A New Year, Book News, & A New Word

The wildlife of being a Schwanke has hijacked my writing time in 2019. At least my blog-writing time. You might be waiting for a next post in my “Kicking Anxiety” series . . . The first few flowed, and then I began to prepare for Christmas and all my plans went wonky. If you missed them, you can click here to read the first, second, and third posts. I hope to add several more in 2020.

The sled in the background was my Christmas present from my very thoughtful husband. <3

Today, I wanted to jump in and say HAPPY NEW YEAR!! Thank you for being a reader of my blog, and an encourager of my writing. 🙂

I also wanted to fill you in a bit on my life and work, and encourage your new year’s plan!

First, my writing news:

I had the honor of writing a chapter for a book last spring. “Sister Walk In Truth” (My chapter is ”Learn To Discern”)

And I have two chapters in a new book that is available TODAY! “Walk By The Spirit” (My chapters are on Prayer and Hearing God) I hope you’ll check those out.

I’m also doing a giveaway today, so read on!

Apparently God has called me to write about walking!

It just occurred to me as I wrote the titles that both books are aimed to encourage you on your walk with God.

This is sweet considering that on the other side of the anxiety pit, I remember sitting at my kitchen table, Bible opened, and talking with the Lord when suddenly a fear gripped me. The thought, “What if I fall back?!!” The idea weighed on my heart. Almost as quickly as the Voice came, “Kathy, just keep holding my Hand.”

And I knew that if I kept meeting with Jesus in the morning and reading His word, that He’d see to my freedom.

I knew how a good daddy wanted to provide and guide his children. His words to me gave me rest in the moment. They also imparted to me a gift of dedication to our daily meeting. As a result, this will be the twentieth year of reading through the Bible in a year.

Did you also know that many have declared the year 2020 as “The Year of the Bible”?

Will You Commit to Reading The Bible in 2020?

Yes, I’d love for you to buy books about walking with God! (BTW: my contribution to the book above is pro-bono, my work donated to the mission they support) But what we all really need is to know God through His word.

Obviously you don’t have to read the entire Bible in a year, but will you make a plan to do something every day? There are many options online. You can go to YouVersion to find one. I’ve used a One Year Bible most years (I LOVE this one!) but last year and this year, I’m using a journaling Bible so I can write notes in the margins. I plan on giving one to each of my grandchildren on their 13th birthday! So, I have printed off my reading plan.

The Way I Do It

Every morning, I sit and journal a bit (write a letter of thanks for yesterday’s goodness and pen any concerns I have) Then I write the day’s four reading entries in my journal. (I write in my Bible and in my journal) I write what I’m seeing or hear God saying in the margins of the Bible. Often I will write a prayer about what I’m reading. In my journal, I write one thought or prayer that summarizes the words I read.

This enables me to interact with the Lord, and hear Him speak to me.

My Word For 2020 Came Through Being With Him

I do not choose a word for the year, God gives it to me. I wanted to show you how He came to give me my word for this year.

I started praying about it. Kayla (my daughter) had been given the word, “rest” and I wanted that one too. (Who wouldn’t!?) So, I wrote it down. I kept praying and looking daily for the last week and a half of 2019.

The first word I wrote was “Blessed” but quickly brushed past it because who wouldn’t want that word either? And I went on, writing down or noting words that came across my radar: Revelation . . . Clarity . . . (You know, for 20/20!)

I wrote in my journal 12-30-19 “Lord, reveal to me your word for me. Open my eyes to Your will.”

Later, I put a word in the search bar of my blog, and ended up reading the ones that came up: The Immeasurable Value of Prayer; Prayer and How to Hear From God; and finally, How To Be Blessed.

There was that word I started with: Blessed. So, I read that post, and took note of the definition of Blessed:

The dictionary tells us that being blessed means to be consecrated, sacred, holy, divinely or supremely favored, blissfully happy or contented.

A bit later that morning, I was reading in one of my favorite Advent devotionals: Preparing For Jesus, and on the 6th Day of Christmas, I read:

And there it was again: BLESSED — and it tied in the other two words I had jotted down! “Revelation” and “Clarity” The spark came when I read the verse: “Blessed are the eyes which see what you see.” Luke 10:23

The day prior, I had been doing some research on the reason Levi’s tribe had been chosen by God to be the priests, because I knew it had to do with their to loyalty to God when the golden calf was created — it was a fierce loyalty that went all the way to turning against their own brothers. That kind of love for God doesn’t take into account our natural feelings, it doesn’t prioritize our feelings over obedience.

And I began to see more how we as believers in Jesus (we are all priests 1 Peter 2:9) are given the first commandment FIRST: “to love the Lord our God with all of our heart, soul, mind and strength” . . . and be willing to turn away from anything that would turn us away from Him. (See Matthew 22:36-38 and Luke 14:26-27)

The reason I was looking into this is because I sense many people are prioritizing people’s feelings over obedience to God’s word. (And I am feeling compelled to write more about this in the coming days . . . Would love your thoughts on this too!)

So I Knew BLESSED Was My 2020 Word!

Since I am BLESSED to have written parts of His story from my life in those two books, I want to give two sets of them away. (Two winners will each receive a copy of BOTH books!)

I don’t have physical copies yet of Walk By The Spirit, but will ship it to the winners as soon as I get my hands on it.

How to enter the giveaway:

1. Comment on this post.

2. Share it on one of your social media sites (Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, or email) and then let me know by tagging me on your post (or if you email, copy me on it schwankekathy@gmail.com

I will put your name in the drawing each time you share, and I will pick the winners out of a hat one week from today: January 8th! (Please send a separate comment here with your email address — which I will not publish — so I can contact you for your mailing address!)

GOD BLESS YOU AND YOUR FAMILY WITH HIS FAVOR IN 2020!!!

