WE ARE CALLED

We are called for a holy and noble purpose! You were put on earth to make a contribution. You were not created just to consume resources, to eat, breathe, and take up space. God designed us to make a difference with our life. 

Another term for serving God that's misunderstood by most people is the word "ministry." When most people hear "ministry" they think of pastors, priests, and professional clergy, but God says every member of His family is a minister. In the Bible, the words servant and minister are synonyms, as are service and ministry. If you are a Christian you are a minister, and when you are serving, you are ministering

You are called to serve God. Growing up, you may have thought that being "called" by God was something only for missionaries, pastors, nuns, and other "full-time" church workers experienced, but the Bible says every Christian is called to service (Eph. 4:14; Rom. 1:6-7; 8:28-30; 1 Cor. 1:2,9,26; 7:17; Phil 3:14; 1 Peter 2:9; 2 Peter 1:3). 

Your call to salvation included your call to service. They are the same. Regardless of your job or career, you are called to full-time Christian service. A "non-serving Christian" is a contradiction in terms.

TO HEAR YOUR VOICE

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“Pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God’s will
for you in Christ Jesus.“ 1 Thessalonians 5:17–18

Were you ever separated for an extended time from someone you loved deeply? If
so, those days apart probably seemed almost unbearable. They may have also led
to special moments to be savored—such as that catch‐your‐breath instant when
you recognized the handwriting on the letter in your mailbox, realized who
sent that last e‐mail message, or heard that familiar voice over the
telephone.

Jesus’ love for us is something like that. He longs for fellowship with us.
And when we kneel before Him and spend even a few minutes in prayer, we bring
joy to Him. The apostle Paul said Jesus wants to hear your voice “continually”
(1 Thessalonians 5:17). But, when we let ourselves get caught up in the
busyness of life and put off time for prayer, we become less sensitive to His
voice and His leading in our lives.

Relationships, whether human or divine, must be cultivated and maintained if
they are to be vibrant and meaningful. Let’s make sure we spend time every day
with our loving Master.

Prayer:
Dear Lord, we seek a thriving prayer conversation with You. We need it—to know
You better, to hear You more clearly, and to love each other more deeply.
Teach us to pray. Amen.

TURN YOUR EYES UPON JESUS

There are times we all struggle to see hope. Times when we want to throw in the towel, throw up our hands, and run the other way. Times when we believe our children are too far gone, our workplaces are too insufferable, our relationships are too complicated, our finances are too overwhelming, our marriages are too fragmented, and our health difficulties are too painful. What can we do in these times? Fix our eyes on God’s promises and provision instead of on our problems.

The richest lessons of life often come from the most painful pits we pass through. Pastor John Piper, in his book Desiring God, said it this way, “God, in love, will use whatever trials are necessary to intensify our savoring of his glory.” Every ounce of every struggle you face can be used to bring honor and glory to God if you will allow His grace to meet you in your weak and weary places. In Christ, and because of His perfect love – courage, hope, and strength are fully accessible each time you look to God in the midst of your problems.

Remember? You are born to be wild. Wild for Jesus. Wild with confidence and courage to press through resistance because of His faithful, redemptive love. Wild with purpose. Wildly surrendered to the will of God. Wildly obedient to His commands. Wildly led by the power of the Holy Spirit at work within you.

Take this to heart and remember who you were born to be. Believe beyond your brokenness today, knowing that God won’t throw a whole life away just cause it’s banged up a little.

Let’s Pray:Dear Lord, Your love is wild: untamable, unstoppable and unbreakable! Pour Your grace, healing, and strength on every struggle, weakness, and banged up area of my life. Help me to rise up and live with a wildly confident and courageous faith.
In Jesus’ name,Amen.

THE AUTHOR OF LOVE

Think about what makes your heart melt when you watch a great love story. It’s not the hero’s physical strength or his beloved’s beauty, is it? No, you and I are drawn to the power of true love and its inexplicable ability to prevail over tragedy and adversity. The greater the conflict, the stronger the love must be in order to resolve the issue. When the hero does whatever it takes to save the relationship, our hearts soar with renewed hope.

