Adventures Await: Be Compassionate

James 2:1-7

My brethren, do not hold your faith in our glorious Lord Jesus Christ with an attitude of personal favoritism. For if a man comes into your assembly with a gold ring and dressed in fine clothes, and there also comes in a poor man in dirty clothes, and you pay special attention to the one who is wearing the fine clothes, and say, “You sit here in a good place,” and you say to the poor man, “You stand over there, or sit down by my footstool,” have you not made distinctions among yourselves, and become judges with evil motives? 
Listen, my beloved brethren: did not God choose the poor of this world to be rich in faith and heirs of the kingdom which He promised to those who love Him? But you have dishonored the poor man. Is it not the rich who oppress you and personally drag you into court? Do they not blaspheme the fair name by which you have been called?

This passage points to the heart of a believer being right with God and mature in Him. Remember this immature people talk about their faith so people hear it, but that is not enough. Remember, those who believe in Jesus are called to walk out their faith like Jesus did on earth. Mature people live out their faith for others to see, hear, and experience it! The way one treats others indicates what they truly believe in their heart!

Think about people in your workplace or you meet at the coffee shop. How do you interact with them? Do you judge them before they speak by how they look? Do you strike up a conversation? Do you avoid eye contact because of assumptions you have? If we are to be Christ in our communities, we need to approach people with compassion and love.

When I was a life skills educator for teenage mothers, I got asked one day by one of the teens, “why are you different?”

My response was, “What do you mean by different.”

She responded, “You always look at us in the eyes which shows us you care and have confidence in us as a person. Also, you empower us to be better not matter how little or big of a step we can take. It is like you see that we can be like you. While others just assume the worst in us because we are pregnant or have a baby. You are compassionate and loving even when we are yelling and disregarding your authority. You are firm but caring at the same time. Your care and compassion make us not want to disappoint you.”

My response, “Well, I am honored and blessed that you see that in my actions. I try to live out what I believe. I believe we are to love others for who they are and be compassionate for where someone is at in the journey of life. We should try not assume something just by the way one acts, dresses, or looks.”

That conversation reminds me of what James’ theme of love in action. We should be do, and say what we believe. Others should notice our actions without us telling them about them. In this passage, James talks about not showing favoritism. When I brought the teenage mothers to church, I witnessed many times people avoiding the girls or all the judgmental glances. Thankfully the girls felt welcomed and loved by some because that changed the trajectory of some of those teen mom’s lives forever! One interaction with someone could change their lives forever!

The church should be a place of welcoming and love. When we first came to know Christ, we were not perfect so why do we expect that from others. The church should be a place of compassion not judgmental glances and favoritism. At the beginning of this passage that favoritism should be replaced with compassion for human beings. No one should be treated differently based on economic status, gender, sins, or race! We have the greatest gift to share with others and if we show favoritism or hate first, we will not get the chance to share the gift of love from Christ! We should desire to be do and say love to share the gift of acceptance and love that was given to us through Christ!

Think about your church, what would happen if a teenager showed up to your church either pregnant or with a child? Would they be welcomed in with love and compassion or would they be avoided and discounted? I want to challenge you to be, do, and say love and care through your compassionate actions!

Prayer:
Lord, may we have your eyes to see people as a child of God. May we have your love in our hearts to give love to others. May we have your spirit to be able to see people through your eyes in order to love them where they are at! We are called to be love and show love to God’s children, not just some of God’s children! Give us the strength and the confidence to love others where they are at! AMEN!

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Adventures Await: Be Bold

James 1: 26-27
Those who consider themselves religious and yet do not keep a tight rein on their tongues deceive themselves, and their religion is worthless. Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world.

This passage begins with a word used only 5 times in the whole New Testament. Religion, two of those times is in the passage. The word translated as religion means the outward practice of one’s true beliefs. For Christians, this means service to the one true God! Pure religion has nothing to do with location of worship or specific days of celebration. Pure religion comes from our hearts and is practicing what we believe. Practicing God’s words means sharing it with others through our speech, service, and separation from the world.

We are called to share what we believe! One way to do this is through our words! Throughout the book of James, the tongue is referenced multiple times. In this passage the tongue, is the avenue to one’s heart! It is the tongue that reveals what a person believes. So, if the heart is right, the speech of each of us should reveal God’s love. What we say is of great importance and knowing how to share what you believe is crucial for others to experience God’s love.