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Loyalty Fierce loyalty to God is what God is looking for in His people. There’s a story in Numbers 25, it reads like this: 7 When Phinehas son of Eleazar, the son of Aaron, the priest, saw this, he left the assembly, took a spear in his hand 8 and followed the Israelite into the tent. He drove the spear into both of them, right through the Israelite man and into the woman’s stomach. Then the plague against the Israelites was stopped; 9 but those who died in the plague numbered 24,000. 10 The Lord said to Moses, 11 “Phinehas son of Eleazar, the son of Aaron, the priest, has turned my anger away from the Israelites. Since he was as zealous for my honor among them as I am, I did not put an end to them in my zeal. 12 Therefore tell him I am making my covenant of peace with him. 13 He and his descendants will have a covenant of a lasting priesthood, because he was zealous for the honor of his God and made atonement for the Israelites.” David mentions this in Psalm 106 Then they yoked themselves to the Baal of Peor, and ate sacrifices offered to the dead; they provoked the LORD to anger with their deeds, and a plague broke out among them. Then Phinehas stood up and intervened, and the plague was stayed. And that was counted to him as righteousness from generation to generation forever. — Psalm 106:28-31 Phinehas loved God and he knew the cost of sin—to the whole nation. This love and knowledge caused him to take action and he brought salvation to the remaining people in the nation. We are living in a day when people call evil good and good evil—and many are departing from true faith in the fear of man—fearful of being identified with the truth of God because the truth of God is seen as evil. This is a test, brothers and sisters—to find out who love truth and are loyal to God and who are fickle and afraid of the truth. If there is anything we love more than God—our reputation, our kids, our wealth, our life—we might find ourselves departing from the truth and turning God against us. He opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble. Check your heart daily and make sure you’re abiding in the love of God.
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An old Chris Tomlin song sums it up: ENOUGH— All of you is more than enough for all of me For every thirst and every need You satisfy me with Your love And all I have in You is more than enough You are my supply My breath of life And still more awesome than I know You are my reward worth living for And still more awesome than I know All of you is more than enough for all of me For every thirst and every need You satisfy me with Your love And all I have in You is more than enough You’re my sacrifice Of greatest price And still more awesome than I know You’re my coming King You are everything And still more awesome than I know More than all I want More than all I need You are more than enough for me More than all I know More than all I can say You are more than enough for me
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Keep praying until you see the answer or believe the answer. Otherwise you might never see it. “Prayer is not only a calling upon God, but also a conflict with Satan.” ~Lottie Cowman Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer. Romans 12:12
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Recently, I’d asked a question in my frustration with not having received an answer to a question posed twice in my large family text thread. (It had been five days of silence.) The first sister to respond, after giving her valid answer, tacked on a reprimand with the words, “It would be nice if we assumed positive intent.” While I was not assuming negative intent, I just wanted an answer, I thought they were some of the wisest words and worthy of deeper consideration. The reality that we assume at all—and often—and the reality that our assumptions tend to lean toward negative are also worthy of our acknowledgement. Lord, help us! And then there’s the matter of ignoring texts. I’d like to talk about that—because from my end, it feels rude. I also admit I am occasionally guilty, because if a text comes in when I can’t answer it, I’m prone to forget about it—this is a problem. Where am I going with all this? I don’t really have an answer, maybe you do—but the two we came up with in our family: 1. We all need to offer grace (and we all need it). 2. We need to pick up the phone and call more. And, if we must assume, may we assume positive intent. Finally, the reason I thought about my sister’s wise words this morning is because I read Psalm 105:16-22— When he (God) summoned a famine on the land and broke all supply of bread, he had sent a 💫man ahead of them, 💫Joseph, who was sold as a slave. 💫His feet were hurt with fetters; 💫his neck was put in a collar of iron; until what 💫he had said came to pass, the word of the LORD tested him. — Psalm 105:16-19 Most people assume Joseph was arrogant when he told his brothers and his father his dreams—I’ve always resisted that idea. He told the dreams because he was given the dreams as a prophecy. (They actually exhibited more arrogance in their indignation!) I see this validated in verse 19–he wasn’t being arrogant, he was a kid with a dream. His telling of it would validate God’s plan when the dream came true—what a moment that was!! It’s best not to assume at all, but if we must … remember 1 Corinthians 13 love … offers grace, honors others, is not rude … keeps no record of wrong …
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Soli Deo Gloria Academy of Ballet backstage recital 2024
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Soli Deo Gloria rehearsal 2024 🤩
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Had to stop at Ethan’s on our way to get mulch. Mama was planting the garden. Dad was planting trees. I didn’t have my garden gloves . . . but I saw this field of yellow . . . and I consulted Google to find out “how to” . . . and so we learned. 🌼 🌼🌼🌼🌼 When life gives you dandelions, you must make crowns.
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Ruth— One of my most favorite stories. In chapter one we read of Naomi’s husband taking his family away from the Lord. He sought relief from the drought in Bethlehem among pagans. [Have you run away from God’s discipline and found yourself in a worse place?] He and his two sons died. Ten years in, Naomi hears the drought has ended and decides to move back to Bethlehem. Her two widowed daughter-in-laws start back with her. As she goes, she thinks, “I got nothing for these ladies, I should send them back.” After both women weep and initially resist, she reasons with them further, “Go, I got nothing for you!” — Oprah returns to Moab, but Ruth is determined to move toward God. “Your God will be my God!” —a resolute declaration of intention to go toward God. Upon her return, the town is stirred and Naomi states her perception of her plight. “I was Naomi—pleasant—but now I’m Mara—bitter—I went away full, and the LORD has brought me back empty.” Those who know how the story ends are smiling inside as we know nothing could be further from the truth. And actually, the opposite is true. This is the most beautiful story—and I will leave you with this cliffhanger. Go read the book of Ruth—it’s living proof that anyone who moves TOWARD the LORD moves TOWARD divine and glorious LOVE and the “immeasurably MORE than all we can imagine”. And it is a daily turning we must do—so prone to having Naomi’s lack of insight to God’s heart. Turn today! Turning is learning. Daily turning toward God is daily learning His love. Turn away and you turn toward dark. Turn toward Him and you find a fierce embrace—so strong you won’t ever fall away if you just keep turning toward Him.
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Photos from yesterday’s rehearsal. 🩰💐
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You may have heard me talk about my sweetest bestest friend Holly and her ballet academy @kararballetacademy and you might remember I mentored her daughter Elizabeth @herdandbloom in youth group and you may remember me posting a video or two of their amazing ballet and choreography and costuming artistry over the years … but maybe you didn’t know Holly moved away and the academy up here went into the very capable hands of Wendy @wendd43 … and this past year I’ve had the joy of bringing my granddaughter Ona to learn from Holly’s former students. And today, to my great JOY we all were together for the Soli Deo Gloria Ballet Academy spring recital! 💐🩰 My heart is full! 💕
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Trees behind everything. A tree in a garden. A tree—dead tree on a hill. A tree beside water, its leaf does not wither. The backdrop of the seasons and of the Chapters. What will become of us? Without God ruling – there is always chaos – violations of humanity against humanity. Want and War. Underneath the rule of God – loving service. Peace and Plenty. Out from underneath God – selfish destruction. Self service devastates the earth. Serving God blesses the earth. O, the reality of the beauty of the earth God made and the Way He gave! And the beauty of stewarding the Earth his way, under his Lordship—all is well. Out from under it—all turns to chaos. It’s never predominantly political. It’s always spiritual first, then political. We will only ever see order and goodness rule when we seek God’s rule. “Repent, for the Kingdom of God is at hand,” Jesus said. And that is His story.
