You've all watched a house being built. A good builder digs down and puts in a strong concrete foundation so that the house will stand firm. A neighboring town was hit by a tornado yesterday. The photos of the houses showed an unbelievable site after the storm has passed through the community. How quickly your house can change!

We are building day by day -the house of our own lives. If we not only hear about Jesus, but do what he says, we are making a good strong foundation for our lives. Then when storms of temptation and trouble come, we shall not go all to pieces, but will stand firm. If we call him " Lord," Let's do what he tells us.

Song for today:

My hope is built on nothing less
Than Jesus' blood and righteousness;
I dare not trust the sweetest frame,
On Christ, the solid Rock, I stand,
All other ground is sinking sand.

We knew it was coming! He had asked permission months ago, to marry our daughter. But how much fun to hear her voice, "Mom, Matt asked me to marry him! I said, YES! We're engaged....." Just thinking about the wedding to come, and the home they will begin, brings a smile to our faces.

Engagement - the commitment to share a life together - to love, to serve, and to honor one another.
-a time of great expectation and joyful preparation.

In Bible days, the bride would get busy preparing herself and the things she would need for her new home. She would be listening for the voice of her bridegroom, and the announcement that he was coming for her!

Meanwhile, the groom would be preparing a home for his bride. When his father said all was ready, the groom would go to get his bride and take her to live with him.

Listen to the words Jesus used as our bridegroom, talking to us, the Church and His Bride, "In My Father's house are many dwelling places; if it were not so, I would have told you; for I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself; that where I am, there you may be also." John 14:2-3

Are we busy preparing for the life we will have with Jesus in eternity? Are we listening for His Voice, eager to have Him come for us? Imagine the place He is preparing!! Listen! He is coming soon.

Are we sure? Yes! We're engaged!

It’s spring and the Easter Season. I’m reminded in various ways of spring’s presence as I see the trees and plants blossoming. I feel warmer weather, and here in Arizona – spring training for the baseball teams.

As I reflect on Easter, I’m reminded again of the Amazing Love of our Lord Jesus. The very fact the Holy Sovereign God would come to earth knowing the cruel beatings, rejection and horrible death He would suffer as He died on the cross for me and you. What an awesome God he is! I can’t help but be thankful that His plan of Salvation included me. I have been forgiven, redeemed, cleansed by His precious blood and accepted as His child.

I Thessalonians 5:9
“For God hath not appointed us to wrath, but…salvation, by our Lord Jesus Christ.”

The hymn writer Charles Wesley has put into music the words that express so well my praise and gratitude for what Jesus did for me?

“And Can It Be That I Should Gain?”

And can it be that I should gain
An interest in the Savior’s blood?
Died he for me, who caused his pain?
For me, who Him to death pursued?
Amazing love! How can it be?
That thou my God, shouldst die for me?

He left His father’s throne above,
So free, so infinite His grace!
Emptied Himself of all but love,
And bled for Adam’s helpless race!
‘Tis mercy all, immense and free,
For, O my God, it found out me.

Long my imprisoned spirit lay
Fast bound in sin and nature’s night
Thine eye diffused a quickening ray;
I woke the dungeon flamed with light!
My chains fell off, my heart was free,
I rose, went forth, and followed Thee.

No condemnation now I dread:
Jesus, and all in Him, is mine!
Alive in Him, my living Head;
And clothed in righteousness divine,
Bold I approach th’eternal Throne,
And claim the Crown, through Christ my own.

Amazing love! how can it be, that thou my God shouldst die for me!
Amen.

This is my prayer for you; may you know this wonderful Savior and friend. May you give Him all your praise and worship today and always?

Estelle Rangen, a woman who was involved in Women’s Ministries until she passed away epitomized the easy “sharing of her faith” in all situations. Her daughter, Janelle Swenson, tells this story.

Several times I heard of Mother Estelle doing what seemed to be so natural for her – sharing her faith. During her cancer treatment days, one Sunday in Montana, Dad, Mom, and I drove the 30-some miles from their home in Ft. Shaw to a hospital in Great Falls for a shot to boost her white blood cells. After getting the shot, she said “I will just go in the Ladies’ Room for a minute, and then we can go.”

Dad and I sat in the hall waiting. A woman went into the Ladies’ Room and we continued to wait. After several minutes, out came the lady and Mom. Mom was saying to her, ‘Well, my husband and I pray together each day, and we will pray for your husband and son…’

When we got in the car, I said, “What was that about, Mom?” She told how that lady’s husband had been in a construction accident and his pelvis bone was broken in several places. The pain was bad, and he was despondent, and there was also trouble with their son.

This is only one example of many where Mom was able to share her faith during her regular living – even during those many cancer treatments. She was caring, people opened up to her, and she shared the love of Jesus, even in the most unlikely places!

In this month where we remember what Christ did for us on the cross, let us naturally allow His love to flow through us to those around us – to all those for whom He died.

I think of February as being the “Love Month” since we celebrate Valentine’s Day. We show love in special ways to those who mean a lot to us. In doing a recent Bible Study chapter on “love”, I was reading I Corinthians 13 “The Love Chapter”. Paul says if we do and say all these things and have not love, we are a resounding gong, a clanging cymbal, and we have nothing. “We love Him, because He (God) first loved us.” I John 4:19. This is the one and only reason we can love ourselves and one another. God truly desires our hearts. He created us and even in our fallen nature loves us and wants us for His own.

How is your love for one another, husbands, wives, families, neighbors, co-workers? Are we living in the light of Christ’s love for us? Are we loving as Christ loved? We live in a busy world challenged by many things around us including family, work, schedules, activities, unloving people, feeling like we’re just surviving. Let us remember to LOVE one another above all, and take the time to think about what that really means. It can truly affect who we are and how we see those around us.

I Corinthians 13:13 “And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.”

For the past few weeks God has given me a little extra time on occasion to just sit and talk with older women of our congregation. Sometimes we talked about spiritual things, sometimes about family, baking, our kids, vacations, etc… It never ceases to amaze me just how much you can learn from one another! And see how present God is in each of their lives. These women are truly a blessing, full of love, wisdom, grace, humility, laughter and much, much more. God has given each of our churches a wonderful resource that can not be written in any book.

So if you resolve to do something this year, maybe it could be to sit over a cup of coffee with a woman at your church that you really don’t know, or haven’t spent much time with lately. I didn’t realize just how much I was missing out on until God gave me the opportunity to do so. I’m sure going to look for more of those opportunities this year! After all, since God loves people more than anything, shouldn’t we?

My family went to North Carolina to visit my in-laws for Thanksgiving this year. We had a great time, and on the way home our 17 month old daughter was even being an angel despite the 12 hour car trip.

Then, after stopping for gas in Virginia, I switched with my husband and started driving. After literally being on the road for not more than 30 seconds, I was pulled over. I had no idea what was going on, and was in a fair amount of shock when the officer told me I had been speeding. My shock occurred for several reasons. First, this was my first ticket ever. Second, I had only been driving for 30 seconds and didn’t even know I was speeding because third, there wasn’t a speed limit sign when I pulled out of the gas station. So, I began going the speed that I believed to be the limit on the majority of that road.

Apparently I was wrong. Honestly, I was mad. Really mad. I could handle getting my first ticket, but not for something in my opinion I didn’t really even do! On top of it all, I pride myself for not speeding, which made this ticket that much more aggravating. Then my husband told me that I would get points that would raise our insurance. So now we have to try to get a lawyer 3 states away, in order for them to plead my case and reduce my violation down to something more reasonable.

After my anger died down and I assessed the situation (over and over and over again in my mind), I remembered the sermon I had just heard two days before about being thankful. The pastor said we should be in the habit of thanking God daily for who He is and what He has done for us. We should be in the habit of being thankful. Was I being thankful? Absolutely not! So, I tried to think of something to be thankful for about that ticket. I came up with thanking God that I got pulled over because only He knew what that extra time on the side of the road might have saved us from had we kept going. We did see some accidents down a little ways. God doesn’t have to explain Himself to us for the things He allows in our lives. But we do need to be thankful to Him for being in control, and for never leaving us no matter what the situation.

So, amazingly, my focus is changed, and though I am still perturbed at that seemingly undeserved ticket, I am deeply thankful to my heavenly Father for protecting my family on that long trip, and from whatever other unseen things may have been ahead. In EVERYTHING, give thanks!

As the days go by and my lists get longer I think to myself, "What can I get done tomorrow? Surely I could have done more today and crossed off more on my list today!"

Roba’s coffee house has a drive-up, grocery stores deliver, bills get paid online: having patience is not of this world. Our communities are getting busier and our daily lists get longer. How can a person have time for patience? Patience is a characteristic of the fruit that the Spirit desires to bear in our lives. It is proof of the presence and power of God in our lives. God has been the perfect example of patience. There was Noah and the Ark. How long did it take Noah to cross off building the ark from his list of things to do?

1 Peter 3:20 is an example in scripture of God’s patience toward people. Noah followed God’s instructions. God was patient for 120 years before he sent the flood (2 Peter 2:5) Noah also had the responsibility to preach during those 120 years. He did this without a single convert. WOW! Think of that never getting crossed off your list of things to do! This busy world measures success in such visible ways. And wants to see things are getting done in the shortest time possible.