This passage also brings up service is another key part of being bold in the Lord. Once we accept Christ, we share in the Love of God. This love should give us the eyes and hearts of Christ. This means that we should see those in need, in pain, or in crisis and have a desire to love them where they are! Speech is one part but if our hearts are of Christ acts of service should follow and be a natural part of our lives. God desires for His children to be Him on earth. God does not want us to pay for others to minister for us all the time. Giving is key but should not be a substitute from our hearts serving others.

The third part of being bold from this passage is being in but not of the world. “To keep oneself being polluted by the world,” means we should keep ourselves separate from the world’s desires and actions. As children of God, we are sent into the world to share and serve to show God’s Love to the world. If we are not careful, we can become part of the world. Think about two leaders in the Old Testament Lot and Abaraham. Lot pitched his tent toward Sodom, then became part of Sodom. When he became part of Sodom, Sodom moved into him, meaning God’s love became secondary. Eventually, he lost his testimony with his own family, the people of Sodom, and lost everything! Lot became part of the world while Abraham continued to be separate from the world and had a great ministry to the world. It is not necessary to compromise your beliefs and works to be part of the world but to be bold in order to be God’s love to those of the world.

The best way to be bold is to have speech, service, and separation of the world. The unified with God’s love will be a power Satan cannot tear down! The best way to be a witness of God’s love is the be pure in heart. All of our actions and words come from our hearts! Continue to seek the Lord with all your heart in order to be bold for the Lord!

Prayer: Psalm 51:10-12
Lord, create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me. Do not cast me from your presence or take your Holy Spirit from me. Restore to me the joy of your salvation and grant me a willing spirit, to sustain me. AMEN.

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Adventures Await: Be Active

James 1: 22-25
Do no merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says. Anyone who listens to the word but does not do what it says is like someone who looks at his face in a mirror and after looking at himself, goes away and forgets what he looks like. But whoever looks intently into the perfect law that gives freedom and continues in it – not forgetting what they have heard, but doing it – they will be blessed in what they do.

The passage starts with listening just like our adventures with the Lord should start with us listening to Him. Adventures are amazing. But if we do not listen, we will not know what He is saying. We will not know where He is guiding us! Listening is the key to success in a relationship, especially with the Lord our God!

The second piece of the puzzle is knowing the Scriptures. This passage points the Scripture three times. Twice with “the word” and once with the “perfect law.” The perfect law and the Word are one in the same and point to the moral and ethical teachings of the New Testament and Old Testament. The Old Testament law is brought to completion through Jesus Christ. When we know the law we know Christ and his expectations. One cannot just read the word to know it. To truly know them, one must act on them and experience them. To understand, is for the Word to be the guide of your life.

My dog and I do a lot of hiking and sometimes we need a map and GPS tracker to know where we are. Now a days, there is an amazing app that does both of those. I fully rely on this app when I am on a trail. It ensures that we are going the correct way. Trails can be very confusing especially when there are animal trails that look like trails. This can make it more difficult to discern which way to go. As you can see in the adventure Freckles and I were on in the photo the trail was very difficult to see. It was a extremely difficult trail to navigate through but we made it thanks to the app and Freckles nose! Like the trail in the photo, trails are not always marked well. However, this app always directs me to the right place. When I am on the trail, this app is my personal guide.

This is comparable to the Word of God in our lives. In this passage, it talks about listening and doing the Word of God in our lives go hand-in-hand. You can’t listen to the Word and not be convicted to act on it. Christ is in our hearts and minds. He should be guiding us to do what the Word of God says. We cannot simply read the word and check the box. Spending time with the Lord requires more than that. We must read the word and apply it to our lives in some manner! Christ will guide our hearts and minds if we allow him to do so! We should desire to listen and act on the Word of God. We do not want to be known as someone who forgets their own reflection in the mirror.

I challenge each of us to take a look at our hearts and souls. Ask yourself how do I need to listen with intent or act in purpose?

