Thouroughly Prepared

Just wanted to share some thoughts as En Gedi gets back on our feet... Hope to have some music for you soon. “So I went to the governors of Trans-Euphrates and gave them the king’s letters. The king had also sent army officers and cavalry with me. Nehemiah 2:9 "It is very hard to over-prepare. Indeed, most people do not struggle with over-preparation. One’s temptation is to neglect the real need of being thoroughly prepared. When you rush ahead of God, you expose yourself to the nagging details you could have intentionally prayed about and thought through. Pride tends to shun preparation, as it assumes too much and prays too little. When you take the time to prod those areas you are unsure of, you discover insights that are invaluable to success. If, on the other hand, you go off half-cocked with a Pollyannaish naïveté, you are an excellent candidate for disappointment, or even worse, failure. Irresponsible assumptions are foreign to faith because faith thoroughly prepares on one hand and humbly prays on the other. Preparation also includes the involvement of others because you will not accomplish big things for God by yourself. Jesus didn’t. He called the Twelve to join Him. He has also placed people in your life whose hearts have been inexplicable moved to join you in this God-created opportunity. Let them in and do not be intimidated because they possess skills and experiences you don’t. Instead of lamenting the different backgrounds, personalities, and skills that surround you, celebrate them. A well-rounded variety of relationships and resources bring strength to the whole. A true team is diverse, and a secure leader accepts diversity as a key ingredient in the recipe of success. So unfetter your team from the fear of failure by giving them the freedom to try new things and to test long-held assumptions and methods. Help others prepare by removing obstacles. ‘Build up, build up, prepare the road! Remove the obstacles out of the way of my people’ (Isaiah 57:14). A team—thoroughly prepared—produces. Prayer is the most potent part of your preparation. You cannot pray too much about your methods and motives. Pray for God to be glorified and for His will to be done. Pray for His provision and resources. Pray for relationships you have yet to enter into that will become critical alliances in your God-sized project. It is through prayer that you persevere in preparation. Change occurs primarily in the person praying. Their faith expands and so does their patience. Their love elevates, while their vision grows. In a phrase, their character receives an extreme makeover. Prayer is the crowning jewel of thorough preparation. Prayer gives you courage to speak boldly and the wisdom to know what to say and how to say it. Prayer holds you back when you need to wait in silence. Prayer is preparation, as it aligns you with the Almighty’s agenda. Thorough preparation is your friend. God does not waste preparation; He blesses it. Therefore, be thoroughly prepared following through with the plan with abandonment and gusto. Weave prayer throughout your preparation as if it were an intricately woven quilt, and then watch God work. Thorough preparation positions you to be used by God.' -Boyd Bailey, Wisdom Hunters Devotional