2 Peter 3:9 “The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. He is patient with you, not wanting any one to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.”

2 Peter 3:15 “Bear in mind that our Lord’s patience means salvation!”

God has chosen to be patient with each one of us and delay our consequences that would have meant death because of our sin. It is encouraging to remember the examples of God’s patience and know we may bear fruit when we slow down and have patience!

The next time you are waiting in line impatiently or dealing with a difficult person that you have no patience for, consider this: If God is patient with us and He has no sin, how patient must we be toward others with whom we share the same sin?

Can you think of things that fade away…
o Summer is fading away – maybe not your memories, but there is reality in the changing temperatures and changing colors of the leaves.
o Fashions fade away…In Japan they are wondering if the kimono is going to stand the test of time when it comes up against the tank top and sandals.
o Clothing color fades away…My favorite sweater - which I have worn a whole lot because it is so comfortable - the color is fading away after a couple of seasons of wearing and washing.

Anything you have noticed in your life that is fading away? There are many things that can cause us to lose the vibrant color of life. Distractions, pressures, schedules, appointments, disappointments, vacations, trials, losses, changes, emotions or relationships can all affect the color of our lives. These can drain us of our energy and enthusiasm and focus in life. When the color goes out of our lives, we can begin to look for things to become vibrant again .What do you look toward to give you life again? Maybe it’s a rest (even from your kids), a vacation of sorts from all that is familiar, maybe it’s a good book, maybe a walk on the beach, maybe a new relationship, maybe a new house, a new outfit because your fashion is fading.
I believe true satisfaction and color comes into our lives first and foremost through a relationship with the living God, Jesus. Our hearts need to be revived.

“You who seek God,
let your hearts revive.”
Psalms 69:32b

o The Lord Jesus is the one whom we seek - He’s the source of our faith and the one who causes us to perfect our faith.
o We seek Him through His Word, the Bible to grow in the grace and knowledge of God and be restored, renewed, revived.
o As we worship together, we are able to encourage each other as we sing and speak spiritual hymns and psalms to each other.
o We build relationship in small groups and prayer that will encourage us, teach us, build us up, and perhaps even strengthen us to persevere in life no matter what comes our way.

Will you plan to make weekly Bible Study a part of your unchangeable schedule this year? It will help you keep from fading away spiritually, emotionally and perhaps even physically. There are many women that would emphatically tell you the impact that making an effort to seek God through a weekly Bible Study has made in their personal lives. Many women over the years have come to a decision that they will not make appointments or other arrangements for the time that they have set aside to study God’s Word, because it will keep them away from the very thing that they need to make it through their week.

So whether you are fading away or have the potential to fade away, let’s seek God together, so we can be revived, not just as individuals, but as women in our communities who can make an impact because of what we know to be true about Jesus. He is the one who can make us new again - who can restore us, make us live again as we seek Him together through his Word - who can bring back the color in your life.
Don’t let yourself fade away from Jesus…

When I sat down to write this devotional, I had just returned home from the National WMCLB Convention, and was thinking about how good it felt to be home where everything was familiar. Our 1920’s farm house has a bathroom, added in the 1960s, complete with pink sinks and tub. There are other irritating idiosyncrasies that we could live without and might drive anyone crazy who hasn’t learned to live with them, but they seem right to our family because they are part of our home, a place we feel comfortable. For most of us, this is also true of our local church; it makes us feel comfortable and that is why we chose it.

I’ve been convicted over the past several months of how we “do church”. Too often, church is somewhere we go to experience worship, not something that we ARE. Often, worship is something we do in church, not an ongoing, constant in our lives. I don’t think that being a Christian was ever meant to be a comfortable experience. Many of the terms used in Scripture to identify believers are terms with uncomfortable connotations: alien, stranger, slave, servant, prisoner, etc. The apostles and first Christians did not live comfortable lives. Their faith cost them everything; for many, their very lives. Worship was a way of life, not something reserved for the first day of the week in the synagogue.

Are you so comfortable with the routine at your local church that if Jesus came to your service on a Sunday morning and asked to rearrange the sanctuary or change the style of music, you’d go home saying something like, “The nerve of that guy; who does he think he is”? Have you ever asked yourself what worship will look like in heaven? We can only imagine, but I believe that your answer will tell you much about your definition of worship. Listen carefully to yourself.

Should worship be spontaneous or “perfectly” planned? Does worship consist of singing, reading Scripture, praying, special music, offering and a sermon? Is that all there is to it? What are the “must haves”? What isn’t worship? How do you suppose the magi “worshiped” Jesus in Matthew 2:2? Was it the gifts? Was it the “bowing down”? Was it the combination? Or was it more? Surely, their worship wasn’t dependent on a certain place; they were in a barn!

Here is just a sampling of worship from Scripture:

Psalm 95:6 – “Come, let us bow down in worship, let us kneel before the LORD our maker.”
Luke 1:10 – “…all the assembled worshipers were praying….”
John 4:24 – “…must worship Him in spirit and in truth.”
Hebrews 12:28 – “…and so worship God acceptably with reverence and awe,”

I encourage you to take time to reflect on your preferred “style” of worship. Is it the only way? Is it even the “right” way or the best way? Is there a right way and a wrong way? Should worship be comfortable or should it shake you up a little? Listen to what He has to say. I challenge you to go to the Word, use a concordance, and check the Scriptures that deal with worship. And then, I’d like to know, where you will worship next?

When I was a young child, my pastor-dad served a four-point parish in North Dakota. Many Sunday nights I fell asleep in our car as we made the long, 50-mile trip back home from the last service. When we pulled into our driveway I would mumble, “Carry me, Dad…” and I cherish the tender memory of those strong arms lifting me and bringing me safely to my bed.

I’ve been thinking a lot lately about the depth of meaning in God’s Word to His people in Isaiah 46:3-4. “Listen to me, O house of Jacob, all you who remain of the house of Israel, you whom I have upheld since you were conceived, and have carried since your birth. Even to your old age and gray hairs I am He; I am He who will sustain you. I have made you and I will carry you; I will sustain you and I will rescue you.”

When Dad carried me home, he gave me strength I didn’t have. Our Heavenly Father’s arms sometimes mean strength. We may be exhausted by the daily challenge of living as a believer in a world opposed to His truth, we may be tired from the battle with our own sinful selves or we may simply be physically drained from ministry. As we used to sing in Sunday School, “(We) are weak, but He is strong.”

Have you ever noticed how often a carried-child looks around confidently, interested in what is around her, seemingly unconcerned about noises, distractions, even dangers? She feels secure in those loving arms. Sometimes, God’s arms mean security. In John 10:28 Jesus says, “I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one can snatch them out of my hand.” We may be surrounded by dangers, both seen and unseen, but our trust is in the God who carries us.

Did you ever wander thoughtlessly into the street, and your dad raced to grab you out of harm’s way (and maybe his hands administered a little correction, also)? Sometimes God’s arms mean deliverance. King David declared, “This poor man called, and the Lord heard him; he saved him out of all his troubles…” (Ps. 34:6) Perhaps we have disobeyed His truth, ignored His voice, fallen into temptation and endangered our souls. His arms mean rescue.

When you hold your child, do you realize how often your hands are stroking him, giving him love and assurance? Sometimes God’s arms around us mean affection. Zephaniah 3:17 reads, “The Lord your God is with you; He is mighty to save. He will take great delight in you, He will quiet you with His love, He will rejoice over you with singing.” And hear Isaiah again, “He tends His flock like a shepherd: He gathers the lambs in His arms and carries them close to His heart…” (40:11) We all long to be cherished, to be truly known, to belong – and His touch tell us so.

Small children are often held when they have been hurt, or they’re sad or sick. Our grown-up hurts may be deeper but less visible, and our illness and loneliness may be known only to our Heavenly Father, but His arms bring consolation and comfort. Hear the Word, “As a mother comforts her child, so will I comfort you…” (Isaiah 66:13) and “The Lord is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit.” (Psalm 34:18)

How many of you were carried over your new home’s threshold by your bridegroom? God Himself will ultimately carry us over the threshold to our eternal Home, which He has prepared for us. Jesus says, “In my Father’s house are many rooms; if it were not so, I would have told you. I am going there to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am.” (John 14:2-3) Here, at the height of our love relationship with Him, are the arms of promise. He will come for us!

What exactly is required of us, as His children, then? Faith. Just that. Faith to respond to His call to salvation and accept His forgiveness, faith to believe and do what He says, to trust Him to provide all that is needed, and to abide in His love. The Word teaches us that even that faith is a gift of our Father!

Never forget that even though He carries us, we will still go through trouble, and carrying does not always mean that the rescuer will not be injured, either. That is exactly the ultimate price that Jesus paid to save us.

Knowing that God is carrying me gives me a message of hope to share. I’m surrounded by women dying to know that, drowning in despair, overwhelmed with guilt and duty, brought low by sadness, disappointment and estrangement from God. It also gives me encouragement in my work. II Thessalonians 2:16-17: “Our Lord Jesus Christ, and God our Father, who has given us eternal comfort and good hope by grace, comfort and strengthen your hearts in every good work and word.” I need Him because of my own fear: fear of failure in ministry, fear of misdirected efforts, missed opportunities, misunderstood mission and fear of not finishing well. But I give Him my fears, trust in His direction, and rest in His strength.

