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Devotionals

9/21/2023 0 Comments

The Light of the Son

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Leaving a place you have known your entire life and moving to a new climate can bring its challenges. There are things that you do not know but that matter immensely.

Our family moved to Alaska from Alabama at the Lord’s prompting, and that brought changes. The snow is glorious. When you have longed for snow for so very long, every time it falls, there is a joy that settles in your heart. Yet, there was something I didn’t anticipate: the snow reflecting the sun. 


There is such a thing as snow blindness. Now that the days are becoming longer, but snow remains, you won’t find us without our sunglasses. The reflection of the full force of the sun’s rays is powerful. In His perfect timing, I also was teaching my boys why we do not look at the sun, which I didn’t fully understand as a child. Because we do not have pain receptors in our eyes and our lens can work much like a magnifying lens does when the sun hits it, we can damage our retina without even knowing it.
I think we often focus on the infant form or crucified forms of Jesus, and we do not always consider what He looks like now or how He will be when we meet face-to-face. John gives a vivid image of our resurrected Messiah, including that His face was shining like the sun at full strength (Rev. 1:16). Revelation 22:4-5 says that we will see His face and people will no longer need the light of a lamp or the light of the sun because the Lord God will give us light. This echoes Isaiah’s words that the Lord (YHWH) will be our everlasting light, and we will no longer need the sun by day or the moon by night (Isa. 60:19). The glory of God will give our new dwelling place its light, and the Lamb will be our lamp (Rev. 21:23). Our eternal dwelling place will need no other light than that of the Lord.

When I consider these simple truths, it almost takes my breath away. I cannot look at the sun (or even its reflection in the snow surrounding me now), but I will one day be able to look at the face of  the one whose face shines like the sun at full strength. I can hardly imagine. 

Sit with this for a moment. Listen for His voice and what He is calling to your heart. We will one day leave this land we know and head to a new place with Him in all His glory. 

Unlike the new things I had to learn to protect our family, our new home will be perfect…our new climate heavenly. We may not see Him in all His glory now, but He will reveal more and more as we seek Him for all He is. We find this promise in the psalms: “They will receive blessing from the LORD and vindication from God their Savior. Such is the generation of those who seek Him, who seek Your face, God of Jacob” (Ps. 24:5-6). So, while we await a time where we will literally see Him face-to-face, let us heed the instruction in Psalm 105 to give thanks, call upon Him, sing His praise, rejoice, tell of His wonders and deeds, and seek His face always (Ps. 105:1-4). May He shine His face upon us as we journey with Him in our today and long for the time to come where we will see His face fully, in all of its radiance.
“My heart says of You, ‘Seek His face.’ Your face, LORD, I will seek.” Psalm 27:8 (NIV)
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About the Author

My name is Saretta Wells, and I live in Alaska! I've been married to my husband Adam for 13 years, and we have three boys (Austin, Landon, and Hayden). I spend my days homeschooling/homemaking. I enjoy creating and spending time in the kitchen and garden.  I have a real heart for women getting in the whole word of God with confidence that the Holy Spirit will teach them, and I love spurring each other on to obedience. Connect with me at onepassionatemommi.wixsite.com/beloved-1/blog.
0 Comments

9/21/2023 0 Comments

Leaving Our Comfort Zones

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After many urban hikes, which could be labeled more as walks, I thought it would be fun to take a real hike, so we started a journey up our first small mountain. We started with about a 3 mile hike, which was fun until we crossed a road. The trail became more difficult to navigate, and the wind felt like it would blow us off the side. The other side of the mountain had been a simple path. We were just walking along enjoying family time. Crossing that road changed everything. I honestly don’t know why we didn’t just cross back over the road and head back the way we came, but if we had, we wouldn’t have our story of overcoming. I wouldn’t have learned that my oldest son was a really intuitive navigator. I wouldn’t have known that all my boys could handle such a challenging route without much complaint. I wouldn’t have known what we could handle as a family. I wouldn’t have known what I could handle in the face of fear. Only two years have passed, and now I can see that moments like the one I experienced with my family opened the doors for the moments I am living now, like hiking 6 miles up a mountain in the Alaskan wilderness, a far cry from the “hill-like” mountain we climbed together.
Our hike required a heightened awareness of my surroundings, including my children. The same is true when I think about the fact that Jesus is coming back. I cannot think of a phrase that more powerfully calls us to wake up than that. This phrase calls us to repentance, to growth, to commitment to see others come to know Him, and to a deep joy at what is to come. These four words draw us, comfort us, and challenge us. The call to wake up, though, indicates that, in some ways, we are asleep. How easy is it to steer clear of the very challenges that will draw us closer to Him and to our purpose?