The Author of love and life and the designer of our differences knew there would be conflict between us and our loved ones. The real problem comes, though, when we get accustomed to seeing relational problems solved in the time it takes to eat a bag of popcorn. Our hero and his beauty have less than two hours to defeat the dragons and overcome unspeakable challenges. True love and friendship are proved when put to the test. You and I are not going to magically resolve deep relationship conflicts in our own wisdom and definitely not in less than two hours.

Until we care more about proving our love more than proving our point we will never win what we really want... To conquer the conflict and connect our hearts to one another. We need to learn to resolve what we can, accept what we cannot, and pray for the wisdom to know the difference.

His Love Letter to You

My Forgiven Child,

Don’t engage in relational battles and drain your strength trying to prove your point, win your way, or defend yourself. I am your defense, and if you will fight the temptation to give in to relational battles, I will reward you with perfect peace. You are called to live above a life of blame and bitterness. The truth is that nothing anyone has said or done to you can stop my perfect plans or promises from coming to pass in your life. Now, break through to a life filled with peace by walking away from the relational wars of wrath. It is time to fight for the things worth fighting for, and win souls for My kingdom!

Love,
Your King who has made you blameless

"If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone. Do not take revenge, my friends, but leave room for God's wrath, for it is written: 'It is mine to avenge; I will repay,' says the Lord." — Romans 12:18-10

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I CAN BE

“I CAN BE”

I can't give solutions to all of your life's problems, doubts, or fears.

But I can listen to you, and together we will
search for answers.

I can't change your past with all its heartache and pain, nor the future with its untold stories.
But I can be there now when you need me to care.

I can't keep your feet from stumbling.
I can only offer my hand that you may grasp it and not fall.

Your joys, triumphs, successes, and happiness are not mine;
Yet I can share in your laughter.

Your decisions in life are not mine to make, nor to judge;
I can only support you, encourage you,
and help you when you ask.
I can't prevent you from falling away from friendship, from your values, from me.
I can only pray for you, talk to you and wait for you.

I can't give you boundaries which I have determined for you,
But I can give you the room to change,

room to grow, room to be yourself.

I can't keep your heart from breaking and hurting,
But I can cry with you and help you pick up the pieces
and put them back in place.

I can't tell you who you are.
But I can be your best friend.

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PREGNANCY

The first day of your period is day 1 of your cycle. The average cycle is 28 days.

The egg cell is produced 14 days before the next period so, normally, it is produced between day 12 and day 16.

Sperms can live up to about 48 hours in the womb. So the most unsafe time for unprotected sex in a regular cycle is from day 10 to day 18 of your cycle.

You're on the safer side of the edge of being ok.

SET UP FOR DISAPPOINTMENT

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“Do not put your trust in princes, in mortal men, who cannot save.”

Psalm 146:3

The media continually bombard us with images of broken trust: spouses who cheat on each other; politicians who break promises; corporate chiefs who steal from their employees.

The list goes on and on. People in positions of responsibility should be held accountable to the highest moral and ethical standards. Yet each of these people is a mortal creature with a natural bent toward sin. The minute we begin placing our deepest faith and trust in human beings, we set ourselves up for severe disappointment.

What does this mean for marriage? Even in the best of relationships, husbands and wives may err and break the other’s trust. That’s why we must rely on God’s power—not our own—to lead honorable lives. When husbands and wives commit themselves to live according to God’s ways, a bond of trust develops between them. Though none of us is perfect, we can give our heart confidently to our spouse when we know that he or she is genuinely seeking to follow God and His guidelines.

Just between us…
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Has someone in a position of responsibility ever broken your trust?

Is it ever difficult for you to trust me?

Knowing our sinful nature, how can we still earn each other’s trust?

How do you think the Lord blesses spouses who trust each other?

How might we develop an even deeper level of trust in our relationship?

Heavenly Father, thank You that You are completely worthy of our trust. As my spouse and I commit ourselves to being trustworthy with each other, empower us by Your Spirit. Grant us grace when we fail. And bless us, we pray, with joy and confidence as we make trustworthiness a priority. Amen.