The same can be seen in God’s Word. The Old and New are so beautifully intertwined…Jesus knew it; Jesus lived it and we are blessed to hear and embrace it. The Old and the New married into One Word. So captivating and relevant.

It reminds us that just as a family passes down a beautiful tradition from generation to generation because the family understands the value of such a tradition, God too passes down His beautiful Word from the Old to the New weaving together a beautiful, priceless masterpiece.

Reading the Word in the Old and seeing it again in the New reminds us just how valuable this Word is.
******

{Welcome to WFW!}

There are very few rules, in fact the beauty of this ministry is the creative expression that God reveals Himself through. We marvel at the creativity that participants post! It’s a blessing! We encourage the ” post behind the picture,” or the reflections that many of the participants share. We ask that for WFW that participants refrain from using non-biblical. If you’ve got the time we also encourage you to visit a few of the WFW contributors! It’s always a blessing to see the Scripture and story that creatively appear across the screen.

WFW is not about books, authors, artists… it’s about God and HIS WORD ONLY. WFW is about celebrating the gift of creativity through God’s Word and sharing the creative Word!

Please join us as we share the creative gifts God has blessed us with by signing into to the Link below to participate in WFW.

Have you thought about the fact that you were created with the power to be creative? God pours into each and every one of us the ability to create. Music, art, dance, literature, business or whatever that ache inside you is that wakes you in the middle of the night. You were created to create works that will resonate in the hearts and souls of those born generations from now. These dreams change us, shape us and compel us to live fuller, deeper lives.

We thrive when we allow ourselves to unleash the creative power that God put in us and participate in the unfolding of beauty in this world by sharing our gifts and talents.

Galatians 6:4-5
Make a careful exploration of who you are and the work you have been given, and then sink yourself into that. Don’t be impressed with yourself. Don’t compare yourself with others. Each of you must take responsibility for doing the creative best you can with your own life.       

The Message Bible

In reading this I see two things that stunt our creativity:

1. Don’t be impressed with yourself.
2. Don’t compare yourself with others.

We lose the beauty of our works when our pride gets in the way. Either we think too much of ourselves or too little. Both are rooted in pride. When what others think of us is greater than the burden to do what God has called us to do, pride is driving us. The voices in our own head can be our undoing. That self-destructive chatter can chip away at the passion that moves us to create, and we are the only ones who can fight this battle.

Have you ever gotten sick from reading while riding in the car? It’s because your brain is focused on the book and sitting still but your body feels the movement of the car. The confused signals between your body and brain cause you to have that sick feeling.

That same thing happens to our hearts when we have a passion on the inside of us that is under constant attack from our thought life. When we worry excessively about the how, when, where and ‘what for’ of what God has called us to do, we paralyze our dreams and the creative power that God placed in us. Our heart and our thoughts oppose each other. It leaves us feeling sick and often we abandon the work instead of sinking into it as the verse encourages us to do.

Woman, you were created by the Creator to create. Are you letting that creativity dance?  No one can bring the beauty to this world that you were meant to bring. Whether it’s a mosaic of stained glass or words of encouragement to a dry and thirsty soul, bring it. Bring it girlfriend. It could change the course of a million lives…or just as powerful, one life. Don’t be afraid to dance.

As we discussed in Part 1, when it comes to planning, we must consider our motives and the secret thoughts of our hearts. 

Are we seeking to live a life that glorifies God and honors His Word? 

If so, then our plans have a better chance of fitting within God’s will. 

And yet, at times, it feels quite challenging to discern between our will and God’s will. This is when we must take time to study the Word and get to know the character of God. We have to ask the questions, “Is this plan consistent with who God is?”  It is also wise to seek godly counsel before moving forward in making decisions that will not only affect us significantly but also impact those around us.

Making plans that impact others always needs accountability.  If we’re not willing to listen to the opinions of those we respect and love, it is quite likely that our plans are being driven by selfish, and possibly, impure motives.  We’ve got to be able to hear the body of Christ speak into our lives and, with a willingness, receive instruction, correction, and even sometimes rebuke.

Proverbs 15:22
Plans fail for lack of counsel, but with many advisers they succeed.

