Growing Through the Stones

 A few days ago, as I was leaving our little apartment for the day, I looked down and saw this sweet little pansy, just growing right through the cracks of the paving stones. It was so unexpected, such a beautiful little spot of sunshine on the pavement, that I had to snap a quick picture before going.

I realize this post will probably sound a little cliche. But I kept thinking about that little flower all throughout the day, and wanted to write about it. 

How do I respond when God has me in a hard place? A place that it seems my margins have disappeared, and I'm left with pressures such as I've never experienced before? How do I respond when I feel like I don't have room to breathe? 

May I, like this little flower, choose to flourish and shine bright for others, even in the tightest and hardest spaces. May I push steadfastly toward the Son (spelling intended ;), not letting my seeming lack of resources discourage me. May I trust in the nourishment and grace that is given me, day by day and moment by moment, not fretting over if or when my reserves will run dry. May I be a person that makes others stop and think of their Creator.

Mykaela

I Will Give You Rest

Happy New Year, everyone!
Isn't it crazy that it's 2020 already? Somehow that number sounds so futuristic. ;) I hope you all had a wonderful holiday season with family and friends! We had many different celebrations around Christmas time--since both Luke's family and mine live nearby now, it makes for a jam-packed schedule of spending time at different homes around the holidays. It was a ton of fun, though, and we are so thankful to have like minded family that we can fellowship freely with and not have to worry about angry dinner conversations or difficult choices on what to refuse participation in politely. I definitely don't take that for granted, because I know so many have to face things like that around the holidays!

Baby boy Orwig is doing very well, and likes to make his presence very known these days with lots and lots and LOTS of movement!! ;) He is such a crazy active little fellow...most especially at night when this Mama is trying to get some sleep. Ha! I'm 26 weeks along, so the third trimester is coming right up. In many ways it feels like this pregnancy is going very quickly, but other times (like when I am trying to get things done and feel like a three ton walrus) it seems like a very long time till he gets here. ;P I know the time will come before we know it, though!

This post is one that I've actually been wanting to write since before Christmas, but I keep putting it off because I keep studying more about the topic, and finding new verses that I love and want to include, and well...just don't be surprised if there happens to be a Part 2 to this post at some point in the future! :)

One of the biggest things God has been working on me about lately is the idea of rest. Both physical and spiritual. Physically, rest has become absolutely vital to me over the last few months, as some small difficulties with pregnancy have made it extremely hard for me to be the go-getter that I typically am/want to be. And quite honestly, as my body grows and changes with every day that goes by, physical rest is becoming even MORE important! :) Much more vital than physical rest, however, is spiritual rest. 

To be honest, I have failed at both types of rest quite often lately. Out of frustration with current physical limitations, I push myself too hard and wind up knocked over and hurting a lot more than is necessary. In a spirit of faithlessness, I refuse to trust God and His promises to me and become fretful and worried, living in doubt and fear and stressing out for no reason.

I've never really done the whole "Word of the Year" thing before...I know many friends who have really enjoyed it, but I had just never actually chosen ONE concept to focus on throughout the year. But at the beginning of this year, I realized that God had been speaking to me about this SO much, it was almost a given: my word of the year for 2020 is "Rest". 

This has been a lot of intro, I know, but I wanted to give some background into my study and how much it means to me before I just launched in. :) Here are a few things I have written down in my study journal over the last couple months. (Alliterated because I'm Baptist and that's just what we do, haha!! ;P)

1. The Preparation for Rest
"And he said unto them, This is that which the LORD hath said, To morrow is the rest of the holy sabbath unto the LORD: bake that which ye will bake to day, and seethe that ye will seethe; and that which remaineth over lay up for you to be kept until the morning." Exodus 16:23

God Himself instituted the practice of resting (specifically on the Sabbath) when He created the world in six days and rested on the seventh. Later, He set up this principle for His people to follow. However, God didn't expect or require them to simply drop everything and rest with no preparation or provision for the rest period. They were to make ready in order to be purposefully still and not work. However, this did NOT mean that all tasks were perfectly complete and nothing was left undone before they rested. They made specific preparations for the Sabbath, and when the day came, they rested. Whatever was left undone could simply wait until the next day. In our goal-oriented and perfectionist society today, we sometimes have a hard time resting while there are still tasks to be done. However, there will always be something to do, something to fill our time with. The decision lies with us to let some of that go and CHOOSE to purposefully rest.

