 I was a lonely child. Some days, I even sat, peering past my lace curtains to the black, night sky, hoping to see that star shining back at me. And although I was too young to know, some fixed luminous point in the sky was not the Savior of the World…That star somehow gave me comfort and hope. And as an adult, don’t worry…I know God, not some star, is my sole salvation. At the same time, too often, I can become busy and self-sufficient, walking past the host of stars blanketing the sky above me out where I live, here in the country. The Magi can teach us, as well as Jesus who said, "I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life." (John 8:12) Intellectually, we know who illuminates the heavens, came in a manger, and how scripture says, “He is with us always, even unto the end of the age.” (Matt. 28:20) Yet, it can be easy to implode in business, lose track of the Morning Star, get self-sufficient, and not lean completely, in faith and trust on Him. Jesus describes the Kingdom of Heaven as a man who was willing to sell all he had to buy the field that holds, the treasure of great price. (Matt 13:44) And yet, have I really grasped the Great Sacrifice worth selling all for? Let’s be honest, Jesus can seem far in the hustle and bustle of life, and it can be challenging to slow down, and acknowledge our dependency on Him. What I love about the Magi in the story of the Star of Bethlehem (Matt. 2) was how the Wise Men were purposefully searching, inquiring, and were even considered experts at looking to the heavens. Their eyes were actually intentionally fixed to the changes above them. Is mine? Is yours? And, how often do I go around racing past in hurriedness and business, forgetting, “The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of His hands.” (Psalms 19:1) To clarify, theologically speaking, we are not called to astrology, but to the Creator of all eternity. We are not asked to be zombies, staring up into the heavens, while living a life of emptiness. God called us to “go” (Matt. 28:19), be like Him (Luke 10:37), and to reflect, The Light of the World. (Matt 5:14) However, there is something about, like I did as a child, looking for physical demonstrations of His love. And we should never be settled accepting a world that doesn’t know The One that said, “Let there be light” (Gen. 1:3), who “Set the heavens in place” (Prov. 8:27), or who “Died for us, while we were yet sinners.” (Rom. 5:8) Unlike mere mortal men, scripture gives a promise and keeps it of hope, and freedom, of, “A baby wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger.” (Luke 2:12) It promises our own hollow or loneliness isn’t the end of the story, but that there is forgiveness in a Savior who grew up, died, and resurrected for the purpose of redeeming us. (Titus 2:14) There are far too many man-made superstitions or unbiblical notions about the stars of heavens. Yet, we can cling to His promises. “There will be signs in the sun, in the moon, and in the stars.” (Matt 21:25) “The Son of Man will be coming in a cloud with power and great glory.” (Matt 21:27) We need not worry. Let’s gaze past the dark to the Light of the World (John 8:12) who will never leave or forsake us. (Duet. 31:8) And even on cloudy days, truth can assure us…the stars are still up there, the light of His goodness won’t ever fade or fail us. Let’s stop this season, look up, and remember His goodness. He came like a baby; sweet, humble, and innocent. Let’s be like the Magi, and fix our eyes on the One who made the heavens. About Jen Avellaneda Though born, raised, and still living only miles from where she grew up, Jen's heart lies in the nations. Jen loves the beautiful tapestry found in the wide diversity of people, different cultures, and all nations. Jen and her husband have been married twenty years, and have parented fifteen kids and counting; twelve foster, one adopted, and two bios. Her multi-racial family reflects her passion for unity, desire for faith without walls, and missional mindset to share both the gospel and the power of redemption to a world desperately needing the hope found in Jesus Christ. Jen and her husband have led in a variety of ministries; including prayer, small groups, children's, and women’s. Jen advocates for the orphan as a board member for the non-profit, A New Song; and loves doing missions work internationally, along with her family. You can find Jen writing about faith, while challenging her readers at her blog, Rich Faith Rising, as well as at tweeting faith-filled messages @Jen_Avellaneda . Jen is also on facebook.
