One of the rich blessings of being a grandparent over the past two years has been the excitement Rilyn displays when we come to visit with her. Upon arrival she opens the door and excitedly welcomes us in; repeatedly announcing “gwampa and gwamma are here!” Once we’re inside their home Rilyn begins to run and jump around with excitement and then finally she’ll run back towards me to give her a hug. When we’re finished hugging she will quickly begin telling me something new she’s been doing or she’ll invite me to begin playing with her. It’s so fun to experience her energy and love.

A few weeks ago, Vicki and I went to Mitchell and Traci to celebrate Traci’s birthday. Again, I was also excited to see Rilyn, only this time it was different. We knocked on the door and this time Mitchell invited us in. Out of the corner of my eye I saw Rilyn sitting by her little table watching the movie, Frozen, on her iPad. Her eyes and attention were deeply fixed on the movie. I took my coat off and walked over to her. I knelt down beside her to watch with her, she quickly glanced at me and then right back to the screen. I put my arm on her shoulder as my way of announcing “gwampa is here to see you,” but she kind of squirmed away as if to say, “don’t bother me, can’t you see I am busy”.

It felt strange. See in order to bless her, when the movie Frozen was released in November, Vicki and I took her to the theater to see it. She loved the movie. Many of her Christmas presents had to do with the characters in the movie. A few weeks later she had a birthday party and the theme was Frozen. And on that night a few weeks ago, it felt like she loved Frozen more than me. Anna and Elsa had stolen her heart from me.

As I reflected on my experience that night, I came under deep conviction realizing I often do the same thing with God. See, he also loves to visit with me and so he often stops by. And rather than welcoming him with great excitement, like Rilyn I’m often distracted by other things that seem more amusing and entertaining. Like Rilyn, I often take those experiences or things that God blesses me with and they end up becoming obstacles to my relationship with him.

I thank God for how he spoke to me through my experience with Rilyn. Shortly after, while enjoying my time with God, he reminded of these simple truths from Psalm 16, “I said to the Lord, You are my Lord; apart from you I have no good thing…. I will praise the Lord, who counsels me; even at night my heart instructs me. I have set the Lord always before me. Because he is at my right hand, I will not be moved…. You have made known to me the path of life; you fill me with joy in your presence, with eternal pleasures at your right hand.”

May you and I never forget that nothing will have the capacity to bring us joy like being attentive in the presence of God and that we may never love the gift more than the Giver.

As for Rilyn, like God, I will love her no matter how she responds to me.

Grace to you and peace,  Mike

ARC Family, I want to say thank you to all of you who participated with the recent Praise Sunday, especially those who “took worship outside the walls.” It was a fun morning, and I believe we saw God move that day in the hearts of everyone involved. This article is a brief follow-up to let you all know what happened at Southwestern Youth Services later that day. As I mentioned in the service that morning, I planned to take a small team over to Southwest to share a time of worship and devotions. The director, Randy Stoddard, was very gracious and kindly explained to me that the clients vary greatly in behavior and each week is so different that they couldn’t guarantee whether or not we could come until a couple of days before. Finally we got the word that a group could come at 1PM on Sunday. The members of the team included Joe Dorhout, Cheryl Thacker, Rick Dawson, and myself. We headed over, prayed together in the van, and then loaded in some music equipment. Pretty soon the boys filed into the room and we were thrilled to see around 20 or so young men wanting to participate in the event. We handed out song sheets, called up some volunteers to play various hand drums and other auxiliary percussion, and we had a great time of singing and jamming for the Lord! Here is how I saw God at work that afternoon: Through Joe… he got the boys involved, coached them on various drums, and got them laughing. Through Cheryl…she learned all the boys’ names, had good conversations with them, and led them in singing. Through Rick…after the praise time and devotions, we transitioned into a time of requests. The boys called out several classic rock songs like “Smoke on the Water” and “Hey Jude”, and of course Rick could play most of them on guitar! It was a hilarious time of jamming together and laughing. Rick yelled out, “How do you guys know all these old songs from when I was young?” They chorused together, “Guitar Hero!” Through the staff…what a great group of people serving on Sunday afternoon! God is at work there! Through the boys…they listened very carefully to the devotion time and many commented on how it touched them. We have no idea what they did, what was done to them, what struggles they are facing today, or what their future holds, but hopefully God touched their hearts that afternoon and planted a seed that will bear fruit in their precious lives. Thanks again and may we continue to take worship outside the walls every day! Cory

A man and his wife were having an argument about who should brew the coffee each morning.  The wife said, “You should do it, because you get up first, and then we don’t have to wait as long to get our coffee”.  The husband said, “You are in charge of the cooking around here and you should do it, because that is your job.”  Wife replies, “No you should do it, and besides it says in the Bible that the man should do the coffee.”  Husband replies, “I don’t believe that, show me.”  So she fetched the Bible, and opened the New Testament and shows him that it indeed says: “HEBREWS”.