2. The Purpose of Rest
Six days thou shalt do thy work, and on the seventh day thou shalt rest: that thine ox and thine ass may rest, and the son of thy handmaid, and the stranger, may be refreshed. Exodus 23:12

God's plan for rest is that His children will be refreshed and uplifted. His thoughts toward us are of good, not evil, and His commandments to us are not grievous (burdensome or harsh). Rest is a "good and perfect gift" (James 1:17) from the hand of God, meant to bless, not harm. In 1 Chronicles 22:9 and 2 Chronicles 14:6, The Bible speaks of God giving someone rest as a gift or a blessing. When viewed correctly, rest is a valuable resource and should be treated as such.

3. The Placement of Rest
"And Asa cried unto the LORD his God, and said, LORD, it is nothing with thee to help, whether with many, or with them that have no power: help us, O LORD our God; for we rest on thee, and in thy name we go against this multitude. O LORD, thou art our God; let not man prevail against thee." 2 Chronicles 14:11

If you are familiar with this story, you'll know that Asa was facing terrible, overwhelming circumstances. As in, going up against a million man army with only half that many on his own side. And yet, in the midst of even that circumstance, he was able to find a place of rest in God.

You may have heard the statement made about joy that it is found in God and does not depend on surroundings or circumstances the way happiness can. Well, from God's Word, it seems to me that rest too can be found even in the middle of chaos, heartbreak, or trial...IF it is a rest based firmly upon God and His promises. It is a CHOICE, not a feeling or an emotion. True rest comes from seeking after God fervently and choosing to trust His Word. 

As I studied this out, it struck me how many things in our Christian lives are like this. Love? It's a choice and an action...though those warm feelings are sometimes there as well, they are a result of the good choices we make, not the other way around. Joy? Same thing. It's a decision we make to not allow our circumstances to dictate our attitude. It's finding our stability in God. Here's a verse that I found during this study that I thought was SO precious:

"And all Judah rejoiced at the oath: for they had sworn with all their heart, and sought him with their whole desire; and he was found of them: and the LORD gave them rest round about."

2 Chronicles 15:15

4. The Price of our Rest

"And in that day there shall be a root of Jesse, which shall stand for an ensign of the people; to it shall the Gentiles seek: and his rest shall be glorious." Isaiah 11:10

The ultimate place of rest is in heaven, in the very presence of God. This rest cannot be obtained without accepting the price that Jesus Christ paid for our redemption--His own blood. Not only can we not reach heaven without Christ, but even here on this earth we will never find true rest outside of a relationship with him. The world talks a lot about finding inner peace and tranquility, and yet their version of those things are shallow and transient at best if they are not based upon The One who is the true Prince of Peace.

5. The Procurement of Rest

"Rest in the LORD, and wait patiently for him: fret not thyself because of him who prospereth in his way, because of the man who bringeth wicked devices to pass." Psalm 37:7

This point is similar to No. 3, but I couldn't figure out how to split these thoughts up exactly how I wanted, so two points it is. ;) Like many exercises of faith in our lives, the obtainment of God's rest takes commitment and a daily series of rest-producing choices. This verse in Psalm 37 speaks of waiting patiently for God (choice) and NOT fretting (yet again, a choice). I looked up the dictionary definition of "fret" and thought it was interesting:

Fret: (1) Be constantly or visibly worried or anxious. 

(2) To gradually wear away by rubbing or gnawing.

Fretting both violates a clear command of Scripture (Be careful for nothing...Phillipians 4:6), but also wears away and gnaws at my strength, joy, and hope in God.

I feel like so many times we SAY we want God's rest and peace, and yet the moment by moment choices we make contradict that desire completely. (And I'm as guilty of this as anyone.) One of the biggest things I've noticed in myself is that I hardly ever give myself a CHANCE to actually rest and be still! Every free or quiet moment is squelched by me trying to fill my time up constantly, many times with useless things like scrolling my phone for the twentieth time that day or doing some other frivolous activity instead of taking a moment to just be still. 

Sometimes all it takes to find that rest we crave is to remind ourselves of the goodness and bounty of God.  "Return unto thy rest, O my soul; for the LORD hath dealt bountifully with thee. For thou hast delivered my soul from death, mine eyes from tears, and my feet from falling." Psalm 116:7-8

Other times, rest can only come through chastisement and repentance/restoration. (As in the case of unrest being due to our own sin or disobedience). "Blessed is the man whom thou chastenest, O LORD, and teachest him out of thy law; That thou mayest give him rest from the days of adversity, until the pit be digged for the wicked. For the LORD will not cast off his people, neither will he forsake his inheritance." Psalm 94:12-14

I realize this post may seem a little incoherent, but like I said, I have just kept discovering more and more things in God's Word about rest and being still, and it's been really hard to narrow it down enough for a blog post. ;) Let me wrap up with a few more verses I found that I think sum up all these ideas quite well.