When Life Breaks You

This seems to be a reflection of all of our hearts lately.. just wanted to share "The fundamental fact of existence is that this trust in God, this faith, is the firm foundation under everything that makes life worth living. It's our handle on what we can't see." Hebrews 11:1 (MSG) "It was a hard year. Heart-breakin' hard. A dream I nurtured for ten years went up in flames. This hope wasn't a passing flight-of-fancy. It was a promise I fully believed was from the Lord. Staying the course and believing for so long was exhausting. And thrilling. Yet in a flash my dream died. My heart was burned and the ashes seemed a proper place to fall. Sad and unresponsive to encouragement, I stayed there a long, long time. My hands {emptied of hope} filled with fists of ashes. I knew I needed to get up; I just couldn't muster the elusive 'oomph' to do it. Grief was the only emotion that felt natural; sorrow was comfortable. Yet I knew, wallowing in the embers would be the death of me as well. And here's the sweet thing: God knew this too. He unwaveringly kneeled next to me, extending a helping-hand up. He promised: This isn't the end. Give Me the ashes; I'll do something with them. Something beautiful. He spoke this message in hundreds of ways. But it wasn't until He was silent that I heard Him at a concert. It was barely noticeable. Permanently engraved on the girl's foot in front of me, the swirly feminine font contrasted with dark masculine ink: Beauty for ashes. And there He was. Our God of redemption and resurrection, speaking His timeless message once again. For me. For you. Give Me the ashes; I'll do something with them.Something beautiful. That was several years ago. And I wish I could tie up my story with a pretty bow. Say that I unclenched my fists; gave God the soot. Have been happy-go-lucky since then. But I won't. Cause I can't. I want to be real. And real is the fact that it's taken every day between then and now to see redeeming qualities from the heartbreak. To be honest, I still don't see much beauty from such devastation. But like I said, I want to be real. And real is also my trust ... my faith ... in a God who makes life worth living. When I can't get a handle on my emotions or wrap my mind around the questions, I'll stay committed to... Take Him at His Word, despite circumstances. Believe He a creative Creator. Hope for what is unseen. I'll continue to look for His goodness, our firm foundation, even if it's from a pile of ashes. Because truly, the most beautiful thing I see from these years and this pain is a faithful God. One who stands by. One who redeems – all things. One who creates masterpieces out of muck. A God who took the most hopeless situation and the ultimate death ... and resurrected hope. Resurrected our Hope: Jesus. And there is the spark we need to light a new fire in us to Give Me the ashes; I'll do something with them. Something beautiful. Dear Lord, I can't see how good will come from my pain. But You are my creative Creator and I know You can work masterpieces out of muck. Today, I recommit my hope and faith in You, and I'm looking up to You. Thanks for kneeling beside me so faithfully. In Jesus' Name, Amen." -Samantha Reed, Proverbs 31 Ministries

Unfolding

May the favor of the Lord our God rest on us; establish the work of our hands for us—yes, establish the work of our hands." Psalm 90:17 (NIV) "I stared into the frustrated eyes of my friend last week as we talked about her calling to write. She has big, big dreams, and her dreams seem to be coming true far too slowly. I told her how much I understood. Stepping into my calling was a long time coming, too. My specific calling is to teach, speak and write. Your calling may fall into a myriad of other categories, but every calling is equally high when it's in obedience to the Most High. We're ALL called to ministry of some sort. My calling didn't materialize in a year. It has unfolded during the last 35 years, and each phase of that unfolding has shaped and re-determined the final product (which I know won't be final until my last breath!). The unfolding looked kind of like this: Becoming a passionate teacher of young children. Marrying my best friend. Investing years in my little boys' lives. Teaching adults as they chased dreams that passed them by in their teens. Volunteering in women's ministry. Visiting home after home as the "Welcome Wagon Lady" in my new town. Accepting invitations to speak at my church and others close by. Joining the Proverbs 31 Ministries' speaker team. Returning to a frustrating year of elementary school teaching. Stepping in to my calling of equipping others in their calling. I've look at my list many times and thought, "Wow. I wasted a lot of years." But I've come to realize it's just not true. Every relationship, every job, every opportunity has prepared me. Psalm 90:17 reminds me that God establishes the work of my hands. With each change, I've had an opportunity to view that next place as stepping into a calling. Sometimes I did. Sometimes I didn't. Often I was irritated at the seeming meaninglessness of what I was doing, but now I see. Every diaper changed, every knee kissed, every book read, every late night listening, every dying to self, every lesson plan made, every story crafted, every presentation made, every meeting attended, every spreadsheet created, EVERY THING... It all counted. Every moment was an unfolding of my eventual calling. God used each stepping stone to establish the work I'm doing now. Don't despair today when you can't see it. Obey God and trust that He is working. His timing is so rarely ours, but it is always perfect. Instead of chaffing under the seemingly mundane, embrace each task as a building block for the dreams in your heart. Don't give up hope. I promise ... it's coming. Dear Lord, it's been difficult waiting as the years have come and gone without stepping into my calling. Please help me appreciate each seemingly mundane task and day as a means to you establishing the work of my hands. In Jesus' Name, Amen." -Amy Carroll, Proverbs 31 Ministries