Prayer:
Lord, take away the distractions. Help me focus on your Word. Show me the call to action. Help me hear what you are meaning to say and not the interpretation I place on your words. Help me to seek you first in order to implement what you say in my life! To do this, help me to listen with my heart, mind, and ears. Help me to draw closer to you through your Word. In turn, others will see you in my words, actions, and love. AMEN!

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Adventures Await: Listen

James 1: 19-21
My dear brothers and sisters, take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to become angry, because the human anger does not produce the righteousness that God desires. Therefore, get rid of all moral filth and the evil that is so prevalent.

There is nothing better than being on the trail! Being in the midst of God’s creation and taking in all the attributes of nature is by far where I meet the Lord the most. I have always loved exploring since I was a young girl. I remember being at the Badlands in South Dakota and saw every rock formation as an exploration. I wanted to climb every rock I could! Not much has changed from the young girl excited to climb and explore at the Badlands! When I am on the trail, I think: “adventure awaits!” What is around the corner or on the next switchback there may be a view! Let’s go!

I always start hiking at a quick pace, but now that I have a hiking buddy or more, they remind me to pause! One of those hiking buddies is my friend’s dog Cooper. Coopers is always up for an adventure! While on the trail, he loves to find a rock to climb up on to see the view. I think it is because he is small and wants to see better. Cooper and I took a fall morning hike one morning. We of course were cruising along and then Cooper found a rock to climb onto. At this moment he reminded me to pause! We sat on that rock together and looked out over the valley together. Of course, it was time in silence with some Cooper kisses. However, this moment reminded me to slow down and listen! In this moment, the Lord was telling me He is present and my provider. He was there in my loss, is present in my transition, and will be there in the next season!

Adventures are amazing, but if we go too quick, we may miss the best moments! Slowness can refocus our minds and take in the memories we experience on the trail! This is similar to our relationship with the Lord, His Word, and friendships. James talks about being quick only in one aspect of a relationship, to listen and slow to speak, in other words listen first! Listening is a key factor in being with the Lord and hearing Him through His word. Listening, Shema, is before the greatest commandment. Deuteronomy 6:4-6. “Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God, the LORD is one. Love the LORD your God with all you heart and with all your soul and with all your strength.” The Lord was telling Israel to pause and listen to the one true God, Yahweh! Listening is crucial in any relationship!

Our adventure with the Lord starts with us Listening to Him. Adventures are amazing, but if we do not listen, we will not know what He is saying or where He is guiding us! Listening is the key to success in a relationship, especially with the Lord our God!

Lord,
Our adventure awaits together for the next season in life, however let us see you in the past, present, and how you will be there in the future. Remind us to listen to you and be slow to speak. In other words, you call us to listen with both our ears and speak with one mouth! May we continue to hear you and your voice in our lives through your Word and our relationship with you. AMEN!

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Monumental Moments

James 1:2-4
Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.

Grief has a weird way of showing up, but last night I could not sleep well. People have told me that it gets easier over time, but I would like to change that mind set. Grief does not get easier but how you cope gets manageable and strengthens you. Grief is hard! Grief can hit at unexpected times like last night! I could not sleep but began to think of memories of my mom and what I loved about her.

Waves hit the shoreline and changes the look and feels of the sand! Grief is similar as it comes in waves and changes our thoughts, feelings, and outlook. Grief has a way of hitting us in ways that are not always expected! Especially in losing a loved one deer to your heart. Grief can hit at moments you wished to share with that person, doing things they love to do, or being somewhere with a deep memory! However, one thing can remain constant which are the memories! Memories help us remember the people we love and hopefully direct you to who you want to be!

Grief is hard and that is ok to admit! Grief came today in my heart and thoughts! I lost one of the biggest cheerleaders in my life on this day 22 years ago. Throughout the night I reflected on her love for people and life. I realized that a monumental shift happened in my world the day she passed away! Memories of her laughter and love for life came flooding in my mind last night! I realized one major thing, I want to be known for my laughter, love, and life just like my mother!

Today, I was hiking with a long time friend, her son, and of course Freckles, my dog. It was a great day to be on a trail and reflect on what kept me up part of last night. My mom passed away on September 17, 2002. Ironically we chose to hike to monument rock today on the day I had a monumental shift in my life. Our hike to day to Monument Rock reminded me of the shift in my heart this day 22 years ago. I went from an ordinary high school girl who loved life to an angry teenager. To quickly wanting to love like my mom did and like Christ does!

