah.  Out of the mouth of babes…

I had taught a lesson this morning, just not the right one.

Sometimes I think of myself as better than I am.  How about you?  Less than 24 hours after I attempted to teach the kids at church about self-control I had totally failed at it.  While I was still pretty mad about how the morning was going I could hear loud and clear that the Holy Spirit was teaching me.  I listened…until the girl scout cookies came home.

Amy

28
Apr

Recently a group I am a part of memorized a few Bible verses together.  I had to confess that I was marginally ahead of the game because they were verses I had memorized as a teacher while I was helping a group of 6 and 7 year olds commit them to memory.  It took a little bit but the verses came back to me pretty quick.  If the words came back to me I am hopeful that those children (now in their mid twenties) also have those same verses still hidden in their hearts.

I dug out a recording I had made of their voices reciting the scripture. In a word, it is PRECIOUS.  I thought about what those kids have experienced in the 15 years since their tiny voices recorded those powerful words.  A LOT happens between the ages of 6 and 25.  While the kids had memorized the entire chapter of Psalm 139, verses 7-12 are what gave me great peace.

Where can I go from your Spirit? Where can I flee from your presence? If I go up to the heavens, you are there; if I make my bed in the depths, you are there. If I rise on the wings of the dawn, if I settle on the far side of the sea, even there your hand will guide me, your right hand will hold me fast. If I say, “Surely the darkness will hide me and the light become night around me,” even the darkness will not be dark to you; the night will shine like the day, for darkness is as light to you. Psalm 139:7-12

As David composed this Psalm, he was writing from experience.  He went from being a shepherd to a king.  He went from defeating a giant to committing adultery and murder.  He was blessed by the birth of children and lost them to death and betrayal.  During all of David’s life God was there.

There is nowhere that we can go that God is unaware.  In fact, David was acknowledging that his faith in God is accompanied by the presence of God, His Spirit.  How awesome is that?  God is always with us.  Through joy filled births of babies, God is there.  In a sorrow filled death of a loved one, we are not alone.  During anxious, worrisome, periods of cancer and terminal illnesses, He will not leave us.  Enduring periods of darkness, depression and emptiness…we cannot get away from His light.  Even during seasons of disobedience, nowhere is too far to be guided back to Him.

During every moment of our life, God is there. What can we do in response to this truth? We can do what David did…repent, worship and glorify the one who created us and forgives us. He is present all the time, every single moment…the joyful, the mundane, and the painful. Knowing He is there in every moment brings peace and truth to our lives that will change us.

If you have a few extra minutes I am including a recording of my students.  I hope that you can listen to it and reflect on how God is there for every moment of your life as well as for these precious children who are now grown ups!

 

Amy

27
Apr

Being a professional photographer, I get to capture real life miracles in the form of people almost weekly.  I get to take pictures of people who have been created after the image of God and have had breath put in their lungs by the Creator of the universe.  I shoot engagement sessions where two individuals are celebrating their decision to make and keep a holy covenant before that same Creator.  At weddings, it is my responsibility to take those fleeting moments at the alter and transfer their magic into images that can be held tightly for a lifetime.  These are all miracles to me, but there is nothing quite like capturing the first few days of a sweet baby’s life here on earth.  Every time I show up to a newborn session I promise myself I will not get emotional, I will not be giddy with excitement and will maintain a professional appearance.  This has yet to happen.  I simply cannot get past the fact that this little one, fresh into the world, was first held in the heart of my Savior. Psalm 139:13-14 says, “For you formed my inward parts; you knitted me together in my mother’s womb. I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made.Wonderful are your works; my soul knows it very well.” 

While photographing these tiny babes my heart and mind is flooded with the knowledge that they were created to know Him, and to know His goodness.  This Scripture says that in the depths of our soul, at the very core of who we are, we know that God is not only real, but that His works are wonderful.  Friends, we were created with a soul that knows God is good! I don’t know about you, but realizing this makes it hard to admit all the times I have struggled with fighting the lie from the enemy that God is holding out on me.

It has been in these moments of doubt where God has graciously entered into the quiet of my mind and whispered ever so sweetly that what I am pondering does not come from a place of sincere belief.  I have always known God is real, and in the very depths of my soul I have always known that He is good.  There are times in our lives, however, when the enemy lures us into believing the lie that God is more justice than grace, rather than perfect in all His ways.  A little too far away, not close enough to really understand our circumstances.  It is in these times in our lives, when we are waging with our flesh over the goodness of our Creator, that is so very important to remember that Christ prayed for us Himself about this very issue.  In John 17, Jesus prayed for us, His sons and daughters, that we would be protected from the lies of the deceiver.  And not only that we would be protected, but that we would also live a life that is sanctified in truth.