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 I would never... What is your I would never? The thing so horrible, so against everything you value and believe, that you think you'd never be capable of doing it. When we read Scripture the Lord is so generous in sharing His truth with us. He actually illuminates our minds by His Spirit helping us not only understand but makes it hit us deep down. Connecting with the Lord through His Word is exhilarating and humbling at the same time. I'm slowly making my way through 2 Kings using the 2 Kings Journal-which helps me connect with the Lord in this deep connection type of way. And this morning, through the life of Amaziah, the Lord's warnings bring me to my knees. Amaziah's dad was tragically murdered by his servants. After Amaziah was firmly established as the new King, he had the servants put to death and began his reign walking with and doing what was right in the Lord's eyes. He began to defeat enemies because he obeyed the Lord, "for God has the power to help or to make one stumble" (2 Chron.25:8) even when it was hard, even when people turned against him to the point of wanting to destroy him. Such a great example! But then, sadly it seems he gets super cocky. After defeating the Edomites, he took their gods and set them up to worship them. What!? That makes no sense! (Arrogance leads us to do crazy things.) Winning this one battle led to an outrageously inflated view of himself that led him to take on Israel where he was crushed and ultimately died. Before his attempt to take on Israel, something more than God wanted for him, God generously sent a prophet to him to tell him not to do it. However Amaziah's arrogance blinded him and he interrupted the prophet and wouldn't even listen to him. Because of just one win, his kingdom was defeated. The potential to become an Amaziah is a temptation for anyone. So here are 6 nuggets of truth to help us not walk the road of Amaziah. 6 Truths from 2 Kings 14 (& 2 Chron. 25) that Keep Us Humble 1. Little compromises lead to bigger compromises. Bringing the idols of the Edomites home with him, led Amaziah to set them up and then start worshipping them. 2. When you speak truth to arrogant people they may get so mad at you they want to destroy you. The prophet was sent by God and spoke truth the Amaziah but because he was blinded by arrogance, he threatened to kill him and sent him away. But better to be dead and pleasing to the Lord then a King stepping into his downfall and bringing others with him. 3. God doesn't withhold good from us, even when He is angry with us. God was angry with Amaziah because of his sin of pride. But God still did what was best for Amaziah. He still initiated communicating and speaking truth offering grace. 4. God has the power to help or to make one stumble. God could have helped Amaziah but since Amaziah refused listening to the Lord, let alone calling out to Him, He let Him stumble. 5. An arrogant leader leads to downfall. Amaziah chose to listen to his own counselors that told him what he wanted to hear over what God had to say. 6. Just one win can cause a humble person to become arrogant enough to turn from the Lord. This is the scariest one. At times it seems easier to trust and call out to the Lord when life is hard. In the victory, it is easy to forget Him. We are a susceptible people, taking credit where credit is not due. The need to continually lean into the Lord's strength, giving Him credit for everything we have and are will keep us from becoming inflated after wins. We are far more capable of doing the very thing we think we'd never do. And God's Spirit is far more capable of helping us to stay strong by the strength of His Spirit than we'd ever dare dream. Oh Lord! We are so weak and vulnerable as people. We so desperately need you. Thank you for being accessible and generous and not withholding loe or good from us, even when we don't deserve it. Help us stay humble, even in wins. About Laura Laura, the founder of Missional Women is married and has six kids, two of whom are adopted. Laura and her husband have been missionaries to college students for 14 years serving with Master Plan Ministries where she is the Women's Development Coordinator. Laura has authored 5 books, including an award winning 12 week Bible Study on First Samuel, Beholding Him, Becoming Missional, Reach; How to Use Your Social Media Influence for the Glory of God, A Devotional Journey through Judges, and Discover God's Calling for Your Life. Most recently her resource for Bible studies, The Connect Cards was released by Cru Press. You can find her on facebook, twitter, pinterest, youtube, instagram, periscope, blab and her author site.
If you'd like to read more from this contributor, type her name in the search box on the top right. Sharing this over at these awesome blogs.  I don’t know about you, but I can get caught believing …Grace paves our way to heaven, so we don’t have to do anything. Recently, God’s been showing me just how much false teaching has been slipping into my thinking. In studying scripture, something I had never considered before was revealed to me…Jesus frequently asked people for things. It was like a light-bulb went off in my head and I started making the connection...