"Thus saith the LORD, Stand ye in the ways, and see, and ask for the old paths, where is the good way, and walk therein, and ye shall find rest for your souls." Jeremiah 6:16a

"Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest." Matthew 11:28

"I have set the LORD always before me: because he is at my right hand, I shall not be moved. Therefore my heart is glad, and my glory rejoiceth: my flesh also shall rest in hope." Psalm 16:8-9

 "For thus saith the Lord GOD, the Holy One of Israel; In returning and rest shall ye be saved; in quietness and in confidence shall be your strength:" Isaiah 30:15a

This year, I want to choose to rest in The Lord, no matter the circumstance or situation that I face. How about you?

Mykaela

Hallway Complacency

Psalm 27:11a "Teach me thy way, O LORD, and lead me in a plain path..."

Psalm 31:3 For thou art my rock and my fortress; therefore for thy name's sake lead me, and guide me.

Psalm 32:8 I will instruct thee and teach thee in the way which thou shalt go; I will guide thee with mine eye.



"Earth to Mykaela, Earth to Mykaela, come in Mykaela."

"Mykaela to Earth, I am alive and have no explanations for my absence. Over and out."

:'D

I have not posted a thing on this blog since over a month ago, and I'm feeling a bit bad about that. ;P My humblest apologies to anyone who happens to still be waiting for signs of life from my corner of the universe. ;)

Anyway, today's post is about something that God has been teaching me lately through several different circumstances. 

I'm sure you have heard this popular phrase at least once: "Until God opens the next door, praise Him in the hallway." It's a good thought. However, I could never have guessed that sometimes, the hallway can be pretty nice...and that I would become complacently happy just sitting there. 

Don't get me wrong, this quote is supposed to encourage contentment, which I totally agree with! However, there is a big difference between contentment and complacency. Contentment says, "I will find joy wherever God has me at the moment, and if and when the time comes where He changes those circumstances, I will follow that leading and find joy in the next situation!" Complacency, on the other hand, says, "This is really nice here. I think I'll just settle right in, get myself some lemonade, and put down some roots. God had better not move me from here, because I like this situation just fine!"

Sometimes, it is easy to sink into this attitude, especially if you've been working on and praying for contentment for a long time, and God has finally taught you that difficult lesson. And yet, it is so important to be able to find joy in wherever God is leading you! Sometimes, when He starts opening doors, even to something good, it can be hard to follow and walk through those doors, because new openings mean change. As I discussed in my last post, change is hard for me, as I think it is for many of us ladies! For me, sometimes I'll see a new opportunity for growth and development open up, and even as I KNOW that it would be a good thing, I resist...simply because I'm happy with the hallway. But wouldn't you know it? God usually doesn't let me stay there too long when He is leading me elsewhere. ;) Also, true to His longsuffering kindness to me, that new door is always, always for the better. It leads places I never could have imagined from my little waiting chair in the hall. 

I feel like this post is a little incoherent, but I just want to challenge you today...if God is leading you to pursue new or scary challenges, go for it! You only live one life, the best thing you can do is live it for The Lord! And you never know just how many beautiful, amazing things God will show you through that step of faith. <3
Love,
Mykaela

Adjusting Sails: A Letter To My 16-year-old Self (Guest Post!)

Hello, Everyone!
By the time you are reading this, I will be in Fiji fellowshipping with the churches there, Lord willing! 

