Why all the Pressure?

It's been said I put a lot of pressure on myself,  Generally speaking, I agree.  When the pressure's on, I function as if some catastrophic consequence is looming if I don't...what?  Show up on time? Clean my kitchen before I go to bed? Rigorously exercise? Say the right things?Be completely cool and cavalier under all this pressure?

Who is it that makes these demands of me? Who gets inside my head and says, I must be so disappointing to you - "you" being the nonexistent yet ever present observer of my life?

Here's where it hovers on a grander scale...

Due to the influx of constant correspondence (via text), and constant comparison (via all the rest of it), my definition of "life-long" friends has changed and become somewhat skewed.  When I'm in the company of friends who get regular texts from their other friends while we're together, I begin to feel one-dimensional.  Like, apparently I am not needed elsewhere. Truth is, I don't have friends I text daily (or even weekly), so I question if I qualify as life-long, since I'm not on anyone's most recents list.  And I can't even talk about how sad I get that I don't have girls I go on trips with... I mean, (via my social connections), doesn't everyone?

The pressure whispers, 'do I matter?'

Another area the pressure has me hamstrung is security.  It seems I should have had the good sense to project manage my home, make wise investments, and blaze through half my bucket list by now.  Oh, and buy health insurance I can actually use.  Knowing how abysmal my attempts at these have been, I muddle along, perceiving some unseen others as victors in life because they navigated the big stuff successfully and have the spoils to show for it.

The pressure whispers, 'my best years have been lost.'

Then there's the whole productivity/purpose thing.  I can waste hours (translation: days), sitting on a couch strategizing how to best execute my Next Big Thing, while supposedly everyone else is living their purpose driven life.  They're following their hearts and running their races, regardless of impediments.  Meanwhile, I feel trapped by the nothingness.  How did the stay their course, find their stride and realize their dreams?

The pressure whispers, 'why am I so incapable, so lame?'

This is the pressure I speak of.  Some may say, the lies I listen to.  When I'm in my right mind, having a good day, meaningful encounter, or simply taking a walk, I know these things aren't true.

We all struggle to find lasting friendship - to not be let down when "life-long" and "day to day" don't equate, and can logically grasp those are two very different concepts.  (and PS - traveling is expensive and more a function of socio-economics than it is friendship.)

No one feels completely secure.  Who could?  Life is crazy.  Those appearing more peaceful are those who place their trust in God, or, because they happen to be doing fairly well at the moment, themselves.  (But self is a very precarious trust-holder.)

Here's a little secret:  every speaker/writer/dream-maker desperately hopes that what they're saying/writing/doing matters to someone, somewhere.  (And lest we fail to acknowledge, words are forever stored in that elusive "cloud" so perhaps the fewer attached to our name, the better.)

It's time to take the pressure off.

This is yet another reason I have been enamored with the humanity of Christ.  When I recall, "he was tempted in every way as I was, yet without sin", I forget he had people following him around all day long, every day, for at least three years.  I forget he had an actual audience.

Talk about pressure.

Given he was exposed to similar struggles as I, He must have wondered if his life-long friends would be there for him in his day to day; wondered if he'd managed each sacred moment completely; wondered if he was making an earthly difference.

That doesn't make him less God, but more human - and he was fully both.

His life was lived in perfect balance; the ideal blend of friendship and solitude, intention and interruption, purpose without the striving.

And then, the sweet exchange:  His life well lived, for mine.

Christ in me, the hope of glory, silenced the audience.

So why all the pressure?

~elizabeth (Liz) d.

No Neutral Ground

C.S. Lewis said, "There is no neutral ground in the universe. Every square inch, every split second is claimed by God, and counterclaimed by Satan." 

Do you agree with Lewis, that there is no such thing as neutral territory? If you believe God's Word is true then living like there is neutral ground where you can avoid the spiritual battles of this world is a little like rolling out a sleeping bag on the 50 yard line during the Superbowl game hoping to get in a long, relaxing nap. I'm not really a football fan, but I'm 99.9% sure when that kickoff whistle blows you're going to know for a fact sitting idle isn't an option. It won't take long for you to wake up and become aware you're in the middle of a fierce and divisive battle. You realize one team is playing with the confidence and joy of an assured win, and the other team just seems angry and disillusioned of their inevitable loss. 

