How Does God Guide Us?

I didn't have a volunteer to write this week's blog. Certainly, God has guided me and I could offer my own story. My mind began organizing my thoughts to do just that. But when I sat down to type out those words I thought of all the stories I heard from so many. Actually, many stories were repeated, the details just a little different.

Then this thought popped in my head, "give those stories a voice." I haven't asked anyone's permission, but I feel like these stories are so prevalent that they could belong to anyone and everyone.

Scripture: Sometimes it just POPS off the page. Sometimes it leads me to thinking about something I wouldn't have otherwise been led to think about. Sometimes a verse "randomly" crosses my path in unexpected or unplanned places that fit the state of my heart or circumstances perfectly.

The Holy Spirit: Sometimes a thought, idea, or feeling comes to me that is quite different than what I had been thinking or feeling. Sometimes I feel like I'm supposed to do or say something that seems random and unlike me, specifically to encourage, help or build up someone else. Sometimes I hear a song that fits the state of my heart or circumstances perfectly.

Wise Counsel: Sometimes someone randomly shares or speaks scripture or an encouraging and helpful word. Sometimes processing with someone who is also trying to follow Jesus provides perspective.

Circumstances: Sometimes the way seems to be prepared for me. Sometimes the way seems to be blocked. Sometimes when experiencing difficulty or in a long season of waiting I've been put in places where I'm prompted to remember all God has already done for me.


We can be confident God is always guiding us.

The Lord says, "I will guide you along the best pathway for your life. I will advise you and watch over you." Psalm 32:8 

God's guidance will always:

• be in line with the Bible
• be loving
• be strengthening, encouraging and comforting
• bring the peace of God

Currently, this song seems to speak to me.





Blessings,
Nanette Haskin

At-Home Study

Pray: ask God to reveal Himself to you through the scriptures, to help you receive the message He has specifically for you today.

Read: each passage twice in 2-3 different translations.


{Day 1} John 10:1-18

{Day 2} Acts 12:6-17

{Day 3} Acts 16:6-10

{Day 4} John 14:15-31

{Day 5} Acts 2:1-47



Observe: What is happening? What catches your attention? What is the message of this passage?What thoughts or feelings does it provoke?

Reflect: Why do these things catch your attention? Why do you feel or think certain things from reading it?

Apply: What does this say about God? What does it say about people? What does it say about God's plan for us? What does this mean for you? How can you apply what God is saying to you?

Why & How Should I Read The Bible

It was June of 2010. I was a brand new mommy to my son Quinn. He was colicky. Breastfeeding was a disaster, but I was determined to keep trying. He did not sleep. The truth about this period of my life is that I was miserable. My dreams and lofty expectations of a sweet and warm transition to a family of 3 were totally shattered. I remember feeling resentment towards the moms around me…the ones who had newborns that slept and didn’t have a ‘difficult temperament’ as the doctor observed about my son. I felt resentment towards my husband as he left for work each morning while I looked at the day ahead with an honest ‘how AM I going to make it?’ I was deep into a place of self-pity and asking God, why?? I thought I was going to be a wonderful mommy. I had read all the books, I had babysat many children in my life, I had taken all the classes, I had known I wanted to be a mommy my whole life! But here I was, a very tired, stressed mommy who thought her baby hated her, and I wasn’t doing this well. It was one of the darkest times in my life. 

Then, when my son was 4 months old, God broke in and told me to get to work. My amazing mother in law offered to take me through a bible study, and I said yes. A very intense, women’s study specifically about suffering, where I would memorize a new passage of scripture every week for 15 weeks. Now, before all this, I would have told you that I was a strong believer in Jesus. It wasn’t until this difficult period of motherhood that I learned how shallow my faith really had been. This was when I fell in love with God’s word, and it changed me forever. I was in His word, meditating on it, every single day for 15 weeks. 

The first verse I memorized was ‘I delight in your decrees; I will not neglect your word’ (Psalm 119:16). 

