AD – In Your Faith

Grief

July 11, 2022 by AD

Grief is hard. It knocks the wind from your very soul. As a Christian we sometimes feel relief in our grief, an end to a loved ones suffering, and yet it still hurts. The loss can be unbearable. As Christians we have God’s promise that the end of this life is not the end of life. There are many ways that people deal with their grief. Some are just broken and can not function. Some put on a false sense of bravado and grieve only in private.

The Lord is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit.

Psalm 34:18

Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted. Matthew 5:4

I have had my share of grief. I have lost so many and there are times when it feels so overwhelming. Other times I feel like I didn’t give myself time to grieve because being helpless to control it, I left it in the background until I had time to deal with it.

From May of 2019 until April of 2020 I lost 3 siblings. It was a tough time and yet I was so busy that I did not stop to grieve. My brother passed and I had a business trip that I was planning for and so I did not mention it to my boss. 2 weeks later my sister passed, the day before my flight. I had to tell my boss because I knew that word would get out. She immediately cancelled my trip and insisted that I take the required time off. It was of course the right thing because I was then able to actually grieve the loss of 2 of my siblings. I was able to talk to others about them and spend some time just dealing with things. Down time for thought, reflection, and remembrance.

Fast forward to March 2020 Covid hit and the world shut down. Work was closed so when my sister passed away I did not tell my boss because I was already off work. I had a conference call every week and I called my assistants and associates each week to check in with them to make sure they were doing well and let them know I was thinking of them. I was already off work so did not feel the need to share my grief with others. I kept it to myself because it was a hard one. It was both relief that the suffering was over for my sister but hurt that I would not see her again.

I have lost other siblings too and it was not easy and I was unable to take time away to heal properly, so the pain was drawn out, it was in bits and pieces, sudden and out of nowhere. A photo, a memory, a post from a family member that brought remembrance. I personally would rather have those moments of pain and remembrance than not to have them. Being the youngest, odds are that you will have more to lose, but God’s promise is always there and that gives me the peace I need in these times of loss and memories.

⁴²So will it be with the resurrection of the dead. The body that is sown is perishable, it is raised imperishable; ⁴³it is sown in dishonor, it is raised in glory; it is sown in weakness, it is raised in power; ⁴⁴it is sown a natural body, it is raised a spiritual body. If there is a natural body, there is also a spiritual body 1 Corinthians 15:42-44

¹³Brothers and sisters, we do not want you to be uninformed about those who sleep in death, so that you do not grieve like the rest of mankind, who have no hope. ¹⁴For we believe that Jesus died and rose again, and so we believe that God will bring with Jesus those who have fallen asleep in him. ¹⁵According to the Lord’s word, we tell you that we who are still alive, who are left until the coming of the Lord, will certainly not precede those who have fallen asleep. ¹⁶For the Lord himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. ¹⁷After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will be with the Lord forever. ¹⁸Therefore encourage one another with these words. 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18

I know that some deaths hit harder than others. The loss of a parent or child feel insurmountable. When my mother passed away I was a total mess. No one could convince me that this was OK, a part of life, a blessing from pain and an eternal life to celebrate. I just couldn’t function. I let all the pain and anger out on everyone around me. My mother passed away in a different state and there was no way for us all to be together. It would be a few months before my father visited. He was staying at my sisters and I could not go to see him until the third day that he was there. I dropped my daughter off to visit, I didn’t go in. I stayed constantly busy. I made every excuse not to go. Not because I was upset with my father but because I could not bear to see him without my mother. It was like losing her all over again. It was rough, of course I needed to be with him and I survived but it hurt.

Losing my father was also a very rough time. He was living in another state when I got the call that he was not going to be with us much longer. I immediately hopped in the car and drove non-stop for 19 hours. I made it in time but only got to spend minutes with him before he passed, he knew I was there and I was glad I made the trip. I fell apart when my mom passed. I locked everything inside when my dad passed. I stayed in SD until my fathers ashes had been processed then returned home. It would take 7 months for me to take his ashes to the cemetery, after calls from my siblings that I get it taken care of. I finally did, but it was hard. Both of my parents had been ill before they passed but not to the extent that I thought that I would lose them. I thanked God for the chance to see my father before he was gone and for taking the pain and suffering from my mother. Losing them was the hardest thing I have endured in this life. God helps. After all these years there is not a day that goes by that I do not think of my parents or miss them but it no longer physically hurts. The hole in my heart was replaced with God’s promises.