Verse for Today

Clinging to This Today! Let us hold tightly without wavering to the hope we affirm, for God can be trusted to keep his promise. ~ Hebrews 10:23, NLT

When Waiting is Hard

Wait for the LORD; be strong and take heart and wait for the LORD.” Psalm 27:14 (NIV) "Our hurry up, need it, gotta-have-it-now culture often makes us feel there’s something wrong with waiting and that we shouldn’t have to. Within seconds we can order a cute blouse from a trendy store, Skype with a friend across the country and text our husband a list of groceries to pick up on the way home. No wonder waiting can be hard to do. David, the author of today’s key verse, was no stranger to waiting and knew its difficulties full well. Out of nowhere, Samuel showed up at his home to anoint the next king of Israel, who was to be chosen from David’s family. Only one of Jesse’s sons would be anointed as God’s chosen king for His beloved Israel. The son elected was David. Scripture tells us the Spirit of God rushed over David and was with him the remainder of his days (1 Samuel 16:13 ESV). With such an anointing, we might expect David to run to the throne. But the only running David did was back to the pasture and his job as shepherd. Thus his wait began. In the wait, God prepared David to be king. The only vocation David knew was shepherding. He did not know the ins and outs of kingly protocol or have the support of the people or armies. Instead of taking the position he was promised, David waited for God to move him from the pasture to the palace. Waiting in the present is beneficial to our future. This is something David learned, along with many other lessons that we can find hope in during the difficulty of waiting. 1. Even though we are anointed and appointed we may still have to wait. David waited fifteen years to be king of Judah and even longer to be king of all Israel. 2. God’s ways are not our ways; His thoughts are not our thoughts. After being anointed and appointed David was called to serve Saul, the king who was sitting on 'his' throne. 3. God doesn’t waste time … He redeems it. The time of waiting will be used to prosper us in each season of life. 4. If we allow it, our waiting will bring us an intimate knowledge of the Savior that we would not otherwise have. Most of David’s beautiful and poetic psalms were written while in caves, caverns and the wilderness, waiting on God. 5. God doesn’t ignore the cries of His children. David cried, and at times begged God for help, invention and defense. God never let David down. He did eventually take the throne, didn’t he? 6. Our waiting has a purpose for someone other than ourselves. Just think of how rich our lives are today because of the wait David endured. We have the comfort, compassion, hope and healing of his amazing poetry. What awesome instructions David’s life gives for waiting! Waiting is less difficult and the future is brighter when we let God do His work in our waiting season. When we let our guard and defenses down He proves Himself faithful to bring His plans for our lives to fullness. Dear Lord, help me wait. Help me wait well. I want to be still and allow You to bring Your plan in my life to its fullness. I can’t do this without You. In Jesus’ Name, Amen." - Wendy Pope, Proverbs 31 Ministries