In this life every breath, word, action, relationship, thought, and desire is an opportunity to either confirm or deny who God says He is and who He says you are. It's one reason why as followers of Jesus our suffering matters. It's never wasted and always has significance we cannot measure or even see. It's a chance for us to find out firsthand whether God really is our refuge, our strength, and our present help during times of trouble. It's our opportunity to try out the power of prayer. Do you know from experience that Jesus' kind of joy supersedes circumstances? Have you experienced the presence of Holy Spirit so concretely that you've been left shaken? Can you look back on any past pain and point to God's ability to breathe new life into places you swore were hopeless? Do you know God's promises for your life aren't just good intentions, but active absolutes? 

God loves us too much to leave any hint of neutral territory. Instead, He's tells us we're going to battle hardships and hands us the assignment of a lifetime using His weapons and armor to stand against evil and fight for the freedom of others. It's an invitation to join in and experience a life more abundant than anything we've known. It's fighting because we know we're free and we're willing for fight for others to know it as well. 

John 8:32 "And you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free."

A New Season for Heartland Women's Blog

Autumn has arrived! What's your favorite part about the changing season? I really look forward to Trader Joe's pumpkin butter and pumpkin pancake mix each year. Last year I stocked up and didn't run out of pumpkin pancake mix until June. It was worth every bit of used up shelf space the eight boxes consumed. Does anyone else love the glow and scent of a burning autumn candle inside when leaves are dropping in the chilled breezes outside? It's the little things, right?

There's more good news to the start of fall than the return of pumpkin flavored everything (and Royals baseball), it happens to be a brand new blogging season for us at Heartland Women's Blog! We rested our words all summer and now we're back in the full swing of a blogging year ready to share our faith journeys with you, our awesome readers. We have several amazing contributors returning for another season of writing, and some new writers with stories we cannot wait for you to experience.

Hebrews 10:23-24 is our year's theme verse and we hope you join us in taking God at His Word while we, "...hold tightly without wavering to the hope we affirm, for God can be trusted to keep his promise. Let us think of ways to motivate one another to acts of love and good works." 

This blog is geared for all women from every season of faith and life. We hope our words encourage and inspire you to seek an authentic and personal relationship with Jesus. We also pray you are blessed to hear how other women, just like you, are living out their faith one day at a time; grace by grace. We hope you enjoy your time with us at HWB and visit often!

 Jena M. 

Brooms and Band-Aids

Admitting we are wrong is tough business. As someone who's followed Jesus for nearly 17 years, realizing I have blind spots of self-reliance and self-righteousness is no easy truth to swallow because part of me (a big part) wants to be a perfect daughter for my perfect Heavenly Father. One of Jesus' messages to His followers was to repent because God created us to be in relationship with Him, and unrepentant sin has a way of fogging up our view of God. He desires our sinful selves to be so near to His Holy Self that he allows us to say we're sorry...and accepts our Jesus covered apologies so that we "by the help of our God, return." (Hosea 12:6). God doesn't ask us to repent because he's cruel, or unjust, or unloving but because He is our perfect parent. One who is for not only our salvation, but our sanctification (us becoming more like Jesus). A parent who loves us enough to want our freedom instead of complacency, our joy instead of sorrow, our trust instead of fearful control. 

Like the children we are (no matter our actual age or spiritual maturity) we run hard from truth that may hurt, we hide evidence of the leftover cookie crumbs of sin, we ask for a bandaid to cover our wounds when what we really need is surgery for our souls. We are desperate for our God who loves us enough to send obstacles to slow our frantic pace, says that it's ok to sweep our messy sins right up to his throne, and isn't afraid to rip the band-aid off when necessary. 

Mark 1:15 says, "The Kingdom of God is near. Repent of your sins and believe the Good News!"

Repenting is God's way of admitting we're wrong and literally turning away from our sin. But because God parents his children in perfect love he doesn't stop there. Our Father is FOR OUR FREEDOM.  When he asks us to turn away from something, it's because he has something eternally better in mind. Thankfully we don't have to wait an eternity to experience His promises. When we come before God and admit and apologize (two words I use with my own daughters often), God begins the hard work with us of clearing out the clutter of our souls to make space for His kingdom. One of God's love languages is giving good gifts. They're the type of gifts you'll never need to keep the receipt for because there's no such thing as refunds or exchanges. Perfect Love knows the exact size of your need and the specific quantity of gift necessary to fill your deepest, truest desires...peace, love, joy, mercy, forgiveness, meekness, faith, hope...It's never too much and never too little. God is good, His gifts are real, they're available right now, and they're so much lighter than any pre-repentant load we could ever carry. 

Jena M.

What Matters Most

What  matters most is what God loves. We are made in His image and when we know what matters most to Him, we know what matters most to us. We find out what God loves in his word – which he had written down for us because God loves to be known.

God shows us through creation in the book of Genesis that he loves beauty and majesty.