Whether it’s your job to make the coffee at your house, I hope that brought a smile to your face.  We all have jobs to do.  Some are more enjoyable than others, but regardless there are things that have to be done.  My family used to enjoy watching a cable television show called “Dirty Jobs”.  The host of the show would be invited to a persons place of employment to participate in a ‘dirty job’.  Jobs like working in a sewer system, in a landfill, or a hog confinement.  Though the working conditions didn’t seem very pleasant to the average white-collared American, each person seemed to enjoy their job.

Several weeks ago at a staff meeting we were discussing our various jobs and schedules and Mike posed the question, “What brings you JOY in your area of ministry at ARC”.  Webster’s dictionary defines joy as a source of great happiness.  While there are many days of phone calls, visits, requests, and tasks that bring me great happiness and fulfillment, some days are not like that.  Some days begin with cranky voices and overflow with more grumbling than grace.  Some days abound with frustrations.  Some days are like those days your mother warned you about.  Now before the personnel committee starts panicking that I am writing my resignation letter, let me assure you that I love my job at ARC!  I thank God that he has led me to this position and I hope to be here for many years to come!  But quite honestly if my joy depended on being an employee at American Reformed Church, some days would not be very joyful!  The joy that I get from working in the church office doesn’t depend on my dealings with people, or the building in which I work, or the tasks that I perform, but purely from my relationship with God and service to Him.

So, what brings you joy?  Is your happiness anchored to a new boat, bundled up with a baby, deposited with a paycheck, or married to a perfect mate?  Do you live a joy-filled life even in the midst of dirty jobs and mundane tasks.  The writer of Hebrews tells us that for the JOY set before him, Jesus endured the cross (12:2).  Can you imagine a dirtier job than that?  The creator of the universe was now subject to his own creation.  Yet His connection to the Father was his source of joy.  In John 15:11 He says, “These things I have spoken to you, that My joy may remain in you, and that your joy may be full.”  The joy that we are to have as his disciples isn’t something that comes and goes, it is constant; it is meant to remain.  It isn’t dependent on circumstances or possessions, it is only because of Him.  So the next time you roll up your sleeves and are ready to dig in to whatever job is before you, don’t focus on the work that you are doing, but who you are working for.  Romans 15:13a  May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him.

The Joy of the Lord is my strength,  Erin

Have you heard the song “Keep Making Me” by Sidewalk Prophets? The words of the song caught my ear a while back.  “Make me broken, so I can be healed. Cause I’m so calloused and now I can’t feel. I want to run to You with heart wide open. Make me broken.”

When’s the last time you asked God to ‘break’ you so He could do His work through you? Not just ask Him to use you, but really interrupt your life so He can be glorified. Is your walk with Him so calloused that He is just part of your life instead of your whole life. Asking to be broken isn’t easy.

A few weeks ago during a staff meeting we were discussing how much we grow when we are experiencing a trial in our life. I recall commenting, “Why is it still so hard to pray for those valleys in our life?” We all chuckled a bit and agreed even though we grow in those times, it is difficult to ask God to send ‘hard times’ our way.

In the following days after our discussion, I did ask God to send me a trial. The next week, as the staff was gathering around the table for our meeting, I received a phone call from my mom. She informed me that our family had a large valley to cross. My sister-in-law, had just been diagnosed with cancer. Because of a knee injury, an MRI and the sharp eye of a newly trained doctor, they ordered a second MRI. This one would go just a bit higher in her leg. What they thought was a small cyst was actually a large tumor in her femur. The cancer is considered a pediatric cancer. Rare after puberty and unheard of after giving birth; yet at 25 years old and a mother of 2 small children, there it was. While the next year is going to be rough, the medical staff is confident it was caught early and she will make a full recovery.

This isn’t necessarily my valley, but it does affect my family, so I guess it is our valley. I see my little brother stumbling over his own two feet, not sure what needed to be done next. My sister-in-laws changing appearance will soon reflect she is ill. I’ve already witnessed my beautiful 4 year old niece asking when her Mommy is going to be home again. My parents have been reminded what a 3 a.m. feeding is, when my adorable 2 ½ month old nephew needs a bottle in the middle of the night.

