Love

Photo by Didok

Love is a topic that can be discussed and thought about for hours upon end.  Here are a few quotes and scriptures on love:

“A friend is someone who knows all about you and still loves you.”
― Elbert Hubbard

“You've gotta dance like there's nobody watching,
Love like you'll never be hurt,
Sing like there's nobody listening,
And live like it's heaven on earth.”
― William W. Purkey

“Darkness cannot drive out darkness: only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate: only love can do that.”
― Martin Luther King Jr., A Testament of Hope: The Essential Writings and Speeches

1John 4:8 “Anyone who does not love does not know God, because God is love.”

Jeremiah 31:3 “The Lord appeared to us in the past. He said, “I have loved you with a love that lasts forever. I have kept on loving you with faithful love.” 

We have just been asked to really think about what we are chasing.  And we have learned that, no matter what, Jesus chases us.  He says in Revelation 3:20 “Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If any of you hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with you. And you will eat with me.”

What are you chasing?  Is this something you’re still asking yourself at the end of our study?  I chase many things.  I will look online for the perfect purse or camera, the perfect Christmas gift for my Mother-in-law…it can get out of hand, trust me.  

Though he pursues me, I cannot say that I always chase Jesus back, or allow him to continually “be” with me. There are times that my day will stop flat in it’s tracks because of the news of a loved one’s loss or suffering and I am chasing God with prayer.  What I have realized is he is right there, chasing me, and all I have to do is turn toward him, and he’s ready and waiting and willing.

This week, I had devastating news about one of my beloved friends.  At first, my heart was so broken; all I could do was cry.  But, I began to pray for her, and asked God to allow her to feel the prayers from everyone who was praying.  I heard from her last night, and she literally said, “Prayers are holding me up.”

So I ask you, as we go into the craziness of the holidays with the turkey, ham, and casseroles, the planning, and the searching for the perfect _______, don’t forget to allow Jesus to be with you.  His peace is a breath away, and we don’t have to do anything alone.  Even the seating arrangements!  

Here is a song that goes with what I am trying to get across through today’s blog.   There is a link below to the song.  It is by Tenth Avenue North, a Christian band.  Listen to it, and allow Jesus to catch you today.  Turn from whatever it is you are chasing, and turn to him.  

Below are the link and the lyrics (they are on the video with the song as well).

Blessings to you as we begin the “Most wonderful time of year.”

- Jennifer G.

Photo by rob_gonyea

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6CUGTIWCFyo

"Beloved"

Love of my life

Look deep in my eyes

There you will find what you need 

And give me your life

The lust and the lies

And the past you're afraid I might see

You've been running away from me, yeah 

You're my beloved lover

I'm yours

And Death shall not part us

It's you I died for

For better or worse

Forever we'll be

My love it unites us and it binds you to me

It's a mystery 

Love of my life

Look deep in my eyes

There you will find what you need 

I'm the giver of life

I'll clothe you in white

My immaculate bride you will be

Oh, come running home to me, yeah

You're my beloved lover

I'm yours

And Death shall not part us

It's you I died for

For better or worse

Forever we'll be

My love it unites us and it binds you to me, yeah

You've been a mistress, my wife

Chasing lovers that won't satisfy

Won't you let me make you my bride

You will drink of my lips and you'll taste new life

You're my beloved lover

I'm yours

And Death shall not part us

It's you I died for

For better or worse

Forever we'll be

My love it unites us and it binds you to me

It's a mystery

We Serve Because

Thanksgiving is upon us.  I hope this is a year you're anticipating a warm meal shared with family and friends. I hope traditions run rich and prayers of thanksgiving come easily.  However, I know that is not the case for all of us.  Maybe this year is a first for you: a first without a special loved one, a first with not enough funds for traveling, a first with a new baby, a first with a new job, a first without a job. My prayer is that the love of God overwhelms you wherever you are this holiday season.