We are confident, I say, and would prefer to be away from the body and at home with the Lord. 2 Corinthians 5:8

So with you: Now is your time of grief, but I will see you again and you will rejoice, and no one will take away your joy. John 16:22

I know from personal experience that if we turn to God in our time of grief that we will find the love that we need to survive the grief. Knowing your loved one is in God’s arms is a gift we can find no where else. It’s necessary to grieve, to feel the loss, the pain of losing someone we love, but knowing that they are with God is a blessing. It heals a part of your heart that nothing else can heal.

We will miss them, love them, ache for them, but still know that they will always be in our heart, that they will always be with God. Heal by knowing that God has got this and get all up In Your Faith by talking to God about the ones you have loved and lost. Sometimes it feels like the memories are so painful, but know that they are in a better place and someday we will be too. In the meantime, live a full, productive, Faith filled life. Honor God and your loved ones by sharing the word of God. Give someone else the gift of everlasting life and love by introducing them to God.

‘He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.” Revelation 21:4

Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of his faithful servants. Psalm 116:15

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We Have to Save the Children

June 30, 2022 by AD

Our children are being attacked on a daily basis. Our school system has been teaching our children to hide things from their parents. Our school system has been teaching sex education, gender identity, and pronouns to children as young as 5. Children are being taught that the color of their skin is bad and they are bad people because of it. Imagine teaching a six year old that he is racist just because he is white. When did this become the norm in our schools? Do you know what is being taught to your children? Does your school district bring in drag queens to read to children? I realize that this is not in every district but there is information out there that leans toward this becoming the norm rather than the exception.

The AG of the United States made comments that parents were domestic terrorists for speaking out against these educational practices at school board meetings. People were arrested, people were fired from their jobs, for speaking up to save their children from this debauchery. What is happening to our schools, to our country and to our children?

Train up a child in the way he should go; even when he is old he will not depart from it. Proverbs 22:6

It would be better for him if a millstone were hung around his neck and he were cast into the sea than that he should cause one of these little ones to sin. Luke 17:2

It is time to take our children back from the government. I know that not everyone can homeschool and frankly not everyone should. If your child must attend school outside the home, look for a charter school, private school, or online school that fits with your ideology. We have to get involved in every detail of our kids lives. We are their parents not their friend. It has never been more important that we know what they are learning.

We need to monitor their social media. What are they hearing online. There is some really scary stuff out there. Our kids are getting bombarded with hatred, bullying, peer pressure more than ever before. Our kids are being trained to keep things from us. Little girls that don’t like girly stuff are being told they are really boys and not to discuss it with their parents. They are being taught what to say and where to go to transition into the opposite sex. Before they have even been able to determine their sexual preference they are being taught gender dysphoria by people online and sometimes in school. We need to take control. We can not let a 3 year old make a life changing decision because he likes dolls or wants to dress like mommy.

Whoever spares the rod hates his son, but he who loves him is diligent to discipline him. Proverbs 13:24

And these words that I command you today shall be on your heart. You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, and when you walk by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise. Deuteronomy 6:6-7

Our daughters are being shamed online for their size by social media influencers. Our kids are hooking up with people online that they send nude photos to and then they are blackmailed for those photos. Kids are committing suicide at an alarming rate due to what is happening to them online.

I know that we cannot keep them from being online, but we need to have some serious conversations about what they are doing online. They need to know the dangers of what these friends of theirs can lead to. They need facts no matter how scary. We cannot let them think it can’t happen to them. We cannot continue the way things are going. Remember you are not their friend you are their parent. It’s better that they are mad at you for a while than taken from you forever.

For the moment all discipline seems painful rather than pleasant, but later it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it. Hebrews 12:11

Hear, my son, your father’s instruction, and forsake not your mother’s teaching,

Proverbs 1:8

We love our kids and we need to do whatever it takes to keep them safe. There is a wicked evil agenda out there trying to take them. We must save them, we must be there for them all the time, we must be open and honest with them, we must listen even when it’s hard to hear. Keep them close, know where they are, who they are with, and what they are doing. Give them the trust they earn.

The righteous who walks in his integrity— blessed are his children after him!

Proverbs 20:7

You keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on you, because he trusts in you. Isaiah 26:3

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Faith

June 20, 2022 by AD

A blog called “In Your Faith” should probably talk about faith from time to time. Today we will tackle the subject of faith.

