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"Detoxifying My Stinky Face"

9/26/2018

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Good morning ladies. I hope you're doing well. I will get right to the devotion today. Let me know if I can pray for you about anything. Have a Wonderful Wednesday!

Devotion


“Detoxifying My Stinky Face”


“Let the light of your face shine on us.” Psalm 4:6b (NIV)


Enlightening strikes as 3-year-old Blaine watches me apply make-up:

 
B: What’s that stuff do?
Me: It’s blush; it makes me look less dead. Er, I mean, it gives me more color.
B: Oh. Why do you want to be pink?
Me: I don’t want to be pink. I just don’t want to look like a walking marshmallow.
 
[Silence while he contemplates this deep concept.]
 
B: Wha’chu doing now?
Me: Spraying perfume to make me smell pretty. See — [holding out wrist for olfactory inspection] — what do you think?
B: [Making stinky face] Ugghh. You smell like my Pull-Ups.
 
Not exactly the demure elegance I hoped to exude. But chuckling at Blaine-boy’s stinky face made me realize something: Many moms unintentionally make stinky faces, too.
 
When I pass the reflective surface of a microwave or window, I’m often floored by the toxic expression staring back at me. I’m not necessarily angry … or sad … or even displeased. I’m just preoccupied. So preoccupied that I’m unaware of what my face is doing. Apparently when ignored, my facial muscles default to the same scowl I saw on my own mother’s face as a child.
 
I used to think she was always mad at me. Once when I asked her what I’d done, she replied, “Why, nothing. I’m not upset with you; I’m focused on a million other things. Just ignore my face.”
 
Impossible. No one can ignore your face.
 
The face is the window into the mind; we read others’ expressions to discern what they’re feeling. For example, a slack jaw and glazed-over eyes shout fatigue, boredom, disinterest. How many times have our kids received this unspoken message when they’re detailing a blow-by-blow of the inchworm crossing the patio?
 
Body language often speaks louder than words — especially a mom’s. Which is why we must let God’s light be what we reflect, as today’s key verse reminds us: “Let the light of your face shine on us” (Psalm 4:6b).
 
We will make parenting mistakes, as there’s no getting around that. It’s part of the human package. But if we take every possible opportunity to communicate unconditional love to our kids — and use words — they’ll be better able to embrace Papa God’s love, too. “Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins” (1 Peter 4:8, NIV).
 
There’s comfort in knowing we don’t have to be perfect parents to raise godly children, isn’t there? Our God is used to working with imperfection. Matter of fact, He can work with anything; it doesn’t even have to be human. In the Bible, Yahweh used a stubborn donkey (Numbers 22:27-31), a noisy bird (Matthew 26:74-75), and hungry swine (Luke 15:14-16) to accomplish His purposes.
 
So, if the Almighty can use a donkey, a rooster and a pig, He can surely use you and me! (I don’t know about you, but I’ve felt like each one of those at least once today already.)
 
Yes, living in the moment can be difficult to accomplish. Savoring and enjoying the fleeting hours we have is a challenge. Making time with our little buddy before he suddenly morphs into a Big Honkin’ Dude. Bedazzling our sweet little fairy princess before she pushes us away and crowns herself Drama Queen of the Universe.
 
I choose to be a beautiful mom, even if my kids and I are the only ones looking. It’s Papa God’s smile that makes me beautiful, and I can smile His smile because I’m secure in Christ. Smiling promotes trust, reflects positivity and helps us all relax. It connects people. It makes me more approachable. Plus it’s guaranteed to lift my own mood every time.
 
Hmm. Maybe I should tell my face the good news more often, make a serious effort to be more aware of my subconscious stinky face, and offer my countenance to the Lord as an instrument of praise.
 
Just don’t ask me to ditch the Eau de Pull-Ups.
 
Lord, help me stay present in the moment today and reflect the light from Your Face in my countenance. I want to be known as Mom, not Momster. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.
 
Proverbs 31 Ministries
Debora Coty
 
TRUTH FOR TODAY
 

Numbers 6:25-26,
“The LORD make His face shine on you, And be gracious to you; The LORD lift up His countenance on you, And give you peace.” (NASB)


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"When You Just Want to Get It Right"

9/25/2018

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Good morning ladies. How are you? Hopefully better than we are over here. Two out of the three of us are sick with colds and trying not to get PK sick. So that leaves me and Casey. I've already made some chicken noodle soup today. And we will have lots of tea with honey and lemon. I'm trying to avoid going to the doctor because I think it's probably a cold virus at this point. I've had a low temperature, but nothing significant. Please pray that I will get better for the women's retreat this weekend. Thank you! Not missin' that!!