Today I am thrilled to present a guest post by my dear friend, Janan! Her and I have never met in person, but we have a mutual friend whom all of you know from many previous posts--Kimberly! :) Over the past year or so, I have come to value her friendship so much, especially as Kimberly has been living in Taiwan and there's just a little bit of a time difference between us that makes communication difficult. ;P Anyway, I hope Janan's post is a blessing and an encouragement to you!

 ~~~~~~~~~

Adjusting Sails: A Letter to My Sixteen-Year-Old Self
 
It’d be nice if we always got to stay in our comfort zone, wouldn’t it? No changes other than the ones we want, gliding effortlessly across smooth water without a care in the world. Naturally, I’m not one to adapt well to change. I fight it, I tell myself it’s a bump in the road. That it’ll smooth itself out. It won’t stay like this because it’s not supposed to, right?


Life can’t always stay the same, and neither should it. At twenty-one years old, life is so much more different than I could have ever imagined at sixteen. Today’s me would have told that girl five years ago a lot of things. And she probably would have shrugged them off because she knew better, obviously.


The one thing I hope she would have listened to though, is this:


It feels good to be sixteen, doesn’t it? I know you’re excited for all the plans you’ve made. You’ll be graduating next year, going to music school after that. You’re full of hope and optimism. Full of anticipation of what the next few years will bring because they ARE the most pivotal years of your life. You’re transitioning from teenager to adult. More responsibility. More work. But you like it. You’re wanting to learn everything you possibly can because you know things are only going to get busier from here on out.


If I asked you what your life was going to be like five years from now, you’d probably say something along the lines of being graduated with a Bacherlor’s degree in voice and hopefully singing for a living, maybe a little bit of happily ever after thrown in, too, right?


What if I told you that it was all going to change? What if I told you you’d travel to the other side of the world with your best friend? What if I said you’d be studying business instead of music? What if I told you there were wonderful things ahead, but they come with a price? And what if I said that price was change? Change in leaving your comfort zone. Change in being vulnerable, but finding yourself. Change to let God make you who He wants you to be.


I guess it’s pretty scary. You don’t want change. You have everything planned out just right. The years ahead aren’t going to be easy. Sometimes it’ll be downright difficult. You’ll have days where you sink to the floor, crying because life doesn’t make sense. There isn’t a way to get around any of that, but I can promise you this: as good as things seem now, your best days are ahead. Sure, maybe some of your worst ones, too, but how can you appreciate smooth sailing without some storms?


Let God take you where he needs you to be, and don’t be afraid to adjust your sails.


I’d like to say I’ve come a long way from those days, but I’m still me and that letter will always be applicable, really. What I’ve come to realize is that God doesn’t want me in my comfort zone all the time. Hardly ever, actually. Because that’s the only way I’ll grow. It’s the only way I’ll learn to trust in Him and not my perfect plans.


I’ve learned to embrace change and the ups and downs it brings. They’re exciting to me now. I’m not saying I enjoy it all, because I definitely don’t. But I do love when I’m able to look back on a trying time and see how much I had to rely on God and how He was able to grow me through whatever life brought.


So next time the winds change, adjust your sails and see where God takes you.


**


A huge thank you to Mykaela for asking me to guest post! She’s the best. :)


Janan

Father, Thank You!

Psalm 30:11-12 Thou hast turned for me my mourning into dancing: thou hast put off my sackcloth, and girded me with gladness; To the end that my glory may sing praise to thee, and not be silent. O LORD my God, I will give thanks unto thee for ever.

Hello, friends!

I promise I am still alive, contrary to all appearances. :) The last few weeks have been a crazy whirlwind of activity, most all of it good, but still...not too much free time to blog lately. ;)

November is a month of thanksgiving. A month of praising God for His grace, mercy, and bountiful goodness to us. Today, I would like to give thanks to Him for the many things he has done for me just in the past couple of weeks, and the opportunities to come in the next few.

In October, some friends from Alaska came to Wenatchee for several days for a family conference. The services were so good, and the fellowship was sweet. I was able to go to Leavenworth with some of the lovely Humphrey ladies (missed you, Aimee and Krista!! :'(. The fall colors were in full swing as we walked the gorgeous trails in the area, drank some awesome coffee, and ate Bavarian pastries. ;) No matter how many times I've been to Leavenworth, it never gets old. :)

After that, Bro. Doug Hammet and his wife came for a visit. Bro. Doug has been a good friend and mentor to our family and church for a long time, but I didn't remember meeting him in person. (Although apparently I met him at 4 or 5 years old? ;) Anyway, it was a blessing having them stay in our home and being able to talk with them about their amazing ministry to southern Africa. 