Finally, knowing that He is carrying me gives me a witness to share. My personal experience with grief since Bruce went home to the Lord two years ago has taught me the truth I’d only heard before, but now know with confidence: God really can carry His child through the very worst that can happen in anyone’s life.

Trust Him, my friend, won’t you? His arms will bring you strength, security, deliverance, affection, consolation – and they will carry you Home.

On June 25, 2007 the first grandchild of my brother, Paul Rangen, was born. Paul and great-grandmother Estelle are catching the excitement from their heavenly vantage point. Parents, Brent and Jackie Rangen, and extended family on earth are networking feverishly. Taylor Lynn’s arrival has been a time of rejoicing, of thanksgiving, and of celebrating! New life has been given. A new generation has been born to bring glory to God.

I am intrigued as I contemplate what exactly connects one generation to another. Also, what responsibility does the older generation have to the younger? How do relationships happen? King David often talked of the generations. In Psalm 145:4-7 he said, “One generation will commend your works to another; they will tell of your mighty acts. They will speak of the glorious splendor of your majesty… They will tell of the power of your awesome works…They will celebrate your abundant goodness and joyfully sing of your righteousness.” In Psalm 22 he explains, “Our children and their children will get in on this. As the word is passed along from parent to child, babies not yet conceived will hear the good news - that God does what he says.”

Praise God, this reality has happened in our family! I have connected personally with six generations that have commended God’s works to another generation. This rich heritage of faith, trust, and love of God has been passed along, and now another generation is beginning who will either grow up knowing the Lord and what He has done OR grow up not knowing the Lord and what He has done. What a privilege and my, what a great responsibility for us to guard the development of an immortal soul! Is it only the parents who shoulder this obligation? Grandparents, family members, godparents, church family - all believers must be involved! God intends for His Good News of Salvation to be passed along from generation to generation. What are we passing on?

Dear Heavenly Father, thank you for entrusting us with another child. Thank you for your Holy Word so full of wisdom and instruction. Help us to teach our children above all to love and live for Thee. In Jesus’ name we pray, Amen.

On April 14 my mother-in-law went home to be with her Lord. She lived a few miles from us and we saw her often. A courageous woman of God, she faced several trials of her own in life. She met them with confidence and grace. I am thankful to God for her life, example, and influence on me. She taught me many things about life and about myself. A teacher at heart and by profession, mom would often have a way of pointing out the lessons to be learned through various trials and circumstances in our own lives. Mom knew where her guidance and strength came from and it was evident in her daily living.

This brings to mind our Heavenly Father who sent His Holy Spirit to be our great teacher. He knows all about us as He works in us for His service. He knows who we are and what we are made of. He gives guidance and direction, comfort and peace, wisdom and enlightenment. Most of all He gives blessed assurance that I too will see Him one day as I walk in the light of His love and forgiveness. I am thankful for Godly women and men who have been examples to me of this grace, as I claim the same promises God gives in His word.

Ephesians 3:16-19
I pray that out of His glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through His Spirit in your inner being so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you being rooted and established in love, may have power together with all the saints to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ and to know this love that surpasses knowledge that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God."

For the past few weeks, I have been reflecting on this verse: Be still and know that I am God. (Psalm 46:10) What has drawn me to this is that I have been recovering from a recent surgery for the past six weeks. This was a lot of being still! More than I am accustomed to anyway.

During this sabbatical, I have been able to think about my current walk with the Lord. And honestly, it has been a full throttle run for some time. God has been the same, perfect in His timing, dependable in His character, reliable in His patience and love. The steadiness of God has always been of great comfort. It is me who runs ahead or lags behind, acting the “excited adolescent”, operating at times with only the frontal lobe of my brain. In my rush or fear; taking my mind off the goal of following Jesus and doing the will of God.

It is not my intention to get so out of focus. Many times, I think my running ahead is out of the joy of God showing me a glimpse of what He is doing and lagging behind may be out of fear of what God is doing. When I am not still and do not allow God to be God I can find myself in the dangerous spot of thinking my will is His will.

Allowing the words of Psalm 46:10 to ruminate in my mind, I looked up the meaning of the original words as they were written in the Hebrew language. I found that “Be Still” means, be still. I must admit, I was a bit disappointed. I wanted something more out of the Hebrew meaning. But I then realized just how hard it has been to be still. And this is a directive from God. In our pampered culture we have so many distractions and misguide needs; phones, television, the computer, shopping etc. Our daily lives are not conducive to time alone with no disruption. One must be very determined to make a time with God, much less being still.

The other word I found of interest was “know” in Hebrew: it is Yada. Yada means to perceive, understand, know, discern, be known, and make oneself known. The explanation goes on much further. Using this word in the original language I am sure anyone could write a book if they so desired. Yada is one of most important Hebrew roots in the Old Testament. It expresses a broad variety of meanings about various types of knowledge; including God’s knowledge of man and man’s knowledge of God. Although God is too great to be fully understood, Yada signifies a person’s relationship to the true God.

As I have had this time off lately, I believe that when God says, “Be still and know that I am God,” for me, at this time in my life, He is saying, “Stop, listen, do not do anything, know, reflect on the relationship I have created you for. Know that I am God”.

This has left me with questions for myself that you may want to consider also. How often am I still before my creator? Do I make time to know God? In that time, am I allowing God to speak to me? Am I filling prayer time with my requests and not listening to what God may want to say? Will you determine to take time without distraction and allow God to answer these questions for you?

Once again, God has shown me that it is NOT all about me. It’s not about me at all. My daughter was home from college for the weekend. It was Sunday morning and I was upstairs sitting on the edge of her bed as I have so many mornings over the years. She is not a morning person; so I usually bring my cup of coffee and pick up a book from her floor or bookshelf. It helps me be patient while she slowly, very slowly, wakes up.

This morning, I picked up her Becoming version of the New Testament. I happened to open to I Corinthians and read one of the side bars. It made me think about how I talk about subjects that make me feel good. I need my thoughts to be authenticated and to be told that I am not the only one who thinks uniquely and that it is okay. Sometimes these are controversial issues; issues that have no right or wrong. They probably all fall into that category that Paul refers to as “foolish controversies”.

We come from diverse backgrounds and unique life experiences, yet God has chosen to bring us together in this time and this place for ministry. Each of us has a ministry in our community through our local church that no one else can do as well. Who has God brought into your life this week, month or year? We sometimes limit our ministries to the church. By far Jesus’ ministry was in the small towns that He visited. He took His disciples with Him and taught them “in the trenches”, not in classes in the synagogue. What are we to learn from His example?

Do we spend too much time within the walls of our church waiting and wondering why seekers don’t come to us? I’m guilty. Oh, I have plenty of reasons, excuses really. I teach in public schools; so I can’t talk about Jesus there. Can I? I love spending time with my Christian friends, but what do I accomplish for the Kingdom in doing that? It makes me feel good sharing with those who encourage me and reinforce my beliefs, but who is that really helping? Me. What will this devotional accomplish for the Kingdom? Nothing, unless, it spurs on each of you who reads it to take out and change your little corner of the world. The corner God has given just to you. Otherwise, I have accomplished nothing for the Kingdom. Unbelievers aren’t likely to check out the WMCLB web site. Do you see what I mean?

I have been attending a weekly Bible study titled The Frazzled Female by Cindi Wood. The name is very interesting. The study is about finding peace in the midst of daily life.

What woman, does not have a long list of things to do each day or does not get caught up in her daily life. So many of us women get frazzled by not "having time" to spend with God and reading his word. Too little time is not actually the problem. The core of the problem may be having too much to do! Isaiah 55:6, 8 tells us to seek the Lord and consider His thought and ways. He alone can tell us what we need to be involved in during this time in our lives.

I find myself focusing on earthly things and people around me. Because I do this I get "frazzled" with the little things throughout the day. When I get frazzled, I fix my eyes on Jesus and he directs my paths each day. When we move our focus from self to peace that Jesus offers, we open doors to understanding by getting self out of the way. We are told in John 14:16 that we are not alone in achieving peace. In every situation we have a comforter and counselor to stand by us!

Perhaps it is time for you to seek His counsel about what you do with the time He has given you. He will reward you with His strength, joy and provision!

Daniel showed his prayer identity – that of a loyal follower when he was challenged by his enemies regarding his consistency in Prayer. Daniel was courageous, faithful and loyal to his God. Prayer for Daniel was being faithful to God who was to him the Most High God. He especially wanted God to receive glory in his situation through his faithfulness.

Jeremiah 29:13 says “Ye shall seek me and find me, when ye shall search for me with all your heart.” I daily find myself going to God when needs and circumstances draw me to Him. My desire is to seek his guidance and will regarding these situations. I’m learning the strengths of my prayer activity are similar to Daniel’s. I know God is always there when I call on Him, I can rely on Him and He gives me encouragement and strength for the task. He also reveals His perfect will in the situation.

When I attended a “Women of Vision” seminar I bought a beaded bracelet with the words “FROG” in the center. These letters are a reminder to be “Fully Reliant On God”. We often need that reminder as we go through each day. It’s also an opportunity to encourage others when I explain what it means.