As a Christian, all of our plans need to be qualified with, “If this is the Lord’s will.”  Think of this in terms of a ten-year-old girl approaching her mother with the desire for a sleepover with her classmate.  Likely, she’s already planned what she’d like to happen, and maybe even has a few details of what would make the sleepover extra special.  She approaches her mom with all her ideas and then she has to wait for the response.  In some cases, mom might say yes immediately.  In other cases, the answer will be “No, not tonight.  Let’s schedule this for next Friday.”  In the worse case scenario, the daughter might hear, “Honey, the answer is no.  You know you’re not permitted to have a sleepovers until you’re 12.”  A no is a no.  Or sometimes, a no is really an opportunity to provide another yes.  While the daughter might be disappointed with her mom’s answer, she may not realize it’s because the family is taking a surprise trip to Disney on the first day of spring break, beginning on the night of her desired sleepover.  Is the “no” really that bad after all?

Life planning ought to be done in a posture similar to a daughter asking her mom for a sleepover.  We can go ahead and dream up our fantastic ideas, but only with the mindset of bringing it to God for His final say.  Life planning — goal planning — is an opportunity to have an open dialogue with the Lord.  It’s not something to fear or consider useless.  It’s a time to unwrap your heart and lay it in the Father’s hand.  But doing so requires a great measure of trust.  The question really is, “Do you trust that God wants His best for your life?”  Essentially, life planning, as a Christian, requires a Biblical mindset in which we echo the words of Christ, “Not my will be done but Yours, Oh Father.”

Matthew 26:39
Yet not as I will, but as you will.

As you step out in faith, taking your uncovered dreams into a hopeful reality, it’s wise to do so with some basic goal planning principles. Details really do matter in planning for your future, even if those details may be trumped by God’s other plans for your life.  So, take this next step forward by downloading the Planning Worksheet offered below, asking God to fulfill the desires of your heart, only if they are also the desires of His.

This time of planning will most certainly encourage living intentionally, inspiring you to move forward in becoming the woman God intended — a woman with God-given passions and purposes designed to be used for His glory and Kingdom work.

Reflection Response

1. Who can you turn to for Godly counsel when it comes to your plans?
2. What scares you about making plans?  Is it a fear of the “no”?  Is it a lack of trust?
3. What would it take for you to renew your thinking when it comes to life and goal planning, so that you can view it as a conversation with God instead of demand of God?
4. Download the Life Planning Worksheet at Passion and Purpose Life Coaching to glean practical steps and direction.

Make the most of a collection of free resources available at Passion and Purpose Life Coaching and learn more about our year long focus on Living Intentionally here.

Are you living intentionally?
Grab the button and post it at your blog!

“Cease striving and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth.” Psalm 46:10 NASB

I had over an hour alone with nothing to do, nowhere to go, and a beautiful setting to enjoy.

This NEVER happens for me, but my dear prayer sisters and I were purposeful in setting aside this prayer retreat at the Frederick Meijer Gardens and Sculpture Park in mid-April.

Beautiful, isn't it?

It was probably one of the most relaxing and renewing times I’d experienced in I don’t know how long. As I walked along the paths, looking, seeing, and listening to nature (and sculptures) around me, I found my pace slowing dramatically. (And those of you know me know I am generally a very fast walker)

At first, I thought my slow gait was due to the flora and fauna around me. The fresh air. Being in nature. The garden’s rhythms, I figured, were taming my own.

But to my surprise, I found this was not the case. For about halfway through my stroll, I noticed my feet begin to move faster.

Why? Because I saw something a few hundred feet ahead of me that I wanted to see more closely. So, despite the fact I was truly in no hurry, I sped up my pace.

It was then that I realized my pace had diminished before because I wasn’t doing anything. Because I didn’t have a goal or destination. Because I was simply BEING.

As a mother, wife, blogger, Christian, writer, editor, encourager, AWANA leader, etc., I always have something to do. My life is full of things that need to be started, continued, and finished. No wonder my natural pace is zoom.

But (as I’ve heard from SOMEWHERE – can’t remember where) I’m not meant to be a human doing. I am a human being. I need to take time to be still – to cease striving (love that translation of Psalm 46:10) – and be with the Father, with my thoughts, with His creation.