Blessed

Blessed are all who fear the LORD, who walk in obedience to him.” Psalm 128:1 (NIV) "What kind of foolish do you want to be? It’s a question I’ve started asking myself. When I hear the word “foolish,” I’m drawn to the story of Noah, a man passionate about the pursuit of obedience, despite looking like a fool. In Genesis 6, God speaks to Noah about the greatest flood that would ever occur (6:17). He instructed Noah to build a massive ark (6:14-16) and to bring his family (6:18) and two of every creature (6:19-20) on board. People thought Noah had lost his mind. What kind of a fool would build a giant boat and load it with smelly animals? All while there was not a raindrop in sight. I imagine the mockery he endured from those in his community was painful for Noah. Yes, Noah appeared awfully foolish. Until… those dark clouds rolled in. Until… it rained and rained and rained. Until… water covered the entire earth. Noah as a person inspires me, but his obedience challenges me. A few years ago I listened to an author share a story about a book she had written. Sales took off quickly. A few weeks after the release of the book, another author wrote her an honest email. This woman said she knew she was supposed to write a book with the same message as the best-selling one. God had given her identical verses and points to make. Yet she’d disobeyed Him and put off writing that book; she felt the Lord had given the other author the message instead. The regret from disobedience of not writing that book made her feel foolish. Hearing this story, I thought of all the opportunities of God’s plans I had missed because of disobedience. In my own regrets, I too felt foolish. Truthfully, God does not need us to accomplish anything. He’s God—sovereign, powerful and mighty—with or without us. But, He wants to use us. He’s given gifts, talents and great purpose in Him to each person. The painful reality is, if we don’t obey God, we will miss out. The pursuit of obedience can be hard. Along the way we may lose friends, be mocked or called crazy. But ultimately, we have a choice: obedience that may look foolish to others or regrets that will make us feel foolish later on. What kind of foolish do you want to be? Dear Lord, thank You so much for always giving us another chance to pursue the purpose You have for our lives. May today be a day we begin living out the promises and plans You have for us more than ever. In Jesus’ Name, Amen." -Nicki Koziarz, Proverbs31 Ministries This is such a poignant message to me. With everything that God has shown me.. a lot of times I really do feel like Noah... that everyone (the few people) that I share things with, feels like I'm just a nutcase.., But no matter how much I seek God's face in prayer about these things, I keep getting the same answer... that these things will come to pass, that I just have to believe, and so here I am resting and believing that God will accomplish the work that He started. There are many lyrics that I have written in my journal that some months later I hear on the radio--- a new song--- just coming out from some Christian artist.... I don't want to be the person that misses out on what God desires to do through me. I don't want the songs and words that He desires to be spoken to be spoken through someone else ... I want to speak them... I want to be a voice for this generation!!

Patient Endurance

“This calls for patient endurance and faithfulness on the part of the saints.” Revelation 13:10b "Patient endurance is not easy, but many times it is necessary. If you change jobs every two years, ten times in a row, you do not have twenty years of work experience. You have two years of work experience in ten different places. So, make sure that you learn what God intends for you to learn where you are, before you move on. This is one of Satan’s ploys. His desire is to keep you reactive to life, accompanied by a shallow faith. Your faith has the opportunity to go deep when you stay somewhere for a while, but your faith remains shallow when you run from resistance. Resistance is a faith builder. When you are pressed against by life (what sometimes seems from all sides), you have the opportunity for growth. This is where patient endurance can serve you well. Patient endurance says that I will stay in this marriage, because it is for better or for worse. I will allow God to change me for the better, and I will trust Him to do the same for my spouse over time. Indeed, patient endurance is able to outwait and sometimes outlive its accusers. Accusers come and go. If they do not get the reaction or desired response from you, they will move on to some other unprotected prey. So, by faith, “out-endure” your enemies. There will always be someone who does not like you. Don’t think you can appease everyone; this is not possible or healthy. Appeasement may grant concessions that come back to haunt you. It is one thing to negotiate with those who represent a spirit of good will but it is a whole other deal to compromise with someone who is totally at odds with your values and principles. Be willing to walk away. It is not worth it to do business with an enraged enemy. Patient endurance is illustrated throughout the Bible. Jesus patiently endured the cross. He patiently endured His critics and, ultimately, He more than restored His reputation when He proved His claims by His resurrected life. David patiently endured the fallout from his adultery and murder. He had pushed himself to the point of totally turning his back on God, but, instead, he turned back to God and became a broken and humbled leader. Joseph, also, patiently endured the ridicule and jealousy of his family members. Their injustice drove his faith in God deeper and broader. His patient endurance during the horrific injustice of his imprisonment led to his godly influence over a kingdom. Hannah patiently endured her inability to bear children. Her faithfulness to God during barrenness was a testimony of encouragement to friends, family and a nation. Her womb was empty, but her faith was pregnant with God possibilities. Therefore, do not be tempted to take the easy way out. The easy way, many times, is not the best way. Yes, there is a time to cut your losses, but only after you have patiently endured and exhausted your options. People are watching how you 'do life.' So, use your influence to help others patiently endure their situations. Faithfulness, when you don’t feel like it, is evidence of a maturing faith. You may be on the verge of experiencing God’s very best. However, do not confuse procrastination with patient endurance. Patient endurance is active and productive. It is not misguided, apathetic or irresponsible waiting. It is daily depending on and seeking God for His best. Therefore, patiently endure for God’s sake and for the sake of others. Heavenly rewards await those who patiently endure. Moreover, your faith will never be the same!" -Boyd Bailey

