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7/3/2022 0 Comments

Visits with a Purpose (Week 43)

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“I’m putting the kettle on...” my friend Mary said to me as I ended the call on my cell phone. Pointing my car toward her house, I knew that I was going to receive more than a cup of tea when I got there. 

I knew we would share some laughs; I would help her with some household task and then we would sit down at the kitchen table and get down to the business of encouraging one another.

​When I say encouraging, I don’t mean a flippant, “You’re doing great!” or a quick pat on the back.  That’s not how Mary operated.  She would not mince words when she delivered truth meted out with an abundance of love. And nothing was off limits to her.  Family, faith, work, relationships, love—it was all fair game!  
Another friend, Martha, set two mugs of coffee on the kitchen table when I stopped by her house for a visit. It was raining pretty hard and the warm welcome was just what I needed.  She gently inquired about the family, made small talk about the weather but quickly turned the conversation to me.  She wanted to know how I handled a recent disagreement with a friend at church.  She wanted to make sure I had acted with integrity during the conversation.  She cared deeply about the person I was becoming and how I was growing as a Christian woman.

Mary and Martha (the irony is not lost on me) were two older, wiser friends God gave me as I was learning to be a wife, mother, and disciple.  Similar, yet different, each one shared wisdom with me in a way I could receive it—often with a mug of something warm and comforting in my hands at the kitchen table.

Maybe you have an older, wiser friend who pulls up a chair at the table with you, too.     

In Romans 1:10-12, Paul tells the Romans that he prays for the opportunity to go see them.  He has a specific purpose in mind for his visit. Verse 11 says, "I long to see you so that I may impart to you some spiritual gift to make you strong."

Paul isn’t just talking about a gab session or a social call.  He knows his time with the Gentiles in Rome needs to have some substance—too much is at stake.  The faith of the Roman church was being talked about all over the world!  Paul needed a personal visit with his friends to teach them and invest in their spiritual growth.  Being the wise apostle that he was, Paul also knew the relationship had to be a two-way street.  In verse 12 he continued, “When we get together, I want to encourage you in your faith, but I also want to be encouraged by yours.”

If you have had the input of a Mary, a Martha, or a Paul in your life, count yourself blessed.  A seasoned saint who shares truth and seeks to sharpen your faith is a gift not to be taken for granted!  If you have not had this privilege in your life, no matter your age, seek out someone who can be that person in your life.  It can be as simple as asking someone whom you admire to meet for coffee.  Tell them you value their wisdom and want to grow in your own faith.  

Or perhaps you are a woman of faith who can share wisdom, time and cups of coffee with a younger woman.  Ask God if it is time to seek out one who can be taken under your wing.  Then pay attention when He starts showing you women who need the valuable input of a Mary or Martha.  Mentorship does not have to be a formal discipleship program put together by your church.  It can look a whole lot like two women sharing life at the kitchen table. 
Memory verse:  “As iron sharpens iron, so one person sharpens another.” Proverbs 27:17 NIV
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About the Author

It’s so nice to meet you! I’m Dana Schaefer.  My husband Chris and I make our home in northwest Georgia along with our two children ages 14 and 10.  Professionally I serve as Academic Dean at Heritage Bible College.  I love digging deeper into Biblical contexts to see how the ancient words and practices impact our modern lives.  A perfect afternoon would include a good book, a porch swing and a glass of peach tea!

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6/26/2022 0 Comments

Conduits of Comfort (Week 42)

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A few years ago, my husband and I were traveling to visit my sister. While waiting for our flight I heard a baby and toddler fussing. I overheard an older couple talking about how they hoped those kids were not on their flight and my heart broke. Not for that couple but for the mom; she was traveling alone with two small kids.
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I was not a mom at the time but being an aunt, I knew how hard it was to fly with children.  As I watched this mom struggle to get everything packed up, I debated on what to do. Do I go over and help her and risk her being offended, or do I just sit and watch her struggle?

Finally, I went over and asked what I could do to help. Instead of anger, I was met with extreme gratitude. 
I held her baby for her so she could finish packing up. I carried her baby all the way to their seats and we ended up sitting behind her. Throughout the whole flight, myself and another passenger helped keep her toddler distracted and happy.

If I would have waited any longer, I would have missed my opportunity to help. Instead, I trusted God and gathered up the courage to step in and extend God’s comfort.

In 2 Corinthians 1:3-4, Paul describes God as the God of all comfort. Paul is not describing comfort as a warm cup of coffee, but he describes it as being called to one’s side to help. No matter what we face, His Holy Spirit is with us in every situation. While God is our ultimate source of comfort and strength, often He uses others— like you and me— to extend them.

We were made to be conduits of God’s comfort. With God as our comfort, we can also provide comfort to others.

Look around your community and ask the Lord to show you where you can extend help...
  • Pay for someone’s coffee or dinner.
  • Babysit for a single mom.
  • Share sunscreen or snacks with another family at the pool.
  • Deliver a meal to someone in need.