And I realized, Jesus didn’t just ask for tangible things, He also asked for our personal steps of faithfulness. I mean, Jesus is God incarnate, right? He could have done every miracle apart from us, but instead, more often, He chooses to connect the natural with the supernatural, the flawed with the forces of heaven, the faith with the Faithful One, so He could be glorified through us. Spiritual calls in Scripture include:
And although our salvation isn’t conditioned on what we do for God, like me, most can get deceived into thinking, we never need to sacrifice to experience the fullness of His Kingdom. When Jesus started His ministry, His first words were Him asking of two things from others, “Repent and believe in the gospel.” (Mark 1:15) The word "repent" means to turn from our sin and go in a different direction. To "believe" means, "To lean your entire weight on Him." He is trustworthy. He is capable. He is holy. He is God. And yet, as missional woman it can be easy to get caught up in this idea that God has to do it all and we get to do nothing. And I have to admit, it can be so easy to get deceived into believing, when we seek to advance His Kingdom, “If it's difficult, something must not be from God, God must not be in it”. Yet, scripture teaches us to turn from our own self-reliance, repent, and lean completely on Him. And I want to have a relationship where there is mutual dialogue, two people talking, not some shallow relationship where I get to make all the requests, and He gets to ask nothing. As missional women, let’s turn from the wrong direction and lean solely on Him. Let’s go where He calls, listening when He speaks, and obeying whatever He asks... Regardless of feelings or what we might want. What might God be asking from you today? Will you listen and follow wherever He calls? About Jen Though born, raised, and still living only miles from where she grew up, Jen's heart lies in the nations. Jen loves the beautiful tapestry found in the wide diversity of people, different cultures, and all nations. Jen and her husband have been married twenty years, and have parented fifteen kids and counting; twelve foster, one adopted, and two bios. Her multi-racial family reflects her passion for unity, desire for faith without walls, and missional mindset to share both the gospel and the power of redemption to a world desperately needing the hope found in Jesus Christ. Jen and her husband have led in a variety of ministries; including prayer, small groups, children's, and women’s. Jen advocates for the orphan as a board member for the non-profit, A New Song; and loves doing missions work internationally, along with her family. You can find Jen writing about faith, while challenging her readers at her blog, Rich Faith Rising, as well as at tweeting faith-filled messages @Jen_Avellaneda . Jen is also on facebook. If you'd like to read more from this contributor, type her name in the search box on the top right. Sharing this over at these awesome blogs.  Built in the 1950’s, it only had eight lanes, word wrapped floors and a slow, mechanical, bowling ball rotation, that took you back in time. Four of us played. We carefully propped up our ball, eyed where the bowling pins were, and took our shot. The technique and execution were correct, but each and every ball curved left and ended up in the gutter. Something seemed suspicious, so finally I walked out onto the alley, placed a large ball perfectly still in the middle, then slowly let it go. Sure enough, the ball independently rolled down and to the left. The girl working at the bowling alley brazenly retorted at my little “experiment”, “What do you expect? This place was built in the 1950’s. The foundation is sloping, so all of your balls will roll away from the middle.” My life in the past has been sometimes been like this same bowling alley. We set everything just right, but once we let go, everything seems to shift, despite ourselves, slightly in the wrong direction. Living a life with a tilted foundation can leave us feeling sabotaged and discouraged. But, what if we went back to the basics? What if we realized time, attention, and a solid relationship with Jesus must be the foundation to all we are doing? The thing about foundations is, often they erode where nobody sees. And although we can fake it for a season, eventually a tilted foundation will be evident to the masses, just like this crooked bowling alley. I have found, it is vital to keep checking the foundation of what I am building upon. Is it my ego, my will, my desire to please man…or is it truly Him and Him alone I seek to please? Is He first and foremost? Is He the Cornerstone of all I am doing? Psalms 127:1 tells us, “Unless the Lord builds the house, the builder labors in vain.” And at the end of the day, only God can create something beautiful and lasting. The wise man who built His house upon the rock remained unshakeable when the storms came. (Matt. 7:24-27) And I want to be like that. Don’t you? Isaiah 28:16 tells us, “Behold, I am the one who has laid as a foundation in Zion, a stone, a tested stone, a precious cornerstone, of a sure foundation…” And yet, how easy it is to build on achievement and accomplishments, resurrecting towers on sand, not realizing they’ll be futile, until after the storms have assailed us? And what does it mean to build upon His Rock, His firm foundation?