In “Disciple’s Prayer Life” by T. W. Hunt and Catherine Walker we’re reminded that prayer is fellowship between the highest Being in the Universe and the highest and noblest of His creation. Prayer is a joint work, a divine work. Prayer is the divine use of human faculties and the human use of divine faculties. The trade off is marvelously unequal and yet that is exactly what God wants; the fellowship of those He does not need, but desires.

What a wonderful privilege we have to be able to talk with the King of Kings, the Eternal God, the I AM, we who truly are unworthy but so blessed.

May each of us be “Fully Reliant On God” in our daily prayer life.

I just got a call from my Mom who lives in Salem, Oregon. She said it was snowing...hard! I couldn't believe my ears. I'm in New York where it always snows, and she lives where it never snows! What are the chances of that? It made me start to think...

Sometimes in our lives, snowstorms come, even to people who rarely have them! We never know when or where they will strike...snow tends to be extremely unpredictable (snow in Oregon...who would've thought?). No matter how much we plan, no matter how much we think we are in control, the snow always comes and hits us blindsided. There is only one way to be completely ready for those storms - by trusting in the only one who DOES know when they are coming: Jesus. You might say, "Yeah, yeah, I know." But seriously, who else can promise to get you through the storm that you've had no warning for? Who else can you depend on to hold your hand, to never leave you, to wrap you in His arms at 3:00 in the morning when you can't stop the tears? Only Jesus. So, trust in Him this Christmas season - He will get you through the storms.

1John 4:9
“In this the love of God was made manifest…that God sent his only Son into the world.”

This time of year I find myself scurrying to find the perfect gift for a family member or friend, write a greeting card or practice for the Christmas program. The Christmas season is filled with excitement, anticipation, shopping, baking, decorating, and a wealth of good wishes to pass along.

As I pause to contemplate the real reason for Christmas, I am in awe and thankful for the very perfect gift we have in JESUS. All the preparations and celebrations would have no meaning at all if we did not understand the reason for the Christ child’s entry into this world. He came as a babe to grow, live and die just to save His people, you and me, from sin and death. Make room in your heart, life and celebration this Christmas for HIM.

Room for Jesus, King of glory! Hasten now, His word obey;
Swing the heart’s door widely open, Bid Him enter while you may.

I just returned from our district women’s retreat, a time to connect with other women and with Christ Jesus in a fresh way. Casey Baardson, our speaker, talked about our “everydays”. Most of the time, our everydays aren’t very exciting or glamorous.

Depending on our stage of life, they might consist of a two-hour commute and eight and a half hours at a mediocre job; wiping runny noses, changing diapers, negotiating peace settlements between siblings and laundry; or facing a long day and evening alone. What makes our everydays special is the attitude with which we approach them, and whether we see them through our own eyes or through the eyes of an eternal, loving heavenly Father who has a wonderful plan for our lives.

Often, our lives look nothing like those fairy tales that we dreamed of as little girls. Prince Charming didn’t arrive on his white horse, and Betsy didn’t become a doctor. But as believers in Jesus Christ and His sacrifice on the cross, we know it doesn’t matter. Our heavenly Father had something far better in mind for us. Something our finite minds couldn’t even begin to imagine.

Through the eyes of God, our everydays are spent preparing ourselves and others for heaven. Through human eyes, our everydays may feel more like a treadmill, exhausting, but going nowhere. What are we doing in the midst of our everydays? Do we pray without ceasing and express thanksgiving in all circumstances? Are we growing in wisdom and knowledge of our LORD? Is our love for others increasing? Are we anxious for heaven?

Just this past weekend, I received an e-mail from a friend who was very upset because there was a possibility that she could be evicted from her apartment because of the actions of someone else. Sadly, she could only see it through her own eyes, eyes of fear and hurt. I saw it as an answer to her prayer. Many times over the past years, she has asked friends to pray that she would either have the money to move or that he would be evicted. My response to her was “…this could be the answer to your prayers. God works in mysterious ways, and almost never the way that we expect. If He has you evicted than He will also provide a better place to live. He never takes something away that He doesn't replace with something better for us. Now, we don't always think that it is better at the time, but in time, we find that He had a marvelous plan. Hang in there, the blessing is just beginning.”

I don’t know the outcome and to be perfectly honest with you, my friend wasn’t impressed with my response. But I am standing by my words. I know that God has a plan for her, a plan “to prosper [her] and not to harm [her, a plan] to give [her] hope and a future. (Jeremiah 29:11)

Rely on God for everything. He never changes, and is always there for us. Yeah, yeah…I know that. I hear it all the time in church. But was I in for a big reminder!

I witnessed God’s protection of me just the other day. I was on my way home from some meetings that the National Women’s Ministries Team was having. My Mom was driving, and it was dark outside. We needed to pull over so I could nurse my 3-month-old baby Abigail, whose cries were only getting more piercing with each second I let pass without addressing her hunger pains. And, as with all babies, when they decide they are hungry…they want it NOW! So, we pulled off to the first place we saw. In the Walgreen’s parking lot, my little girl was not being cooperative. She was hungry, but wasn’t quite finished telling me about it.

So, we were walking around the car trying to calm down, when driving up the little hill behind where we were parked, came a car. The car stopped abruptly beside some people who were walking up the hill to the store. Two men jumped out of the car and began beating on them. There were screams and pleas to stop. Fearing for my baby and my own safety, since we were about 50 feet away, I ran into our car and shouted for my Mom to drive away. Putting Abby in the car seat was the last thing on my mind. Thankfully, God kept us safe that night.

Why would I share this? Because we live in a world of uncertainty, and we never know what will happen or when. The only thing in our lives that can be certain is God, who never changes, and who is always there for us. Our circumstances may change. They may be good…they may be bad…we may wish they were different. But God is always there, always in control no matter what. That night wasn’t something I had planned for, but it was a reminder to me of how much I need to be relying on God for everything. He is always there for me, and He is always there for you as well. Praise Him for never changing!!!!

This summer, I was given a beautiful hanging plant with cascading white Impatiens. After the first extremely hot day, my husband, the giver of the gift, relinquished the responsibility of keeping it watered and alive! All it had taken was one day of too much sun and the plant wilted completely. I moved it inside, out of the heat, and added water on and off all day. After a little pampering and frequent drinks, what looked diseased and almost dead came back to life.

What happened? Technically, plant cells need a steady supply of water, internally, to keep their structural walls from collapsing. When the supply diminishes, the very cells wilt, and so goes the whole plant.

Our own individual souls have a similar construction. We need a constant and daily supply of living water to keep us strong and healthy. That water is the very life that Jesus supplies through the work of the Holy Spirit.

“...whoever drinks of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst, but the water that I shall give him shall become in him a well of water, springing up to eternal life.” (John 4:14)

Do you ever notice your own spiritual life wilting? Has this been a season of extreme heat and stress for your spirit? David wrote in Psalm 42:1, “As the deer pants for the water, so my soul longs after You...”

Take time to be refreshed by the Lord, as you look at His past blessings in your life. Take time to acknowledge His present work in your situation. Take a fresh look at His promises of future provisions. Watch your soul revive, as His very life brings support and strength from within. God is ever willing and able to refresh and restore. He is the God of resurrection!

Big, luscious, plump blueberries are glowing in the early morning sun as I pick them, my sandaled feed damp from the dew on the grass beneath the blueberry bushes. Sometimes they go right from the bush to the top of my bowl of Wheaties, during those first-of-the-season picking ventures. Soon I have enough to make one batch of blueberry muffins, or blueberry waffles. My children cheerfully join me to pluck the few ripe berries for their own mouths.

A week or two later I am picking every day, paying my children to pick with me at 25 cents per fifteen minutes. We pick, sweat beading on our foreheads, with the hot sun overhead, the birds in the fir trees behind us occasionally making their presence known. The grass is dry and crispy beneath our feet and the few dead twigs scratch us as we reach in to get all of the ripe berries we can find.

I contemplate my oldest daughter who has been flitting from bush to bush to fill her container with the biggest, juiciest berries. Now she sits on the top of the rail fence balancing her container between her knees as she picks with both hands, all that her hands can reach, big or little, ripe, or slightly overripe.

Tonight, nearing the end of the berry season, I think of our Lord, as I take all of the blueberries that I can find among the leaves that are not nearly as green as they were a month ago. The harvest is nearly over. It is evening as I pick alone. No one wants to join me anymore. I try not to miss any ripe berries, even including in my picking some that are beginning to shrivel a little. They will still taste fine mixed in with all of the rest of the berries in my pie.

I am thankful as I pick the last handfuls in the dim light, that God doesn’t pick just those of us who are luscious, sweet, attractive and glowing. He includes all of us, little, big, some a little tart, some a bit shriveled. He takes us in the morning of our lives, when others are excited about the future that awaits us. He takes us in the midday of our lives, when we’re hot and tired out, and points us to a way to make the rest of our lives count even more, for Him. He takes us in the evening of our lives, when we may feel that even the birds won’t take a second look at us. He mixes us all together, and makes a Heavenly Pie, a sweet savor that will last forever.