© 2010 NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, Flickr | CC-BY | via Wylio

From the whole universe down to the Garden of Eden and to us – he displayed his love for the magnificent and the beautiful; Glorious creations, reflecting the glory of God.

Ecclesiastes 3:11 He has made everything beautiful in its time. He has also set eternity in the human heart; yet no one can fathom what God has done from beginning to end.

Psalms 50:2 From Mount Zion, the perfection of beauty, God shines in glorious radiance.

By his calculations of the universe, we see that God loves order, plans, and perfection.

In Stephen Hawking’s book, A Brief History of Time, he observed “The whole history of science has been the gradual realization that events do not happen in an arbitrary manner, but that they reflect a certain underlying order…” and “If the rate of expansion at one second after the Big Bang had been smaller by one in one hundred thousand million, gravity would have caused the universe to have re-collapsed on itself. If it had had been faster by that same amount, the universe would have expanded into nothing by now.” http://www.fisica.net/relatividade/stephen_hawking_a_brief_history_of_time.pdf

“The laws of physics, as we understand them today, tell us that the energy in the early universe should have produced an equal amount of matter and anti-matter. Anti-matter is interesting stuff. When anti-matter touches matter, a pinch produces an explosion larger than a nuclear weapon. This means that all the matter and anti-matter produced by the Big Bang should have annihilated everything in existence a long time ago. However, for some unexplainable reason, for every billion particles of antimatter, the Big Bang produced one billion and one particles of matter. This turned out to be an extremely fortunate turn of events, because that extra matter was just enough to produce you, me, and all the other stuff in the universe. Why or how this could have happened is anybody’s guess.” Hicks, Mark (2014-01-27). Surprise: The Union of Quantum Physics, Relativity, and the Bible (Kindle Locations 2749-2755). . Kindle Edition.

Exactness. Perfection. God creates and moves with perfect precision. He is not a God of randomness or coincidence. God makes everything happen with perfect calculations. God created his people with the same love of majesty, beauty, perfection, and purpose – no accidents, no randomness. Our lives are planned with those same perfect calculations – and written in a book before we’re born.

Psalms 139:16 You saw me before I was born. Every day of my life was recorded in your book. Every moment was laid out before a single day had passed.

Isaiah 55:11 So shall my word be that goes out from my mouth; it shall not return to me empty, but it shall accomplish that which I purpose, and shall succeed in the thing for which I sent it.

God loves to create meaning around him and in our lives.

He love symbolism and metaphors and loves to give us glimpses of what will happen before it happens – to create meaning for us. This is what God did in the Old Testament (OT) many times. For example, when we see that God delivered his people from captivity in Egypt and brought them into the Promised Land, this shows us that God will deliver us from this earth, our captivity, and bring us into our promised land, Heaven. By the Tabernacle and sacrifice system in the OT he gave us hints at how he was going to free us from sin and forgive us. Through his prophets in the OT he pointed to Jesus. In the New Testament (NT), he showed us himself through Jesus and told us how the world will end and what heaven will be like. He told us things before they happen to create meaning for our lives and for the things we do.

2 Corinthians 2:14 But thanks be to God, who always leads us as captives in Christ’s triumphal procession and uses us to spread the aroma of the knowledge of him everywhere.

Revelation 21:1-5 Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and the sea was no more. And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man. He will dwell with them, and they will be his people, and God himself will be with them as their God. He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away.” And he who was seated on the throne said, “Behold, I am making all things new.” Also he said, “Write this down, for these words are trustworthy and true.”

God loves music, melody, and worship.

© 2012 Jackson Romie, Flickr | CC-BY-ND | via Wylio

Throughout the Bible, displays of worship songs, instruments playing, angels singing, and people dancing are recorded. A trumpet will even be the signal of Christ’s return.

1 Corinthians 15:52 In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised imperishable, and we shall be changed.

Psalm 150:1-6 Praise the Lord! Praise God in his sanctuary; praise him in his mighty heavens! Praise him for his mighty deeds; praise him according to his excellent greatness! Praise him with trumpet sound; praise him with lute and harp! Praise him with tambourine and dance; praise him with strings and pipe! Praise him with sounding cymbals; praise him with loud clashing cymbals!

Some in the scientific community believe that everything in existence, at it’s core, is music…“according to [String Theory], all reality at its core is not made up of quarks, photons, and electrons but of far smaller vibrating strings of energy. Just as different vibrations— frequencies— cause different sounds, it is the different vibrations— tunings or pitch— of the tiny strings that cause all the various aspects of reality: in one instance a solid, in another a liquid, and so on.” Hicks, Mark (2014-01-27). Surprise: The Union of Quantum Physics, Relativity, and the Bible (Kindle Locations 2789-2798). Kindle Edition.

