Why You Need to Keep the Lines of Communication Open

By: Jenifer Metzger

Did you know that Satan loves when we argue with our husbands? He loves it when the lines of communication with our husband are closed. He feeds off of those times when there is turmoil in our marriage.

Satan does not want to see your marriage last. He does not want to see your marriage happy. He does not want to see God in the center of your marriage.

"The thief (Satan) does not come except to kill, steal and to destroy..."

John 10:10

Satan comes to kill your marriage.

Satan comes to steal your marriage.

Satan comes to destroy your marriage.

Period.

Not only does Satan love it when you and your husband are in a disagreement or are not speaking to each other, but he also uses that time to tempt you. He whispers to you things like, "I bet her husband never treats her that way," "her husband is so attentive to her while your husband ignores you," "you'd be better off without him," "you are your own woman, don't take that from him." Satan loves whispering lies into your ears. He wants to draw you away from your husband.

Sisters, when those times of discord come in your marriage, don't let Satan win!  Don't let him whisper lies to you. Take the thoughts from satan captive and command that he leave you alone! You have that power in God to stomp Satan to the ground!

Go to your husband in love, use gentle and kind words. If the lines of communication are not open, try a kind gesture to show your husband how much you love him, then get to talking.

"Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love.

Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace."

Ephesians 4:2-3

Let's keep satan out of our marriages and let's keep the lines of communication wide open.

*a repost from 2012

Contentment...

by Elizabeth Stewart

The other morning, as I finished wiping off the kitchen countertop between my stove and refrigerator, I turned around and suddenly it was as if I was seeing my kitchen through different eyes! It was like I was looking at my kitchen through the eyes of a stranger who was seeing it for the first time and noticing how lovely and light filled it is.

This might make more sense to you if you know that we recently did a whole kitchen update on our 1990's era all oak kitchen. Because we had a specific budget limit, we did not change the footprint of the kitchen or get new cabinets. Instead, we had the cabinets painted and did other budget friendly updates to them such as adding new hardware to the doors and drawers and putting glass inserts in the upper cabinets.  I am completely pleased with how it turned out, but I know that if money was no object we could have done more.  Demo that breakfast bar and add a huge island!  How about one of those fabulous French stoves!  Why not add a custom built range hood!  Yet, I am so very pleased and so very grateful for my kitchen just the way it is.  I am absolutely content with the kitchen God has given me.

I am definitely not a stranger to discontentment, however.  I have experienced it in many different areas.

Discontentment with my physical appearance, for example.  Why can't I be one of those people that can eat whatever they want without gaining weight? (Comparing myself to everyone I know who seems to have that kind of miraculous metabolism.)

Discontentment about my relationships. I wish my husband or my children or my friends were more ____________. (Fill in the blank with whatever I'm currently noticing in someone else's family dynamics or friendships.)

OR, I wish our church was more ____________ . (Fill in the blank with whatever I am noticing or seeing online that seems to be making another ministry more dynamic or successful.)

OR,  I wish my house was more___________. (Fill in the blank with what I'm seeing on decor blogs, Instagram, Pinterest or HGTV.)

"Comparison is the thief of joy", Theodore Roosevelt once said.  It may not be in the Bible, but it is true nonetheless. We are constantly bombarded with the temptation to compare, especially now in our media saturated culture. Contentment is something I've had to work on through the years.  Maybe some of the things that have helped me to learn to be more content will help you as well.

1)  Watch what you are watching.  When we bought our new to us home two years ago, we had a budget that we were not willing to exceed.  When we were "house shopping" and stepped into our current home, though much of the decor was stuck in the 1990's, the bones were great and it was full of wonderful natural light.  I knew we could, over time, update things in the house. So, once we put an offer on this home I turned off all of the real estate updates that had been coming to my email.  I made a choice to be content with our choice and to not look at what might have beens.  That is the same reason I don't go to Street of Dreams type home shows.  While those things may not be a stumbling block for you, for me it doesn't set well with my spirit to look at million dollar homes that I could never afford, built with every fabulous feature a person could imagine. Similarly, if my HGTV, Pinterest, or other social media viewing begins to stir up discontentment within me, then I know it's time to turn it off.