Where are you on your faith journey? Believer? Saved? Baptized? Exploring? Seeking? A guy I know writes a blog about life, faith, preparedness, and wisdom. He gets his material and wisdom from the ultimate tactical handbook – the Bible. If you are in any of the stages above, you need to be using the Bible.

For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God – Ephesians 2:8

There is one Lord, one faith, one baptism – Ephesians 4:5

As stated above, there are many levels of faith. Once you have accepted Jesus as your Savior and have moved into that comfort level of belief, saved, and baptized you will still find yourself seeking. Seeking God in your daily life, seeking answers to the questions that have not as of yet been answered, seeking comfort in the Word, seeking fulfillment and contentment. All of those things may be what brought you to God in the first place.

Did you always believe, having grown up attending church as a family? Did you come to God, religion and faith as an adult? Do you seek Christ to fill a void having tried the other stuff and nothing worked?

God has always been there waiting for you. He will always be there waiting for you. Even after you have taken those first steps, you must continue to seek him out every day, he is the answer you are looking for.

And he believed! Believed God! God declared him “Set-Right-with-God.” Genesis 15:6

“Believe in the Lord Jesus and you will be saved-you and all your family.” Acts 16:31

Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see. Hebrews 11:1

God wants a relationship with you just as you want one with him. It is give and take though. If you do not seek, you will not find. I talk a lot about community and finding your way. Again I will suggest that you look for like minded people in your community, your church, and online. Seek a Bible study. Seek a mentor. Seek a partner to walk this journey but do not forget to seek God. Sometimes you will want to go through this with another person that you can have dialog with and some time during each day you will need to spend time alone with God, just you and him with your Bible and your heart open and ready to receive the answers you need.

Once you become comfortable spending time in the word, it will be time to act. Actions speak louder than words and God will expect you to act upon the things that he has shown you. The gift of God will need to be shared in order to truly appreciate it. Nothing helps us forget our own troubles like helping someone else through theirs.

And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him. Hebrews 11:6

These were the true heroes, commended for their faith, yet they lived in hope without receiving the fullness of what was promised them. But now God has invited us to live in something better than what they had—faith’s fullness! This is so that they could be brought to finished perfection alongside of us. Hebrews 11:39-40

So you see, faith by itself isn’t enough. Unless it produces good deeds, it is dead and useless. James 2:17

Have you ever volunteered to serve at your church? Most churches need a lot of help to put on a service and are always looking for help. Serving is the most gracious and wonderful thing that you can do for someone else. There are many ways to serve. Look into it, reach out to the office at your church or speak to a pastor. If serving at your church is not something that you are ready for look for other ways that you can serve God. Maybe start small, a soup kitchen, a food pantry, homeless shelter, organize a food drive at work. Look for places in your community, help is needed with so many things in so many places. Pray about it, ask God what he thinks would be a good place for you to serve.

In everything I did, I showed you that by this kind of hard work we must help the weak, remembering the words the Lord Jesus himself said: ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive.’ ” Acts 20:35

In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven. Matthew 5:16

God is not unjust; he will not forget your work and the love you have shown him as you have helped his people and continue to help them. Hebrews 6:10

My faith has seen me through some very troubled times. I can look back and see all the times that God has saved me from myself, from my enemies, and from things out of my control. It actually pains me to see so many people call the Bible “just a book”, “a fairy tale”. I know first hand that it is real, that God is my Savior and that I can do nothing without him. People that do not believe are not truly living. They will never reach their true purpose for being here. Eternal life is the gift that we believers will someday achieve and all this we are now going through is what will get us there.

And through your faith, God is protecting you by his power until you receive this salvation, which is ready to be revealed on the last day for all to see. 1 Peter 1:5

Jesus responded, “If you have even the smallest measure of faith, it would be powerful enough to say to this large tree, ‘My faith will pull you up by the roots and throw you into the sea,’ and it will respond to your faith and obey you.” Luke 17:6

“For I assure you: If you have faith the size of a mustard seed, you will tell this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you. Matthew 17:20

²²Then Jesus said to the disciples, “Have faith in God. ²³I tell you the truth, you can say to this mountain, ‘May you be lifted up and thrown into the sea,’ and it will happen. But you must really believe it will happen and have no doubt in your heart. Mark 11: 22-23

Have faith and someday it will all be glorious and we will be seated in Heaven with our Father and life will be as it should be. Faith is the key. You must believe and you must trust. There is no greater gift that you can give yourself than getting all up “In Your Faith”, spending time with God, living the word, doing his works, and believing that you are worth it.