While we are only a few weeks into this journey, I already see our family unit coming together to take care of one another. I see God working on our differences, mending our relationships, and healing past hurts and failures. I feel my Father in Heaven teaching me and leading me through this valley; a valley that I feared so much on the decent, which really felt more like an abrupt thud at the bottom.

Thank you for breaking me Father. Thank you for making me cling to your promises more, each and every day. Father I don’t know your plans, but I am so glad I know you will help us through this valley and make us know you more.

“Til You are my one desire. ‘Til You are my one true love. ‘Till You are my breath, my everything. Lord, please keep making me.”

“Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you 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.”  James 1:2-4

Father, Keep Making Me (Us)… Yours,  Becky

Farm Cat Finale: “Frozen.”

On November 3rd, March 3rd, and 10th, I wrote a series of articles illustrating how God desires to restore the First Commandment here on Earth.  I shared how He was using a group of farm cats to help me understand what this loving relationship looks like.  You can refer back to these articles to understand the fullness of this drama.

This will be the last article of the series as very sadly, the next generation all froze to death therefore the end of an age has come.

[Mat 24:12 NIV] 12 Because of the increase of wickedness, the love of most will grow cold…

Several weeks ago, it was a very sad day on the farm.  It started off with light rain then turned colder with snow.  I knew these conditions could harm the kittens so I took them and placed them in a nice warm barn where they were safe and dry.  I then grabbed their mother, “Angel,” and placed her there as well. All she had to do was stay with her kittens during the freezing rain and they would have all been fine.

A couple hours later I saw Angel out roaming with the other adult cats and shortly thereafter the kittens came out as well.  Sadly, Angel did nothing to protect her kittens from the harsh conditions.

I ask myself: Why didn’t she do anything?  Was she ignorant? Did she not think they would not be destroyed? Was she proud? Did she think to herself, “I survived winters of the past therefore they can too. It’s just life. They need to toughen up.” Did she not realize this day was not like past days?  The combination of freezing rain and cold was way more deadly than just snow. Was she selfish? Did she not care? She did spend a significant amount of time with the other adult cats instead of protecting her own kittens.

In my humble opinion, this is very similar to what is happening to today’s youth.  The spiritual conditions aren’t the same as years past. With the speed of technology, temptation and immorality is far greater than the United States has ever seen. You could say that today’s increase in immorality is like a freezing rain, in that it’s paralyzing and slowly destroying the Church…one small drop at a time.

Today’s kids are growing up in an ungodly and unspiritual culture. In 1950, 80% of Americans were involved with a church. In 1980, 33% of Americans were. In the next decade it is predicted that between 10-15% of Americans will even attend a church gathering. Christianity in America is on a vast decline.

[Rev 3:15 NIV] 15 I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot. I wish you were either one or the other!

Do you know what first aid tells you to do for someone who falls into a frozen body of water and is battling freezing to death? The fastest way to save this person is to take your clothes off and go skin to skin.  Your body heat will transfer into the frozen individual and restore their core temperature. The warmer the “savior”, is the faster the victim will be restored.

Our children are swimming every day in a spiritually frozen culture.  It’s gotten to the point that one or two people can’t help multiple victims. It would be like if three people fell into a frozen lake and there was only one person there to warm them up.  The Church needs more people—or “hot” bodies—to save the next generation.

Are you on fire for God? If not, what are you doing to light the fire? Our grand/kids look to us as role models. In today’s culture a lukewarm faith won’t be enough to protect the next generation from spiritually freezing to death. I hope we all can learn from Angel’s mistake.

Andy Anderson

With all the light snow and wind lately I’d have to admit my “wantoer” to keep the driveway clean has been broken. You ask, what is a “wantoer”?  Well according to my dictionary, in noun form, my want-to-er is synonymous with desire or impulse. In verb form, my wantoer is applied as a yearning, a need, or an aspiration.

For example, yes, I am grateful the snow amounts have been light, but I just don’t want to scoop any more. Yes, I’m grateful that I am healthy and strong enough to scoop around the edges of my driveway, but I just don’t want to anymore. Yes, I am grateful that I have a really nice snow blower, but I just don’t want to have to start it again. When it comes to scooping snow, my wantoer is busted!!!!!!!