2)  Keep a gratitude journal.  I've been keeping a gratitude journal since 2009.  Every day I try to list at least three things that I am grateful for-at least three blessings that I've noticed in my life that day.  Truly, this simple exercise has done a total rewrite of my mindset.  I clearly see God's faithfulness in my life, whether times are great or times are hard.  I now know, because of my journals filled with the evidence, that my life is blessed and that my God is always faithful to meet all of my needs and that He truly does care about the desires of my heart.

3)  If you must compare, do so from an attitude of abundance, not lack.  I grew up in a family of seven children.  My dad worked at a local paper mill.  My best friend down the street was one of three children.  Her father was a business owner.  When I played at her house, I noticed how poor we were.  My father's brother and his wife had seventeen children. (Yes, seventeen!)  They were extremely poor.  When I would go to their house, I noticed how rich we were in comparison to them.
Do you see what I mean?  We can always compare our lot to someone who is better off than us, which leaves us with a sense of lack.  Or we can realized how blessed we are compared to most of the world, which helps us to see how truly blessed we are.

4)  Feed your mind on the truth.  Especially in the areas of discontentment about my appearance, personality traits, talents, or the gifts and callings of God in my life, feeding myself on what God's Word says about me instead of comparing myself to others has been a huge key to my contentment.  It has helped me to focus on being the best me I can be, instead of trying to make myself more like someone else.  I once heard that God's anointing can only be on the real you.  In other words, God will never put His stamp of approval on or bless my efforts to be a copy cat of someone else.  Yes, the apostle Paul taught us that we are to imitate the good character and conduct of those who are following Christ, but that is a totally different thing that trying to morph my appearance, personality or mannerisms to be more like another person.  God created me unique. He delights in my uniqueness.  It would crush my heart if one of my three daughters was always trying to be like one of her sisters.  I want my girls to embrace who they are in Christ, to be all He created them to be, not to try to be like someone else.  In the same way, it must hurt the heart of God when we don't embrace the way He made us.  We are greatly loved by our Creator, and should love and accept ourselves as His fearfully and wonderfully made creation.

While I still struggle with discontentment at times, it has become more and more infrequent, by God's grace. If that can happen for me, I know it can for you, too!

still following,

www.justfollowingjesus.com

Faith as Small as A Mustard Seed

By:

Emily Miller

We have all heard the concept before, but have we ever truly grasped it?

I don't know about you, but sometimes really trusting that God will do what is best for me can be next to impossible at times.

Yet, this scripture tells us a different story:

 He replied, “Because you have so little faith. Truly I tell you, if you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you.”

-Matthew 17:20

All we need is to have faith as small as the tiny mustard seeds pictured in the photo above, and we then have the ability to move mountains in our lives of all the problems we are facing.

Be strong and courageous! Start beating the devil back and grasp that tiny seed of faith that will be needed in order for you to begin moving the mountains in your life!

Blessings-

Emily

Thrive, not just Survive!

4 Ways to Thrive not just Survive

By: Victoria Duerstock

God does not intend for us to only survive the rigors of this life. In the course of life, certain seasons carry more burdens than others, but I believe that God’s desire is for us to thrive through each of the seasons. Scripture reminds us in many different verses – but here are three passages to consider:

o   John 10:10 tells us in Christ’s own words that he came for us to have life “more abundantly.”

o   David describes it in Psalms 23 as an “overflowing cup.”

o   John 15:11  These things I have spoken to you, that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be full.

This is much easier said than done though. It’s difficult to think of thriving for instance when you are busy:

·      Picking up the dirty laundry off the floor for the hundredth time that day

·      Changing that dirty diaper again when you just got cleaned up from the last one

·      Preparing one more meal in a day (especially if you homeschool – right mamas?)

·      Feeling and sharing the intense pain of rejection and heartache from our teenagers as they navigate the path to adulthood.

·      Dealing with the threat of loss of financial stability, health, jobs, and much more.