What things are on your to-do list for today? Anything new?

Devotion

Oh, wow! That devotion took me back to those fearful school days. The ones that make you feel totally lost. Literally. Our high school was huge also. I still remember that feeling. And we can still feel like that in life, can't we? But God promises us in His Word that He will show us the way and be "a light for our path." Great news! Have a Tremendous Tuesday ladies! 

Note: There are some great, free printables today!


“When You Just Want to Get It Right”

“Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding;” Proverbs 3:5 (NIV)

The rain poured down hard on this very first day of high school.
 
My entrance into a new grade was also marked by another major change. After spending junior high and most of elementary in private school, this day marked my first day in public school.
 
This high school was huge — stretching across multiple buildings separated by multiple walkways, parking lots and courtyards. Because I’d visited the school prior to the first day of class, I knew getting lost was a real possibility.
 
I’d pored over my registration packet the night before to review the campus map and locate my classes. I’d pinpointed which building I’d enter and which direction I’d go when I got there.
 
On the map it made sense. But as my dad turned into the school and proceeded to the drop-off point, I felt more and more confused.
 
Right in front of where my dad stopped, a large group of teenagers exited buses and cars, locked up their bikes, and walked away from the building I thought I was supposed to enter. And they looked like they knew what they were doing!
 
Were the steps I’d planned based on the map correct, or did the kids in front of me know something I didn’t know? I just wanted to get things right.
 
I debated the cost of making the wrong decision. The steady downpour added pressure. If I chose the wrong direction, I would lose time, potentially get lost, and be late for class. And, more importantly, I’d mess up my hair and new first-day-of-school-clothes in the rain.
 
But then I remembered something.
 
I had a map. I’d studied the map. And I had a reasonable amount of faith in the administration which put that map together.
 
The directions weren’t complicated. I just needed to trust the map … and based on that map, I simply needed to turn right.
 
But I didn’t. After my dad stopped at the crosswalk and kissed me on the cheek, I stepped out of the car into the rain — and turned left, following the crowd.
 
This decision led me to a wing I had no business being in. I wandered through the agriculture building, eventually winding up in the wood shop. Realizing I’d gone the wrong way, I trekked back outside through the rain to go the way I originally should have traveled and into the building where most of my classes were. (Let’s not even talk about what all that rain did to my hair and my brand-new clothes.)
 
While I did end up in the right spot eventually, the start of my first day of high school would have been so much simpler if I’d decided to trust my map and the hands that had put it together.
 
Proverbs 3:5 encourages us to: “Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding.” Over and over in God’s Word — the life “map” He’s provided for us — He shows us the path of life (Psalm 16:11), directs our steps (Psalm 37:23) and provides light for the journey through His Word. (Psalm 119:105)
 
The key is to rely on the map He’s provided — to trust Him when we understand His will and even when we don’t, to believe He can light our path as we move forward.
 
As simple as this truth is, it’s not always easy to go the opposite direction of your peers, immediate community or culture at large.
 
The feeling you might be doing it wrong (while everyone else got it right) can be downright overwhelming. The discomfort from obeying God when His way might not make sense is real. But none of that changes the truth. God wants us to trust Him and His Word. Why? Because He wants us to walk the right way, and trusting Him at His Word is how that happens.
 
And the good news? Whether you’ve followed the map of God’s Word since the first go- ‘round or just decided to put your trust in Him and His Word after a time of wandering, He has a wonderful way of redeeming lost time.
 
Dear God, I want to get life right. Help me trust Your Word — the map You’ve provided to instruct me in living. Help me redeem the time I’ve lost from not following Your plan before today, and give me hope that You can light my path from this day forward. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.
 
Proverbs 31 Ministries
Chrystal Evans Hurst
 
TRUTH FOR TODAY
 

Psalm 119:105, “Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path.” (NASB)

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"Did You Know Rest is Both a Gift and Command?"