Will you pray with me that God will mend my wantoer to scoop snow? See, because of the fact my wantoer is broken, Vicki went out to get the mail on Monday and she fell when she hit some snow-covered ice. Thankfully she wasn’t injured.

Speaking of a broken wantoer, I think of the Apostle Paul who also found his wantoer was damaged. He wanted to live according to God’s will, but he kept finding himself doing what he didn’t want to do. He explains it this way in Romans 7, “¹⁵ I do not understand what I do. For what I want to do I do not do, but what I hate I do. ¹⁶ And if I do what I do not want to do, I agree that the law is good. ¹⁷ As it is, it is no longer I myself who do it, but it is sin living in me. ¹⁸ For I know that good itself does not dwell in me, that is, in my sinful nature. For I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out. ¹⁹ For I do not do the good I want to do, but the evil I do not want to do—this I keep on doing. ²⁰ Now if I do what I do not want to do, it is no longer I who do it, but it is sin living in me that does it.”

After reading the passage, I would guess everyone can really relate to Paul. When it comes to doing good, our wantoers are broke.  We wish we would take better care of our bodies, but our wantoers are broke. We wish we would walk as Jesus walked more faithfully and boldly, but our wantoers are broke. We wish we would manage our God-given resources more wisely, but our wantoers are broke. Actually, we were born with broken wantoers.

Mike, do you have any good news for us in this article? Yep, Paul continues, ²⁵ Thanks be to God, who delivers me through Jesus Christ our Lord!  (8) Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, ² because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit who gives life has set you free from the law of sin and death (free from a broken wantoer).”

The good news is that our wantoers are restored when we admit we are powerless without Christ living in us. When I die to myself, surrender my will and allow the Holy Spirit to have his way in my life, my wantoer is renewed. As I learn to walk in the Spirit, I abandon my pursuit of gratifying my sinful nature, and I begin doing the good I want to do.

So, how about it, how is your wantoer when it comes to allowing Jesus to live his life through you? Father, our wantoers are broke—they’re dead!!!!!!!—and it’s hurting the people around us. Please send your Holy Spirit to breathe new life in us. May it be so.

Mike

On November 30^th, almost our entire family showed up in our driveway, their vehicles decked out with “Go Vikes!” signs.  Earlier I had commented that I had never been to a Vikings game, and they saw it as an opportunity to surprise us with an early Christmas gift.  (Sylvia had to keep this a secret and she did a great job.)  Our family was on the way to Minneapolis for a weekend of fellowship and worship!

Our Metrodome experience made me ponder our response to the church’s call to worship.  Are we fans watching from the sidelines?  Or followers who are ready to jump in?

We arrived in Minneapolis, checked in to our hotel early to get a good night’s rest so we would be ready for the exciting day.  We got up early Sunday morning to meet more family members at the Mall of America, and to ride the lite rail to the Metrodome.  On our way we stopped several times to pick up more fans and followers.  By the time we arrived, the train was packed with several fans standing.

What if Luverne had a True Light Rail that started picking up fans and followers at the Shopko parking lot and proceeded through the entire city, dropping off at the various worship centers because their parking lots were full?

While exiting the lite rail, I observed several hundred people already there at 10:45 AM, with the game time being at noon.  There were ticket scalpers selling to the fans who didn’t phone ahead and purchase their “cheap” tickets, tailgaters dressed in various uniforms and paints, several vendors selling souvenirs, shirts, hats, and extreme helmets with horns.  One vendor auctioned off tickets that allowed fans to be at a place down on the field where the Vikings entered the stadium.

What if the Sandbulte Brothers’ Valet Service would not only park your car, but would sell you a ticket to one of the few seats left?

What if, on a given Sunday, our Trunk or Treat participants sold “Jesus” shirts, hats, (maybe extreme “Crown of Thorns” hats), and souvenirs at Metrodome prices?  Or tickets to line the aisles in the worship center, to welcome the Praise Team, Prayer Team, Mike and Vicki, and other worship participants?

Now, we enter the Metrodome where we are greeted by several food vendors and, oh yes…  Don’t forget the beverages!  We head to our reserved seats.  The Vikings enter with a fireworks display, blowing of the Gjallar horn (LOUD), and “Ragnar” enters riding his Harley.  (Mike and Vicki?)

The game starts.  As the lead goes back and forth it gets more and more exciting.  Fans are coming and going, wearing their extreme uniforms, toting their refreshments and spilling them on fans as we all stand up, and sit down, to let them back to their seats.  The game goes into overtime!  The fans go crazy, jumping up, raising their arms, high fiving and toasting each other with their favorite beverages.  The game is over; Vikings win!!  The celebration continues.  No one wants to leave; they stay to savor the moment.  The celebration takes 5 ½ hours.