I have had the privilege of enjoying tent camping for many years. Last summer my son and I camped with my brothers’ families, since my husband could not join us.

We packed our lunches and spent one day across the river in a small cove that was quiet and serene. It was a very hot day! We did lots of floating in the water, tubing and wake boarding to keep cool. We came back to the campground and prepared a delicious steak dinner. We each contribute something to a meal to make it easy. We finished barbecuing the steak, so I went back to my site to get paper plates, forks, steak knives and napkins. I have learned to scan the grass as I walk and since it was close to dusk I was definitely watching for snakes. But I missed this one, he was already under foot when I felt him pull out from under my sandal. I watched it move quickly from me. The next thing I did was what I believe every woman camping without her husband is allowed to do! Scream and run.

My heart was beating outside my chest and the two men and two boys with us, grabbed sticks and poles carefully looking for my snake. After a few minutes they had not found anything and I am not sure but maybe skeptical that I really saw one and had really stepped on one and not been bitten. We all settled down to eat our wonderful steak dinner. Halfway through the meal a couple came walking up the road in front of us and said “there’s another snake”. The four guys surrounded it and my brother caught it and removed it to the Ranger’s truck. EEEEEEEEEEEECK! THANK YOU God!

I was struck by something that related to the spiritual side of life. I had asked for a new Bible for my birthday and my boys gave it to me the day before I left on this camping trip. I was reading from this Bible – THE MESSAGE – it has such a way of communicating to me with the language of the day. But the morning after the snake incident I decided to read about why Eugene Peterson wrote this version. It was written so that people that had become lethargic or lazy towards the word of God would renew their passion to read it again.

When I walked that evening towards the table to eat I had been at that spot at least 20 times in the last couple days; it was familiar. It was easy to walk at a quick pace without being careful because I had done it so many times. I realized my reading the Bible aimlessly could cause some danger also. If it becomes too familiar would it become less desirable? Would I fail to watch for the warnings or would I miss the promises and blessings that God has given to me through his Word? I love to learn from the word of God and I pray that I will never lose the passion to read with my heart and my eyes aware of all that God has for me. THANK YOU God!

Talk to people in your circle of friends and family members and perhaps the most common complaint you will hear is being too busy. “Oh, yeah… me, too!” we commiserate. Oh, the things we could do if we weren’t so busy! If only we had time for this or that – call a friend, have a hobby, read our Bible. We roll our eyes in hopes for some empathy. “I’ve just been so busy lately!”

I wonder what all of that looks like to God. Does He – like our well-meaning friends – feel sorry for us too? Or does He perhaps offer a better way? What exactly are we so busy with and are our complaints justified? Here are some thoughts on how being busy can be a good thing:

Consider how you spend your time (make a chart or list if necessary) and ask the Lord to help you prioritize. Surrender your days to Him, embrace what He puts before you and let go of those things you truly don’t have time for. Not everything we don’t have time for is really a loss. But the things we do busy ourselves with must be chosen to please God. At times it might be more important to call a friend than clean the bathroom. On the other hand, sometimes we might need to get off the phone to get our house in order. Let the Lord lead you in these choices.

When we truly only pursue those activities that God desires us to do, then our attitude can be one of confident trust in His support. Find both strength and rest in Him! Watch what you think and speak about your busy life. It feels good to our flesh when people feel sorry for us but does that glorify God? Next time someone asks you how you are doing resist the temptation to grumble about being busy. Instead, share things about your life that glorify God! Imagine how delighted He will be to hear you “boast in Him.” (1 Corinthians 1:31)

Our society teaches us that leisure and convenience are the keys to contentment. As citizens of the Kingdom of God, however, we know this is a deception. We are not to “conform to the pattern of this world.” (Romans 12:2) Jesus – to whom we should conform to – took time to rest, time to eat, time to visit with people, but above all He went about doing His Father’s will and never complained about it.

In closing, we cast a glance at Proverbs 31. Here’s a busy woman who is “clothed with strength and dignity and who can laugh at the days to come.” Surely she is relying on God for help in making it through her busy day. And being a woman, I’m sure she takes time for a quick chat with her friends at the water well. Instead of complaining, though, I picture her saying, “Oh, I’ve been really busy lately. The Lord is using me and I am blessed.”

I had a very vivid dream several years ago. My energetic youngest son was running into the street by our Long Island home, when a car hit him. I ran screaming down our long driveway, devastated with such grief that I woke myself up crying.

As I thought about this dream, and the overwhelming sorrow I felt at just the possibility of losing my son, I thought of God the Father who watched his Only Son die! He could have saved Himself that sorrow, and saved His Son the wrenching agony and suffering of a brutal death by crucifixion, but He didn’t. Why? Certainly His love for His Son, and the pain of separation that they endured was greater than my envisioned departure of my son – yet they chose this path. Why?

It was for the love of me, His child of adoption. It was for the love of all humanity. The love of the Father for the Son, and the Son for the Father was being given for the whole world, in a rescue attempt. In a plan to save us and bring us – the wayward children of His creation – back into the family, life was given up, and given to us.

Thank you God.

Several years ago I had the opportunity, along with my husband, to attend the Inter-Varsity Mission Conference in Urbana, Illinois. We enjoyed many small and large group sessions.

The founder of Tropicana orange juice spoke in one of the small group sessions. As an elderly Christian business man, he shared his story of success. During question and answer time someone asked him to share the secret of his success. He answered, “Seek ye first the Kingdom of God…” ( Matthew 6:33a) While a little astounded at his answer everyone in the room began to realize how simple but profound!!

Since then I have thought about that answer from time to time and realized the value in that verse in many areas of life. Not only does it apply to success but it makes sense in every day life. It gives comfort, strength, courage, wisdom and peace in an ever changing world and society where we make many meaningful decisions every day. What a basic but timely truth Jesus gives us in this passage of scripture as we apply it to our daily walk in Him.

“Seek ye first the Kingdom of God and his righteousness and all these things shall be added unto you.” Matthew 6:33

In my role as a dementia care training consultant with the Alzheimer Society of Calgary, I am often asked questions regarding the losses associated with Alzheimer Disease and other types of dementia. Families want to know when the car keys should be taken away, staff want to hear about quick and easy-to-implement strategies for care, and the general public wants to know, “What is the cause?” and “Do we have a cure?” Towards the end of one particular training session I was asked a question that I had never been asked before, even after working for almost 20 years in dementia care. The question was “When do we stop talking to the person (with Alzheimer Disease) about God?” In other words – when does the disease completely involve the person so that they no longer have any cognitive ability to think, reason, make decisions, communicate or understand what is happening around them.

I was stumped for a brief moment as I thought about the physical disease process of Alzheimer Disease, how the brain cells were dying and the brain was physically shrinking due to brain death. I thought about the different lobes of the brain and their individual and combined function and how the damaged brain cells caused a permanent, progressive loss of function, resulting in the person’s inability to comprehend both the written and verbal word, and then I thought about GRACE!

Scripture tells us in Ephesians 2: 8 & 9 “for it is by grace you have been saved, through faith – and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God”. We, as individual people do nothing – instead, Salvation is about what God does for us.

As my head and heart filled with the wisdom of God and the truth of the scriptures, I had to refrain myself from climbing onto a chair and preaching the gospel! I was working, and was therefore obligated to present information in a non-biased way, respecting the diverse beliefs of the attendees. By now, only a moment had passed in time, though seeming much longer, so I quickly prayed and asked God to give me the words to answer this question in a way that was appropriate for my role, helpful for the attendees, an opportunity to minister to the person with Alzheimer Disease and wrapped up in a way that was pleasing to God! Did I have high expectations of God? Of course I did. Did He meet these expectations? Of course He did!

The answer God gave me at that moment is one that was not limited to that particular audience, it was not watered down for different beliefs, and it is as applicable now as it was then. God reminded me that we should never underestimate His power, grace, mercy and love. For it is the grace of God that brings salvation to all men. (Titus 2:11) We cannot put God in a box and apply our human organization and structure to His plan. We cannot make a decision that someone is unable to be reached by His love and mercy based on our own human understanding of a situation. Whether the person has suffered a brain injury, is born with a cognitive disability, is cognitively intact but fallen away, perhaps they are just plain stubborn, or they have Alzheimer Disease – it is God’s desire that we continue to pray for them, witness to them in whatever ways he encourages us to do and then leave the miracle of salvation up to the master of miracles Himself, God our Savior!

May God bless you and give you wisdom and strength as you continue to serve Him, witnessing to all of His people.

As we face a new year, thoughts often turn to resolutions and what we want to do differently. We resolve to lose weight, read our Bibles more, get involved in a Bible study, do daily devotions with our families or make more time for ourselves and others. The list can go on and on, but you know what I mean. Usually by mid-January or at least by the end, we have forgotten what we were so determined to accomplish and decide that maybe we will try again in the spring, or summer, or maybe in the fall, or if all else fails, we will definitely do it in 2007.

What if we could make just one resolution and everything else would fall comfortably into place? “That”, you say, “I could handle.” Abiding in Christ—perfect peace, love and joy—could the answer be as simple as that? In the Greek, the word abiding is meno. It is the word used in John 15:4,
“Remain in me and I will remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me.”

