A Weekly Walk in the Word

John 10:1-10 “I tell you the truth, the man who does not enter the sheep pen by the gate, but climbs in by some other way, is a thief and a robber. The man who enters by the gate is the shepherd of his sheep. The watchman opens the gate for him, and the sheep listen to his voice. He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. When he has brought out all his own, he goes on ahead of them, and his sheep follow him because they know his voice. But they will never follow a stranger; in fact, they will run away from him because they do not recognize a stranger’s voice.” Jesus used this figure of speech, but they did not understand what he was telling them. Therefore Jesus said again, “I tell you the truth, I am the gate for the sheep. All who ever came before me were thieves and robbers, but the sheep did not listen to them. I am the gate; whoever enters through me will be saved. He will come in and go out, and find pasture. The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.

The dispersal of our son’s flock of sheep has been a difficult task. Mike has spent countless hours working on spreadsheets and talking with potential buyers to find good homes for Seth’s mature ewes and lambs. The task has also been a rewarding one. We have connected with incredible families and young showmen through the dispersal. Seth will have lambs in Minnesota, Wisconsin, South Dakota, Nebraska, Kansas and Colorado. We are proud of the lives Seth has impacted throughout the Midwest. And we can’t wait to see these young people show up at the gate of their fairs.

Galatians 5:6 The only thing that counts is faith expressing itself through love.

The cutest country church sits on a gravel backroad in Wisconsin. Above the door reads a sign “Let Me Always Stand By The Road And Be Your Friend’. I long to walk through those doors every week. I long for a friend who stands strong, but willing to open their door at anytime. I have been blessed with several friends who do just that. Do your friends and family know how much you love them? How do you express your love to each of them? Reach out today to let them know they are important and loved.

John 3:16-17 “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.”

A friendly reminder….. You are loved! Jesus loves you, and so do I.

James 1:17-18 Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows. He chose to give us birth through the word of truth, that we might be a kind of firstfruits of all he created.

A true friend is a gift from God.

Last week a group of us met for lunch to celebrating a dear friend’s 95th birthday. I had the privilege of meeting her when we first attended our church in Lonsdale. She was the first person to welcome us into our new congregation. Because of her welcoming spirit, we continued to attend Sunday worship. We sit with her every week and have become close friends. God knew she was the friend I needed for this season of my life. She is a prayer warrior. She inspires me to be a better Christian. She is wise. She is a true gift from God!

Luke 15:8-10 Or suppose a woman has ten silver coins and loses one. Does she not light a lamp, sweep the house and search carefully until she finds it? And when she finds it, she calls her friends and neighbors together and says, “Rejoice with me; I have found my lost coin.” In the same way, I tell you, there is rejoicing in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents.

There are many types of loss. You can lose money, your reading glasses, car keys, or an important piece of mail. You can also lose your way, your hope, or your soul. What have you lost recently that needs to be found. Prayerfully ask God to reveal to you what can be found within the loss that will enable you to rejoice, not because of the loss, but because God takes things that have strayed away from us and marvelously restores them to us in ways we might not immediately recognize or appreciate. As I take baby steps to move forward in my life, God continues to show up. I thank God for the blessings and people he has surrounded me with, and I find great peace in that.

John 1:29 The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him and said, “Look, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!”

I am doing the final proofread for my new book “Women Walking in the Word”. Below is the devotion for day 121. Seth keeps showing up when I least expect it.

Verse 29: “Look, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world.” Jesus is the sacrificial Lamb, sent into the world by God to take away our sins. My children grew up showing sheep at our 4-H fair. Every spring we lambed between ten and twenty ewes. So I am especially drawn to the symbolism of Christ the Lamb of God. My oldest son was the shepherd on our farm. The lambs knew his voice. They even knew the sound of his truck when he drove onto the yard after school. The sheep’s ears would perk up, they would run to the gate and wait for my son to walk into the barn because they knew they would be fed. Do we seek our shepherd in the same way? Do we drop everything to run to the gate to be fed when we hear him calling? Strive to be more “sheepish” in your daily life.

Psalm 118:14 The LORD is my strength and my song; he has become my salvation.

Music has a way of changing my heart. What do you listen to? I listen to Christian radio when I am in the car. I listen to Instrumental Worship music on Spotify when I am working around the house. Music fills my soul and uplifts my mood.

Baseball players have a walk on song that plays when they are up to bat and walk from the dugout to the batting box. What will your walk on song be when you walk from this world into heaven?

Acts 20:35 In everything I did, I showed you that by this kind of hard work we must help the weak, remembering the words the Lord Jesus himself said: “It is more blessed to give than to receive”.

On the day of Seth’s service, I gifted our pastor and church administrative assistant each three skeins of yarn from my sheep. One white skein from Elsie, one natural color from Irene and one moorit from Toots. Both ladies are skilled knitters and loved the gift. After Bible study this week, they gifted me a cowl knit in the yarn I had given them. They incorporated the three colors of yarn from the three sheep to design a cowl with Seth’s brand in the center. They prayed over every stitch as they each knit one cowl for themselves and one for me. You can never out give a giver, and you can NEVER out give God.

Matthew 9:36 Now when Jesus saw the crowds, he had compassion for them because they were troubled and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd. (CEB)

The past month has left me feeling troubled and helpless most days. I am so thankful for my shepherd who has had compassion on me. Jesus has wrapped me in his love through the hugs and prayers of friends, family and strangers who are becoming fast friends. He has sent angels when I have needed them most. They have held me up when I could not stand. I am able to move forward, because during the darkest days, my shepherd is faithful and has never left my side.

In early November I took a watercolor class at Nash Lake Farm. Seth’s comment when he saw the sheep card I painted was “My made gift for Christmas this year? Please and Thank you” Last week I painted over 100 sheep Thank You cards. I wasn’t able to give Seth watercolor sheep, but I am able to give the painted cards to those who loved him.

Luke 2:8-20 And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord. This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.” Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying, “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to men on whom his favor rests.” When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, “Let’s go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about.” So they hurried on and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby, who was lying in the manger. When they had seen him, they spread the word concerning what had been told them about this child, and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds said to them. it Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart. The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things they had heard and seen, which were just as they had been told.