This doesn’t mean I can stop writing, driving my kids to and from school, cleaning the house (or maybe it does ), listening to verses or any of the other things that are part of being Joanne Sher. But it does mean I should make a point of stilling my heart (if not my legs and brain) and enjoying the presence of my Lord, and being with Him in the midst of my doing.

So, the next time I feel like a headless chicken, running everywhere and checking the dozens of things off my to-do list, I’m going to stop for a moment, cease striving, and be a human being again. And I hope you’ll do the same.

Heavenly Father, thank you for giving me those times when I can sit back and enjoy You, Your creation, and the intimacy of just the two of us. Help me, Lord, to treasure those times when I can just be. But also, Father, allow me to enjoy those same types of moments within the business of my life – to be a human being even while I am doing. Help me, Lord, to cease striving, and know You are God. In Jesus’ precious name. Amen.

How can we pour truth into our kid’s hearts in a gentle flow and not a fire hose? Life is so busy and time seems so short. We want to make the most of the precious moments we have, yet how do we not preach every time we open our mouth?

God’s Word gives the answer: weave His Word into everyday life. Sitting, walking, laying down and getting up. Any moment can become a teaching moment.

Here are some ideas that work for me:

Share what God’s doing in your own life
One of my favorite things to do is sit with my girls and listen about their day. Even better is when we catch up over a special treat like coffee. Last Friday we made it a milkshake from our favorite restaurant.

When I give them my undivided attention to hear about their day, it opens a door for me to talk about mine. I try to specifically tell them what God is doing in my life or teaching me. In this way, I’m not really teaching but sharing, which seems to go over well!

Read God’s Word together
Each morning as my girls eat breakfast, I read to them from a daily devotional book. This works great since I have a captive audience!

Lead a small group with their friends
Every other Monday, Madi and five of her freshman girlfriends come over for a Bible study together. This is a great way to teach my daughter and those in her life about Jesus’ crazy love for them, as well as being in touch with the ins and outs of teen life.

God’s wisdom is so perfect for us when it comes to investing His truth into their lives. “Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up.” (Deuteronomy 6:7) When sharing God’s Word with our family, any moment can become a teaching moment.

You don’t have to know everything in order to share one thing.

Dear Lord, Open my eyes to see opportunities that are right before me each day to share Your truth. I want this overflow to become a natural part of my life. … In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

What keeps you from sharing God’s truth with your family more often? Fear of rejection? Fear you won’t say the right thing?

Visit Lynn’s blog for free resources for sharing Jesus with your kids. Just click on “freebies”.  She’s giving away a signed copy of her book His Revolutionary Love as well as a gift card to take your special someone out for coffee!

Click here for your free leadership guide to His Revolutionary Love, Lynn’s book for young women empowering them with Jesus’ confidence and self-worth.

My friends, we the spiritually mismatched, certainly live in the “in-between.” And spiritual leadership/direction is of monumental importance to us as we wrestle with how to do this well.

I struggled for years in this area of my marriage. Thoughts crossed my mind such as:

• Do I wait for my husband to become a believer to set the tone in our home for prayer and Bible reading?
• If I take any initiative to teach my kids about faith, will my actions be perceived as disrespecting my husband?
• Can I be the Spiritual leader of our home and yet respect and follow my husband’s lead in all other areas?
• Will my kids listen to me because I’m not the head of the household?
• Does leading spiritually, make me the head of the household?
• Am I up to the task all on my own?

Sheesh!

Tell me I’m not alone in this. If you are in the midst of this confusing mess, today I want to set your feet on a path to freedom. I’ll share with you what I share on the radio.

First, hear this and let this truth resonate within you:

If your husband is unwilling or has abdicated his position as the spiritual leader of your home, then God expects you, the believing wife, to step into this role.

Repeat that sentence out loud.

I heard these words a long time ago. I’m not certain exactly where or when but what I recall precisely is this, that was the moment when the cloud of confusion lifted and freedom flooded my heart. I needed permission to take leadership and to teach my kids and it came in those words. So, if you need permission to step up and begin to model, teach, and love like Christ, my sisters, then you have it. Clearly God’s desire is for men to lead but when they won’t, God is delighted that His daughter’s will help the next generation.