Meno has a variety of meanings referring to both place and time, but, overall, it means to remain, to endure, to last, to wait and even to be kept or held. It might be used in the context of marriage or heaven or having to remain in this world, but the underlying meaning is always the same—wait and stay.

Abide or meno was obviously important to John. John was the only one of the twelve disciples to abide with Jesus at His crucifixion. He was also the only disciple to have reclined against Jesus. Are you fascinated with John because of how close he was to Jesus, not just spiritually, but physically? Are you willing to challenge yourself in 2006 to abide in Christ in a more physical manner? Have you ever found comfort in resting your head on your Bible or imagining yourself climbing into Jesus lap and resting your head on His chest?

It is good to be reminded of the mutual relationship between us and Christ, that by remaining in Him, He remains in us. Will we make it our desire to spend time with Him each day, meditate on His Word and pray continually? By doing this, you and I will abide in Him and He in us. The more we abide in Him, the more we receive of Him, the more Christ-like we become and the more fruit we each bear for His glory. By abiding in Him, we are on our way to becoming one with the Father, just as Jesus is.

(This devotional was adapted from a paper written by Mandy Hjelle, daughter of Sherry Hjelle, CD WMCLB President. Mandy is a sophomore, majoring in communication, at Crown College in St. Bonifacius, Minnesota.)

I was shopping in mid-October in a local nursery and admiring all of the new Christmas decorations! Forget the fun and frivolity of a Harvest Festival; there they were in the corner of the store on sale for 70% off! And Thanksgiving? Well, the retailers were giving thanks and feeling blessed as we the consumers were gearing up for the spending frenzy of November 25th.

What caught my eye was just around the corner: a fully decorated Christmas tree with indigo blue and gold ornaments, and richly decorated scarves. To give it that “real religious” feeling there were quite a few nativity sets placed strategically around it. What caught my eye was not necessarily the beauty of the ornaments; but the placement of the tree. The tree was hung upside-down, suspended from the ceiling with about ten to fifteen gold stars around it! You may have seen one or heard about it on the news. One online retailer has already sold out. The biggest selling point…you can put more presents under the tree!

That may seem outrageous but how is it different than any other time of the year? Was I merely offended because this is, after all, a Christian holiday? The thought left me questioning my own commercialism. Am I not guilty of the same ridiculous behavior the rest of the year? And quite possibly during Christmas also? How do we tame the Holiday Beast?

Now, almost everyone enjoys the hustle and bustle of the Christmas Season; time with loved ones and friends, finding the perfect gift, and opening that treasure that was picked out just for you. But as a follower of Christ, where should my focus be?

The gift under the tree is but a small reminder of the greatest gift of all. When I prayed the sinners’ prayer I was not instantly taken home to heaven. I was left here on earth to be a witness, a living sacrifice for all around to see, prayerfully, Jesus Christ within me. How I play this out as a Christian is what I believe Paul is saying in 2 Corinthians 4:5-6 “Remember, our Message is not about ourselves; we’re proclaiming Jesus Christ, the Master. All we are is messengers, errand runners from Jesus for you. It started when God said, “Light up the darkness!” and our lives filled up with light as we saw and understood God in the face of Christ, all bright and beautiful.” (The Message)

However outrageous that upside-down Christmas tree may have been, it had a ring of truth to it. The nativity scenes surrounding it – how beautiful! I now see the upside-down tree as our fallen human nature, with so many lost in this fallen world. And the nativity sets as believers in Christ left here on earth, strategically placed to surround, encourage, and witness to that world and each other…. you and me with the living Jesus Christ within us.

So, when I experience the Christmas gimmies, I do my best to remember to look to my Father and remember the greatest gift ever given: “For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life.” John 3:16. (NIV) It is not what is under the tree but what is in the heart. How are you going to share the gift of Jesus, not just this Christmas season, but this year?

Merry Christmas, Many Blessings and Happy New Year,
Tresa Myers<><

I was preparing to have my devotions about a year ago when the Lord directed me to the verses ahead of those I was reading in the devotional. Luke 1:39-56 were about Mary’s prayer. I went back to verses 26-38 where Mary was told that she would have a child who would be the Savior of the world. She was calm, it seems, and accepting of this miraculous thing that would happen to her. Mary was willing to be His humble servant and accept what seemed impossible. Verse 37 says “Nothing is impossible with God”. Mary, a virgin, and her cousin Elizabeth, who was in her old age and thought to be barren, would each bear a child. God did the impossible.

I also claimed verse 37 when I was given a new assignment by the Lord. My prayer was that I would walk in faith, believing God could do the impossible in my life. Me, the most unlikely one to use for the task He wanted done; a task that only He could do. “Help me, Lord, to have no will of my own, but be emptied of self – ready to make major adjustments in my life and then be obedient to follow as You lead me. Quiet my fears. Make me strong and confident in You. Bless me, that Your Name may be glorified.”

He truly can do the impossible through us when we are yielded to his control. He goes with us each step of the way.

This song keeps coming to mind: “Nothing is too Difficult for Thee”

Ah, Lord God thou hast made the heavens and the earth by thy great power.
Ah, Lord God thou hast made the heavens and the earth by thine out-stretched arm.
Nothing is too difficult for thee; nothing is too difficult for thee.
Great and mighty God, great in council and mighty in deed,
Nothing, nothing, absolutely nothing; nothing is too difficult for thee.

I know that I’m in the minority, but change excites me. Our synod’s “Lead On Initiative” has me asking, “Where to? When do I start? What can I do?” Change stretches individuals, families and church bodies to help us grow. Growth may be spiritual, intellectual, emotional or all three. Perhaps the best, and at the same time, the most frightening aspect of change is that it requires dependence on God. The focus of Dr. Kent Hunter’s message on Sunday night of Annual Convention was that Jesus cannot be just a passenger in your car or church’s van. He must be the driver! He knows where He wants us to go and He knows the way.

Staying within the comfortable walls of our church will not bring the hurting and lost women in our neighborhoods to Jesus. It’s not about bringing them into our churches, it’s about bringing them to Jesus – a place of rest, peace, love, hope, trust and joy. What woman doesn’t want them? These are the very things you and I profess to have in Jesus Christ. Are you at peace? Do you have rest? Are you full of hope? Are you overflowing with joy? Give them away. They aren’t ours to keep for a rainy day.

What are you willing to do? Knock on her door and introduce yourself? Strike up a conversation on the playground with another mom or at the mall with the woman who is looking through the same rack of clothes? Provide child care? Have a Bible study in your home? Mentor a younger woman? Why did God put you where you are, today? Of one thing, I am certain, it was to help fulfill the Great Commission of Matthew 28 and to bring glory to His Name. It’s not about me. It’s not about you. It’s about all those other women and their families in your village, your town, your suburb, or your city.

Your age and financial status don’t matter and neither does mine. What Jesus commanded us to do in Matthew 28 costs nothing and has no age requirements, restrictions or retirement option. It requires prayer, the Word, a loving heart and a little time. What if each woman in every LB church gave 30 minutes each day to God? (That’s not even a tithe on our time.) If you and I each gave 10 minutes to the reading His Word, 10 minutes to prayer and 10 minutes to talking to a lost woman in our neighborhoods, what do you think our churches would look like one year from today?

Are you willing to find out? Change one little thing, today, and get ready for huge, wonderful changes a year from today!

I must admit I had never gone to church and felt God speaking to me through every part of the service. Usually it is the pastor's message or a song that might touch my heart. I think it was the end of July after a horrible hail storm I went to church and was amazed by the way God organizes a church service to speak to people.

My husband is a farmer and I am a city slicker. We have been married about 1 ½ years and through that time there have been many adventures, but this year, the weather challenges for farming topped them all! Our land was flooded twice this summer and then hit by hail a few times. Our whole community was in despair, and then you think of those affected by the London bombings and more recently, hurricanes. A local recreation spot, Lake Metigoshe was also flooded. You would never think a lake in North Dakota would flood. The most common expression this summer was "this is unbelievable".

When I went to church that summer morning I had no idea God would speak to me through every part of that service (songs, scripture, prayer, sermon and even the guy who does the announcements!) Psalm 31:24 was shared during announcements: “Be strong & take heart, all you who hope in the Lord.”

The Lord will save us from our troubled times on the farm or losing a home. God is there to comfort and support us but we must trust in him. Just like babies tighten their fists around our fingers, we must take God's hand and never let go! We need to let go of our expensive vehicles, homes and land.

It was also brought to my attention during church that Christians are not achievers, but we're believers! God does not want our achievements but our beliefs. God will save us from all troubles! With trust in the Lord we can move from DESPAIR to HOPE!

I would like to leave you with a few words from a song that Sunday morning:
You raise me up to walk on stormy seas,
I am strong when I am on your shoulders,
You raise me up to more than I can be!

Thank you Lord

As I flew home from the CLB Convention, it was a clear, sunshiny day. I enjoyed sitting by the window and looking at the countryside. When the plane first started to climb I could see houses and trees, schools and ball fields, roads and cars. As we flew further and higher, I saw fields and farmland, more trees and roads. I thought about our occupation, farming, and began to reflect on all the crops planted down below…What a delicate balance of sunshine and rain it takes to produce a crop!

