Community - A Shelter from Life's Storms

What does community mean to me? The first thing that comes to mind is the town that I grew up in and where I am raising my family, DeWitt, IA.  Love this place. It is bigger than when I was growing up, but it is still a small farm town with a nice shopping area downtown, plenty of places to eat (but a diner or small cafe would be nice!), great schools, a hospital and only 20 minutes in three directions to the nearest Wal-Mart and shopping. One definition of community is "a group of people who live in the same place or having a particular characteristic in common."

But the community that I have at OBS fits the following definition "a feeling of fellowship with others, as a result of sharing common attitudes, interests and goals." I can be quiet and shy when in a new situation, but getting involved with a Facebook small group really helped me feel comfortable quickly. I have an awesome leader, Marlene, and the rest of my sisters in Group 51 are so accepting and loving that I no longer feel like the only child that I am! Where else can I find fellow sisters who love the Lord - actually OOZE their love for the Lord? I can share my thoughts and feelings without feeling judged or rejected. We may not live in the same town, state, or even country but when we are gathered in one place for the building of our faith through Scripture, study and prayer we are truly blessed!

What I need from a community is probably different from what you need and that is OK! I need a place where I am loved for who I am and what I am. I have a need to feel accepted by others and loved. Maybe you do too. I love that I learn from the leaders of the OBS studies and the other ladies who are participating. I need to know that what I am going through, experiencing or doubting is OK and may even be normal. I just need a safe place to be me!

My hope and prayer is that I can encourage and support my fellow OBS sisters. I want you to know that I pray for all of you. I will love you for who you are. I am only a Facebook message away if you need someone to pray for/with you. I will be your number one cheerleader when you get discouraged!

 "This will happen when we set aside our self-interests and work together to create true community instead of a culture consumed by provocation, pride, and envy." ~ Galatians 5:26 (The Voice)

"Who in your community is understanding and wise? Let his example, which is marked by wisdom and gentleness, blaze a trail for others." ~ James 3:13 (The Voice)

Living So That, Part 2

Chapter Two of "Living So That" focuses on God's Word. This, of course, refers to The Holy Bible or Scripture. God's Word can be used for so many things from teaching to showing us our sins. The Bible is 100% true. It is holy and sacred and demands the utmost respect. I hold it in reverence and awe.  The more I read it, the more I learn. The more I learn, the more I treasure it! Every word inside of the Bible was inspired by God! God spoke through the Holy Spirit into the hearts of the men who wrote the very words we read! It is authentic and accurate because God is without sin - He is perfect!

The Bible equips us to face our challenges, struggles, joys and successes in whatever we do in life. Ministry isn't reserved for the pastors in our pulpits on Sunday morning or the Evangelism team at our churches. We are called and equipped to do ministry right where we are! God placed us where we are for a specific purpose. Answer the call today - what is God speaking to you through His Word? What is He calling you to do right where you are?

God's Word helps us establish our faith - we must commit to making time to read God's Word daily. There are several ways to do this. There are on-line sites with daily devotions that can be emailed to you, Proverbs 31 Ministries is one example. Other sites offer Bible reading plans to read through the entire Bible or just a book or on a certain topic. Visit a Christian bookstore in your area and you will find a plethora of choices! Check with your own church too. Many denominations publish daily devotions that are then sent or purchased by your local congregation for their members.

I wish I could say that I was in God's Word daily, but I'm not. I strive to be and I'm getting better. I am finding that the more time I spend with Him in prayer and devotion or through a Bible study, the better I am at hearing God speak to me. I will delve into prayer in another post. God's Word gives me a firm foundation on which to build my faith. I call it my faith journey. The final destination is heaven. Like any journey, I will probably get lost, make wrong turns, and hit dead ends but I am encouraged to continue because I know God is right there offering me forgiveness and grace. My journey will probably include many stops along the way, but I will keep on moving towards the ultimate goal of spending eternity with my Father in heaven. Where are you in your journey? Don't give up! I have started and stopped and started again many times, keep going!

All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for

teaching, rebuking, correcting and training

in righteousness, so that the man of God

may be thoroughly equipped

for every good work.  ~ 2 Timothy 3:16-17

Making the Choice to Live So That

It is a quiet day at home today. The busyness of the Easter weekend is over and today is a day for rest, relaxation and reflection. I am just starting week 3 of "Living So That" by Wendy Blight. This book is changing me from the inside out! I feel like the contestants do on "The Biggest Loser" when they reach make-over week. God is making me over from the inside out! I want to share with you what I have read so far. Today's post focuses specifically on Chapter 1.