 Perhaps this year is different because this is your first year celebrating Thanksgiving with Jesus.  This year everything feels different because this year you know to whom you're giving thanks and you want to shout it from the rooftops.  Psalm 107: 1 says, "Oh give thanks to the Lord, for he is good, for his steadfast love endures forever!"  In Mothers Together we get excited about opportunities to serve others. Why? Because thanksgiving and serving go hand-in-hand.  We've been given the ultimate gift of eternal life in Jesus and it's a privilege to serve in His name. Our mission in Mothers Together is to be a community of women with hearts open to the Lord, one another, and a world in need.  As we come together this week let's remember why we serve and more importantly, Whom we serve.

We serve because...

As each has received a gift, use it to serve one another, as good stewards of God's varied grace: whoever speaks, as one who speaks oracles of God; whoever serves, as one who serves by the strength that God supplies—in order that in everything God may be glorified through Jesus Christ. To him belong glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen. 1 Peter 4: 10-11   

We serve because...

Give, and it will be given to you. Good measure, pressed down, shaken together, running over, will be put into your lap. For with the measure you use it will be measured back to you.  Luke 6:38

We serve because...

For you were called to freedom, brothers. Only do not use your freedom as an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another. For the whole law is fulfilled in one word: “You shall love your neighbor as yourself."  Galatians 5: 13-14

We serve because...

And whoever would be first among you must be slave of all. For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.  Mark 10: 44-45

Heavenly Father, you are worthy of all of our thanks.  Give us hearts bent in a posture of humble thanksgiving and hands open to serve.  Overwhelm us with your love and show us how to see every relationship, every event, and every word as an opportunity to honor and represent You.  May Your kingdom come and Your will be done.  Amen

Jena M.

Working from Rest

Facebook. Post after post. Picture after picture. Television. Commercial after commercial. Worthless show after worthless show, especially if you don’t have cable. Cell phone, book, email, magazine, bed. Exhausted and seeking rest. 

Tonight, I am exhausted. Last night, I was exhausted. And tomorrow night, you guessed it, I will probably be exhausted. And yet tonight after putting my son to bed and before writing this post, I opened up Facebook. Will this give me rest? Will I find the rejuvenation I am desperate for to fuel me for another day of laundry, cleaning dishes, vacuuming, loving my son, cooking, running errands, game playing, diaper changing, serving my husband, picking up toys, walking the dog, and all the projects I currently have begun with no end in sight of finishing? What does it mean to truly rest? 

As women, this is difficult for us to know, to rest, especially if we have children. We believe we need to sacrifice every little bit of ourselves for our children. Our children are better for it, right? Ironically, this feeling of “need to sacrifice” interrupted a night of rest I had planned. Tuesday night. My night of rest.  A blessing and gift from my husband begun in the form of a question, “Babe, what would give you rest on Tuesday night?”  My answer landed somewhere between confusion and my to-do list as I thought about an evening without cooking dinner, doing dishes, bath time, and bedtime routine. Confused because I had just spent a weekend of rest with my girlfriends at the lake, and I feel rested and rejuvenated. Answers flowed inside my mind. I needed to write this blog post. I needed to fold a load of laundry. I needed to unload the dishes from the dishwasher. I needed to send out a few emails. I wanted to get my nails done. I wanted to take a warm bubble bath and read. I wanted to get a massage. I wanted to lay drenched in suntan lotion (uh, I mean sunscreen ha!) on a warm beach somewhere. Hmmmmm. “I don’t know,” I answered him. Upon further discussion and searching, I was reminded of a sermon one Sunday about working from our rest. Backwards thinking in my mind. Strive and strive and strive and then rest, right?  No. Rest then work. God created Adam and Eve on the sixth day and on the seventh day, the first full day of “our” existence was a day of rest. God rested. Adam and Eve rested. “God saw all that he had made and it was very good. And there was evening and there was morning- the sixth day….and so on the seventh day he rested from all his work.” Genesis 1:31-2:2. We are to work from our rest. And my husband was pointing me towards building a rhythm of doing so. Building time into my schedule for rest daily, weekly, monthly in order to avoid working on overload all the time and arriving at a point of desperation for rest. Hence, my Tuesday night.