As I considered what I wanted to share with you all this week, I kept seeing in my mind’s eye a visual of a woman spinning many plates. Of course I took off in search of just the right picture to go along with this, and three hours google searching later, no picture that was “free” of royalty demands. Just kidding who has three hours to look for a picture? I did find this woman running in two different directions which really is a great visual too.

Anyway, maybe you can imagine what I mean for a moment. We all have burdens, demands, needs, wants etc. that pull on us from every direction. Living a life marked with fullness of joy (John 15:11) seems a bit of a stretch some days, weeks or even years. 

So how in the world do we “spin our plates” with joy?

1.     Recognize that without Him we can do nothing. 

I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing.

John 15:5

As a matter of fact, I’ll take it a step further, I believe that when we do try to attempt to do things without the Holy Spirit’s power in our lives, without relying on the help our all powerful God, we will most certainly fail. As a type A, go getter, goal setter, this is perhaps one of the most difficult things for me to do. I can easily become unbalanced here. When I’m not living in full dependence, my plates don’t spin well at all, and they come crashing down when I’m least prepared for it.

2.     Cultivate the attitude of gratefulness. 

Continue steadfastly in prayer, being watchful in it with thanksgiving.

Colossians 4:2 

If we desire to be joyful, we have to train our minds to recognize that all that we DO have has been given to us.  It doesn’t come very naturally to us to be grateful. Truthfully, grumbling and complaining is much easier and doesn’t take a lot of intent. It just happens. But if we are longing to thrive as moms, grandmas, teenagers, young adults, singles, married, etc. we MUST be intentional to develop the thought process of being grateful.

3.     Don’t live in isolation from others. 

We were created to be in community with one another.  Some days you will be the encourager, and some days you will be encouraged.  Seek out friendships that bring you closer to God and to help bear your burdens.  Perhaps my very favorite story of friendship in the Bible is of Jonathan and David.  The Bible says that God knit their hearts together. 

As soon as he had finished speaking to Saul, the soul of Jonathan was knit to the soul of David,

and Jonathan loved him as his own soul.

I Sam 18:1

We can thrive with the encouragement of others at our backs, our sides and sometimes in front of us along our way as we learn and grow together.

4.     Fill your mind with the things of the Lord, versus the things of this world.

Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things arepure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things.

Phil. 4:8 

While all entertainment and fun is not bad for us, it can be treacherous ground.  If we so fill our minds with entertainment, fun and pleasure, we will have no room left to fill up on the things God tells us to think on in Phil 4:8 Sometimes the enemy of the best is the myriad of options that are good.

While this list is certain not completely conclusive, it’s a great start to seeking to thrive during this season of your life.  I am guilty many days of thinking about what the next season will be like.  When the kids are grown I will do such and such.  And yet I’ve done that every season – putting off something for the future is a surefire way to live defeated and a life that leaves much to be desired.  Thrive now, don’t just survive.  With this mentality our spinning plates don’t go away, but they can be much prettier and maybe, dare I say it, even enjoyable.

*originally posted March, 2017

Freedom from...

by Debi Baker

"12 Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body so that you obey its evil desires."

Romans 6:12 NIV

I've been doing some thinking lately...and if you know me, you know that that could be dangerous!  But seriously, this verse has been speaking to me; especially concerning any unconfessed sin that might be lurking in the dark recesses of my heart!

Photo Credit

God sees our entire heart including the parts we want to hide from Him.  He even sees those parts of our heart that we think we've turned over to Him.  Perhaps we've just forgotten about that little corner of our heart or it's something we really want to hold on to.  It's that little 'thing' that nags at us over and over.  It's that little thing that causes us to stumble and fall.  And each time we ask for repentance.  And if you're like me, you wonder how Jesus can continue to forgive you when you fail time and again!

Listen, Jesus will never stop forgiving us.  When we fall, He sees how we are tormented.  He knows we want to be free from this struggle [whatever it is].  God has enough grace to cover our failures...every time!  Now, that's not a license to just go out and sin and sin and sin.  If we truly want to be free from this bondage [again, whatever it is], He knows.  It's by His grace that we can be free!!  He also knows if we are just giving lip service in our prayers saying we want to be free and really just want to hide it from Him.  