“In essence, String Theory describes space and time, matter and energy, gravity and light, indeed all of God’s creation . . . as music” -Roy H. Williams

“For the first time in the history of physics we therefore have a framework with the capacity to explain every fundamental feature upon which the universe is constructed. For this reason string theory is sometimes described as possibly being the ‘theory of everything’.” Brian Greene, professor of physics and mathematics at Columbia University and a leading string theorist. Author of The Elegant Universe: Superstrings, Hidden Dimensions, and the Quest for the Ultimate Theory.

God lists hundreds of other things he loves in his word. These are just a few. But the most important of all the things God loves for us to know – is that God loves us. Why does God love us? Because he does. Because he IS love. We don’t know why. It doesn’t really make sense to us – does it? The good news is that what matters most is not what we know or what we understand or what we do or who we are – but what matters most is who God is and what he loves. What God loves matters most.

Jeremiah 31:3 The Lord appeared to us in the past, saying:“I have loved you with an everlasting love; I have drawn you with unfailing kindness.”

John 3:16 “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.

Job 37:5 God thunders wondrously with his voice; he does great things that we cannot comprehend.

- Tara Goddard

A New Atmosphere

What would it look like for God to bring in a new atmosphere of worship in your life? Atmosphere can be described as the pervading tone or mood of a place. If you had to list three pervading moods to best describe your past week what would they be? Fear, Joy, Anxiety, Peace, Humor, Sadness…

What would it mean for you to live the ups and downs of your life in an atmosphere of worship this week? this month? this year? 

Worship in spirit and truth (John 4:23) is about the way we live our lives because of who we are.  In Christ we get to walk around as living sacrifices.  Living. Sacrifices. Here’s the thing: sacrifices aren’t supposed to live. Because Jesus sacrificed his life for us, we get to live…our everyday dish washing, carpool driving, paycheck earning, coffee drinking, diaper changing lives as living sacrifices for Him. We worship God with who we are, not with what we’ve done or where we’ve been, or what we’ve achieved, or what we can do for Him. In Jesus, we are God’s children, redeemed and forgiven, heirs to an eternal kingdom, and not one ounce of it is our doing. It’s God’s mercy.

“Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship.” Romans 12:1

 What do you say? Can 2015 have a new atmosphere of worship? Let’s remember that sacrifices don’t live, and yet we get to because of Jesus, and let that reality permeate every part of our lives until we can’t help but worship in gratitude and joy.

Jena M. 

A Letter To Myself for Next December

A letter to myself for next December...

Hey You,

Remember how you wished you would've enjoyed the little things about the Christmas season last year? How the hustle and bustle overwhelmed the joy right out of you?  No one is going to give you permission to rest. In fact, you don't need it because your Heavenly Father told you to do it. He's got this. Go rest.
Do whatever you need to do to look your loved ones in the eye over a slow cup of coffee. Let your to-do lists down and snuggle into a good book. Cancel appointments and carve out time to just hang out at home with your kids. Turn off your phone. Be present. Don't accept every cookie exchange or party invitation if it means you'll lose your peace in the process.

Don't overthink your gifts. Gifts given with a heart of generosity and love matter most. Don't overspend. It's just not worth it.

Set aside some extra money to give away this season. It's fun and you feel good doing it. God loves a cheerful giver.

So what if your Christmas decorations don't look like Anthropologie's? That nativity set from the elderly couple's garage sale is your kids' favorite. Remember how they love to move the pieces all around and since you paid $1 for it, who cares of the shepherd is now missing legs?

Pick no more than 3 traditions you want to uphold this year. Remember bigger is not always better.

These few weeks before Christmas will fly by. There's mystery and wonder in them if you stop and look. Listen to what God is saying right now. Take time to worship Him.

While the memories are fresh, write down what God has done in your life this year. Where did you see His glory? Where did you grow the most? What were your biggest disappointments? Don't wait to do this because one very short week after Christmas is the New Year (don't act surprised that it's only a week- same time every year) and you'll be ready to move on and look forward.

One last thing, in case you haven't been told in a while, you're doing a superbly, awesome job.  I mean it...so proud of you. Now go grab that cup of tea and dark chocolate you've been thinking about for the past 10 minutes.

Love,
Me


Jena M.

Creation: Covenant and Kingdom

 This morning Shelly and Heather introduced the Covenant and Kingdom triangles which represent the two major themes we're using to study the Bible this year. This is a photo of their white board exercise. It isn't the clearest photo, but we wanted to make sure you had opportunity to reflect on its content this week. 