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Sometimes we don’t advance or grow or do the thing we long to do because we get comfortable with something—but that something is in the way. Maybe your morning or evening routine is wasted on scrolling the socials … and those hours could be reclaimed for the thing you always want to do but don’t have time for. (Ask me how I know!) I have so many unread books and an unpublished, almost-finished Bible Study. This is my challenge to myself: USE your TIME wisely!
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Memories.
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There is God. God is good. There is a devil. The devil is bad. Ephesians six tells us our battle is not against each other, but against the powers of darkness influencing the earth (and her inhabitants) … so, if we remember this when we experience: CONFLICT … BITTER FEELINGS … INSECURITY … FEAR … ANGER … in our relationships—we will grant grace to others and to ourself and we will move toward one ➡️another⬅️ instead of ⬅️away➡️. We will honor one another 👑instead of scorn.😤 We will affirm one another 🫅🏼🫅🏽🫅🏻instead of criticize. We will free one another ✌🏼instead of condemn. 🫵🏻 Humility blesses humanity. Arrogance is a curse.
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In Judges 6-10 God appears to Gideon and gives us a spectacular story of using one man and a tiny bit of faith to lead a tiny army to deliver the nation of Israel from oppressive Midian. Because God chose Gideon, and God was with Gideon, the nation was at peace. But, alas, Gideon not only cast an ephod out of gold which became an idol for the nation, he also had many wives and one concubine from Shechem who bore a son, Abimelech. After Gideon dies, Abimelech’s mother incites him to kill all of Gideon’s other sons (70!)—but one escaped who prophesied what ultimately happened (9:20). Abimelech destroys the entire city of his mother and gets killed doing it. Every wise decision a leader makes has a blessed impact. Every sinful decision a leader makes has a negative impact. Decisions are seeds. We will reap what we sow. Everyone is a leader, even if only of the self. What is really beautiful in this sobering reality, is that whenever we turn to God—whatever bad seeds we’ve sown, whether from willful rebellion or ignorance, He will come in and redeem and restore and renew and rebuild what we’ve messed up. And that, my friends, is the reason Jesus is the (only) HOPE of the nations and the cities and the families and you! Lord Jesus, direct my steps today. Lead me in Your way that I will be a blessing. Amen.
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Isn’t our church pretty? My friend Holly draped the ceiling. I love that I am reminded of her artistry every Sunday since she had to move away. 💕 @hutchensholly @kararlady This is the Home School Co-op Spring Showcase. I’m so proud of the families that have worked so hard to make this happen—and I’m so blessed by those who’ve taught classes and who’ve blessed this community immensely. We have over THIRTY families and many on a wait list! I love that my three grandchildren are memorizing scripture together and when Ona forgets what she remembers—(as an old lady who sometimes forgets)—I feel less old (or more young!) and she gets to be an example of being “OK” when you’re not perfectly performing … then Anna came to her rescue … and this is what life is meant to be. GRACE! TOGETHER! Sowing and growing.
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He is holy! What does this mean and why does the idea of holiness conjure up negativity in many minds? As I read Psalm 99 today—the answer popped off the page! Imagine having been created by something less than holy love. Oh! You can’t! Why would anything less than perfect love create other beings to befriend himself? Nothing less than a Holy God would care to SHARE life! The Psalm highlights His power, majesty, love of justice and that He establishes equity. He answers us when we call! He cares enough to speak! He gave us His word! And when we rejected His love and were cut off from Him— He gave us His Son! He is merciful! He is gracious! He is faithful! He is steadfast in love! He never changes! And this is the REASON we worship the LORD with gladness: He is worthy! The only reason we would reject holiness is we still tend to doubt God’s love. The serpent still hisses in our ears: “He is not surely good.” And we still believe the serpent over a holy God. This is just stupid.
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Week’s Recap— 🌷Spring sprung. 🎖️Awards were given at Trail Life. 🗺️Bennett taught a class on map making at Sparrows Home School Co-op. (Lincoln’s sea creature is impressive!!) 🤾🏽Oliver and Parker in phy-ed.
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In the book of Judges, Israel kept falling into slavery and oppression because of their idolatry—until they cried out to the Lord—then God would raise up a Judge to deliver them. Judges 4-5 is the story of Deborah, a prophetess who was trusted by the people of Israel for her wisdom through her connection to God. (They were tight! 🤞🏽) One day she was summoned by God to summon the armies of Zebulun and Naphtali to take down the fierce oppressor, Sisera, commander of Jabin’s army (Jabin was king of Canaan who had oppressed Israel 20 years) of 900 chariots of iron. Through the willing (humble and trusting) army, the LORD of hosts took out the enemy. Sisera escaped and took shelter in the tent of a brave woman named Jael (courageous and faithful) who drove a tent peg through his temple while he was sleeping. The story ends with: “The land had peace for 40 years.” Because one woman had a relationship with the God of Angel armies, had influence because of her proven faithfulness and wisdom, and another woman had the guts to take out the head. 💥
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About Jesus, Dorothy Sayers writes that “the common people ‘heard him gladly’ but our leading authorities in Church and state considered that he talked too much and uttered too many disconcerting truths. So we bribed one of his friends to hand him over quietly to the police, and we tried him on a rather vague charge of creating disturbance, and had him publicly flogged and hanged … ‘thanking God we were rid of a knave.’ All this was not very creditable to us, even if he was (as many people thought and think) only a harmless crazy preacher. But if the Church was right about him, it was more discreditable still; for the man we hanged was God Almighty.” 💥 Yes, Lent and Easter is past, but the need for the story to be told and heard and understood is more imminent than ever. Do we love this broken world with its messy people and systems so much that we won’t spend time to consider the ancient story? What does it have to do with us? Why is it such a lasting, impactful story for so many? What effects has it had on history? Yes, his people are messy … yes, he is misrepresented by humans. But that’s largely due to the fact that people’s devotion is weak—we are prone to sleeping in the garden—and sleepy saints are not great representatives of the fire of Heaven. 💥 Sayers goes on to say, “‘[Jesus] had a daily beauty in his life that made us ugly,’ and officialdom felt that the established order of things would be more secure without him. So they did away with God in the name of peace and quietness.” 💥 May the same not be true for me and you. The Day of His return is coming. May we be found abiding in Him.
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Just a few captures of our niece @emily_leroux (and one of my sister @lerouxvv and her girl @jo_kriv ) from the shower today. 🤍 here comes the bride!! Can’t wait for the wedding!!!
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Weekending with grands. Dale took the big boys on a hike with Trail Life today. Tonight we had a fire and s’mores. Yesterday: When Granny slips out of the room for one minute, Oliver nabs her camera for slo-mo shenanigans.
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Sometimes looking up a word leads to greater clarification of what is being said. I think this is a good word for us all. #seekwisdom #dontbeinsolent #speakwisdom #bewise
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Grands … 🥰 And a PSA— I was set to get myself a bouquet of daffodils from the ditch after ballet. We learned a hard lesson last night—daffodils aren’t as innocent as they look. ☠️ While we were cutting, I let Max hold one. He basically destroyed the stem. Later he was crying from pain on his forearms that were turning red. After deliberating what might’ve caused the reaction, we looked up the daffodils and found this: “The bulb also contains chemicals called oxalates, which are microscopic and needle-like. When swallowed, oxalates cause severe burning and irritation of the lips, tongue, and throat. They can also cause skin irritation.” Since there was literal sap dripping from the stems, we realized they’re pulling much from the bulbs right now. Fortunately a bath and aloe applied to his skin took care of it. Also, Oliver doesn’t like smiling for photos. 🧐
