No human will ever be able to meet our deepest needs. This is something I’ve learned over my life. We often put so much pressure on our husbands, children, friends and family to fill a void in our lives, to be a certain way, or to be who we think they should be so they can meet our needs and our expectations. Whether we are aware we do this or if we do this unknowingly, it’s wrong. Let me say it again, no human will ever be able to meet our deepest needs. It is Jesus’ job to fill that part of our soul …
Sufficient Grace
Just as each of us has one body with many members, and these members do not all have the same function, so in Christ we who are many form one body, and each member belongs to all the others. We have different gifts, according to the grace given us. Romans 12: 4-5 Grace is defined by Merriam-Webster as a way of moving that is smooth and attractive, a way that is not stiff or awkward. Grace is the strength beyond your physical limitations to do what only you were created to do. It is given to us individually to bring …
An Anchor on the Bridge
It was a little over a year ago that I was able to call Little Rock home. Last summer, I spent a lot of time running around the Big Dam Bridge. I specifically remember, despite my excitement of being in a new place and “starting over” I was feeling slightly apprehensive and a part of me was afraid. I specifically remember hearing this song (which I have heard many, many times) but this time the line of lyrics toward the end of the song stopped me in my tracks. I knew that everything would be okay. “Take courage when the …
Redeemer, Deliverer, and soon-coming King
Jesus said, “The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he has anointed me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to release the oppressed, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.” Luke 4: 18–19 This Easter season great hope enters our lives when we embrace an all-encompassing view of Jesus. We must know Jesus and the work He desires to do in us. For just a moment, I want to invite you to consider the way …
Beautifully Broken: Learning to live
As I write this article I am sitting on a roof top patio in Nairobi, Kenya at the home of our missionary family. I close my eyes and smell the savory meat grilling nearby as the warm African wind is blowing my hair and I can hear banana tree leaves clapping in the wind. I opened my eyes to watch the sun set on Western Kenya. I am in awe of the tranquility and peace my heart feels in this beautiful country. As fulfilled as my soul is here, I am unable to escape Jesus’ call to follow Him. This …
Wrecked
My tires were aired, my chain was lubed and the panniers were bulging. Packing was definitely the biggest challenge. Four women preparing for a five day, two hundred fifty-seven mile bicycle ride across the state of Missouri were limited to mascara, toothbrush, T-shirt dress and Chacos. I’ll admit I was a little worried. I had never been to the Katy Trail, though I had researched it extensively and compiled a detailed agenda, which included bed and breakfast reservations as well as dinner plans. I had spent four months meticulously planning the trip. To conserve space I placed my items into …
Trust and Obey
The year 2015 came with a personal triumph in the areas of trust and obedience. I learned the real meaning of depending on God. Up until 2015, I had always heard testimonies from great men and women of God telling of how they stepped out on faith and obeyed God. They told of how God provided for them or how God gave them resources for different projects that they knew were from Him. God told me it was my time to learn this lesson for myself. In October, I left my government job that I had been so comfortable with for the …
Nobody Has Time for That!
Time? I don’t have time! It often seems that time truly does fly and I find one moment I’m waking up for work on Monday morning and before I blink it is Friday afternoon. So as I think about the word time I hear God teaching about what we don’t have time for. I don’t have time for: The lies of the enemy– His cruel words say ashamed, useless, messed up, washed up, unworthy and more. You fill in whatever it is that haunts your mind. “Set your minds on things above…” Colossians 3: 2 says. If it doesn’t line up with God’s Word about us, we …
And So We Wait
Waiting: stay where one is or delay action until a particular time or until something else happens; used to indicate that one is eagerly impatient to do something or for something to happen. A few weeks ago, I was up at 4am busily getting ready to travel to a conference. I had almost forgotten about the pregnancy test I had taken that early morning, but thankfully, I happened to glance at it before walking out the door. Expecting to see only one line, I did a triple take when I saw not one, but two obvious pink lines. I didn’t …
The Lord Showed Me
A 2016 Repost from My Journey of Faith Magazine by Katie Clifton This past year, the Lord showed me that I don’t need to make plans. He showed me His ways are best and that I am strongest and most pliable when I am on my face before Him. I spent most of 2014 fighting God on church planting. I ran from it. I cried over it. I begged God to call someone else. Then, I surrendered with excitement and joy. In 2015, we launched Renew Church. It is wonderful. It is a gift. It is refreshing and reviving and …
Lessons Learned: Abide in the Vine
A Repost from My Journey of Faith Magazine 2016 by Mollie Moncrief Moore that can be applied to your life for this year. Life Can Get Hard 2015 was bookend with bad news for our family. On January 3rd, just after the start of a fresh new year, my oldest son’s good friend died in a car accident. He was 18. In December we found out that my beloved Aunt has stage 4 cancer. She is 58. I have found myself asking “why?” I have prayed for these loved ones and cried with them. I began to be fearful of …
Time to Renew
A Repost from 2016 by Rebekah Beene to My Journey of Faith Magazine. Still current today. For the past decade we’ve done a lot of travel in ministry. Almost every weekend for a while was spent either going to an event or home with family. Either way there wasn’t much time for upkeep of home or yard. Our one-acre place just didn’t get much attention. Now we have temporarily slowed down and have time to make assessments. There are things we need to work on that we just didn’t even have time to see! We’ve started repairs on the house …