Chapter One - My life should not be one that is self-centered! I should be active and be centered on others. God's Word is alive and living today, not just when it was written! It is for you and for me! Is your life messy? Mine is. The Bible was given to us so that we are equipped to live out our lives for Him! I am not perfect, but I strive to make faith-filled choices and not faith-less choices. Not always easy to accomplish because  am generally a reactive person and will often act on my emotions. This often leads to making the situation worse than it already was. The grace that God give me everyday is totally undeserved. It is a freebie that I am given.

It was in this chapter that I read about conviction. Wendy wrote that "Conviction, on the other hand, is about God. It's a productive emotion. God's Holy Spirit convicts us to know that we have not pleased Him. He then speaks truth into our hearts and empowers us to change so that we can do what is pleasing to Him (pg. 30 in "Living So That)." Did you know that the Bible is a love letter from God to us? Wow! What a thought that is! If you got a love letter in the mail, I bet you would read it over and over and over. That is exactly what God wants us to do with His Word! He wants us read and dig deeper into His Word over and over. Love letters give us warm fuzzies - God's Word does the same! There will be times when what I read will be a conviction of what I have done wrong, but it is said in love. God's love and forgiveness are there for me and you each and everyday.

What I am truly taking to heart, even though I have known it since I was a child, God's forgiveness is always there, I just need to ask! I need to pray more for me, for others, in thanksgiving for the blessings He showers upon me. I have tried several times to use a prayer journal, but I never keep at it. I am on the search for a new journal to use and I am going to start by praying Scripture and verse mapping verses He places upon my heart.

Will you join me on this journey? It won't be easy. There will be times that will seem like two steps forward and four steps back. But I am not going to give up this time! If you are looking to make a change and want to grow closer to God, I encourage you to read Living So That by Wendy Blight. Her style of writing is so easy to read and each chapter is divided into five parts so you can read and take it in a little at a time. If you are looking for support, you must (yes, MUST!) check out Proverbs 31 Ministries Online Bible Studies! This is an online community of Jesus Girls who will love on you right where you are in your faith journey and encourage you to keep going! I hope to see you there!

Come back tomorrow as I will post about Chapter 2!

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

New Studies and a Fabulous Recipe!

The Proverbs 31 Ministries Online Bible Studies'  Gap Study that I have been involved with the past three weeks (actually three months) is over and I miss it already. To help fill the void, I joined Good Morning Girls' Why Easter Matters study. I am getting ready to dig into that study later this morning. Next up will be the P31 OBS "Living So That" by Wendy Blight study. This looks to be an excellent study and I am anxious for that to get going. I encourage you to go the proverbs31.org website and click on the Online Bible Studies tab for more information and to sign up.

I am spending the day at home with my little guy. He has been running a fever so I kept him home from school. That gives me a little more time to do some around the house tasks that I never seem to get done! As a treat, I am finishing up my hubby's laundry. He generally washes his own clothes because they come home so dirty and greasy from work. I was going to wash my windows, but it looks like it is going to rain sooner than the weatherman predicted, so that will have to wait. I have finished planning our evening meal and am thinking about the rest of the week. We really need to butcher! I am just about out of beef! That never happens, so that means I have done a pretty good job of planning our meals out of the freezer the past year! Speaking of food, check out the newest Jensen family favorite - Mac & Cheese. No, not your normal everyday, run of the mill mac & cheese, but fabulous yummy melt in your mouth mac & cheese. The recipe is below:

Mac & Cheese

1/2 of a 1-pound package of penne pasta, cooked and drained

1 jar (14.5 oz) Prego flavored with savory bacon alfredo sauce

1/2 of a 1 oz package of ranch salad dressing mix (I used Hidden Valley Ranch.)

1/2 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese

Heat the oven to 350 degrees. Stir the pasta, sauce, dressing mix and half of the shredded cheese in a large bowl. Spoon into an 8x8 baking dish. Sprinkle with the remaining cheese. Bake for 30 minutes or until the mixture is hot and bubbly.

We decided that this was an absolute must keep recipe. We are going to make it again and add left over cubed chicken from the freezer. Add a garden or fruit salad and some garlic bread and you have a complete meal.

So Long, Fear!

See that Fear? All that underlining and notes and stuff? Did you notice where it says STOP? Did ya?

I am, once and for all, kicking my fear of rejection to the curb! One of the verses I am using to do that is Philippians 4:6-7. The picture above shows my verse mapping for it. No, I didn't do it in June of last year, I did it today. I used the camera at the preschool and we don't have the date set on it! ANYWAY....
I will take you through it a little at a time. "Do not" translates as STOP. (I actually wrote 'as in STOP!'). I need to stop letting fear grab me and lead me away from God.