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When we believe Jesus over our fears, we walk by faith, not by sight. Getting free does not mean never feeling fear. It means we RESPOND to fear with WISDOM in turning to Jesus, rather than REACTING from our own flawed understanding. When we walk by faith, we pursue; we do not retreat. When we walk by faith, we sow love by believing what is true of us; we do not fight. When we walk by faith, we glorify Jesus and will be rewarded in heaven. If we live by excises and allow our fears to hold us back, we lose ground that God means for us to take for our heavenly inheritance. Sit with Jesus and assess your heart. Ask Him to reveal the root of your fear and help you step out in courage to walk by faith. #buckyourfears #walkbyfaith #walkbyfaithnotbysight #heavenlyinheritance
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The Lord is good and His girls are gifts … and friends are friends forever if the Lord is the Lord of them … and these three amigos took a road trip down to see Mama Mary Ellen in Oklahoma …and also our dear friend Grace and her daughter and her grands … and we are Family …… I got all my sisters and me. And snacks and tales, memories and circus peanuts 😉😉😉 … and bouquets of love (and copious amounts of coffee) and hope and laughter and tears and Psalms … and singing hymns together … and His eye is on the sparrow … and we know He watches over His girls. 💕
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😭❤️‍🩹❤️🪴🙌🏼
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Jesus told the fishermen that followed Him—from the time they turned away from their former life—that they’d, from then on, be fishing for men. This is half the Kingdom mission. The other half is to teach them to obey everything He commands. The soul who “takes the bait” of Jesus, the word of God, is the soul that wins. When you shine your light and obey Jesus, you win souls who win! What do we all win? Him! Heaven! Home!
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Things you see in the country. Amos with a remote as a phone. Lincoln with the baby goat. …and a pretty rooster.
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Every morning when the sun rises, every day light dawns on me. When I look up at the sky, view the stars in the dark, watch the moon travel. The spring brings bursting buds and the birds and the song of rejoicing. Summer’s gifts, body’s bounty, on into fall with her bread and beauty. Alas, the rest of winter, we retreat to warmth of fire, wrapped up in wool in the wait. On we go into the day of seeing faces, friends and fools. Days filled with words, wondering and waiting, sometimes warring and warning, making and mending, seeking and sending our children out the door. And when my eyes meet the eyes of a baby, again and mostly then, I see God.
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HOPE The expectation that God is bringing new life from the cold-dark, and the certainty that nothing can stop Him.
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What now? We celebrated His death, we no longer need hide. Blessed resurrection, the gift to His Bride. Where does that leave us in yesterday’s wake? What will we now make of our life for his sake? Do we keep on with our empty pursuit? Will we ignore the offered new Root? Or will we see that the seed must die? And will we live for the One in the sky? Will we carry on His mission in this, His Earth? Will we receive His free gift of blessed New Birth? Will we receive His Spirit and live in His light? Or will we ignore Him and stay in the night? This is the question on this new Monday. Will we submit to God and live in His way? Are you defending and boasting and trusting yourself? Or, are you living true love with Jesus‘s help? So cast aside pride and bitterness and death; give Him your life; live in light of God‘s breath. Every word that he breathes is a love letter to you. Read and believe and tell God, “Yes.” And, “I do.” #JesusistheWay #wholeandfree #wholeandfreepodcast #bornagain #holyspirit #dietolive #trulylove #repentofpride
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A few of our crew. 🪴💐🪺 🐣 …when your daughter buys her husband and her father matching shirts for Easter …
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“Our disappointments, our lonelinesses and our defeats do not separate us from Him; they draw us more deeply into communion with Him. … In Him the despair that oppresses us becomes free to hope. … Beneath the cross of Christ hope is born again out of the depths.” ~Jürgen Moltmann
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This baby goat was rejected by its mother. When that happens, the baby must be bottle fed. Therefore he was brought to our Easter gathering last Sunday so he could be kept alive. Our sermon on Palm Sunday (the day we celebrated Easter) was about the Day of Atonement in the Old Testament and how it pointed to the cross of Christ. In Leviticus we read of the two goats offered on the Day of Atonement. One would be chosen as a sacrifice, the other, often known as a scapegoat, would have all Israel’s sins from the prior year imparted to it by the high priest laying his hands in its head and banishing it to the wilderness of Azazel—implying the sin was banished to the place of demons and death and the nation could continue in their relationship with God. In the story of the crucifixion of Christ, the high priest, Caiaphas, sent Jesus to Pilate who would send him to the cross. Jesus became the two goats. He became sin … He willingly took our sin upon Himself … was crucified on the hill of the skull … was banished to the wilderness of death … he banished our sins to the place of demons and death. He REMOVED our transgressions so we could be MADE WHOLE and SET FREE to become His Holy Family!! This is the reason today is GOOD Friday. His death is our liberation. Praise Him!
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It’s good to stop doing what you think you should do to do what you want to do. When we value performance and production over pleasure, we lack peace. ☀️Take a walk. ❄️Go snowshoeing. ☕️Visit a friend. 😁Sometimes simply smiling in the midst of a dark mood will swing your day toward the sunlight. #wholeandfree #wholeandfreepodcast #peace #takeabreak
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"I’m no longer ashamed that I am a big feeler. After a long time of feeling inferior for owning this burden, I came to terms with having been wired that way. One day a friend outright said, “Kathy, you don’t have to apologize for feeling deeply, God made you that way!” Immediately my mind shifted from shame to acceptance of my “weaker” self and I will love Diana Anderson forever for that service to my soul. Thank you, friend! (I wonder why we see feelings as weakness when feelings are part of our human make-up!)" [Read more on my Substack: Link in profile]
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Happy Sunday! Let’s fill the earth with praise! 🙌🏼 Behold, the eye of the LORD is on those who fear him, on those who hope in his steadfast love. — Psalm 33:18 To the choirmaster: with stringed instruments. A Psalm. A Song. May God be gracious to us and bless us and make his face to shine upon us, Selah that your way may be known on earth, your saving power among all nations. Let the peoples praise you, O God; let all the peoples praise you! Let the nations be glad and sing for joy, for you judge the peoples with equity and guide the nations upon earth. Selah Let the peoples praise you, O God; let all the peoples praise you! The earth has yielded its increase; God, our God, shall bless us. God shall bless us; let all the ends of the earth fear him! — Psalm 67:1-7
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Thoughts on seeing (or not seeing)— Reading Luke’s gospel, I’m watching the religious leaders watching Jesus. They watch with an eye to destroy him. He does mighty miraculous works—the good things of restoring shriveled hands, healing men from leprosy, casting out demons and most importantly, freeing the captives from being dominated by sin and subject to death (ultimate separation from God) and they hate him. They seethe with fury. They seek to trap him. They are so blind to reality because of their pride. Too proud to acknowledge what they’re seeing is a better way. A powerful way. A glorious way. The right way. At once I see the whole world minus those who truly see Jesus for who he is—cannot really see. Cannot really see him as he is. Unless Jesus opens our eyes, we cannot see the obvious about Jesus—or about much of anything for that matter. He must pull back the veil. Seek Jesus and truly see.
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We need wise leaders. We need wise parents. Last week I posted on the importance of discipline. It’s essential to this life and the next. I believe our society and the church is suffering greatly from failure to discipline. Just like the Israelites that whined in the desert lost their lives, so are we (generally speaking)—losing for being so squishy with ourselves. Why do we understand this when it comes to winning in sports and making big bucks, but failing when it comes to developing character and self-sacrifice and integrity? Our priorities reveal what we worship. Fear God and you have nothing to fear. Only one life, ‘twill soon be past; only what’s done for Christ will last.
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Every Day. Everyday experience is learning. Every moment matters. Make the most of moments. 🩷🩷🩷