Each week, as we discover how God's story is actually our story and our story is His story, be asking yourself, "now what?"  What are you going to do this week to move around the Covenant Triangle from Father to identity to obedience? What do you need to do right now to start believing your identity comes from God alone and He provides you with humble authority to exercise power in your own life?

Jena M.

A True Warrior

Knowing our identities in Christ is like layers of a never ending onion.  Just when you think you've grasped it and are getting to the core of the thing you discover another layer...and another, and another. It's exciting, it sometimes feels like hard work, and it's a kind of Good that I can't seem to find elsewhere in this life. Sometimes God places people or circumstances in my life that call out a new strength I have in Him, His Word (The Bible) comes alive in new ways I hadn't seen before, and my faith muscle is stretched.
This week we are looking at who we are in Christ as true warriors for his kingdom.  For me, this is one of those topics that is really stretching my faith and I sense God calling out a newer, stronger belief and understanding in who He has created me to be in His image and in His kingdom right here on Earth. It's like I just arrived at boot camp and God's sharpening my skills and showing me all He has equipped me with for battle. Are you there with me?  Let's look at the characteristics of a TRUE WARRIOR and learn what it means to "fight the good fight" (1 Tim 6:12)

A True Warrior...

· Called not hired. 

 Have a strategy and vision. Focus on one battle at a time. 

· Intentional vs reactive. Develop a plan for how to fulfill the vision (Psalms 90:12, Psalms 90:17) .

 · Establish covenant relationships (accountable relationships built on deep trust and honesty).

· Practice long and hard to perfect skills and develop discipline. Requires practice and being intentional with time.

 · Mentally tough and determined.

 · Dedicated to serving God.

 · Mindset of victory and not of fear - God is victorious.

 · Constantly learning from their current situations or challenges because they know those learnings will help build skill and strength needed at a later time. 

· Honor-bound to something higher than themselves. Follow and surrender to stringent guidelines that require commitment and discipline.

Heavenly Father, give us kingdom vision to see ourselves as the warriors You have created us to be.  You instruct us to "guard our hearts above all else" (Prov 4:23) and we thank you for the weapons to do so.  We ask for strength to stand in the face of evil and a holy determination to do your kingdom work in our own lives.  It's in Jesus' name we ask, Amen.

Jena

·        

ID Protection

There's nothing new or modern about identity theft.  Think about what happened to Adam and Eve in the Garden.  The devil convinced Eve and Adam to question their God-given identities.  Look at David and Goliath...how many people questioned and tried to "steal" David's God-given identity from him as he faced down Goliath? Jesus even faced down every attack possible on His identity in the wilderness (Mark 4:1-11).

This week we are moving into our final phase of learning about our identities in Christ as we round out this spring semester.  Week after week it's been a beautiful, long journey of discovering who God made us to be, who we are in Christ, and how we can live out those identities in every faucet of our lives.  For the next several weeks we will be looking at how God has equipped us to protect those identities, and what that means for the "dailyness" of our real lives.

As we go through our week, let's meditate and really soak in these three sections of Scripture from today's teaching. Read them often and ask God to open up the eyes and ears of your heart to know His ways.  Let the truths and principles outlined in these verses really soak in as you ask God to reveal himself to you.  How do these verses challenge your "God is..." or "I am..." beliefs? 

 ROMANS 3:10-12; 21-25 

We cannot earn our way to righteousness.  Our righteousness comes through faith in the Son of God.  There is only One who is righteous and that is Jesus Christ.  It is HIS righteousness in us that moves God to “justify” us—to “declare us righteous. “ Our identity does not come from how we see ourselves or how we see one another.  Our true identity comes from how God sees us.  God sees us through the shed blood of His Son and He declares us righteous.

DEUTERONOMY 6:4-9
Ask God to give you a hunger for His word.  Ask His Holy Spirit to give you a supernatural ability to know His word so that it is IN you.  Ask God to give you the grace to BELIEVE what He says about your true identity.

EPHESIANS 3:16-19
May Paul’s prayer for you become a reality for you.

Before and After

Last week our challenge was to go home and just do the "next step" in forming our own Identity Statements.  For me, that meant I needed to go home and compile a list of everything I believe about who I am in Christ and who God is in my life.  As I pour through Scripture and do some heart analysis about what I honestly believe about my identity I'm remembering who I was before.  There was a good portion of my life where I didn't even know Jesus. After I came to know Him as my Savior there was a good portion of my life where I didn't know or believe what the Bible says about who I am in Christ. My experiences and God's truths collided constantly and I had (have) to humbly ask God for the faith to believe Him over whatever it was I had experienced or was feeling.
So...