The worker that day went on to explain that if they wanted this 1950’s bowling alleys to be straight, they would have to dig out the corners and pour a new foundation. And yet, I wondered how a life of gutter balls could ever be rewarding? It’s not too late as Missional Women, to realign what we are building upon. We can come to Him dependent, asking Him to realign us, seek His will through solemn devotion, letting Him alone be our sole foundation. Wood and straw will be burnt up in the fire, but everything built on His firm foundation will surely last forever. After all, we were never created for gutter balls. It’s time we start throwing strikes. About Jen Though born, raised, and still living only miles from where she grew up, Jen's heart lies in the nations. Jen loves the beautiful tapestry found in the wide diversity of people, different cultures, and all nations. Jen and her husband have been married twenty years, and have parented fifteen kids and counting; twelve foster, one adopted, and two bios. Her multi-racial family reflects her passion for unity, desire for faith without walls, and missional mindset to share both the gospel and the power of redemption to a world desperately needing the hope found in Jesus Christ. Jen and her husband have led in a variety of ministries; including prayer, small groups, children's, and women’s. Jen advocates for the orphan as a board member for the non-profit, A New Song; and loves doing missions work internationally, along with her family. You can find Jen writing about faith, while challenging her readers at her blog,Rich Faith Rising, as well as at tweeting faith-filled messages @Jen_Avellaneda . Jen is also on facebook.
If you'd like to read more from this contributor, type her name in the search box on the top right. Sharing this over at these awesome blogs  I'm not going to lie. I have been obsessed with the story about the Samaritan woman. You know…the one about the woman at the well? I don’t know. Maybe it’s because I can relate to her; thirsty, alone, having a past that’s more tainted than holy. I mean, this lady, she just seems smart, yet willing; lonely, yet thirsty for the water that never runs dry. (John 4:7-30) The other women likely rose early, and went together to get their daily portion of water. Yet, this Samaritan was alone, exposed, and likely in danger, as she goes to fill her bucket all by herself. Still, in her isolation, it is there she meets Jesus. What I love about Jesus is that He didn’t go around Samaria, like so many others were accustomed to doing. He didn’t claim how her people weren’t Jews, weren’t chosen, or somehow weren’t “good enough”. It was as if He knew this Samaritan woman from the beginning; chose, predestined, and seemed to set himself up to be alone with her at this well. It was as if He could foresee the spiritual fruit coming from this one, simple encounter. And yet in our culture, it can be so easy to go to anyone or anything else, but Jesus, for our filling. We can seek an endless amount of “help”, when The One we need desperately, has already come looking for us. And I don’t know about you, but I desperately long to know The One willing to break through cultural norms. The One already taking steps towards me, the One I’ve needed to make me whole from before I could call out my Father’s name. Still, I wonder if we are going to be Missional Women, we should follow the four lessons the Samaritan women gives us:
As a result, the Samaritan woman soon learns Jesus was the Chosen One, the Son of God, the long waited for Lord of Creation, standing, speaking, reaching to not just anyone, but her. And…
Something inside us radically changes. We become free to throw up our hands and be all He created us to be. We don’t care about the approval of other people, the sins that has weighed on us. We don’t give time to the ones that have pulled and pushed, or held us back hatefully… All we care about is being the outlet for His bubbling-over joy… Telling others of the truth, letting the whole world know how He has set us free, and that we have found the risen Savior. I don’t know where you are today. Maybe you are hidden in shame, excluded, isolated, lonely, like the Samaritan woman when she was locked in her own sin… But let me tell you, Jesus isn’t sitting waiting for you to be perfect before He accepts you. He is walking your way and He desperately wants to commune with you. He has chosen this time and a place where He too can fill you with living water. He is waiting to be everything you need. Won’t you come join Him at His well, just like the Samaritan, through honest conversation? And then, like the woman of Scripture, we can live lives running and telling the world of all the great things He has done. We can live giving praise, and evangelizing His heart because once we were lost, but now we are not. And, we need never to be thirsty again. About Jen Though born, raised, and still living only miles from where she grew up, Jen's heart lies in the nations. Jen loves the beautiful tapestry found in the wide diversity of people, different cultures, and all nations. Jen and her husband have been married twenty years, and have parented fifteen kids and counting; twelve foster, one adopted, and two bios. Her multi-racial family reflects her passion for unity, desire for faith without walls, and missional mindset to share both the gospel and the power of redemption to a world desperately needing the hope found in Jesus Christ. Jen and her husband have led in a variety of ministries; including prayer, small groups, children's, and women’s. Jen advocates for the orphan as a board member for the non-profit, A New Song; and loves doing missions work internationally, along with her family. You can find Jen writing about faith, while challenging her readers at her blog, Rich Faith Rising, as well as at tweeting faith-filled messages @Jen_Avellaneda . Jen is also on facebook.