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They talked grandpa into making a fire. S’mores FTW!
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Jesus. God made Him who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf, so that in Him we might become the righteousness of God. ~ 2 Corinthians 5:21
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It’s not hard to see— He’s all fun and funny and charming personality. Or how in-demand he is, and why. (Pictures—worth a thousand words 😉and sorry, Caitlin, for using “that one” but, it’s so funny!) 😆 It’s such a joy to see my son grow into a man of integrity, a faith-filled faithful husband and father, who works hard to keep his priorities and balance life’s demands with nurturing his marriage and raising his children to love the Lord. Happy Birthday Ethan @dadbod_810 I love you!
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It’s quite amazing—freedom and life are synonymous. Let Him who is life (the way, the truth, the life, the light) rule your heart and you’ll be alive and free, eternally. 💜
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The Bible is, among many wonderful things, an invitation to seek and find. Reading the Word, like looking for the words … I just had to share this bit of light over here from today’s reading of my One Year Bible plan. God is so amazing!! How I love His word—and most especially the first two chapters of Luke!! Luke 2:36-52 After the glorious blessing by Simeon … we read one tiny paragraph about one tiny powerful prophet—Anna, faithful, devoted, and in tune with the Holy Spirit. I just think it’s so cool that there was a papa-prophet and a mama-prophet to speak the confirming truth over the baby-prophet. 🕊 Then, we see the boy, Jesus, lingering with the teachers, asking questions, seeking and growing in wisdom. He who was the Word at the beginning, the Wisdom that was there when the world was made, learns of Himself through the mouths of human teachers. He is like the earth that drinks the rain that comes from the clouds which have received their fullness from the earth.
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Thots and things— On the crucifixion. Illumination from “The Unseen Realm” by Michael S. Heiser (get this book!) Planters springed up at church. C.S. Lewis quote on repentance.
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Afternoon. While Dale collects sap (his new love), I read in the Jeep. Aaah, this refreshing air. The sound of silence between creaking trees. #naturetherapy #earlyspring2024
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A Mikhtam of David, when he fled from Saul in the cave. Be gracious to me, O God, be gracious to me, For my soul takes refuge in You; And in the shadow of Your wings I will take refuge Until destruction passes by. I will cry to God Most High, To God who accomplishes all things for me. He will send from heaven and save me; He reproaches him who tramples upon me. Selah. God will send forth His lovingkindness and His truth. — Psalm 57:1-3 🕊 Psalm 57 … I think I’ll tuck myself under Your wing again, Lord … I’ll feel your love … hear your kind-strong heart beat love. Oh, the consolation of Your nearness … the comfort of Your faithfulness to me. I remember. I remember all the ways You’ve been so good. You made my blind eyes see in the light of Your love. You surgically removed my self-reliance and tended the fear-fissure of my once hard and tender heart. You’ve heard my cries a hundred thousand times and You made my trembling heart … find rest. What miracles are these!?! It’s You! My Prince of Peace. It’s Your steadfast love that sustains me in this rugged-wild land—this world full of devils and dis-ease. I can be at ease? Oh, yes! Yes! Yes! Yes! For on that resurrection Day! You did it! You won my VICTORY!
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Spring 2024 The pond is nearly empty after a mostly snowless winter. These charming dilapidated structures have history. And history has meaning. People dreamed, decided, and did some stuff. I will be going to the house of mourning for the third time this year on Saturday. I also have a person close to me who has been entangled and has been entangling others (reminding me that ALL of our decisions have an impact!) by making costly decisions. It has been a very sobering year so far. It’s difficult to scroll the socials, watching people in their various pursuits (home reno, business building, political activity, etc) when I’ve been this close to death and to the cost of deception. Life on the surface of earth feels trivial—even though I’d rather dwell there, I’ve been forced into the deep. It’s also Lent—a time to focus on the reason for Jesus—HE CAME TO SET THE PRISONERS FREE from the self-destruction of our sin. He came to offer peace and joy and hope and freedom. And today, even in an impending earthly drought, a looming election, a staggering amount of gloomy stories—Jesus—His life, death and resurrection are all that matters. He alone is HOPE! Hope for Heaven instead of hell upon death. Hope for freedom for the prisoners from their bondage to sin. Hope for those left in the ashes of death or groping in the wake of another’s sin. Knowing Him who is our King of kings and Prince of peace and Savior from sin is assurance of GOOD coming from whatever difficulty or destruction or even death that He allows on the surface of earth. Do you know Him?
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In a garden, Jesus knelt in agony to pray. In this tension: Human impossibility combined with Divine infallibility— At once CLASHED in the soul of the God-Man in the Garden. And after surrendering his will to the will of the Father, Jesus stood up, courageous, knowing what he was walking toward. The blood of sweat spilled before the Lamb was killed. “Why?” Pilate asked when the crowd released a criminal and cried “CRUCIFY!” of the innocent. Why? Why did He have to die?
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Dreamy March day.
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Trouble? Are you having a hard time hanging in there? We see him on the cross, staying, every moment. When He has all power and authority but chose not to use it— And all the moments between Gethsemane and Golgotha—He stayed the course. This God of love who CAME DOWN so we could be raised up! Such love …
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Who is Jesus? Who is Jesus and why do Americans celebrate Easter if they don’t seek an answer to this question?! Kahlil Gibran illumines the way that many look at Jesus on Easter and then go on their merry way without being impacted. Most people think He is weak, a victim. Or they don’t think at all. He writes: “The Nazarene was not weak! He was strong and is strong! But people refuse to heed the true meaning of strength. Jesus never lived a life of fear, nor did he die complaining. He lived as a leader; he was crucified as a crusader; he died with a strength that frightened his killers and tormentors. Jesus was not a bird with broken wings. He was a raging tempest who broke all crooked wings. He feared not his persecutors nor his enemies. Free and brave and daring he was. He defied all despots and oppressors. He saw the contagious pustules and amputated them. He muted Evil and he crushed Falsehood and he choked Treachery.” ~Kahlil Gibran; The Crucified, entry 23 in Bread and Wine by Plough Publishing 📸 of a Sunday school class I taught —to women seeking to know Him who made us and loves us and died to redeem us. ✝️
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Why? Why did they? Why did we? Why did I crucify innocent Jesus? And some began to spit on him and to cover his face and to strike him, saying to him, “Prophesy!” And the guards received him with blows. — Mark 14:65 And this is the judgment: the light has come into the world, and people loved the darkness rather than the light because their works were evil. For everyone who does wicked things hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his works should be exposed.” — John 3:19-20 “Innocence accuses its accusers,” writes Walter Wangerin Jr. And just prior to that statement, “True goodness accuses true evil; the better the good one, the worse the bad one, and the more outraged for being shown so. To sinners, the mere presence of goodness can feel like an attack. It triggers guilt. Guilt hurts. Guilt forces us to notice ourselves, thereby to question and to second-guess ourselves; and such an internal process destroys the joy of an unconscious life. We are altogether too conscious, suddenly —too self-aware. Doubt destroys the thoughtless satisfactions. So: who provoked such complications and pain? Him we hate! Goodness is a spotlight. It shines on our shame, our filth, our deformities; it picks out the parts we hide from the world and even from ourselves. We will strike at that light. We’ll haul it into court, discredit it, and smash it in order to put it out. We’ll spit on it and belittle it. We’ll blindfold it, hit it, and ask it to prophesy—all to prove what a fraud this “prophet” is! (And to dehumanize him! Get it?) Where patience shines, impatience is revealed and hates the attention. Kindness shows unkindness to be hideous. True joy intensifies true bitterness; gentleness enrages belligerence; and self-control proves the pig to be nothing but a pig.” ~Walter Wangerin Jr. 🌟 The prodigal son came to himself in a pigpen. Then, he decided to run home to the Father and the Father threw him a party! Jesus endured the cross, despising the shame of it for the JOY of accomplishing our redemption. He is the LIVING HOPE for everyone who runs home to Him! Blessed are the unclean when we run Home to be bathed in Jesus! MERCY!