9/24/2018

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Good morning ladies. I hope you're doing well and had a great weekend. It sure was lovely weather around here! Perfect for the anniversary party we went to up in Wadena. We had a lot of fun with that and it was nice to take Molly along and stop at several parks. On Sunday, we had a busy day with the last day of the missions conference. Really enjoyed the messages from our missionaries to Paris, France.

This week should be a bit more relaxed until Friday when I leave for our women's retreat. Can't wait!

Devotion

Do you struggle with taking a day off to rest? Keeping a Sabbath? Today's devotion reminds us that God created a day just for this very purpose. It's actually a command. Have a Marvelous Monday ladies! 


“Did You Know Rest is Both a Gift and Command?”


“He said to them, ‘This is what the LORD has commanded: “Tomorrow is a day of solemn rest, a holy Sabbath to the LORD … ”’” Exodus 16:23a (ESV)


Have you ever felt guilty resting? Or wondered how others can sit and read a book when there’s so much to do?

 
For some, these thoughts plague us, keeping the enjoyment of rest an impossible dream. And yet, God told us to rest. It wasn’t simply recommended. But commanded.
 
Isn’t it odd that some of us feel guilty keeping one of God’s Ten Commandments?
 
Perhaps it would help if we went back in time before the Ten Commandments. This command to rest came even before Moses received God’s law on stone tablets. It started shortly after God freed the Israelites from 400 years of slavery.
 
Before the Israelites arrived in the Promised Land, they spent decades wandering the desert. That’s where God cared for His people so much He provided manna in the morning and quail at night. (Exodus 16:12) But God only provided food six days of the week. Moses said, “Six days you shall gather it, but on the seventh day, which is a Sabbath, there will be none” (Exodus 16:26, ESV). And, “This is what the LORD has commanded: ‘Tomorrow is a day of solemn rest, a holy Sabbath to the LORD… ’” (Exodus 16:23a).
 
The Lord had His purposes for this time in the desert, and everything that happened was intentionally to train, teach and test the Israelites.
 
God’s desire was a relationship. He was calling this people His own, and He wanted them to call Him their God.
 
God took care of their needs, but satisfying their hunger wouldn’t create the trusting relationship God desired. God wanted to heal their hearts and minds from generations of bondage, and that would only come through dependence on One who was completely trustworthy.
 
The Israelites needed to trust that God would protect rather than abandon them, redeem rather than exploit them.
 
In the midst of meeting their physical needs, God made a request that would start to meet their heart needs. Before God ever gave them the Ten Commandments, the very first trust-training exercise had to do with not working one day a week.
 
Of course, the people didn’t trust God at first and tried to save some of the manna overnight. Except when they did, in the morning it was filled with worms and began to stink. When hoarding an extra supply didn’t work, they tried gathering manna on the seventh day, but there was none.
 
It’s not that God didn’t want them to have enough to eat. He did, and they had enough by collecting an extra portion on the sixth day that stayed fresh on the Sabbath. God wanted them to retrain their brains to look to Him as their provider. This trust would break the slave mindset that pervaded the Israelites’ minds.
 
It seems like such a simple thing, really. Yet why was it so hard? God had shown the Israelites His power in miracle after miracle. They’d seen things with their own eyes that we only read about. He’d freed them, protected them, led them, and fed them with His mighty hand. And all He asked was that they not gather food on the Sabbath and trust Him to care for them.
 
But they didn’t.
 
And honestly, we don’t always trust Him either. We don’t trust that He’ll help us get our work done in six days. Or if we can’t get it done in six days, we don’t trust that He’ll make it possible for us to work less.
 
The reason God always wants us to honor the Sabbath is we still need to learn to trust Him. Because the depth of our relationships is equivalent to the degree we trust the other person. This is true with every person in our lives, and it’s definitely true with God. We can only go as deep as we trust.
 
What a beautiful, loving way for God to teach living by faith — by asking people who have worked nonstop to rest. God did it then, and He does it today.
 
The question is, will we trust Him enough to actually rest?
 
Lord, thank You for the invitation to stop working and trust You. Help me obey Your command to rest when the pull to work starts. I want to trust You more and accept Your gift of rest. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.
 