If you'd like to read more from this contributor, type her name in the search box on the top right. Sharing this over at these awesome blogs.  Recently, I've come to the somewhat obvious conclusion that: You can't follow God's Will for your life by accident. Isn't that so true? It takes work. A dramatic choice. Every day. Being in my twenties is great for a lot of reasons. I am free to do what I want with little consideration to schedules because, well, I know if I have the time or not. No husband or kids to consult with. I get to try a lot of things for the first time. If I have the money, I can buy the thing I want. But one of the best parts of this stage in life is I'm free to take risks that may lead to failure. I am risking my current situation. My money. My time. For this stage of life, I'm not yet a parent nor am I reporting to one daily. Any and all risks that I choose to take will, for the most part, only directly affect me. Freedom! I am not a risky person by nature. As a child, there was a rope to swing across the creek behind my house--most kids used that to make the walk to school a little bit shorter. Not me! No way! I was fine walking a little further to safely cross without getting wet. However, in the last few months, God has been coaching me into being a risk-taker. Like I said in the begining, following God's Will for your life is a choice. Many times, that choice fronts itself as a risk. Never once has God called me to a seemingly safe and comfortable life. No! He asks us to push boundaries and trust Him. Trust. Isn't that the hardest part? Trusting that His Will for your life is really as good as The Bible says it is. Trust that He will come through. Trust that His plan really is the best possible plan. It's hard! However, I heard a metaphor from a pastor at Red Rocks Church and I can't stop thinking about it. Do you know how much the strongest man in the world can bench press? 1,150lbs!! Want to know something even crazier? His wife! She bench presses 405lbs! (You GO girl!) Now, I don't know what their kids bench press, but I would bet that they're not the kids on the playground scared to do the monkey bars. They wouldn't be the ones hiding from the other kids. Why? Because they have mega-mom and mega-dad to back them up. So do you, my friend! You have a giant Father backing you up from Heaven. No blog post is going to rob you of your fear, but your big God might. Pray. Ask God to give you courage to follow His Will for your life. It won't happen on accident.