When I got to "anxious" I looked at my study Bible (NIV) and the notes said self-centered, counter-productive worry (fear). I don't know about you, but I can certainly be self-centered at times, maybe more than I should be. Allowing my fear of rejection to be in control is certainly counter-productive to living a God-filled life.

"...anything" to me means big and/or small stuff, "everything" as in all were my next insights. This was followed by "prayer, and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God."  God hears my prayers, both said and unsaid. I went to the note section again and found that thanksgiving along with prayer and petition are the antidote to worry (or fear). The notes went on to say that "Anxiety and prayer are two great opposing forces in Christian experience." Wow! Anxiety can lead me away from God and my prayer life or I can use prayer to combat my anxiety! When we take all our cares, worries, etc. to God during our prayer time, we leave them with God and worry about them no more. Just dump them write there and walk away.

"And the peace of God which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus." Peace brings to mind contentment and tranquility. A quiet pond with lilies floating on top is what I think of when I hear the word "tranquility." There is so much about God that He doesn't want us to know and my understanding of Him is minute. Transcend is to go beyond my ability to understand, but even so, I trust Him and believe in Him. Around the word "guard" I drew what is supposed to be like a fortress or strong tower because that is the image that popped into my head. I didn't draw a sentry standing outside the door, but there was one of those in my image too.  God guards and protects me 24/7 my entire life. ADT can't even do that!

My hope is that you have been able to "kick fear to the curb" once and for all or are on the way there. Blessings as you continue down the path God has laid out before you!

Got Courage?

As I am writing this, the house is quiet. I am home alone, a rarity for sure. Abie is spending the night at her BFF's house and my husband took Wyatt out riding on the quads at Solon. It is a beautiful day. The sun is shining and melting away the last of the snow piles in my backyard. Thank you, God, for Spring!

Time to focus on the task at hand - do I see myself as a woman of good courage? Do I have the courage of Joshua? What a wonderful example he is! He fully believed in God,  trusted Him beyond all measure, did exactly what God asked of him and was successful! It was the power of God that delivered Jericho into the hands of the Israelites.

I can be courageous when it is something I am familiar with or comfortable with, but then is that really being courageous? Realistically, if I am faced with something that takes me outside my comfort zone, courage flees me at an alarming rate.

Why? Why do I let my courage falter? I am sure some of it is a control issue (Yep, I'm working on letting go and letting God!), but the majority of the blame falls on the "What ifs...". What if I mess up; what if people laugh or make fun of me; dear Lord, what if I'm successful, then what?!

I learned through the study this week that, just like everything else, it all come back to God, my loving and forgiving Father. I need to surround myself with prayer warriors (who said I have to do this on my own?), dig deeper into God's Word and let His presence fill me and pray, pray, pray! God is always with me (Psalm 23). He loves me (1 John 4:8) and He forgives me (1 John 1:9). Truths directly from the Bible that are applicable to my life and yours. Is it always going to be easy to "be of good courage?" NO! In my Concordia Self-Study Bible (NIV), the notes say for Matthew 4 that "God tests his people, but it's the devil how tempts us to evil (fears).

Without God we can accomplish nothing; we are nothing. God can accomplish many amazing things through us if we have courage to believe and trust in God above all things. Remember, sweet sisters, as we work to overcome our fears

  "I can do all things through him who gives me strength." ~ Philippians 4:13.

Kicking Fear to the Curb

Wow! What a first week of the "Kicking Fear to the Curb" Gap Study! I have enjoyed completing the assignments and reading the comments of my fellow sisters. Our 2nd assignment had us looking at six verses from God's Word:

Proverbs 3:5-6
Philippians 4:13
2 Timothy 1:7
Joshua 1:9
Isaiah 41:10
Deuteronomy 31:6

Some of the verses were ones I was familiar with, while others were new. I have decided through reading these verses that fear is a tool that Satan uses to separate us from God. He loves nothing more than watching us believe the fallacies and lies he whispers in our ears and marks on our hearts.

To overcome our fears, no matter what they may be, we must turn to our loving Father. The Bible is full of verses that encourage us to trust in and depend on Him. He gives us weapons to combat our fears. He will give us the strength and courage, if we only let Him. He will be with us every step of the way. He will remove obstacles in our way. Do not lack confidence fellow sisters.

"For God did not give us a spirit of timidity, but a spirit of power, of love and of self-discipline."  
 2 Timothy 1:7