I remembered all the memories while staring at the monument rock with my dog freckles and my good friend. As i looked at all the uniqueness this rock in the picture has in the middle of trees and bushes. It represents power and strength. This rock has embraced and survived all the hail, snow, wind, and rain over time yet also enjoys the sun. Yet all can cause structural changes over time. This reminded me of life and trials we have to persevere through. The process of grief that happened after the monumental shift was not easy, but without that shift I am not sure how and when I would have experienced Christ’s overwhelming love in my life. His love surrounded me through friends and community during the darkest days of my life.

James talks about finding joy in the trials and temptations of life. I truly believe if you can find joy every day when we wake up no matter what life throws at you, your day will be better. Joy has a was of transforming our minds and hearts to be the love of God. Seeking joy allows us to remember the good in the midst of the hard times in life. Joy allows us to face life and persevere! Perseverance makes us stronger and allows God’s hand on our lives to make us perfect and complete in His eyes. I challenge each of you to find joy each day! See how that can transform your view of yourself, life, and God!

Lord,
I hated when my mom passed away and that I felt alone in that moment! But you brought community i did not know I had or needed in my life. Thank you for how you work in through each of us for others to experience your Love! Allow each of us to seek joy this day and each day to come. Thank you for reminding me of the goodness and joy in my life that I bring to the present from my mom’s life! May we all find joy and love to persevere through life! AMEN.

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Whispers of Aspen Leaves

A couple of weeks ago I spent a few days at my cousin’s cabin deep in the mountains where you hear only the whispers of the aspen leaves. I sat there on their deck looking out to hear the rustling of the Aspen leaves. I went there to process what is next in my life and have some time in God’s creation. Little did I know, my dog was going to teach me about presence!

The next morning, I heard the whispers of the aspen leaves hiking with my adventure buddy, Freckles. We hiked a couple of miles back into the valley near the cabin! It was beautiful and off the beaten tracks. He all of a sudden paused and looked out to the valley, and then looked back at me! It was like he was telling me to just be present with him! We sat there together in silence and enjoyed the sounds around us and each other. He I heard the leaves and was surrounded by large aspen trees. At that moment, I reflected on Psalm 73 that I had been reading and reflecting on for the few days I was there. There are a few verses that the Lord kept reminding me of how close He is to me and He is the strength I need to lean on.

Psalm 73:26-28
“My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever. Those who are far from you will perish; you destroy all who are unfaithful to you. But as for me, it is good to be near God. I have made the Sovereign LORD my refuge; I will tell of all your deeds.”

In this time of transition between jobs, I have been reminded of the Lord’s presence in my life. Being in the midst of the aspen trees and looking out to the valley reminded me how I am surrounded by the Lord’s presence through people, His word, and my heart! The view alone was a reminder of the Lord’s presence! My dog reminded me in the moment to take in the whispers of the trees and pause! I needed to listen and to take a moment in order for the Lord to work through me and teach me! He does that often now just sits to take some time to enjoy moments with me! This is what the Lord desires from each of us! Spend time to hear His whispers.

Lord,
I felt stuck in a place where I wanted to serve you but felt like I was not being seen but some people. You took me out of that place and placed me in your arms. Your strength and comfort are guiding me to seek you and seek the future. But for now, I am taking time in your presence like my dog showed me to enjoy moments! I do not want to take this time for granted! I want to see you and feel you! AMEN!

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Glimpses of God

Psalm 8
(1) O LORD, our Lord,
how majestic is Your name in all the earth!
You have set Your glory
above the heavens.
(2) From the mouths of children and infants
You have ordained praise
on account of Your adversaries,
to silence the enemy and avenger.
(3) When I behold Your heavens,
the work of Your fingers,
the moon and the stars,
which You have set in place—
(4) what is man that You are mindful of him,
or the son of man that You care for him?
(5) You made him a little lower than the angels
You crowned him with glory and honor.
(6) You made him ruler of the works of Your hands;
You have placed everything under his feet
(7) all sheep and oxen,
and even the beasts of the field,
(8) the birds of the air and the fish of the sea,
all that swim the paths of the seas.
(9) O LORD, our Lord,
how majestic is Your name in all the earth!