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Can I Help You See the Old Testament Come Alive and Apply to Your Life Today? {Free Chapter Excerpt}6/24/2016  Have you ever thought the Old Testament doesn't really relate to your life today? Have you ever thought it was a bit boring? Or maybe just stay away from it because you never really got anything out of it? Well, if this is the case I would love to help you find nuggets of wisdom and application from the Old Testament for your life. Here's the first chapter of my devotional on Judges. The devotional takes you verse chunk by verse chunk through the entire book with application to daily life for of all of it. If you get something out of this first chapter, or if the Lord uses it to speak to you or encourage you, you can get your book here. Enjoy and I hope the Old Testament becomes alive and nourishing to your soul.  Judges 1:1-3 Now it came about after the death of Joshua that the sons of Israel inquired of the LORD, saying, "Who shall go up first for us against the Canaanites, to fight against them?" And the LORD said, "Judah shall go up; behold, I have given the land into his hand." Then Judah said to Simeon his brother, "Come up with me into the territory allotted me, that we may fight against the Canaanites; and I in turn will go with you into the territory allotted you.” So Simeon went with him. (Judges 1:1-3) The boundary lines had already been drawn up for each of the tribes to take the land. They just hadn't done it yet. So I love that even though their leader had died, they didn't give up on the mission. And more importantly, they didn't give up on turning to the Lord. I find it interesting that they asked who should go up and fight. Because before this time, they all had worked together under one leader. Having worked together to fight, it's interesting that they assumed only one of the tribes should go. God had appointed Moses. Just one guy. And then God told Moses to appoint Joshua. Again, just one guy. But the Lord never told Joshua to appoint a successor. And what a gift because it allows us to see that God also uses ordinary people who aren’t appointed to be the head honcho. So the Lord sends the tribe of Judah, and they ask the Simeonites to go with them. This brings a lot of questions to mind: * Would you be willing to be the tribe not chosen for this great task? * How would you react? Would you complain, criticize, or be jealous? Or take the route of self-pity? * If in the tribe of Simeon, would you be willing to be an accompanist and take joy in helping the chosen tribe? * Would you root whole-heartedly from the sidelines, knowing you still had a part to play? The Lord is the One who knows who is best fit for each task. When I am not chosen or picked, Lord, remind me that You had a hand in it. That You have not overlooked or disregarded me; it's just that You have different plans. Lord, how does this relate to my daily life? Have you been overlooked recently? Not appreciated or disregarded? Has someone else received the thing you were hoping for or was asked to do something you were hoping to be asked to do? I've been there. Just know the Lord has not overlooked you. He has not disregarded you. He knows exactly what He is doing. So often we have to remind ourselves what's true: If the Lord is for me, who can be against me? God radically loves you, and He is for you! It helps to be proactive and give thanks in all things because it changes our attitudes. But having an attitude of thankfulness (such as thanking God for the other person getting _____) is only something that comes by the strength, perspective, and ability of His Spirit. The fruit of the Spirit—love (which is unselfishly choosing for another’s highest good), joy, peace, patience—are not something we can conjure up. They are born in our hearts as we remain connected to the Lord as a branch does to a vine. As we submit and yield to Him, we give Him freedom to allow His heart and perspective to be lived through us. Lord, we are desperately dependent on You. We want to have a heart that pleases You and not be selfish, but apart from You, we can do nothing. Please produce in us a heart that is able to be grateful for not being chosen right now. A heart that is willing to do whatever You ask. A heart surrendered to You and willing to be aligned to Yours. Lord, You are pretty incredible, knowing everything and being patient even when we get tired of being overlooked. Your knowledge and patience are so comforting, Lord. Thank You for opening our eyes and showing us that about You! About Laura Laura, the founder of Missional Women is married and has six kids, two of whom are adopted. Laura and her husband have been missionaries to college students for 14 years serving with Master Plan Ministries where she is the Women's Development Coordinator. Laura has authored 5 books, including an award winning 12 week Bible Study on First Samuel, Beholding Him, Becoming Missional, Reach; How to Use Your Social Media Influence for the Glory of God, A Devotional Journey through Judges, and Discover God's Calling for Your Life. Most recently her resource for Bible studies, The Connect Cards was released by Cru Press. You can find her on facebook, twitter, pinterest, youtube, instagram, periscope, blab and her author site.