What if we as Christians worshiped our Lord and Savior with as much passion as we have at these events?  No one looked at their watch or left the stadium at the end of regulation.  No one got upset when the “radical” fans stood up, raised their arms, shouted, spilled their refreshments, toasted, or made some negative remarks about the Chicago Bears.  No one hesitated to pay the (reasonable) price of the tickets, souvenirs, clothing, food and beverages.  Everyone joined in the celebration.

Will Heaven be more like a Vikings game or our Sunday worship service?

Clap your hands, all you nations; Shout to God with cries of joy.  How awesome is the Lord Most High, the great King over all the earth!  God has ascended amid shouts of joy, the Lord amid the sounding of trumpets.  Psalm 47:1,2,5

Have a great Super Bowl, and God bless!

Roger Niessink

Greetings, neighbors!

Recently I mentioned in worship that my family and I are moving to Luverne, and by the time you all read this we should be here!  I also mentioned that we have seen God working in all the arrangements, and someone requested for that story to be written up and shared in the ARChive, so here you go!

As most of you know, after serving as part-time worship/music director for over a year, we began to discuss with the consistory the possibility of serving full-time and expanding to help out in the areas of outreach and missions as well.  This became a reality in December.  We hoped to move to Luverne as quickly as possible, but we were not sure if we should sell our house in Sioux Falls or try to move it.

The house is a manufactured home, which is essentially a double-wide trailer.  We bought it new for Lynn in 2008 after I finished seminary and began to work at a Reformed church in Sioux Falls.  We kept it through the years we served in Haiti, suspecting we might need it again one day.  We began to explore the option of moving the home to Luverne, or at least somewhere in Rock County, but so far that option has not materialized.

Finally we decided it was best to think about renting out our home in Sioux Falls and finding somewhere to rent in Luverne.  We began to pray in that direction, and within a day or two the Hup brothers contacted us and asked whether we would be interested in looking at John and Alvina’s home, as they had recently moved to Poplar Creek.  I went to take a look that day, and Lynn visited the following Sunday.  We decided that with a ramp on the front it would be a great fit for us!

The next step was to find a good renter for our home in Sioux Falls, which did not take long either!  To make a long story short, God sent us a family who really needed the home.  The father is a veteran of eight years of active duty with the marines, including two tours of duty in Iraq.  During his second deployment he was injured when a bomb blew up the vehicle in which he was being transported.  He received a head injury and severe injuries to the feet and ankles.  Now he walks with a cane, but he anticipates a series of surgeries in the coming months that will confine him to a wheelchair for a long period of time.  His wife is a neat lady as well, and they have four young children.  The house will be full and will continue to meet the needs of someone with limited mobility.  They said finding the home was an answer to their prayers.  Praise God!

We have thoroughly enjoyed the warm reception from ARC over the past year and a half, and we look forward to getting involved in the community in the coming years.  We hope to get to know all of you better, get to know unchurched people in the community, and seek Christ’s leading in each of our lives as we walk together day by day.

Blessings!

Cory Grimm & family

It all started with a tingle, or maybe it was more of an itch…  Regardless, what seemed to be a small inconvenience escalated into a full blown cold sore before the alarm rang the next morning.  My past experience with cold sores has been lengthy, and while some are more inconspicuous than others, this particular one decided to rear its ugly head right on the end of my nose.  My reflection in the mirror seemed a closer resemblance to Nanny McPhee or the Wicked Witch of the North and there was nothing I could do about it.

While I went about my daily activities, few people dared to comment on my new facial feature.  It wasn’t that they couldn’t see it or didn’t notice.  I observed many people making “contact” with my nose instead of my eyes.  And as uncomfortable as I was with my new look, it seemed to make the people I encountered even more uncomfortable.  Oh, there were a few people that voiced concern, some made jokes, while others gave a look of pity, but the vast majority chose to squirm and not say anything.  I began to wonder if it was any less awkward to remain silent or to say, “Hey, what’s up with your nose”.