Occasionally, God provides us with moments where we catch glimpses of Himself or His Kingdom on earth. It is when we see moments of heart-wrenching beauty through His creation and the created, and through actions of faithful followers of Christ such as, compassion, forgiveness, reconciliation, redemption, mercy, grace, and love. These moments are not of this world but the Lord’s handy work.

Falls is coming when the trees, bushes, and grasses are transformed, I am reminded of the Lord’s artistic hand in creation. The colors of fall transform the whole scenery of a mountain side from all greens to vibrant fall colors. I always see God’s artistic side in the colors he transforms during the fall. The beauty of creation becomes a new beauty of reds, oranges, yellows, and browns.

Life is truly a profound gift that we need to be present for to appreciate. When we are present, we can notice things- simple things- that often do not attract attention. These glimpses of God are often seemingly simple moments, but they are treasured gifts which we are blessed to see, experience, and even participate in from time to time. My desire to is to be about these visions- these glimpses- whether that means simply noticing them in life, writing about them, or creating them.

Prayer:

Lord, our lord how majestic is your name in all the earth! I pray to open our eyes to the transformation happening in our own lives and the lives of people around us. Lord let us see your artistic work in your creation and in your created beings. Lord our Lord how majestic is your name in all the earth! AMEN.

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Listen (Shema) to Love

“The most important one,” answered Jesus, “is this: ‘Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’ The second is this: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’  There is no commandment greater than these.”
Mark 12:29-31

Before the verses above, Jesus was asked which one was the most important of the 600+ commandments in the Torah! I imagine the person asking was curious how Jesus would place one commandment higher than the others. This person’s curiosity drew them to Jesus. At that moment, Jesus paraphrased Deuteronomy 6:4 and Leviticus 19:34. Jesus met this person in their curiosity. The command he quoted starts with the word in Hebrew, Shema, which means to hear or listen. Listening is the foundation of our call to love God and love our neighbor! If we zone in on the word, listen, it is one of the most common words in the Bible! In some form, it appears over 1500 times!  

Jesus reemphasizes the point that to love God and others, we need to listen to God and listen to others actively. We cannot live and love without being in tune with what the Lord calls us to do or what others need! It is impossible to live and love without listening! Listening allows us to be present with the Lord and the person in front of us. Active listening is when the hearer can repeat what the person said.

This skill is something I practiced often in years past. To be a person of presence, one must hear. Hear from the Lord and hear the person you are being present with. If we do the tasks at hand, we miss out on a relationship and conversation we could have. I learned this when I was a case manager for teenage mothers. My supervisor regularly asked me what I learned about one of our residents today in conversation. I never imagined using car drives to learn about someone and be present with them. I started asking better open-ended questions because teens are the queens of one-word answers. My supervisor taught me to use each moment for purposeful conversation. This allowed me to build relationships naturally. Then, when they came to my office for meetings, I had built a bridge of trust and respect from our daily conversations.

Active listening is crucial in building relationships with others. When genuinely listening to the person in front of us, we should not be distracted. Being fully present with someone means we are focused on the person in front of us, not on what I need to make for lunch, what I should say next, or what task I need to accomplish. I need to be able to shut all of those thoughts off! Then, I can truly be fully present and hear what they say.

For me, I ask the Lord to clear my head and be able to hear the person I am going to be present with. I need to make a to-do list before going into a conversation. This helps me clear my head and not think about tasks at hand! I desire to be fully present with others and with God!

What do you need to do before listening?

Lord, please fill our hearts with your love in order to be faithful to your guidance. Push us to listen first and respond second. Listening allows us to hear and to love! Lord, Send the Holy Spirit to quiet our minds and hearts to be fully present with you and others. May we hear in order to love! AMEN.

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Where do you find Joy?

When I think of the word joy, I picture myself on a hike, at the beach, or in the rolling corn fields of South Dakota. I find joy in being with friends and family while in some of my favorite places to hike, relax, or have a bon fire. I love exploring new places and finding places to rest and recover amid God’s creation. Creation reminds of God’s wisdom, love, and faithfulness in my life. Where do you find joy in your life?  