“I do not ask that you take them out of the world, but that you keep them from the evil one. They are not of the world, just as I am not of the world. Sanctify them in the truth; your word is truth. As you sent me into the world, so I have sent them into the world.  And for their sake I consecrate myself, that they also may be sanctified in truth.”  John 17:15-19

Jesus knew that in times of trial, we would be tempted by the enemy to forget that we were created by a Good Father.  Before His journey to calvary, Jesus chose to pray for us, that we would be sanctified, set apart, in truth.  He prayed that we would plant our feet so firmly in the truth that God loves us, that we would be never be swayed out of believing in our sanctification.  The beautiful thing is that He is still interceding on our behalf today.  Today, dear friends, He is praying for you.  He is praying that in the deepest part of your soul you will know He created you, He loves you, and He is for you.

Stand firm in the faith,

Rachel

I am a Speech-Language Pathologist, though I haven’t worked full-time since having the twins. I love being a Speech Path and I love the families that I have been able to touch and help. I love that I have heard children tell their parents “I Love You” for the very first time or witness a child take their very first bite of food when everyone has told their parents it was impossible.

Each of these families’ stories start in a very ordinary way.  They find out they are pregnant and at some point during the pregnancy or in the early development they find out their children are not “normal”.  They are different.  They are no longer the perfect child that their families have dreamed and prayed about.  These parents are told how their children will always be “different” and how they have disabilities that will make life difficult in the future.

I have seen these parents grieve the perfect children they could have had, but more often than not, I get to see precious angels that God has given these children in the form of their parents. The parents are strong, brave and brilliant. They are their child’s best advocate. They cheer when they hear the first sounds out of their child’s mouth and they cry tears of joy the first time they hear their child say “I uh u.” (I Love You.) It may not be perfect, but it means everything. They no longer look at their children and the disabilities they have, but they see what their children are able to do. Some will never speak, but the glint of ornery in their eyes when they manage to push the bowl off the table speaks for them. The silent tear that rolls down their cheek when they can’t do something that they want to do. These parents see how hard these kids work and are the first to tell everyone around them what their child is able to do now, not what they can’t do.

I had a precious woman in my life that when asked “if she would change anything about her child with Down Syndrome what would she change?” (Yes, someone actually asked her that question.) I will always remember her response.  She has three children and two are “normal”.  The mother first mentioned the oldest and gave a list of the things she would change, then did the same for the youngest child.  But when she came to the middle child, with Down Syndrome, she just smiled and said “she would not change one little thing about her.”  God had made that precious child perfect.  In fact, she, the mother was the one who had been changed and blessed the most from her child with Down Syndrome.  She instead named all of the her child’s abilities.  I have known her child since I was a little girl and she is kind, loves everyone, is fiercely loyal, and is always happy.

Many of us may wonder how this mother could feel like this, but I have seen it so many times.  I believe that this is what true, unconditional love looks like.  This is the love God has for each of us. We all have so many bad habits and flaws that when you look at us without the filter of love you can see all of our disabilities and short comings.  However, when God looks at us he can only see the things that we are able to do.  I know that when we stand in judgment, instead of God reading a list of all of our sins and flaws Jesus will stand and say “This is my sister, your daughter, and she is perfect.”

For you formed my inward parts;
you knitted me together in my mother’s womb. I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made.  Psalms 139:13-14

Be bold, Be brave, Be blessed!

Whitney

I believe that the most important way for us to grow in our relationship with God is to spend time with Him.  I also believe that there is a huge myth out there about not having enough time in the day.  Not enough time for family, family dinners, bible study, quiet time, or even church.  I often hear myself saying how busy or how rushed I am, but it isn’t because the day has grown shorter.  I have just filled my day up with “necessities.”  Now some of these “necessities” truly have to be done.  Like feeding and bathing my kids.  (For some reason all four of my littles think this eating thing just has to be done 3 times a day, everyday…kids!)  But other things that I have put into my life like Facebook, Candy Crush, or maybe my latest tv obsession may not be real necessities.  I know that those are easy things to remove from my life, but things like kids activities, sports, and maybe even prayer group or Bible study are harder to take out to ease my schedule.  There are times that we have to remove some of these things from our schedules, if we find that we no longer are able to spend quality time with our families and our Lord.