If you'd like to read more from this contributor, type her name in the search box on the top right. Sharing this over at these awesome blogs.  I love God’s Word. I love how He can teach me things and He speaks directly into my current life situation from words written years and years ago. That being said, I also love when God teaches me things far outside the context of the Bible or Church. God did that the other day. God can use even Toyota to speak life into your current situation. The pioneer of how Toyota makes cars today, Taiichi Ohno, concluded that problems were a fact of life. (Which reminds me of John 16:33). And the key to solving any problem is getting to the root of it. Taiichi says that in order to get to the root of any problem you must ask “why?” 5 times. If you do that you will have a better understanding of what is going wrong and how to fix it. He gives this example: "Why did the robot stop?" The circuit has overloaded, causing a fuse to blow. "Why is the circuit overloaded?" There was insufficient lubrication on the bearings, so they locked up. "Why was there insufficient lubrication on the bearings?" The oil pump on the robot is not circulating sufficient oil. "Why is the pump not circulating sufficient oil?" The pump intake is clogged with metal shavings. "Why is the intake clogged with metal shavings?" Because there is no filter on the pump. There is nothing earth-shattering about this. Nothing you couldn’t have thought of yourself. But doesn’t it speak volumes because of its simplicity? Have you ever found yourself in a situation so far from God, feeling like he doesn’t exist? Or, on the brighter side, do you find yourself so in love with God that you can’t measure all the ways you’ve grown? I have a feeling that if you ask yourself why five times things might become a little more clear. For example: Why do I keep lying? Because I feel like I need to impress people. Why do I feel the need to impress people? I want to impress people because I want to be loved. Why do I want to be loved? I want to be loved because I just always have wanted to be loved. Why have I always wanted to be loved? Because I’m meant to be immeasurably loved by God. Why are you meant to be loved by God? Because I am God’s daughter and He is a loving God. I’ve done this over and over again and it always goes back to something true that God has taught me through the Bible. I am a child of God, I am forgiven, He has a plan, I can walk fearlessly, God is good, etc. When we boil something down to its simplest form we find the wisdom that God has laid before us all along. They say the better you know something the better you can teach it. Who knows more than God? Who is a better teacher? Take a moment, no matter what situation you find yourself in and ask yourself “why?” five times. What characteristic, what truth of God were you reminded? Focus on that and walk confidently in your current situation, sister.
About Jacque Jacque is the Missional Women Intern and a college student in Denver, CO who balances her time between trying to go to class and learning about His saving grace and perfect love as much as she can. She is a twenty something, DIY attempting, Jesus loving, Denver living, small town rooted, Colorado sports fan. She loves black coffee, long conversations and watching people do what God created them for. You can find her Christian Twenty Somethings blog at Desperately Dependent. If you'd like to read more from this contributor, type her name in the search box on the top right.
Sharing this over at these awesome blogs.  When I started middle school, my parents decided to send me to private school. I’d picked up some less than desirable vocabulary in the hallways of my public school, and they decided to be proactive by sending me to a school that would help combat my rebellious, twelve-year-old potty mouth. The school that they chose taught the Bible as a subject. I would be attending one hour of daily instruction on the Holy Scriptures. I wish I could say I was excited about it, but all I could picture was the sweet sixty year old lady who taught Sunday School at my grandmother’s church standing at the front of the room with a flannel graph image of Jesus. I imagined myself struggling to stay awake. I did not own a Bible, so we purchased one. I carried it to school, placed it in my new locker, and expected the worst. Boy, was I in for a surprise! I entered into Mr. Kenneth Bender’s Bible class on day one, opened up the pages of the New Testament, and read the Greatest Story Ever Told with my own eyes for the first time. The Word of God was alive in the life of my teacher, and his enthusiasm was contagious. I wanted to have the peace and joy that was readily visible in this man’s life. God’s Word transforms.
Our job is to get the Word out. All around us every day we rub shoulders with people who desperately need salvation. We cannot hoard the Bible. We must share it. 5 Ways to Get the Word Out:
God has promised that His Word will never be spoken in vain – it always accomplishes His kingdom purposes (Isaiah 55:11). His Word will always increase and multiply if we share it (Acts 12:24). How will you get the Word out this week? Let’s purpose to not be silent. Speak life over those who need to wake up to the Truth.
About Lyli Lyli Dunbar loves teaching. For 17 years, she mentored teenagers in the Christian school setting, and now she has serves as Associate Director of Curriculum at Trinity International University Florida. Lyli married her Prince Charming in her 40’s and has a heart for encouraging young couples and singles in God’s waiting room. She enjoys road trips with her husband, connecting with women through Bible study, and reading way too many books. Lyli writes about life lessons and faith on her personal blog. You may also connect with her on Facebook,Twitter, and Pinterest. If you'd like to read more from this contributor, type her name in the search box on the top right.