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Bible Study

June 18, 2022 by AD

How many of you participate in Bible study? Have you ever signed up for a Bible study with a group at your church, in your community or online? I have done many Bible studies and I find that depending on what’s going on in my life I either successfully make it to each session or seriously fall flat and make it to some.

This has always bothered me in that I always start out excited once I have picked a session that I think is just what I need at that season of my life and then it all falls apart because I let the very things that lead me to that Bible study get in the way of me attending.

My relationship with God can be complicated. I have been a believer in God my entire life. My parents did not attend church but always made sure that I was able to explore my relationship with God. I attended a vacation Bible school held by a teacher in her back yard when I was 8. Attended a church camp at 9. Attended Catechism at 10. Went to church with a neighbor at 10. Attended different types of churches and VBS with various friends. I chose to be baptized, make my first Holy Communion and Confirmation at 14.

Yet, I was not a regular participant. I guess I was trying things on, seeing where I fit in. I chose Catholicism because my mother and siblings were Catholic and even though only one of my siblings attended church regularly this is where I felt the most comfortable.

Genesis 15:6 And he believed! Believed God! God declared him “Set-Right-with-God”

Fast forward many years, my husband and I had moved to a new town and we wanted to start attending church. We were both raised Catholic so we found a church in our area and started attending. The children were not fans. There was really nothing in it for them and it became a chore to get them to go. So we stopped.

Fast forward a few more years and a conversation with a friend about church lead to an invitation to a new church. The entire family loved it and we are still attending. Our church has something for everyone including many Bible studies.

Romans 10:11 For the Scripture says, “Whoever believes in Him will not be disappointed.”

1 Corinthians 1:21 Since God in his wisdom saw to it that the world would never know him through human wisdom, he has used our foolish preaching to save those who believe

My husband facilitates several Bible studies and I still dabble. I do find that when I am attending a study that I feel so much closer to God. I am spending more time in his word when I am attending a Bible study. The homework assignments give the opportunity to spend time in the word, then the meetings give the chance for community. Community that you might not have otherwise. The opportunity to spend time with like minded women sharing a topic that you are passionate about, a topic that you need to grow “in your faith”.

One thing that I love about my church is how the pastors bring the Bible to life during service. They tell a story by weaving different books of the Bible together to bring God to the congregation. This is what Bible study does as well. It’s not a book that you can just read front to back. It is a living, growing, evolving relationship with God.

Find yourself a Bible study at church, in your community or online and give yourself the gift of a growing relationship with God. There are even Bible studies that you can buy and do on your own, although I recommend doing them with someone. It’s good to have someone to talk to about what you are learning. Grow and blossom in your faith. The greatest relationship you will ever have is with God and every other relationship that you have will be better because of it.

Galatians 3:26 So in Christ Jesus you are all children of God through faith

Ephesians 2:13 Although you were once distant and far away from God, now you have brought delightfully close to him through the sacred blood of Jesus-you have actually been united to Christ!

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Quiet Time

June 16, 2022 by AD

I have mentioned quiet time in my blogs, today we are going to dig a little deeper into quiet time. What it means. Why we need it. How to do it. Where to do it.

I know how hard it is to eak time out of your day for anything and everything that we want to do or have to do. Whether you work outside the home or not, your day is filled with the demands of life. You may wonder how you could fit in one more thing to do; down time is a gift and why give up a minute of it.

I find myself looking for down time and then look back and see wasted opportunity. Sometimes the very thing we think we must have is already realized and we missed it. The quiet time I am going to discuss today is essential. It is essential for life and I promise it will change the way you look at everything else. It’s a life long commitment and I hope you will make it with me. Perfection is not required and there will be days that you forget but the results, when done consistently, are immeasurable.

Lets start by breaking down 3 steps to effective quiet time.

Ask questions, record your thoughts and meditations.
After meditation, choose a best verse and write it down, record your thoughts on the verse.
Communicate with the Lord in prayer what you feel he is impressing on you.

Quiet time does not have a time attached, if you can commit to a specific time great, 30 minutes is a good amount of time but if you only have 15 that will work too. Your life may choose for you, just start. Here is a good formula for 15 minutes but you will adjust as needed for your life. I’m sure that if you make time for that yoga class that you don’t enjoy but you made a commitment then I’m sure taking 15 minutes for just you and no one else will fit into your day.