The author of a devotional I did recently said this, "I was part of this group for many years because of a specific addiction.  I became addicted several years before coming to Christ and even after getting married and working in ministry, I could not get free.  I once had one of the most well-respected ministers in America lay hands on me and pray for me to be delivered from my addiction.  None of it worked.  

My freedom didn’t come until I changed my priorities.  In the beginning, I wanted God to set me free because I was worried my sin would get in the way of my ministry.  But then my heart shifted, and I began to focus on how my decisions were affecting my intimacy with Jesus. I started caring about how my sin affected God." 

I believe the key to deliverance is in that second paragraph (I made it bold because it's so powerful!).  Freedom from the bondages of sin will only come when we decide that our relationship with Christ is more important than the sin.  We simply cannot have a genuine relationship with Jesus if we're sinning.  Sin affects our relationship...not only with God but with everyone!!!

Have a wonderful day!!

The Fruits of the Spirit

By: Shari A. Miller

The young mother looks down at her precious child, who she just delivered, after 23 hours of hard labor. The sweet young boy, wrapped in blankets of blue, looks up at his mom with one eye open, and one eye shut, mesmerized by the sound of her voice.

What a wonder gift from God. The precious wee one, a clean slate, ready to grow and mature, and take on a life of his own as time passes by. For better or for worse, mistakes and successes alike will shape who he is and what he will become.

More often than not we can tell who a person is by the character traits he or she displays. Life molds us by what we've been through, and who and what we've come into contact with.

Our Christian walk is the same way.

When we first become believers in Christ, we are just like new born babes. We have so much to learn and so much growth that needs to take place if we are to show that we are indeed followers of Christ.

One of the main ways that the world can tell whether we are followers of Christ is, by the fruits that are produced in our lives.

In God's Word He states that the fruits of the Spirit are as follows,

 "But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law."

- Galatians 5:22-23 (NIV)

I have felt the Lord challenging me and pushing me lately to grow in Him. To let other's see His work alive and well in me. However that takes time, faith and trust, to put aside all selfish ambitions, and to put His will and ways first. 

I want others to see that there is something different about me, I want them to see that I've spent time in the Father's presence and because of that, love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control are evident in my spirit. When we release all control, and die to self, a beautiful thing happens......we become who Christ meant us to be. That blank slate that we started with becomes a picture of Christ showing love to all we come into contact with. No, Christ does not expect perfection from us, however He does expect us to keep moving forward, to keep trying in His strength so that His light may shine bright for all the world to see.

Won't you join me friends, join me as we wake up daily seeking His presence, spending time with the Lord of all, as we face each day with a fresh and renewed energy, so that we may exhibit the fruits of the Spirit and find freedom in being who we were really meant to be.

It is time for the Woman to Woman Word Filled Wednesday Link Up. We desire to connect women of God with one another and encourage each other in Christ. So grab a cup of coffee or glass of sweet tea, sit back and visit a few blogs. Be encouraged and share your own stories in their comments.

Use hashtag #w2wwordfilledwednesday

Three rules to this link up:
1. Must be a {Christian} faith post.
2. Link back to W2W somewhere in your post. (Feel free to use our button if you want!)
3. Visit and comment on at least one other blog in the link up.

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The Power of the Tongue

By: Melissa Baker

So much can be said by what we allow to roll off of our tongue. The tongue is a powerful thing. It can be a weapon of destruction or a tool to encourage and help others. What you decide to use it for is entirely up to you. I have so much to say about this, and so many scriptures that apply to our use of the tongue and what we speak. Believe it or not, there is a time to speak and also a time to be silent (Ecclesiastes 3:7). We will be talking about both instances today. Lets dig in and see what the Bible says about the use of our tongue.