Proverbs 31 Ministries
Glynnis Whitwer

TRUTH FOR TODAY 

​Genesis 2:3,
“So God blessed the seventh day and made it holy, because on it God rested from all his work that he had done in creation.” (ESV)

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"When Success Requires a Mess"

9/21/2018

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Good morning ladies. September is just flying along! Fall comes in this weekend (officially). And you can feel it in the air. Today is quite blustery! And yesterday, our state got hit with five tornadoes, just south of us. It had rained all day--heavily--and then last evening everything turned stormy.  Some places flooded as well. It's one of those months that you don't quite know what to expect.

What things do you have planned for the weekend? Tomorrow, we're going north to Wadena for the day to celebrate our good friends' 50th anniversary.  It should be a very nice day. We also still have our missions conference going on until Sunday, with events every day. It's nice because I can't make it to everything, especially in the evenings, and they are doing it 'live' for those of us who can't be there in person so we don't miss out. So nice! How about you? Fall cleaning? Relaxing? Football?

Devotion

I can definitely relate to this one today! It reminds me of cleaning out a closet! Have you ever experienced this in your walk with God? Have a great weekend and a Fantastic Friday ladies!  


“When Success Requires a Mess”


“See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the wilderness and streams in the wasteland.” Isaiah 43:19 (NIV)


My interest in decorating may be amateur, but it’s avid. There’s little I love more than feathering my nest, and
if you throw a can of spray paint into the mix … well, let’s just say my heart does a little flip.

 
Most of the furniture pieces in my house are hand-me-downs, and one of my favorites is an old secretary desk from my husband’s grandparents. I use it to store all sorts of odds and ends — stationery, left-over party decorations and office supplies of every description.
 
Recently, I decided this vintage beauty needed a face-lift, so I bought a can of peacock-blue paint and set to work, excited about the end product.
 
I’d forgotten how messy it is to paint a piece of furniture, however. First, I took everything out of the desk, creating stacks of all the materials it contained. Then, my husband and I removed all the drawers and doors, unscrewed the hardware and laid out each piece to be painted.
 
How could one activity create such a mess? Whereas the secretary held all that stuff in one small area, debris from my paint project was now spread over three rooms of my house!
 
Progress in my soul often begins like painting my secretary. To get to a promised space, I have to move through a messy place.
 
In Isaiah 43:19, God encourages His people the Israelites by saying, “See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the wilderness and streams in the wasteland.”
 
I love the first two sentences of this verse: “See, I am doing a new thing!” sounds like momentum and success. Who doesn’t love the thought of God making things “spring up” for us?
 
But in the context of the verse and the entire book of Isaiah, we see the Israelites are given this promise long before its fulfillment. About to be sent into exile because of their ancestors’ collective sin, they’ll face walking across a desert to return to a wasteland (decades later), which they’ll have to labor to restore.
 
Often, forward movement requires a mess.
 
There are some secret steps embedded in this verse to help us — inside stories God gives His people for the “messy space” between promise and fulfillment.
 
Look Back
 
All through chapter 43 of Isaiah, God prompts His people to remember the past. He whispers reminders of how He has come through for them, reminding them of the covenant He made with them and the parting of the Red Sea when they fled from Egypt. He recaps how He set them free from the bondage of another nation once before.
 
When we’re in the mess-stage of a future success, looking back at God’s past faithfulness helps us persevere until the “new thing” comes.
 
Look Forward
 
Interestingly, God’s promise in our key verse is given before the exile. The punishment for sin is on its way, but God urges them to focus beyond the coming pain to the promise.
 
Thankfully, Israel’s Redeemer is our Redeemer. When we’re in the messy middle, looking forward to God’s promise of future blessings helps us cling to Him through hard times.
 
Look Around
 
In those days, proximity to a water source was necessary to survive, so the Israelites understood springs — places where existing (but hidden) water leapt from the darkness of underground. Under the surface, God was beginning a work in Israel, drawing them to repentance, even as Isaiah warned of impending disaster.
 
Even in messy, dark places, we can see signs that God is at work if we’ll just take a careful look around.
 
My house was a wreck for days before my mess became a success with the blue secretary standing proudly in my living room. Many of our successes require a period of messiness, but the process becomes less painful if we focus on His promises.
 
Lord, help me watch for You when I’m waiting in hard places for Your promises to come true. I trust You’re at work! In Jesus Name, Amen.
 