Caring for the Overlooked

“Carry each other’s burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ.” Galatians 6:2 (NIV) "I can count on my fingers the number of times I showered during the last couple of months of Ron’s life. My husband was confined to a hospital bed in our living room, and hooked up to a morphine drip that he’d try to pull out of his arm when he’d wake disoriented. And we had a three-year-old little boy who liked to toss things into the toilet bowl and stir them around. I couldn’t take my eyes off of either one of them. But I needed to bathe and brush my teeth. I had groceries to purchase, mouths to feed, bills to pay and trash to take to the curb. Several times throughout the day, I needed to go to the bathroom. I depended on others to help me “carry” all these things. Once a week, a Hospice volunteer sat with Ron so I could take a shower and a nap. My mother and sister-in-law picked Nick up a couple of times a week so he didn’t witness things with his dad that a toddler shouldn’t see. There were occasional visits from friends and other family members, but most kept away because it was too difficult for them to see their beloved Ron deteriorate so quickly. I understood. Really, I did. But it was hard. I felt alone and helpless. Hungry and tired and dirty. And I was watching the love of my life die a little more each day. I wouldn’t trade those final days with Ron for anything in the world. I would not have wanted (or allowed) anyone else to care for him. Love gave me strength and God carried me when I had no energy left. Yet, while the role of caregiver is one I cherished, it was filled with so many challenges and hardships. Do you know someone who is caring for a chronically or terminally-ill loved one, an elderly parent or a young child? As today’s verse in Galatians tells us, we are called to be compassionate, to love, and to carry each other’s burdens. When we do these things in His Name, we demonstrate His love to others. It is our responsibility as Christians. And it’s our privilege. From a heart that has been there, may I encourage you? Don’t overlook the caregiver. Love on them. Encourage them. And be the hands of Christ, helping carry their burdens, in the midst of their weariness. Dear Lord, please give me Your eyes to see the struggling caregivers around me. Strengthen and equip me to help carry their burdens. Help me to see when help is needed and when I would be more of a burden than a help. Show me tangible ways that I can make a difference, bring encouragement, and share Your love. In Jesus’ Name. Amen." -LeAnn Rice, Proverbs 31 Ministries

God Could You Please Hurry??

Thoughts after a 3-day long breakdown “He has made everything beautiful in its time. He has also set eternity in the hearts of men; yet they cannot fathom what God has done from beginning to end.” Ecclesiastes 3:11 (NIV 1984) "I completely lost my patience and started yelling, “Hurry! Hurry! Hurry!” Those of us who have lived in rural areas know that tractors on the road are a fact of life. However, just because they’re the norm doesn’t make them any less irritating if you’re in a rush! I followed a tractor down one of our narrow two-lane roads recently. I could only take the snail’s pace for so long before blowing up. But all that yelling, 'Hurry! Hurry! Hurry!' didn’t speed up the tractor. How often have I approached God’s timing the same way? And it never hurries Him up either. When God doesn’t operate at a pace that pleases me, and I want Him to hurry, I’m reminded of Sarah, Abraham’s wife. I have feeling she felt the same way. After waiting ten years for a baby that God had promised (read Genesis 12-21 for the complete story), Sarah decided to 'help' God. Surely ten years was too long for anybody to wait. So Sarah gave her maidservant Hagar to her husband, and the two of them had a child. Soon the two women were at odds. Talk about a soap opera! Finally, fifteen years later, the child promised by God to Abraham and Sarah was born. God was not late. His timing was perfect. It was Sarah who was in a hurry and rushing things, but she found out there was a price to pay for manipulating her circumstances. I know Sarah and I are not alone in our desire for God to hurry up. I once heard it said that we are people with gods on our wrists. In Isaiah 55:9 God says, “As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts” (NIV). God’s timing is part of His ways. I may be tapping my watch, but He is never late. He may seem slow, but He is always right on time. Has God made a promise to you that seems sluggish in coming? Has He planted a dream in your heart that has yet to come to fruition? Don’t give up hope! God is faithful, and you can rely on His perfect timing. Fix your eyes on Him and enjoy the journey to your destination. There are things to be learned along the way that will enhance the joy of a promise fulfilled. Dear Lord, sometimes I don’t understand Your timing. It’s often very hard to wait, but I trust You. I want to rely on Your ways and Your timing. Help me to learn what I need to learn as I wait. In Jesus’ name, Amen." -Amy Carroll