Remember a time when God provided comfort and strength in your time of need. Next time you think about being that comfort for someone do not let fear get in the way; let God lead you to their side.
Memory Verse: “Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves receive from God.” 2 Corinthians 1:3-4 NIV
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About the Author

Hi! I'm Courtney Filippin, I have been married for two years to my husband, Brian and we are first time parents to a sweet baby, Oliver. We currently live in Illinois but are hoping of moving down south in the near future. As a first time mom, I love helping, encouraging and supporting other moms no matter where they are in their journey with Christ. I loved reading a good book with a nice hot cup of coffee in the morning, but my mornings are now filled with baby snuggles and giggles and I would not trade that for anything in the world!

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6/19/2022 0 Comments

Head, Shoulders, Knees and Toes (Week 41)

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​My husband and I locked eyes, as our children’s arguing escalated in the backseat. They were at it again... Comparing. Contrasting. Complaining.
 
I’m not sure if your kids have reached this particular stage of childhood, where everything becomes a contest. There are a lot of delightful things about watching your babies become more self-aware and independent— but the perpetual rat race isn’t one of them. 
 
My children look at each others’ different personalities, gifts, and passions and see them as a threat. I look at my three children’s different personalities, strengths and passions and see them as an advantage. Oh, how I wish they could see themselves the way that I see them. Oh, how I wish they could yet grasp that they were each handcrafted by God (Ps. 139:14) to fulfill a specific purpose.
I imagine the Apostle Paul shared the same sentiment, as he wrote to the Corinthian church. Still (spiritually) young and immature, the believers struggled with comparison. To paint a mental picture for them, Paul likens the church to a body where Christ is the head and each believer a part: head, shoulders, knees, and toes. Eyes, ears, mouth, and nose. Kidney, heart, gallbladder... you get the point. All different. All significant.
 
Truth be told, I’m not all that different from my kids at times. Some days one scroll through Instagram can send me spiraling down the rabbit hole of comparison. The problem with comparing personalities, gifts, and passions to someone else’s is that it can only end one of two ways— leaving us feeling prideful, or filling us with shame. Neither are God’s best.
 
The marker of a mature believer is seeing diversity as an advantage, not a threat. Can you celebrate someone else’s gifts and strengths, while also standing on the truth that yours are also equally valuable?
 
If you struggle with this, you’re not alone. Chapter 12 provides some insight on how we can embrace this all-in mindset:
 
●      The body needs you. (1 Cor. 12:15) Your gift matters. None is more important than another. 1 Peter 4:10 says, “Each of you should use whatever gift you have received to serve others...” (emphasis added). My grandmother is 83, and always says she doesn’t feel like she has much to offer. But that grandmother raised four adults, who raised nine grandchildren, several of whom started businesses and/or went into ministry. She also prayed me through one of the hardest seasons of my life. Whatever your role is, the body needs you to play it. Don’t fall for the lie that your bread-baking, word-typing, or on-your-knees-praying isn’t needed.
 
●      You need the body. (1 Cor. 12:21) I hear you, friend: relationships are tough. Trying to do life together in unity with a bunch of other broken people can result in a lot of hurt and frustration. But we weren’t made to do life amputated and alone— we must be plugged into the body. If community is what hurt you, community is where you will find your healing.
 
●      The goal is unity, not uniformity, for God’s glory and the common good. (1 Cor. 12:7) Think, for a minute, about how countercultural this is— embracing our uniqueness, instead of trying to be like everyone else or make everyone else like us. Using our strengths to serve others, not ourselves. Setting aside personal differences to come together for the advancement of the Gospel. That is good and God-glorifying. And that’s exactly the point.
 
In Psalm 133:1, King David wrote, “How good and pleasant it is when God’s people live together in unity!” The opposite of this is also true— “How evil and unpalatable it is when God’s people divide in disunity.”
 
And all the parents said, “Amen.”
 
When we each embrace our God-given roles and submit ourselves under the lead of the Holy Spirit, the body becomes a living, breathing, helping, glorifying picture of Jesus.
Memory Verse: “How good and pleasant it is when God’s people live together in unity.” Psalm 133:1 NIV
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About the Author

Hi, I’m Katie Gibson! My incredible husband Craig and I have been married for 13 years and live in North Atlanta with our three children, ages 12, 11, and 7. I'm a writer, author, and speaker. My favorite things include black coffee, small group, date nights, and the Atlanta Braves. I love using the power of story and the unchanging truth of the Word of God to encourage women to grow in their faith. Connect with Katie at www.katiegibsonwrites.com

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6/12/2022 0 Comments

Keep On Keeping On (Week 40)

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Do you have an encourager? You know, that one person who always knows just what to say to keep you going, even when the going gets tough. That person who comes alongside you in good and bad times to cheer you on.
 
My husband’s aunt is this person for me. I would not be here writing this devotional if it wasn’t for her. I’ve always felt insecure about my writing, and especially sharing it with others. Who am I to share what the Lord is saying?!? I’m a sinner just like everyone else; I definitely do not have my life all together as all those other devotional writers seem to! But, she has encouraged me every step of the way to press on in my writing, to listen to what the Lord is saying to me and through me.
The past few months living through COVID-19 and all the restrictions that it brings has really solidified to me the importance of being an encouragement to one another. But, what does that look like? My youngest daughter’s obsession with horses illustrates how we can encourage one another. Horse riders use spurs to direct a horse to move forward or laterally while riding. It is usually used to refine verbal and physical commands.