Proverbs 31 Ministries
Amy Carroll
 
TRUTH FOR TODAY
 

Psalm 78:35,
“They remembered that God was their Rock, that God Most High was their Redeemer.” (NIV)

 
2 Corinthians 4:16-18, “Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen, since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.” (NIV)

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"This Is the Day"

9/19/2018

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Good morning pretty ladies! We've reached Wonderful (and wet) Wednesday. How are things going in your part of the world? Today is another busy day around here, with our missions conference starting tonight. We have missionaries from France and we are supposed to bring a dish that is "French inspired." PK and I looked up some easy, classic French recipes, so we'll see how this turns out! I'm looking forward to the conference. There are a lot of special things planned throughout the next few days and into the weekend.

Devotion

Great  reminder today about being open and taking risks in our lives, so that we can let God work in us. Have a great day ladies! 


“This Is the Day”


“Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters.” Colossians 3:23 (NIV)


During college and early in my professional career, I felt crushing pressure to perform at my best.

 
But I’ve gained a new perspective and come to realize, winning that trophy or knocking the ball out of the park is not what matters most.
 
More than achieving success in this world or doing well in my career, I want to be a believer. A believer, first and foremost, in God. I also want to be a believer in my teammates, in my abilities and a believer in why I’m here. A believer who’s ultimately working for the Lord and serving His purposes, more than anything else.
 
Think about the people you encounter in your life. Ever notice how some are life-givers and others are life-takers?
 
Every opportunity we have with someone is an opportunity to influence that person for the good. To give life, not just take it. Because whether we realize it or not, people are watching us. What we say and what we do matters. When we live with purpose, we can make a difference that can leave a lasting impact.
 
Are you taking enough leaps of faith in your spiritual life that you put what you have on the line so God can show up in a big way? I know it can be hard to do, but it’s always worth the reward. Often, we live so cautiously that we never give God a chance to come through.
 
You don’t have to have a dream to play professional sports or rule the world. Risk what you have for the sake of helping other people and see what God can do in your life and in others’. Put yourself out there, and do something that might terrify you or make you uncomfortable … like sharing your testimony for the first time or telling a stranger God loves her.
 
Remember that whatever you do, your main audience is God, not others. That’s why in Colossians, the Apostle Paul reminds us to put our whole heart into everything we do, with God’s purposes in mind. We’re called to live life for God’s glory, as Colossians 3:23 explains: “Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters.”
 
I’ve been around so many people who are what I like to call, “one day-ers.” As in, One day, I’m going to go on a missions trip. Or, One day I’m going to tell my dad I love him. Or even, One day I’m going to have a life of purpose.
 
The only problem with that is, we simply don’t know how many days we will have. And that is why it’s so important to live each day as if it’s the last day you and I have. I know it sounds cliché, but imagine if we did that?
 
Although pursuing my dreams and giving them everything I’ve got is important, life is about more than just crushing every game. It’s about believing that God can do something significant in whatever your hands find to do — according to His purposes. This is true whether you’re a stay-at-home parent, an executive running meetings, a college student studying for exams or a retiree mentoring the next generation.
 
This is the day to let God do just that, even when you least expect it.
 
Dear God, help me to dream dreams that are too big for me to accomplish on my own. I want to have Your purpose in mind, no matter what I do. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.
 
Proverbs 31 Ministries
Tim Tebow
 
TRUTH FOR TODAY
 

Psalm 118:24,
“This is the day the LORD has made; We will rejoice and be glad in it.” (NKJV)

 
1 John 4:11, “Dear friends, since God loved us that much, we surely ought to love each other.” (NLT)
 
Ephesians 5:16a, “Make the most of every opportunity.” (NLT)

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"It's Not Good Luck--It's a Good God"

9/18/2018

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Good morning ladies. At least I think it's morning. The sky is dark and cloudy, with thunderstorms all night and still looming.  Lots of rain, but I'm thankful because we needed it. God provides just what we need. And it's cooled down...significantly. In fact, as we were driving home from our lunch on the east side yesterday, the temperature dropped 18 degrees, just in about 40 minutes! I'm okay with that. How about you? Are you ready for Fall? Maybe now I will decorate the house with all the pumpkins and pretty leaf things. Molly likes it hot and steamy, so she is all cuddled up in a blanket this morning. I think she is kind of sad. If dogs could talk, ha! Their expressions give us enough to think about, don't they?!  