God Backfills

“I will repay you for the years the locusts have eaten—the great locust and the young locust, the other locusts and the locust swarm—my great army that I sent among you.” Joel 2:25 "God can make up for wasted time. He specializes in redeeming rough seasons in our lives. What has become a torturous transition, He can use to love you into a closer relationship with Him. Where else can you go for eternal life than to the one who is eternal (John 6:68)? Allow God to backfill this blot on your past. He can rebuild what has been broken, and even destroyed. You may have been embarrassed and humiliated, but nothing is beyond God’s long arm of restoration. Injustice may have invaded your unsuspecting life. Unaware and unexpecting, you lost everything you had spent a lifetime building. Poof, in a twinkle of an eye, it was gone. Your career was gone. Your family teetered on division. Your reputation was tattered and all but obliterated. Your joy was gone, your finances depleted, your energy sapped. And your faith was shot full of holes. Your desire to move forward in life was severely stalled. Worst of all, you wondered where the Lord was in all this reversal of fortune. You were on the fast track to bitterness because of your feelings of betrayal. You may have hit rock bottom, and now there is nowhere to look but up. Look up to Jesus. He is your hope, your rock, and your refuge. Look up to the Lord, even though He may seem a million miles away. Now is the time to practice what you told others all those years. Trust God during this time of turmoil. God wants to backfill your loss. He can fill your pit of pity with hope (Psalm 40:2). Your broken relationships that are buried in a cistern of hurt, He can retrieve with forgiveness. Into your financial black hole, He can shine the light of His provision and opportunity. In Christ, your best days lie ahead. Submit to His healing. Let go of your hurt and pride, and hang on to Him. He is the best thing you have going for you. Let these failures forge a stronger faith in you and in your family. Face the fact that you are forgiven, and move forward in the power of the Holy Spirit. Lean on the Lord. He can handle it. He is your stability in this storm of insanity. God is there for you to rebuild your reputation, and to give you daily doses of hope and encouragement. Your eruption of raw emotion will cultivate you into a more sensitive and compassionate follower of Christ. He has brought you through this crisis of faith to allow you to coach others through the same. You are a living and breathing testimony of the grace and love of God. Project His faithfulness onto other fledgling followers of Jesus. Let the Lord backfill the hole in your heart and life with His love and faithfulness. His filling of right attitudes and actions will bar the door of your mind from bitterness and backstabbing. Invite the Holy Spirit to backfill your soul with His fruit of love, joy, peace, self-control, purity, forgiveness, and humility. What God fills proves faithful. What God fills, He controls and comforts. Use the lessons of the past as a reminder for the Holy Spirit’s filling in the present. His backfilling results in faithfulness going forward." -Boyd Bailey

Encouragement

The Lord will work out his plans for my life - for your faithful love, O Lord endures forever. Don't abandon me, for you made me. ~ Psalm 138:8, NLT