This past week, we went over to Oak Harbor for our annual missions conference. As always, it was an absolute highlight of the year! Convicting messages each night, and special missions forums every afternoon were a great challenge to me, especially in the area of personal evangelism. This is one area I very much tend to fail in unless I am actively seeking ways to build good habits. I want to be so much more faithful and bold in this area! I also got to practice tons of music with the group that is going to Fiji. There are 11 of us total, 10 who are singing, so it was really special to sing with them and get ready to minister to the brethren we will meet on the trip. 

One area of this year's conference was difficult, in that my great grandma went home to be with The Lord. She was 97, and had been a faithful Christian for many years. My mom was not able to make it to most of the conference due to being there with her, but I am so glad she was able to! I think it was truly important that she be there. I am deeply thankful to The Lord for making a way through His blood for me to see her again! Even though it hurts and there are tears now, I know that this is not a final separation. In a week and a half, we will be heading up to Canada for her memorial service, and I'll be heading straight from there to Oak Harbor in preparation for the Fiji trip!!

That means I have 11 days from right now to get ready for three weeks overseas. 10, if you are reading this on email. I can NOT believe it's so close!! I'm so excited for this incredible opportunity to return to the South Pacific and be a blessing in every way I am able! We will be attending a 4 day conference, as well as going to a couple of different churches for the guys to preach in different areas. We will be singing a lot as a group and in smaller duets and trios. It will be interesting seeing how everything works out, as many details can't be planned out until we are there. If then. ;) I think a lot of more minor things will just be done on the fly. Which is cool with me! International travel is unpredictable and just a bit scary anyway, a few more little unknowns aren't going to make a difference. ;P I will be away for 3 full weeks, (Thanksgiving Day through December 14th), so the blog may be neglected unless I can get some good Samaritans to send me a guest post. Ahem. Any volunteers? ;) 

A few more things I am super thankful for this month...

Hot soup on cold days. Huge sweaters and steaming coffee. My new job at a Sew and Vac store!! Long late night phone calls. Snail mail letters that make me laugh. My new tangerine clove candle that smells like Christmas. My Peaceful Guitar playlist on Spotify (so nice to fall asleep to!). Autumn colors blazing on the trees. Driving through the Cascades and being blown away by the majesty of them for the thousandth time. Cozy socks. Folding fat quarters at work. :) Christmas coming up. Siblings' birthdays. 

What are you grateful for? <3 Have a blessed Thanksgiving if I'm unable to post again before then!! Love,

Mykaela 

A Lesson Learned From a Chocolate Kiss

Hey everyone!

It's a brand new week with new opportunities to serve The Lord! :) Today I'd like to share something small and funny that I experienced recently, that I think has good application to our lives. It's something I talk about a lot, but also needs to be talked about a lot, because we forget it. All the time. :(

So I had my two year old little sister in nursery today, and since we had a couple families missing, it was just me and her. As I sat on the floor listening to my dad's sermon over the small speaker, I noticed that I still had a small baggie of assorted Valentine's Day chocolates in my purse from a coworker. I got it out, and unwrapped a Hershey's kiss for Miriam. She was thrilled, (duh! ;), and popped the whole thing in her mouth. For a kid her size, a Hershey's kiss is a rather large mouthful, but she managed, only drooling a little bit. As she struggled to chew this enormous hunk of chocolate, she instantly started pointing at my purse and yelping, as much as she could yelp, that is, for more. I laughingly unwrapped a second chocolate, (the last one in the bag), and gave it to her when she was finished with the first one. Again, with her mouth literally stuffed to overflowing with chocolate, she starts screeching for more?! When I told her they were gone, (not that I would have given her more anyway!), she threw a fit. She got in trouble at this point. ;P 

Anyway, after the unpleasantness was done, I got to thinking; how many times do I do this to God? He fills my life to overflowing abundance with blessings. And sometimes, I literally ignore those in my eagerness to ask Him for more, and more and MORE things. How unfathomably stupid can I get?! My mouth is stuffed with chocolate, so I can't even scream, and I sit here hyperventilating in my attempts to throw a tantrum for more chocolate. Wow. How God puts up with me, I'll never understand. 

And yet He does.

Day after day, year after year, He still chooses to give me chocolate. How much chocolate do you take for granted?

Mykaela

Happy, Happy Thanksgiving!

Psalm 66:8-9 O bless our God, ye people, and make the voice of his praise to be heard: Which holdeth our soul in life, and suffereth not our feet to be moved.

As I was looking through Psalms this morning to find a good verse to text to all my dear friends as I wished them a happy day, this one stuck out to me. This won't be a long or pithy post; just a wish for all of you to have a wonderful day of gratitude to our Saviour (who holds our soul in this life, and our breath in His hands!), fellowship with family and friends, and wonderful food. ;) Just a quick list of some of the thousands of things I have to be grateful for...