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beauty To you, we are drawn. You allure the eye to drink deep, the ear to listen, intent—and both land in the heart that considers, ponders, meditates upon what it sees and hears and delights in. The Creator reveals His heart through His creation. Wonder and mystery; the music of Heaven, given. The Word put on flesh and dwelt among us, He is the exact representation of the Creator—the Father who spoke it all to LIFE. And if He who did not spare His only Son, but gave Him up for us all … will not He who gave all—the sun and moon and stars, fields of bread, vines for wine, sunsets for love, oceans for wonder, mountains for awe, humans to co-create the arts of wonder with Him … will not He give us everything we need? Oh, man of dust who thrives on breath from Heaven—we can trust. Trust Him who lives among us, Emmanuel, Prince of Peace, Ruler of the Universe—He calls out with beauty, “Come, take your rest in my love. Enjoy Me. Live free from anxiety. Lift your eyes, incline your ear, let Peace rule your heart.” It’s hard. Hard for humans to “let” when we so desire love and are imprisoned by fear of not being, compelled to grab, compete, fight or flight. But the offer is in the continual call of beauty: LOVE … see and hear and understand … God. He is all the love you and I need. And when we are satisfied in Him, He pours through us, and earth is filled, not with war, but hearts ruled by Peace.
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The Set Apart Conference 2022 🩷
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Discern We live in a day of devaluing discipline which results in enabling. And enabling is not love. Enabling fails to move people to be productive, responsible citizens which erodes everyone’s quality of life. (Have you noticed this fallout?) We want to alleviate pain and hardship, which is a good desire, but the desire requires using wisdom. Ask, “Will my alleviating this pain help this person UP to be more? Or might it foster lazy dependence and ‘drain you to the dregs’?” Here’s the thing: we think we are saviors, but that’s self-worship. Every decision we make that makes us the savior PREVENTS people from depending on the only REAL SAVIOR: JESUS. You are not the savior! Don’t let your human love get in the way of people finding out that they need Jesus. Don’t be a pain-shield. Be a pain-steward.
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TRIAL— And the high priest stood up in the midst and asked Jesus, “Have you no answer to make? What is it that these men testify against you?” But he remained silent and made no answer. Again the high priest asked him, “Are you the Christ, the Son of the Blessed?” And Jesus said, “I am, and you will see the Son of Man seated at the right hand of Power, and coming with the clouds of heaven.” And the high priest tore his garments and said, “What further witnesses do we need? You have heard his blasphemy. What is your decision?” And they all condemned him as deserving death. And some began to spit on him and to cover his face and to strike him, saying to him, “Prophesy!” And the guards received him with blows. — Mark 14:60-65 The weight of darkness suffocates me when I feel it—You too, Jesus, until You prayed in Gethsemmane— “Take this cup of wrath, Father. Yet, not my will, Yours.” Dear God, Your wrath is to be feared more than theirs—and theirs is like cast iron on my chest. Thank You for saving me, Jesus. ❤️
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The Global Church is gathering on March 1, 2025, and I’m going to be there (hosting a gathering)! Christians from every nation will join together in prayer, worship, repentance, and commissioning. This is a gathering like never before. I hope you’ll join me at @Gather25 (For more info see Gather25.com)
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We cozied things up at church tonight at our Winter Refresher … it was delightful!! Food•Laughter•Conversation•Message by @JennieAllen “Find Your People”•questions for a panel of Seasoned Sisters •Games•Watercoloring•Snacks👌🏼🤩 We have found that @emilylexstudio watercolor guides are a PRIME activity for engaging hand and heart and conversation.
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Why? We must consider this question about Jesus’s death on the cross which stands as the marker of TIME. All our counting of our years centers on Him. Barbara Brown Taylor writes: “THERE ARE MANY WAYS to tell the story of what happened on Good Friday. According to John, it involved a collusion between religion and politics. While Pilate and the chief priests conspired to solve their mutual problem while managing to remain enemies, Jesus stood at the center of the stage like a mirror in which all those around him saw themselves clearly for who they were. One way we Christians have avoided seeing our own reflections in the mirror is to pretend that this is a story about Romans and Jews. As long as they remain the villains, then we are off the hook - or so we think. Unfortunately, this is not a story that happened long ago in a land far away. Sons and daughters of God are killed in every generation. They have been killed in holy wars and inquisitions, concentration camps and prison cells. They have been killed in Cape Town, Memphis, El Salvador and Alabama. The charges against them have run the gamut, but treason and blasphemy have headed the list, just as they did for Jesus. He upset those in charge at the courthouse and the temple. He suggested they were not doing their jobs. He offered himself as a mirror they could see themselves in, and they were so appalled by what they saw that they smashed it. They smashed him every way they could. One of the many things this story (of the cross) tells us is that Jesus was not brought down by atheism and anarchy. He was brought down by law and order allied with religion, which is always a deadly mix. Beware those who claim to know the mind of God and who are prepared to use force, if necessary, to make others conform. Beware those who cannot tell God’s will from their own.” ~Barbara Brown Taylor
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Concrete Hard, Dark Blind & Dead God hardened Pharaoh’s heart, They say. By asking him to yield his way. “Obey” He could have chosen the other way: To submit to God To serve God’s say. But hearts of stone are blind, you see. And hearts unborn are bound, not free. His will was set. His way, he thought best. He resisted God, And you know the rest. He and his soldiers, drown in the sea. His nation impoverished; Hard hearts cannot free. Moses was the sayer back In Pharaoh’s day. Now Jesus is here to show us God’s grace. “I will give you a new heart, one that is free! I will take your hard heart, give it to Me!” I’ll put My Spirit inside of you, Then you’ll do what you cannot do. Kill your dark pride. Surrender to Me. Drink in My grace and you will be free! And this is the way of the cross; it is hard. But the pain of surrender leads to joy in the heart. Beauty and vision and attachment to God. Hope, joy and peace forever with God. #LentenMeditations #poetry
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Why? Fleming Rutledge writes, “When you reflect upon Jesus Christ, hanging on the cross of shame, you understand the depth and weight of human sin. How do we measure the size of a fire? By the number of firefighters and fire engines sent to fight against it. How do we measure the seriousness of a medical condition? By the amount of risk the doctors take in prescribing dangerous antibiotics or surgical procedures. How do we measure the gravity of sin and the incomparable vastness of God‘s love for us? by looking at the magnitude of what God has done for us in Jesus, who became like a common criminal for our sake, and in our place. When you really come to know, the unconditional love and forgiveness of Jesus, then you will also come to know the depth of your own participation in sin. And at that very same moment (this is the glory of Good Friday) you will come to know the true reality, the true true joy, and gladness, of the good news of salvation in Jesus Christ, our Lord.” Romans 5:8 But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.
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Just couldn’t stop. #cuernavacasunrise
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Why the cross? Why do we celebrate Jesus and Easter? J. Heinrich Arnold sums up the reason in Bread and Wine; readings for Lent and Easter, maybe the most powerful answer to the whys and whats of all time: “Christ died on the cross to break the curse of evil and vanquish it once and for all. If we do not believe in the power of evil, we cannot comprehend this. Until we realize that the main reason for his coming to earth was to do this on our behalf - to free us from the powers of darkness - we will never fully understand our need for the cross. We can search the whole world, but we will find forgiveness of sins and freedom from torment nowhere except at the cross.” ~J. Heinrich Arnold
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Elements of beauty from Cuernavaca.