5 minutes for reading scripture

7 minutes for meditation and writing in your journal

3 minutes for prayer

These can be adjusted as you grow in your journey. The Bible is a big place with a lot of information. Eventually you will be able to pull what you need quickly and effectively to help you with whatever you are going through. Whatever you need God’s word and help with to see you through a particular issue.

God wants a relationship with us. In Matthew 22:37-38 ³⁷“Jesus replied: ‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’³⁸This is the first and greatest commandment.”

I often mention to anyone that will listen, on my blog, in person, or on social media, spreading the word of God is the only reason that we are on this Earth. If you can tell me another reason I would love to hear it. Good and evil are played out in front of our eyes constantly and our job is to be the good, spread the good, and live the good. God wants us to have everything we want out of life. I know that we don’t always get what we want, but I have learned over time that we get a lot more of it than we think.

Joshua 1:8
Do not let this book of the law be absent from your mouth; meditate upon it day and night, so that you might carefully observe everything that is written in it. Then you will prosper and be successful.

Obviously Joshua knew a thing or two about quiet time and gave us this excellent formula.

You do not need a special place for quiet time but it is necessary to be alone for your quiet time. For you it may be 15 minutes before everyone else hits the floor running, or 15 minutes after they all go to bed. Maybe you have 15 minutes after drop off or 15 minutes before pick up. Just make the time, give yourself the time you deserve to spend with God and not to worry about what’s next. Take the time. Give yourself the space.

You do not need anything fancy, a Bible and some note paper, that fancy journal collecting dust or maybe a new prayer book or devotional that has verses and writing space. You will adjust to what works for you over time.

I use a prayer book that has an index that can help me focus on what I need to discuss with God. Eventually you will know every day what you need to share and these could direct you to specific verses on that topic. I find that easier sometimes when I don’t know where in the bible I need to go. I am not an expert on where to find things in the Bible so this really helps me find the verses and direct my prayer to get the most out of my quiet time.

There are plenty of devotionals that also just have a topic and verse for each day. Those are great too if you are not seeking prayer on a specific topic but still gets you a verse and a topic to reflect on for the day. I have those too and I enjoy them when I’m not struggling with something. I actually use the one below and I enjoy it.

So basically find your time and your space and give yourself the gift of spending quality time with God.

Deuteronomy 4:29 But if from there you seek the Lord your God, you will find him if you seek him with all your heart and with all your soul.

Psalm 5:3 In the morning, Lord, you hear my voice; in the morning I lay my requests before you and wait expectantly.

Psalm 6:9 The Lord has heard my plea; the Lord will answer my prayer.

Psalm 86:7 Whenever trouble strikes I will keep crying out to you, for I know your help is on the way.

We hope you find us getting all up “In Your Faith” to be helpful. We are looking into sending out a daily newsletter. Stay tuned for more info on that.

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Waiting on God

May 16, 2022 by AD

We do not know when God will arrive. It is up to us to be prepared. Everyone’s walk with God is different, personal, only to be lived by each individual. We have pastors, priests, bible study facilitators, authors and bloggers to help us along the way, but the journey is personal. Everyone has their own take, everyone sees things based on their own experiences and perspectives.

I want to be more like Jesus. I want to live the way that Jesus has taught us. I am not there. I have a long way to go, but I believe that we are on this Earth for one reason only and that is to spread the word of God.

God did not create us so that we could work ourselves to death. We are not here to earn more or less than everyone else. We are here for God. If we do not spread the word and help to wake the world up to Jesus, then we truly have no other purpose.

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The Ten Virgins

Matthew 25:1-13

“At that time the kingdom of heaven will be like ten virgins who took their lamps and went out to meet the bridegroom. ²Five of them were foolish and five were wise. ³The foolish ones took their lamps but did not take any oil with them. ⁴The wise ones, however, took oil in jars along with their lamps. ⁵The bridegroom was a long time in coming, and they all became drowsy and fell asleep.

⁶“At midnight the cry rang out: ‘Here’s the bridegroom! Come out to meet him!’

⁷“Then all the virgins woke up and trimmed their lamps. ⁸The foolish ones said to the wise, ‘Give us some of your oil; our lamps are going out.’

⁹“‘No,’ they replied, ‘there may not be enough for both us and you. Instead, go to those who sell oil and buy some for yourselves.’

¹⁰“But while they were on their way to buy the oil, the bridegroom arrived. The virgins who were ready went in with him to the wedding banquet. And the door was shut.

¹¹“Later the others also came. ‘Lord, Lord,’ they said, ‘open the door for us!’