How do you do it?

Motive, motive, motive. I think the success of our marriage greatly increases when we consistently check our motives. Does my desire for my husband to lead our home come from a place that is “me” centered or “Christ” centered. Let me be specific. Here are some of my own thoughts from years past.

• If only he would believe, he would help me get the kids ready for church.
• My life would be so much easier if only he would believe.
• I wouldn’t have to sit with each of the children tonight and pray with them. I wish he’d help.
• Going to church alone is so embarrassing.

Okay, these are tough but sometimes we need to move past our “self” and truly focus on what Jesus wants. When you have the right motivation, which is born out of love and humility, you’ll be motivated to get the kids up on your own and get them to church. Out of a loving heart you can say to your husband, “Sweetie, watch the television without me, I’m going to go tuck the kids into bed and say bedtime prayers.”

There are many ways to build respect for your man and still quietly lead your family closer to Christ. More than anything, I’ll always go back to the truth of 1 Peter 3, Win them over without words. Win your kids, your husband, your friends, the neighbor, a world that is lost and broken….

Win them over with your boundless, crazy, passionate, fervent, zealous and adoring love for Jesus. When you love Jesus with all of you, heart, mind, soul, strength, it’s irresistible over time. And that’s a promise.

Jesus modeled humble leadership. That is the key to spiritual leadership, even in the midst of a spiritually mismatched marriage.

A happy marriage (believing and unbelieving) begins with love and respect. With Jesus as our center, add to that large doses of laughter and a sense of humor, it’s a winning combination.

Be blessed, Lynn

In a perfect world Mother’s Day would look like a sentimental greeting card and life would be uninterrupted and simple. But life as we know it is not always that way.

There are mothers whose children are incarcerated…We pray for them.

There are mothers who are incarcerated…We pray for them.

There are mothers who patiently wait for the return of their children from foreign lands as they protect our freedoms…We pray for them.

There are mothers who see their children return from war very different people…
We pray for them.

There are mothers who watch their adult children make choices that break their hearts…
We pray for them.

There are mothers who are victims of abuse…We pray for them.

There are mothers who have sent their children home to heaven…
We pray for them.

There are children who have sent their mothers home to heaven…We pray for them.

There are mothers whose tragic choices have separated them from their children…
We pray for them.

There are mothers who step in to become something every child deserves;
foster mothers…We pray for them.

There are mothers who did not bear the child that has stolen their hearts, adoptive mothers,
We pray for them.

There are mothers who sadly live on the streets…We pray for them.

There are mothers who have given their children up in hopes of a better life, longing to know they are safe…
We pray for them.

For Mothers…in all circumstances.

In a perfect world, it would be just that…perfect.

But life as we know is not perfect, that is for the eternal.

So this Mother’s Day, amidst all of the “sentimental verses” the women at the Cafe pray for the real mothers.
Living very real circumstances.
Very real lives.

archived original 2011

© Svetlana Tikhonova Dreamstime RF-LL

Give your burdens to the LORD, and he will take care of you. He will not permit the godly to slip and fall. (Psalm 55:22 NLT)

Laying facedown on the driveway with pain shooting all over my body, I laid there in complete shock. What just happened?

The fog in my brain finally started to lift and brief snip-its of reality were coming at me quickly. Two steps ago I was about to get into the truck to head out to dinner with my extended family and now I am on the ground crying uncontrollably wondering what went wrong.

Two hours, a ride in a wheel chair (so embarrassing) and a few x-rays later I left the urgent care clinic with crutches, a severely sprained ankle and a bruised up ego.

I did not have time to be running around on crutches. With a to-do list that was growing by the minute and the over scheduled calendar glaring at me I sat on the couch and started to sob.

“Why now God? I have so much to do. I’ve got twenty-six teenagers coming over for a party, a ministry to run, a family to take care of and I just don’t have time for this right now.”

Shortly after my pity-party, Sunday came around. I hobbled around church with one crutch (no way was I using two) trying to do everything I normally do on a Sunday morning, but that day something was different—I was different. I had to rely on people to help me.

The normally “in control” and “get it done” girl needed help and in that moment I saw what God had been trying to tell me. I cannot do this all on my own. Yes, I have gifts, skills and talents (that He gave me), but on my own I am weak and broken.