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Home.
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Bus ride to Mexico City with a sunrise. 🇲🇽
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Final workday. Hung the sign! Malegro de Vida Miracle Of Hope Children’s Home Cuernavaca, Mexico ❤️ Some of the ladies who heard my message on Wednesday brought us a yummy cake. 🍰 Gary with some of the children. Dale and Travis built the cabinets. Yours truly stained and polyurethaned them. Look at those two satisfied cabinet makers. Finally, a video of the children’s play area(!!) What a week!! •Curtain rods and curtains hung. •Doors painted and trimmed upstairs. •Kitchen cabinets built, installed and finished. •So much concrete poured!! •Three bathrooms painted. •Swing set built. •Children’s playground up. •Yard cleaned, gravel, black dirt, and grass seed spread.
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Familia. The Team. We were gifted a dinner at this lovely restaurant yesterday, which hosts a Sunday men’s gathering. Pastor Randy spoke at their gathering on Sunday morning.
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Day 3 Sunrise out my window. Ladies gathering … I gave a message about holding the Hand that holds you. Back at “the ranch” … The playground is coming along. The guys building it tell me they want a lounger up there for the view. Betty and crew making us a most delicious Mexican meal. Men on the concrete crew. Unfortunately the cement mixer crashed (in seeking to restart it, the pull-cord broke!) so they finished by HAND! Annalea helped flute the edges of the homemade tortillas.
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Day 2.2 Bunch of Dudes doing stuff. Or not. 😉 (It’s hot!)
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Day 2 Morning. Blackie. Children’s play area. Outdoor laundry. Children’s play area. Ready for school. Black dirt. Children’s play area. Annalea. Sidewalk prep.
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Cuernavaca Workday 1 📸 1 & 2 Annalea (16) and I painted three bathrooms. 📸 3 Gary & Mike ready for the day. 📸 4 Rod and Randy hung curtain rods and many of the curtains I brought down. 🎥 5 The men leveled a large pile of gravel to prep for black dirt in the courtyard. Concrete was poured for an outdoor laundry area. 📸 6-10 The men are building a play area fit the children in the courtyard while Dale and Travis build cabinets for the kitchen. The large pantry is installed! We are eating very well with Pastor Chaio and the family and the children. Ready for WorkDay 2!
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From Bread and Wine: “The status quo is too alluring. It is the air we breathe, the food we eat, the six-thirty news, our institutions, theologies, and politics. The only way we shall break its hold on us is to be transferred to another dominion, to be cut loose from our old certainties, to be thrust under the flood and then pulled forth fresh and new-born. Baptism takes us there. On the bank of some dark river, as we are thrust backward, onlookers will remark, “They could kill somebody like that.” To which old John might say, “Good, you’re finally catching on.” ~William Willamon (Link in stories)
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❤️ V A L E N T I N E ❤️ S N O W ❤️ I don’t know if I’ve ever been so happy to see snow (except for Christmas!) … and the walleye at @dallescafeandcoffeehouse was spectacular. Plus a 🌹?!!! 🥰 The man scored!
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The truth is, we atrophy without engaging challenges with faith and prayer and grit. Apathy, passivity, entitlement and unbelief reap death.
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Tomorrow is the start of Lent. Giving yourself to embrace the journey of these 40 days leading up to Resurrection Sunday will be good for your soul. (I recommend reading Walter Wangerin Jr’s rich work: “Reliving the Passion” as a companion) https://a.co/d/dkS24tv Today, I read Matthew 27–the crucifixion of our Christ. When I read verses 51-54 … my heart tore with the curtain, split with the rocks, broke open with the tombs and I MARVELED at the thought of the people coming out of their tombs and visiting Jerusalem! (And I wondered how they went back into eternity!!) Such anticipation for answers to all our questions!! Come, Lord Jesus!! TALK ABOUT HOPE!!! ✨💫✨💫✨💫✨ And behold, the curtain of the temple was torn in two, from top to bottom. And the earth shook, and the rocks were split. The tombs also were opened. And many bodies of the saints who had fallen asleep were raised, and coming out of the tombs after his resurrection they went into the holy city and appeared to many. When the centurion and those who were with him, keeping watch over Jesus, saw the earthquake and what took place, they were filled with awe and said, “Truly this was the Son of God!” — Matthew 27:51-54
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Living … always in fear of how we are perceived by fallible people—or grumbling about how those people are failing us—might be the most debilitating ball and chain there ever is. What can set the prisoners free from this bondage to human opinion or this bondage to putting our expectations on human perfect performance on behalf of our self? I wonder if the one key to freedom and to really receiving the radical, free, faithful LOVE of our One True God is understanding that we are humans made of dust who don’t deserve anything good … who, without God have no power. At all. Is it from that place in the dust that keeps us always looking UP and seeing the beauty of the sky with grateful hearts, and the clouds and rain and pain as gifts too? When we live before humans and according to what they do or see or say, we fear and fight. When we live before God, according to what He does and sees and says, we live free and rest. Live seeing humans see us and be in bondage to humans. Live seeing God see us and be confident we are His beloved. #wholeandfreepodcast #livefree #JesusSaves #turntoJesusandbefree
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Nothing quite like a pile of children! 🎈
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BELIEVE We are the Light of the world and the darkness will not overcome it.
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✨ I woke feeling anxious this morning, I told Jesus, “I feel like I’ve been bombed.” I’ve had too many fiery darts aimed at me too close together. When I am anxious I sit with Him who sees my heart and knows me better than I know myself. “Lord, I need Your peace!” The quest for rest involves QUESTions. A quest to get to the heart of the matter. I’ve used an @annvoskamp acronym from her Way Maker book to process what’s going on inside: SACRED Stillness to know God Attentiveness to hear God Cruciform to surrender to God Revelation to see God Examine to return to God Doxology to thank God This process asks questions and questions draw out the unbelief hidden in the heart that is causing unrest. The other tool came recently through a sermon from @fcchudson with a diagram of sun ☀️ and 🌳 and ❤️ The rays of the sun are “heat or pressure” in your life. Things like: Sadness Sin Sickness Satan Sinful people Suffering Success The ❤️ is the ROOT of the 🌳 The FRUIT on the 🌳 in your life stem from: Emotions Actions Reactions Which come from the ❤️ The QUESTions to ask to uproot unbelief from your heart: What do I want? What do I fear? What do I trust in? I most often find I am fearing failing to do my part, forgetting that it is God’s GRACE that enables me to do anything—which puts me in performance mode and then I become anxious. Galatians 2:20 is the remedy for performance-based striving. Remember: it’s never about you getting things right, it’s about BELIEVING GOD is going to make all things right. It’s never about you fighting the battle it’s about trusting He already won the battle. It’s never about you holding it all together, it’s about Him who holds all things together. I’m grateful to have learned (and I keep learning) this lesson: When I fail to steward my heart in the heat, I inevitably get in God’s way and suffer for it. Freedom comes through surrender. Be still and know that He is God and I am not. Amen.
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Life is war. Almost every day we meet our sinister opponent, unbelief. Discern. Engage. Win.