Romans 13:11 says “And do this, understanding the present time. The hour has already come for you to wake up from your slumber, because our salvation is nearer now than when we first believed.” Looking into the surrounding verses, we see the actions Paul intended for us to take include “putting off the deeds of darkness (Rom 13:12)” and “clothing ourselves with the Lord Jesus Christ (Rom 13:14).” Likewise, the church in Sardis was warned to wake up and repent, and that if they did not, He would come like a thief (Rev 3:2-3). Revelation 16:15 mirrors these two sections of Scripture so well: “Look, I come like a thief. Blessed is the one who stays awake and remains clothed, so as not to go naked and be shamefully exposed.”

Scripture upon scripture prods us to stay awake while the world around us increasingly tries to lull us back to sleep. I’ve been connected to this idea of awakening since 2020, when I chose the word “awake” for my word of the year. That year’s experiences, like the hike above, woke me up to fears I was mingling with faith and to things I couldn’t have learned about my children or myself  without experiencing some turbulence. If we allow ourselves to be lulled to sleep, we won’t make it where He wants to take us. 

Being awake is life giving, but not without its fair share of challenges. I know well the desire to check out for a moment of “peace.” But what if we didn’t? What if we didn’t check out but rather stayed awake and kept moving forward? As we start this time of fasting and prayer, let’s seek Him and what He wants to awaken in our lives.
“Being confident of this, that He who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.” Philippians 1:6 (NIV)
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About the Author

My name is Saretta Wells, and I live in Alaska! I've been married to my husband Adam for 13 years, and we have three boys (Austin, Landon, and Hayden). I spend my days homeschooling/homemaking. I enjoy creating and spending time in the kitchen and garden.  I have a real heart for women getting in the whole word of God with confidence that the Holy Spirit will teach them, and I love spurring each other on to obedience. Connect with me at onepassionatemommi.wixsite.com/beloved-1/blog.
0 Comments

9/21/2023 0 Comments

Let the Little Children Come

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I have always viewed parenting as raising tiny disciples. I wanted my three boys to have authentic, personal relationships with Jesus. I would read the Scriptures to them even when they were babies, because I believed that His word would never return void (Is. 55:11). I tried to train and teach using the Scriptures while also growing myself in living out His truths. It took a lot of consistency, and I didn’t always feel like I knew what I was doing, but I trusted that He would move. 

What I couldn’t have imagined was three individual boys, each different in their own ways, all deciding they wanted to follow Jesus before age five. The questions would start. A certain Scripture story would suddenly be asked for on repeat. Something would shift, and I would think, “Oh, this is it. God is moving right now.” We would answer every question and make sure they understood the basics of their need for Jesus and what He did for them. After a couple weeks, I would be welcoming them into the kingdom with great joy and awe, the fruit of the Spirit becoming immediately noticeable as they said yes to a life with Him. 
Much of our culture seems to find children to be a distraction or an issue. I wonder if that’s what the disciples were thinking when they tried to prevent the children from being brought to Jesus after a time of answering questions to have Him pray and lay hands on them (Matt. 19:13). Jesus, however, had no issue taking time with these children, even using it as a time to teach the disciples that “the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these (Matt. 19:14).” While culture may see children through a different lens, God says they are a gift and reward from Him (Psalm 127:3) and that we must become like children to enter the kingdom of heaven (Matt 18:3). 

My children are my greatest ministry, and I’m blessed to learn from them as well. Their pure devotion and clear sense of right and wrong are so easy to see, but the most transformative thing to realize for us has been that He has a purpose and a plan for every believer, no matter how small they are. The Lord speaks to them in the same ways He speaks to us. He can bring a Scripture or encouragement to their mind to share. They are quick to pray and believe over any need that arises. Children have the same power within them, and God wants to use them; there is no pint-sized Holy Spirit. 