The place? Barnes and Noble. The purpose? Finding a new novel. God’s plan? To wrestle and be unsettled about taking this time for myself in order to have material for this blog post. Ha! A struggle to look forward to my evening with joy and not doubt. A battle to resist every excuse to stay home and care for my son. I even called my husband to express this weird feeling of selfishness I was experiencing which was keeping me from the joy I knew God had for me. This would feel weird since I’m not used to a rhythm of rest, but a schedule of doing and doing and doing and crashing. So, what gives me rest? Life giving rest. What will give me life? 

Knowing the answer to this means knowing myself. Television: escape. Reading and writing: rest. Facebooking: escape. Worshipping and praying with scripture: rest. Figuring out what gives me rest means I have to identify things that make me think I am resting (Facebook). Examine what gives me energy and sets my heart on fire. Recognize what depletes my energy leaving me empty and worn out. Distinguish between a good idea and a God idea by creating a stop doing list. Stop doing? What? I have no time for that! Ha! Many things in life are great ideas, but not God ideas and could imprison us from what God has planned. Yes, we are called to be fruitful. And God wants us to do it from a place of rest. “…Six days you shall labor and do all your work, but the seventh day is a Sabbath day to the Lord your God.” Exodus 20:9-10.

And so my Tuesday night of enjoying God’s written word first and then His creative artwork penned by fabulous authors on the bestseller’s list, empowered me for the next day to follow His lead even in folding a pile of laundry. And I continue daily to rest with God and be filled with His spirit because every day can’t be a “Tuesday night”. We have to build in a rhythm of rest. Jesus said, “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. ²⁹ 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. ³⁰ For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.” Matthew 11:28-30. And all throughout the gospel, Jesus made rest a priority.  Before he began his ministry, he retreated to the desert for forty days to be with the Father. A priority for Him. To rest. And we are to follow Him. Right?

 So what gives you rest? And how can you build rhythms of rest into your day, week and months?  

- Tami I.

November Family Fun

As I mentioned in my last post about fall, it is my absolute favorite time of year.  I LOVE how beautiful the trees are right now and the crisp, cool days.  Hopefully you were able to try one or two activities from my October post, but if not, no worries as I have more for you this month!

• Chocolate chips went on sale for the first time on November 16, 1939 so bake up a little chocolate chip treat to celebrate

• Make November a No TV Month…or if that fills you with complete and utter panic, at least pick one night a week to be tech free.  No phones, TV, computers, Ipads, etc.  Break out a good ‘ol fashioned game of Uno or Parcheesi and enjoy a little family friendly competition.

*If you’ve never played or heard of Parcheesi, you gotta check it out!*

• In honor of the Pilgrims, churn up some homemade butter.  This was often a chore that Pilgrim children had to do along with fetching water and caring for the animals. 
• Pour one cup of whipping cream into a clean, sturdy jar, such as a mason jar.  
• Put a clean marble in the jar to act as the “churn” and seal with a lid. 
• Let your child or children take turns shaking the jar until a lump of butter forms (this can take a while, approximately 15-20 minutes).  
• In the meantime, whip up some cornbread or muffins (from scratch is applaudable but a box of Jiffy is great too!) and spread your freshly churned butter on top…yum!

• Trace your child’s hand on paper and have them write one thing they are thankful for on each finger.

• Design a tortilla teepee.  Using a small flour tortilla, wrap it into a cone shape (like a party hat), making sure to leave a small hole in the top (the pointy end).  Secure the seam with a line of hot glue.  If desired, cut a door flap for the teepee using kitchen shears or regular scissors.  The flap of the door can be left open by securing it with a bit of hot glue as well.  Have your child gather a few small twigs (I usually use 3) that can be placed up through the top of the teepee opening (again, secure the twigs with a bit of hot glue to hold them in place).  After the teepee dries/hardens, allow your child decorate using tempera paints.  You could even Google Native American symbols for your child to recreate on the sides of the teepee!