...I trade in fear for trust (1 John 4:18, Jeremiah 29:11, Proverbs 3:5)

...I breath in peace instead of anxiety (Psalm 56:3-4, Phil 4:6-7)

...I cherish instead of cling (Hebrews 13:16, Luke 6:38, Phil 4:19, Luke 12:33)

...I hope instead of dread (Romans 15:13, Isaiah 40:31, psalm 71:13, Hebrews 11:1)

...I offer love instead of indifference (1 Cor 13:13, 1 John 4:7)

...I choose joy in the ordinary (Gal 5:22, Rom 15:13, Prov 10:28, Psalm 126:5, John 15:11)

...I choose Jesus' way over my own  (Matt 7:1-2, James 2:8, Gal 5:14, Gal 3:28, Isaiah 58:6-14, 1 Cor 6:19-20, Matt 25:34-36, Luke 10:25-37, Rom 5:8)

...And every moment and every thought where I trade my old ways for Jesus' new ways it's like the buffing of a dull rock.  His glory begins to reflect off my newly polished surface in ways I never would've imagined and instead of a common rock God reveals a diamond shining through. It's a lifetime of Him polishing and refining me, but there is unbelievable joy in the journey.

Where are you today?  Are you just getting to know Jesus?  Are you wondering if you can trust Him and His ways that feel so foreign and far off? Does reading the Bible feel like a complicated electronics manual instead of a love letter to you? Wherever you are just know that all you have to do is take the next step.  What is one thing you need to trade in or lay down in exchange for Jesus' way right now?  If you aren't sure of your next step then ask someone:  ask God, ask me, ask your Table Leader, ask a trusted friend. 

Will you join me in asking God for a big, bold faith?  To see with an eternal perspective? Asking God to reveal our diamonds in ways that bring glory to Him and unexplainable joy to us?
It's an honor to be in this journey with you,
Jena M.

A New Thing

A chill lingers in the air but spring is finally here.  Blades of green emerge from dried webs of last year's lawn and in a matter of days buttery yellow daffodils and jonquils will smile upon us.  If spring had a theme song I think Vivaldi's Four Seasons sings it perfectly. Spring is an orchestra of new beginnings. It's not just the shedding of winter that captures my attention this time of year, but that I see God doing a new thing...and it gives me hope. 

What new thing is God doing in your life right now?  Where is God's truth and your experience colliding like thunder clouds and where will His grace rain down in you today?  It can be hard to see beyond winter sometimes, but God's words in Isaiah 43 are still true for us today and He is doing a new thing in each of us. 

 I am the Lord, your Holy One,
    Israel’s Creator, your King.”

 This is what the Lord says—
    he who made a way through the sea,
    a path through the mighty waters,
who drew out the chariots and horses,
    the army and reinforcements together,
and they lay there, never to rise again,
    extinguished, snuffed out like a wick:
“Forget the former things;
    do not dwell on the past.
 See, I am doing a new thing!
    Now it springs up; do you not perceive it?
I am making a way in the wilderness
    and streams in the wasteland.

Jena M.

Stepping into your Calling

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

Here at Heartland full-time employees get to take something called a Study Leave. Maybe

you can do something like that too. It doesn't have to be long - maybe an hour here and there, but it needs to be a focused time that is dedicated to trying to figure this out and acting on the calling God has placed in your heart. I’m a mom of two really young kids and I am also a working mom so
my time is limited. I get how hard it is to sometimes get away.

If you plan in advance about trying to hear what God is saying about your calling, you will be amazed —it can be done!

• What are some of your passions?
• How can they help the kingdom here on earth?
• Sit and envision and think about where you want to be 
• What are you hoping for?
• What is holding you back from stepping into your calling?
• What is your dream for this passion God has placed in your soul?

Sift through the clutter to see Gods call on your life. Find scripture to support your calling. Pray without ceasing. Share your discoveries with your table next week or a close friend who supports you in your spiritual journey.

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

She is clothed with Strength and dignity and laughs without fear of the future. Proverbs 31:25

by Jenae W.

Gifts that Give

The Bible says we are created with a purpose, we are God's masterpiece, his workmanship (Ephesians 2:10).  Furthermore, we are given gifts by the Spirit:  gifts to bless, to help, to strengthen, to grow into, to serve, and to glorify God  This week in keeping with out Identity theme we are learning about those unique God-given gifts we each possess, and we can act on them.

There are different kinds of spiritual gifts, but the same Spirit is the source of them all. There are different

kinds of service, but we serve the same Lord. God works in different ways, but it is the same God who

does the work in all of us.  A spiritual gift is given to each of us so we can help each other.