Farmers are probably most often accused of talking about the weather, and yet it is a God thing. He makes the sun to shine and the rain to fall. It is a constant topic of prayer. A well-seasoned farmer knows that nothing short of God’s mercies brings us to a harvest in the fall. As I looked down, from my airplane window, on God’s creation, I couldn’t help but think about what a small part of the world my life and our farm occupies. It is very minute even in the few hundred miles I flew over.

Then my thoughts turned to verses of scripture like: Isaiah 55:9-11 “As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts. As the rain and the snow come down from heaven, and do not return to it without watering the earth and making it bud and flourish, so that it yields seed for the sower and bread for the eater, so is my word that goes out from my mouth: it will not return to me empty, but will accomplish what I desire and achieve the purpose for which I sent it.” Jeremiah 29:11 “For I know the plans for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” Philippians 4:19 “And my God will meet all your needs according to his glorious riches in Christ Jesus.” I felt God’s love and peace. I remembered that He cares for me, for my family, for each one of us. He knows who we are and what we are made of. He knows our needs and desires. He sees our hearts and has a plan for us.

It made me thankful. I’m thankful for His creation, thankful for His love and for giving me eternal life through the death of His son Jesus. God provided a way to take care of the sin problem we have and that’s through the blood of Jesus. Does He care about me, one person in this whole world? The answer is YES. The Bible tells us so. As the plane descended and we landed in the airport, I could see the actual corn and bean fields and was reminded that, yes, God sees when we need rain and sunshine He knows the big picture and I can rest in the fact that He is in control. My corner of the world is small and yet He gives me purpose. He gives us life and breath, friends and family, people and opportunities, His word and trust. What am I doing with what He’s given me?

What are you talking about this summer!

Hopefully you are finding lots to talk about through a summer Bible study. Most structured studies take time off in the summer. What are you doing?

If you look at Matthew 16 the Pharisees’ wanted visible signs from heaven.
The disciples forgot to take bread with them.
But Peter responding to a question answered, “You are the Christ, the Son of the Living God”

“Some people talk about the weather.”
“Some people talk about food.”
“Some people talk about who Jesus is!”

Summer’s not over yet, so make a plan right away about what you can still study. What will really give you something to talk about? Don’t just talk about the half yearly sale at Nordstrom’s or what new gadget came in the kitchen section at WalMart.

What nugget of truth did you receive today by reading in God’s word?

Our WMCLB convention theme this year was “Lead me, O Lord, in your righteousness…” Psalm 5:8

What is God leading you to do? You could find a short book to read – Mark is only 16 chapters! Search it and make a study on the people that Jesus met and how they responded to him. Is there a warning, a challenge, or maybe a promise? Can you find something you need to change?

Has God been giving you an idea to call a girlfriend or maybe someone in your church who you do not know very well? You could meet for coffee and share what you are studying. Maybe you could begin to do it together!

Let the One who leads best, lead you….
Make a plan, start now and complete it!
You may just find something to talk about!

July has arrived, the month both Canada (July 1) and the United States (July 4) celebrate a national day of independence. A few years ago I was flying home to California from South Dakota on the night of July 4th. Not until we rose over the city of Sioux Falls did I discover the unique experience of seeing fireworks from above, way above. This delightful show continued westward. What struck me most was the diminutive size of what had looked so expansive from the ground. Perspective! I couldn't help but be reminded of God's perspective from His throne.

In Proverbs 4:11-13, we read, "I guide you in the way of wisdom and lead you along straight paths. When you walk, your steps will not be hampered; when you run, you will not stumble. Hold on to instruction, do not let it go; guard it well, for it is your life." What a promise from the Creator of the Universe! He invites us to follow Him. He invites us to have confidence in Him. He knows the places, the pathways, where we will be led. When He leads us into dark, deep, disagreeable places, He is there with us, leading us onward. His Words of instruction are critical. Are they stored in our hearts? What are we drinking? Are we hearing His words that may be calling us to deny ourselves? What a blessing that He grasps the whole scheme of things. He can see far beyond our lowly, finite view. He has given us the Holy Spirit to lead us into truth, to guide and be our counselor. Let us follow Him fearlessly, trust and obey Him fully, and as a little lamb with full abandon, delight ourselves in the joy of His presence as we earnestly pray, "Lead me, O Lord, in your righteousness..." - Psalm 5:8.

Those of you who don’t know me may be surprised that between my husband Richard and myself, I am the extrovert. Those of you who do know us are most likely smiling or laughing out loud at the obvious.

It has only been three weeks since the Bible study at Maple Park came to a close for the summer; and only two weeks since my Bible Study Fellowship class came to an end. In both classes we shared how valuable it will be to study the Word daily over the summer break. Just last week, during a time of prayer, I felt the Holy Spirit quicken my heart and knew that the answer to my prayer could be found in the Word.

Over the past few months my schedule has taken quite a beating. As I adjust to a new work schedule outside of the home and the new responsibilities in the synod, I haven’t experienced the daily time with Christ that I crave so much. Knowing this to be true, I went to the Father asking for forgiveness and a renewed joy and excitement as I read His Word.

I turned to the book of Daniel. Wouldn’t you know it? God had more than a few words for me! The one that touched my heart the most (and will bring this back to the reference between Richard and me) is found in the sixth chapter of Daniel.

You may remember this as the famous “Daniel in the lion’s den” chapter. This is an awesome chapter on standing in the wake of persecution. As I have stated before, my past year has gone great; the changes in my life have been of a positive nature. For Richard, too, it has been a year of change, though unfortunately his road has not been so positive. This past year at work Richard lost his lieutenant to pancreatic cancer. This meant a change in leadership and personnel in his work place. Out of Richard’s original unit of six, only he remains. This new leadership has thrown my husband into the “lion’s den” so to speak.

As I read chapter six these two verses resonated with our life and the need to stay in the Word of God:

Daniel 6:4 At this, the administrators and the satraps tried to find grounds for charges against Daniel in his conduct of government affairs, but they were unable to do so. They could find no corruption in him, because he was trustworthy and neither corrupt nor negligent. NIV

Daniel 6:10-11 Now when Daniel learned that the decree had been published, he went home to his upstairs room where the windows opened toward Jerusalem. Three times a day he got down on his knees and prayed, giving thanks to his God, just as he had done before. Then these men went as a group and found Daniel praying and asking God for his help. NIV

What I noticed about verse four was that as Christians we are always being watched. Some people are drawn to the love of Christ that dwells within us and others are repelled. I believe that part of what made the administrators and satraps so angry and envious of Daniel was his relationship with God. They could find no corruption in him. We see proof of this relationship in verse ten and eleven. When Daniel learned what was to happen to those who prayed to any god other than the king, he went home to open windows (not into hiding) and did what he always did -- gave thanks to his God. After giving thanks he then asked God for help.

While the leadership at my husband’s workplace has thrown him into the “lions den”, others are watching and wanting to know why he is not reacting in a “worldly way”, resorting to retaliation. One detective that left wrote, “You have taken the high road when others would have taken another path. I respect that, you are always checking yourself and your responses – “Did I do the right thing?” Many people don’t have that in their value system.”

I know that my husband draws his values from the Word of God. I’ve watched over the years as he does his devotions and reads his Bible on a regular basis. I respect and admire him for his gentle strength and restraint in difficult situations. I know that the strength and restraint that Richard possesses comes from a relationship with Jesus. It is the power of the Holy Spirit and my husband’s example that will encourage me to stay in the Word this summer.

Have you ever been asked to teach Sunday School, lead a Bible Study, do music for Women’s Ministry, cook food for a potluck, be in the nursery for Mom’s time out, or any of the multitude of other tasks in the church and turned the request down – and then felt guilty afterward? Perhaps you were ill, feeling overextended or didn’t believe you had the gifts – yet, the nagging feeling of guilt continued to overwhelm you?

In your service, have you ever considered the question poised by Paul in his letter to the Galatians, Chapter 1:10 “Am I now trying to win the approval of men, or of God?”

If you can answer yes to either of the above questions – I urge you to consider the words of Ephesians 2:8-10 “For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith – and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God – not by works, so that no one can boast. For we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.”

It is absolutely essential that we realize that our service is not tied to our salvation! Those who believe in Jesus Christ are saved by faith, through grace because Jesus has paid the full price through his death on the cross at Calvary over 2000 years ago! Nothing can or should be added to that. Yes – our humanness wants to do a little bit too – help out a bit – but in doing so our actions diminish Christ because it is a sign that we do not trust completely in the fully finished work of Jesus.

No – we don’t serve to save ourselves, nor should we serve to look good in the eyes of God or the eyes of others. We should not serve because if we don’t, no one else will do the task, and we should not serve because we feel it a responsibility or an obligation. We should serve because once we have accepted Christ as our Lord and Saviour; we have become God’s workmanship, once again, as we were at the original creation. Hoping and trusting in Him. In response to His grace, God allows us to serve Him, out of thanks, in order to build us up, and because He knows there are things to be done which He has prepared for us to do. To serve God is a privilege and we must never lose sight of that privilege.