Through this period of time, I learned to truly ‘delight’ in the life-giving laws and words of God. I learned to make His words my own. I could see that His promises in the Bible were actually for me.

 I would go into my son’s room in those dark hours of the night repeating scripture to myself such as ‘God is my refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble. Therefore, I will not fear’ (Psalm 46:1,2).

 I would use the countless night wakings to review the verses in my head, solidifying their place in my heart. God helped me to persevere through this rough season. I understood His sovereignty in a new way. I understood that He had me in this hard time for a purpose; He could have taken it away, but He didn’t. 

I called to mind that ‘in all things God works for the good of those who love Him’ (Romans 8:28) and that I was given a challenging baby for my ultimate good (even though I couldn’t see it at the time).

 I worked hard to reprogram my old tendencies towards self-pity to trusting that God was weaving all of these experiences into a grander plan for my life, beyond my dreams of having a happy baby. His words were truly a light that broke into my darkness, my blindness.

Now, I can’t say that motherhood was a breeze from then on. After all, difficult babies sometimes grow up to also be difficult children. I have made many mistakes, and there have been many times that I’ve chosen to trust my own understanding, instead of God’s beautiful redemptive plan for my life. But I can say that I will always have His words hidden in my heart. I can call them to mind no matter where I am or what I am doing. When I am sleepless at 4am, when someone has hurt me deeply, when a friend needs encouragement, or when I am looking out at an incredible sunset that He has made. They are there in my heart. They give me life. If you’ve never given scripture memory a chance, I strongly encourage you to try it.

 If you haven’t read the Bible, there is no time like the present. You will not regret it. It will cut you to the core in the most tender of ways. It will change you. That’s what it was designed to do. 

‘For the word of God is alive and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart’ (Hebrews 4:12).

Blessings,

Kristi Brooks

At-Home Study

Pray: ask God to reveal Himself to you through the scriptures, to help you receive the message He has specifically for you today.

Read: each passage twice in 2-3 different translations.


{Day 1} 2 Timothy 3:10-17

{Day 2} Proverbs 4:20-23

{Day 3} Matthew 7:24-29

{Day 4} John 15:1-11

{Day 5} James 1:19-25



Observe: What is happening? What catches your attention? What is the message of this passage?What thoughts or feelings does it provoke?

Reflect: Why do these things catch your attention? Why do you feel or think certain things from reading it?

Apply: What does this say about God? What does it say about people? What does it say about God's plan for us? What does this mean for you? How can you apply what God is saying to you?

Why & How Do I Pray?

I worry. I worry a lot. You could probably say that I am the dictionary definition of a worry wart (whatever that really means). I thought I worried a lot before…then I became a mom. Oh. Boy. Luckily for my kids, my husband is level headed.

I once was told that worrying is not a thing from God, but rather trickery and mind-play from Satan himself.

Realizing that worrying is a sin was mindblowing to me. I mean if I really think about it I probably knew it was a sin. But much like white lies, occasional gossiping and speeding through yellow lights, I just brushed it off like it was no big deal.

Then God sent me the ultimate test in worry – he made me a heart mom. My son Connor was born with a Congenital Heart Defect. At 20 weeks gestation we knew he had something wrong but even after countless ultrasounds and monitoring we really wouldn’t know what we were facing until he was born.

This is when the prayer warrior inside of me really came to life. I always knew praying was good and I did try to do so every night (if I didn’t fall asleep first…oops) but when you are faced with something this big I knew I had no choice but to turn to God.

Philippians 4:6-7 says ‘ Don’t worry about anything; instead pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank Him for all He has done. Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand’. This verse became my mantra and I called to my prayer warriors to help.’

July 29th our little man arrived and was the most precious thing I had ever seen. And much like all new moms you anticipate holding your baby right away and getting to know him. That was not my experience. Connor was immediately taken to the NICU to be monitored and before I even had a chance to hold him, was being whisked away to Children’s Mercy for close monitoring leaving me alone, baby-less and quite full of worry.