First let's talk about what SHOULD come out of our mouth. Colossians 4:6 says "Let your conversation be always full of grace, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to answer everyone." Proverbs  31:26 says "she speaks with wisdom, and faithful instruction is on her tongue." We should always try to be graceful and helpful in everything we say.  My parents taught me growing up that if I didn't have anything nice to say, that I shouldn't say anything at all. And that is so true! In Proverbs 18:21, it tells us that "the tongue has the power of life and death, and those who love it will eat it's fruit." Words are so powerful. That old saying, sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me... well, I think that is completely false! Words cut deep. If you are told as a child that you are stupid, chances are, you are going to grow up thinking that you're stupid, even if that is completely not the case. Proverbs 13:3 says that "we should guard our lips and if we speak rashly we will come to ruin." Toby Mac has a song that I am sure most of us have heard, but it's called "Speak Life". It encourages listeners to speak life into bad situations. Be the positive in this extremely negative world. Be an encourager and show the light of Jesus where there seems to be no light in sight.

Now let's talk about what should NOT come out of our mouths. Ephesians 4:29 states "Don't use foul or abusive language. Let everything you say be good and helpful, so that your words will be an encouragement to those who hear them." In James 3:10, it is made clear that "out of the same mouth comes praise and cursing. My brothers and sisters, this should NOT be." So many times, what we claim to be (christians) and the way we live, does not reflect or match what comes out of our mouth. As christians, we need to think about what we say before we say it, as it can ruin our witness to those who are watching and listening to us. Jesus states in Matthew 15:11 that "what goes into someone's mouth does not defile them, but what comes out of their mouth, that is what defiles them." We are also told in Proverbs 21:23 to "watch your tongue and keep your mouth shut, and you will stay out of trouble." That is an easy concept. We are supposed to watch what we say and not use foul language. Pretty simple, right? For some people, it's not so simple. Our anger can sometimes get the best of us. Our urge to gossip unfortunately can overtake our mouth. Our desire to change or help someone might actually come out as condemning them.

Matthew 12:34 tells us that the mouth speaks what the heart is full of. If your heart is full of junk, it will eventually come out of your mouth, exposing the contents of your heart. Each and every one of us will have to give an account for every word we speak (Matthew 12:36). That thought alone should scare the majority of us. It's time as christians, that we take control over our tongue and the words that we speak. Weather you are talking to your child or a perfect stranger, our words should be positive and encouraging, so we can show the love of God. So I encourage you, let's speak life today, and let's be aware of what is coming out of our mouth. Words DO matter!

Have a blessed day!

Giving Grace

By: Jenifer Metzger

I want you to picture this.

Your husband asked you to do a couple of things for him today while he was at work. He asked you to make a phone call, drop his clothes at the cleaners on the way to Junior's school, and drop some bills in the mailbox. He gets home from work and asks if you got those things done. You smack your forehead realizing that you completely forgot to do any of it. You apologize, explaining that your day was full and it slipped your mind, but you will be sure to get it done tomorrow.

Your husband will have one of two reactions. He will get upset that you forgot his things and there could be some strife the rest of the night. Or, he could tell you he understands, offer to take care of one of the things tonight and thank you for adding the other two things to your plans tomorrow. I don't even have to ask which reaction you prefer. Of course we wouldn't want our husband to become upset and for there to be disagreement. We would want his grace.

Now picture this.

You are heading out to Bible study with your friends and ask your husband to please throw in a load of laundry, take the trash out and bath the baby. You come home from Bible study and see that none of what you asked had been done. Your husband apologizes explaining that he forgot or was busy with something else but he'll help you get those things done now.

You will have one of two reactions. You will become upset and huff and puff all night, complain that you have to do it all and give him the silent treatment in the bedroom. Or, you can tell your husband that you understand and you would appreciate his help now. If I asked you out of ten times, how many times do you respond in the second way, what would you say? Could you easily say that more often than not you extend grace? Or do you react the first way more often?

We want our husbands to give us grace. We want them to quickly accept our apology. But how often do we extend grace? How often do we accept their apology the first time it is given? You may think your husband doesn’t deserve grace. And you would be right. He doesn't. But friend, hear me now, none of us deserve grace. Not even you. The Bible tells us in Romans that none of us deserve grace nor could we ever earn grace.