How then do we know when to serve? How do we know what things we should do for God and what privileges we should leave for others? I would suggest that before you commit to something, pray and ask God what He has prepared for you to do. Spend time with Him, commune with Him, “for it is God who works in you to will and to act according to his good purpose.” Philippians 12:13

If you are not feeling led by God to serve in a way in which you have been asked, acknowledge that, pray for someone to serve in whatever ministry it is, commit your request to God and let it be!

Service is essential; the church cannot be sustained or grow without it. Just remember to let the Holy Spirit work within you to lead and guide you in the ministry God has chosen for you – remember service is a privilege given to us by God – and remember that God loves you – even if you cannot do all those things that you think you should do!

What a joy and a blessing to be saved by grace!

Every knee shall bow...Isaiah 45:23

There is something about kneeling that just plain gets to me. I don’t like it. I don’t like it physically, I don’t like it mentally, I don’t like it emotionally. It is not that I am never on my knees. My kitchen floor, my garden, a child, or an elderly person will take me to my knees. But God recently revealed to me I don’t like it spiritually either.

You know God is trying to tell you something or at least get your attention when everything you read, hear, or sing has “the” idea or word in it. For me this winter it was the idea of being “on my knees”. I had to say, “Lord- why my knees?” Then “I’m listening Lord.”

My friend Julie told me why I don’t like to physically kneel. (I ‘d rather use the more padded part of my lower extremities) Our knees weren’t made to be comfortable in a kneeling position. The knees are a hinged joint which allows us to walk, with ligaments, tendons, and muscles to keep us balanced and stable. They weren’t constructed to be ‘on’. Sooo, if our knees like the rest of our body is “fearfully and wonderfully made” and if He says we will all be on our knees someday, then why is it so uncomfortable? Julie helped me with that too.

When we are on our knees we can’t move very fast, we are vulnerable, we are an easy target. Being on our knees is an act of submission, an admission that we are not in control. For most of us it means things are a mess. We don’t want to let anyone else control us. We don’t want to be uncomfortable. We are afraid we won’t be able to get up.

The devil doesn’t want us on our knees – Jesus does. What ever it takes. Jesus promises to always be there to help us up.
“Let us praise God together on our knees.”

What a privilege I have to serve God and women in this role of Central District President. As I write this, I’m sitting on a patio in Scottsdale AZ in my bathrobe. Back home in Minnesota, there is snow on the ground and I might feel the chill sitting like this even inside my house. The sun warms my back and the Son of God warms my heart. I’ve gotten to know three more sisters in the Lord this weekend and become acquainted with many more. What a blessing. Who am I that God should bless me like this?

Anyone of you women who reads this devotional could be sitting here where I sit. God has given me the desire of my heart – an opportunity to serve. It is a far bigger job than I can do alone. I need my sisters in Christ in my local church, my district and across North America to uphold me in prayer, come alongside me in service and share in the joy and blessings that He provides.

Perhaps you haven’t my desire to serve in a position of leadership, but are you willing should He call you? Do you trust Him enough to step out in faith? Will you say, “Here am I, use me as You see fit”? I believe the greatest tragedy of a Christian life is to miss out on God’s blessing because we were afraid to trust Him to do the work. He only asks for a jar of clay with a willing heart and He will fill you with the gifts, talents, wisdom and knowledge that you need to accomplish His work. Time is His. Finances are His. Give Him all of yourself for His work He has set aside for you from eternity past. No one can do it better than you in your time and your place because He has chosen YOU!

I became a servant of this gospel by the gift of God’s grace given me through the working of His power. Ephesians 3:7

Fruit of the Spirit: Love
The fruit of the Spirit identified in Galatians 5:23-25 is truly the character of God that the Spirit of God produces in and through our lives.
General facts about fruit…
1. The Bible says that others will know us by our fruit…not our gifts or our deeds, but our fruit. You know an orange tree is an orange tree because it produces oranges. So it is with us, others will know we belong to Jesus by what is produced through our lives.
2. Fruit doesn’t come naturally. We must learn about the fruit of the Spirit –have our minds renewed with the truth. We must exercise this fruit to develop it. Our flesh will oppose that development.
3. There will be a process of conviction and cleansing as we produce fruit which is not pleasing to God. Ravi Zacharias says, “We need not only a mirror to see that our faces are dirty, but the water to cleanse that dirt.” So it is with the mirror of God’s Word in relation to the fruit of the Holy Spirit…We can see where we fall short, yet know there is cleansing through the blood of Jesus Christ.

Now the fruit itself….there are nine…love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Love is the foundational quality to all the other fruit.

Let’s look at this foundational fruit of love. I know the reality of loving someone who was hard for me to love. I have learned that it is the Holy Spirit that pours His love into our hearts so that we can love someone with the love of God. I know it is possible to love someone not because that person had something in common with me or I felt that “love was in the air,” but because God poured His love into me in response to my desire to obey His command to love someone else.

My marriage is a testimony to the truth that God is able to pour His love into our hearts. My husband and I had both disappointed each other, hurt each other - even disliked each other. We both experienced the love of God for us personally. In obedience to God’s command to love one another yet with no feeling of love, we chose to love because we loved God. Because God loved us we loved him and consequently wanted to obey him. Forgiveness and acceptance were tools that God used to free us in our love for each other. So we walked in love toward each other. Allowing God’s agape love to be poured into our hearts is an act of surrender to His Holy Spirit resulting in obedience. Our marriage stands as a testimony to the power of God’s love.

Oh, how I need God’s forgiveness and continual filling of love to keep on loving in the manner described in the Word of God.

One day recently while I was waiting for my slow computer, I looked up to my Christmas garland that runs around my family room. It's about 80 feet of greens with lights and burgundy poinsettias, and this year I scattered within the greens all my small nutcrackers which I have been collecting for many years.

As I sat and looked at all those little "soldiers" it reminded me of our prayer ministry team past, present and future. The prayers that surround this ministry are not just our faithful Ministry Team sisters but I also receive many notes that are sent along with contributions, sharing of the continued prayers on our behalf in the local congregations.

This year, I have experienced the "surrounding soldiers" or "prayer warriors" much more than in the past due to medical needs.

Thank you all for your part in supporting each of us in prayer and the ministries in our churches throughout the world. We have such a big task just in that part of our work, don't we?

May you all experience God's special presence, His Peace and most of all His Joy which only He brings to each of us, not only at Christmas, but throughout the year to come.

Happy New Year to each of you!

With much love for you all,
Lori Christopherson

When Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting, the baby leaped in her womb, and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit. In a loud voice she exclaimed: “Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the child you will bear! But why am I so favored, that the mother of my Lord should come to me? As soon as the sound of your greeting reached my ears, the baby in my womb leaped for joy. Blessed is she who has believed that what the Lord has said to her will be accomplished!”

And Mary said: “My soul glorifies the Lord and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior…”
- Luke 1:41-47

What an awesome-dynamic moment of connection - two godly women, one young, the other older, relatives living at a distance, both bubbling with the anticipation of a first-born son, and having this divinely appointed meeting! Hormones and emotions in each woman must have been moving at a fever pitch as their eyes focused on each other. Put yourself in one of their shoes. What would you say to the other? Elizabeth blessed and encouraged Mary. Mary refused to take to herself the glory that rightfully belonged to God as her immediate response magnified her Lord. Psalm 115:1 “Not to us, O LORD, not to us but to your name be the glory, because of your love and faithfulness.”

Christmas is a season of opportunity for us, like Mary, to glorify the Lord in what we say and do because of His gift of Love. Will we celebrate Christ in our daily schedules? In our gifts? In our homes? In our celebrations? In our financial choices? In our invitation guest lists? In our visitations? In our Christmas cards/greetings? In our conversations? In our church programs? In our Women’s Ministry events? In our souls, our hearts? God’s Christmas gift to Mary filled her heart and Elizabeth’s life with overflowing song of praise, worship, honor, and thanksgiving to God. May you have a Mary Christmas that likewise glorifies God and when we, like Jesus, come to the end of our earthly sojourn, may we be able to pray, “…I have brought you glory on earth by completing the work you gave me to do.” To God be the Glory!

As we study the scriptures let it be our aim to think about why we would be studying God’s Word...

1. You may be becoming a woman of faith. You are just discovering who Jesus is as you study. You may be discovering the importance of the Word of God in your walk of faith. You are laying the foundation to become a woman of faith, who is trusting in the living God through the Lord Jesus Christ.

2. You may be becoming mature in your faith. Remember this is not growing up or growing old, but literally experiencing the process of development that will conclude with a completeness. Are you in the process of fully developing your faith?

3. You may be in that stage where you are not only developing your faith but desiring that your life could more fully reflect the one whom you love - Jesus Christ.

As Daughters of the King, women who have received by faith God’s gracious gift which is extended to us through Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of sin, we will discover the potential that lies within us. That potential comes through the power of the Holy Spirit to produce the fruit of the Holy Spirit through our lives.

II Corinthians 3:18 “We who with unveiled faces all reflect the Lord’s glory, are being transformed into his likeness with ever-increasing glory which comes from the LORD who is the Spirit.” Are you reflecting the Lords’ glory?

Galatians 5:23-24: “The fruit of the Holy Sprit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.” Need any of those lately?

Gripped by His Amazing love, Janet