Sometimes,we may have to be a voice for our children just like Jesus was. I have had to advocate for my boys. I’ve felt the frustration of having to explain why we were going to keep our children with us in services. I’ve had a leader question my son’s salvation and refuse to baptize him, so we did it ourselves. Advocating for children can be exhausting, but I would repeat over and over that Jesus said “Let the little children come (Matt. 19:14).” Children who follow Jesus are a part of the body of Christ, and we function so much better together. Keep trusting Him as you raise your babies. Listen for Him moving, and believe God for His Spirit to work through their tiny frames. You’ll never regret it!
​“Jesus said, ‘Let  the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these.’” Matthew 19:14 (NIV)

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About the Author

My name is Saretta Wells, and I live in Alaska! I've been married to my husband Adam for 13 years, and we have three boys (Austin, Landon, and Hayden). I spend my days homeschooling/homemaking. I enjoy creating and spending time in the kitchen and garden.  I have a real heart for women getting in the whole word of God with confidence that the Holy Spirit will teach them, and I love spurring each other on to obedience. Connect with me at onepassionatemommi.wixsite.com/beloved-1/blog.
0 Comments

9/20/2023 0 Comments

Recognize the Counterfeit

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“Mom, if you do ‘this,’ I’ll do ‘this.’” I burst out laughing when I realized my son was trying to use my parenting strategy against me. “If you eat your dinner, then you can have fruit,” I had told him many times. “If you finish picking up your toys, then we can go outside.”

​While if-then statements have had a huge impact on the workings of our family, I had to explain gently that they don’t work the way he was wanting them to work in that moment. Thankfully, he is a smart boy and already seemed to know that but was testing it out anyway. I cannot fault him for trying!


Scripture is filled with these if-then statements. We see them in 1 Kings in the stories of Solomon and Jeroboam. In 1 Kings 8-9, Solomon prays, asking the Lord that if any disaster befalls the Israelites and they turn back to Him and toward His temple, that He would hear them and help them. The Lord replies, promising blessing if Solomon walks faithfully and destruction if he or his descendants turn from Him.
Jeroboam was offered the same sort of blessing and provision if He followed the Lord through the prophet Ahijah in 1 Kings 11:38-39. Unfortunately, both Solomon and Jeroboam made poor choices. Solomon turned away from the Lord and toward the gods of his wives, so the Lord tore the kingdom away (1 Kings 11:11). Jeroboam feared man over God and created counterfeit feasts, gods, and priests, so the Lord cut off the house of Jeroboam (1 Kings 13:34).

What the Lord wanted from each leader is the same thing He wants from us: to love Him with all our heart, soul, and strength and to keep His commands (Deut 6:5, 17). This is why it is so important to know the word of the Lord that He has given to us in the Bible. If we know the Scriptures, then we will recognize the counterfeit “truths.”  

Jeroboam was the clearest example of this. He said it was too hard for the people to obey so he set up idols, a counterfeit feast of the Lord  (his own date for the Feast of Tabernacles), and priests who weren’t Levites. I have to wonder why the people followed all this. Did they not know the command of the Lord? Had they not learned from the history of the Israelites that you cannot just stamp His name on something He hasn’t designed and call it okay (Exodus 32:4-10)? Yet for many more leaders of Israel, it is consistently said that they followed in the sins of Jeroboam. 

We are given the same sort of choice: if we follow Jesus, then we have eternal life. If we follow His commands, then He walks with us. We aren’t bound by decisions of the past or our ancestor’s sins. God gives each of us a choice, and as we grow in our knowledge of the Word, we may find ourselves in error. For example, we may realize that culture’s call to follow our hearts is a counterfeit to knowing our heart is deceitful (Jer 17:9), and we must follow Him and His commands. We will learn to filter what we have heard through the Word and must be willing to repent and follow Him, no matter the cost. 

As we look forward to our Messiah’s return, may we take heed to His warning that false messiahs and prophets will arise with great signs and wonders to deceive us (Matt 24:24) and let that spur us deeper into His truths. If we commit ourselves to truly knowing Him and His ways, then we will have a much better chance of recognizing the counterfeit and enduring until the end.
“In fact, this is love for God: to keep His commands. And His commands are not burdensome.” 1 John 5:3 (NIV)
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About the Author

My name is Saretta Wells, and I live in Alaska! I've been married to my husband Adam for 13 years, and we have three boys (Austin, Landon, and Hayden). I spend my days homeschooling/homemaking. I enjoy creating and spending time in the kitchen and garden.  I have a real heart for women getting in the whole word of God with confidence that the Holy Spirit will teach them, and I love spurring each other on to obedience. Connect with me at onepassionatemommi.wixsite.com/beloved-1/blog.
0 Comments

12/9/2022 2 Comments

Leaving Our Comfort Zones

Picture
After many urban hikes, which could be labeled more as walks, I thought it would be fun to take a real hike, so we started a journey up our first small mountain.

We started with about a 3 mile hike, which was fun until we crossed a road. The trail became more difficult to navigate, and the wind felt like it would blow us off the side. The other side of the mountain had been a simple path. We were just walking along enjoying family time. Crossing that road changed everything.