Now if by grace, then it is not by works; otherwise grace ceases to be grace.

Romans 11:6

The Bible also tells us that we were given grace. Not because we deserve it or earned it, but we were given grace because of the measure of Christ's gift.

Now grace was given to each one of us according to the measure of Christ’s gift.

Ephesians 4:7

Jesus extends grace to us continually, even when we are at our worst. If Jesus extends grace to us, even at our worst, how can we not extend grace to our husband? Practice offering grace.

He Himself is our peace...

by Elizabeth Stewart

The trees were beautifully adorned in their golden autumn colors as my husband and I were driving home yesterday afternoon.  I wanted to capture the beauty in a quick phone photo through the windshield, but the phone focused more on the raindrops than the trees.

The background of the verse seen in the photo above and found in Ephesians chapter two is the enmity between the Jewish believers and the Gentile believers.  The Jewish believers were having a hard time accepting the fact that those "uncircumcised Gentiles" had the same access to salvation through Jesus Christ that they did.  Paul goes on to explain that Christ Himself is our peace and has abolished the enmity between the two and has made us into one body in Him. Paul was trying to shift their focus off of the raindrops, their differences, and onto the beauty of God's plan, that all those who accept salvation through Christ, whether Jew or Gentile, are part of Christ's body.

It's so very easy to focus on the raindrops in our life, isn't it?  I read or watch the news and my focus becomes on how messed up our world is, blinding me to the fact that God and His people are up to some incredible things in the the midst of the mess.  My husband makes me coffee, and I notice that he didn't wipe up the small spill he made on the countertop causing me to I lose my focus on what a blessing he is.  A problem in our body of believers can get my focus off of the blessing of the recent influx of new believers we are currently discipling.  The examples might be different for you.  Perhaps your focus is on how hard it is to get anything done around the house with little ones constantly demanding your attention and making messes and it's blinding you to the beauty and blessings found in this stage of your life.  Perhaps, not of your own choosing, you are single, divorced, or widowed and the pain of your situation is making it difficult for you to see God's faithfulness, presence and provision in the middle of your pain.  There are as many different examples as there are people.  The "raindrops" we are focused on could be anything. Some of you may even  be thinking, my focus isn't on a few raindrops, I'm in the middle of a category five hurricane force storm in my life!  The disciples were in the same boat, literally!  They were in such a bad storm that they feared for their lives. They were so focused on the storm that they lost sight of the fact that the Master of the Universe was on the boat with them! When the disciples awakened Jesus, (Who was at perfect peace in spite of the stormy weather and was taking a nap!), He rebuked the storm and it immediately ceased.

While it would be wonderful if Jesus would cause every storm we face to cease, our peace is not found in having a storm free existence.  Our peace is only found in the source of peace Himself,  Jesus Christ.  Life will always steer us in the direction of focusing on the raindrops, on whatever it is that is currently annoying us, worrying us, or even devastating us. The enemy loves to accentuate whatever we are facing, and completely blind us to anything but our difficult circumstances.  Peace comes when we can focus on the Prince of Peace instead of the storm.  In every storm we face, He does not forsake us, He's in it with us. The next step is to move past just focusing on Him, to hiding in Him.  We need to move into, abide and dwell in the Refuge and Stronghold that is Jesus Christ. We need to actually learn to live in the One Who is our Peace and to live in the peace that He promises and provides.  

 "Peace I leave with you; My [own] peace I now give and bequeath to you. 

Not as the world gives do I give to you. 

Do not let your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid. 

[Stop allowing yourselves to be agitated and disturbed;

 and do not permit yourselves to be fearful and intimidated and cowardly and unsettled.]"

John 14:27 Amplified Bible, Classic Edition

still following,

www.justfollowingjesus.com

Cry to Jesus

By:

Emily Miller

I would like to take today to just remind you that Jesus knows how deeply you may be suffering right now at this moment.