1 Corinthians 12:4-7 – NLT

 

Over the next couple of weeks...

 

• Review the Spiritual Gifts Descriptions, specifically paying attention to your top two gifts. Look up the Biblical references listed at the bottom of each Spiritual Gift. Consider putting scripture on a note card, journal, or some place that you will see it to remind you of your God-given gifts.
• Over the course of a week, or even a few days, dedicate time to contemplate your Spiritual gifts, hot buttons, and nudges you may have experienced. Jot all these down in one place and take time to pray over and consider where the Holy Spirit might be prompting you to act.

 

For a Season

Last night I dreamt I walked outside and it was a warm spring day. Twice.  It's not that I don't like winter.  I just don't like to be cold and weeks like this one the two go hand-in-hand.  As the snow poured down and my spring loving heart grew impatient I decided to surrender whatever wasn't to what was.  So, here it is...I love slow pace, clock-less days. Hot drinks, preferably with chocolate in them. I love the quiet of hum of sisters cooperating and hot soup. I love curling up with a good book and the warm glow of a burning candle.  I love neighbor kids spilling in and out of our home for hot chocolate. I love a kitchen warm from a baking oven. I love not being in a carpool line. I love God's irony of a blinding sun on a frozen world. I could go on, but I want you to take a few minutes and think of yours.  I'll leave you with these words to live by from Ecclesiastes Chapter 3...

For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven:
a time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to pluck up what is planted; a time to kill, and a time to heal; a time to break down, and a time to build up; a time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance; a time to cast away stones, and a time to gather stones together; a time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing; a time to seek, and a time to lose; a time to keep, and a time to cast away; a time to tear, and a time to sew; a time to keep silence, and a time to speak; a time to love, and a time to hate; a time for war, and a time for peace.

Wherever God has you today I pray you know His ever-present love and you find ways to thank Him for seasons of life that lead us closer to Him...

Jena



Pathways

My husband and I met playing basketball sixteen years ago.  He was a good player but I was better and the rest is history. :) Even after all these years he and I can still connect running on trails, shooting hoops, or playing in a sloppy game of tennis.  Of course, there are many ways we enjoy each other's company, but being active (and maybe a little bit competitive) is definitely one of our easiest paths to connecting.  Relationships are personal, they're distinct and are blessed by time and intentionality.
Today we are taking a closer look at unique ways we connect with God and how we see him communicating with us.  How we relate to God and grow closer to Him is personal because we are His unique creations.  The Spiritual Pathways Assessment (was attached in an email sent to you last Friday) results are designed to point you to a clearer understanding of your relationship with God.  We pray you find your results enlightening and encouraging.  God loves you and desires for you to walk close to Him and hear His promises with faith-ready ears.  Read the 23rd Psalm and note all the specific ways God is present with us...

The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. He makes me lie down in green pastures. He leads me beside still waters. He restores my soul. He leads me in paths of righteousness for his name's sake. Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me. You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; you anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows.



Jena M.

Words of Encouragement

Gracious words are like a honeycomb, sweetness to the soul and health to the body. Proverbs 16:24

A word fitly spoken is like apples of gold in a setting of silver.  Proverbs 25:11

Think back to the last time you've heard a gracious and kind word spoken to you. Would you agree that they are "sweet to the soul" and like "apples of gold"?  This week we are looking at the power of words and how God uses them to speak truth and life into our identities in Christ.  The Bible is full of wisdom, instruction, and truth about the power our words can have to speak life and death into a person's life (Prov 18:21).  Do Luke's inspired words ring true in your experiences like they do mine, "for out of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaks."? (ch6, v45)
Start thinking right now how you can choose to speak life into the people God has uniquely positioned in your life today.  Pray for those people daily and ask God to show you His heart for them.  You never know when an authentic word of encouragement spoken in love just may be the honey-sweet, apple of gold that person didn't even know they needed to hear.

This week:
Be alert this week to your consistent places you have contact with possible people of peace. How do you know a person of peace?  A person of peace...
a. Likes you. They are already asking for your time, asking for advice or prayer. 
b. Serves you. They ask to help you! 
c. Is hungry to grow in their faith. A learner, but not needy. 
d. Listens to you and desires to have a faith like yours. Willing to listen and apply what they are learning.

Who are the people of peace God has brought into this season of your life? Write their names down and commit to praying for them for 30 days.  May God make the abundance of your Christ-centered heart overflow into words of encouragement and life.