​We have the Bible to guide us and show us the way, but we need that person who is willing to be the spur in our side to keep us moving forward. The Bible puts it this way, “consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds… encouraging one another - and all the more as you see the Day approaching.” (Hebrews 10:24-25)
 
No one knows when Christ is going to return. This just reinforces why it is so important to encourage one another! We need to be prepared and it’s hard to do that on our own. When we encourage one another in love, we have the strength to persevere. We can do life together and live in unity and community. Not only is this a testament to Christ’s love to those around us, but it also holds us accountable in our actions so we can all be ready for when Christ returns!
 
The apostles renamed one of Christ’s followers from Joseph to Barnabas. Barnabas literally means “son of encouragement” (Acts 4:36). Barnabas traveled with Paul on many occasions. Even the great apostle Paul needed an encourager. I can only imagine why Paul needed his personal cheerleader with him.
 
As I continue to press on in what God has called me to, I encourage you to do the same. If you don’t currently have a Barnabas, or an amazing Aunt, in your life, go out and find one! Or, even better, be a Barnabas encourager to those around you! We all need someone to remind us to keep on keeping on and spur us in the right direction.
Memory Verse: “And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds, not giving up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching.” Hebrews 10:24-25 NIV
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About the Author

Hi! I’m Caroline... spelled CaroLINE, pronounced CaroLYN. I know, confusing, right? I currently live on the West Coast of Canada, in Chilliwack, B.C. I’m wife to an amazing, supportive husband, Pete; and momma to two preemie girls, Lily, and Maggie (29 weeks and 36 weeks respectively). As my day job, I am Department Head of a Pharmacy Technician program at a local college. I enjoy writing as a way to share what God has taught me, especially about His grace, through all the ups and downs that motherhood and life may bring.
​Connect with Caroline at 
whengracebecomesgratitude.wordpress.com

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6/5/2022 0 Comments

Releasing Our Need for Approval (Week 39)

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​When I first became a new mom, I felt like I had no compass. After spending years in an office where my work received constant feedback, I craved approval and validation of how I was doing. But the cries of a newborn in the middle of the night provided little indication of anything other than an empty stomach. I longed for some sort of grading scale or gold star.
 
Eventually, I connected with other moms through a local moms group and I realized I wasn’t alone in my craving for affirmation. But I also realized I was looking for it in the wrong place. Praise from others provided me with a temporary boost that was needed on some days, but it wouldn’t provide me with the type of fulfillment I was looking for.
If we look in at the early church, we see believers looking for affirmation too. The Gentiles were new to the faith, and they needed others to point them in the right direction. This was a natural part of being a new believer, but over time these Gentiles began listening to the voice of man over the voice of God. Paul, directed by God, told them they didn’t have to convert to the practices of Judaism, but eventually they were misguided by other religious leaders into thinking they needed to follow Jewish rules such as abstaining from certain foods, circumcision, and the list went on.
 
When Paul received word of this misdirection, he was disheartened. These Gentiles had abandoned the freedom of the gospel message he preached and became enslaved to a long list of dos and don’ts. They were not living according to the Spirit who gives life, but according to the rules of man.
 
Paul sums up his heart when he says:
 
“Am I now trying to win the approval of human beings, or of God? Or am I trying to please people? If I were still trying to please people, I would not be a servant of Christ” (Galatians 1:10 NIV).
 
When we accept the approval only God can provide, we can live in freedom because we realize that we don’t need others to validate us.
 
The affirmation we receive from others is temporary, but the security we receive from God is ours to keep. It does not change when we mess up. His grace is not based on anything we do, but on his unchanging love for us.
 
In my journey as a new mom, God showed me that he chose me as my son’s parent. The reassurance I craved was found in the quiet moments I sought God in the middle of the night. He saw each and every step I took in love, and each time I questioned myself.
 
If you’re struggling in your journey as a mom or a follower of Jesus today and need affirmation that you’re headed in the right direction, ask yourself these questions:
 
  1. Am I led by my love for God today, or by my need for approval from others?
  2. Do I seek God’s guidance in my decisions or do I leave him out of my decision making process?
 
Friends, invite God into the everyday hard work of mothering today. Allow him to affirm you as his child. He is right there, waiting for us to seek him. Let’s accept the free gift of his wisdom and walk in the freedom he gives us.
Memory Verse: “Am I now trying to win the approval of human beings, or of God? Or am I trying to please people? If I were still trying to please people, I would not be a servant of Christ.” Galatians 1:10 NIV
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About the Author

Hi! My name is Abby McDonald. I've been married for fourteen years, and am the mom of two boys, ages twelve and nine, and a four-year-old girl. When I'm not wrangling the kids or our black lab pup, I love having coffee with friends, writing, and speaking to women who are thirsty for the gospel. I am passionate about equipping women to find the hope of Christ in the midst of life's messes. My book, Shift: Changing Our Focus to See the Presence of God, is devoted to this purpose and ministry. Connect with Abby at: www.abbymcdonald.org

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