​I honestly don’t know why we didn’t just cross back over the road and head back the way we came, but if we had, we wouldn’t have our story of overcoming. I wouldn’t have learned that my oldest son was a really intuitive navigator. I wouldn’t have known that all my boys could handle such a challenging route without much complaint. I wouldn’t have known what we could handle as a family. I wouldn’t have known what I could handle in the face of fear.
​
Only two years have passed, and now I can see that moments like the one I experienced with my family opened the doors for the moments I am living now, like hiking 6 miles up a mountain in the Alaskan wilderness, a far cry from the “hill-like” mountain we climbed together.
​

Our hike required a heightened awareness of my surroundings, including my children. The same is true when I think about the fact that Jesus is coming back. I cannot think of a phrase that more powerfully calls us to wake up than that. This phrase calls us to repentance, to growth, to commitment to see others come to know Him, and to a deep joy at what is to come. These four words draw us, comfort us, and challenge us. The call to wake up, though, indicates that, in some ways, we are asleep. How easy is it to steer clear of the very challenges that will draw us closer to Him and to our purpose?

Romans 13:11 says “And do this, understanding the present time. The hour has already come for you to wake up from your slumber, because our salvation is nearer now than when we first believed.” Looking into the surrounding verses, we see the actions Paul intended for us to take include “putting off the deeds of darkness (Rom 13:12)” and “clothing ourselves with the Lord Jesus Christ (Rom. 13:14).” Likewise, the church in Sardis was warned to wake up and repent, and that if they did not, He would come like a thief (Rev. 3:2-3). Revelation 16:15 mirrors these two sections of Scripture so well: “Look, I come like a thief. Blessed is the one who stays awake and remains clothed, so as not to go naked and be shamefully exposed.”

Scripture upon scripture prods us to stay awake while the world around us increasingly tries to lull us back to sleep. I’ve been connected to this idea of awakening since 2020, when I chose the word “awake” for my word of the year. That year’s experiences, like the hike above, woke me up to fears I was mingling with faith and to things I couldn’t have learned about my children or myself  without experiencing some turbulence. If we allow ourselves to be lulled to sleep, we won’t make it where He wants to take us. 

Being awake is life giving, but not without its fair share of challenges. I know well the desire to check out for a moment of “peace.” But what if we didn’t? What if we didn’t check out but rather stayed awake and kept moving forward? As we start this time of fasting and prayer, let’s seek Him and what He wants to awaken in our lives.
Memory Verse: “Being confident of this, that He who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.” Philippians 1:6 (NIV)
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About the Author

My name is Saretta Wells, and I live in Phenix City, AL. I've been married to my husband Adam for 13 years, and we have three boys (Austin, Landon, and Hayden). I spend my days homeschooling/homemaking. I enjoy creating and spending time in the kitchen and garden.  I have a real heart for women getting in the whole word of God with confidence that the Holy Spirit will teach them, and I love spurring each other on to obedience. Connect with me at onepassionatemommi.wixsite.com/beloved-1/blog.
2 Comments

8/31/2022 0 Comments

An Uncommon Love

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I am blessed to have a husband that loves me well, but recently he did something that made me feel forgotten. In the past, I would have not said anything until later, when I would blow up over something small.

This cycle brought guilt, and I knew He had to have a better way, so I began working on expressing my feelings with my husband as much as I do with my friends. This vulnerability has led to intimacy and growth, so I was quick to pull him aside while our boys were playing. I wanted to share my feelings on how I perceived things even though I knew that he never intended to hurt me.

​I could see the recognition flow through his brain as he considered my words. He apologized, and we moved on with our day. What could have built into a major issue for me resolved in two minutes flat.
​We see this mix of both truth and love in Paul’s letter to the Colossians. He extended words of deep and meaningful praise and encouragement, but Paul also exhorted the Colossians toward truth, with the expressed goal that “they might be encouraged in heart and united in love” (Col. 2:2a). When Paul loved, he fought for people to have all the richness offered by a life with the Lord. He reminded them of the truth, warned against things that would draw them away, and pointed them toward Christ and unity. Paul’s love wasn’t fluff, and ours shouldn’t be either.
 
The Colossians were a group of faithful believers that still had some kinks to work out, just like us. As part of the body of Christ, we have the same ability as Paul to strengthen one another and our relationships. If the truth will set us free, then we must be willing to share it with one another. Love does not exist without truth. While this “truth in love” style of living isn’t common in our culture, the Father has given us the truest definition of love through His Son, Jesus, and it is by this uncommon love that we will be recognized as His. 
 