I keep thinking when the next season of my life comes I will have more time to spend with God and in His word.  Maybe it will happen when my kids are out of diapers, when they all sleep through the night, when they are all in school, or maybe when they all have graduated high school! But that next season comes and it still never seems like I have more time.

When we started this project, my schedule became crazy very quickly. I had to decide what things in my life were non-negotiable, like feeding my husband and my littles.  But my top priority was my time with God.  I want this project to be all about Him and if I want my life to reflect His Love and His Word then I have to be in His Word.  I have had to make changes in my day like waking up early or staying up late to study and to listen to what God was trying to teach me.

God has never changed.  He wants our love, our time, and a real relationship with us.  He is there waiting with His arms outstretched.  Jesus was the best example of how to have an amazing relationship with God, his father.  Mark 1:35 tells us that,”Very early in the morning, while it was still dark, Jesus got up, left the house and went off to a solitary place, where he prayed.”  It was a priority for Him to have a relationship with God and it must be ours as well.

It may mean that we put down our precious phones, delete that app that is consuming all of our time, turn off the tv, and turn our focus back to the God that has blessed us with so much.  I pray that this week we will turn towards God and away from all the world is offering us and make God a necessity. We have all the time we need if we keep our focus on the One who created it.

Be bold, Be brave, Be blessed

Whitney

Over the past year and a half I have been on a journey of spiritual and personal growth.  It seems I have been seeking wisdom constantly.  I have become a total sponge, gleaning anything and everything I could from heroes of the faith I have been blessed to be surrounded by.  Throughout this journey, the Lord has gently been nudging my heart to really pray about the significance of a Sabbath.  Along with God’s Word, I’ve read countless books on this journey of growth that have influenced me in some way or another to begin seeing this day of “rest” as a critical spiritual discipline not to regarded lightly.  This is very different that the the optional day I had made it out to be.  Previously, not working on anything that was for my job and intentionally scheduling time with my family was basically what my Sabbath was to me.  God has so sweetly been renewing my heart and my mind over this matter.

Through prayer, many mentors, and Scripture I have come to have a different view on the one commandment that we regard as optional.  In Deuteronomy 5:12-15 we see only one of many mentions of the Sabbath in Scripture.  “‘Observe the Sabbath day, to keep it holy, as the Lord your God commanded you. Six days you shall labor and do all your work, but the seventh day is a Sabbath to the Lord your God. On it you shall not do any work, you or your son or your daughter or your male servant or your female servant, or your ox or your donkey or any of your livestock, or the sojourner who is within your gates, that your male servant and your female servant may rest as well as you. You shall remember that you were a slave in the land of Egypt, and the Lord your God brought you out from there with a mighty hand and an outstretched arm. Therefore the Lord your God commanded you to keep the Sabbath day.”

God commanded the Israelites to remember everything that the Lord had done for them, as a spiritual discipline that would protect them from returning to slavery.  Reflecting on their story of their continual return to captivity, we tend to think we wouldn’t return to our sin just as easily, when we are all to familiar with forgetting the amazing things God has done for us as well.  When we don’t take time to remember what God has done for us, we sacrifice the potential God has for us because we begin to rely on our own strength.  I love what the apostle Mark writes in his Gospel, Mark 2:27: “And he said to them, “The Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath.”

Making the time for a Sabbath helps us be intentional about remembering what God has done for us in the past and meditating on what God might be asking us to do in the future.  Often the enemy deceives me into believing that rest is earned, but really it is freely GIVEN and even commanded by our Father, so that we may be fully in tune with what the Spirit is doing in our lives. This is extremely powerful for a follower of Jesus to tap into, and Satan is constantly trying to mask its importance in our lives.  The enemy does not want His people to be intentionally centering their days and lives around what God has done for them and what He can do through them for the Kingdom.  In his book Ordering Your Private World, Gordon MacDonald writes, “When we rest in the Biblical tense, we affirm our intentions to pursue a Christ centered tomorrow.”  It is one thing to say we want to live for Jesus, but actively engaging in spiritual disciplines like taking a Sabbath will be what bridges the gap between good intentions and real results in our spiritual growth.

Stand firm in the faith,

Rachel

Why is it so hard to observe a Sabbath and what are some ways you can envision overcoming those obstacles?

I was studying the story of the woman caught in adultery a few weeks ago, and there has been something about that part of Scripture that I just have not been able to shake. We find the whole account in John 8:2-11, but it is actually the very next verse that has maintained my attention.