Sharing this over at these awesome blogs.  As I was surfing through Spotify, asking God what I should blog about this month, racking my brain for all those “great ideas” I come up with in the shower (Seriously, why is it I have all these great ideas for things in the shower?) when I saw an add for VS lingerie. And I was met with all these thoughts and feelings – like, “It’s porn passed off as advertising!” and “I like my underwear from there” and “I am so frustrated with what people think they can get away with.” I also thought of all my lovely lingerie I got at my bridal shower. Not going to lie, I like it was so thankful that people got me some when I was getting married. People were encouraging sex in the right context – that’s a great thing! Shouldn’t we encourage young women to look forward the right sex? Part of my issues in sex now have to do with all the negative thoughts I’ve had about how bad it is… outside of marriage. But now being in marriage, it’s a form to honor the Lord. WHAT?! Talk about a mind change! But what kind of gifts can we give that are morally right and yet sends a good message to this area of their future marriage that is important? More out of the fact that I live in a small city with few shopping options (lingerie options are either Walmart or the adult store… neither one appealing to shop at), I have developed a great gift that I call “The First Night Bag.” I LOVE this gift for so many reasons! First, because it’s so practical. Second, because it embarrasses the bride-to-be. I have so many great stories of ladies opening this gift – between them and the older ladies who think I probably should have given the couple pot holders or candles. Third, especially if they have been pure in their relationship past, this is a good and safe opportunity for them to learn good expectations about their first intimate night with their husband from someone they can trust – you! It makes me think of Titus 2:3-5, “In the same way, older women are to be reverent in behavior, not slanderers, not addicted to much wine. They are to teach what is good, so they may encourage the young women to love their husbands and to love their children, to be self-controlled, pure, homemakers, kind, and submissive to their husbands, so that God's message will not be slandered.” Bride-to-be have been bombarded with all sorts of different images, assumptions, thoughts and opinions about sex, marriage and sex in marriage. As older women, we need to encourage these women in truth about sex, marriage and sex in marriage – to help give them realistic and hopeful views over the junk our culture (and sometimes even some junk that well-intending “Christian” culture) is trying to feed them. Here is what I usually put in my bag: · Condoms or VCF · Lubricant · Flushable wipes · Fun panties · His/Her energy bars · Mouthwash · Pregnancy test Other ideas: · Basal thermometer · Gatorade · Massage oil · Tea lights/candles · Lotion · Set of sheets · Chocolates · Mints/gum · Toothbrushes & toothpaste · Prenatal vitamins I found a shirt once that said, “Practice Makes Perfect” and gave it to a friend of mine at her bridal shower – I wish I could buy those in bulk and put one in each bag I ever give! These are things you can really find anywhere, and I usually spend around $15 or so. I like to buy something practical household wise to put it in if I can afford it too. One time I bought a plastic pitcher, wrapped all my items in tissue paper and then stuffed the items in the pitcher. My very first one I put in a big plastic Easter egg, hid it at the house that the shower was being held, and had my friend go find it! (Okay, the egg was not a practical household item, but it was fun!) A great idea is to buy a travel bathroom bag to put all that in there so they can travel with it on their honeymoon. You can totally get creative with this too! Like think of different verses to go with each item, write down the practical advice with each item, give date ideas – really this can only get more fun the more time you get with it! Overall, this has been a successful gift that is a good way to encourage a healthy sex life in marriage. What have been some great bridal shower gifts that you have either received or seen given? Dear Lord Jesus, We live in such a depraved world. Sometimes it feels like we have to dig to find the original good in what you have created. I pray for women entering into marriage to have a good, healthy excitement for this new part of life they get to enjoy and fight through with their husbands. I pray that they will have good expectations and ask their awkward questions to reliable women. Thank you for sex! In Your Name I pray… About Leah Leah works with Master Plan Ministries at Fort Lewis College in Durango, CO. Other than watching college students' lives change, she enjoys getting her mind blown by God and His Word, watching sci fi, baking cupcakes, and spending time with her hunky husband.
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