• My Redeemer, Jesus Christ. Without Him, I am nothing.
• God's holy Word. The guidebook for all of life.
• My precious family. Papa, Mama, Micah, Malachi, Mercy, Kourage, Kayson, Kebron, and Miriam; every one of them a gift. :) <3
• My sweet friends, each of whom has such special talents and strengths...who support me, laugh with me, talk with me, and pray with and for me.
• The health of my body. May I never, never take this for granted.
• My home. My quirky, "brand-used, slightly new" home, as Oma calls it. ;)
• Music. I can't even imagine life without it.
• Coffee. Um...enough said. ;)
• The hundreds of little things that just make me happy and bring a smile to my face. Cute couples. Baby animals. Christmas lights. Antique furniture. Fuzzy sweaters. Fuzzy blankets. Fuzzy socks. Fuzz in general. Long fancy dresses. Newborn babies' tiny-ness. Little kids' drawings. Peppermints. Old books. Whipped cream. Truffles. Sunsets. Adventures. Late night talks. Rainy mornings. Sleeping in. Snail mail. Old couples still very much in love. Roses. Dainty jewelry. Getting a package unexpectedly. Cheesecake. Soft, crinkly bundles on Christmas. Summer evenings.

I'm going to stop here, not because I have run out of things to say, but because there is not enough time or room to say them all. I pray that each and every one of you would take a few minutes today to think about what God has done in your life, and what He is doing. His plans are so perfect if we just follow them! :) Lastly, I want to say that I am so very thankful for each of you that takes the time to visit my blog. I know I am random and probably weird at times, (or a lot of the time, haha! ;), but you have stuck with me, and I am grateful to each of you for that. God bless you all! Love,

Mykaela

Sunday Snippets: Thankful on the Wonderful Days

Deuteronomy 8:11-14 "Beware that thou forget not the LORD thy God, in not keeping his commandments, and his judgments, and his statutes, which I command thee this day: Lest when thou hast eaten and art full, and hast built goodly houses, and dwelt therein; And when thy herds and thy flocks multiply, and thy silver and thy gold is multiplied, and all that thou hast is multiplied; Then thine heart be lifted up, and thou forget the LORD thy God, which brought thee forth out of the land of Egypt, from the house of bondage..."

We've got a bit of a longer passage today, but I encourage you to read it carefully. Let's break it down and analyze it a little bit. In these verses, God is giving us a solemn warning, signified by the term "beware". When anyone says beware, it's usually best to listen, but when the God of the universe says it, you absolutely better hold everything and pay attention. 

So what is God warning us of? In verse 14, it tells us: the warning is against us becoming lifted up in pride and forgetting The Lord who has done so much for us. Wow. In the verses following, it lists some of the things that God has done for the children of Israel. Since we are applying it to ourselves today, let's list some of the things He has done for us. 

Are you on your way to heaven? Has God given you a family and friends? Do you have a roof over your head, clothing on your back, and food to eat? Do you have a means of income, however small? Do you have a church? My guess is that most of us are blessed with all of this and a whole lot more. The God who gave us all these incredible benefits, and holds our very existence in His hands...surely we couldn't forget Him, right?! Obviously God would not be warning us against this grave sin unless it were possible for it to happen!

Now that we have established this, when are we in the most danger of falling into this trap? When bad things happen, maybe? Or when our pockets are empty and we don't know how we are going to pay the rent or buy dinner? 

No. 

No, this awful error of pridefully turning our backs on God will become a temptation in a completely different time. A time when everything is going our way! When we have lots of money in our checking account, delicious food overflowing the pantry and fridge, and extra time to spend vacationing, hanging out with friends, and relaxing. In short, when all is right with our world, so to speak. 

In those great days, when the sun is sparkling down on us, is when God says to beware; to watch and be so cautious. Because it's at that time that we can become complacently lifted up in our own pride...we can begin to think that it's of our own goodness or strength that we were able to get these things! And from there, it is a slippery slope downhill. Eventually, we could be led completely away from following God, who is the One who poured these blessings on us in the first place! Oh what a black day it would be for a Christian to turn their back on God as they revel in His gifts! 

So how can we fight against this happening to us? In the verse before this particular passage, it tells us: "When thou hast eaten and art full, then thou shalt bless the LORD thy God for the good land which he hath given thee." We combat the sin of unthankfulness and pride by blessing God's name! Every single day of our lives, whether we wake up to sunshine or rain, we need to be praising God for the blessings He has given us. I don't care how bad you think you have it, I can promise you that if you're God's child, He has not abandoned you, and if you look for it, you will see that you have so much more to be thankful for than you think! Be careful...be so, so careful to never stop worshipping at The Saviour's feet, whether your wallet is full or empty. Spend time in His Word, listening to what He has to say. Serve Him with your whole heart. And if He has you rich or poor physically at this time in your life, you can always become more rich in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ. 