Connor was diagnosed with hypoplastic aortic arch, which is just a fancy way to say  that the blood wasn’t flowing through his arch correctly. After many days of getting to know our baby, the doctors decided he would indeed need surgery. At 9 days old my husband and I handed our tiny baby over to a surgeon to fix his broken heart. It was truly up to God now.

Why do I pray? I pray because I know it works. When I asked all my friends and family and their friends and family to pray for Connor - those hundreds of prayers were heard and filled when my little guy rocked his surgery and today is a spunky 3 year old.

I pray because I know God is listening and fulfilling his plan for me. I pray because I don’t have any reason not to.  I pray because when I do, I don’t worry or at least I worry a whole lot less.

Praying is something I continue to work on daily. This year, my husband and I welcomed our second heart kiddo, Nathan, into our family. Even though Nathan’s heart condition is still being monitored and unrepaired, I continue to find peace in prayer to God for him because I know He is eagerly listening and saying ‘Kristy thank you for coming to me first…finally’

I once saw a meme that said ‘ Worrying is like walking around with an umbrella waiting for it to rain’. I can’t say I don’t worry anymore, but I am certainly trying to put my umbrella away more often and use my hands to pray instead.

Blessings,

Kristy Smith

At-Home Study

Pray: ask God to reveal Himself to you through the scriptures, to help you receive the message He has specifically for you today.

Read: each passage twice in 2-3 different translations.


{Day 1} Matthew 6:5-14

{Day 2} Philippians 4:4-9

{Day 3} Matthew 7:7-11

{Day 4} Romans 8:22-26

{Day 5} Luke 11:1-13



Observe: What is happening? What catches your attention? What is the message of this passage?What thoughts or feelings does it provoke?

Reflect: Why do these things catch your attention? Why do you feel or think certain things from reading it?

Apply: What does this say about God? What does it say about people? What does it say about God's plan for us? What does this mean for you? How can you apply what God is saying to you?

How Can I Have Faith?

I think believers and unbelievers alike often ask themselves this question in some form or another. How do I do this? How do I keep going? Especially when we feel like we're up against the ropes.

Hebrews 11 is often referred to as "The Hall of Faith"

There we find a picture of what having faith looks like:

Acknowledging that God created this world and everything in it, every person and people group.
Admitting that God exists and our heart longs for Him.
Attempting to follow His instructions, even when we don't see the reasoning or know the destination.
Asserting ownership of God's promises, as impossible as they may seem.
Aching for the heavenly places prepared for us.
Appreciating and blessing those around us.
Audaciously expecting Him to protect you, guide you, and strengthen you.
Accepting and abiding in His unconditional love and presence.

When my faith feels shaky and I'm questioning how to proceed, I lean-in and lean-on God. Even when all my emotions direct me to the opposite. We can look to the Word of God for example after example of what walking by our faith looks and feels like.

The definition of courageous is not deterred by danger or pain.
The definition of brave is to endure or face something in spite of fear.

Practicing my faith, even when my emotions would have otherwise, gives me courage and makes me brave.


Blessings,
Nanette Haskin

At-Home Study

Pray: ask God to reveal Himself to you through the scriptures, to help you receive the message He has specifically for you today.

Read: each passage twice in 2-3 different translations.


{Day 1} Revelation 3:20

{Day 2} John 10:22-30

{Day 3} Hebrews 11

{Day 4} Romans 8:1-17

{Day 5} Ephesians 2:1-10



Observe: What is happening? What catches your attention? What is the message of this passage?What thoughts or feelings does it provoke?

Reflect: Why do these things catch your attention? Why do you feel or think certain things from reading it?

Apply: What does this say about God? What does it say about people? What does it say about God's plan for us? What does this mean for you? How can you apply what God is saying to you?