• Remember that leaf walk?  Maybe you never had the opportunity to go…well here’s your second chance!  Go grab some leaves with your children and bring them back to make a leaf turkey!  I did this last year with my son, although I had to do most of the work (he was only 20 months at the time), he was able to position the leaves on the paper.  Here is a sample picture of what it might look like: 

Happy early Thanksgiving to each of you!

Julie Collett

Living Chosen

Join us this week over on the blog of our lovely Nanette Making Me New as she beautifully shares her heart and explores what it means to live as one chosen.

She asks the questions: Am I walking confidently in who He’s created me to be?  Walking in His holy confidence?  Are you?

Prayer and Persecution

Losing relationship with people is one of the most heart wrenching things we can go through as women.  It could be rejection from someone that you considered to be a friend, or a friend abruptly ceasing communication with no explanation.  For me, it was someone who I was close to my entire life.  I trusted her only to find out she had been gossiping about me behind my back.  When I asked her about it, it was even more painful, because she said some things that were un-true and indicative of her true feelings toward me. 

Why am I sharing this with you?  As women, relationships are important to us.  Having a safe place to fall and to be real is crucial to our emotional well-being.  Times like these really put our prayers and our belief in the power of prayer to the test.  We are called to be prayer warriors praying without ceasing for ourselves, our families, and on behalf of others so that we may be transformed and forged into a stronger weapon for Christ.  Warriors have a calling and see beyond the task at hand to the bigger picture.

David was a prayer warrior, and he cried out to God many times in desperation. Like in Psalm 79:8 he said, “Do not hold against us the sins of past generations; may your mercy come quickly to meet us, for we are in desperate need.”  Or in Psalm 142:6, “Listen to my cry, for I am in desperate need; rescue me from those who pursue me, for they are too strong for me.”  Do you allow yourself to cry out to God in these ways?

The Bible is full of compelling reasons and ways to pray.  

“Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.  And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” Phil. 4:6-7

“And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests.  With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the Lord’s people.” Eph. 6:18

Then I read scripture like the Sermon on the Mount: 

“Now when Jesus saw the crowds, he went up on a mountainside and sat down. His disciples came to him, and he began to teach them.  He said:

‘Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted.

Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth.

Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled.

Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy.

Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God.

Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God.

Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me.  Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.’” Matt. 5:1-12

Are there any of these, “Blessed are those who ‘_____,’” that you can relate to?  It seems contradictory to say it’s blessed to be insulted, persecuted, or spoken falsely of.  However, the word of God states it to be the truth.  I believe the whole Bible.  Not sections or portions, but the entire living word of God and I am choosing to believe these words spoken by Jesus about how is blessed. 

All I knew that my heart was torn into pieces as I lost every ounce of what I thought I had in that friendship.  If you feel like you are mourning, poor in spirit, meek, hungry and thirsty for righteousness, merciful, pure of heart, a peacemaker, or persecuted because of righteousness, you are blessed.  If you are persecuted by people who persecute you, and falsely say all kinds of evil against you, you are blessed.  This is what the Bible says.  Read your promises.  Hold onto those promises.  Believe in those promises.  Sometimes a promise is all we have.

“Faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things unseen.” Heb. 11:1

Thankfully, I found a scripture that Jesus was praying for me as the great intercessor.  Jesus said, “I pray for them. I am not praying for the world, but for those you have given me, for they are yours.” John 17:9

I had to face the hard truth that this person was no longer safe for me, and mourn the loss of what we had, or what I thought we had. The pain that followed was excruciating, and learning to trust again was almost impossible, as I was so afraid to be vulnerable enough to put my heart out there again.  What’s great about prayer is that God accepts a great big “HELP!”

Trusting again began with Jesus.  If I could trust him, I could entrust him with my heart, and ask him to put people in my path that were friends that I longed for.  True friends, even just one!