Christ, who was teaching in the temple had just finished giving this woman, caught red handed in her sin, extraordinary grace.  He then told her that He doesn’t condemn her and to “Go and sin no more.” (vs. 11) With an audience captivated by what has transpired, the following verse is extremely significant.

John 8:12 says, “Again Jesus spoke to them, saying, ‘I am the light of the world.  Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.’ ”

Jesus takes a moment of darkness and transforms it to be a moment of freedom, the opportunity for new life.  Christ, in His moment of influence, intentionally chooses to teach us that if we choose to follow Him and truly believe that He is the Light of the world, we will have the light of life, never to walk blinded by darkness again.

This is a very powerful verse if we choose to believe it, and believe it not only with our head because it sounds good to us, but hold tight to it in our hearts. When there is a disconnect between what our head and our heart believe, there will be no evidence of that belief in our life.  It is only when our heart takes the fullness of the Gospel and claims it as truth, that we will have the ability to walk in the belief that we are loved by God and He has set us free.

Just like the woman caught in adultery, if we truly believe that Christ has come offering forgiveness and not only know it in our heads but claim it in our hearts, we are indeed free from the sin that chains us to a life of guilt and shame.  It is only when we claim this offer of grace deep in our hearts can we truly be set free from what held us in the darkness.  When we allow this gap, this disconnection of belief if you will, it allows Satan a foothold in our lives.  It gives him the space to cleverly make himself at home in our lives as he whispers to us, “You can’t truly be forgiven. You’ve let this sin become such a part of you that you will never be free.”

Dear friends, these are the whispers of darkness that are nothing but a footstool under the feet of our Savior.  They hold no power over you, no truth. John 8:32 tells us that if we know the truth, then the truth will set us free.  What is the truth?  The truth is the Gospel in its entirety.  Jesus came to die for our sins so that “if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.”  And if we are saved, beloved friends, we are indeed free.

What are some things God has set you free from after you believed not only with your head, but also your heart?

Stand firm in the faith,

Rachel

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I have had the pleasure of spending about 5 years of my life teaching preschool.  It was a blast.  It really was.  Some perks include getting to use words like “potty” and “tummy,” snack time, and a required afternoon nap.  Some down sides include boogers and temper tantrums.  I felt like the job was a fairly good fit.  But there were sometimes my coworkers and the children would look at me funny. This is because I have a tendency to randomly use big words. I am not sure why, but words like juxtaposition or myriad would pop out of my mouth during a conversation about fine motor skills or building blocks.  My random big words continue to pop out and today, I have a big word I am thinking about: soteriology.

So, biology is the study of life.  Theology is the study of God.  Psychology is the study of the mind.  Soteriology is the study of salvation.  It’s not only a big word; it’s a big topic.  Over centuries many theologians and preachers have published their thoughts on salvation.  The reason why it’s such a big topic is because it is so important to our faith in Christ.  But, to keep things simple (mainly because my brain hurts when I think too hard about such things) I am going to think about salvation just in respect to our relationship with God.

As I have mentioned before knowing Christ is not just knowing about Christ; it is to be in a relationship with Him.  Probably one of the most well known Bible verses is John 3:16.  It says, “for God loved the world so much that he gave his one and only son so that whoever believes in him will not perish but have eternal life.”  I want to zero in on the word “believes.”

To believe is defined in the dictionary as “to accept or regard as true.”  I think this is not only something we think, but it is an action.  Here’s a way I have heard it explained.  If you can, look at a chair in the room you are in.  Do you believe the chair will hold you up?  Yes?  Great.  Go sit in it.  Did it hold you up?  YAY!  This is the difference between thinking something is true and KNOWING something is true.  The action you take is the difference.  BELIEVING that Jesus died for you and took the consequence for your sins leads to the act of receiving this gift of salvation.  There is a difference between knowing about how God saves you and actively accepting it as true and communicating it to Him.  This is how a relationship with Jesus begins.  This is how we KNOW God.  We believe and sit down in the chair.  Our relationship with God has begun and now we can grow.

God, I pray that we do not merely understand what salvation is, but that we accept your gift. I ask that you stir inside of us a desire to do more than believe with our heads, but also with our heart, soul, and strength. Let the power of your death on the cross and resurrection from the dead lead us to action, to repentance, and to pursue your holiness in our own lives.

Amy

Have you had a “sit down in the chair” moment? Tell us about it in the comment section!