Jena

Made for Influence

Last week you were challenged to look for ways you saw your unique creation as a woman made in the image of God.  Are you encouraged by what you saw?  Are there areas you pray become strengthened?  We encourage you to keep searching;  look for them in your phone calls and texts, look for them in your interactions with strangers, look for them in your hopes, look for them in your fears, look for them in your parenting, in your relationships, in others, and give thanks.  You are fearfully and wonderfully made. 

•Voice - unique as a woman and specific to you. It is a beacon of influence

•Courage - believe and act in responsibility

•Strength - Solid determination to see something, someone through

•Intuition - keen sense of discernment. You just know is your “knower”

•Emotional influence - sensitive ability to influence the heart, mind, or spirit of another

•Nurturer - care, comfort, heal, hold, lift up, and help small things/people become big

•Visionary - insight and foresight into what could be

This Week At Home . . .

1. Continue to study the women of the Bible passages from last week. 
2. Be alert this week to your consistent places you have contact with possible people of peace. 

• They like you. They are already asking for your time, asking for advice or prayer. 
• They Serve you. They ask to help you! 
• Hungry to grow in their walk. A learner, but NOT needy. 
• Listens to you. Want what you have. Willing to listen and apply what they are learning.

3.       Make a list of people of peace and pray daily for them for 30 days.

  "For we are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago."  Ephesians 2:10

Identity: Made for Influence

Scripture this Week: Genesis 1:27

God created human beings in his own image, in the image of God he created them; male and female He created them. - NLT

We have a unique identity as women. We were created differently than men. We were created differently for divine purpose. Both men and women represent who God in character and nature. We are going to take notice this week how, as women, we are uniquely designed in the likeness of our Creator and Father God. Just like when a daughter looks and acts just like her mother or father. We see, feel, think, and respond like God our Father. Through the unique design of being a woman we have specific and special ways of influencing those around us. Whether you are aware or not. Whether you want to be or not, you are influential. It is critical that we are aware of the unique design and therefore the source of our influence on those around us. Our influence, when connected in a relationship with Jesus, who was the exact representation of God in human form, becomes a life orienting, life giving and life changing force in the world.  Our understanding and ownership of our unique likeness to God is essential.

This is a week of observing and reflecting on how you were created as a woman in God’s own image, meaning His character and nature.

•Voice - unique as a woman and specific to you. It is a beacon of influence

•Courage - believe and act in responsibility

•Strength - Solid determination to see something, someone through

•Intuition - keen sense of discernment. You just know is your “knower”

•Emotional influence - sensitive ability to influence the heart, mind, or spirit of another

•Nurturer - care, comfort, heal, hold, lift up, and help small things/people become big

•Visionary - insight and foresight into what could be

Pray for God to open your heart and mind to notice when you are acting out the above traits of God. Keep a list this week of examples of situations or conversations.

Prayerfully thank God for your unique design.

The Journey to Advent

I have a little sign above my kitchen sink that reads, "Enjoy the Journey".  I forget it's there, honestly, but every once in a while it catches my eye or imagination and I'm reminded of what it means to enjoy (take pleasure in something) life.  This journey in life, in Mothers Together, in parenthood, in marriage, in relationships, in hoping for something better or different can seem long but it's in the journey where God raises up in us an unshakeable faith and strength built for eternity.  There's a part of us that is just directly wired to desire eternity and complete perfection; wrongs made right, and we get anxious on our journeys for God to move in our world instead of us in His.  That's really what Advent is all about, isn't it?  God's people waited for their Messiah. We wait for His return.  Celebrating Advent is supposed to be a way of life, but instead of lighting candles it's lived out in our hearts, minds, words, and actions. It's in the wait, in these journeys God has prepared for us, where we get the honor and privilege of faith and hope.  Faith in a God who is who He says He is and hope in a Savior who does what He says He can do.

Enjoy these Bible verses with me this week and consider where you are in your own journey.  Is your waiting filled with an expectant hope and joy?  I pray it is and continues to only be more-so in the days ahead.

(Micah was a prophet in Judah during a war-stricken time nearly 700 years before Jesus' arrival.) Micah 7:7- "But as for me, I will look to the Lord; I will wait for the God of my salvation; my God will hear me."

Psalm 39:7- “And now, O Lord, for what do I wait? My hope is in you."

Lamentations 3:25-"The Lord is good to those who wait for him, to the soul who seeks him."

How beautiful are these words in Isaiah 30:18- "Therefore the Lord waits to be gracious to you, and therefore he exalts himself to show mercy to you. For the Lord is a God of justice; blessed are all those who wait for him."

Heavenly Father, I look forward to waiting on you in 2014!

Merry Christmas, MT
Jena M.