¹²“But he replied, ‘Truly I tell you, I don’t know you.’

¹³“Therefore keep watch, because you do not know the day or the hour.

Are you prepared? In this parable we find that the ten virgins gathered their lamps and went to wait for the arrival of the bridegroom. The wait was long and 5 of the ladies were prepared and 5 were not. When we studied this parable at church one of the obvious questions was why didn’t the ladies share their oil. The answer is because they should have been ready. No one knew how long it would be and every one should be prepared. If the 5 that were prepared had shared then they too may have run out of oil.

Jesus did not recognize those outside the door because they did not heed the instructions and they were not prepared. You can not call upon the lord only when you want something, you must call upon God all the time. There are many verses about being prepared in the Bible, they take you all over the place if you just search prepared.

Your relationship with God is up to you to prepare for. No one can do it for you. Your relationship with God is personal. You have been given the information, it is up to you to gather the necessary equipment, prepare, and be ready.

Some verses to think about:

Matthew 25:13

Matthew 24:42-44

Mark 13:32-33

Do you have someone that needs you to share the word of God with them? You will know when someone is ready to hear about God. Think about your own life and when you became ready to hear the word. Have you always belonged to some structured religion, going to church weekly, attending bible studies, belong to small groups? Or are you someone that was not always in a relationship with God and something happened to bring you to God? Whatever your story, you are here because God is important to you. I would love to hear your story and get all up In Your Faith. Leave a comment below.

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Unforgiving

May 15, 2022 by AD

As we continue through the Parables The Unforgiving Servant spoke to me. Again in this time and place where we are, this parable shows us that we need to listen to God’s word and put aside the insanity of our time. There is so much angst, so much tension. There are wars, tyranny, communism, ignorance and lack of forgiveness engulfing the globe. We all have an opinion, some based in fact, some based in feelings, some based in pure brainwashed subterfuge.

There are days when I can not even think of anything but what is tearing our world apart, but I trust God and I turn to him daily to get me through. I have to remove myself from social media and the echo chamber of information that permeates our lives. I’m not going to weigh in on a side, I am on God’s side. He gets me through every single day regardless of my own opinions and feelings.

I think most of us want to spend more time with God but we let everything tangible get in our way. I do spend time with God but it’s snippets of time that I happen upon instead of scheduled. I’m learning but I have work to do, I am human after all.

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The Unforgiving Servant Matthew 18:21-35

²¹Then Peter came up and said to him, “Lord, how often will my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? As many as seven times?” ²²Jesus said to him, “I do not say to you seven times, but seventy-seven times.

²³“Therefore the kingdom of heaven may be compared to a king who wished to settle accounts with his servants. ²⁴When he began to settle, one was brought to him who owed him ten thousand talents. ²⁵And since he could not pay, his master ordered him to be sold, with his wife and children and all that he had, and payment to be made. ²⁶So the servant fell on his knees, imploring him, ‘Have patience with me, and I will pay you everything.’ ²⁷And out of pity for him, the master of that servant released him and forgave him the debt. ²⁸But when that same servant went out, he found one of his fellow servants who owed him a hundred denarii, and seizing him, he began to choke him, saying, ‘Pay what you owe.’ ²⁹So his fellow servant fell down and pleaded with him, ‘Have patience with me, and I will pay you.’ ³⁰He refused and went and put him in prison until he should pay the debt. ³¹When his fellow servants saw what had taken place, they were greatly distressed, and they went and reported to their master all that had taken place. ³²Then his master summoned him and said to him, ‘You wicked servant! I forgave you all that debt because you pleaded with me. ³³And should not you have had mercy on your fellow servant, as I had mercy on you?’ ³⁴And in anger his master delivered him to the jailers, until he should pay all his debt. ³⁵So also my heavenly Father will do to every one of you, if you do not forgive your brother from your heart.”

So how does this parable relate to today’s world? There are so many people that want the rich to give more because they have more. These same people believe that all their own debt should be forgiven while taking something that someone else has actually earned for themselves. I’m sure it sounds familiar and even though I am not taking a side in this case, I must point out the obvious. The servant in our story could not pay and he was forgiven because his master knew that he could never pay and relieved him of his debt. This same servant refused to do the same for his own debtor. He did not have love or forgiveness in his heart. He was a taker and not a giver.

Some verses for you to ponder:

Matthew 20:2

Romans 6:1-2 & 15

Matthew 5:7

Matthew 6:5-14

Ask yourself these questions;

What point was Jesus making by showing the absurd debt the first servant owed and the significance of cancelling the debt?