Thanksgiving is coming up, what are you most thankful for? I hope you all have a wonderful week!
Mykaela

Sunday Snippets: Are We There Yet?!

1 Timothy 6:6 "But godliness with contentment is great gain."

1 Corinthians 7:17 “But as God hath distributed to every man, as the Lord hath called every one, so let him walk. And so ordain I in all churches.”

I was talking with a dear friend this last week, and an interesting subject came up. She mentioned something she was guilty of doing that I TOTALLY related to as well!! All throughout life, we look forward to things. (That's not the bad part, it's just a fact. ;) As children, we look forward to Sunday School when we can see our friends. We look forward to our birthday, or Christmas, or maybe the beginning of summer break.

As we grow older, we look forward to things even more intensely. We just yearn after different things than birthday cake. We look forward to future stages of life. Sound familiar? As teenagers, we are looking forward to graduating and being done with the tedious grind of school. Then we graduate, and if we are 'single' we look forward to marriage. (This is a big one for a lot of us young women. Not all, but lots.) We look forward to getting a raise or promotion, or a different, bigger and better job altogether. We want to "upgrade" everything...from smartphones to airline tickets--and we look forward to that future day when we'll have the money to do so. The money to live life like the party it's supposed to be, right?

Let's think about this mindset for a moment. When you graduated and got your first job, was it really so much better than the "tedious grind of school"? Uh, no. Actually not. It's a lot longer of a grind per day, plus you don't get the entire summer to goof off. If you're lucky, you might get three weeks of vacation time in the entire year. 

How about when you upgraded your smartphone to the biggest and best? There was a biggerest and bestest already out in stores by the time yours was 2 months old. (And yes, I'm aware that those are not words. Thank you for your concern, grammar cops. ;)

It seems to me that we spend so much time longing for the future, that we miss the blessings of being content, and being thankful for the stage of life we are in right now!

One major area I do this in is that of a relationship. The concept of marriage is one that is so sparkly and shiny with joy, that I forget everything I have heard about marriage being difficult, uphill work sometimes! I tend to always focus on the wonderful and romantic parts of marriage, rather than realizing that it's not all dark chocolate, rose bouquets, and perfect date nights. ;) There will be times that we will disagree, or I'll be feeling cranky and tired and snap at him, then cry. I'll leave things in the oven too long sometimes, and the smoke alarm will go off. There will be broken dishes and stubbed toes and clogged toilets, just like there are now. He'll come home exhausted and grumpy once in a while, and I'll need to learn to deal properly with that. I'll miss my family, especially the young ones. It will be different. And I need to be preparing myself now!! There will be wonderful, incredible things about marriage, I know. But. I put it on way too big and beautiful of a pedestal sometimes, instead of realizing that it will be only through God's grace that I will be able to be a good wife, and a help meet for whatever man God has for me.

I have grown better in this area in the last couple of years. I can honestly say that for the majority of the time, I am truly happy to be at home, serving God in the stage of life He has me in right now. However, there are days when I start being discontent, and once that seed is planted, it grows so quickly! I need to work on valuing the time I have today, right now. To quote what my friend said a few days ago:

I need to remember to live in the moment and not take present comforts for granted, nor future dreams at face-value.

That pretty much sums it up. Let's trust God to bring the future in His own time, and stop trying to hurry it up. Time is not going to move any faster just because you want to graduate, get married, or upgrade! ;) Live right now, right here. Redeem the time, for the days are evil. If you have godliness with contentment, you have great gain.

Mykaela

Sunday Snippets: Come and Dine!

Isaiah 55: 1 "Ho, every one that thirsteth, come ye to the waters, and he that hath no money; come ye, buy and eat; yea, come, buy wine and milk without money and without price."

As you all have probably already guessed, I love Isaiah a lot. Every time I read through it, or even just scan all the verses I’ve previously marked, it is SUCH a good book!! So many encouraging and uplifting verses, each of them deserves their own post. This one is so beautiful to me…The Lord is calling to those who are thirsting for Him. He offers them beautiful, satisfying blessings—without money and without price. These people, who have nothing to give, nothing to offer, and He offers them His abundance in return? Wow. This is such a testimony to the everlasting love of God. 