So, I know it's a busy time of year, like I mentioned yesterday, but tell me what you're up to, any testimonies you'd like to share, or maybe you have something you'd like us to pray about. Don't be shy! I'd love to hear from you!

Devotion

Ah, how I love the story of Ruth and Naomi and how God provides for them and gives them abundant blessings after much devastation in their lives. Have a Top Tuesday ladies!


“It’s Not Good Luck--It’s a Good God”

“May the Lord reward you for your work. May full pay be given to you from the Lord, the God of Israel. It is under His wings that you have come to be safe.” Ruth 2:12 (NLV)

When life gets messed up, it is only natural to feel like God is overlooking our sufferings and not at work in our lives. But believing God doesn’t care can blind us to where He is working, or we can attribute His goodness to nothing more than good luck.
 
I don’t believe in good luck. I believe in a good God.
 
In the book of Ruth, we read how Naomi struggled to see God at work in her life due to the onslaught of losses and disappointments she had endured. She had to leave her home due to a famine and move to another city. And, she had already lost her husband, two sons, friends, wealth and financial security. Her heart became bitter and her faith, shaken. She believed her life was permanently void of good things and felt all she had was bad luck. Yet, despite her negativity and lack of faith, God had awesome plans for her life.
 
When good things finally did start happening after a long season of suffering, I can’t help but wonder if Naomi chalked them up to happenstance rather than giving credit where credit was due. It would have been easy because her heart was heavy, her faith weak and her spirit crushed. Yet, as you read her story, it’s obvious there was a good God orchestrating a divine plan.
 
We read in chapter one that Naomi and her daughter-in-law Ruth arrived back in Bethlehem just in time for the beginning of the barley harvest. Good luck? No, a good God with perfect timing. The harvest was God’s plan for meeting their physical needs for food and nourishment.
 
In Ruth 2:1, we find Naomi had a wealthy and influential relative named Boaz. Good luck? No, generations of planning by a good God to open doors of opportunity, provision and protection from harm. In Ruth 2:2-3, Ruth goes to pick up leftover grain in the fields, and “As it turned out, she was working in a field belonging to Boaz” (NIV). Was it just good luck she ended up in Boaz’s field, of all fields? No, it was a good God going before her and guiding her steps.
 
Then in Ruth 2:4, the story continues, “Just then Boaz arrived …” (NIV). Good luck? No, a good God with perfectly orchestrated timing. And who does Boaz just happen to notice? Ruth. Good luck? No, a good God working on a man’s heart to prepare His plans to be carried out.
 
Ruth 2:12 reminds us of God’s goodness: “May the Lord reward you for your work. May full pay be given to you from the Lord, the God of Israel. It is under His wings that you have come to be safe” (NLV). And the rest is history.
 
Boaz later married Ruth, and they have a son together, giving Naomi a new son-in-law and a precious grand-bundle of joy. He purchased Naomi’s land and secured her financial well-being. These were all divinely planned gifts from God, not just good luck. Gifts of restoration and blessing, in His perfect timing, according to His perfect plans.
 
As for me, I have seen God at work, and His restoration plans for my life play out day by day. I can look back at so many good things that have happened over the past few years and can’t help but smile … because I see God’s miracles, not just streaks of good luck.
 
Although many areas of my circumstances are not yet restored, and life is often still hard, I now realize God did something even better than I could have imagined. He’s healed my heart and restored my strength, peace, hope, faith and joy — just as He did for Naomi and Ruth, and just as He wants to do for each of His children.
 
There’s no such thing as chance-happenings, my friend, only God-happenings, because Scripture reminds us God has His hand in all matters under the sun. Remember: God is always in control, working behind the scenes to orchestrate good plans for our lives. This not only gives us great hope, but also equips us to live with joy — despite whatever life throws at us.
 
Lord, fill me with the hope that restoration of my life and my joy is possible — if not in my way, then Your way. Restore my heart as You plan to restore my circumstances. I trust You and give You credit for all good things that happen. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.
 