If God’s forgiveness is freely given, how should we respond to sin?

How do you respond when someone sins against you?

Why do you withhold forgiveness?

How does the unforgiving servant correlate with your life?

How can prayer guide you to live the forgiveness you have been given?

I talk about quiet time in each of my posts but I truly can not stress enough the importance of setting aside some time for yourself. Spend some time with God in his word. Make a space for yourself. It can be anywhere. It doesn’t have to be designated space but designated time in a space. I actually have a war room set up in a closet in my home but I rarely get the chance to use it. I do however take snippets of my day to spend time with God, sometimes in my car before or after I run an errand. Sometimes at my desk before I begin a project. Every night before I close my eyes and drift off. Its my time and sometimes I wish that I could find more but I make sure to find some.

Until next time spend some time In Your Faith.

A Parable for the Times

May 3, 2022May 3, 2022 by AD

As we continue our journey through the parables we felt the need to show how something written eons ago is so relevant today. People are so focused on what everyone else is receiving, what someone else is doing, how someone else lives their life. People have become so polarized, so victimized, so self righteous about every issue.

Today we will hear a story of how it’s actually been going on for centuries. The woe is me, that’s not fair, I deserve more mentality of humans.

The Workers in the Vineyard

Matthew 20:1-16

20 “For the kingdom of heaven is like a landowner who went out early in the morning to hire workers for his vineyard. ²He agreed to pay them a denarius for the day and sent them into his vineyard.

³“About nine in the morning he went out and saw others standing in the marketplace doing nothing. ⁴He told them, ‘You also go and work in my vineyard, and I will pay you whatever is right.’ ⁵So they went.

“He went out again about noon and about three in the afternoon and did the same thing. ⁶About five in the afternoon he went out and found still others standing around. He asked them, ‘Why have you been standing here all day long doing nothing?’

⁷“‘Because no one has hired us,’ they answered.

“He said to them, ‘You also go and work in my vineyard.’

⁸“When evening came, the owner of the vineyard said to his foreman, ‘Call the workers and pay them their wages, beginning with the last ones hired and going on to the first.’

⁹“The workers who were hired about five in the afternoon came and each received a denarius. ¹⁰So when those came who were hired first, they expected to receive more. But each one of them also received a denarius. ¹¹When they received it, they began to grumble against the landowner. ¹²‘These who were hired last worked only one hour,’ they said, ‘and you have made them equal to us who have borne the burden of the work and the heat of the day.’

¹³“But he answered one of them, ‘I am not being unfair to you, friend. Didn’t you agree to work for a denarius? ¹⁴Take your pay and go. I want to give the one who was hired last the same as I gave you. ¹⁵Don’t I have the right to do what I want with my own money? Or are you envious because I am generous?’

¹⁶“So the last will be first, and the first will be last.”

When I read this verse I think of all the times in my life that I hear, Why does “Sue” make more than “Tom”? Why do men make more than women? Why do you only hire women? Why don’t you hire a man for that job? The reality is that people work for the wage they agreed to work for. It is just that simple and basic. If you feel it’s unfair, don’t take the job.

The workers in the vineyard received the pay that they agreed to and it wasn’t unfair. The landowner can do as he chooses with his money and he paid everyone fairly for the days work that they completed, whether it was all day, half the day or one hour.

Some truths;

God doesn’t owe us anything but offers us everything…on His terms.

Romans 3:23; 6:23- For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God…For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.

God continues to invite people into relationship.

Revelation 3:20 “Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with him, and he with me.”

Women who begin their relationship with God early in life are no more loved or deserving than women who come to God late in life.

Romans 5:8 But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.

More verses to ponder:

John 14:6

Luke 23:43

Ephesians 2: 8-10

Luke 17:10

1 Peter 5:5

Make a list of the things that you have ever felt that God owes you because you have trusted and followed him. Be honest.

Who does God want you to extend His grace to in your life? As you think of these people, pray for them and pray for God to soften your heart towards them.

Review 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 and use it as a guide to record these moments each day: joy, prayer, thankfulness. How did this activity affect your attitude?

At the end of the day if you let the “unfairness” of things that happen in life get to you, then it’s your loss. You are you and you are wonderful, giving, deserving and beautiful. God loves you and only asks for your love in return. For your faith, for your trust. If you let all that other stuff define you instead of letting God define you then you are missing out.