It makes me think of myself before salvation. I came to God with NOTHING to offer Him. All my righteousnesses were as filthy rags. Filthy Rags!! Go to any hospital, and go to the laundry ward. There are some pretty seriously filthy rags there. And I am telling you, they are not pleasant. But that's all that my "good deeds" were before salvation. Paul said that, "In me, (that is, in my flesh,) dwelleth no good thing..." There was nothing good in me. 

Notice how it says COME YE to the waters. God doesn't ever drag us to the springs of living water and force our faces into them for us to drink. It's our choice. We just have to ask Him.

When we come to God with nothing, asking to partake in His mercy and grace, He will fulfill our needs abundantly. Not just with some old moldy bread and tepid water... No!! Wine (Fruit of the vine), and milk, and honey! The fat of the earth! 

The next verse says, "Wherefore do ye spend money for that which is not bread? and your labour for that which satisfieth not? hearken diligently unto me, and eat ye that which is good, and let your soul delight itself in fatness." 

Why do we run around chasing after things that are never going to satisfy our deepest needs? Why would we spend time or money on frivolous amusements that have nothing to do with the bread of life? When will we learn to simply come, ask, and hearken diligently to His righteous commandments? He has offered us innumerable blessings--if we choose to follow His way. Not throwing our relationship with God in as an afterthought to the rest of life that's so much more "enjoyable". Enjoyment does not equal contentment, peace, or true joy. Let's learn to delight ourselves in doing His will with a pure, single minded faithfulness. His rewards will be more fulfilling than you can fathom. Without money, and without price. Priceless. :)
Mykaela 

In the Right Place at the Right Time: Guest Post by Elizabeth

Happy weekend, friends! I hope you have had a lovely week so far. Today I am excited to present a guest post by a long distance friend of mine, Elizabeth! She has been reading this blog almost since I started it, (which I appreciate so much!!), so I thought it would be awesome to feature a post by her. She has been such an example and encouragement to me in the time that we've talked via email, blogger, etc. :) Without further ado, here is her post!

In the Right Place at the Right Time

Esther 2:2,8 "Then said the king's servants that ministered unto him, Let there be fair young virgins sought for the king: So it came to pass, when the king's commandment and his decree was heard, and when many maidens were gathered together unto Shushan the palace, to the custody of Hegai, that Esther was brought also unto the king's house, to the custody of Hegai, keeper of the women."

I won't go into every detail of the story of Esther, so if it's been a while since you've read it, I highly recommend reading through it again! Esther wasn't in the king's palace by choice. She just so happened to be one of the virgins taken there at that time. This was a very volatile time for her people. Haman hated the Jews and wanted them all killed! This wasn't a situation to handle lightly. I can't imagine being in her position! But if you read the whole story, you will see how everything worked out just the right way, in just the right time. The verse that sticks out to me the most in this whole book, and the one I want to focus on, is in the last part of verse 14, in chapter 4, when Mordecai exhorts Esther "And who knoweth whether thou art come to the kingdom for such a time as this?" I love reading this story, because you can obviously see that it was no coincidence that Esther was there at this particular time. It always amazes me how, throughout all of the Bible, God places His people at just the right place at a particular time to accomplish His purposes.

How can we apply this story to our lives? I'm sure there are a number of ways, but I want to focus on the theme of Esther 4:14b. We ALL find ourselves in difficult situations from time to time, and often it's a circumstance that we didn't choose. It may be a difficult situation with your church, your family, your health, your job, etc. It may cause you to be frustrated, confused, lonely, disappointed, discouraged...you name it. And it's so easy to see a change in our circumstances as the perfect solution. And trust me, I'm as guilty of that as anyone else!

And let me go ahead and clarify. There may very well be times when God does want you to leave your job, change your ministry, move to a new church, or a new town, etc. And the seasons of your life will often change. But there are also going to be times when God wants you right where you are, for such a time as this. I know it's not easy to stick it out during those times. I know how easy it is to feel stuck where you are. But God knows exactly where you are, and it's no accident that you're there! And never underestimate what God can do through you, if you just stay faithful to Him. As Mykaela pointed out in a past blog post, God isn't just looking for talented, amazing, creative, Christians. He's looking for FAITHFUL Christians. Will you be faithful where He has you today?

Elizabeth

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Wow...I don't know about you guys, but this post was really thought provoking to me. You may have heard this quote, but I love it:

God may not be changing your circumstances because he wants to change you through them.

All things work together for good to God's people, especially when they honor him in whatever position they find themselves in! I really appreciate Elizabeth taking the time and effort to write this post for me. I hope you all are as blessed by it as I was!

Mykaela