Proverbs 31 Ministries
Tracie Miles
 
TRUTH FOR TODAY
 

Psalm 145:9, “The LORD is good to everyone. He showers compassion on all his creation.” (NLT)
 
Romans 8:28, “And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them.” (NLT)

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"More Than a Meme"

9/7/2018

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Good morning ladies. So happy that it's Friday! It's been a long week around here. It looks like it will be a beautiful weekend. Any fun plans to tell us about? If we're up to it, PK and I want to go see the WCCO "Pulling Together" Event. It's a competition that the news channel holds to raise money for a local charity called "Fraser."They have a program for kids that have autism. It's quite an operation, including the whole family in the care of the children. What happens at the event is a tug-of-war across the Mississippi River and it's St. Paul against Minneapolis. It looks like a lot of fun! After that, we might try to go see one of our church members who is involved in doing a Civil War reenactment.

Devotion

What does it look like to love like Jesus did? Great devotion today! Have a Fantastic Friday ladies!

“More Than a Meme”

“So now I am giving you a new commandment: Love each other. Just as I have loved you, you should love each other. Your love for one another will prove to the world that you are my disciples.” John 13:34-35 (NLT)

There’s an image of Jesus I can’t get out of my mind. It’s found in Matthew 8. Jesus has ministered all day long. He’s taught the crowds. He’s healed a leper. He’s counseled a lost man. He’s prayed for Peter’s mother-in-law who suffered with a dangerous fever.
 
Evening comes, and more crowds press in. They bring suffering and sick loved ones, and Jesus prays until the last one is gone.
 
Then He and the disciples climb into a boat to sail to the other side of the lake. Jesus is so physically exhausted that He falls asleep within moments. He remains asleep even as a terrifying storm sweeps in, and the boat nearly sinks.
 
That’s how Jesus loved. That’s how Jesus still loves: sacrificially. Nothing bears greater witness to that than the cross.
 
So when I read today’s key verse, I’m a little intimidated.
 
“So now I am giving you a new commandment: Love each other. Just as I have loved you, you should love each other. Your love for one another will prove to the world that you are my disciples” (John 13:34-35).
 
Right now I have T-shirts with inspiring messages hanging in my closet. I have placed bands around my wrist to tell the world I care. I have pinned fabric to my shirt for a specific cause. I have lifted my voice on social media to protest injustice.
 
But have I loved like Jesus?
 
This is far greater love than just wearing a cool T-shirt or posting a meme on social media for a current issue.
 
Jesus displayed His love by showing up where love was needed.
 
It may have been behind-the-scenes. It was hands-on. It required something of Him, and most of the time Jesus gave was to those with nothing to give in return.
 
Perhaps this commandment intimidates me because I’m not Jesus. The thought that I can do what He did or love like Him seems impossible. Yet that’s not what Jesus is asking.
 
This wasn’t a brand-new commandment, but rather a fresh take on an old one His followers would have known. The disciples had been told to love their neighbor before, but now that they knew first-hand what love looked like, Jesus was asking them to live it.
 
Essentially Jesus is saying, Now that you know what My love looks like:
 
  • Include My love in your interaction with others,
  • Show up where love is needed as I lead you,
  • Don’t try to be Me, but reflect Me in the way you treat others.
 
This is tangible love. This is sacrificial love.
 
Our faith will be most evident behind-the-scenes as we bring a meal to that neighbor in a hard place. It shows up when we choose not to reply unkindly to that person on social media who disagrees with our point of view. It’s giving sacrificially to help those who are oppressed. It’s forgiving. It’s kindness. It’s mercy. It’s extravagant.
 
When we love as we’ve been loved by Jesus, it’s more than a meme.
 
When we love as we’ve been loved, it identifies us as His in such a way that people see Jesus for themselves.
 
Dear Jesus, Your love for the world is beautiful. You love sacrificially. You love when there’s nothing to gain in return. You love me daily when I fall short. Help me to show up, as You lead, where love is needed. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.
 
Proverbs 31 Ministries
Suzie Eller
 
TRUTH FOR TODAY
 

1 John 4:19,
“We love each other because he loved us first.” (NLT)

 
Luke 10:27, “He answered, ‘“Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind”; and, “Love your neighbor as yourself.”’” (NIV)

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"Fat Horses and Godly Friends"