I want to encourage you, that as I spent years getting to know Jesus as my friend, he taught me how to be a friend, one that I would want.  He began to bring people into my life, and it felt like Christmas morning!  If you are feeling alone, or if you’ve been betrayed, look to Jesus.  He’s where our help comes from.  Here is a great song to listen to and allow it to become your heart’s cry….”Help!” 
- Jennifer G.

God I look to You, I won’t be overwhelmed

Give me vision to see things like You do

God I look to You, You’re where my help comes from

Give me wisdom; You know just what to do

I will love You Lord my strength

I will love You Lord my shield

I will love You Lord my rock forever

All my days I will love You God

Hallelujah our God reigns

Hallelujah our God reigns

Hallelujah our God reigns forever

All my days Hallelujah

- song by Jenn Johnson

From Good to Glorious

Go with me here for a moment and imagine what David’s life would’ve been like without God.  In his best moments David was good; a talented musical shepherd with respectable aim.  Maybe he would’ve eventually been a marksman in the Israelite army and earned prestige through his efforts.  Those are all good things, right?  In the eyes of the world they can be very honorable things, but David didn’t want the world’s prestige and that’s why God made him King.  God saw that in David’s heart of hearts his first love was not for the approval and appetite of this world, but for God’s glory and that made all the difference.

In God, David was…
Chosen, anointed, a king, called, obedient, saved, a conqueror, a repentant sinner, a mighty warrior, submissive, forgiven, loved, purposeful, honored, covenantal, sanctified, and redeemed.

What is the story of your life? Is there something in you that God wants to move from good to glorious? What has God been revealing to you over the past several weeks about who you are in Him?  Maybe it’s a new revelation or maybe you’ve been walking with Him for years and He’s reminding you of who you are all over again?  God longs for us to live with a holy confidence that we are His children; chosen, forgiven, and saved into eternity; none of which this world can offer us. It’s not about what we’re not and where we fail, but about to whom we belong. His grace saves, not our ability or inability to earn it. So how does your story read? I don’t know about you but I much prefer glorious endings to good ones.

In Christ I am…

A Cause for Us All

Photo by Eastop

A father to the fatherless . . . is God in his holy dwelling. God sets the lonely in families.

Psalm 68:5–6 (NIV) 

The first Sunday in November has become known as Orphan Sunday.  Taking it a step further, the month of November is becoming known as Defend the Orphan month.  As my family has been walking the path toward adoption over the last two years, this cause has become increasingly important to me and the plight of the orphan more poignant.  However, when I sat down to write this post I still had no idea of the force with which God implores us to rally behind the orphans in our world.  The Bible is full of God's heart for the orphan, beginning with us.

For he chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight. In love he predestined us to be adopted as his sons through Jesus Christ, in accordance with his pleasure and will—to the praise of his glorious grace, which he has freely given us in the One he loves.

Ephesians 1:4–6 (NIV)

We come to Him orphans with the destiny of heirs to the throne of the almighty God.  He doesn't look at us and see a broken, destitute people for someone else to care for.  He looks at us as his children, "adopted as his sons through Jesus Christ."  We have been given much with this legacy from the King and thus much is expected of us.  

“Freely you have received, freely give.” Matthew 10:8b (NIV)  

“We care for orphans not because we are rescuers. We care for orphans because we are the rescued.” – David Platt (Author of Radical: Taking Back Your Faith from the American Dream)

We see in the Bible God's heart for the orphan time and time again.  He holds the trust of the helpless, listens to their cries, comforts them, brings them justice, speaks for them and he calls us to do the same.

The helpless put their trust in you. You are the defender of orphans . . . . Lord, you know the hopes of the helpless. Surely you will listen to their cries and comfort them. You will bring justice to the orphans and the oppressed, so people can no longer terrify them. 

Psalm 10:14, 17–18 (NLT)

Speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves; ensure justice for those who are perishing. Yes, speak up for the poor and helpless, and see that they get justice.

Proverbs 31:8–9 (NLT)

Do not deprive . . . the fatherless of justice, or take the cloak of the widow as a pledge. Remember that you were slaves in Egypt and the Lord your God redeemed you from there. That is why I command you to do this.