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My heart yearns … For people to be set free from destructive mindsets. The Bible calls them “strongholds” because they’re hard to break—like ditches in the brain—addictions. We understand addictions to drugs and alcohol. But we tend to label addictions of the mind with “mental illness” which, I believe, keeps people bound under labels. We even bind ourselves in these strongholds when we say or think things like, “it’s just the way I am.” Or, “I’m like my mother.” We bind others in faithless words like, “he will never change.” Do you know people can be “addicted” (chained) to anger, lying, laziness, cynicism, etc? The good news is —always— that Jesus told us the TRUTH (He is the Truth) will set us free when we KNOW and BELIEVE it. The beautiful thing is, He offers HOPE for everything to CHANGE by His enabling grace—through FAITH in the TRUTH. He came to set captives FREE! Truth and Light and Life are all found in the One who resurrected—He broke the prison chains! The word “repent” is much like the alcoholic at AA, admitting the sin is the first step to freedom. Then, offering the life to be transformed by the renewing of the mind. Romans 12:2 Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect. See also Isaiah 61:1-3 ❤️ Warning against deception and unbelief: Colossians 2:8 See to it that no one takes you captive through philosophy and empty deception, according to the tradition of men, according to the elementary principles of the world, rather than according to Christ. As I pray for freedom for captives, I was reminded of the stanza in my favorite hymn: A Mighty Fortress Is Our God “And though this world, with devils filled, Should threaten to undo us, We will not fear, for God hath willed His truth to triumph through us: The Prince of Darkness grim, We tremble not for him; His rage we can endure, For lo! his doom is sure, One little word shall fell him.” It is FAITH in God’s power over darkness that enables us to form new grooves in our mind and be FREE!
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“The marvel of the Redemptive Reality of God is that the worst and the vilest can never get to the bottom of His love.” ~Oswald Chambers That person you hate? The one you criticize or complain about? (A President or a former one? Your nemesis?) Pray for their soul and your own will be humbled to know the love of God more deeply and purely.
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May integrity and uprightness preserve me, for I wait for you. — Psalm 25:21 Waiting for the Lord is hard for us, no? Especially when what we want and are fighting for seems so good to us. But here we see that waiting on the Lord, which is born of integrity and uprightness, PRESERVES us. Waiting for the Lord preserves us because our actions without Him are most often destructive or lead to destruction. And when we fail to wait for Him we actually compromise our integrity and our ways become crooked. (For wisdom supporting this truth, see Proverbs 3:5-6) 📷 from last year when it actually snowed in WI.
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“Indeed, everything may be at stake in the saying: he wants to suffer us, and we are indeed suffered by him. Can we suffer those who are different from us? May the others suffer us? Can we suffer ourselves? Whom can we “not endure“? We are always causing suffering for each other: siblings, husbands and wives, parents, and children, neighbors, and colleagues. These spheres of suffering are deeply implicated in the church and politics. If we ourselves are not able to suffer, then, nothing can possibly please us. But if we are able to suffer, then we take nothing amiss. The love of God, which is infinitely capable of suffering, reaches us in Christ. His love is passion: passion for human beings, and their worth, passion for the creation and its peace. Through his suffering because of us and through his death for us, Christ has accepted us and brought us to the glory of God. We must again, and again become deeply absorbed in the passion of Christ, if we are to know that he suffers because of us, for he wants to suffer us. In the depths of his suffering, we perceive the greatness of his passion for us. We are disarmed, whenever we recognize the suffering of God, which has borne, and still bears his passion to us.” ~Jürgen Moltmann Called To Community; Plough Publushing
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So. Much. Fun!!! It was a happy birthday for Elliot and all of us!!
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Finding photos of Elliot on his birthday was a bit challenging because unless we have him alone, he’s off to the races engaged in adventure. In the past we called him Ferdinand because if he saw a flower (or a dandelion) he stopped to pick it for whichever girl was nearby. He is bent toward art, is quite gifted at drawing, but is equally eager about swords and saws and light sabers. (And camping, fishing, kayaking and swimming!) He is a hard worker who cares well for their goats and he loves to help grandpa split and stack wood. Happy Birthday Elliot!
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I never imagined I would announce my next speaking event is in Cuernavaca, Mexico. But it is! Of all the years—and there’re been a lot of years 😅—this year when I’m aching for sunshine, God already planned this blessed departure from bleak, WI, to sunny Mexico to serve Him. 💕
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John 3 is a favorite study for me, because conversations with and about Jesus are my favorite. He’s so amazing!
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“Called aside— Oh, knowledge deeper grows with Him alone; In secret oft His deeper love is shown, And learned in many an hour of dark distress Some rare, sweet lesson of His tenderness.” [1/22 Streams in the Desert] “Into the desert place apart” (Matthew 14:13) To move out, away from daily rhythms, to be with another. In the case of adults, to quiet your soul with your Maker. To be still and listen, to read His love letter and let Him speak, is to come to know. Is to come to BE like Him. Our time with our children and grandchildren—these mutually beneficial love-investments, produce. Reflection of the time spent together. Elliot (8) and Lincoln (6, pictured here with Grampa) asked Grampa if they could stay overnight and “help do wood”. They cut and haul it out using a rope hooked to the big machine that runs on twin tracks. I hijacked photo number two from my daughter’s story yesterday—of baby brother watching big brothers through the kitchen window—working. A reflection of the training they’ve been receiving by being WITH the fathers . . . and the mothers. I noted today that many on my prayer list who have deep needs this morning have absent fathers. Fathers who’ve left them by choice or by death. And I pray mostly that they know the love of our Heavenly Father who reparents us as we are called aside to His side to learn His ways through the gift of His eternal word. Re-making us, a beautiful reflection of Him. He is Father to the fatherless. And a wonderful, perfect father He is. Blessed are the ones who are called aside and come, spend time with God, our Father.
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TRUTH — We’ve all heard it even if we don’t have our nose in the Bible regularly: the truth will set you free. — I’ve always had an innate desire for truth and an inability to be comfortable telling lies. Though I have, at times, been more uncomfortable with something else which made lying my perceived best option ... until I found out it wasn’t. — Lies, in truth, will never hold up. We might try to hide behind them; people might try to imprison us in them; labeling us falsely with judgements ... but only the truth is real! The only times lies can hold us hostage is if we believe them! — TRUTH is the sweetest gift God gives (Jesus is the Truth) and it is the sweetest gift we give ourselves and others. Truth hurts sometimes, but always toward the good-for-us. LIES always hurt and if unconfessed, wreck lives and relationships. — When we FEEL something is true, we must sort out our feelings to find out if they are accurate. Often our fears, our discouragement, our anxieties are based on lies. Lies can be born from fears, from comparison, from repetitive badgering from bullies, or from listening to culture’s ever-shifting perceptions. — It behooves us all to search for and find the TRUTH. It is for FREEDOM that Christ set us FREE. Stand firm then, and do not be burdened again by a yoke of slavery. Galatians 5:1
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I cherish these people. I’m extremely thankful for gatherings and photos. It’s really hard to minus one. (Peter) To minus two is horrible. (Dad) Minus 3 … really?!! (Janie) 💔💔💔 Not one will escape the minus. Thank God for Jesus! He is my certain HOPE!
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God has a goal within all of our disappointments in the humans who continually fail us. (Are you infallible? Why do we expect goodness from one another when we ourselves fail to be good?) Human fallibility is meant to shift our eyes 👀 upward, to move our hearts into Him, the only perfect Place of Peace because He is the only One Who is Perfect Love. So, every disappointment in people is an invitation to find satisfaction in God. The more we practice this, the more free we will be and the more people will feel free around us to be human and not gods. Blessed are those who can smile with love when they are struck by human sin because they’ve learned to abide in the love of God. To keep their eyes 👀 on Jesus. #wholeandfree #wholeandfreepodcast
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Subzero temps sting the skin like death the soul of those left behind. “I just want to get in where it’s warm!” and … “I just want to exit this dark hole.” Yet shafts of light beam into the cold-dark, and the soul somehow becomes … fortified, more sober in a world of war, reminded of temporality and hope of the truest, realest life: eternity.
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Spurgeon (continually) nails it. ✨ If anyone says, “I love God,” and hates his brother, he is a liar; for he who does not love his brother whom he has seen cannot love God whom he has not seen. ~ 1 John 4:20 ESV
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