I remember multiple times going to various lookouts in the Black Hills of South Dakota to look out over the Needles. Its breath taking to think about how the needles came to be this grand formation of rocks sticking up in the middle of ponderosa pine forest. When I am in awe, I remember who the Lord is and what he does for my life! Even in the highest of highs, and lowest of lows we are called to find joy!

In this 3rd week of Advent, we are called to remember Joy. What does Joy mean? Joy has multiple different meaning to different people. Some would say joy is happiness, and others would say joy is the source of delight. One definition I have when I think of joy is

In Psalm 126, the Hebrew word for ring cry, shouts of praise, רנה, is used three times. In the beginning of the psalm, the shouts of joy and praise are amid experiencing God’s blessing of being let free! Remembering all the great things the Lord has done should bring us joy (Psalm 126:2-3). Then the psalmist continues in looking forward to what will or may come. Calling for the Lord to remind them of their captivity and evening amid sorrow and pain one is called to find joy (Psalm 126:5-6).

Psalm 126 reminds me of the song Titled “Joy” by Rend Collective. The beginning of the song is breaking out of freedom. In other words, out of captivity.

“We’re choosing celebration
Breaking into freedom
You’re the song
You’re the song
Of our hearts

We cast aside our shadows
Trust You with our sorrows
You’re the song
You’re the song
Of our hearts”

Then later in the song it transitions to how the Lord is constant and the song of one’s heart. The song of the heart always bring joy and is the joy of the writer’s heart.

“In the shadows
In the sorrows
In the desert
When the pain hits
You are constant
Ever-present
You’re the song of my heart.”

Does not matter what we are at, but we are called to praise the Lord and find joy!
The Joy of our lives is the Lord and we are called to shout with joyful praise to the Lord!

Where are you finding Joy amid a world of chaos? Where do you need to go or who do you need to be with to find joy, hope, and peace?

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Living from the Inside Out

Living from the inside out is living out who we are and what we believe. How we live in ward is to find rest. Resting in the Lord means to be energized by Him and to be propelled forward into what He has for each of our lives. In Matthew 11:28-30, Jesus declares to come to Him with our burdens and we will find rest in Him.

“Come to me, all who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.”

What is rest? Rest is not lay around the house and binge watch our favorite show on Netflix nor is it to stay at home all day to read your Bible and cherish His rest alone. Yes, resting in God is taking time to spend with Him, but if all we do is spend time with God and not pursue others, we are not allowing His rest to propel us forward. Resting in Him allows us to have dreams bigger than we can imagine. Rest in God gives us the wisdom, strength, and actions to do His will.

If you had a whole day to take time for rest, what would it look like? Where would you go? What would you do?

My ideal day would include people and being in God’s creation. I would love to go on a hike with a friend and enjoy the conversation and time together. I love hiking, but more importantly I do my best reflecting and thinking while on the trail. This is where I feel God’s presence the most! Also, if it is nice out taking our hammocks and find a good place to rest for some time would make the day even better! Getting to lookout over God’s creation while reflecting, reading, and writing. This is where I find rest! The destination is on our hike is not the important piece, but it is to be present with one another and the Lord. This rest rejuvenates me to be with others, live for God, and love others well! This propels me forward into God’s calling over my life.

Living the Christian life has never been God’s dream for us. His hope for us is to rest in who He and what He has done for us. This rest should propel us forward! Stepping forward and trading our cause for His. There is work to be done in this life. Each of us has works and callings that God has ordained for us to do and be a part of. If we are not resting in Him, how can we have the energy, the wisdom, and the words to propel us forward. Living from a heart of rest is what can propel us into God’s works and calling for our lives.

Living in rest is trusting in God and His love and guidance for us. We are all called to find rest in Him, and that rest should propel each of us to move forward in being a disciple. We are not to live the Christian life alone, we are to rest in the Lord. This rest should transform us from the inside out. Living in this rest is living from the inside out. So my questions for you are where do you find rest? How does that rest propel you forward?

Lord. Help find rest! Teach our bodies to rest in Your presence. As we rest in You, we ask that you fill us with your joy, love, and peace in order to propel us forward in to action. We ask that your perfect wisdom would guide us to the right decisions and to where you want us to be for that moment. We ask that you would help us to have confidence to live in your rest to gain strength, wisdom, and love to share with those around us! AMEN

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