Deuteronomy 24:17–18 (NIV)

His heart for us is that we will see his heart for the orphan and be convicted of our role in caring for, defending, advocating for, and advancing the plight of those in need of a home and a family to love them.  

Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world.

James 1:27 (NIV)

Learn to do good. Seek justice. Help the oppressed. Defend the cause of orphans. Fight for the rights of widows.

Isaiah 1:17 (NLT)

He defends the cause of the fatherless and the widow, and loves the alien, giving him food and clothing.

Deuteronomy 10:18 (NIV)

Give justice to the poor and the orphan; uphold the rights of the oppressed and the destitute.

Psalm 82:3 (NLT)

In a perfect world there would be no orphans or couples/families left yearning, but we live in a broken world and there is work to be done.  So he uses us, in little ways and big, to do that work.  He gives people hearts for adoption, fostering, and orphan care.  

He blesses some childless couples with an open heart for another way to create a family.  Our very own Sally Pattee wrote about her journey to adoption here.  He blesses some families with the desire to give kids a safe place to land for a season or a lifetime.  We have adoptive and foster families in our midst that take many shapes and sizes.  He calls us ALL to help in some way.  Adoption and foster care may not be in God's plan for you, but contributing in some way is.

Every third year you must offer a special tithe of your crops. In this year of the special tithe you must give your tithes to the Levites, foreigners, orphans, and widows, so that they will have enough to eat in your towns.

Deuteronomy 26:12 (NLT)

In the book of Matthew Jesus tells his disciples about the destruction of the temple and the signs of the end times.  He uses parables to illustrate what the Kingdom of God will be like and what will happen on the day of judgment, indicating that those blessed by the Father with inheritance of the Kingdom will be singled out for this because, “For I was hungry, and you fed me. I was thirsty, and you gave me a drink. I was a stranger, and you invited me into your home. I was naked, and you gave me clothing. I was sick, and you cared for me. I was in prison, and you visited me." Matthew 25:35–36 (NLT)  The disciples, confused, asked "when."  Jesus replied, "Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me." Matthew 25:40 (NIV)

He tells us, plain as day, that when you care for those who cannot care for themselves you are caring for Him.  Ignoring the plight of those who need our help is turning our back on Jesus.  So do something!  Donate diapers for the Heartland Diaper Drive - the response this year was a fraction of the response last year - it isn't too late, just talk to Amy Ames.  Head over to The Forgotten Initiative to find out how to help "Bring Joy and Purpose to the Foster Care Community."  Contribute to a friend's adoption fund or help them find ways to raise the money.  Learn more about places like Lifesong for Orphans or Covenant Children's Homes and find a way to help them reach those children left behind.

Treat Overload

Picture by canberkol

I don't know about you, but I struggle with the influx of candy and treats that comes with many of our major holidays - especially Halloween.  We try to limit processed foods in general, making halloween candy a nightmare.  A couple of years ago I started getting healthier candy alternatives to pass out to trick-or-treaters, but I am still left with extra if the demand didn't deplete my supply.  Add to that the candy haul from three excited kiddos and we could have a mountain of sugary excess that would make King Candy jealous.

So, what do you do with all of that (after you have squirreled away a few choice treats for yourself of course...or is that just me...)?  Typically we have allowed the kids to choose a couple of pieces, then the remainder is put away and usually forgotten, then months later thrown away.  However, I was curious as to what others did so I Googled it!

There is one post on about.com listing several Uses for Leftover Halloween Candy.  Some of my favorite ideas include: bake/reinvent it (with links to recipes), play/learn/craft with it, trade it (with a link for a dentist buy-back program), donate it (to food pantries, shelters, etc.), and...my favorite by far...EXPERIMENT with it!

If you are cool eating/using the sugary stuff, there is a post on about.com that lists 12 Ways to Use Up Halloween Candy.  Some ideas are repeats of the first post, others - like buying the candy from your kids - are different.  The comments/responses to the post have some ideas too.

What do you do with all of that yummy sugar?
- Katrina K.