Spend some quiet time with God this week. Think about all the things that you can do to show others the wonders of God with your daily life. Be joyful, be positive, be grateful, be “God”ful.

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Parables

April 25, 2022 by AD

The Bible is a story. The story actually. Within the Bible we find the stories of Jesus’ days on Earth. Some great lessons are in the Bible, lessons we can use to live our lives the way that Jesus intended. Everything we need to live a wonderful, fulfilling life is in the Bible. The key to this fulfilling life is right there for the world to see if we only take the time to look, to listen, and to live the words.

Jesus gives us many lessons in the Bible but we have chosen to begin our journey with Jesus in the Parables. My church recently did a study on some of the parables and there were things that really stood out to me and spoke to where I am in my life right now. We hope that you will spend some time finding help or solace in this place as well.

THE SOWER

Matthew 13:1-9 and Matthew 13:18-23

That same day Jesus went out of the house and sat by the lake. 2 Such large crowds gathered around them that he got into a boat and sat in it, while all the people stood on the shore. 3 Then he told them many things in parables, saying “A farmer went out to sow his seed. 4 As he was scattering the seed, some fell along the path, and the birds came and ate it up. 5 Some fell on rocky places, where it did not have much soil. It sprang up quickly, because the soil was shallow. 6 But when the sun came up, the plants were scorched and they withered because they had no root. 7 Other seed feel among the thorns, which grew up and choked the plants. 8 Still others fell on good soil, where it produced a crop – a hundred, sixty or thirty times what was sown. 9 Whoever has ears, let them hear.”

18 “Listen then to what the parable of the sower means: 19 When anyone hears the message about the kingdom and does not understand it, the evil one comes and snatches away what was sown in their heart. This is the seed sown along the path. 20 The seed falling on rocky ground refers to someone who hears the word and at once receives it with joy. 21 But since they have no root, they last only a short time. When trouble or persecution comes because of the word, they quickly fall away. 22 The seed falling among the thorns refers to someone who hears the word, but the worries of this life and the deceitfulness of wealth choke the word, making it unfruitful. 23 But the seed falling on good soil refers to someone who hears the word and understands it. This is the one who produces a crop, yielding a hundred, sixty or thirty times what was sown.”

This parable gets to the heart of what is wrong with so many of us in todays world. We are imperfect humans looking for a perfect life. Some questions to ask yourself from this:

“What does the parable tell us we should be doing with the word?”

“How do worries choke the word?”

“Are you living a fruitful life?”

“What signs have you gotten that the soil of your heart is changing away from good?”

“What habits do you have that help cultivate good soil?”

“Who has permission to tell you the truth about the weeds growing in your life?”

We can probably see ourselves in each of the situations where seeds(the word) have fallen. We have heard the word and not understood so the evil one snatched the word and we were left with nothing. We have heard the word, understood and found joy but it did not take root (we could not grow). Or we heard the word, understood, found joy and let the world get in the way and choke out the word making it fruitless. Hopefully we will all be entering this season, if we are not already there, where the seeds have fallen in good soil. Where we will take the word and cultivate it and grow in our faith and have the fruitful yield that Jesus wants for us.

We all have different people in our lives that we value. Do you have someone in your life that helps to keep you on the right spiritual track? Are you like most of us and just wing it from time to time hoping that our seeds fall in good soil? My husband is not afraid to call me out when I am not doing the right thing, and its appreciated but a sister in Christ is a great gift that we can give ourselves to help us on our journey with God. As our blog grows hopefully we will cultivate relationships with other Christian women to compliment and grow in our own relationship with God.

We also need to carve out a block of time each week to spend alone time with God. “Quiet Time” to spend with God and his word that is just for us. Can we all commit to give ourselves this gift of time with God each week? Below is an affiliate link to a Quiet Time Journal (I may make a small commission from this link).

Week One THE SOWER: Personal Time

Memorize Psalm 119:18 Open my eyes that I may see wonderful things in your law
Before you open your Bible each day, open your heart to the truth of Gods word. Pray, Dear God please open my eyes that I may see wonderful things in your word. Amen
Commit to quiet time.

Quiet time verses:

Psalm 119:18
John 15:5
Galatians 5 21-23
John 10:10b
2 Corinthians 13:5

Be sure to hit the subscribe button so that you will get notified when the next Parable is available and we can spend more time in Gods word. Thank you for allowing us to get all up “In Your Faith” as we continue our walk with Jesus.