Which leads me to consider other blemishes in our life…  Some imperfections are hidden quite well, but some are as plain as the nose on our face.  People are quick to share concern over normal afflictions like cancer or broken bones or surgeries.  But what about when someone loses a job because of their own misconduct, or a marriage is on the brink of divorce, or a cloud of depression hangs overhead, or someone’s name appears in the local newspaper, or a child chooses an unacceptable path.  Is it easier to be silent and look away, to make light of or speak condemnation, or to pick up the phone and say, “I heard of your struggles and I just want you to know that I am praying for you”?  As I update the Prayer Line each day with prayer requests for common hardships, I wonder how many people would covet the prayers of the people for their less accepted blights.

Colossians 3:12-14 commands us “As God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience… Bear with each other and forgive each other… and over all these virtues put on love…”  Isn’t that what we all want—just to be covered in a garment of love; to be valued and know that someone cares.  Not to be condemned or made fun of or avoided, but to be embraced with kindness and compassion.

Although it has meant extra work on my desk, I am excited about the new Care Shepherd Ministry.  I am excited for those couples or individuals that God has called to care and love.  I am excited to hear their testimonies of how God has used them.  But, just because God has called 24 people that we have given a title as Care Shepherd doesn’t mean that the rest of us are off the hook or have dodged a bullet in the election process.  We are ALL called to share one anothers burdens and to love one another as He has loved us.

So, the next time you find yourself in an uncomfortable encounter, remember that the other person is probably just as uncomfortable as you are.  Instead of avoiding the matter, or passing judgment, or criticizing, try offering a morsel of concern or a word of encouragement; it might be just what they needed to hear.  But no matter what you say, do so in love, lest you be the one trying to cover up a blemish next week.

Erin

It is Sunday, January 12, 2014. If you have not set your New Year’s Resolution, you better get going because we are well over a week into the New Year. I don’t know about you, but I am not all that big on resolutions or even goals, for that matter. I get a shiver down my back if someone even mentions the word goal. I am not sure if I just do not like the word, or if it is a fear of not meeting the goal I set. Perhaps most of all, I fear getting side tracked from staying on task for the goals I have. Sure, I have goals, I just prefer not to use the word “goal.” Once achieved, my goals always look just a little different than the way I imagined. Goals are supposed to be specific and precise, so if they look different and are interrupted by something else, did I really achieve what I set out to accomplish?

Everyone has some goals. God has a goal for your life. Even Jesus had a goal while here on Earth. His goal was to proclaim the good news of the kingdom of God. In Mark 1:35-39 it says this:

³⁵Very early in the morning, while it was still dark, Jesus got up, left the house and went off to a solitary place, where he prayed. ³⁶Simon and his companions went to look for him, ³⁷and when they found him, they exclaimed: “Everyone is looking for you!”

³⁸Jesus replied, “Let us go somewhere else- to the nearby villages – so I can preach there also. That is why I have come.” ³⁹So he traveled throughout Galilee, preaching in their synagogues and driving out demons.

Did you notice how even Jesus needed his Father? He went off for a while to spend time at the feet of his Father and re-energize so he could meet the goal of reaching people to preach to them. When Simon came and said “Everyone is looking for you!” Jesus did not get angry or annoyed at the interruption. He did not tell Simon that he “didn’t have time for that right now,” rather he took a deep breath, rolled up his sleeves and said, “Let’s do this!”

More often than I should, I find myself telling Josh or my children “I don’t have time for that right now!” “I’ll get to it later.” “Maybe another time.” Makes me wonder how often I say those things to God. Just the other day, I was trying to remember what I had read earlier that day during my Bible study. I read it, but I was definitely not in the right spirit, and must have had other things disrupting my focus. This bothered me all day, so I read it again, and it just so happened to be the scripture above. My goal that day was to learn something from my time with God. I fell short of that goal that morning, but perhaps it was God’s teaching plan all along. I do know my goal of learning was fulfilled, just later in the day.

Whatever your goals may or may not be for 2014, I do hope they include spending more time at the feet of your Heavenly Father each day. For some, this may be something new, for others maybe just an area to grow into a deeper love with our Lord and Savior. Either way I know you will not be disappointed with the result! Just remember you are never too young or old to start. Today is the day! Do not put it off any longer. I always thought it would be too hard to squeeze time in my day to spend time with him. I prayed a quick prayer and asked for his help throughout my day and I was off. I was missing out on finding peace in knowing God, having my soul re-energized and learning where he wanted me to go next. Guess what. There is always time. All those things I could do during that time, get done just like they would otherwise. Often times I end up with spare time in my day…time I find myself joyfully saying, “I have time to sit at his feet again today!”

Doing my best to achieve God’s goal for my life,

Becky