When we love others, sometimes we have to tell people hard things so that we can grow together. I have wasted a lot of time storing up hurts that were never intended. Maybe you can relate. I can know intent but still hold onto the hurt I felt over some issue like little bricks to make a wall between us. As I’ve sought the Lord in how to handle my relationships, He challenged me to get honest with the people around me and stop trying to cover over things out of love and let love truly cover over all. The world tells us that we should forgive and move on, but that can lead us down a path of further struggle and pain if we never actually address our hurts. The Father, however, shows us a better way, combining grace and truth. 
 
So next time you face a sticky situation with a friend or loved one, seek to handle it immediately so anger doesn’t build and the relationship doesn’t break, because one of the greatest acts of love is telling the truth.
Memory Verse: “By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.” John 13:35
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About the Author

My name is Saretta Wells, and I live in Phenix City, AL. I've been married to my husband Adam for 13 years, and we have three boys (Austin, Landon, and Hayden). I spend my days homeschooling/homemaking. I enjoy creating and spending time in the kitchen and garden.  I have a real heart for women getting in the whole word of God with confidence that the Holy Spirit will teach them, and I love spurring each other on to obedience. Connect with me at onepassionatemommi.wixsite.com/beloved-1/blog.
0 Comments

8/30/2022 0 Comments

A Fully Surrendered Life

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​I am prone to want to control situations and to try to figure things out on my own. From an early age, I was able to discern things well, and I would seek to prevent problems or get my way. I thought I was managing my life pretty well, but I was anxious. My brain wouldn’t stop. I worried about what people thought of things I did.

​There were problems (real or imaginary) at every turn. I’d have entire conversations in my head, pretending I knew what others were thinking or what might come. It was exhausting, but on the outside I looked like I had it all together and lived what others would view as a successful life. I was deceived.
​After seventeen years of trying my absolute best to follow Jesus, I met the Holy Spirit in a life-altering way, and my entire world changed. I quickly learned that He had work for me every single day, moment by moment. Simple obedience became my entire life. I realized that I had been stifling His voice for years. As Covid 19 hit, I would wait on His command to do even simple things such as make online grocery orders, and while many weren’t getting large portions of their orders, mine was always full. I was both shocked and hooked…my anxiety completely gone because of full faith in His ways. While, in the past, I thought I could plan certain things easily, I now realized the value and subsequent fruit brought about from seeking His input.
 
When I read that Israel sampled Gibeon’s provisions and didn’t inquire of the Lord (Jos. 9:14), my heart broke because I know that is how I lived for so long. They leaned on their understanding of what they were hearing and seeing instead on the complete knowledge of the Father. They saw worn clothing and moldy bread and made the decision themselves that these people were truly from far away (Jos 9:12-13). The Lord could have revealed who the Gibeonites were if He had been consulted, and this story would have ended quite differently. The Gibeonites would have been destroyed completely. Instead, the Israelites were deceived and bound to them (Jos 9:15). This treaty with a people that would’ve been destroyed ultimately led to a famine in the time of David due to Saul’s later destruction of the Gibeonites (2 Sam 21:1).
 
I wonder if they ever wondered what might have been if they had sought the Lord instead of trusting in man. Did they wish they could have gone back and done it differently? In our lives, our confidence comes when we seek Him in all things and move according to His will. There is no greater life than living fully surrendered to Jesus.
 
Does the idea that He wants access to everything (our finances, our parenting, our marriage, and even how we spend our time) sound scary? I would have said ‘yes’ to that question for years, but let me encourage you: He is a good Father. He is not bound by time or space, and his knowledge is not limited. He is trustworthy, and He is truly found by those who seek Him with all their hearts.
 
As we continue to read His great book, we will come to know His heart for us more and more, and our faith and trust will grow. While that journey will likely last a lifetime, let’s start living in that trust now. If we think we know how to handle a situation, let’s check with Him anyway. When what we see leads us to only one conclusion, let’s ask Him for His input anyway. He is the only one that truly sees all aspects. Trust Him with me, and let’s live the full life that Jesus says He came to give! 
Memory Verse: “Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight.” Proverbs 3:5-6
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About the Author

My name is Saretta Wells, and I live in Phenix City, AL. I've been married to my husband Adam for 13 years, and we have three boys (Austin, Landon, and Hayden). I spend my days homeschooling/homemaking. I enjoy creating and spending time in the kitchen and garden.  I have a real heart for women getting in the whole word of God with confidence that the Holy Spirit will teach them, and I love spurring each other on to obedience. Connect with me at onepassionatemommi.wixsite.com/beloved-1/blog.
0 Comments

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