A Weekly Walk in the Word

John 18:11 Jesus commanded Peter, “Put your sword away! Shall I not drink the cup the Father has given me?”

What would you do if you or your best friend were wrongly accused of a crime? Would you lash out like Peter and cut off someone’s ear? Or would you surrender peacefully like Jesus? As a mother, I struggle when I see anyone mistreat my children. My mean, mama-bear side comes out. But in today’s reading, I learn from Jesus that in all circumstances – even death – God is in control. Trust God’s perfect plan.

The paragraph above is the Day 149 devotion from my new book Women Walking in the Word. I wrote this entry years before I lost my son to an undiagnosed heart condition. I found it again during the editing process. God is good. He gave me the words I needed before I needed them the most. God is in control even when we struggle to see the light.

Colossians 3:16-17 Let the Word of Christ – the Message – have the run of the house. Give it plenty of room in your lives. Instruct and direct one another using good common sense. And sing, sing, sing your hearts out to God! Let every detail in your lives – words, actions, whatever – be done in the name of the Master, Jesus, thanking God the Father every step of the way.

Today I will sing, sing, sing because this week I picked up 1040 copies of my second published book from the printer. It was a huge leap of faith to spend 9 years writing and another year publishing a book. But, I felt called to share the Word of God with others. Reflecting on the process, I see God’s hand on every page, in every word. He was with me every step of the way. I am excited for you to write your story along with me when you journal your way through Women Walking in the Word.

Psalm 119:105 By your words I can see where I’m going; they throw a beam of light on my dark path. (The Message Version)

It is really happening! My second book Women Walking in the Word is at the printers. It has been a journey for sure. Only God knew the twists and turns my path in life would take as I worked through finishing this book. But we did it! God is good always!

Matthew 28:1-10 After the Sabbath, at dawn on the first day of the week, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary came to look at the tomb. Look, there was a great earthquake, for an angel from the Lord came down from heaven. Coming to the stone, he rolled it away and sat on it. Now his face was like lightning and his clothes as white as snow. The guards were so terrified of him that they shook with fear and became like dead men. But the angel said to the women, “Don’t be afraid. I know that you are looking for Jesus who was crucified. He isn’t here, because he’s been raised from the dead, just as he said. Come, see the place where they laid him. Now hurry, go and tell his disciples, ‘He’s been raised from the dead. He’s going on ahead of you to Galilee. You will see him there.’ I’ve given the message to you.” With great fear and excitement, they hurried away from the tomb and ran to tell his disciples. But Jesus met them and greeted them. They came and grabbed his feet and worshipped him. Then Jesus said to them, “Don’t be afraid. Go and tell my brothers that I am going into Galilee. They will see me there.”

Death has been overcome. Our hope is in Jesus! Alleluia

Luke 22:54-62 After they arrested Jesus, they led him away and brought him to the high priest’s house. Peter followed from a distance. When they lit a fire in the middle of the courtyard and sat down together, Peter sat among them. Then a servant woman saw him sitting in the firelight. She stared at him and said, “This man was with him too.” But Peter denied it, saying, “Woman, I don’t know him!” A little while later, someone else saw him and said, “You are one of them too.” But Peter said, “Man, I’m not!” An hour or so later, someone else insisted, “This man must have been with him, because he is a Galilean too.” Peter responded, “Man, I don’t know what you are talking about!” At that very moment, while he was still speaking, a rooster crowed. The Lord turned and looked straight at Peter, and Peter remembered the Lord’s words: “before a rooster crows today, you will deny me three times.” And Peter went out and cried uncontrollably.

Peter, one of Jesus’ followers and closest friend denied even knowing Jesus. Peter is human. We are all broken and incapable of being perfect. Jesus is looking straight at you. He gives you grace. Give yourself grace this Easter season as we work together to live into who God is calling us to be.

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.