Cry out to Jesus in your pain. No matter how bad things may be, Jesus will comfort you and allow you to rest in the comfort of His wings.

Psalm 91:4-6

He will cover you with his feathers. He will shelter you with his wings. His faithful promises are your armor and protection. Do not be afraid of the terrors of the night, nor the arrow that flies in the day. Do not dread the disease that stalks in darkness, nor the disaster that strikes at midday.

Blessings,

Emily

Positive Mindset for Moms

by Victoria Duerstock

Abraham Lincoln said, “A man is about as happy as he makes up his mind to be.” 

The Bible puts it this way: 

For as he thinketh in his heart, so is he. Proverbs 23:7

Phillippians 4:8

Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable--if anything is excellent or praiseworthy--think about such things.

Numerous admonitions in Scripture to watch how we think, famous quotes to back up these same words and more should cause us to take note. 

When we pay close attention to how we are thinking, we can live intentionally with the Joy that the Lord intended for us.  If instead of grumbling and complaining as opportunities inevitably occur, choosing instead to look for opportunities to be thankful or even just look on the bright side can alter the rest of our day.  

You know what I mean right? Choosing to always seek to glorify God in our lives as women and as moms is not always the first choice.  Let's face it, it's frankly easier to want a better life, sweet children, less work and a clean home.  But the Bible calls us to capture our stray thoughts and intentionally decide to choose to look on the bright side. Because the reality of our situation is that because of Christ, nothing that happens in our day is out of His purview or control.  

Many times in the midst of a difficult circumstance, I have to choose to laugh and think about the ways things could be worse.  Then I have an easier time choosing thankfulness.

How about you?  What do you do when it would be easier to complain? How do you choose to take every thought captive? I'd love to hear from you! Leave a comment below and tell me how you seek to obey this principle of Scripture.

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He is Deserving

by Debi Baker

"Enter into His gates with thanksgiving,

And into His courts with praise.

Be thankful to Him, and bless His name.

5 

For the Lord is good;

His mercy is everlasting,

And His truth endures to all generations."

Psalm 100:4-5 NKJV

I woke up this morning with this passage on my heart.  It matters not if God blesses me or if I believe He will or not.  All that matters is that He deserves my thanks and praise.  All that matters is that He is good and His mercy covers a multitude.  All that matters is that His truth will forever be...truth.

God is a good God.  He is a God of second chances, third chances, tenth chances.  He wants us to worship and serve Him.  He created us with a free will knowing that we would mess up and need forgiveness and restoration.  He desires the best for us and we always seem to shortchange Him with our lackluster admiration.

I pray that God knows my heart...and I know He does.  I know He knows I desire to be the best me I can be so that I can serve Him and His Creation!  He forgives me when I mess up.  I think He must roll His eyes at some of my shenanigans but He still forgives me because He knows my desire is to please Him.

Yes, I will enter into His gates with thanksgiving, and into His courts with praise.  I will be thankful to Him and bless His name.  Thank you, Lord, because You are good and You extend Your everlasting mercy to me.  Thank you, God, that Your truth never ceases to be truth!

Have a blessed day! 

The Rest We Need

By: Melissa Baker

Rest. We all need it, yet it seems like we never do it. We are all so busy, going nonstop that we forget to rest. We have work, church, school, our kids sports, extra curricular activities, etc. All of that can wear us down very easily, especially if we don't learn to balance everything. This world is chaotic enough without us making it more complicated with our schedules and to-do lists. A lady by the name of Alli Worthington once said "We have to start breaking busy before the busy breaks us." Isn't that the truth! If we don't learn how to rest and take a breather, we will never accomplish anything other than being busy. We need to take a break. We need to rest!

There are several different types of rest. Spiritual rest, physical rest and mental rest. Jesus modeled all of these types of rest. YES, even Jesus needed rest! So if Jesus needed rest, don't you think we need to rest too? First, Jesus modeled spiritual rest. He took time to be alone with God. In Mark 1:35, it says "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." He knew this was extremely important because He needed to hear God's voice. He needed to rest in God's presence. If you make time to pray and rest in God every day, you will be renewed and refreshed.