It is only when we lean on and rely on Him first that we are actually stronger. Then when we allow the other people He has brought in our lives to help us, we remember that we do not have it as together as we thought.

Even though I was embarrassed from falling and walking around on crutches because I felt like I looked “needy”, it was in that moment of neediness that I was reminded that we are all “needy” at times, and that is not a bad place to be.

In fact, I think that is exactly where He wants us to be so that we can be stronger together.

Action Step: 

Today instead of trying to figure things out all on your own write a post it note to God with a bullet point list of prayer needs and thank Him for the words in Psalm 55:22.

The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. (Psalm 23:1 KJV)

 Can you imagine telling 2-year-olds that they “shall not want”?

They do want! They want candy bars at the store. They want their siblings’ toys. They want doughnuts for dinner. A child wants a lot of things, but a parent can say “no” if it’s something the child doesn’t need.

As grown-ups, we have “wants,” too. And sometimes our wants are not so different (bring on the chocolate!). But we have a Heavenly Father who can say “no” too.

Just like a 2-year-old, we don’t always get what we want, but 2 Peter 1:3 says, “By his divine power, God has given us everything we need for living a godly life.”

When life gets stressful we may think we really need that chocolate bar! But the Lord knows what we really need. He’s aware of the stresses and messes of our lives, and he knows when we’re hungry, tired, or afraid. He hears our cries for help. He carries us when we are too weak to go on. He searches for us when we become hopelessly lost.

God shepherds us with love as “the sheep of his pasture” (Psalm 100:3).

He knows that our deepest wants are our needs.

Life is exhausting—we need rest. Life is chaotic—we need peace. Life is lonely—we need love. Life is difficult—we need help!

God answers our wants by promising us exactly what we need.

The Lord is our shepherd. We shall not want.

What is your deepest “want” today?

Psalm 23

“The Lord is my shepherd; I have all that I need.

He lets me rest in green meadows.

He leads me beside peaceful streams.

He renews my strength.

He guides me along right paths, bringing honor to his name.

Even when I walk through the darkest valley, I will not be afraid, for you are close beside me.

Your rod and your staff protect and comfort me.

You prepare a feast for me in the presence of my enemies.

You honor me by anointing my head with oil.

My cup overflows with blessings.

Surely, your goodness and unfailing love will pursue me all the days of my life,

And I will live in the house of the Lord forever.”

Heavenly Father, our Lord and Shepherd, hear the “wants” of our hearts today and give us everything we need!

May the Lord give you all you need today,

Linda

Linda chats about red shoes, the chicken dance, and her daily life trying to display God’s glory at her blog: Sunny Side Up

Reprinted with permission Copyright © 2006 Group Publishing, Inc.

“Yes, I love you, good girl.  Can’t you tell from the way I stroke you or the way I scratch behind your ears?”

I have this conversation with my beloved dog at least once a day.  Her pleading eyes betray a questioning heart.

“Are you sure I’m okay?  Have I done anything to displease you?  I mean I know you tell me over and over again but…. but… can you tell me again?  Do you love me?  Do you?”

“Yes, I love you.  How many times must I tell you?”

Something in this exchange feels too familiar.  I think I understand my dog so well because I ask the same questions. Yes, that is hard to admit. Even harder to admit is that while my head knows I need only the nod of my Master, I still find myself seeking approval from others.  I look for a scratch behind the ears from my husband, a pat on the head from a friend, comments from blog readers.

And my Father weeps.  And the heart of my Savior breaks again.  And the gentle voice of the Holy Spirit cracks with disappointment.

“Are We not enough?”

Ouch!

With heart repentant I stand before Him, the One Who stamped my life with His blood, once for all time.

APPROVED. 

Even before he made the world, God loved us and chose us in Christ to be holy and without fault in his eyes.  Ephesians 1:4 NLT

Have you found yourself hungry for approval, seeking compliments and pats on the head, deaf to the voice of your Heavenly Father as He speaks His love over you again and again?

Help us to remember that we have true approval in your eyes Lord, the only approval we ever really need, as we allow You to heal these fragile hearts in ways that only You can.

Keep living and loving for His glory,