9/5/2018

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Picture
​Good morning lovelies! How are you today? We had a nice, but busy, long holiday weekend. Maria was here to celebrate all the things with us. She left yesterday afternoon to go back to Chicago. She is now working on her second (and final) year of her Masters Program. On Saturday, the church ladies held a baby shower for Ruth (Pastor Charles' wife). It was a fun time and a great turnout! She received many wonderful gifts. On Sunday, we had a great time worshiping in church, and afterwards, PK and I headed out to the State Fair. We were there about five hours and were exhausted by the time we got home. TONS of people! As always. They broke another new record this year, with over 2 million people attending over the twelve day event. Crazy! I had fried pickles, roasted corn-on-the-cob, an ice-cream cone from the dairy barn, a few of PK's cheese curds, and I brought home a bag of kettle corn. So, my usual foods. Even though it was lunch and supper all combined, I still felt so full! We went to the animal barns and the birthing center, the International Bazaar, and people-watched, but we also saw a few new things, like the Pet Pavilion, where they were judging some German Shepherds, and we walked through the Colosseum. Who knew there were two whole floors filled with booths for MORE shopping?! All that, and after we got home, Casey asked me if I went into the Agriculture Building this year. I told him that I didn't, and he went ahead to inform me of all the things that I missed and would've enjoyed. Thanks! He and Maria and some of their friends were also there on Sunday. Also, I already have a list going of some other things I missed seeing. Such as the Fine Arts Building. What?? I think you could spend several days there and still not know about everything. And that is with watching them on the news every night and finding out about things that way. Always a good time, and definitely worth it.

Today is menu planning and grocery shopping day. And....it's a lot cooler. Yay! What are you ladies up to today?

Devotion

That's a catchy title today! A good devotion, though, about how important it is to be truthful and come alongside our friends when we see them struggling in sin. Have a Wonderful Wednesday ladies!

“Fat Horses and Godly Friends”

“Brothers and sisters, if someone is caught in a sin, you who live by the Spirit should restore that person gently. But watch yourselves, or you also may be tempted.” Galatians 6:1 (NIV)

About six months ago, I had to face what I knew to be true: My horses were “too fat.”
 
I knew this, and I cared, but I still wasn’t willing to do anything to remedy the problem.
 
But after my brave veterinarian became involved and told me the truth about what I already knew, it was time for change, and we implemented a diet plan for them.
 
Why my “brave” veterinarian? Because he later told a friend of mine he had previously been escorted off other farms for uttering the “fat” truth to other horse owners. My veterinarian’s care and concern for my horse’s well-being overrode the risk of offending me (and possibly losing me as a client). He did the right thing by telling me I was wrong.
 
Obesity in horses brings on painful health problems and eventually, death. His loving honesty was motivation enough for me to face what I knew was wrong and make a positive change in the way I was feeding my equine friends. I am now a better horse owner because of it.  
 
It’s with the same care and loving concern that we who know Christ should confront sin in our own lives and in the lives of our close friends. If the choice is between being afraid to offend or doing what’s loving (even though it’s sometimes hard), our best choice is to love our friends the way Jesus tells us. That means seeking the best for a person while asking nothing in return, loving them no matter what it may cost.
 
In John 13:34-35, Jesus puts it this way, “A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another” (NIV).
 
I’ll be honest here when I tell you, there have been times in my life when my sin is staring back at me in the mirror, like a pasture full of chubby horses. I know I need to get my heart right, and although God is standing by to change it, I choose not to talk to Him about it. Because you know what? I am right! And I am justified to have these feelings!
 
Not really. The truth is, I am often wrong. My attitude stinks, and I need a good Christian friend to call me on it.
 
Today’s key verse, Galatians 6:1, makes this clear: “Brothers and sisters, if someone is caught in a sin, you who live by the Spirit should restore that person gently. But watch yourselves, or you also may be tempted.”
 
As a Christ-follower, having godly friends to help us steer away from sin is crucial. True Christian friends view each other’s holiness as important. We should welcome a friend in the faith who is willing to gently reveal when we need an attitude adjustment and a spiritual sharpening.
 
In return, let’s be loving enough to do the same for our friends. There is something uniquely special about a Christian friendship. It’s a soul-to-soul connection that lasts for eternity.
 
Thank You, God, for continuing to sharpen me. Thank You for Your gift of friendship, and my good Christian friends who challenge me to love others better. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.
 
Proverbs 31 Ministries
Cara Whitney
 
TRUTH FOR TODAY 

Proverbs 27:17, “As iron sharpens iron, so one person sharpens another.” (NIV)
 
Proverbs 27:5-6a, “Better is open rebuke than hidden love. Wounds from a friend can be trusted.” (NIV)

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