Jesus also modeled physical rest. He fell asleep on the boat with the disciples in the middle of a storm. Mark 4:38 says " Jesus was in the stern, sleeping on a cushion. The disciples woke him and said to him , "Teacher, don't you care if we drown?" Even when others were desperately needing his help, Jesus was willing to take a nap and get physical rest. He knew the importance of physical rest. If we don't get the proper rest our bodies need, we are irritable, grouchy and our bodies suffer. We are supposed to take care of the bodies that God has given us.

Lastly, Jesus modeled mental rest. He was not afraid to step away from the crowds. He was willing to go to the other side on a boat, away from everyone who so desperately needed Him. Jesus was clear on what God was calling Him to do, so the needs and desires of others didn't distract Him from the mental rest He needed. Lets remove ourselves from the busyness and chaos and mentally rest.
God doesn't want us to be constantly exhausted and overwhelmed. How can we accomplish all that God is calling us to do if we cannot physically or emotionally function. We cannot function properly unless we have all the required rest our body needs. We need spiritual rest (time with God), we need physical rest (our bodies literally still) and we also need mental rest (time away from the chaos). God wants us to slow down and use our gifts and talents without the worrying or the busyness. We need to fully rest in God. When we do this, our bodies will be energized and our minds will be clear and open to what God wants us to do.  So today, be sure to get all the rest your mind and body is begging you for. Only then will be at your best. And that is what God wants from us, our very best!

"Come to me, all who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light."

Matthew 11:28-30

Have a great day!

Love That Lasts

By: Jenifer Metzger

I love marriage resources and today I am thrilled to share a brand new resource, Love That Lasts, with you.

Jefferson and Alyssa Bethke have a passion for helping people have a God centered marriage that lasts. And they've written a book together with that exact name. Love That Lasts is a journey through Jeff and Alyssa's life and marriage as they discover God's way for love, dating, marriage and sex. Jeff shares from his own "Prodigal Son" past with an early porn addiction and other struggles and Alyssa shares from her "True Love Waits" experiences having never even held hands until dating Jeff. They openly share their unique backgrounds and their coming together as one.

The Bethke's explore the topics of dating, love, addictions, marriage, sex and more. They teach us to discover God's way for marriage. And they remind us that "We are setting ourselves up for failure if our significant others are everything to us."

Whether you are single, in a dating relationship or married, this book is a resource you will want. Pick up your copy of Love That Lasts today.

*Disclosure: I received this product in exchange for my honest opinion. All opinions are my own. Links on this page may be affiliate links. Thank you for supporting this ministry by using the affiliate links.

God's extended arm...

by Elizabeth Stewart

In Michelangelo's famous painting found on the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel, Creation of Adam, God is depicted with an outstretched arm reaching toward the hand of Adam.  The truth is that God has never stopped reaching out towards mankind with His great love and grace.  So great was the desire of His heart to reach out to us, to pull us out of the pit of sin, despair and bondage from which we could not escape on our own, that He sent His Beloved Only Son to rescue us.  The salvation He gives us is not earned or deserved, it is not a reward for any thing we have done, it is a pure unmerited gift.  It's grace. It's favor.  It's God's great heart ever reaching out, ever inclined, toward His creation, toward you and I.  All we have to do is believe, reach up, and receive His ever extended arm-receive the gracious gift of His great grace and salvation.

You may be thinking, why I did that years ago!  But, sometimes we can forget, or even take for granted, the lavish gift of God's grace, unearned favor, and salvation.  We can live unaware of the amazing truth that God's heart is still lovingly inclined toward us every moment of every day. His eye is continuously, watchfully on us.  His ear is always and eagerly tuned for the sound of our voice.  We have a Father whose arm is always extended toward us, always ready to pick us up when we fall, to lift us up, to help us. All we have to do is believe, reach up, and receive His ever extended arm.  The same arm that reached down to save you, reaches down to help you, to rescue you, to guide you, and to keep you. Every day.  Always and Forever.

still following,

www.justfollowingjesus.com